Breaking Bad Season 4

[Ark2]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

Your second point is why I went off this show a while back, the origanal idea, of a normal bloke finding himself doing illeagal activities in a crisis was interesting, from Tuco onwards it has devolved into little more than a Meth based MacGyver.

Honest question: were you on meth when you were watching this show? Because that's the only way that I could see you reaching that conclusion.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Ark2

Honest question: were you on meth when you were watching this show? Because that's the only way that I could see you reaching that conclusion.

The show has repeatedly used Walts expertise to cook up thermite, explosives, ricin etc as a plot driver. It isn't really credible after a while, not to mention throughout most of this series now that the wife knows I have wondered why the hell they don't just move away.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

. . . . not to mention throughout most of this series now that the wife knows I have wondered why the hell they don't just move away.

Because:

(a) When you work for a drug kingpin, it's much more complicated to extract yourself from the situation than "just moving away"; and

(b) Walt wants to make as much money he can in the little time he may have left to provide for his family (the whole premise), and that won't happen if he tries to actually work at a car wash.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

The show has repeatedly used Walts expertise to cook up thermite, explosives, ricin etc as a plot driver. It isn't really credible after a while, not to mention throughout most of this series now that the wife knows I have wondered why the hell they don't just move away.

Bashing Breaking Bad in a Breaking Bad thread full of Breaking Bad fans. You sir, have balls.

[Wormius]

Also with no competition, Gus doesn't need to produce 96% pure meth anymore. All the more reason to dispatch both of them. Although, that is obviously not a satisfying outcome I still think the White family is expendable and will probably get killed off, turning Walt more into the Heisenberg persona, and yet if the family is gone, Gus has no leverage.

Next Sunday will be interesting, and then months of agony waiting for the next season. At least Walking Dead will be back soon.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

The show has repeatedly used Walts expertise to cook up thermite, explosives, ricin etc as a plot driver. It isn't really credible after a while, not to mention throughout most of this series now that the wife knows I have wondered why the hell they don't just move away.

These are reasonable things a chemist / student of the anarchists cookbook would know how to do.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Mike F

Because:

(a) When you work for a drug kingpin, it's much more complicated to extract yourself from the situation than "just moving away"; and

(b) Walt wants to make as much money he can in the little time he may have left to provide for his family (the whole premise), and that won't happen if he tries to actually work at a car wash.

(a) no it isn't really, Gus's criminal network is very local to the south west.

(b) Walt has been essentially set financially for a while, which is why I think they came up with the car wash and the boss/IRS plot lines really, to use up his money and so leave him stuck there and credibly explain why walt didn't just up sticks and move once the wife knew what he had been up to.

Even if you take away his money he could just as easily cook meth in another city away from Gus with Jesse.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Wormius

These are reasonable things a chemist / student of the anarchists cookbook would know how to do.

I agree, I just think as a dramatic plot device it takes the show away from a credible drama about a dying mans moral dilema and moves it into the realm of an action show that revolves around who will get blown up or shot next week.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

(a) no it isn't really, Gus's criminal network is very local to the south west.

(b) Walt has been essentially set financially for a while, which is why I think they came up with the car wash and the boss/IRS plot lines really, to use up his money and so leave him stuck there and credibly explain why walt didn't just up sticks and move once the wife knew what he had been up to.

Even if you take away his money he could just as easily cook meth in another city away from Gus with Jesse.

(a) How do you know that? And do you really think Gus doesn't have the resources to track someone down if he sets his mind to it?

(b) The purpose of the carwash was to launder his money so that it could be accounted for legally. Otherwise you're relying on a flimsy story of him having huge gambling wins repeatedly. And the IRS story was all about leaving him without an out when he decided to turn on Gus, not to keep him cooking.

(c) The reason he hooked up with Gus was so he could produce on an industrial scale and be paid accordingly - a small scale operation only had the money trickling in. Now you're suggesting he move to get away then decide to, and actually find a way to hook up with another kingpin. Way illogical and far fetched/

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

(a) no it isn't really, Gus's criminal network is very local to the south west.

(b) Walt has been essentially set financially for a while, which is why I think they came up with the car wash and the boss/IRS plot lines really, to use up his money and so leave him stuck there and credibly explain why walt didn't just up sticks and move once the wife knew what he had been up to.

Even if you take away his money he could just as easily cook meth in another city away from Gus with Jesse.

I don't think that the meth drug trade ends at Gus. He is part of a multinational conglomeration of illegal activity. Wasn't it mentioned before that the parent company was actually in Germany. If Walt fled, he would probably just run into another Gus somewhere else.

I do agree that the show has jumped the shark a little. I preferred it when it had the Jesse-Walt odd couple thing going. I didn't like the direction of the plot this season, but I still really enjoy the show in general. I find that the first couple of seasons of a series are usually the best most of the time.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I agree, I just think as a dramatic plot device it takes the show away from a credible drama about a dying mans moral dilema and moves it into the realm of an action show that revolves around who will get blown up or shot next week.

How many times has Walt successfully come up with some chemical bomb and blown someone up? Even this season I wouldn't say the series has become full of "action". It revolves more around the suspense of who'se going to make the next move and what choices the characters are forced to make. I think the last episode had its issues, but as a whole the pacing of the show is terrific and certainly intriguing enough to keep you coming back for more. That's all I can really ask of a show.

[J Diddy]

I watch way too much TV so my mind is mush. I can't remember, nor find, the reason why Gus wants Walt dead in the first place. What was the initial reason that Gus wanted Walt dead and for wanting to replace him with Gale? The Mexican cartel wanted him dead but Gus gave them Hank instead. Now that the cartel are wiped out why does Walt need to die?

[FlamesAddiction]

The episode description for the finale is vaguely interesting.

"Jesse and Walt team up to take on Gus. With Saul's help, Walt finds an unexpected ally."

I'm guessing Mike helps them as he is connected to Saul. The actor that plays Mike is also listed in the credits for the episode, so I think he will make an appearance.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Mike F

(a) How do you know that? And do you really think Gus doesn't have the resources to track someone down if he sets his mind to it?

(b) The purpose of the carwash was to launder his money so that it could be accounted for legally. Otherwise you're relying on a flimsy story of him having huge gambling wins repeatedly. And the IRS story was all about leaving him without an out when he decided to turn on Gus, not to keep him cooking.

(c) The reason he hooked up with Gus was so he could produce on an industrial scale and be paid accordingly - a small scale operation only had the money trickling in. Now you're suggesting he move to get away then decide to, and actually find a way to hook up with another kingpin. Way illogical and far fetched/

There is no real suggestion that Gus is hooked into anything outside of Mexico and the South West, in fact if you apply logic to the story (never a good idea in a TV show granted) the fact that Gus owns and manages a local chicken shack, drives a Volvo and is basically in direct contact with his men would be an indication that he is a relativly local figure supplying other criminals in the South West, there is no reason within the show (or in reality) to think that Walt and family couldn't move to Fargo and never see a mexican again.

You only have to launder money if you need to keep on earning it, this is similer to the arguement about the purity of the product idea, it is taken from real crime but really doesn't apply to Walt, he could spend the rest of his life quietly living on the proceeds of his cooking just taking a few thousand a month out of a bag in his basement and never attract any official attention.

I'm not trying to rag on the show I just think it has become an action adventure show and now the writer is struggling to resolve things

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

I watch way too much TV so my mind is mush. I can't remember, nor find, the reason why Gus wants Walt dead in the first place. What was the initial reason that Gus wanted Walt dead and for wanting to replace him with Gale? The Mexican cartel wanted him dead but Gus gave them Hank instead. Now that the cartel are wiped out why does Walt need to die?

Dramatic tension.

[d_phaneuf]

4 hours away

[FlamesAddiction]

Here is Bryan Cranston's teaser for the season finale:

"There is an oh... my... GOD moment -- almost near the end. It's, like, hold your head, you can't believe what you just saw. ... Then, there's a scene with two characters that tie up some loose ends, answer a couple of the questions that were lingering, and that's resolved.

"And then almost insignificantly, almost forgettable, the last scene, there is no dialogue. There are no actors. It's a familiar exterior scene if you've watched the show. You'll recognize the place, exterior shot, and you don't even know really what you're looking at. You're looking at something that's like, yeah, so? And the camera slowly pushes in, pushes in, pushes in, and you don't even know where it's going, it's innocous. And then all of the sudden it rests on an object. And once you recognize, and understand the meaning of that object, you hold your head, once more, and go:

"NO! HOLY SH-T! NO!

"Blackout. End of the season."

[Machiavelli]

^ Oh my God..... wish I hadn't read that. Man, this finale is going to be insane!

[jhunt223]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Here is Bryan Cranston's teaser for the season finale:

...... And then all of the sudden it rests on an object. And once you recognize, and understand the meaning of that object, you hold your head, once more, and go:

"NO! HOLY SH-T! NO!

"Blackout. End of the season."

I think we're going to find out that Walt poisoned the kid.

[Ark2]

All I ask is that they don't leave us hanging like they did at the end of last season. Give us a little bit of resolution.