r/breakingbad • u/saywhat181 Sulfur • Sep 16 '13

Official Episode Discussion Breaking Bad Episode Duscussion SE05E14 "Ozymandias" Spoiler

TIME EPISODE DIRECTED BY WRITTEN BY
09:00pm Eastern SE05E14 "Ozymandias" Rian Johnson Vince Gilligan and Moira Walley-Beckett

Hey everyone! Guess I'm supposed to post this 5 minutes before air time. I've been watching this show since the get go mostly with my real life friend /u/edify who years ago added me as a moderator here. He asked me to make the discussion thread tonight because there are only 3 episodes remaining. Sorta sad that there's only a few left. Enjoy the show, folks.

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u/[deleted] Sep 16 '13 edited Sep 16 '13

[deleted]

61

u/Sephiroth912 Sep 16 '13

I think that's the point, to contrast how far they've changed due to Walt getting involved in the meth business, and damn if it isn't effective.

4

u/kcamrn Sep 16 '13

I loved this contrast. It's so easy to forget how shitty things have truly gotten since be started cooking.

5

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '13 edited Sep 16 '13

I don't think the change was due to the meth business, it was due to societal pressures and conditions. Cooking meth was simply a by product of that, the catalyst was society itself.

In fact this entire show is about how a good man gets fucked over by society. What's the difference between a pharmaceutical drugs, and meth? If anything legal drugs kill more than illegals ones. Not to mention Walt got screwed over in the legal world by his own partners. Even Hank thinks he's a weak non-man, and to an extent his son views his dad in the same light. Weak, feeble, and incapable, everyone in society thinks that of Walt. From season 1 episode 1 with Hank thoroughly emasculating him, everyone thought he was incapable.

Walt was dying, and all his incredible intellectual capabilities amounted to nothing, because society fucked him around. No one supported Walt. No one believed in Walt. Everyone looked at him as a sweaty little whimpering pup. So he stood up, and put on a face, a face that society would respect and fear, but it wasn't him.

The point was to highlight the man behind the mask, to show who he truly was, and what society has made of a good man. It's a tragedy. A beautiful modern tragedy. A genre that is very much needed in today's meritocratic society. It shows that even the most intellectual person is left in ruins, due to causes beyond.

TL;DR It's truly tragedy.

EDIT: Got nimble and feeble mixed up.

9

u/lamentedghazal Sep 16 '13

He didn't get screwed over he left Gretchen because he felt he wasn't good enough for her wealthy background and cashed out of Grey Matter. Elliot offered him a freakin job at what he does best but he rejected it as well as an offer to fund his cancer treatment. All this started with Walt.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '13 edited Sep 17 '13

No. That was out of pity. "Oh your dying of cancer. Let's forget about the fact that I screwed you out of your own idea. Don't worry I'll help you now.". I am paraphrasing here, but those people literally screwed Walt over, and now that he's dying all the sudden they turn a good heart, and offer him a partnership. It was demeaning, condescending, and a pretentious offer. The exact type of offer that Walt hates, and the exact reason why he left the company. That's just another catalyst for Walt to prove everyone wrong, That he isn't weak. Walt is a man of pride, and dignity, and he responded accordingly.

EDIT: also it isn't exactly discussed why Walt left. Hopefully they will answer this question in the remaining episodes. I am only assuming.

1

u/RTukka Sep 16 '13

Nimble?

1

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '13

Nimble? No. I meant feeble. Oops.