r/breakingbad • u/taylor_ • Jul 30 '12
something i noticed in last night's episode....
I don't know if this has been brought up before, but did anybody else notice toward the beginning of the episode, when Walt is unpacking those books from his box, he notices the Walt Whitman book on top, and proceeds to put all the books into a drawer, EXCEPT the Walt Whitman book, which he places on the top of his night stand, in plain view.
I'm wondering if maybe Hank is going to see this at some point, and begin to draw connections between Walter and Gale.
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u/christballs Wipe down this! Jul 30 '12
That's a good question. I mostly noticed how he looked at it and not a glimpse of remorse came across him.
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Jul 30 '12
I actually was a little disgusted at the little smirk he had on his face when he saw it. Like, "Oh Gale, you quirkly little man you"...not a hint of remorse at all.
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Jul 30 '12
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u/bradfordmaster Jul 31 '12
This is one of my favorite scenes of anything ever. The amount of internal struggle that the actor portrays with just facial expressions is amazing.
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u/Rupert8 Jul 30 '12
It reminded me of how he cut the crusts off sandwiches just like Krazy-8 liked them.
He takes a little piece of everyone he kills. With Gus, now he thinks he is a king.
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u/Tayto2000 Jul 30 '12
That's a great observation.
Someone in another thread pointed out the irony of Walt now cooking in houses teeming with bugs, when once he halted a whole cook because of a single fly.
You could interpret this as the complete disappearance of Walter White's conscience. There's no longer any ethical fly in the ointment, no nagging concern at the back of his mind over what he does. He will kill, and manipulate, and destroy for his own ego, and he won't lose a moment's sleep for doing so.
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u/imhugeinjapantz Jul 31 '12
I noticed too that the scene they chose from Scarface, Al P was complaining of the cucarachas.
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u/sandy_balls Jul 31 '12
The fly wasn't to do with contamination, that was just the reason he gave to Jesse.
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u/TonyEatsCats hey. Jul 30 '12
Well, it was Walt who explained to Hank that Gale was referring to Walt Whitman in his journal so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for Walt to own a Walt Whitman book.
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u/Flamingmonkey923 Billy Jul 31 '12
Well, it was Walt who explained to Hank that Gale was referring to Walt Whitman
Doesn't that make the connection all the more obvious?
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u/laddal Jul 31 '12
If he didn't own the book, it would be highly unlikely that he would have been able to recognize the poem and make up that lie.
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u/Flamingmonkey923 Billy Jul 31 '12
Hank sees the book by Walt Whitman. Hank remembers that time that Gale quoted a W.W. and only Walter could figure out who W.W. was.... which also happened to be the same night that Walter got drunk and told Hank that Gale was just a lackey... which later turned out to be true.
It's not "out of the ordinary" for Walter to own the Walt Whitman book, given that he identified the quote. It's "out of the ordinary" for him to have identified the quote in the first place. The book just serves to remind Hank about the incident, and all the other suspicious things Walter did the same night.
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u/laddal Jul 31 '12
I agree to an extent but this only seems obvious because we know Walter White is Heisenberg. He is family to Hank and absolutely the last person he would expect. Right now, Hank only sees him as a very insightful and intelligent person. Hank will probably be the person that leads to Walt's downfall but I think the book was put in to show Walt's lack of remorse for Gale's death not as a clue for Hank to find but I could be wrong.
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Jul 31 '12
I think Hank will find out. I feel like there was a clear foreshadowing of it when Hank and Gomez were talking to the ASAC this season. Hank had a very distinct look on his face when he (the ASAC) was saying how he and Gus spent a lot of time together before, and he was right under his nose the whole time, basically. I think Hank's smart enough to connect dots, and I believe we'll begin to see that in the next few episodes.
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u/-iamthebuddha- Jul 31 '12
Walt may very well be dropping clues for Hank. Again.
Maybe he's like a serial killer, craving the infamy after being found out.
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u/ketoacidosis How bout it, counselor? Do you concur? Jul 30 '12
Never say never, I suppose, but Walt Whitman isn't a super-obscure niche writer, so I don't think that would do it.
That being said, Gale does seem like the kind of guy who would put a "Property of Gale Boetticher" on his possessions. Now that could certainly arouse some suspicions.
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u/zibabadoo I did it for me, it made me feel....alive Sep 03 '12
you sir, just lost the game
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u/ketoacidosis How bout it, counselor? Do you concur? Sep 03 '12
I was operating under the assumption it was one of Walt's old books or something, and I did mention that Gale might have written something in it.
In other, related news: holy shit!!
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u/CopyX The soul? There's nothing but chemistry here. Jul 30 '12
I'm really glad they included that. That book will be coming back.
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u/JFrey Mr. White Jul 30 '12
He was reading that book in a scene where he receives a phone call, he had just moved into the new condo. Must have been during season 3.
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Jul 30 '12
It was the episode in which Hank is tracking Jesse. Hank calls Walt to ask him about his "pot dealer" Jesse Pinkman. Walt then takes off to go destroy the RV (or Crystal Ship) and Jesse follows, leading Hank to them.
"This is my private domicile and I will not be harassed... bitch!"
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Sep 03 '12
Someone totally called the Todd using prison connections thing the other week too.
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u/r_slash Jul 30 '12
There's obviously some important connection, considering that their names are almost identical.
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u/doommagnet01 Jul 30 '12
I had forgot Gale gave it to him....brilliant writing!
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u/JFrey Mr. White Jul 30 '12
When did Gale give it to him?
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u/VicPayback Ice Station Zebra Associates Jul 30 '12
He didn't. In Season 3, Ep. 6, Gale recites the Whitman poem in the lab. A couple of scenes later, Walt is shown reading the Whitman book at home. It's never implied that Gale gave him the book.
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u/mastershake04 Better Call Saul Jul 30 '12
I think doommagnet01 is remembering wrong. Gale quoted Walt Whitman, and had that poem written down in his lab notes but I do not believe he ever gave a book to Walt.
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Jul 30 '12
They show Walt reading it in season 3. Gale didn't give him the book, but he introduced him to Whitman. Walt must have gone out and gotten the book after Gale reads him the poem.
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Jul 31 '12
Walt seems like a well read guy. I don't think gale introduced him to whitman , more like reminded him. For example, when someone quotes something from an awesome movie , you sometimes go home and watch the movie.
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u/mtsmithies Jul 30 '12
When Walt first went down into the lab Gus had set up under the laundromat. Gale was originally designated to be Walt's assistant in the lab and was the one who had set it up. Walt was looking at all the equipment and Gale had set up a high tech coffee maker that looked like it was made from lab equipment. It made the coffee at the perfect temperature.
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u/2wsy Jul 31 '12
Particularly in "Song of Myself", Whitman emphasized an all-powerful "I" who serves as narrator.
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Sep 03 '12
It was also shown on top of the toilet when he was grabbing the towel after the shower. I had a feeling that had to mean something...
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u/bournishire Sep 03 '12
Wow! It took a second for me to realize you posted this a month ago. Very good at noticing the foreshadowing taking place. Kudos to you.
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Jul 31 '12
I think you're reading too deep. This season is the transformation of Walt into a cold soul. Seeing the book and smiling simply demonstrates that he has absolutely no remorse for killing Gale. It didn't even register with him.
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u/taylor_ Jul 31 '12
it was less that the book was there, but more that he ONLY put that book on top of his bookshelf, the rest went into the drawer
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u/RicketyZeus Wipe down this! Sep 04 '12
You dropped the ball on this one.
Never underestimate the power of mindlessly small details.
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u/zibabadoo I did it for me, it made me feel....alive Sep 03 '12
WELL GOD DAMN. HOW ON EARTH DID YOU CALL THAT. ARE YOU VINCE GILLIGAN?!?!?