Breaking Bad - Season 3

[exodus]

The bigger point, though: you still haven't given a good reason why Walt would need to get rid of Gale to work with Jesse again.

Yeah, he did.
He stated and it's supported in the show that Walt got rid of Gale to work with Jesse again

Walt didn't need to get rid of Gale to work with Jesse. He can have two assistants. There was never any reason given why he couldn't have two assistants. Therefore, there must be another reason why he got rid of Gale.

Yeah, because Jesse wouldn't work for Walt if he were treated as second best. So Gale had to go.
It has nothing to do with Walt's ego, Jesse had backed Walt into a corner and he needed to solution to get himself out. Why would Walt put his life in further jeopardy by getting behind in his cooking by bringing in Jesse who doesn't know how to use the equiptment and getting rid of the one man who did, just because he was jealous. That doesn't make any sense. Walt is knowingly putting himself in greater danger with Jesse than with Gale. KNOWINGLY!


Walt is a man creating drugs for the benefit and wellness of his family.
His ego when out the window when he willingly became a criminal and still defends that right.

 

[Mojochi]

His ego when out the window when he willingly became a criminal and still defends that right.

I can't really agree with that. I have seen plenty of signs that Walt acts on his emotions & still suffers from ego. The most subtle aspect of this show is that Walt has slowly become personally invested in his new career. He takes pride in being the best meth cook ever. He shows signs of distress when confronted with being treated disrespectfully by the other criminals

He isn't just a criminal. In many ways, he has become an immoral person, regardless of his denial, about it. All the evidence I need is this. Who watches somebody choke to death? He deliberately let Jesse's girl die, because it suited his interests.

There's only four baseline motives for murder, self-defense, self-preservation, self-interest, & self-gratification. Walt has exhibited 3 of those four motives, & I suspect that the fourth may eventually happen. Jesse has only killed out of self-defense, & couldn't bring himself to step beyond that. Walt is the badass, but nobody realizes it yet

 

[exodus]

His ego when out the window when he willingly became a criminal and still defends that right.

I can't really agree with that. I have seen plenty of signs that Walt acts on his emotions & still suffers from ego. The most subtle aspect of this show is that Walt has slowly become personally invested in his new career. He takes pride in being the best meth cook ever. He shows signs of distress when confronted with being treated disrespectfully by the other criminals

He isn't just a criminal. In many ways, he has become an immoral person, regardless of his denial, about it. All the evidence I need is this. Who watches somebody choke to death? He deliberately let Jesse's girl die, because it suited his interests.

There's only four baseline motives for murder, self-defense, self-preservation, self-interest, & self-gratification. Walt has exhibited 3 of those four motives, & I suspect that the fourth may eventually happen. Jesse has only killed out of self-defense, & couldn't bring himself to step beyond that. Walt is the badass, but nobody realizes it yet

What?

Oh so, Jesse is a good drug dealer who's meth isn't killing all he deals to slowly? Jesse went to rehab and knows the consequences of the drug he makes and deals. He's basically doing the same as Walt, watching those addicted that he deals too slowly die. Jesse is not just killing out of self defence. Plus, he's in the wrong business if he can't kill those that pose a threat to him. There is no such thing as noble people in the drug cartel. Jesse didn't even blink an eye at moving back into a house they had murdered and disposed of a body in. He's not even haunted by that fact.

Sorry but I can't agree on your POV either.

 

[Ryan]

Did Jesse actually steal meth from their quota, or did he just steal the excess meth that he had been bitching about earlier?

It was a whopping 4 ounces of excess. Given the numbers they were dropping earlier in the episode that's a $20,000 retail payday before any split with Badger and Skinny Pete.

That's not exactly worth risking a $125k a week paycheck (~$145k with Walt's renegotiation), probable jail time, and your freakin' life for.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Jesse isn't doing it for the money. His motives aren't rational anymore. He's become self-destructive and he's acting out in any way he can think of.

 

[Mojochi]

What?

Oh so, Jesse is a good drug dealer who's meth isn't killing all he deals to slowly? Jesse went to rehab and knows the consequences of the drug he makes and deals. He's basically doing the same as Walt, watching those addicted that he deals too slowly die. Jesse is not just killing out of self defence. Plus, he's in the wrong business if he can't kill those that pose a threat to him. There is no such thing as noble people in the drug cartel. Jesse didn't even blink an eye at moving back into a house they had murdered and disposed of a body in. He's not even haunted by that fact.

Sorry but I can't agree on your POV either.

Sure, he's participating in the slow demise of addicts, in a very removed way, but Jesse is in a sort of denial, that has him thinking he is the epitome of bad, when in reality, Jesse has only directly attempted killing one person on the show, Tuco, & that was a self defense kill, & he didn't even kill him. This is the guy who couldn't even kill the meth heads who'd ripped him off. To date, he is incapable of that level of bad. His recent acting out is more out of self-loathing, than malevolence. It's self-destructive behavior, really


Walt, on the other hand, is trying to convince himself that he's not bad, because he's gotten some guilt about the damage he's caused, but Walt is the one who poisoned a man to death in the RV, out of self-defense, & strangled a man to death, out of self-preservation, in Jesse's basement. Walt deliberately chose to watch, as he let Jane die, because it served his self-interest. That is the level of ice cold bad he has evolved to, & I suspect that it isn't done, from the odd behavior he's exhibited, like intimidating his kid into drinking shots of liquor, or just recently, going into a raged state, that nearly got him flattened by a 18-wheeler, after his meeting with Gus. We certainly aren't done seeing Walt break into some serious badness. I definitely feel like that is looming. Just a feeling though

 

[Mojochi]

Weird episode tonight. Almost out of place for the season. Kind of a curve-ball episode, but I still enjoyed it

 

[Winged Victory]

I love bottle shows! I know that the writers and directors are trying to save some money in their budget, but they usually give pretty good character episodes, and this was no exception. I knew we were in for one when after 15 minutes, Walt fell off the catwalk and hadn't killed the fly....

And can Aaron Paul rock a monologue or what? The story about Jesse's aunt was riveting.

Terrific episode! (And I thought it was good to take a little break from all the hospital stuff and give the main leads a great story to work with.)

 

[Mojochi]

I almost have to wonder if they knew they would be going up against LOST's finale this week, & thought "What the hell. Jesse & Walt can chase around a fly for an hour"

I have to admit though, I really thought Walt was going to confess to having watched Jane die

 

[Joeman]

"What the hell. Jesse & Walt can chase around a fly for an hour"

I have to admit though, I really thought Walt was going to confess to having watched Jane die

That was probably my least favorite episode so far. The tension with Walt on the verge of confessing the Jane thing was the only really good part to me.

Walt should realistically have broken about 6 ribs and his back in that fall.

No big deal. I guess every episode can't be balls to the wall, although they'd done a pretty decent job of that so far. Even though the AMC promos say there are "only 3 episodes left of the best show on television", and they don't specify "this season", I'm still assuming there will be a fourth season. I guess I can expect more "filler" episodes down the line since they're obviously going to stretch this thing to the limit.

 

[stj]

Missed part of the episode due to having my brain turned to pudding for the Lost finale. Why is Walter going crazy? Did Jess dope him?

Going crazy is not part of the natural progression along the spectrum from good to evil. They might as well throw in demonic possession and be done with it.

 

[Mojochi]

Walt hadn't been sleeping, & the whole fly thing got Jesse thinking he had gone a bit nutty, from lack of sleep, so he did dump some sleeping pills in his coffee, & Walt gets rather drowsy after that

 

[stj]

^^^Thanks, I missed the actual mickey finn, but it seemed like Jesse was waiting to see Walt pass out.

 

[sidious618]

This week's was out and out surreal. I really liked it but it's not something I'd want the show to do every week. It was really slow but certainly interesting.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Those two have a really cool lab with a sitting room and fold out cot and everything. I was even expecting to see a candy bar machine. They're not glorifying the drug business at all.

As for the actual episode, I thought it was filler at first, even a bit silly, but found myself fixated when Walt started to confess. I was wondering if that was ever going to come out and now I'm wondering if that was it. Walt said he was sorry and Jesse has moved on. I'm wondering if that's all that needs to be said.

Now here are a few questions I've had for a while now... Where does Walt say he goes during the day? Where do people think he goes? And what if someone sees his car at the same place Jesse works since he's not supposed to be in touch with one of his former students?

 

[Snaploud]

Those two have a really cool lab with a sitting room and fold out cot and everything. I was even expecting to see a candy bar machine. They're not glorifying the drug business at all.

I think it's realistic that big-shots would have decent labs. Drug cartels aren't all run from dank dungeons, and it's good for the show to recognize the difference between a small drug operation and one run by the big boys.

Where does Walt say he goes during the day?

He lives in an apartment. Who would know he was gone all day?

Where do people think he goes?

Who...?

And what if someone sees his car at the same place Jesse works since he's not supposed to be in touch with one of his former students?

What's wrong with keeping in touch with a former student?

 

[Agent Richard07]

Where does Walt say he goes during the day?

He lives in an apartment. Who would know he was gone all day?

Where do people think he goes?

Who...?

Walt. I'm just wondering what he tells people he's up to. He's not so isolated that he doesn't have to account for his time or source of income.

And what if someone sees his car at the same place Jesse works since he's not supposed to be in touch with one of his former students?

What's wrong with keeping in touch with a former student?

I was going to say that Walt said he wasn't keeping in touch with Jesse, who's in trouble with the law, but I suppose that if he were caught at the same place Jesse works, he could always say that they met up again after the fact.

 

[Snaploud]

Walt. I'm just wondering what he tells people he's up to. He's not so isolated that he doesn't have to account for his time or source of income.

Actually, I think he is that isolated. As for the IRS, he has that handled via his lawyer Saul and the charity scheme (the effectiveness of which is questionable).

 

[stj]

I was interrrupted several times while watching. But it was unusual that there is no apparent dramatic purpose to the Jane flashback.

I've been trying to put all that Skylar drivel from the beginning of the season out of mind, but her sudden conversion to Lady Macbeth is bringing it up, like an overspiced burrito.

Gustavo's warning to Walter is actually specific, I think, about protecting Jesse. (It comes after Jesse's outburst in the lab.) Jesse going on the warpath for his dead buddy paints a second bull's eye on him. I have a suspicion that duelling marksmen are supposed to interfere with each other so that Jesse survives. Much as I love Jesse, it wouldn't really be appropriate. Skylar can take Jesse's place as the basically decent person being destroyed by Walt's cold determination to be a big shot.

Has anyone thought that Gale would be a perfect candidate for a Heisenberg decoy? When the cops take down the lab, Gale takes the fall.

 

[Mojochi]

I was interrrupted several times while watching. But it was unusual that there is no apparent dramatic purpose to the Jane flashback.

The dramatic purpose is to Jesse's story of self destruction. Note that the scene ends with Jane putting out a cigarette. The flashback scene provides a context to what transpired the day Jane extinguished her cigarette in his ash tray, the sole cigarette, covered in lipstick, which we've been recently shown is still in his ash tray, & serves as a constant reminder of his responsibility for her death. It may, in fact, be the only remaining physical evidence that she was ever in his life

That's what I love about this show. The symbolism is hard wired into some very straight reality

I like your Gale idea, btw. I hadn't given him much thought since his departure