Breaking Bad

[DDRGuido]

another great x-post

 

Everybody knows that the idea of purity has been a running theme in this show, and the most obvious example is probably the purity of the meth itself, Gale's 96% vs Walter's 99.x%, how important it is and hard they work to achieve it. But thinking about the whole show for a second right now, they have been riffing on this theme in dozens of other ways. Hank is collecting specifically minerals and he gets annoyed when people confuse minerals with regular old heterogeneous rocks. The whole Fly episode (which imo was awesome) orbited around Walt's obsessing over the idea of contamination. Skyler gets the car wash by lying about how the property was polluted and how the toxins had potentially leached into the water table. The car wash itself is a company devoted to cleaning things. Cinematically, think of how much energy they spend filming the ventilator masks. Not to mention that one of the most conspicuous camera shots of the entire series was the camera angle from the roving robot vacuum. Also all the conversations about the dirtiness of the money, and how they show Skyler wiki'ing money laundering.

Walt himself had a freaking cancer, the doctors removed a tumor, there was talk about removing the bad cells, and about how these bad cells had become a part of Walt. When Walt is going through his transformation, he shaves his head. He shaves it like a monk, it's a tonsure. And of course the professionally devoted Hank was always bald, same with Gus, same with Mike, same with the gun salesman, and jfc to all the Bukowskis ITT, do you think this is an accident? lol. Good writers are always layering in details like this to develop their themes, and in a really great show like this, almost nothing is accidental. C.f. The Wire, c.f. The Sopranos, c.f. mother****ing Rome. Pinkman shaves his head (and the heads of his meth acolytes) at the exact nadir when he's as impure as possible, it's a symbolic contrast. Similarly there's always lots of talk among Skyler and Walter and Pinkman about the purity of the lie, about the the need to get every single element of the lie perfect. Beneke wanted to clean up his books. Georgia O'Keefe is a pure artist, maybe. Walt Jr is proud that he's taking his coffee with no cream or sugar, "just black." Oh and his last name is White.

I'm sure I'm missing tons of other examples, and I'm not trying to answer anything--I was just struck by how cool it was that they have been braiding this theme into every episode, but their angles make so much sense that it all feels super seamless. And it doesn't feel too pat: a tv show as subtle as BB isn't going to serve us a universe on a platter where all the clever breadcrumbs lead to thesis statements that solve the show. Sure, all the talk about chemical purity naturally raises questions about moral purity and cleanliness, and it would make sense that BB would keep giving us examples of how purity is being held up as an ideal that is unattainable in any form. I'm glad they haven't pushed this too much with, say, the innocence of the newborn baby or something, because that seems too lame for this show. But I wouldn't be surprised to hear Walt give a lecture on the second law of thermodynamics. Anyway, it's a terrific show, I just marathoned the whole thing for my first time this week and I couldn't be happier.

 

[krulmichael]

another great x-post

 

Everybody knows that the idea of purity has been a running theme in this show, and the most obvious example is probably the purity of the meth itself, Gale's 96% vs Walter's 99.x%, how important it is and hard they work to achieve it. But thinking about the whole show for a second right now, they have been riffing on this theme in dozens of other ways. Hank is collecting specifically minerals and he gets annoyed when people confuse minerals with regular old heterogeneous rocks. The whole Fly episode (which imo was awesome) orbited around Walt's obsessing over the idea of contamination. Skyler gets the car wash by lying about how the property was polluted and how the toxins had potentially leached into the water table. The car wash itself is a company devoted to cleaning things. Cinematically, think of how much energy they spend filming the ventilator masks. Not to mention that one of the most conspicuous camera shots of the entire series was the camera angle from the roving robot vacuum. Also all the conversations about the dirtiness of the money, and how they show Skyler wiki'ing money laundering.

Walt himself had a freaking cancer, the doctors removed a tumor, there was talk about removing the bad cells, and about how these bad cells had become a part of Walt. When Walt is going through his transformation, he shaves his head. He shaves it like a monk, it's a tonsure. And of course the professionally devoted Hank was always bald, same with Gus, same with Mike, same with the gun salesman, and jfc to all the Bukowskis ITT, do you think this is an accident? lol. Good writers are always layering in details like this to develop their themes, and in a really great show like this, almost nothing is accidental. C.f. The Wire, c.f. The Sopranos, c.f. mother****ing Rome. Pinkman shaves his head (and the heads of his meth acolytes) at the exact nadir when he's as impure as possible, it's a symbolic contrast. Similarly there's always lots of talk among Skyler and Walter and Pinkman about the purity of the lie, about the the need to get every single element of the lie perfect. Beneke wanted to clean up his books. Georgia O'Keefe is a pure artist, maybe. Walt Jr is proud that he's taking his coffee with no cream or sugar, "just black." Oh and his last name is White.

I'm sure I'm missing tons of other examples, and I'm not trying to answer anything--I was just struck by how cool it was that they have been braiding this theme into every episode, but their angles make so much sense that it all feels super seamless. And it doesn't feel too pat: a tv show as subtle as BB isn't going to serve us a universe on a platter where all the clever breadcrumbs lead to thesis statements that solve the show. Sure, all the talk about chemical purity naturally raises questions about moral purity and cleanliness, and it would make sense that BB would keep giving us examples of how purity is being held up as an ideal that is unattainable in any form. I'm glad they haven't pushed this too much with, say, the innocence of the newborn baby or something, because that seems too lame for this show. But I wouldn't be surprised to hear Walt give a lecture on the second law of thermodynamics. Anyway, it's a terrific show, I just marathoned the whole thing for my first time this week and I couldn't be happier.

And I thought I loved this show...

 

[Diivox]

best episode of the season by far. wasn't a single bad scene.
Jesse continues his dark redemption, still steals every scene he is in

 

and he's involved with Gus and Mike now, which is saying something, since they are both fucking incredible actors

and for the first time, EVER, I was actually super impressed with/liked Skylar at the very end.

I AM the danger.

 

[citizenerased]

Setting it up for two potential end games IMO.

Series ending with Walt sitting on a pile of skulls with his family dead as the new Gus with Jessie as his Mike.

Or Jessie and Walt turn on each other and fireworks ensure.

 

[DDRGuido]

Slow ep then they drop the bombshell on us!

 

[NAHSTE]

Great episode tonight. Jesse was incredible.

 

[Sean]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rage_(video_game)


Watching it now, but that game looked really interesting, however, all of the flashing lights and stuff would turn me off, no way an epileptic could play it, lol

 

[DDRGuido]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rage_(video_game)


Watching it now, but that game looked really interesting, however, all of the flashing lights and stuff would turn me off, no way an epileptic could play it, lol

flashing lights were from jesse's house.

 

[Diivox]

Outstanding work. kinda speechless, definitely the best episode yet.

 

[StealthShot]

Gus gunna get it.

 

[DDRGuido]

 

[StealthShot]

They finally delved into Gus's past, god damn didn't know that old guy was that important.

 

[padman59]

They finally delved into Gus's past, god damn didn't know that old guy was that important.

I'm really interested in knowing how Gus got the job handling the Cartel's affairs in the US after that flashback. He must have done some serious shit to get that position.

 

[DDRGuido]

Pretty soild ep. The flashback was awesome.

Gus is gay?

 

[StealthShot]

I'm really interested in knowing how Gus got the job handling the Cartel's affairs in the US after that flashback. He must have done some serious shit to get that position.

He didn't control the Cartel's affairs in the US this is why he's at war with them for not working with them.

 

[StealthShot]

Pretty soild ep. The flashback was awesome.

Gus is gay?

Maybe he was screaming my partner my partner so maybe this is the case we will prob find out soon though.

 

[padman59]

He didn't control the Cartel's affairs in the US this is why he's at war with them for not working with them.

He controlled their meth operations until he decided to cut ties (season 3 revealed as much in the flashback with Leonel & Marco fighting over the doll). He's at war with them because they tried to meddle with his operation which was supposed to have total autonomy. The recent episode gave us a look at some extra incentive for his actions due to his beef with Salamanca.

 

[StealthShot]

He controlled their meth operations until he decided to cut ties (season 3 revealed as much in the flashback with Leonel & Marco fighting over the doll). He's at war with them because they tried to meddle with his operation which was supposed to have total autonomy. The recent episode gave us a look at some extra incentive for his actions due to his beef with Salamanca.

Forgot he worked with Tuco, guess he was a bigger piece to the puzzle then I thought.

 

[DDRGuido]

come at me bro.

 

[DDRGuido]

holy shit.