Breaking Bad - Season 5

[Dorian Thompson]

Oh. Actually, I think it played better the way it aired. You're left wondering exactly what Walter did to her, whether she wanted to have sex or not.

I had to post links to these two blogs I came across. They're both very recent postings as of July this year. The first centers on the character of Walter; the second is about Jesse. The first blog, IMO, has some startlingly spot on observations about how Walter manipulates Jesse, and the second is a quite interesting take on Jesse's despair and "feminine" traits in a hyper masculine environment.

Walter White-abuser

Jesse Pinkman-male self hatred

Walter does isolate Jesse. He's like a possession to him. He damn well doesn't want Jesse to have any loyalties to anyone other than himself. One wonders if that's what's really motivating Walter's latest tirade and threatening thoughts about Mike, who seems to have Walter's number and, even worse, Jesse's attention.

 

[Borgminister]

Just got caught up... don't think there's as good a show on t.v. right now. Loved the reaction by Walt to Jesse's breaking up with his girlfriend... Legacy costs, indeed.

Looks like it'll really hit the fan tomorrow!

 

[Dorian Thompson]

What I loved about the whole bit was that Walt actually did the right thing--telling Jesse that having to keep secrets from Andrea would be impossible and eventually would doom their relationship was good (if painful) advice--but he did it for totally selfish prick reasons, so that Jesse would have no divided loyalties. He said all the right things, but I don't think he meant a word of what he said. Andrea might warn Jesse off of Walt if they got serious; Walter isn't going to take the chance that Jesse might eventually listen. Jane was coaxing Jesse to assert himself and get away from Walt with his share of the money.....and we all know what happened to her.

Oh yeah, the shit will definitely hit the fan. Walt's delusional with this power trip of his. Hank sniffed out Gustavo, who was pretty slick. How is it that Walt thinks he's so good that Hank will never catch him? His arrogance is off the charts.

 

[Borgminister]

He certainly ain't no Jesse James!

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Didn't Jesse James end up getting shot?

Walter is such a malevolent prick. I can't believe I'm so fascinated by the character. He's like a book I can't put down. I don't have cable anymore to save money, so I have to wait 2 hours after broadcast for "other means" to watch, and I'm feeling put upon for having to wait the 2 extra hours...

 

[J.T.B.]

At this point, I know I'm nit picking a bit here because Walt has become one scary dude. But what I'm saying is that I needed a scene in the season opener where Walt actually does something that makes Skylar think that he just might harm her if he feels the need. She seemed to be frightened of him in their first scene together.

I don't know, it worked for me. Skyler seemed pretty used to getting her way, if not outright ruling the roost. And she was pretty high-handed to pay Benecke with Walt's money, unbeknownst to Walt. Now she knows Walt not only has underworld connections but is a cold killer who defeated a drug lord's organization, the power relationship in her life has turned suddenly upside down. And not just that, but she must be thinking back on things she did before that Walt might view as transgressions. She probably thought if worst came to worst she could leave Walt and take off on her own -- which she almost did -- but now she must be thinking she's not going anywhere if Walt doesn't want her to.

Justin

 

[Mojochi]

You wanna know how I know Mike is a dead man walking? For 3 seasons we had no idea what his last name is, barely knew his 1st in the beginning. Now they are dropping it at least once or twice an episode. It's such a bad omen

 

[Dorian Thompson]

No, Mike's a tough old bird. He'll make it. It's Skyler who's dead. Ticking watch.....Skyler wanting to get rid of the kids, saying she's waiting on Walt's cancer to come back. Hank and Marie suggesting she "talk to someone," as if Walt will allow her to spill to some shrink. Skyler telling Walt she's trapped there because she's complicit. Skyler boldly telling Walt she'd lie that he beat her, that she's waiting for his cancer to come back. Skyler smoking.

Skyler smoking. Come on dudes. Walt has a lovely cigarette taped behind the outlet he could gift her with. Skyler's a dead woman. Walter can hire a nanny for Holly. Why wouldn't he do it? He's going to do it. The clock is ticking on smoking Skyler.

Why do I find it so pathetically sweet that Jesse gave Walter a watch for his birthday? It just is. I got my 70+ year old mother started on this show. She's got the DVDs, up to season 3 already. Her first comment, after noting what a prick Walter's turning into? That Jesse's too sweet to be a drug dealer. What is it about Aaron Paul? He's like a puppy.

EDIT--Okay, I've been informed by a snot nose on another board that there's no cigarette taped behind the outlet. Only the vial of ricin so Skyler can't possibly smoke a ricin cigarette. Hello? Walt could roll another one or put it in her drink.

 

[Gepard]

Funny – I took the watch to mean that it's Walt's time that's running out, and he just can't see it. The watch was a gift from Jessie, and I'm convinced that Jessie will be his undoing. After that little speech Walt gave Skyler about he totally won Jessie back to his side and everything's cool...well, I just think he's willingly ignoring how often their relationship has flipped back and forth. Jessie will be pointing a gun at him again, I'm certain of it.

 

[Trubinator]

I know this is totally unfair, but I'd be fine with Walt taking out Skyler. In spite of the fact her motivations seem just she is just a BITCH!

 

[Dorian Thompson]

How is she a bitch? Because she doesn't want Walter to start cooking meth again and invite another rival drug dealer into their lives to threaten her kids? Because she's not supportive of him being a criminal? Why does that make her a bitch? Walter isn't cooking to provide for their family. They have the car wash. He could quit. Walter's being a criminal because he enjoys being a criminal. If a woman isn't perpetually cheery with her man like Florence Hendersen, she's a bitch? She could hae turned him into Hank ages ago.

Interesting interpretation about the watch. I still think Walt is going to do her in, though, or at least try to do her in. That doesn't preclude Jesse from finally being the end of him. He's gotten to the point where he's uncomfortable with both Mike and Walter's violence. I don't think there's any question that Walt will suffer a bad ending, either death or prison. He'll lose his family to death or rejection. The only question that's validly in play, IMO, is whether Jesse will live or die and if he'll get out of the life. He still has a chance for a normal life with Andrea if Walter would do the decent thing, give him some money so he could buy a house somewhere, and tell him to leave. Jesse's so damned emotionally needy, though, and for some tragic reason he seems to care about Walter. It may be the death of him, too.

 

[Borgminister]

Skylar is just as much a criminal as Walt, the difference is she can see the danger that Walt becoming a drug kingpin will pose to the kids, and Walt's ego is too inflated now to realize that...

I smell a red shirt next episode based on the heist preview.

 

[sidious618]

I know this is totally unfair, but I'd be fine with Walt taking out Skyler. In spite of the fact her motivations seem just she is just a BITCH!

No.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Gosh, I've read posts on other boards that basically are saying that Skyler's getting what's coming to her for being "uppity" for want of a better term. That's a scary mindset. They actually think she picks on poor little Walter. One of them was a long thread about how Walter is so much more sympathetic than her and that he gets Walter. Yikes.

That character last night isn't going to let her just leave. Not anymore. She could turn him in to the DEA. He won't risk that. But he's "cool" according to several folks whose opinions I was skimming. Jesse really needs to off him. Walter White has become malevolent. He has broken bad to the extreme. Scary. But I'm glad Vince Gilligan isn't pussyfooting around.

 

[Shurik]

Skyler's reaction is perfectly understandable. After all, she kicked him out of the house when he revealed to her that he's been cooking meth. He turned into a complete monster and what's more scary - she sees that he likes being a monster and that understandably frightens her. She's a mother who's afraid for her children.

I wonder what would've happened if she knew the real extent of the danger her family was in, with the cousins and Gus' threat to kill the entire family.

 

[sidious618]

I noticed that Skylar never threatened to turn him in. I imagine this is because she's worried on how that will affects the kids and Hank and Marie but I'd think if she got really, really desperate it'd be a move that would guarantee the safety of the kids. I wonder if she's under the, probably correct, impression that Walt would kill her if it came to that.

 

[J.T.B.]

So long to the Aztek. It made it further than I thought. Reminders of the old Walt keep disappearing.

When Walt and Junior pulled into the driveway I told my wife "The first commercial will be for Chrysler." And speaking of Chrysler, Mike's old Fifth Avenue has reappeared. I didn't think he would get it fixed.

Hank's promotion at first glance looks good for Walt, it should minimize their personal/professional overlap. But of course Hank will not be able to keep his hands off of "his" case.

Skyler has been a little dazed but is starting to get her feet under her again and realizng the stakes. Her "I don't have a good plan, I'm not like you" struck me as maybe a little sandbagging on the writers' part.

Where is the chemical warehouse supposed to be? Los Angeles area?

Justin

 

[Shurik]

I noticed that Skylar never threatened to turn him in. I imagine this is because she's worried on how that will affects the kids and Hank and Marie but I'd think if she got really, really desperate it'd be a move that would guarantee the safety of the kids. I wonder if she's under the, probably correct, impression that Walt would kill her if it came to that.

I think she said something about it when Walt told her about the meth business, that she didn't want the story to get to news and her family to be perpetually identified with Walt's criminal activities, or something like that, but that was back in season 3. Nowadays she's probably just too afraid to turn him in.

 

[stj]

Not too much plot wise, but excellent and fascinating character interactions. Jesse's desire to minimize killing is ominous for his life span: Mike won't like much of that either.

Skylar's admitting she had blood on her hands was correct and essential to understanding her dilemma. She can't go to the cops because she's a criminal too. And she's a criminal for no good reason to boot. She had no reason to do the embezzling for Ted.

Walt's ego turning Jesse's gift into an affirmation of his ability to handle Skylar was a marvelous touch. The watch symbolism is multiple, I think. It's time running out for Skylar, it's time running out for Walt, it's time running out for Jesse's illusions.

I'm disappointed but not surprised to hear that people love Walt and hate Skylar. This is a new age and the morality which admires winners is ever more dominant. That's why I think it's very likely that Walt will win, in some fashion or other. He may have killed Jesse, Skylar, Mike, Hankd and Saul and lost Junior and Holly, so that the writers can tell themselves they're writing a tragic end. But there is an excellent chance Walt will walk into the sunset. There's even a chance there will be a wild contortion of the plot so that Walt's effort to protect someone in the flashforward is foreshadowing his makeshift redemption.

 

[davejames]

Gosh, I've read posts on other boards that basically are saying that Skyler's getting what's coming to her for being "uppity" for want of a better term. That's a scary mindset. They actually think she picks on poor little Walter. One of them was a long thread about how Walter is so much more sympathetic than her and that he gets Walter. Yikes.

Yeah, I don't know how ANYBODY could still find Walt sympathetic after last night's episode. Granted he still has his human moments now and then, but there's nothing that justifies the horrible way he bullied and threatened his wife here.

The fact he seems completely oblivious to how frightened and scared she is of him is the most infuriating part, and tells you all you need to know about his state right now.

I noticed that Skylar never threatened to turn him in. I imagine this is because she's worried on how that will affects the kids and Hank and Marie but I'd think if she got really, really desperate it'd be a move that would guarantee the safety of the kids. I wonder if she's under the, probably correct, impression that Walt would kill her if it came to that.

Yeah I think she knows better than to ever say THAT out loud. The one thing she has going for her is that Walt still wants to protect his family (at least in his own misguided way). But if she betrays his trust in any way he might reconsider that.

The irony is, with Walt getting more and more threatening, she probably has good grounds now to claim that she was just an innocent victim in all this, and was forced to cooperate in the meth business all along out of fear for her life.

With the suicidal, traumatized way she's been acting lately, I'm sure Hank and the authorities would have no trouble believing that-- especially once the whole truth about Walter finally comes out.