tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post4784805278912674514..comments2024-03-28T18:01:28.997-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Breaking Bad, "Phoenix": There's no real way to dust for vomitAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-47455744536912436912022-08-14T01:16:03.431-04:002022-08-14T01:16:03.431-04:00Jessie was poison to her as he was the direct link...Jessie was poison to her as he was the direct link to her relapsing. <br /><br />Ultimately they ended being poisoning each other.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-21473287629501927862012-07-16T18:40:04.621-04:002012-07-16T18:40:04.621-04:00Years later. Just watching this in Ireland now, an...Years later. Just watching this in Ireland now, and totally hooked. Best TV series since The Wire (never saw The Sopranos - the couple of episodes I did see didn't cut it for me).<br /><br />Anyhow: I thought it was a major cop-out that this episode didn't show the drug deal between Gus and Walt. $1.2 million and 38 pounds of meth, and NOTHING GOES WRONG! C'mon. Walt's a sitting duck there. Plus, what was the one hour deadline about, if not just for dramatic purposes? Some kind of test? Ok, but what kind?<br /><br />Also, Walt's paternal 'nephew' thing came on a bit suddenly for me. Has he ever had strong protective feelings or an emotional bond with Jesse - rather than just being someone he needs who knows a little about the drug trade? He's not letting Jane die just because she's a bad influence on Jesse. The ambiguity of motive is compelling, of course, but the new caring Walter was stretching it a bit.<br /><br />One other tiny thing: 20% of $1.2 million (Saul's cut) leaves $9.6 million. Half of that is $4.8 million. So why are they talking about $4.6 mill a piece? Just curious.<br /><br />Strange that my first port should be critical, when I actually love this show so much. I guess I just don't like it when it seems to let me down.Sarah Janenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-73675956757534734902009-05-30T19:16:17.246-04:002009-05-30T19:16:17.246-04:00I was floored by this episode. I anticipated Walt...I was floored by this episode. I anticipated Walt saving Jesse from an OD, and oops! Not quite! The look on Cranston's face was extraordinary--calculation, horror at his own actions, grief at realizing who he actually is.<br />The problem is--Walt can't just leave the body there for jesse to deal with; jesse will end up in jail, which is the last place Walt wants him. The body has to be disposed of, leading me to agree with others that hers is one of the bodies in the bag.<br />Have to disagree with those who feel Jane was dragged into relapse by Jesse. Jane was looking to relapse, and Jesse was her conduit to doing so. After all, when not using, she's clearly more educated, intelligent and sophisticated than he. The attraction for her was his drug involvement. She's certainly more responsible for leading him into serious addiction than he is for her relapse.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-89049679698861812782009-05-30T17:16:52.662-04:002009-05-30T17:16:52.662-04:00I'm thinking Marie for the other body bag. She's t...I'm thinking Marie for the other body bag. She's the most disposable of the series regulars, the only one who has never really shared a storyline with Walter. And her death would heighten the stakes as far as Hank is concerned.<br /><br />The other possibility is that Jane's father comes after Jesse, with someone dying in the ensuing confrontation. <br /><br />This has been about my favorite season of any series since The Wire finale.Hydehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03984348525069741897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-31059906067484522312009-05-30T09:42:10.111-04:002009-05-30T09:42:10.111-04:00Hey guys, you can't really say that "hadn't Walt b...Hey guys, you can't really say that "hadn't Walt been there, it would have happened anyway" fate, etc, because it wouldn't have happened! Jane was lying on her side spooning with Jesse and only turned on her back when Walt tried to wake Jesse up (he shook him and that's when she turned), a bit nitpicky I know, but I had to mention it.<br /><br />Also I can't imagine one of the body bags being Gus, and Walt taking over, it simply would be too easy. <br />Though I really have absolutely no idea who it might be (how amazing is that? don't even remeber the last time I was so anxious to see what happens in a TV Show!) <br />My best guess is Jesse and Skyler, however I hope I'm only correct on the latter (can't stand that woman! note: I mean the character, not the acress)<br /><br />This is hands down, THE best TV show in years, bar none. This second season? Unfrigginbelievable. Bryan Cranston's acting? If he doesn't win everything there is, then there is no God.Hansnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-57723977545565177552009-05-27T23:06:45.337-04:002009-05-27T23:06:45.337-04:00Anonymous at 12:03 May 25 says that anyone is welc...<I>Anonymous at 12:03 May 25</I> says that anyone is welcome at AA meetings. Well, technically, that is half-true. There are 2 kinds of AA meetings: "closed" meetings (for alcoholics only) and "open" meetings (for anyone). I believe NA operates the same way. Those meetings we saw in this episode appeared to me to be "closed" meetings. Therefore, I suspect Jane's daddy has his own problems.Carlanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2038656224707035712009-05-27T20:20:26.779-04:002009-05-27T20:20:26.779-04:00I have to admit that I got into this show in a wei...I have to admit that I got into this show in a weird way. <br /><br />I'd read all the buzz here and from Tim Goodman but I don't get AMC on my dish and BB is hard to find online if you don't download torrents; I usually catch all my stuff via OVTVguide.<br /><br />Anyway, a bud of mine bought the first season on DVD and I kept reading how great this show was but I wanted to keep it on the hook for some summer viewing. Well, I spent a long weekend house sitting at my sister's and she had AMC On Demand and I gave S2: Ep 8 a while and jumped in during the middle of the second season and I was absolutely floored with how good this series was.<br /><br />So, now I head out there every Mon to catch the On Demand eps and I got a loan of my buddy's S1 set and I'm two eps into that season<br /><br />Watching BB is like discovering an indie band; you know it's only a matter of time before they're popular but it's great to be able to brag about being on the inside while you can.<br /><br />I read Walter's tears as him finally letting his guard down and being an actual person for the first time in a long time.Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09130711642386374186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-19392069938828561762009-05-27T16:11:59.319-04:002009-05-27T16:11:59.319-04:00I never read Jane as sweet. She reverted right bac...I never read Jane as sweet. She reverted right back to a nasty piece of work as soon as she decided to do meth with Jesse. Doesn't mean she deserved to die, but she made all the bad choices that led up to it, from the first one, which was renting to Jesse. <br /><br />I don't think there's any way that Jesse is in one of those bags. I think Jesse is the counterpoint to Walt--dumb but good hearted as opposed to smart but increasingly evil. The show wouldn't be balanced if he were gone.Girl Detectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16348689834879722062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-34682603543248771412009-05-27T15:18:18.075-04:002009-05-27T15:18:18.075-04:00Don't forget, it was JESSE who dragged Jane back i...Don't forget, it was JESSE who dragged Jane back into drugs. Sure, she took it up a notch, but Jesse opened the door.<br /><br />In the same way, WALTER is the one who put Jane on her back when he pushes Jesse trying to wake him up.<br /><br />I love how the little things have big consequences on this show.Derekhttp://powazek.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76438435425492433952009-05-27T14:03:05.477-04:002009-05-27T14:03:05.477-04:00This show is a breathtaking, frustrating, heartbre...This show is a breathtaking, frustrating, heartbreaking illustration of its own central theme: addiction. And we, as viewers, follow the same path of shock, pain and devastation as those who (often against their own better judgment) love the addict.<br />In particular, I think Breaking Bad has done a magnificent job of entangling us in one of addictions most destructive elements...Walter White is the king of denial. Hank is a DEA agent who denies his fears. Skyler is a wife who denies her anger and (?) philandering. Her boss denies the extent of his illegal business activities. Marie denies her shoplifting, Jane denies her relapse, her dad denies all the awful warning signs and so on (and on and on). <br />There are few pure characters here, though I would argue that Flynn, Tuco and maybe Jesse fall into that category. Flynn (and Tuco) for all the obvious reasons, and Jesse because he has never put any deep emotional energy into being someone/something he isn't.<br />Without major intervention, most of the characters we know and love are bound to have some pretty unpleasant 'come to jesus' moments soon - and I am betting that those body bags have something to do with Hank and possibly Flynn. <br />The cancer website scares me - Heidelburg's face flapping in the cyber-breeze is too loaded with trouble for me to bear contemplating...though as a side note, it is incredible to watch pride/sorrow/anger/self-loathing flicker over the great face of Brian Cranston as he hears his son wax poetic about how "nobody knows what a great man my dad really is".<br />Jane's swift slide back into heroin rang horribly true to me - once an addict, always an addict. If you are able to stop, you are recovering, not recovered. And if you start again, you almost always pick up where you left off and descend ever faster (speaking as one who has personal experience here).<br />I believe Walt let Jane die because she was a threat - but not solely to his business. Until Jane, Jesse looked up to Walt in some sad way, and has been his only confidante. Equally important, Jane was messing with the balance of control and power - as Walt said in an earlier episode, "I keep Jesse as a partner because he does what I tell him to do." - and that could NOT be tolerated.<br />I am so sorry that next week will be our last episode of the season, but it will be nice to once again relax on Sunday evening... the ntensity of this show can be exhausting sometimes. Kudos to such fantastic writing, acting and the many other subtle touches that make Breaking Bad the best show on the planet. <br />I would also like to say that Mr. Sepinwall writes a damn fine blog, and those who comment provide erudite, interesting, enjoyable and often passionate insights that serve to highlight and increase my enjoyment of the show. Thanks to all.Brown Shoeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03279110947755936115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-30962616844627073842009-05-27T11:44:18.633-04:002009-05-27T11:44:18.633-04:00Another item I noticed being removed by the hazmat...Another item I noticed being removed by the hazmat guys in an earlier episode was a string of pearls. Can't recall which character wears them though.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06758037835024735246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-53113161133320136222009-05-27T11:20:47.061-04:002009-05-27T11:20:47.061-04:00are we sure that the body bags/pink teddy bear sce...are we sure that the body bags/pink teddy bear scene has to be this season's finale? because another item I noticed were some crayons. Holly wouldn't be ready for crayons for at least a year, maybe two, so that led me to believe that this flash forward was even further away.laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13115521889055341082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-45506412667003826822009-05-27T00:10:51.284-04:002009-05-27T00:10:51.284-04:00I never watched the Sorprano's so it's interesting...I never watched the Sorprano's so it's interesting to hear comparisons. When I watched Walt let Jane die it was showing the complexities of the character and the slow transition of a harsh future in a more significant drug career. Walt knows it's horrible but he lets it go on anyways. We all like Walt and see his slow progress of rearranging his morals and values. They happen to be those that are viewed as negative.<br /><br />The dreaded finale as it's been hinted at all season seems to occur at the Walt house. The findings of Walt's glasses to the car to them showing the house is a big clue. If the wife and son both were killed it'll definitely transition Walt into not giving a fuck about life but I can't help but wonder if it's too soon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-39663505817310892752009-05-26T22:51:35.778-04:002009-05-26T22:51:35.778-04:00Oh and since nobody else pointed it out explicitly...Oh and since nobody else pointed it out explicitly, I will: Jesse told Walter "way to wear the pants" back in Season One after Skyler confronted Jesse.digammahttp://digamma.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-77621447443324686882009-05-26T21:38:20.496-04:002009-05-26T21:38:20.496-04:00God that was good. The slow development of Walter...God that was good. The slow development of Walter's parental concern (maybe even love) for Jesse through the episode, particularly the nicely calm scene with Jane's father, all led up to yet another new low for Walter.<br /><br />Jesse's and Jane's combined struggle with drugs calls to mind <I>Requiem for a Dream</I> more than any crime drama I know. The drug use isn't about getting high or being addicted, it's about the lack of emotional alternatives in the characters' lives. Jesse and Jane were doing great together until Badger got killed and Walter brushed Jesse off. Jane was a strong woman but she went back to drugs to be with Jesse.<br /><br />I don't think Breaking Bad is going to follow the classic HBO pace, where your penultimate episode has all the explosions and your finale calmly ties it up. Instead we got a strong blend of introspection and action good introspection plus some action this week, and we'll probably get a similar blend next week.digammahttp://digamma.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76877053503966141342009-05-26T19:27:15.201-04:002009-05-26T19:27:15.201-04:00Having just re-watched the flash forwards, in the ...Having just re-watched the flash forwards, in the final one they actually show the hazmat guys carrying the bagged bear out of the backyard in the same shot as the two body bags. So it definitely takes place at the White household. Maybe the pink bear at the motel was just to set the mood for the finale?Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-34606708708745703582009-05-26T19:09:09.744-04:002009-05-26T19:09:09.744-04:00Just a couple points:
I'd be stunned if Walt does...Just a couple points:<br /><br />I'd be stunned if Walt doesn't just back out of Jesse's bedroom and go home. Doing anything else would tip Jesse off that he had been there and he still desperately wants to continue their relationship. I expect he'll trust Jesse to hide the money after he wakes up and calls the ambulance.<br /><br />Second, though the presence of the bear at the motel is intriguing, the opening flashback clearly takes place at the White home. There's a panning shot directly from the side of the house into the pool with the floating bear. I guess there could be a hidden cut there, but that feels like cheating the audience to me. Besides, the eyeball is flushed into a working filtration system and there's no way an abandoned motel would have one going in the first place. <br /><br />Still, that's definitely the bear at the motel, so I'm pretty stumped.Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-36641642241499164142009-05-26T17:55:53.045-04:002009-05-26T17:55:53.045-04:00I'm guessing Walt leaves Jane's body in the bed wh...I'm guessing Walt leaves Jane's body in the bed where she died. Yet, if that's the case, he'll have to take the money with him when he leaves (before Jesse wakes up) or else the cops will do a lot more investigating than just writing off a junkie's overdose. Yet, if Jesse wakes up and the money's gone, then he'll freak out completely -- dead girlfriend and no money.<br /><br />I wonder if it would have been so easy for Walt to let Jane die if he knew her father was the guy from the bar. DeLancie's looking great these days, isn't he?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-36860617567563437092009-05-26T17:27:53.346-04:002009-05-26T17:27:53.346-04:00Now that you mention it, that motel would make a h...Now that you mention it, that motel would make a hell of a cooksite if need be. And a chemical accident there could justify the HazMat suits...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-5489244037085944372009-05-26T16:20:04.204-04:002009-05-26T16:20:04.204-04:00When I posit that Jane is one of the bodies, I ain...When I posit that Jane is one of the bodies, I ain't saying that Walt brings her body home. That theory is based upon my belief that the crime scene is the pool of the abandoned motel, not the pool at Walt's house. <br /><br />However, I remain confounded not only by the identity of the second body, but more imporantly, knowing why that person is there (at the abandoned motel.)Cinemaniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12742365356939303431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-63625365690534045722009-05-26T14:16:20.920-04:002009-05-26T14:16:20.920-04:00I think there is no way Jane is one of the body ba...I think there is no way Jane is one of the body bags. For one, Walt would never bring the body home. He wouldn't even leave it in the back of his SUV in the garage. He may not be as cautious as Gus, but bringing a junkie's corpse home with him is completely out of character for Walt. That is beyond reckless.<br /><br />I think we have to remember that the HazMat suits suggest some kind of chemical contaminant. They don't gear up like Chernobyl for every day junkie overdoses. <br /><br />And for those thinking that Gus is going to start eliminating people to make way for his new prime chef to cook exclusively for him, that certainly doesn't sound like something a cautious man would do, does it? Let alone doing it via chemical spill, and at Walts home no less. Admittedly, we don't know how ruthless Gus might be, so it is entirely possible that behind him mild mannered El Pollo Hermanos franchisee, he is a stone cold killer that makes Tuco look downright reasonable, but I have serious doubts that he would do something so public and so brutal. Not the sign of a cautious man...<br /><br />That said, I have no fucking clue who is in the bags. I don't think it is Skylar or Walt Jr., if only because a loss like that would end Walt's kingpinning. If the toll it took on his "real" life was his wife or son, there is no way he could justify it to himself to keep going, and I can't imagine this show is going to stop following him down the rabbit hole... Hank or Mrs. Hank, maybe. I know a lot of people think it is Jesse, but I don't know if the show could continue without him. If Walt is running solo, there would be nothing to ground him in his drug life. We would lose all of the emotionality in that aspect of his life. <br /><br />I say Mrs. Hank gets it when she is mistaken for Skylar by the Mexican Cartel they have been hinting at all season. Everyone assumes it is related to Hank being on the DEA taskforce to bring them down, but truth be told, they are after Walt. Second body? No clue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-79872619473414114172009-05-26T13:55:35.625-04:002009-05-26T13:55:35.625-04:00I might be wrong but I think Jane's dying is neces...I might be wrong but I think Jane's dying is necessary for Jesse to make an effort to be clean. The fact that Walter watched her die rather than helped more than shows he's pretty serious about his game right now, and he has already been warned that Jesse and his drug problems pose a threat to that. If Jesse doesn't at least make an effort at being sober, what would that mean for their partnership? And Jane's death might be the catalyst for that.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04392197454848347189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-67667942264995447692009-05-26T13:31:33.379-04:002009-05-26T13:31:33.379-04:00Ooh, I don't know about Anonymous's "crazy" theory...Ooh, I don't know about Anonymous's "crazy" theory, but my stomache clenched when I saw Walt hiding that cash in the house like that. I know he can't deposit it directly into a bank, but couldn't he put it in a safe deposit box or two?Kensingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09745826428431759073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-91224925256240571682009-05-26T10:13:04.382-04:002009-05-26T10:13:04.382-04:00My other small complaint about this otherwise-perf...<I>My other small complaint about this otherwise-perfect show is that I feel that Jane's character arc was too rushed from start to finish. She hooked up with Jesse too fast, got back on smack too fast, turned into Ma Barker too fast.</I>Completely agree with this. Badger had less time for character development, and I liked him more!<br /><br />So if the earlier scenes are to be taken literally - photographers in hazmat suits with two body bags - it can't be Jane and Jesse together. I still think Jesse is one of them - Gus getting Jesse out of the way means that Walt is freed up to focus on cooking.<br /><br />Maybe Gretchen will learn about the Web site and bring a gift to the baby and be caught at the wrong place at the wrong time? <br /><br />Re: Ted Beneke. The scene with Walt meeting the baby, with Ted lurking in the background, was extremely well-done. I'm looking forward at some point to the Feds knocking on the Whites' door - but they will be looking for Skyler, because she's complicit in cooking the books. Should make a great head-fake for Walt and some really good character interaction.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06758037835024735246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-75607514707269390492009-05-26T08:26:39.616-04:002009-05-26T08:26:39.616-04:00My personal experience with this show and Krysten ...My personal experience with this show and Krysten Ritter's portrayal of Jane is quite different from the person's who stated we hadn't developed a relationship with Jane, enough to care about her. I found myself surprised that I cared so much as we watched her (Jane) die, in what I believe was one of the most powerful scenes in the history of television. In the few episodes in which she appeared, Ms. Ritter showed a sweetness at the same time she exposed a toughness to Jane's character (example: the holding hands scene and the apology girl scene vs. the way she manhandled Walt in protecting Jesse's (and her's) interests). Jane was strong and vulnerable at the same time. Underlying all of these complexities of personality, was a scared lonely little girl who was reaching out to a scared little boy in Jesse, asking to be his friend and stepping up to prove her worth when the situation called for it. No, I disagree with the reviewer who claimed we could care less whether Jane is gone or not......Ms. Ritter pulled off a real coup when she gave us Jane in such a short amount of time, in all of her complex emotional states and character.....beautiful Jane full of promise is no more....and it makes me want to cry.<br /><br />Bravo Ms. Ritter....Bravo Mr. Paul and Mr. Cranston....Bravo!chungiemunchinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17656633474775575640noreply@blogger.com