Breaking Bad

[iacas]

Vince's clue for the last episode was "woodworking".

[dsc123]

Also, from listening to 515's podcast today... I think he is going to officially  on Gray Matter Technologies.  It seemed like Bryan and Vince were hinting that - that wasn't going to be the last we saw of those two characters (Gretchen and Elliot).

[Beachcomber]

I hope that's the end of him.  It might not be exciting, but its a logical and sort of sad ending for him.  Its more authentic this way.

The more I think about it, the more I like this ending for Saul.  He is a guy who built up his image, wore colorful clothes, and plastered his face everywhere.  It seems like he had a successful little practice going and was probably making good money.  But he also did a lot of shady things--he's not a "good" guy.  In the end his moral ambiguity which he employed to make a buck caused him to have to give it all up and as he said, live a quiet life and hopefully manage a retail establishment (or restaurant or whatever).  Its basically the opposite of what he worked his whole life for.  Like Walt, he lost it all.

Agreed.  I don't see a need for him to be in any further episodes.  The same for Badger and Skinny Pete.... While they were entertaining.  I just don't think they need to do anything more (especially in the limited window of time - we're going into the last episode) to spend time on these characters.

For me... There is definitely a glaring '?' why Walt went the path he did in life.  Maybe I simply need to go back and re-watch season 1, but I don't have a clear grasp on why he wasn't more successful in life.  I think he held a huge grudge and never let that go.  And in a way, it held him back and he felt like a failure.  I'd like to know more about why he ran from the scientific research community - where he obviously was talented.  There has to be something darker there that we don't know about Walt.

Watch this....

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=79735231086

@ 1:00... Gretchen in her mind - Walt clearly left her.  He abandoned her.  She was a rich girl... Maybe he felt that he could never make her happy or live up to her fathers success?  She came from a wealthy family.  So he walked out of that relationship, due to the pressure that he may have felt to be a 'man' or a financial provider.  Meeting Skyler, a young waitress may have been easier to be the man and the provider of the relationship?  Even as a high school chemistry teacher, he could provide.

But then, after all the success that Gray Matter Technologies has had.... They just donated what, $28M dollars to charity (per the last episode).... And there he was, barely able to make ends meat.  Driving a beat up old Aztek for heavens sake... With a pregnant wife.  And he has cancer.  That had to be a huge blow and realized his life was pretty bland and wasn't as grand as it could've been had he stuck it out with old Gretchen.

[jamo]

[*] The doctors who recommended aggressive surgery to remove the tumor. What happened to that? He got busy with Fring and making meth so he was too busy for it? [/LIST]

Didn't he have the aggressive surgery at the end of season two when he went under and let out the secret about the second cell phone? Or am I thinking about something else?

[Beachcomber]

I was trying to find this and finally did... This is from Season 1, Episode 3.

I've always thought that this flashback - would have some sort of reveal.  And I just felt like Vince never really showed the viewer what was going on.  'What about the soul?'  That was the missing element to fully balance out the equation of life (I believe)... I haven't watched season 1 since I downloaded it on iTunes several years ago.  But this scene....  I want to know if he figures out what the missing element is or goes back to Gretchen to address why he left her.

[jamo]

During the Charlie Rose bit, they referenced a (fake) Andrew Ross Sorkin column. He took the impetus today to actually write the column: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/09/23/breaking-bad-the-gray-matter-of-charity/?smid=tw-share&_r=1

[dsc123]

Why didn't he have insurance?  Don't teachers usually have unions and good benefits?

[nevets88]

Why didn't he have insurance?  Don't teachers usually have unions and good benefits?

OK, I may have geeked out here, but here's the Albuquerque public school teacher benefits health insurance page:

http://www.aps.edu/human-resources/benefits/medical

Based on this it looks like WW would have been covered? I mean it's not Sandia or Grey Matter, but it's not bad.

[saevel25]

did he teach at a public school? Also, who says he would have been covered for Cancer? A lot of those medical benefits cover a lot of things, except very expensive stuff. Or the co-pay is absurd for that type of coverage.

Stop trying to nit pick a great TV show. Who cares if its possible for him to have had the benefits. All that matters is the show developed the required drama to keep all of you watching for 7+ years.

[Slice of Life]

Let's get one thing straight...

Walt didn't do all of this just to pay for the cancer treatments. Even if everything was free, his main reason was to build a nest egg for his family, since he wouldn't be able to support them much longer. Whether his insurance would have covered his cancer is a moot point.

[Heisenberg]

Vince's clue for the last episode was "woodworking".

hm..

the Lydia woodchipper comment is a little too easy to connect for the writers... i think.

wood·work  (wdwûrk)

n.

Objects made of or work done in wood, especially wooden interior fittings in a house, as moldings, doors, staircases, or windowsills.

Idiom:

out of the woodwork

Out of obscurity or a place of seclusion: People were coming out of the woodwork to apply for the desirable job.

I believe its more a of the idiom; referring to Walt coming out of seclusion.

or maybe to be a little cheesy... Walt building his proverbial coffin

[nevets88]

Let's get one thing straight...

Walt didn't do all of this just to pay for the cancer treatments. Even if everything was free, his main reason was to build a nest egg for his family, since he wouldn't be able to support them much longer. Whether his insurance would have covered his cancer is a moot point.

did he teach at a public school? Also, who says he would have been covered for Cancer? A lot of those medical benefits cover a lot of things, except very expensive stuff. Or the co-pay is absurd for that type of coverage.

Stop trying to nit pick a great TV show. Who cares if its possible for him to have had the benefits. All that matters is the show developed the required drama to keep all of you watching for 7+ years.

Whoa there young fellas. Totally agree with both your points, you'll get no argument from me there. I'm looking into this more to counter the in UK/Canada, there would be no BB, show over memes.

[Heisenberg]

found a cool article on the scotch Walt ordered at the bar. take it for what its worth

http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/pop-culture/article/the-whiskey-of-breaking-bad-from-knob-creek-to-dimple-pinch?mbid=entstyl_20130923_12263664

but I like this part, of which I never picked up on.

"It’s that three-sided bottle that makes Dimple Pinch so easy to spot on Breaking Bad. Although he’s never named it, last night wasn’t the first time Walt reached for the stuff. He breaks out Dimple Pinch in the season one finale, sharing a dram with Hank at Holly’s baby shower. In the season five opener, he pours himself a glass of Pinch after taking out Gus Fring—in that episode, as in last night’s, he never gets a chance to finish the drink. Dimple Pinch is Walter White’s go-to whiskey for pivotal occasions, like the birth of an heiress to a blood-money meth fortune, or a cosmic comeuppance five seasons in the making. On both occasions, a single malt might have seemed more appropriate then a middle-brow blend."

[Golfingdad]

hm..

the Lydia woodchipper comment is a little too easy to connect for the writers... i think.

When you mention somebody going into the woodchipper it makes me think of only one thing ... Fargo.

And not that it means anything but the Season 1 finale was title "A no rough stuff type deal."

That is a line directly from that movie. ;)

Not saying it means anything at all ... just saying. :)

[dsc123]

OK, I may have geeked out here, but here's the Albuquerque public school teacher benefits health insurance page:

http://www.aps.edu/human-resources/benefits/medical

Based on this it looks like WW would have been covered? I mean it's not Sandia or Grey Matter, but it's not bad.

Ha!  good find!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

Let's get one thing straight...

Walt didn't do all of this just to pay for the cancer treatments. Even if everything was free, his main reason was to build a nest egg for his family, since he wouldn't be able to support them much longer. Whether his insurance would have covered his cancer is a moot point.

That assumes that his treatment would not have been effective and that he wouldn't also have had life insurance.  Following nevets88, he should have had that, too. http://www.aps.edu/human-resources/benefits/life-long-term-disability

did he teach at a public school? Also, who says he would have been covered for Cancer? A lot of those medical benefits cover a lot of things, except very expensive stuff. Or the co-pay is absurd for that type of coverage.

Stop trying to nit pick a great TV show. Who cares if its possible for him to have had the benefits. All that matters is the show developed the required drama to keep all of you watching for 7+ years.

Relax, we're just talking about the show.  I figured there was a reason that I had missed or forgotten.  This suggests that he did have insurance, but that it the copays or whatever you'd call it were still too much for him to pay. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/27/breaking-bad-is-fully-dependent-on-our-broken-health-care-system.html Also, www.savewalterwhite.com suggests that the doctors just didn't accept his insurance.

"It’s that three-sided bottle that makes Dimple Pinch so easy to spot on Breaking Bad. Although he’s never named it, last night wasn’t the first time Walt reached for the stuff.

I thought he did request Dimple Pinch specifically last week, no?  Hadn't noticed it before, though.

[Beachcomber]

or a cosmic comeuppance five seasons in the making. On both occasions, a single malt might have seemed more appropriate then a middle-brow blend."

or a cosmic comeuppance...

Say what? LOL

Am I the only one who finds it mildly entertaining when a writer breaks out the thesaurus to try and spice up a literary?

[Heisenberg]

lol

had to do a double take on cosmic commupance myself.

Like the guy said in the article, it didn't say the brand he was drinking it by its name but it has a distinguishable bottle shape.

Its three sided.

[Beachcomber]

When you mention somebody going into the woodchipper it makes me think of only one thing ... Fargo.

And not that it means anything but the Season 1 finale was title "A no rough stuff type deal."

That is a line directly from that movie. ;)

Not saying it means anything at all ... just saying. :)

Whoa! What if Todd puts Jesse into a Woodchipper!? And then this!!