Shall we anticipate the FIFTH SEASON of the AMC series "Breaking Bad"? I think I may.

what if walt jr becomes a robin-esque crimefighter under the flynn monicker

xpost I feel like Todd is there to rival Jesse and serve as wedge in their partnership, esp. after preview of Walt's "I want an EMPIRE" thing. Walt's needs someone on his side w/ ice in his veins to keep the power balance from tipping to Mike....

I don't know about this episode.... I really thought it could have used a short scene of these guys practicing the siphon on a disused train somewhere — Mike hooks them up w/ a guy who used to work the rails or something, doing a drill w/ a stopwatch or whatever.

That they knew exactly which industrial tools they'd need and what size bits and flanges, and how many security clips and where the valves were and all the rest was pretty HUH? For me so much of the thrill in watching this show over the years is watching these amateurs get thrown in over their heads and having to learn on the fly.

Things I am increasingly worried the writers will just forget about/not bother with:

- Who Gus actually was and why even Mike can't find any trace of him before he came to America.
- Who if anyone was behind Gus/Madrigal that was so scary/important that the head of a Mexican drug cartel wouldn't kill Gus.
- That thing about Walt standing back and allowing Jesse's girlfriend to die (okay, they will probably cover this one).

That they knew exactly which industrial tools they'd need and what size bits and flanges, and how many security clips and where the valves were and all the rest was pretty HUH? For me so much of the thrill in watching this show over the years is watching these amateurs get thrown in over their heads and having to learn on the fly.

― Hadrian VIII, Tuesday, August 14, 2012 9:21 AM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

did wonder about this, just assumed they did their homework

- That thing about Walt standing back and allowing Jesse's girlfriend to die (okay, they will probably cover this one).

― Matt DC, Tuesday, August 14, 2012 9:27 AM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i hope they don't!

i can't see a neat way of that dramatically resolving, aside from another "Fly"-like situation where Walt blurts it out... and i really don't want to see that.

exactly

her ghost might appear i guess

Who Gus actually was

Gus is all of us - the last episode will introduce this awesome effect of the screen becoming a mirror & that will be it for the entire hour

That they knew exactly which industrial tools they'd need and what size bits and flanges, and how many security clips and where the valves were and all the rest was pretty HUH? For me so much of the thrill in watching this show over the years is watching these amateurs get thrown in over their heads and having to learn on the fly.

I just assumed Lydia had loads of shit about all this stuff that they could look at.

flange porn

I do like how Walt's background in science is partly what accounts for him being such a control freak: he's all about the numbers, exact numbers, which is why he pushed the train robbery rather than quit early to get out of there. He seems to enjoy messing with variables, too, but his control issues do seem to be out of whack with his frequent apparent lapses in judgement, or risky behaviors, which may explain the occasional delusional blurt of "this happens because I say so" or "this never stops," absolutes that he can't guarantee (as Skyler pointed out to him).

Anyway, assuming Todd survives, I imagine Walt won't appreciate having a variable out of his control.

Also, some discussions were confused as to why it was Walt who met with Lydia. Clearly that was to get a long-game line on MIke, who Walt is no doubt planning to kill, for myriad reasons.

I was trying hard to read Walt's mind in that scene. And it might be a logistical overshoot, but I can't help thinking that he's angling to use Lydia's knowledge to take Mike's guys out of the picture permanent-like. Although that would most definitely induce Walt's suicide-by-Ehrmantraut, so maybe not. It was definitely about trying to get an angle on Mike somehow, though.

me gran's flange porn

Oh yeah that's the other thing I forgot:

- What happened in Walt's past that killed his brilliant career as a chemist?

Basically I want a load of flashbacks ideally including Giancarlo Esposito.

btw, here's some cliffs for 505:

http://i.imgur.com/oV47A.png

wow

can we do all 5 seasons in these?

Is there an emoticon with half its face blown off?

Also, I agree that the crew's uber-efficiency with the train car did seem a little out of left field. The downside of having the end of the series in sight is that they'll likely sacrifice a lot of stuff that isn't essential to the larger narrative. The flange training sequence would've probably taken up half of a season 3 episode, but it seems that they're content to leave it offscreen and implied at this point in the run. Which is a little bit of a shame, as I always thought the show's occasional methodical pace and careful attention to detail were among its greatest strengths.

btw original plan for stealing the methylamine was to have the guys in one of those helicopters they use for fires, with the long hose and storage tank, hovering over a truck tanker in a freight yard.

Or they could have loaded an even bigger magnet onto a cargo plane and just liften the entire train! It could work!!!

Anyway, assuming Todd survives, I imagine Walt won't appreciate having a variable out of his control.

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 15:14 (10 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

isnt the reason todd shot the kid because he stuck to the plan of no-one else knowing? walt will end up loving this much control imo

Now that I think about it, the only times I've ever been at all disappointed with the show are the moments when they uncharacteristically fail to connect all of the logistical ddots in favor of, "No, just wait! This is gonna be awesome and mindblowing!". They're very good at awesome and mindblowing, but I can't seem to enjoy it as much when it doesn't feel fully earned.

It's a very mild disappointment, mind.

Todd didn't get the memo that they're a chemistry teacher/goofy student team with hijinks. He thinks they're actual criminals.

occasional methodical pace and careful attention to detail were among its greatest strengths.

Yes. More recently it's like INGENIOUS IDEA, BAM, executed, next. I'm not sure it would have taken a lot to give us a little more setup w/ this one, though, I mean 5-10 mins. like w/ the junkyard magnet drill. Especially because Walt and Jesse were so smug abt the whole plan w/ Todd, like YEP WE ARE AMAZING

that's when i knew it was all going to go wrong, although I thought they'd end up killing the engineers in some messy way that made things very difficult for them

even when they execute, like with the magnet, it ends up setting them back like 10 steps

Jesse and Walt have the flash and the chops but Todd is gonna be what puts them over the top, their Steve Nash or Richard Starkey, doesn't need the spotlight and ready to fuck somebody up.

that's when i knew it was all going to go wrong, although I thought they'd end up killing the engineers in some messy way that made things very difficult for them

even when they execute, like with the magnet, it ends up setting them back like 10 steps

Magnet worked out great, mike lost all his money and is forced to work for Walt

we'll see how that goes when mike and walt turn on each other and somebody has to kill or pay off those 9 dudes in prison

Jesse loves kids and relates to them. Mike has a soft spot for kids. Walt has no feelings & Todd is an idiot. This event will put Jesse permanently on the other side of everybody, except maybe Mike.

also the 9 guys in prison form a band and it becomes the feel-good story of the yard, they play every day and people dance and get their aggressions out. they are made whole by ~music~

Is Todd really an idiot though? He's got that wide-eyed naif thing going, but W&J were basically walking directly into prison if he didn't tip them re: nanny cam.

Jesse and Walt have the flash and the chops but Todd is gonna be what puts them over the top, their Steve Nash or Richard Starkey, doesn't need the spotlight and ready to fuck somebody up.

Ha, so Todd is the Furio of the gang. Didn't see that one coming, but you may be onto something.

Crushing hard on Todd now, something abt the way he kills children

No, man, Todd is the Waingro of the operation.

good thing hank just picked up heat on blu ray

"Is Todd really an idiot though?"

He's very clearly not an idiot.

You guys are reading a hell of a lot into a character who's so far uttered about three lines. And shot a kid, admittedly.

xp I'm sure they intentionally picked an actor that looks like he just fell off the potato truck, though.

up until the kid-shooting, i thought Todd could have been an undercover.

we'll see how that goes when mike and walt turn on each other and somebody has to kill or pay off those 9 dudes in prison

― Nhex, Tuesday, August 14, 2012 3:05 PM (41 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

are they all in prison? There's just nine guys who are broke and pissed, and some of them are in prison, I thought.

several of them are at least -- mike posing as an 'intern' & wanting 2 visit them all in a single day

Things I am increasingly worried the writers will just forget about/not bother with:

- Who Gus actually was and why even Mike can't find any trace of him before he came to America.
- Who if anyone was behind Gus/Madrigal that was so scary/important that the head of a Mexican drug cartel wouldn't kill Gus.
- That thing about Walt standing back and allowing Jesse's girlfriend to die (okay, they will probably cover this one).

― Matt DC, Tuesday, August 14, 2012 1:27 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

-probably will come out with the second one
-I'd be shocked if we never meet this dude
-the only resolution to this is Walt confessing, and why do we NEED to see that? He has so many sins to confess, why this one?

You guys are reading a hell of a lot into a character who's so far uttered about three lines. And shot a kid, admittedly.

they cast someone well known and it has that instinctive feel of tv telling you something is important.

esposito dropped some hints that he'll be back in flashback, which makes me think we're going to learn a bit more about the whole gus/madrigal nexus

-the only resolution to this is Walt confessing, and why do we NEED to see that? He has so many sins to confess, why this one?

Because its the one that directly fucked up the life of his partner who he's been manipulating ever since. Because there's been a dramatic tension simmering away there between the two of them ever since that would be weirdly unsatisfying if it to remain unresolved. Because the relationship between the two characters/actors is the best thing about the show. And because it would completely turn Jesse against Walt once and for all and would lead to a confrontation that would make amazing TV.

it didn't fuck up jesse's life at all, it saved his life

hey you know what would turn Jesse against Walt "I poisoned Brock"