TV: Breaking Bad

[Mr Jiggyfly]

The Skylar thing was weird. I get that she wasn't a "fun" character, but her decisions always made sense to me in the context of the show.

Kind of hard for her to be a fun character though. Her husband had terminal cancer, which is enough of a nightmare to deal with and her son is also physically disabled. That alone would stress out any well adjusted individual to borderline insanity. Then Walt drops the whole meth cooking/dealing thing on her.

She was stuck in a very dangerous no win situation, and to top it all off, her bro in law works for the DEA! Good times ah coming!

And people couldn’t sympathize with her messed up predicament? Wth?

 

[kook10]

I think the acting direction and performance of Anna Gunn/Skyler is what bothered me most, not the character. Most notably the wide-eyed, open-jawed blank look is not endearing but Anna Gunn did it well. It was possibly a no-win role for an actress, but I do think perhaps another casting choice would have given the role a little more depth and maybe even guided her story more [although you can't measure everyone against Edie Falco].

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Kind of hard for her to be a fun character though. Her husband had terminal cancer, which is enough of a nightmare to deal with and her son is also physically disabled. That alone would stress out any well adjusted individual to borderline insanity. Then Walt drops the whole meth cooking/dealing thing on her.

She was stuck in a very dangerous no win situation, and to top it all off, her bro in law works for the DEA! Good times ah coming!

And people couldn’t sympathize with her messed up predicament? Wth?

That's my point.

Also, Marie was so much worse.

 

[Neutrinos]

My biggest issue with Anna Gunn (Skylar) is that she chose to have plastic surgery between seasons

The result being her face was a distraction for the remainder of the series

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

I want an honest answer. If you'd never seen or heard of Breaking Bad, and someone showed you the pilot for BCS, how many of you would think it was so great?

I bet more than half wouldn't even bother watching the rest, and some might not even make it through the pilot. Seriously, it was as dull as watching paint dry. Go back and watch it, you'll see what I mean.

You're not wrong.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Jesse was one of the worst things about the show.

Hope he gets captured and tortured and killed...or at least life in prison.

Never got the sympathy people had for him

Jesse was the show. Without Jesse you have no Walt. Walt didn't know the business. Jesse grew as a person and wanted out, the title was about him.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

You kinda can't have Cranston in it, Walter's kinda dead man. Unless they're going prequel route, which is what BCS is doing right now.

But what if he just surrendered to the coming police?

 

[glovesave_35]

Jesse was the show. Without Jesse you have no Walt. Walt didn't know the business. Jesse grew as a person and wanted out, the title was about him.

That is certainly up for interpretation, unless you have the creators on record saying as much.

Jesse did grow as a person but either the writing or the acting were just so much worse than they could have been. I feel like there is an alternate universe out there where he didn't "yo yo b****" so much and thr character was ten times better.

 

[Neutrinos]

I want an honest answer. If you'd never seen or heard of Breaking Bad, and someone showed you the pilot for BCS, how many of you would think it was so great?

I bet more than half wouldn't even bother watching the rest, and some might not even make it through the pilot. Seriously, it was as dull as watching paint dry. Go back and watch it, you'll see what I mean.

I really enjoyed the first 2 seasons of Better Call Saul

Season 3 is when it seemed to get a little too pretentious and tedious

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

That is certainly up for interpretation, unless you have the creators on record saying as much.

Jesse did grow as a person but either the writing or the acting were just so much worse than they could have been. I feel like there is an alternate universe out there where he didn't "yo yo b****" so much and thr character was ten times better.

Walt wasn't Breaking Bad and when he got bad he never truly broke it. Walt was how do you put it, not so much a goody two shoes but the average women's dream. He was a committed husband and a great father. The White's were the poster child for the perfect dream family. Then Walt got sick and everything spiraled out of control as he got more power.

 

[LightningStrikes]

My biggest issue with Anna Gunn (Skylar) is that she chose to have plastic surgery between seasons

The result being her face was a distraction for the remainder of the series

She did? What did she have changed?

 

[glovesave_35]

Walt wasn't Breaking Bad and when he got bad he never truly broke it. Walt was how do you put it, not so much a goody two shoes but the average women's dream. He was a committed husband and a great father. The White's were the poster child for the perfect dream family. Then Walt got sick and everything spiraled out of control as he got more power.

I never interpreted the title in that way but I'm willing to understand why you did. Seems more likely to me that the title was named in reference to the main character. I also read/heard that Jesse was not originally going to be on the show for very long; that changed obviously. But, if that were true it makes it even less likely the title is referencing Jesse.

What does it mean to "break bad"?

 

[Bubba Thudd]

I never interpreted the title in that way but I'm willing to understand why you did. Seems more likely to me that the title was named in reference to the main character. I also read/heard that Jesse was not originally going to be on the show for very long; that changed obviously. But, if that were true it makes it even less likely the title is referencing Jesse.

What does it mean to "break bad"?

Urban Dictionary says, "To Break Bad is to reject social norms for one's own gain or amusement. To give up on the typical moral and social norm and go one's own path, regardless of the legality or ethics."

 

[NyQuil]

He was a committed husband and a great father. The White's were the poster child for the perfect dream family. Then Walt got sick and everything spiraled out of control as he got more power.

The point of the beginning of the series was that his life was terrible even without being sick.

Being sick just exposed his real desires.

He was insanely jealous and angry at his former business partners. He hated having to wash cars to supplement his meager teacher's salary, where he was barely noticed by the students.

And the title is not about Jesse.

 

[Neutrinos]

She did? What did she have changed?

Everything

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Urban Dictionary says, "To Break Bad is to reject social norms for one's own gain or amusement. To give up on the typical moral and social norm and go one's own path, regardless of the legality or ethics."

What Walter became and couldn't get out from. Where Jesse always was and was able to escape, or atleast he wanted out and even tried to get Walt but ended up becoming a slave to Todd and his uncle and crew but after they all got killed he was able to drive off. I can see it being directed at either I suppose. But it seemed like the roles flipped. In the beginning did anyone like Jesse? Then over time I felt like I liked him way more than Walt, although Mike will always be my favorite.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

The point of the beginning of the series was that his life was terrible even without being sick.

Being sick just exposed his real desires.

He was insanely jealous and angry at his former business partners. He hated having to wash cars to supplement his meager teacher's salary, where he was barely noticed by the students.

And the title is not about Jesse.

It really could go about either really.

Walt never felt good enough, sure, but those in his life loved him even if a dick like Hank always picked on him. Jesse ended up having just as much of his own storyline. Jesse proved over time he was actually smarter than Walt gave him credit for. In the beginning you felt bad for Walt, atleast well I did then at the end I wanted him to die. My views of him and Jesse flipped. The only defense I could have for Walt is if Skyler just minded her own business maybe Walt wouldn't have spiraled out of control perhaps.

 

[NyQuil]

The only defense I could have for Walt is if Skyler just minded her own business maybe Walt wouldn't have spiraled out of control perhaps.

Walt was doomed from the start due to his hubris.

 

[koyvoo]

I was all like, damn Tuco, chill ese.

 

[Upgrayedd]

She did? What did she have changed?

I remember her and Bryan talking about an illness/disease she had whilst filming the show which caused her appearance to change and for her to put on weight quickly, perhaps there is some confusion with this or is the plastic surgery something different?

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I remember her and Bryan talking about an illness/disease she had whilst filming the show which caused her appearance to change and for her to put on weight quickly, perhaps there is some confusion with this or is the plastic surgery something different?

Breaking Bad's Anna Gunn opens up about her recent weight loss after illness left her 'puffed up' on-screen | Daily Mail Online

She told the magazine: 'I was actually ill while I was filming the show and it affected my weight.
'They gave me cortisone and I puffed up and gained weight.
'Now I'm better, thank God.'
The actress, who plays Skyler White on the show, did not reveal what she was suffering from, but said she was now fine.
'I'm doing fine, thankfully. I'm feeling really good.'

 

[koyvoo]

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

I've seen the show twice and I still can't believe that people act as if it's the end all be all of Tv

Yes it was a good show but holy hell its overrated

 

[alko]

I've seen the show twice and I still can't believe that people act as if it's the end all be all of Tv

Yes it was a good show but holy hell its overrated

Because you saw it twice! You should stay with your first run.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Because you saw it twice! You should stay with your first run.

You're probably right

I'll give it credit though S4 IS some truly special storytelling