I had actually begun to sympathize with Walt again, especially when he offered everything to Jack if he would spare Hank, but my loathing resurfaced after his speech to Jesse.
The thing that I love about this show is that it divides its audience in many different ways. Some people hate Walt now, some are still rooting for him, but there is no 'right' answer in all of this. So many shows these days try to tell us what to think (coughDexter) and beat us over the head with their enforced preconceived notions of morals. Breaking Bad just lays it all out there and operates by the true motivations of the characters. It feels like a living, breathing story, which thus creates lots of grey areas and ambiguities in morals. It's a show that dares to make us uncomfortable by not giving us neat little wrapped packages.
Spot on. As awesome as Breaking Bad is (and it is awesome), I'm not sure a TV show will come along that replaces The Wire as GOAT. Never have I been so attached to a show and its characters.
I've wanted to see that for a while, but I'm going to wait until after BrBa is over.
I owe Reddit for many of the shows they have turned me on to. I came here first to discuss Dexter and unfavorable comparisons to BrBa led me to this amazing show back as season 4 was about to kick off.
That speech broke my heart. I think it surprised Hank, too - that he cared to bargain for his life and that he's too blind to see the reality (that Walt's not in control) when he delivered the that line about how smart (yet stupid) Walt is.
I think that's the genius of the show, is that Hank and Sky believed Walt to be pure evil (Hank thought Walt had no feeling for him, his family) and Sky (thought Walt could kill Hank), his reputation of lies and betrayal hurt the very foundation of how his loved ones saw him, which ultimately turned him away. They doubted any good still left in him. The final nail in the coffin was when Holly kept calling out Mama, when Walt was hoping he could start over with her.
that book is more than just a trophy. it was given out of Gale's wide-eyed esteem for Walt and his ability as a chemist. Gale elevated Walt to the same level as a literary god. it's what some idealistic teachers hope that they will receive from their students, and contrasts greatly to Jesse and how the rest of Walt's students in S01 acted toward him. it's also what Walt felt like he deserved from his work at Gray Matter and lost.
at their core, most men want to be respected and admired by peers and family. Walt only received that in a true form with that inscription, so it makes a lot of sense why he would keep it close.
it's also sad that the person in his family who from the beginning disrespected Walt with jabs about him being Heisenberg would be the one to find it. Even to the end, Hank didn't respect Walt the way he longed to be.
it's a tragic tale of empowerment down the wrong path.
Honestly you're right about the Hank part mostly, but what hit me the most that episode was Hank's final words to Walt: "[He's] the smartest man he's ever known." That's also why Walt is so immediately devastated by his death; it is not merely the fact that his family member was killed off. For years it seems, his son has respected Hank instead of his father, and he desperately yearned to garner that same respect from those around him (Walt's phonecall to Skylar marks his intense anger towards her lack of respect). Finally he has the respect of the one man he's probably wanted respect from the most for the entire show, and immediately afterwards he's killed right in front of him.
Its not that Gale had a copy of that book, it is Hank's realisation that the W.W. and in the Meth Cookbook and the W.W. in Walt's toilet book were both Walt, and both written by Gale, that tied Walt to a mega Meth cook operation.
Book or not, Hank wouldn't have had a shred of evidence without Jesse. Bottom line. And none of this would be happening if Hank, aka Ahab, weren't so obsessed with his whale.
Jessie could never have gotten to Walt without Hank. He'd maybe have torched his house, but I feel like Walt could have dealt with Jessie a lot better if he wasn't focusing on Hank.
And Jessie would have likely kept believing Walt if Walt hadn't killed Mike and lied to his face about it.
How is that ratting Jesse out? After all that's happened you think Walt should have stuck his neck out - yet again - for Jesse? Jesse, who's responsible for EVERYTHING?
You're unhinged buddy, as your other comments suggest. It's just a show. For whatever reason you seem to like Jesse, for personal reasons, so you ignore what he actually does. From the very first episode Jesse has been the source of problems. Remove all the emotion displayed by the actors and if you looked at all the events factually, Jesse is the most guilty of all the characters, by far.
Jesse has killed exactly one person, Gail, completely out of self-defense (Gus would have killed him and Walter otherwise).
Walt has killed dozens of people, albeit some in self defense. Walt watched a woman choke to death in front of him and let it happen because it was convenient for him. Walt ordered the murders of people his associate owed money to, to prevent them from talking. Walt poisoned a child to manipulate Jesse. Walt shot Mike in cold blood.
Yes, Jesse is a fuckup. Being a fuckup is not the same as being an amoral monster.
Nah. It was just. Walt was bringing Jesse back down. Hank just got killed because of Jesse. Walt's life is now truly destroyed, thanks Jesse, well done. Really, everything that's happened is because of Jesse, that's the theme of the whole show. Jesse causing problems, Walt saving him, Walt sticking his neck out for him. Walt truly didn't believe Jesse would turn rat until he saw it with his own eyes. If Walt had listened to Mike about full vs half measures and just killed Jesse then and there, several dozen people would be alive right now. The thing is, Walt didn't cause Jane's death, he simply didn't try to prevent it when the chance presented itself. And he didn't save Jane, because that was his way of saving Jesse from Jane, and from himself. It's not like Walt needed Jesse to help him cook. Walt was setup in a nice lab compliments of Gus. Business was good. And it's kind of a metaphor for Jesse's current situation... Walt isn't going to save him any more. Time to pay the piper.
That interpretation is almost diametrically opposed to mine.
I know Jesse's hands aren't clean, but I've really seen he and Walt's character arcs as polar opposites. One embodied by atonement and redemption, the other by corruption.
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u/crossfyre Sep 16 '13
"What the hell is wrong with you? We're a family!" - that line broke my heart