Breaking Bad

[mfunk9786]

Someone posted an interesting observation on the AV Club

Spoiler

Walter White has basically turned into Gus Fring: Coolly professional at his workplace front, ruthless in his business dealings, and he even folds the towel when throwing up like Fring did before the cartel murders

One of hundreds of things that I like so much about this show is little Easter eggs like this - he never even saw Fring throw up in Mexico, and could have never known that's something Fring would do, but Walt still adopted that mannerism just as a bit of a visual boost to the direction he's gone in, and it adds weight to his threat later in the episode. We have gotten to the point where we know that he's capable of anything to protect his anonymity.

[Black Hat]

My prediction based on the two teasers from the beginning of last year and last night:

Spoiler

Skyler, Junior or both are killed at the house in retaliation for someone Walt has offed. Yes he's on the run as those murders revealed everything but he has the machine gun for he plans to get revenge for their deaths or at least go out in a blaze of glory trying.

[Andre Jurieu]

Spoiler

Are there really people who still see Walt as an anti-hero?

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Walt takes too much pleasure in manipulating those around him and displays far too much arrogance regarding the actions he's taken and the resulting status he's achieved to be labelled any longer as an anti-hero. He doesn't really even struggle with the immoral choices that he needs to make.

Spoiler

Just look at how easily he lies to Jesse, without any real remorse or guilt over what he's done or how he's twisting Jesse's psyche.

Walt seems to be firmly established as the villain in this story. However, while that might mean I'm not actively rooting for him any longer, I'm still fascinated by his transformation, which I'm sure he believes to be an evolution, or at least a realization and recognition of his true potential. The show may not ask us to cheer for Walt's successes any longer and there seems to be a distinct lack of joy in any of the recent triumphs that Walt has achieved, but its strength remains in the way it intrigues the audience with how Walt navigates through these obstacles and barriers that keep popping up to prevent him from achieving his goals. When you watch Walt now, whether it's devising a train robbery, or negotiating to eliminate his oppressors, or

Spoiler

abruptly confronting the brother-in-law cop that's breathing down his neck,

it seems almost absurd to think that Walt was ever restrained or discouraged from his original goals as a chemist. Yet, it's amazing how Gilligan & Co. have figured out a way to make this absolutely believable - even when it shouldn't be - perhaps in part because the central premise and the original circumstances seem so utterly easy to relate towards.

Spoiler

Did anyone else notice that Jesse Plemons is now listed as a member of the cast and not a guest star? Looks like Todd's gonna play a bigger part in the forthcoming episodes

Spoiler

Yeah, I noticed that as well. Maybe Landry turns out to be the protege that Walt always wanted once he discards Jesse. I assume they will be cooking quite soon once those European gangsters "motivate" Walt back into the business.

[flyonthewall2983]

My prediction based on the two teasers from the beginning of last year and last night:

Spoiler

Skyler, Junior or both are killed at the house in retaliation for someone Walt has offed. Yes he's on the run as those murders revealed everything but he has the machine gun for he plans to get revenge for their deaths or at least go out in a blaze of glory trying.

Spoiler

Are you forgetting Holly, or just not being able to bring yourself to that awful idea?

[warren oates]

Daily Beast interview with Vince Gilligan on the specifics of last night's episode.

[Black Hat]

Spoiler

Are you forgetting Holly, or just not being able to bring yourself to that awful idea?

Spoiler

I don't see them killing a baby. If Walt's identity as Heisenberg is known to everybody I don't see how else him having a machine gun or for that matter the ricin would make sense unless he's out to take revenge. If I were to guess it would probably be against Todd & Lydia or even just Todd.

[mfunk9786]

Spoiler

I say the whole family's gone (not sure how, though - either they survive and leave Walt for good, or they're all murdered by the Czech gangsters who decide Walt NEEDS to come back to the biz), Walt finds out his cancer is in remission (touch of irony this show is great at), and he utilizes Saul's failsafe for faking his death and disappearing. However, when he finds out that Jesse is in danger, he comes back to settle the score and rescue Jesse, at his own peril.

[Andre Jurieu]

Spoiler

I say the whole family's gone (not sure how, though - either they survive and leave Walt for good, or they're all murdered by the Czech gangsters who decide Walt NEEDS to come back to the biz), Walt finds out his cancer is in remission (touch of irony this show is great at), and he utilizes Saul's failsafe for faking his death and disappearing. However, when he finds out that Jesse is in danger, he comes back to settle the score and rescue Jesse, at his own peril.

This is pretty much what I assumed is happening in the flash-forward, though I'm sure Gilligan will throw us for a loop.

[flyonthewall2983]

Spoiler

Whatever happens could very well be one of the scenarios posited so far, but I would go as far to say that I'm certain if that whatever conjecture we've talked about comes true, barely scratches the surface. I really thought that scene in the garage would be the climax to the whole show (and much like Crawl Space, would have acted as a great pre-emptive ending). So nearly any pre-concieved notion I had of what will happen has, for the most part, been blown to smithereens.

The massive complete series box set now has an Amazon page, but no release date as of yet.

[Luke M]

Spoiler

Badger's Star Trek pitch has been animated.

[Murdoch]

Spoiler

Badger's Star Trek pitch has been animated.

You gotta love the internet.

[domino harvey]

Spoiler

[mfunk9786]

Premiere draws 5.9 million viewers, almost doubling the viewership from last season.

No wonder AMC insisted that Season 5 be split into two parts - with a year between seasons for viewers to catch up, they'll be spending these 8 weeks raking in big ad dollars.

This ratings boom is great news for Netflix as well, because more networks might loosen the availability stranglehold on their current programming between seasons. If only Sony and ABC were smart enough to do this with Happy Endings (though something tells me that wasn't Sony's fault).

[flyonthewall2983]

Kevin Cordasco

[mfunk9786]

Oh man. Hard not to cry here at work. The cast and crew of this show seem to genuinely be a cut above.

[domino harvey]

I know, the comments section was tear-jerking

Dave Smith
• 3 hours ago
Hey, Daily News... Your new format BLOWS DOG!

But srsly folks, I'm impressed that they offered to let him read the final script. The cast does seem pretty nice (Anyone read that news story about Aaron Paul being nice to some tourists who were basically trespassing outside his house?)

[swo17]

Premiere draws 5.9 million viewers, almost doubling the viewership from last season.

No wonder AMC insisted that Season 5 be split into two parts - with a year between seasons for viewers to catch up, they'll be spending these 8 weeks raking in big ad dollars.

This ratings boom is great news for Netflix as well

None of those analyses of the ratings jump consider the very real possibility that domino harvey = 3 million people.

[domino harvey]

On behalf of the other interns operating this account we can assure you that my name is Legion

[mfunk9786]

The cast does seem pretty nice (Anyone read that news story about Aaron Paul being nice to some tourists who were basically trespassing outside his house?)

Yes, which frankly seemed outside of the realm of even what's reasonable. I can't say I would have done the same in that situation. Not that I would have harassed anyone, but to come out of your house and greet folks who are driving by your private residence?

[Perkins Cobb]

Talk about a missed opportunity: "Get off my lawn, BITCHES!"

[flyonthewall2983]

Charlie Rose interview with Gilligan & Co.

[Drucker]

On another message board I read, other people have posted about how Walt assumes the personalities of people he has killed:

Spoiler

Have you heard this theory about how Walter seems to 'take' something from everyone he kills? Like Mike. Mike drank his whiskey on the rocks. Then Walter did the same thing. Krazy 8 cut the crust off his sandwiches, now so does Walt. Gus Fring- drives a Volvo. Now Walter does. Not to mention he seems to have taken on Gus' personality.

Apparently someone on reddit, then, posted this photo, which could mean a devastating turn in the series:

Spoiler

Walt assumes Jesse?

[cinemartin]

Interesting picture - especially considering Jesse's hair and beard this season. However, I don't think Walt drives a Volvo, does he?

[Professor Wagstaff]

Does anyone know if Walt has a license plate that says "HSNBERG"?

[domino harvey]

If Walt was really usurping Jesse, he'd be dressed in Ed Hardy