Breaking Bad

[Otis32]

I have had a strong urge to shave my head, grow a goatee and find a Pork Pie golf hat.

[iacas]

I'd prefer no flash forwards.  I think the desert scene when Hank died (as well as other scenes, probably) would have been more suspenseful if there was a chance, however small, that Walt could have gone down.

Well, c'mon, you need better reasons than that - the fact that it was three episodes from the end of the show would have told you that he wasn't going to die in the desert shootout!!!

[Golfingdad]

I'd prefer no flash forwards.  I think the desert scene when Hank died (as well as other scenes, probably) would have been more suspenseful if there was a chance, however small, that Walt could have gone down.

At the same time though, seeing him with the AR and the ricin did lead to a lot of speculation, which was fun.

Hmmm, between this, your comment that people thinking Breaking Bad being the greatest show ever is "absurd," and your backwards view of TWD, I'm starting to question your TV opinions. ;)

Seriously though, I think the flash forwards were one of the biggest reasons why the show was so great.

Seeing him in the desert with no pants, a gun, sirens blaring in the pilot.   The episode where he blows up Tuco's hideout opens with him calmly walking away from the buringing building.  The episode where Tuco dies opening with quiet chaos and Jesse's car bouncing.  Those, and several others, are fantastic, because they have you wondering "how in the hell does it come to that?!?!"  All of the episodes during Season 2 that opened with the pink teddy bear were very intriguing as well.  and so on, and so on.

The cold open flash forwards were a show staple.

[dsc123]

Hmmm, between this, your comment that people thinking Breaking Bad being the greatest show ever is "absurd," and your backwards view of TWD, I'm starting to question your TV opinions. ;)

Seriously though, I think the flash forwards were one of the biggest reasons why the show was so great.

Seeing him in the desert with no pants, a gun, sirens blaring in the pilot.   The episode where he blows up Tuco's hideout opens with him calmly walking away from the buringing building.  The episode where Tuco dies opening with quiet chaos and Jesse's car bouncing.  Those, and several others, are fantastic, because they have you wondering "how in the hell does it come to that?!?!"  All of the episodes during Season 2 that opened with the pink teddy bear were very intriguing as well.  and so on, and so on.

The cold open flash forwards were a show staple.

You make good points, and I see where you are coming from re the flash forwards.

"Absurd" was probably too strong a word in any event.  I hate on BB too much considering its probably in my top 10.  But my gut reaction when someone declares a show as the best is, "oh well, you must have never seen the wire" because its in a class by itself nobody could possibly disagree.

[jamo]

Now that we've all seen the series to the end, what do you think of the flash forwards? When Walt was in the diner and in the abandoned run down cordoned off house. Did it take make the season better, worse or no influence at all? Anyone know of any interviews where VG says anything about it?

From everything Gilligan has said about the show being the story of Walter White from beginning to end, I always assumed Walt was going to be around for the last episode anyway. [quote name="colin007" url="/t/10116/breaking-bad/510_30#post_904312"]sooo....has watching this show made anyone else want to try meth? [/quote] No but I just bought some pseudoephedrine for a cold. Who has an RV? :-D

[iacas]

"Absurd" was probably too strong a word in any event.  I hate on BB too much considering its probably in my top 10.  But my gut reaction when someone declares a show as the best is, "oh well, you must have never seen the wire" because its in a class by itself nobody could possibly disagree.

Bullsheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit.

See what I did there? :D

[Slice of Life]

Now that we've all seen the series to the end, what do you think of the flash forwards? When Walt was in the diner and in the abandoned run down cordoned off house.

Did it take make the season better, worse or no influence at all? Anyone know of any interviews where VG says anything about it?

No real influence for me. It was just part of breaking bad. Showing you the future and keeping you guessing on how it's relevant, or what it means.

[Otis32]

The first three seasons of The Wire were great TV. The last two not so much. Deadwood was fantastic for two seasons but fell off so poorly in season three that they didn't even finish. My personal appreciation for Breaking Bad in great part comes from the fact that they could sustain the show at such a high level for the entire life of the series.

[iacas]

The first three seasons of The Wire were great TV. The last two not so much.

Deadwood was fantastic for two seasons but fell off so poorly in season three that they didn't even finish.

See? I'm not alone.

[JetFan1983]

Here's another question like the Lydia one GD posted about that needs help justifying:

Why does Uncle Jack let Walt go in the first place? And leaving him with a barrel of cash too? You're already two murders in, seriously what's one more?

You kill Walt too, and there's no paper trail to you whatsoever, assuming your raiding of Hank's house is successful, which it was in the next episode.

Still, as a massive BB fan, I'm willing to let that decision slide as just a bad decision on Jack's part. Which I think is also plausible that he could realistically make that mistake of letting Walter come out of that desert alive. I guess Jack does say that "Todd thinks very highly of you" and that's why he's letting him walk. Or maybe Jack thought (incorrectly) that Walter would be a good consultant if they ran into cooking problems somewhere down the road.

Still, murdering Walter at To'hajilee and throwing him in that grave too was clearly the only choice, if I'm Jack in that spot.

Hmmm, proof-reading this post just now, I sort of come off as a sociopath, but really though, I'm just wondering if this is something of a plot blunder?

Full disclosure: I'm obviously a huge fan of the show if this is the first post of mine from this thread if you are reading.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otis32

The first three seasons of The Wire were great TV. The last two not so much.

Deadwood was fantastic for two seasons but fell off so poorly in season three that they didn't even finish.

See? I'm not alone.

Yea I agree. For me season two dragged. Four was my favorite and I felt a bit of a drop off with season 5. But I'm speaking purely from an entertainment standpoint, which could be argued is the most important thing in any TV show. The slow pacing was tough at times from that perspective, but necessary to portray that real life cop work is not Cowboys and Indians. And David Simon and Ed Burns were all about that. It's alienating to most for sure, but cool also if your goal in finding a show is as much realism as possible.

I loved the Wire when I first saw it, but I do sympathize with people who just couldn't get into it... it really is tough sledding for long stretches.

I do love though what a great study of an American city it is. So much depth in terms of helping me understand the very real problems Baltimore was/is facing. That was extremely educational and done in a very cool way.

[Golfingdad]

I guess Jack does say that "Todd thinks very highly of you" and that's why he's letting him walk.

we thought the same thing as you at my office when we discussed it. Eventually justified it this way too. It's the only possible reason other than "being a crappy Bond villain and letting him live just so he can come back and kill you." Which is never sensible. ;)

[mvmac]

Here's another question like the Lydia one GD posted about that needs help justifying:

Why does Uncle Jack let Walt go in the first place? And leaving him with a barrel of cash too? You're already two murders in, seriously what's one more?

You kill Walt too, and there's no paper trail to you whatsoever, assuming your raiding of Hank's house is successful, which it was in the next episode.

I think Uncle Jack said Walt gets a pass as a favor to Todd.  Maybe Todd also though Walt could be useful in the future.  Maybe Uncle wasn't thinking strategically after pocketing $70 million.  Regardless, it's just something the audience has to let slide in order for the story to continue.

[mvmac]

An Albuquerque-based fan group purchased an obituary announcement in Walter White's hometown paper, the Albuquerque Journal.

[tmac20]

So, has anyone seen the new Nike commercial?

"I'll use my Persimmons till' the day I die." That guy sounds suspiciously similar to Walter White.