I didn't realize we've gone through 6 weeks, and that there's only 4 episodes left this season. Maybe Mike's line about waiting was directed to us, but damn it's so slow. I sort of phase out during Skyler scenes, what was she doing at the four corners?
Their are actually 7 more episodes this season but it's still about halfway through the season and it doesn't seem much has happened. Some very pessimistic thoughts, don't take offense..I liked the dollar bill thing but the boss speech was painfully obtuse. The car wash better factor pretty damn large once the finale rolls around because a lot of attention has gone toward what could have been handled off camera with Saul and the salon or laser tag. Not every episode is gonna be "Half/Full Measures" but jesus, quit treading water already. No one watches this show for marital drama over a sports car. If the main reason the car wash is so central this season is to hammer home the point 'look, now Skyler is breaking bad too' and reintroduce spousal conflict, I'm gonna be real sad. So far this season is - Walt, Skyler and the car wash - Walt tries to find Gus - Jesse is moody - Hank is either on the case, he's off, nope..nah he's on again - Whites eat at hanks, does he know?? - Gus and cartel have a beef - Gus is a rollover, sees something in Jesse I think knowing ahead of time that their would be another season kind of did the show a disservice since Vince Gilligan stated several times throughout the years that 4 seasons was the plan from the onset. Hard to shake the feeling that they should be hitting end game right now but had to tack on another season to get there.
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/05/breaking_bad_vince_gilligan_se.html The 5th season became the plan after they negotiated that deal with AMC.
My bad. When I started watching it just a few months ago, I read that it was planned to go five seasons. I just assumed that was always the plan. It kind of makes sense that this is viewed as a filler season. I just hope they close this season out with some half\full measure quality episodes. In many ways I can see a parallel to Dexter season 4. IMO, it was the weakest season, but the finale was so shocking that it elevated the whole season for many people.
I'm still optimistic about the rest of the season though, I'll give Vince Gilligan the benefit of the doubt. I expect the shlt to hit the fan real soon when Hank's investigation picks up in the next episode.
Looks like the final season might get dragged out across two seasons, and that things are about to finally start going down this season. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44281299/ns/today-entertainment/#.TlcSUKhWzTo
"I am the one who knocks". That line was so many flavors of awesome. The writing, the slow buildup through 3+ seasons, the pitch perfect delivery from Bryan Cranston. I don't really mind the slow pacing of the season thus far; I see it almost as a way to really and truly nail home the point that Walter White is the one who is making his specific choices to feed his own massive ego. He's not being forced into this; he's actively breaking bad. Never has he seemed more "safe" than this season; there's no visible sword of Damocles hanging over the season, as Tuco, Hank & the DEA, the Cartel/the Brothers, and season 3 Gus were. Gilligan and co. have almost given Walt a "normal" life, and both the audience and Walt are completely dissatisfied and antsy. From an entertainment perspective, these episodes don't match up to the colorful and borderline cartoonish season 3. I have real confidence thought that this season is going to be much better with age, when we see the consequences of these actions down the line.
With each episode walt becomes more and more hesinburg, whilst the pace has been slower it's picked up over the last couple of eps, the cartel plot is interesting bit for me, as sepinwall mentioned in his recap someone is helping the cartel on the inside, is it mike or Tyson surely it can't walt, Jessie or Gus I love walt red wine outburst slamming karaoke singing gale, that's hesingburg as is the I am the one who knocks! Walt is smart but misses the big picture, like that Hank is back in it, gotta wonder if someone (walt or Jessie) will do a deal with Hank or the Cartel to screw Gus!
If anyone was wondering when it would pick up, last night's episode was certainly it. One thing that seemed strange to me was that Skylar had no idea how much money Walt was making before she went through the entire ordeal of buying the car wash. You would think she would have some clue as to how much money she would need to launder since she's been so meticulous in everything she's done up to that point, like not buying $300 champagne in cash because someone might see Walt or writing a script to explain Walt's sudden influx of cash to Hank and Marie. I guess you could chalk it up to Walt being secretive about his work but still, a ballpark figure would be nice. Also, Hank's police work in the final scene was ah-mazing. And I can't forget Aaron Paul's great monologue in the meeting. That's some great acting there.
gus offering walt jr. a job - damn, that is cold and calculating. jesse got his "i am the one who knocks" moment w/ his "i made you my b****" line. i wonder if the counselor will report him for selling meth. that last 5 minutes w/ hank was one of the best scenes of the entire series. what is it the cartel wants from gus? heisenburg dead?
i think the cartel wants to go back to the way it was.. the cartel supplies the meth to gus and gus distributes it. i guess that could mean that they want walt dead too. Some of Walt's reasoning doesn't really make sense to me... so he really wants to kill Gus.. does he realize that means he gets no more income?
I'm pretty sure he's worrying about staying alive right now. He's still the cook, and probably thinks that he'll figure out the meth distribution and income situation once it's time, but as of right now, he certainly feels Gus can kill him at any moment, and he needs to strike first.
Some crazy detective work going on with Hank. One of his few scenes where I don't want to punch him. Where were his prints found in Gail's apartment? Also with Walt going darkside on us, does anyone think he's way past surviving, and more about taking over? Kind of a reach but I don't think if his plan went through that he would just stop cooking.
Agreed about the last 5 minutes of that one, and didn't it seem like those DEA guys were trying to cover up for Gus and Los Pollos Hermanos!
I didn't see it that way. I think they thought everything was solid up until Hank pointed at upstanding community member Gus Fring without any solid evidence to back him up. As Gomez said, would you think someone meeting at KFC was in cahoots with Colonel Sanders? To falsely accuse a guy like Fring could have enormous ramifications P.R. wise for the DEA and possibly for their careers. But once Hank showed the fingerprint analysis, they seemed to instantly buy in. There was a DAMN, I can't believe Fring is involved, but there was no pushback on Hank. I thought it was brilliant work by Hank. He had to know they would doubt the Fring angle then he mocks himself and comes back with the fingerprints and BAM, fade to black. Excellent final scene to the best episode this season.
