Very surprised at the mixed reaction this episode is getting from fans and bloggers today. As I mentioned in my recap (check Jim’s out, too, while you’re at it) I had problems with parts of the episode, which is my larger problem with Breaking Bad as a whole; it sometimes requires me to suspend my disbelief more that I feel like I should have to. You have a well written, well acted, drama, based on very true to life circumstances… contrivances really stick out like a sore thumb. This is most of the reason I think The Wire > Breaking Bad. Not enough to make me think the show is anything else but excellent, but I can certainly see where people are coming from.
What I don’t get is the over simplistic critiques; Marie is irritating; they’re spending too much time on Jesse’s inability to “get over it”; Skyler is fat. But to each their own, I guess. I think the double airliner crash is the single worst thing that ever happened to Breaking Bad, and it took me the better part of Season 3 to get over it; Jim thinks it was an awesome and satisfying payoff to season 2. Sheesh, this is turning into Instant Take, the second. Can’t wait to cast tonight to get it out of my system. On to the news!
Sepinwall, of course. I don’t get his conclusion that Hank “immediately” made the connection between the Lab Notes and the blue meth. I’ll have to rewatch before the cast to be on the lookout for that. I also liked his suggestion that Skyler is a good way for the audience to reset their relative morality regarding Walt’s lifestyle. Thinking about it, her current attitude lines up with Walt’s naive “no rough stuff type of deal” attitude from season one. While I’m at it, I’m going to go ahead and link to the interview he did with Betsy Brandt a few weeks back, since it’s germane to the episode.
Melissa Maerz, of course. I love how she’s trying to get to the source of the hate fans are feeling towards Skyler. “We’re kind of amazed that Skyler’s character has been deemed so unforgivable. Walt’s out there dissolving corpses in acid and landing his brother-in-law in permanent bed rest, and we’re still rooting forhim.” Expect some fireworks between me and Jim tonight on the subject as well.
I thought this was an interesting back and forth about the show from Slate’s Jessica Grose and June Thomas. I’m probably pissing a lot of you off in exploring the Skyler / Marie angles in the storyline. But I figure if you’re looking for hate, it’s not hard to find, so I’m bringing the other side. I guess I should mention that it’s not that I don’t get irritated at Skyler; but it’s more that I’m fascinated by how her and Walt’s relationship works, and how his flaws feed into hers, and her strengths feed into him, and vice versa. Relationships; more complex and involved than making meth, who would have thunk? And if you don’t like it… well. Heh.
A good piece about Dean “Hank” Norris’ arc on the show by TV Guide’s Adam Bryant. Warning: there are some spoilers here and there in the interview, as Dean relates how Walt and him interact throughout the season. Not big ones, but still. “In real life, you would be bitter and you might treat your wife badly. But you’ll see soon enough that he feels bad about it,” Norris says. “But he just can’t help it. He’s not unaware that he’s being a d—, but he’s also in a place where he’s like, ‘F— you, I’ve just been shot. Somebody else has to take some pain too.'”
The new Inside Breaking Bad is out. This one is all about Marie and Jesse’s descent. I love this stuff, really, like DVD extras as you go. Very cute sequence where Bryan Cranston, referring to power, as an aphrodisiac, while the video editor cuts to the champagne bottle popping. Dirty, dirty!
This would look pretty good on your wall, wouldn’t it?
As on most Mondays, there is lots more. And if you still can’t get enough, be sure to follow our Twitter account @BreakGood, as Jim posts stuff for you all day, every day. Email us your thoughts about the show, any links or news we might have missed, or any original takes you want to get out of your system. Tonight, we cast, and we’ll post by noon EST Tuesday. I’d like to tell you we’ll get it up earlier, but I don’t think the schedule will work out that way. See you then!
