Starting Breaking Bad (NO SPOILERS!)

[Shurik]

He stopped doing things for his family midway through the first season, when he turned down the money from his former partners. After that it's just his enormous ego. He always tries to justify all the horrible stuff he does by saying that it's for the family, but it's really not. He's a complete monster by the point you're at now, and it still goes downhill from here.

 

[TheGodBen]

Season 4 is when I lost all remaining sympathy for Walt. He's rotten to the core at that point. In order to defeat Gus, Walt had to learn to think like Gus, and Gus is a soulless monster.

Jesse is a much more sympathetic character by season 4, murdering Gale really brought his conscience to the fore, and that contrasts starkly with Walt's loss of his.

 

[cultcross]

In a sense the middle two seasons are about Walt and Jesse swapping places, morally speaking. But then Walt becomes much worse than Jesse ever was, and arguably Jesse becomes better than Walt ever was.

 

[bigdaddy]

In a sense the middle two seasons are about Walt and Jesse swapping places, morally speaking. But then Walt becomes much worse than Jesse ever was, and arguably Jesse becomes better than Walt ever was.

I agree this is the most fascinating part of the show for me.

Oh well, if Walt says it, it must be true.

I'm sick of people going "When Walt said no to his former partners money is when he... blah blah blah.

I would have refused it to. He wants to help his family, not get help others.

 

[davejames]

He stopped doing things for his family midway through the first season, when he turned down the money from his former partners. After that it's just his enormous ego. He always tries to justify all the horrible stuff he does by saying that it's for the family, but it's really not. He's a complete monster by the point you're at now, and it still goes downhill from here.

I don't think Walt's ever become truly a "monster". He's clearly corrupted and driven by ego and greed, but I don't get the sense he actually enjoys doing the awful stuff he does, or enjoys killing people or watching them die-- which to me is the real sign of a monster.

It obviously doesn't tear him up the way it does Jesse, but there's still clearly a hint of regret in Walt when he has to do something bad. Which you probably can't say about monsters like Charles Manson or Ted Bundy.

 

[Shurik]

I'm sick of people going "When Walt said no to his former partners money is when he... blah blah blah.

I would have refused it to. He wants to help his family, not get help others.

If my options were cooking meth or getting financial help from someone who genuinely wants to help, I'd take the money.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Walt was already just like Gus, he just hadn't realized it yet.

Also, Jesse was already a decent guy with a conscience. He was a criminal but never a violent criminal, and he was only a criminal because he was a lazy slouch without motivation to do anything but follow the path of least resistance. He only killed Gale because he needed to pay back Walt for saving his life.

And yeah, in his situation I would have taken their money. But I would have really, really hated doing it. And remember, in season one Walt still wanted to manufacture drugs without violence. In season 1, I think Walt was still genuinely sympathetic.

 

[Mr Light]

I just started 4X12 and this is awesome stuff! Definitely the best show has had to offer thus far. Gus' rivalry with the Mexican cartel was great stuff, and now the shit is hitting the fan for Walt... who I might add is acting quite heroic at this point He's desperately trying to save Hank from Gus' wrath while trying to get his family to safety.

 

[Mr Light]

Fourth Season was definitely the best. There was a time there when I just kinda had it on, not really paying attention to it, but now I find myself actually sitting there and watching the episodes. Good stuff.

Gus had an amazing death scene. I assumed Walt was going to show up and shoot them. I didn't expect the old man to kamikaze himself with a car bomb! And then Gus walks out looking perfectly fine, then he turns around and half his face is missing! That was so gruesome and looked great! Wow!

I really don't know where the show goes from now. Things are pretty wrapped up at this point. Maybe it's about the DEA and Hank learning the truth about Walt. No spoilers!

I'm very sad to see Gus and Mike dead as they were my favorite characters. We'll have to see what next season has in store!

 

[DalekJim]

This is one of the most surreal threads I've ever read. Walt becoming more likeable in the fourth season?

WHAT!?

 

[Harvey]

I'm very sad to see Gus and Mike dead as they were my favorite characters. We'll have to see what next season has in store!

Mike is recuperating in the hospital in Mexico. He isn't dead.

 

[Mr Light]

I guess I misheard the scene between Walt and Jesse at the end, Jesse tells Walt he died in the hospital, I thought they were talking about Mike... was he talking about Gus? Did the little boy die?

 

[Harvey]

The little boy didn't die. You must have misheard the scene.

 

[Mr Light]

Ok, they were talking about Gus dying then. They were talking about somebody dying!

 

[Tom]

Without giving away any spoilers, Season 5 so far for me is better than season 4.

 

[TheGodBen]

I really don't know where the show goes from now. Things are pretty wrapped up at this point.

I saw a couple of people saying that sort of thing after the fourth season, with some even suggesting that it should be the series finale and a fifth season would ruin the ending, and I don't understand the sentiment. Breaking Bad wasn't about the conflict between Gus and Walt, Gus was merely an obstacle to overcome so that Walt could become the meth kingpin himself. It was a great season finale, but I feel would have made for a poor series finale.

Ok, they were talking about Gus dying then. They were talking about somebody dying!

They were talking about Brock, who is alive. That scene revealed that Gus didn't poison Brock, thus Jesse's motive for helping Walt take down Gus was flawed, so Jesse attempted to rationalise his complicity in the crime. It set up the reveal that Walt was actually the one who poisoned Brock to trick Jesse into helping him kill Gus.

It was kinda an important scene.

 

[cultcross]

I really don't know where the show goes from now. Things are pretty wrapped up at this point. Maybe it's about the DEA and Hank learning the truth about Walt. No spoilers!

The rest of the show is a light hearted rom-com after the unexpected introduction of Hugh Grant in 501.

Oh, sorry, you said no spoilers

 

[Shurik]

 

[FPAlpha]

I've just seen 5.6 and Jesus Christ.. i thought with the season 4 finale most of it was settled and there were just a few loose ends to tie up but damn do they ever increase the tension.

I can't wait to catch up the the current episode so i can finally talk spoiler free and don't have to tip toe around certain sites.

Definitely one of the best shows i have ever seen because it only gets better each season instead of the other way around (most shows have a stellar first season but then gradually drop of to be somewhat in the middle or totally go off the rails.. BSG an example for the first and Lost an example for the latter). It fully deserved every award it got and Bryan Cranston/Aaron Paul are one of the most awesome/terrifying duos in current TV.

 

[Mr Light]

Just finished 5X5 where they rob a train. That was exciting. And what a tragic ending. And no, it's not Walt's fault, it's the dumb blonde guy's!