Good lord. It's the LAST SEASON and yet these may have been the best, most devastating back-to-back episodes in the series' history.
I can't say enough about Walt's "performance" on the phone to Skyler and the eavesdropping cops. What a scene. Cranston deserves every Emmy he's ever gotten and then some for this role.
Watching this ep with a group, there was a collective HOLY SHIT to Walt dropping the bomb on Jesse about Jane.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
Only two more episode left. I can't believe they sent Hank to Belize but this is more realistic. I figured Gomez was a goner for sure. And for the first time someone actually goes through with the identity change. Tow the line, Skylar!
Kinda glad, we are doing the podcast later in the week, I am just gutted right now. And no, I don't believe Walt is going back for Jesse and it won't shock me to see him not make it to the finale.
The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
As I said to my wife after watching this episode, "We're supposed to go to sleep after this?"
Originally posted by The Guinness.That scene where Walt talks about Jane, jaw dropping.
I think that was the coldest move Walt has made in the entire series - more or less telling Jesse, as he's about to be carted off and tortured before being killed (or so they think), "Hey, you know all the crap you for which you thought you were seeking vengeance? Yeah - I've done WAY worse to you."
And Jesse referred to Mr. White as the Devil. Where's Jesse now? His own private Hell.
Boy, Marie had a rough day.
I really liked the juxtaposition of the cold opening, Walt struggling to lie to his wife (and doing a pretty crappy job) to the Academy Award (or Emmy) winning performance he gives lying to her at the end.
Jesse has to make it to the end. Without Jesse, there's nobody left to root for. He's the only one with identifiable morale compass - which is part of the reason his current predicament is so tragic. I don't know if he (or anyone else) will survive the series, but he needs to be in the finale.
Originally posted by LeroyI think that was the coldest move Walt has made in the entire series - more or less telling Jesse, as he's about to be carted off and tortured before being killed (or so they think), "Hey, you know all the crap you for which you thought you were seeking vengeance? Yeah - I've done WAY worse to you."
I would respectfully disagree, and would say that Walt's coldest move ever was grabbing Holly and driving away from a screaming, pleading Skyler. Just when I thought Walt was having an "I-can't-go-on-with-this moment", looking down to see Junior shielding Skyler, he's really just coldly calculating his next move. Jaw-dropping and freezing cold. Walt throwing that out there to Jesse about Jane was like Todd having the picture of Andrea and Brock posted for Jesse to see - one would almost expect those things out of them. Hell, I thought that Marie forcing Skyler to tell Junior about Walt RIGHT THERE AT THE CAR WASH was stone cold!
Nah, the Jane thing is way colder than all of that. He just gutted Jesse's soul with that, for no reason other than to torture him. Snatching Holly is desperate self-preservation, Walt's forté.
Yeah, I pretty much agree with Amos. The Holly-grab was more out of desperation, while the Jane 'confession' was done solely to twist the knife.
Originally posted by jfkfcHell, I thought that Marie forcing Skyler to tell Junior about Walt RIGHT THERE AT THE CAR WASH was stone cold!
A lot of hate gets thrown at Skylar, but I think Marie is far more insufferable. She basically showed up to gloat and to crush her sister in to submission. Again, like Hank, I think that she was far angrier that she was outsmarted than at the actual crimes that were committed.
Perfect title for the episode, as the inevitable crumbling of the empire finally happened, and when the wheels came off, they really came off.
I was incredibly sad to see Hank die, but I knew it had to happen, and he went out like such a badass with his dignity intact - refusing to beg, and calmly telling Walt that Jack had long ago made up his mind and then looking Jack square in the eye and telling him to just do it.
It's a testament to the acting of Bryan Cranston that there were a few times in this episode that I felt incredibly sorry for him (him crumbling to the desert when Hank gets killed, him struggling to keep his composure during the phone call to Skyler) and also a couple of times I completely despised him (Jane). Hell, everyone's acting in this episode was off the charts. Walt, Jesse, Skyler, Marie, and Walt Jr all turned in incredible performances.
So there is absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, no happy ending, but I can't wait to see what happens in these last two hours.
Originally posted by jfkfcHell, I thought that Marie forcing Skyler to tell Junior about Walt RIGHT THERE AT THE CAR WASH was stone cold!
A lot of hate gets thrown at Skylar, but I think Marie is far more insufferable. She basically showed up to gloat and to crush her sister in to submission. Again, like Hank, I think that she was far angrier that she was outsmarted than at the actual crimes that were committed.
I don't think Marie was gloating at all. She was genuinely concerned about Flynn and Holly's futures and, like she said, Sky had shown enough worry about Walt in the past that Marie believed she really wasn't on board with the Heisenberg actions. Marie just couldn't throw her sister away and turn on her entirely, just like she didn't want her nephew to learn about Walt solely via a TV report or a cop showing up at the door. For all Marie knew, Walt was already arrested and the news could've broken at any moment.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
Originally posted by Big BadMarie just couldn't throw her sister away and turn on her entirely, just like she didn't want her nephew to learn about Walt solely via a TV report or a cop showing up at the door. For all Marie knew, Walt was already arrested and the news could've broken at any moment.
Maybe. I definitely see your point. And I do think there was some concern for her sister.
Hank had told Marie that his career was likely over the moment he brought in Walt, so, if nothing else, I do think Marie was attempting to 'control the narrative'. And while not on the level of Walt's transgressions, Marie also had a few run-ins with the law herself, so she really shouldn't be riding such a high horse.
Basically, I do think there was an element of 'my husband beat your husband so now you'll do as I say' in Marie rushing over and making demands before the ink had dried on Walt's (presumed) booking sheet.
Originally posted by ZeruelI am now 100% sure the gun is for Jack, and his crew, to get revenge for Hank.
Todd's Nazis still need to get Jesse's confession tape from Hank's, right? I was thinking either Marie or Skyler might not survive the retrieval and that's what Walt would seek revenge for. I think he's genuinely willing to let Jack off with the Hank thing because in Walt's mind, that was totally Jesse's fault.
Originally posted by LeroyA lot of hate gets thrown at Skylar, but I think Marie is far more insufferable.
The fact Skyler still gets hate gets is pretty absurd at this stage. They did a nice job toying with it in Walt's phone call to her at the end. Everything he said about her whining and lack of gratitude was demonstrably ridiculous, but it's also what a lot of us spent the better part of four seasons saying.
Marie annoys me purely in a "I wouldn't enjoy spending time in her company" sort of a way. She's clearly not a bad person and even if there was a touch of triumphalism in her visit to the car wash I think that's justified given the 'confession' tape Walt and Skyler filmed.
Skylar gets a lot of hate, especially on our podcast, but I am trying to reign that in, because everything is her fault. Intentionally or not. She is the one who was sleeping around with Ted while Walt was doing everything in his power to save his family. She was the one who gave away the money to Ted when Walt was going to do the out for the entire family. She was the one on numerous occasions told Walt to die when it was fairly clearly Mike's plan after Gus died was a fucking naive disaster. Skylar is the one who backed Walt's play when Hank could have just put him in jail. It was Skylar pushing for Walt to kill Jesse. Skylar is the one who knocks.
The Breaking Bad creators have said she is the moral compass. If that is true, its the one thing they failed on. Hank is the moral compass and he showed it last night. Marie had every right to push Skylar into that corner and force her to tell Walt Jr, the truth. I have been on Team Hank since the start of this new season and since she is the last surviving member, I am all for any hint of victory she gets.
Its going to be six months or less between the finale and probably the next episode. I don't see how Jesse can last that long. I have theories, but honestly, I don't see how its possible. To me, he is a broken man and I don't see any chance this show is going to go out on some weird happy ending with Walt rescuing Jesse or even Jesse surviving to be a normal person after this is all said and done.
(edited by lotjx on 16.9.13 1435) The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
Originally posted by lotjxSkylar gets a lot of hate, especially on our podcast, but I am trying to reign that in, because everything is her fault.
I won't bother to go through your points individually because they're hilariously and obviously misguided to, pretty much anyone, and attempting to reason with you via logic and common sense is a fool's errand.
Originally posted by lotjxSkylar gets a lot of hate, especially on our podcast, but I am trying to reign that in, because everything is her fault.
I won't bother to go through your points individually because they're hilariously and obviously misguided to, pretty much anyone, and attempting to reason with you via logic and common sense is a fool's errand.
Seriously though, Skyler.
Again most of the time, it is not her fault. She did not know about 85% of what was going on, but her actions led to a lot of problems. I also think the parallel of seeing Walt working hard to provide for his family while she sleeps with Ted and contant nagging is tough for male fans. Also, she is part of this empire Walt created. She is the one laundrying money and saying Jesse should die. So, its not like she is an innocent bystander starting season 4. Walt's speech at the end of this episode is designed to save her even after she shanked him.
(edited by lotjx on 16.9.13 1802) The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
I thought the show was okay. My favorite part was seeing Cathy try to get at Jim, since they've never really explored another woman hitting on Jim as in-depth as this. And now having to bring it back to the office setting...it should be interesting.