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

the spider is just some pink teddy bear shit isn't it?

Yeah, it'll turn out that rubble from the nursing home explosion landed on and destroyed a tarantula nest, making Walt responsible for hundreds more deaths. In an elaborate two-part flashback, we'll learn the lengths Todd's pet has gone to to avenge his family's death.

I mean in the sense of "let's focus on this gimmicky thing that's totally irrelevant to the story."

the spider i suspect served more of symbolic role

Walt, Jesse, Todd, Mike = Eight dangerous arms in the desert

well now that you've all shot my innocent young theory down you might as well boil it in acid and pretend it never existed. later i'll overhear you whistling a jaunty tune.

todd is so messed up, keeping the spider as a souvenir

ok ok, upon reflection this strikes actually me as more likely what we're supposed to draw from the scene.

...or is it!

i think ppl keep overstating the 'mike never kills anyone' thing, we've seen him shoot ppl in cold blood multiple times

red shirts

the mexican cartel were fairly important characters killed by mike

todd is so messed up, keeping the spider as a souvenir

Maybe he's kept it because he feels bad, and wants to give it the love, care and attention he did not give the innocent boy he shot in cold blood?

ya prob

"Shit happens" = "I regret having killed a child" in Todd-ese.

Maybe he'll name it George?

the theory about walt wanting to cook for the phoenix boys though - he's made a big deal of not wanting to be an "employee". and best-case scenario those are the only terms those guys would consider

Maybe he'll name it George?

Haha

Win for life:

https://twitter.com/aaronpaul_8/status/238691533979791361/photo/1

I'm only four episodes in but so far this season is pretty boring. mechanical, lifeless. all the characters are in static positions - Walt is evil, Skyler is terrified, Jesse is childlike, Mike is hardman, etc. *yawn*

You can probably just stop watching, then, since it's clearly not for you.

i think ppl keep overstating the 'mike never kills anyone' thing, we've seen him shoot ppl in cold blood multiple times

― protected by kl0pper. stand back (D-40), Thursday, August 23, 2012 2:02 AM (11 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

red shirts

― ʘ (sic), Thursday, August 23, 2012 2:07 AM (11 hours ago) Bookmark

haha "he's a softie, he only murders people who are of little interest to the narrative"

aero's antipathy for mike at this point seems entirely based on the idea that he was built up to be some kind of badass that he has failed to be, which is just weird to me

actually if you read this thread you'll find multiple posters asserting that might is a great professional to be feared

mightmike

also: man, this show sure loves it's music video montages

Mike is a fierce competitor with many years of extensive Peoplesoft experience.

also I'm with aero re: Mike, finding him admirable is sort of baffling (pretty much everybody on the show is loathsome with the exception of Junior)

xp

I'm only four episodes in but so far this season is pretty boring. mechanical, lifeless. all the characters are in static positions - Walt is evil, Skyler is terrified, Jesse is childlike, Mike is hardman, etc. *yawn*

I agree that this season has been mostly underwhelming. Mike is so ineffective and useless. What baffles me is not so much that people find him admirable but that people even find him interesting. And I'm really tired of all of the family melodrama.

yeah sitting through a scene of Walt and Skyler confronting each other (yet again) about whether or not he should move back in/is the family safe just made me feel like Jack Donaghy "this is boring I'm bored now"

i think we should consider that mike is maybe just over the hill and he was in his prime a terrifying stone cold bad ass

I think they're lulling us to a doze before Mike's granddaughter, Lydia's daughter and Holly all get blown up at once.

I have the same problem with the family stuff in Mad Men. I think it's because both WW and DD don't have any interest in their families so I find it really hard to make that leap that we're supposed to care about them if he doesn't. And Skyler hasn't been developed into an interesting character on her own merits I don't think. I care more about Jesse's girlfriend and boy who are barely even characters, but at least Jesse cares about them so it's easier to feel sympathetic.

i think we should consider that mike is maybe just over the hill and he was in his prime a terrifying stone cold bad ass

I actually do like to think this and think of Mike's weariness as his best quality. I would be happiest if he killed Walt but that's not going to happen because Walt is way colder than Mike

wait DD has a definite interest in his family. and... Sally! She is so awesome!

I don't find the family stuff boring at all. I don't know if the show would be as interesting without that angle, tbh.

It wouldn't. It's the crux of the show. Without the tension of Walt's familial relationships, it's a straight-up show about Scarface.

Scarface had some interesting familial relationships.

wait DD has a definite interest in his family. and... Sally! She is so awesome!

so basically you're saying that the most interesting family member is the one that don cares about the most, no?

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/08/23/methylamine_how_to_make_the_substance_so_elusive_on_breaking_bad_.html

why hasn't walt ever cheated on skyler

he does tho, w/ the hat, in a way, but still

Who admired Mike? He's just the one with the clearest code of honor. He's a pro. He cares about other people: the guys he pays off instead of killing, his granddaughter. Walt will put anything and everything second to him. And Jesse ... his moral code is a total mess, since he doesn't even have a use for his money. He's literally aimless.

They're all different flavors of scum

Mike's code of honor is simply self-preservation imho

I do think Jesse's affinity for children/childlike character has been one of the more nuanced arcs in the show

his rent-a-family, his disowning of his own parents, his need for Walt as a father figure, his sentimentality about any child that crosses his path - all really well done

Mike's code of honor is simply self-preservation imho

Nah, If this were true he would have OK'd the murder of all his men on the inside. Or killed Lydia. Or been prepared to screw over his granddaughter.

Self-preservation c/o "Heat:" "Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner."

Lydia stood to help him make more money. and I figure it's probably more expensive/difficult to kill all those guys on the inside than it is to just pay them off and keep them useful but I dunno maybe I missed something. the granddaughter thing is strictly sentimentality though. I don't think it's a mark of honor to feel sentimental about your own flesh and blood really...

Walt sure doesn't!

as far as not cheating goes, a lack of free time plays into it, also wearing sunglasses AND heisenberg hat AND glowering menacingly in his ok cupid profile probably didn't help

Does Jesse have a money-laundering method, or is he just accumulating cash?