Breaking Bad - Season 3

[stj]

^^^Absolutely right about Mr. Pollo being furious. Wonder if Walt was supposed to be sensitive enough to see it?

Still, the publicity is hyping the Mexicans, even though you're right that chicken man seems more likely. Most likely in one sense would be Jesse, because Jesse would see Walt as his ticket. But Walt despises Jesse, although he feels guilty about Jesse, too.

 

[Joeman]

But Walt despises Jesse...

You think so? I know he has gotten furious with him many times for the stupid things he does, but it seems to me that Walt sees Jesse as almost like a son - sometimes moreso than Walt Jr. even.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I'm surprised Jesse and Walt know their role in the crash. I thought that would have been kept from them by the writers and the plane crash would be more of a metaphor for the damage they are wreaking on lives of people they don't know. Is it realistic that the TV would announce the name and face of the air traffic controller who fucked up? Shouldn't that be kept quiet till the guy is at least convicted of something? If they're wrong, the TV stations could get the holy frak sued out of them.

But, why will Walt Break Bad when his cancer's in remission?

Because the real story about Walt is that he's sick of his milquetoast life. The cancer was just a gimmick to kick off the story. Now they're getting into the meat of it: Walt is bad because he's getting something essential out of it, not just mere physical survival, but survival of a deeper sort.

Then the question becomes: what kind of person needs to be evil to "survive"? Someone who hasn't examined his life as deeply as he needs to, that's for sure. Jesse is in the same boat. Instead of learning what he should have from his therapy, he's retreated into self-hatred - I'm the "bad guy" - as a way to displace an unbearable burden of guilt. If you know you're bad, then you don't have to feel guilty about it. That's a strategy that isn't going to last long.

They're both on searingly horrifying journeys of self-discovery, which is what keeps this show fascinating. It isn't content to just say "I'm a show about a guy doing awful things to save his family." That's just the first level of many.

And yes, Walt sees Jesse as a son, and also as the one person in the world he can be totally honest with, or at least 90% honest. I'm sure there will be an incendiary 100% honesty scene in the not to distant future.

 

[Agent Richard07]

But, why will Walt Break Bad when his cancer's in remission?

Because the real story about Walt is that he's sick of his milquetoast life. The cancer was just a gimmick to kick off the story.

And what he used to rationalize everything to himself. Being bored with his life was obvious from the start. The cancer excuse grew later as the series progressed.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I think the cancer was a necessary jolt to his system, to give him an "excuse" for doing exactly what he had been wanting to do, probably for years, but had been too repressed to acknowledge.

 

[stj]

Walter is all about rationalizations. So the lack of a rationalization as to how going back for money gets his wife back is going to hurt.

As to Walter always being evil? Personally, I think the series is much less interesting when it thinks any characters are just evil. All the bad guys are like Walter. The fear of death is not just an excuse, but what broke him, I think.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Two episodes in...

- How did the two guys know who Walter White was? Can't wait to find that out.

- Looks like fast food guy won't let Walt go so easily. He's gonna be cooking again, but not of his own free will.

- Good choreography with the throwing of the pizza and getting it on the roof. Of course, maybe it was unintentional and they decided to go with it.

- I wonder if Hank will either get in on it or keep quiet if he ever finds out about Walt's drug operation.

 

[exodus]

The scene after Walt getting sprayed with pepper spray was hilarious!!!

Even thought it was bought with drug money, I cheered when Jesse bought his house back.

 

[Snaploud]

I find it funny how the wife gives her boss the benefit of the doubt with his crimes and doesn't even let her husband explain himself in regard to the drugs.

Oh, I agree about the pizza choreography. It would be great if they figured out how to plan that...

 

[exodus]

I find it funny how the wife gives her boss the benefit of the doubt with his crimes and doesn't even let her husband explain himself in regard to the drugs.

Probably because what her boss is doing doesn't involve the the corruption of lives and murder.

Her sister is a klepto & that even pales compaired to what Walt is doing. Walt is a classic case of good intentions paving the way to Hell.

 

[Checkmate]

The personal betrayal and the putting of both of her children at risk is the driving force behind the different reaction, I think.

The pizza bit was great. It really seems like it was a freaky accident (you could almost see Bryan Cranston falter and then continue on as if the director was all but shouting for him to keep going), and that they just ran with it. It's not like it served any great storytelling role or function as a metaphor or anything. Which just made it all the more humorous. Particularly when the sleazy cleaner tilted his head when he saw it.

 

[Snaploud]

Eh. One guy makes meth. Another guy steals from his company. They're both illegal and potentially harmful to others. They both have their rationalizations.

If the "risk to the family" is your main concern: you should have all the more reason to get some details. Plus, it's not like involving the wife in embezzlement is without risk to the well-being of the wife or kid.

I think there's a simpler explanation. She has romantic feelings for her boss. She doesn't feel that way about Walt anymore.

 

[Checkmate]

Uh, yeah.

One is completely and totally personal which cumulated with lie after lie, mental distress, and a year or so of constant suspicion, deception, and manipulation. The other is discovering some embezzling in a book.

I can see how you think there's not much of a difference there.

 

[exodus]

Eh. One guy makes meth. Another guy steals from his company. They're both illegal and potentially harmful to others. They both have their rationalizations.

If the "risk to the family" is your main concern: you should have all the more reason to get some details. Plus, it's not like involving the wife in embezzlement is without risk to the well-being of the wife or kid.

I think there's a simpler explanation. She has romantic feelings for her boss. She doesn't feel that way about Walt anymore.

No, I don't think it's that.

It's what's in others backyard isn't as important to what's in you're own. She isn't his wife or kids, so what her boss does isn't as personal as what her own husband is doing.

Folks rationalize this way all the time.

 

[Snaploud]

Uh, yeah.

One is completely and totally personal which cumulated with lie after lie, mental distress, and a year or so of constant suspicion, deception, and manipulation. The other is discovering some embezzling in a book.

I can see how you think there's not much of a difference there.

Watch the "lie after lie" build up around any embezzlement scheme. "Mental distress, and a year or so of constant suspicion, deception, and manipulation" is exactly what they're going to get. Also, watch the people who end up hurt (investors, people losing their jobs when the company goes under, the potential of her going to jail and her bank accounts being seized, etc.).

I think the parallels of the two plots-lines are part of the beauty of this show, but feel free to ignore those parallels even when the writers start hitting-you-over-the-head with them.

 

[Checkmate]

I'm not saying it won't become something horribly painful. But to imply that she should react the same way to both scenarios right here and now is foolish. One was a repeated and prolonged stabbing of the heart that took over a year to fully realize and sink in. The other wasn't even directly related to her, is extremely recent and, as of the last episode, it's still uncertain what she's going to do about the discovery and admission.

 

[Joeman]

- Good choreography with the throwing of the pizza and getting it on the roof.

Yeah I was wondering how many takes it took them to get that one right.

This series certainly relies on some unbelievable timing. Amazing how the twins got to the house at the exact and only time Walt would be there by himself, and he's not even supposed to be there at all. Amazing that the cleaner guy just happens to be there to get that phone call off in the nick of time, and the twins get the call and get out at the very last possible second. Almost every episode has incredible moments of timing. It doesn't take away from the show for me, but I'm always marveling at the unlikelihood of it all.

Man I feel so bad for Walt Jr. I'm going to be as crushed as he will be when he finds out the truth. He's so convinced that his dad is a saint. It's possible that he'll never find out, but I don't see how.

It was indeed priceless watching Saul give the shaft to Jesse's parents, although I don't know why I would root against the parents. Jesse did build a friggin' meth lab in their basement. Like he said, he's the "bad guy".

I can't wait to find out the deal with the Gus/twins connection. That cleaner dude sure is connected up with the entire underworld apparently.

How long before Ted bangs Skyler?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

- Good choreography with the throwing of the pizza and getting it on the roof.

Yeah I was wondering how many takes it took them to get that one right.

Me too. Bryan Cranston earned those Emmys that day. Or maybe they had the pizza on a string.

I've been wondering how the heck they are going to get Skylar back into the story in a useful way, eg, she has to come to terms with Walt. The example of her desperate, embezzling boss might be just the thing to soften her.

Jesse conning his parents was pretty harsh. Even if they are dicks, they had a reason to be dicks, what with the meth dealer son and all. Geeze, they did give birth to him and all! He shouldn't have cleaned them out that way - 20% reduction would have been sufficient.

 

[Checkmate]

Jesse has pretty much snapped and is convinced that he's a villain now, so he's acting like one.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Ep. 3x03...

- I think Walt will either kill Tuco's cousins or get help in doing so.

- Looked like Jesse was about to try cooking himself. Maybe he'll turn out a bad batch and get "Heisenberg" into some trouble with an inferior product.

- Loved the twist at the end. Walt has been putting Skyler in a difficult situation and she found the perfect way to regain some control. I was as stunned as he was because it was such a clever move. She can do a lot of things now and he can't do much about it.