Breaking Bad II - Always say "thank you" to Walt.

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Unbelievably, Walt is actually starting to earn my sympathy again. When he called off the neo-Nazi goons after seeing Hank, then allowed himself to be cuffed like a man utterly defeated...well, I felt sorry for the asshole. I think we'll see two ruptured relationships reforge (Marie and Skylar trying to figure out what happened to their husbands, and Jesse and Walt trying to escape Todd's wacko clan).
 
That was the cruelest fucking ending. Christ. THIS FUCKING SHOW.

God, I always end up rewatching the new episode at some point, but this is the first time I've wanted to start it again straight away. Wish I didn't have to sleep. I'll be surprised if Hank and Gomie aren't buried on the rez.
 
I really wonder now if Hank is indeed doomed. For the last 5 minutes, and especially during that phone call, I was literally saying to myself "Oh shit, Hank is gone". But to finish the episode at that point, in the middle of a stand-off - I will find it interesting if they do decide to do a send-off of such a huge character at the opening of the episode and not in the end. Vince Gilligan always keeps me guessing.



I went to bed miserable and woke up irritated because it seems that Hank and Gomie are, indeed, goners. But you're right, not seeing their death was curious, especially since we were being primed for it in a big way, especially with Hank's phone call to Marie, which felt very un-BB ... I kept thinking "bullet to the chest! Bullet to the chest!" when he was talking, yet it never came. So, maybe something happens? Like, BB loves to subvert our expectations so ... Maybe?

Probably not.
 
I thought hank was going to get shot while he was on the phone with Marie and they were going to fade out with Marie screaming and hearing the gunshots over the phone

So next week, do we actually see the end of this stand off, it is just assumed they are dead and we pick up with Walt cooking for the neo nazis?
 
My assumption is that Hank and Gomie are dead. I think they ended it that way to raise the question in the viewer's minds about Jessie's survival.

I can't think of any reasonable way for the Hank and Gomez to survive that doesn't depart significantly from BB's standards of writing excellence.

3 to go people. 3 to go.
 
I can't imagine the gunfight resolving itself plausibly/satisfyingly in any manner that wouldn't have been better contained in that episode.

Outside of that, it was another great episode.
 
I can't think of any reasonable way for the Hank and Gomez to survive that doesn't depart significantly from BB's standards of writing excellence.

JMO.

I think the only reason they left it as a cliffhanger was for the dramatic effect of just that. Leading the viewers to think they are toast. Sure, Gomie is likely done, but I doubt Hank is killed. Just like we were supposed to believe Jessie was toast after pouring that gas in Walt's house (because we knew - from the flashforward - that he didn't succeed).

In other words, I would bet Hank survives.

The way to end the episode, IMO, was to kill Hank. If you're going to do it, you do it right there where all the emotion resonates and punctuates. You don't cock-tease killing a main character like that. And then what happens in the first few scenes of the next episode? Hank is killed and they spend the rest of the episode deflating the momentum of that action? Nah.

They killed Gus and Mike and Gale and...probably anyone else (major characters) in the final frames of the episode. Hank lives.
 
I was wondering if Hank had managed to get a wiretap and record Walt's confessions to Jesse on his drive over. Probably not by the look of it, seems moot at this point.

Count me in for Hank surviving this situation though. Surely they'll give him a better send off than that.

I'm going to be in Venice from Thursday to Tuesday, meaning I'll have to wait an extra TWO DAYS to see how this resolves. Argh, 1st world problems.
 
i keep going back and forth on Hank.

the phone call and it's too-muchness indicates to me that another card will be played, and he'll survive.

Marie looking in the trash and seeing brains seems like a visual indication that Hank is about to get one in the head Tony Soprano-style. (yes, that is what happened, Members Only guy went to the bathroom and got a gun).

speaking of The Sopranos, my hope for the final 3 episodes is that it doesn't get miserable. i felt like the end of The Sopranos, particularly after the death of Adriana, was too dark, too miserable, too much about suffering. it was unpleasant. i don't need to be told how awful life can be or to meditate on the darkness in men's souls. what i do need is an immensely entertaining resolution to this crackerjack story. i'm fine with punishments meted out, with just deserts, with karmic justice, and with fire and destruction as we move towards the apocalypse. just make it thrilling, and keep it contained to these characters. no ponderousness, no pretentiousness. keep it scalpel sharp.
 
That was perhaps that most insane ending to an episode of television I've ever seen. When it went to black, I was like, 'oh come ON!'.

I can't see them offing Hank just yet.

Also, when Walt was driving out to the money site? I've seen car chases in tv shows and movies before, but I'm not sure I've ever FELT a car going so fast in a tv show or movie before. That was amazing.

P.S. Nothing to do with this episode, but I'm starting to get worried that Jessie is never going to find out the truth about Jane. And I really, really want him to, so bad.
 
The truth about Jane??

Jesse is responsible for her death, and as a result of that her father's death, and the mid-air collision with all those deaths.
 
The truth about Jane??

Jesse is the most responsible for her death, and as a result of that her father's death, and the mid-air collision with all those deaths.

None of which changes the fact that Walt could have saved her life but chose not to.
 
For what? to O D the next day or get Jesse killed?

Jesse took her off the straight and narrow, sober life she was on and they were out of control.
The way they were going they would have got everybody put in jail or killed. That is where Jesse did end up taking this whole thing. Most of the deaths lead back to Jesse's selfish, reckless behavior. And Walt's poor choice of protecting him.
 
None of which changes the fact that Walt could have saved her life but chose not to.

Seriously, play this one out in your mind. He helps her and in their drug-addled states of mind they would both believe he was trying to suffocate her and kill her. What other reason would he be there for?
 
The way to end the episode, IMO, was to kill Hank. If you're going to do it, you do it right there where all the emotion resonates and punctuates. You don't cock-tease killing a main character like that. And then what happens in the first few scenes of the next episode? Hank is killed and they spend the rest of the episode deflating the momentum of that action? Nah.

I've seen some suggestions online that they might not go back to the gunfight right away at the start of the next episode. It'd be interesting to see how they'd resolve it later on if that were indeed the case.
 
They killed Gus and Mike and Gale and...probably anyone else (major characters) in the final frames of the episode. Hank lives.
Gus was killed in the middle third of the season four finale.
I was wondering if Hank had managed to get a wiretap and record Walt's confessions to Jesse on his drive over. Probably not by the look of it, seems moot at this point.
He had to have, otherwise he has no basis for arresting him.
For what? to O D the next day or get Jesse killed?

Jesse took her off the straight and narrow, sober life she was on and they were out of control.
The way they were going they would have got everybody put in jail or killed. That is where Jesse did end up taking this whole thing. Most of the deaths lead back to Jesse's selfish, reckless behavior. And Walt's poor choice of protecting him.
HEY GUYS DEEP REALLY WANTS YOU TO KNOW HE HATES JESSE
 
Stunning ending. I do hope that Hank makes it out of this showdown, but that seems a bit unlikely at this point. Nazis. I hate these guys.

The shot of Jesse cracking the car door open seems to point to him making an escape from the firefight. I personally would love to see Walt and Jesse forced to join up out on the run together, somehow. But that's just my sentimental side. One final Walt + Jesse as a team episode would do me so good.

Walt Jr. starstruck meeting Saul was perfect.

"Don't drink and drive. But if you do, call me."
 
I've given up predicting what'll happen to any character on this show. Watch a bullet in the desert ricochet and nail Walter Jr. in the head. Who knows what'll happen at this point?
 
The last 10 minutes of this week's episode were the most tense of any show/film/whatever that's been produced in years. All other genre filmmaking kneels before B.B. Complaints of transparent plotiness BE DAMNED.
 
I think this episode joins "one minute" "half measures" "crawl space" and "face/off" as Top Tier BB episodes.

Rian Johnson directs next week!
 
A shame everyone is so amped up by cliche Hollywood action that they overlook supposed genius Walter White falling hook, line, and sinker for a plan hatched by the usual two-steps-behind Hank.

Whatever. I'll be watching the last three episodes robotically, because it's hard for me to give a shit about these cartoon puppets anymore.
 
A shame everyone is so amped up by cliche Hollywood action that they overlook supposed genius Walter White falling hook, line, and sinker for a plan hatched by the usual two-steps-behind Hank.

Whatever. I'll be watching the last three episodes robotically, because it's hard for me to give a shit about these cartoon puppets anymore.

Or maybe Walt's hubris is coming out more frequently since he's abandoned his Heisenberg personality? It was Jesse's plan to shake out Walt with the barrel trick. Hank's a blustery tool, but a ruthless detective.

Matt Seitz' reading of the series operating within a comic book realism, rooted in pulp/noir/outlaw archetypes, to me speaks toward the show's daring foundation.

I may be harping on this point, but the compression of time, coupled with Walt's personal disintegration, points toward a highly emotional and complex core that emerges from its narrative effiency.

Also, Marie's gone from a harpy, klepto sister whose best moment was Skyler telling her to shit up psychopathically to borderline stoic, morally upright voice of reason. And it makes dramatic sense.
 
A shame everyone is so amped up by cliche Hollywood action that they overlook supposed genius Walter White falling hook, line, and sinker for a plan hatched by the usual two-steps-behind Hank.

One of the crucial aspects of the show is how very intelligent people act unreasonably, hatefully and stupidly (Gus in season 4 finale also comes to mind) despite their common senses. A genius can make horrid mistakes in moments of panic and stress, especially if one thinks he has the high ground over his foes, as Gus did in season 4 and as Walt has now. It is very naive to consider the main character to be a constant source of flawless genius who will be two steps in front of the less intelligent adversary.

We can talk about convenient plotting - I have chosen to ignore that certain aspect, but if there is something these writers do well, it is to make brilliant men flawed and prone to mistakes that are very believable in the context of the situation. What happened in this episode was no exception.
 
Walt is a greedy son of a bitch and Hank hit him where it hurts. Walt lost his head and the rest is history.

If Hank had pretended to kidnap Saul and Walt had gone ballistic like that, it wouldn't have been in character. But this season has shown us what Walt truly loves and cares about.
 
Falling for the setup is one thing. Blathering on and on and listing all his worst crimes over the phone in blunt, clear language with names ("...when I killed Gus...", "when I poisoned Brock...", "when I ran over those gangbangers") is beyond believability for me. It rang totally false.
 
What he says in the context of the plot is irrelevant. They wouldn't be able to use any of it, plus there's a very slim chance Hank will even have the Hello Kitty phone in the next episode. It's all about the character and his sudden explosion of anger, fear and his superiority complex symptoms (he calls Jesse stupid again, which is very ironic this time around) coming to the surface, all in an act of desperation since they have managed to find his ultimate Achilles heel - greed. And pride.

Basically, once you dig the asshole out, there is no end to him digging himself an even bigger hole afterwards.
 
A shame everyone is so amped up by cliche Hollywood action that they overlook supposed genius Walter White falling hook, line, and sinker for a plan hatched by the usual two-steps-behind Hank.

Whatever. I'll be watching the last three episodes robotically, because it's hard for me to give a shit about these cartoon puppets anymore.

Dear Lord.
 
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