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shadowkatI finished my Breaking Bad marathon and everyone was right, BB is the best television series ever. Nothing I've ever watched comes close to it. It's flawless.
But the subject matter is admittedly difficult.
Currently debating something my co-worker stated today, that maybe BB should have ended in S4, that finale would have worked beautifully as a series finale. (And as an aside, it may have been meant as a possible series finale - since renewal was up in the air for a bit. AMC was struggling to afford MAD MEN and Walking Dead, two expensive series. BB is actually better than both, no question about it.) But - S4 was a work of beauty. Not sure S5 will live up to it...sometimes drawing out a series too long, loses something. Which begs the question, when should tv shows end?
I've debated similar questions about shows such as Buffy, MASH, BSG, ER, The West Wing,
Happy Days...etc. Would it have been better if they'd ended earlier? I don't know.
I honestly don't. I can argue it three ways from Sunday and still can't tell you.
Oh well, they didn't. So..c'est la vie or que sera sera...as the case may be.
Regarding Breaking Bad - was a bit upset that something I was worried about happened.
Appears I was right, Walt did poison Brock, Andrea's son and the boy that Jesse has developed a close relationship with. Was worried he had. It made the most sense. Gus had no real reason to do it nor really the opportunity. While Walt did. I hoped I was wrong and kept trying to talk myself out of it. But the reveal came and there it was. And
I know why and when Walt decided to do it.
It's so odd. Gus only threatened Walt when Walt wouldn't leave Jesse alone. If Walt left town or chose to give it all up, Gus may have let him go. It's not clear. IT is clear that Walt at that point had no reason to trust Gus and was beyond desperate. And somewhat insane. Driven around the deep end by fear and paranoia. He had plenty of just cause to fear Gus. He also knew Jesse was his only hope. But Jesse was understandably torn. Walt had driven him away from him. And there's this odd bond between the two - like magnets.
So Walt decides to poison Brock, not kill him, just make him ill enough to scare Jesse into helping him. Enrage Jesse, cause Jesse to believe that Gus did it. It's scarily similar to what he did to Jane. He technically kills or causes Jane's death to "free" Jesse from her. It's the corner that he crossed and he realizes this and it's one that has dire consequences. Just as pushing Jesse to kill Gale had dire consequences, not just for Gale. And pushing Jesse to kill Gus, without caring what happened to Jesse if he got caught. Initially he did it all to protect Jesse, but somewhere along the way, they turned a corner.
Now...Walt is twisted enough into knots to manipulate Saul into helping him poison Brock to scare Jesse into wanting Gus dead. For without Jesse's help he wouldn't have been able to manage it - blowing up the nursing room with Hector, Gus, and that annoying henchman who I could not stand.
At this point, I agree with Mike - who keeps telling Jesse to leave town and not look back. But Jesse can't - he cares about Walt, Andrea, and Brock. He can't cut his losses and leave. I fear Jess is a lost soul. Not that he would have had a much better chance with Gus.
I fear that Jesse will figure out that Walt did it - poisoned Brock with the flower. Two pieces of evidence were shown - the planter and the item that Saul had given to Brock - not sure what it was. Yet, I also sort of want Jesse to find out. I want Walt to reap what he sowed.
It's wonderfully done, because I can see all the things Walt could have done instead, but I know he couldn't have done them, why he couldn't do them - he's so wrapped up in his pride and his own arrogance and low self-image. So afraid of being weak, pathetic, a loser.
He fears being perceived as weak or loser, like his father, more than he fears death. He fears not being a good provider to his family, more than death or the loss of his own humanity or soul. The other options - turning himself into his brother-in-law or leaving town would have made Walt feel weak and a loser, condemned. He is so afraid of losing Jesse, he keeps destroying and attacking what Jesse loves, yet hates himself when he does it.
Watching this series reminds me a great deal of the Shakespearen tragedies...or Dickens or Victor Hugo and Dumas, Upton Sinclair's Oil! also comes to mind. Where we are shown why people do what they do. Walt has free will, yet at the same time it feels as if he doesn't...as if somehow, no matter what, he will continue to choose his own pride over everything else.
I'm not sure I want to see the moment when Jesse realizes who Walt is, sees what Mike already sees...I think it will destroy Jesse. Not that Mike is much better. Or Jesse, necessarily...although I feel more sympathy for Jesse, who as my coworker noted today, has never once betrayed Walt White.
But the subject matter is admittedly difficult.
Currently debating something my co-worker stated today, that maybe BB should have ended in S4, that finale would have worked beautifully as a series finale. (And as an aside, it may have been meant as a possible series finale - since renewal was up in the air for a bit. AMC was struggling to afford MAD MEN and Walking Dead, two expensive series. BB is actually better than both, no question about it.) But - S4 was a work of beauty. Not sure S5 will live up to it...sometimes drawing out a series too long, loses something. Which begs the question, when should tv shows end?
I've debated similar questions about shows such as Buffy, MASH, BSG, ER, The West Wing,
Happy Days...etc. Would it have been better if they'd ended earlier? I don't know.
I honestly don't. I can argue it three ways from Sunday and still can't tell you.
Oh well, they didn't. So..c'est la vie or que sera sera...as the case may be.
Regarding Breaking Bad - was a bit upset that something I was worried about happened.
Appears I was right, Walt did poison Brock, Andrea's son and the boy that Jesse has developed a close relationship with. Was worried he had. It made the most sense. Gus had no real reason to do it nor really the opportunity. While Walt did. I hoped I was wrong and kept trying to talk myself out of it. But the reveal came and there it was. And
I know why and when Walt decided to do it.
It's so odd. Gus only threatened Walt when Walt wouldn't leave Jesse alone. If Walt left town or chose to give it all up, Gus may have let him go. It's not clear. IT is clear that Walt at that point had no reason to trust Gus and was beyond desperate. And somewhat insane. Driven around the deep end by fear and paranoia. He had plenty of just cause to fear Gus. He also knew Jesse was his only hope. But Jesse was understandably torn. Walt had driven him away from him. And there's this odd bond between the two - like magnets.
So Walt decides to poison Brock, not kill him, just make him ill enough to scare Jesse into helping him. Enrage Jesse, cause Jesse to believe that Gus did it. It's scarily similar to what he did to Jane. He technically kills or causes Jane's death to "free" Jesse from her. It's the corner that he crossed and he realizes this and it's one that has dire consequences. Just as pushing Jesse to kill Gale had dire consequences, not just for Gale. And pushing Jesse to kill Gus, without caring what happened to Jesse if he got caught. Initially he did it all to protect Jesse, but somewhere along the way, they turned a corner.
Now...Walt is twisted enough into knots to manipulate Saul into helping him poison Brock to scare Jesse into wanting Gus dead. For without Jesse's help he wouldn't have been able to manage it - blowing up the nursing room with Hector, Gus, and that annoying henchman who I could not stand.
At this point, I agree with Mike - who keeps telling Jesse to leave town and not look back. But Jesse can't - he cares about Walt, Andrea, and Brock. He can't cut his losses and leave. I fear Jess is a lost soul. Not that he would have had a much better chance with Gus.
I fear that Jesse will figure out that Walt did it - poisoned Brock with the flower. Two pieces of evidence were shown - the planter and the item that Saul had given to Brock - not sure what it was. Yet, I also sort of want Jesse to find out. I want Walt to reap what he sowed.
It's wonderfully done, because I can see all the things Walt could have done instead, but I know he couldn't have done them, why he couldn't do them - he's so wrapped up in his pride and his own arrogance and low self-image. So afraid of being weak, pathetic, a loser.
He fears being perceived as weak or loser, like his father, more than he fears death. He fears not being a good provider to his family, more than death or the loss of his own humanity or soul. The other options - turning himself into his brother-in-law or leaving town would have made Walt feel weak and a loser, condemned. He is so afraid of losing Jesse, he keeps destroying and attacking what Jesse loves, yet hates himself when he does it.
Watching this series reminds me a great deal of the Shakespearen tragedies...or Dickens or Victor Hugo and Dumas, Upton Sinclair's Oil! also comes to mind. Where we are shown why people do what they do. Walt has free will, yet at the same time it feels as if he doesn't...as if somehow, no matter what, he will continue to choose his own pride over everything else.
I'm not sure I want to see the moment when Jesse realizes who Walt is, sees what Mike already sees...I think it will destroy Jesse. Not that Mike is much better. Or Jesse, necessarily...although I feel more sympathy for Jesse, who as my coworker noted today, has never once betrayed Walt White.
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Date: 2012-07-20 02:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 10:59 am (UTC)It really is the single most perfect thing on tv, isn't it?
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Date: 2012-07-22 02:23 pm (UTC)And considering they didn't know that they were going to use Gus as long as they did or make him a villain ..found that out in an interview and was surprised.
The series is so tightly written and plotted, it feels like a well-planned novel for television. The only other series I've seen come close to it is...The Wire.
I think the reason it's better than so many others is it has shorter seasons and Gilligan seems to write and direct most of the episodes. So there's more of a solid focus.
At any rate, Walt White is perhaps the most interesting character on tv.