Television Breaking Bad

esmufc07

Brad
Scout
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
49,906
Location
Lake Jonathan Creek
Just watched Crawl Space, possibly the best episode. The emotion, the tension. Has everything. The way Gus delivered that line: "I will kill... your infant daughter," fecking chilling.

Can see why the last episode got a 9.8 on IMDb. It's just set up for an absolute climax. The cliffhangers it leaves you on... I've got resits to do here!

To sum up Breaking Bad in one word: Wow
The last 10 minutes of that episode is probably the best TV I've ever watched. Him screaming at Skyler for the money and erupting into laughter is the standout scene for me in the entire series. Outstanding show.

You fully caught up yet?
 

Liam147

On Probation
Joined
Jun 19, 2011
Messages
16,714
Location
Not a complete cock, just really young.
The last 10 minutes of that episode is probably the best TV I've ever watched. Him screaming at Skyler for the money and erupting into laughter is the standout scene for me in the entire series. Outstanding show.

You fully caught up yet?
I'd quite possibly agree with you. All the emotions just laid out. The sheer panic and terror, yet Saul comes up with the goods again, quite selflessly no less, and it seems Walt has the escape route lined up until he realises there's not enough money. We know where it's gone, and we know Skyler is going to have to say "I gave over half a million dollars to Ted, that guy I fecked to end our marriage, which is still technically ongoing." Laughter was the best response to that. What else could you do in that situation? Brilliant. See Cranston picked up another Best Actor in a Drama Series at the SAGs. Hardly surprising.

One other thing that I don't see mentioned is the titles of the episodes. They're actually really clever

"I See You" is spent with Hank in the ICU
"I.F.T." Could mean anything, yet we find out exactly what it is at the end of the episode.
"Face Off" is my personal favourite. No explanation required there.

The twist at the end of Face Off was excellent too. Especially when you look back at how Walt played Jesse, pleading his innocence. When knew Walt had done nothing wrong, and as a result, he lived. Oh, hang on, turns out he did poison a child. The greatest anti-hero I've ever seen. Possibly the best acting performance I've ever seen. Although those who've watched the likes of West Wing, Mad Men, Lost etc might say different.

That video was very well made by the way. I really love their high five after making the 40 pounds(?) of meth, and that scream of joy and relief when he blows up Tuco's HQ. Gus's scream as well. Someone who displays absolutely no emotion, played that feeling of imminent death very well. The only thing that slightly disappointed me was the he walked out, near-faceless. If you've just been hit by a bomb at point blank and had you face blown off, do you get up, walk out, adjust your tie and collapse? Although I imagine that's what made the scene for most people, I just found it unrealistic for a show where everything that happens seems completely plausible in real life.

Finally, no, I've not caught up fully. I'm trying to hold off season five for a few weeks at least. I've not even been watching it three weeks and I've flown through four seasons. I did it with Archer and Arrested Development, then got annoyed that I'd watched them so quickly. Also, if the mid-season break leaves it on a massive cliffhanger, I'd rather be nearer the time to its release, rather than have to wait months for it.
 

Mockney

Not the only poster to be named Poster of the Year
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
40,989
Location
Editing my own posts.
Face Off is possibly the best season finale of any show I've seen. As often mentioned in this thread, it could've ended the series there, and would've worked.
 

kouroux

45k posts to finally achieve this tagline
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
96,358
Location
Djibouti (La terre des braves)
I'd quite possibly agree with you. All the emotions just laid out. The sheer panic and terror, yet Saul comes up with the goods again, quite selflessly no less, and it seems Walt has the escape route lined up until he realises there's not enough money. We know where it's gone, and we know Skyler is going to have to say "I gave over half a million dollars to Ted, that guy I fecked to end our marriage, which is still technically ongoing." Laughter was the best response to that. What else could you do in that situation? Brilliant. See Cranston picked up another Best Actor in a Drama Series at the SAGs. Hardly surprising.

One other thing that I don't see mentioned is the titles of the episodes. They're actually really clever

"I See You" is spent with Hank in the ICU
"I.F.T." Could mean anything, yet we find out exactly what it is at the end of the episode.
"Face Off" is my personal favourite. No explanation required there.

The twist at the end of Face Off was excellent too. Especially when you look back at how Walt played Jesse, pleading his innocence. When knew Walt had done nothing wrong, and as a result, he lived. Oh, hang on, turns out he did poison a child. The greatest anti-hero I've ever seen. Possibly the best acting performance I've ever seen. Although those who've watched the likes of West Wing, Mad Men, Lost etc might say different.

That video was very well made by the way. I really love their high five after making the 40 pounds(?) of meth, and that scream of joy and relief when he blows up Tuco's HQ. Gus's scream as well. Someone who displays absolutely no emotion, played that feeling of imminent death very well. The only thing that slightly disappointed me was the he walked out, near-faceless. If you've just been hit by a bomb at point blank and had you face blown off, do you get up, walk out, adjust your tie and collapse? Although I imagine that's what made the scene for most people, I just found it unrealistic for a show where everything that happens seems completely plausible in real life.

Finally, no, I've not caught up fully. I'm trying to hold off season five for a few weeks at least. I've not even been watching it three weeks and I've flown through four seasons. I did it with Archer and Arrested Development, then got annoyed that I'd watched them so quickly. Also, if the mid-season break leaves it on a massive cliffhanger, I'd rather be nearer the time to its release, rather than have to wait months for it.
I agree with your entire post except for mentioning 'Lost'.A truly overrated and over complicated show
 

kps88

Full Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2008
Messages
22,513
Re-watching this, are there supposed to be subtitles when they all speak in Spanish? Particularly in that meeting between Guus and the Cartel, they speak for a good few minutes and my episode didn't have any subtitles.
 

Buchan

has whacked the hammer to Roswell
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
17,661
Location
The Republik of Mancunia | W3102
Re-watching this, are there supposed to be subtitles when they all speak in Spanish? Particularly in that meeting between Guus and the Cartel, they speak for a good few minutes and my episode didn't have any subtitles.
Nope. It's done like that on purpose.

The scene where the twins are discussing a hit in New Mexico and they are speaking in Spanish is one of the best executed in any programme I've ever seen. They are conversing in their mother tongue for a good minute (with the viewer intended not to understand what they are talking about, only to go on the demeanour of them), when suddenly you hear them snarl "Hank Schrader", leaving you under no illusion of what their intentions are.

It's fantastic stuff.
 

kps88

Full Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2008
Messages
22,513
I was certain I had subtitles on my first watch through so I went and acquired another copy of the the episode and it did in fact have the subtitles. So I guess not everyone has gotten to experience it the way they intended.
 

Vato

Watches other men wank.Supports Real.Coincidence?
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
33,205
Location
None of your fecking business
Supports
Real Madrid
Face Off is possibly the best season finale of any show I've seen. As often mentioned in this thread, it could've ended the series there, and would've worked.
Exactly. I even doubt that the ending of the show will be better than the ending of season 4.
 

Pexbo

Winner of the 'I'm not reading that' medal.
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
68,806
Location
Brizzle
Supports
Big Days
It's partly why I'm a bit cautious about starting season 5. Where does the show go from Face Off (still a brilliant title)? Can the ending be as good as that?

I've nearly got my dad onto it as well.
Don't be cautious. It's excellent, it burns slowly but it's excellent all the same.
 

VeevaVee

The worst "V"
Scout
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
46,263
Location
Manchester
Not really (not that I speak Spanish). But I picked the odd words up, but as said, it's all about their body language. Then Gus uttering 'Hank Schrader'. It's actually really well done. Sort of shows that the dialogue isn't particularly important, just that one name.
Well....exactly.
 

Verminator

Full Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Messages
8,145
Location
N3404 The Island of Manchester United
Catching the odd episode as my daughter and her fella are watching it.
I could easily do a marathon re-watch of this. It's soooo good.
Great tribute vid, that I daren't share to convince others (Purely for the "Face-off" reveal.

Liam, your lack of belief in Gus's reaction in "Face-off";
I saw a documentary on plane crashes, where a witness saw a stewardess walking towards him, at the site of a downed passenger jet.
Both of her shins had been smashed, and she was walking on the broken ends, with her feet splayed at 90 degrees, to the side.

Life is strange.
 

Sparky_Hughes

I am Shitbeard.
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
17,539
recently discovered on netflix.......The TLDR version.......feckING AMAZING.....Great characters compelling story line.....great twists....just brilliant

Walt---Amazing badass cool as feck
Skyler---Irritating harppy
Jesse---Loveabble dimwit with a heart of gold
Gus---Mysterious nemesis---beautifully played
Hank---Irritating redneck twat.

That is all.

Best lines

WALT:
You clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skyler. I am the danger. A guy opens his door and gets shot, and you think that of me? No! I am the one who knocks!

JESSIE:
Oh well, heil Hitler, bitch! And let me tell you something else. We flipped a coin, okay? You and me. You and me! Coin flip is sacred! Your job is waiting for you in that basement, as per the coin!

MIKE:
I used to be a beat cop long time ago. And I'd get called out on domestic disputes all the time, hundreds probably over the years. But there was this one guy, this one piece of shit, that I will never forget: Gordy. He looked like Bo Svenson. You remember him? 'Walking Tall'? You don't remember? Anyway. Big boy; 270, 280. But his wife, or whatever she was, his lady, was real small. Like a bird, wrists like little branches. Anyway, my partner and I get called out there every weekend and one of us would pull her aside and say, "C'mon, tonight's the night we press charges." And this wasn't one of those 'deep down he really loves me' setups, we got a lot of those, but not this. This girl was scared. She wasn't gonna cross him no way, no how. Nothing we could do but pass her off to the EMTs, put him in the car, drive him downtown, throw him in the drunk tank. He sleeps it off, next morning out he goes, back home. But one night, my partner's out sick and it's just me. And the call comes in and it's the usual crap. Broke her nose in the shower kind of thing. So I cuff him, put him in the car and away we go. Only that night, we're driving into town, and this sideways asshole is in my backseat humming 'Danny Boy'. And it just rubbed me wrong. So instead of left, I go right, out into nowhere. And I kneel him down and I put my revolver in his mouth and I told him, "This is it. This is how it ends." And he's crying, going to the bathroom all over himself, swearing to God he's gonna leave her alone, screaming - much as you can with a gun in your mouth. And I told him to be quiet, that I needed to think about what I was gonna do here. And of course he got quiet. Goes still, and real quiet, like a dog waiting for dinner scraps. And we just stood there for a while: me acting like I'm thinking things over, and Prince Charming kneeling in the dirt with shit in his pants. After a few minutes I took the gun out of his mouth and I say; "So help me if you ever touch her again I will such and such and such and such and blah blah blah blah blah."

Walter: Just... just a warning?

Mike: Hmph. Of course. Just trying to do the right thing. But two weeks later he killed her. Of course. Caved her head in with the base of Waring blender. We got there, there was so much blood you could taste the metal. The moral of the story is; I chose a half measure when I should have gone all the way. I'll never make that mistake again. No more half measures, Walter.
 

Zebs

Clare Baldings Daughter plays too much Wordscapes
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
17,078
Pretty sure Hank doesn't say that ;)
 

Zebs

Clare Baldings Daughter plays too much Wordscapes
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
17,078
I thought it was Huell the bodyguard.
 

Minkaro

Full Member
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
11,651
Pretty sure Huell only ever says "reasonably" and that's once in the entire series.

Edit: ^I really enjoyed it, thought the guy playing Jane's dad was great (drawing a complete blank on his name though).
 

Buchan

has whacked the hammer to Roswell
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
17,661
Location
The Republik of Mancunia | W3102
Initially, Hank was my "most-hated" character on the show and I detested every scene he was in. Come season 4 and the first half of season 5, he was my favourite character.

I must say, and I'm probably in the minority here, I am kind of half-hoping that Hank does solve the Heisenberg case and link it to Walter. He's a very good detective.
 

Liam147

On Probation
Joined
Jun 19, 2011
Messages
16,714
Location
Not a complete cock, just really young.
Initially, Hank was my "most-hated" character on the show and I detested every scene he was in. Come season 4 and the first half of season 5, he was my favourite character.

I must say, and I'm probably in the minority here, I am kind of half-hoping that Hank does solve the Heisenberg case and link it to Walter. He's a very good detective.
Got to say, I don't mind the character, he's not a bad guy, it just annoys me how relentless he is in his pursuit of Heisenberg. Then again, it's not much of a drama when there's no one chasing you is it?

Just cannot believe how they left it. You knew something was going to happen, and when he's in the bathroom, I'm thinking he's going to find something; perhaps wads of cash. Then I saw the Walt Whitman book. Bang. I really thought it'd come to a conclusion with Walt dying or being caught. I didn't think they'd introduce that so early. I also cannot believe we've got to wait until July to know how they're going to play this!

One other thing, seeing clips from the first season, does anyone else think the standard was massively lower? Admittedly I wasn't really taken in by it at first, I just stuck with it because I knew how good it was supposed to get, and I had time on my hands.

I thought the writing was just okay, and the acting was neither here nor there, particularly from Paul (i.e. the coin quote above I wasn't keen on, and the bit about 'breaking bad' and when he tells Walt that $7k wasn't going to be enough for an RV), I didn't like Walt's line in the Pilot, "You know the business, and I know the chemistry."

I dunno, maybe it's just me. Perhaps it wasn't quite as I recall.
 

Sparky_Hughes

I am Shitbeard.
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
17,539
Initially, Hank was my "most-hated" character on the show and I detested every scene he was in. Come season 4 and the first half of season 5, he was my favourite character.

I must say, and I'm probably in the minority here, I am kind of half-hoping that Hank does solve the Heisenberg case and link it to Walter. He's a very good detective.
Im hoping he takes a bullet to the face as soon as possible :devil:
 

Dirty Schwein

Has a 'Best of Britney Spears' album
Joined
Feb 6, 2012
Messages
32,354
Location
Miracle World
Supports
Luton Town
I dont mind Hank. He is a typical macho man but can't hate on him, he does do some funny shit. The bullet should be saved for Skylar
 

kps88

Full Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2008
Messages
22,513
Yeah Hank's great. I used to hate Skylar but she's grown on me and has a very important role to play in the plot. Marie and Walt Jr. irritate the feck out of me now since they're so pointless. Remember that shop lifting storyline...awful.
 

MichaelS

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
2,444
Got to say, I don't mind the character, he's not a bad guy, it just annoys me how relentless he is in his pursuit of Heisenberg. Then again, it's not much of a drama when there's no one chasing you is it?

Just cannot believe how they left it. You knew something was going to happen, and when he's in the bathroom, I'm thinking he's going to find something; perhaps wads of cash. Then I saw the Walt Whitman book. Bang. I really thought it'd come to a conclusion with Walt dying or being caught. I didn't think they'd introduce that so early. I also cannot believe we've got to wait until July to know how they're going to play this!

One other thing, seeing clips from the first season, does anyone else think the standard was massively lower? Admittedly I wasn't really taken in by it at first, I just stuck with it because I knew how good it was supposed to get, and I had time on my hands.

I thought the writing was just okay, and the acting was neither here nor there, particularly from Paul (i.e. the coin quote above I wasn't keen on, and the bit about 'breaking bad' and when he tells Walt that $7k wasn't going to be enough for an RV), I didn't like Walt's line in the Pilot, "You know the business, and I know the chemistry."

I dunno, maybe it's just me. Perhaps it wasn't quite as I recall.
I thought the first seasons of were pretty good, but for me it first got real good when Gus & the mexican twins were introduced.
 

Liam147

On Probation
Joined
Jun 19, 2011
Messages
16,714
Location
Not a complete cock, just really young.
I thought the smiley made it clear I was joking! sry
Well I didn't see it (certainly not the first time around anyway)!
First season is really good. Season 2 is the bad egg. That massive build up leading to nothing. Not doing the rest of the show justice with shit like that.
What was it you didn't like about that? Personally I found Grilled to be too far, but most people would have that as their favourite episode of the series. You also had Phoenix, with Jane's death, which was brilliant. Peekaboo I also thought was good, and of course, the introduction of the show's best character.
 

Bross

Noggie Pez Dispenser
Joined
May 14, 2011
Messages
9,162
Location
Chillin with Giggsy at the Retardment Castle
I was just massively annoyed by that stupid constant cliffhanger-use throughout the season when the incident it was referring to (the plane crash) was absolutely pointless with regard to the main storyline.

Of course the season was good TV overall, but that part has just stuck with me. I should watch the season again I guess.