Breaking Bad is the greatest show on television.

[Order 66]

Originally Posted by Pumpkins23836

WUT? Have you even been watching this show?

the show is in the archetype of a protagonist who makes a faustian deal. his morals were compromised but in the end walt and jesse did what they did based on their best intentions for each other and for the people they care about. i admit gale is kind of a stretch because walt was saving his own ass but you could argue he wasn't ready to leave his family on their own yet

as low and pathetic and desperate as they've gone i don't see them reaching gus-level diabolism, and if they did i'd be kind of pissed because i'd find it inconsistent with their core personalities. but hey, who knows. and at the end of the day, its just a tv show so whatevs

[killtrocity]

That's the thing, I think Walt has to surpass Gus's level of diabolism... and what exactly is Walter's core personality? The dude standing in the road in his underwear? The guy who executes gangbangers? The guy who makes his brother in law believe that his wife is mortally injured? This is also a show about how far people will go under the right circumstances... I can see Walt killing a kid to protect his own kids. Jane was someone's kid. Walt is the one who knocks...


edit: one last thing folks, Vince Gilligan himself directed both End Times and the final episode which adds a sense of deliberation to scenes which might otherwise seem ambiguous
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_Tim...reaking_Bad%29

edit #2:http://forums.televisionwithoutpity....#entry14386557

The only thing I would add that I don't think anyone has mentioned yet is VG's comments in interviews regarding narrative. I've seen/read/heard at least a couple of interviews (or maybe it was in the podcasts, sorry about how vague this is) that he enjoys the fact that for long stretches of episodes Walt will be a step behind the audience in knowing what's going on, ie we know more than he does, and that there'll then be a turn in the narrative where suddenly Walt knows more than us. It's useful as a way of positioning Walt in the food chain of the show.

It seems to me that they've been doing this all season. From episode two or three when the camera in the lab was introduced it was obvious that this was going to be a season where Walt was continually taken down a notch after having his awesome Heisenberg moment in the season three finale. Walt knew nothing about the cartel, didn't know what Jesse was taken out to the desert for, etc etc. So there was going to come a time in these last few episodes where the tables turned.

The explanation that Gus did it is the most bothersome to me. It doesn't make sense, it made me dislike the episode on first viewing, and Giancarlo Esposito's comments seem to contradict it. The idea that Walt did it is also bothersome to a lesser extent, and so too is the idea that it's all a coincidence.

He seemed deflated and ready to accept his fate at the pool, then he changed his mind for some reason. We don't know what happened with him between those two scenes.

I think that this is the moment when Walt is ahead of the audience in knowing what's going on. I think he has the epiphany that in order to beat Gus he has to think like him. We know from earlier in the season that Saul and Huell know about Brock and have access to him. Brock seems to like Saul and so would probably accept something off him. This doesn't really sit right with me or sound that convincing either, but at this point no solution does.

I hope the writers have thought of something else entirely that none of us have been able to predict, but at the moment "Walt did it" is what I believe. I know some people think that it's a cop out if all of this stuff happened off screen, but it's an example of Walt knowing more than us (and Gus) and therefore being in a position of power for the first time this season.

[PkPhuoko]

the more i see of this show the more I think we're heading for a vin mackey ending

also mikes been gone 2 episodes now. There is no way the season ends without either mike dying or mike killing someone

[Dead Frequency]

Originally Posted by Dead Frequency

Man, I started watching this show from season 1 last week and am currently mostly through with season 2. That being said this show seems to be terrible things piling up on terrible things. Jesus, crack a joke every once in a while. TALK ABOUT SOMBER

This I take back. Lol! Fucking Bob Odenkirk, man.

[reprise85]

s'all good man!

[Dead Frequency]

Starting season 3 tonight. Should I expect some heavy shit?

[Banana]

No, not until midway-to the end of the season.

[samuel redman]

didnt care about this untill i realized VINCE GILLIGAN and bryan cranston were involved

[Trotskilicious]

how fucking late are you

[Dead Frequency]

I'm pretty late because I'm of the opinion that tv generally sucks. It's also good to wait because then you can watch the majority of it in lumps instead of having to wait for the individual releasing of episodes.

[samuel redman]

Originally Posted by Trotskilicious

how fucking late are you

didnt know about this till a few days ago

netflix

[killtrocity]

http://www.movieweb.com/news/vince-g...eason-4-finale

no spoilers, don't worry

Are we going to be left to draw our own conclusions as to how the ricin got to the kid or will that be spelled out for us?

Vince Gilligan: You have to wait until Sunday, but I think your questions will be answered, yes.

I think you've described this season both in your interviews and actually in the season sort of between Walt and Gus as a chess match and obviously the finale being called Face Off and sometimes the titles on the show are pretty literal. So what tease can I squeeze out of you about maybe this showdown that we should be expecting for the finale this week?

Vince Gilligan: Gee, if I ruin anything for you you'd be bummed. Let me think, what can I say? What coy thing can I say that doesn't ruin anything? The title, Face Off, is strangely appropriate and that's about all I can say. I'm really looking forward to everybody seeing the last episode. I came out really well and I think - I'm hoping, as I said a littler earlier I'm hoping, the main thing people say when it's all over is wow.cIt's the culmination of a lot of, as you said, a lot of chess playing, a lot of gamesmanship over the course of not just 13 episodes of Season 4 but gamesmanship that occurred between Walt and Gus prior to Season 4.

When you guys are writing and you get to the point where you have to poison a little kid like Brock, what goes through your minds? Like are we going to kill him off? Are we going to kill him alive? What sort of things are you guys thinking about when you get to that point?

Vince Gilligan: We're asking ourselves all those questions and more. The writer's room is a confounding place to be in and a fun place as well. I always liken it to being on a sequestered jury that never ends. But essentially it's six writers and myself sitting around a big table and discussing ad nauseum every possibility that we could think of story wise. And yes, so anything is fair game. Anything is on the table. The most horrible thoughts we can conceive of as humans are there to be put forth and discussed and examined and usually ultimately discarded but I mean we do some pretty wild things on the show which is clear from watching it. And the only way you get to those kind of points in the script stage is to be kind of free and easy and courageous with your ideas no matter how stupid or ill-advised they may be in the writer's room. It's important to have a safe writer's room in that regard. I don't ever want a writer's room where my writers are afraid to throw out an idea because it may be too weird or too evil or dark or too stupid. You know, you don't want to berate anyone for their ideas.

[Order 66]

can't wait for tomorrow. i actually regret not getting into this late so i could just see it all at once on dvd or netflix or whatever. hopefully it doesn't end on some killer cliffhanger.

[Trotskilicious]

Originally Posted by samuel redman

didnt know about this till a few days ago

netflix

seriously how out of touch are you with your gin blossoms tapes. and you're not even an old person

[teh b0lly!!1]

this thread is seriously tempting for me to read, as i'm one of those people who completely missed breaking bad and am now halfway into season 2... MAN this show is fucking unbelievable.
brian cranston, who would have known, jesus!

[Order 66]

in season 3 he wakes up and it was all a dream

[dean_r_koontz]

this series seem shitty. i watched the first season and it was nothink special. grow up ppl.

[killtrocity]

do you watch TV at all though? what is your idea of a quality TV show?

[reprise85]

i thought BB was pretty good but didn't get all the love... until like the second half of the 3rd season. now it's just amazing.

[Dead Frequency]

I like the outstanding character development. Particularly Hank. Also, Skylar is a bitch.

[hnibos]

omg, 50 minutes away.

[Eulogy]

ugh. mods.

[Eulogy]

o

m

g

[Netphorian Gadabout]

HOLY FUCK

[Eulogy]

best tv death ever? that fucking face! i will see that in my nightmares.

[Eulogy]

also, the title

Face Off. durrr

[Netphorian Gadabout]

Originally Posted by Eulogy

best tv death ever? that fucking face! i will see that in my nightmares.

I thought, in the moment, he jumped up and got away. Then the camera rotated. I really don't believe someone with half their head blown off can get up, walk out of a room, and adjust their tie before crumpling in a heap, but wow.

[PkPhuoko]

QQQQ~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Netphorian Gadabout]

That was awesome, but I don't really see where the show goes from here. That felt more like a series finale then a season finale.

[neopryn]

Originally Posted by killtrocity

http://i52.tinypic.com/2lkbgnc.png

nice call