Breaking Bad Forum

I think most of you know that I am out for most of this week, but I couldn't help but take a few moments to escape with an episode of Breaking Bad and share my thoughts. It's not going to be as long as usual, and will be edited to the best that my overly emotional and exhausted brain can handle, and I couldn't format photos on this old computer, so please excuse the lack of them and any typos/errors in this one.

I loved this episode and not for its action, but I felt it was an episode that we really needed this season that dealt with Walt's family life and especially Skyler. I'm glad we finally got to see the conflict between Walt and Skyler come to a head, since it has been building since the beginning of the season, and we haven't seen her do much more than lay on her bed staring with a blank look on her face. It was also nice to see some emotion in her and most of all for her to yell at Walt, because goddamned he deserves it.

It was a fascinating way to begin this episode that ended with their huge blow-out of a fight, because in the beginning, Walt was more happy than we have seen him, possibly, well...ever. He bought himself a new car; he and Walt Jr. were joking around; and he just seemed genuinely happy and excited for his birthday. It is so astounding that he still is so delusionally that he really does believe that everything is alright and in, fact good. In his first discussion with Skyler he even goes so far as to ask "What is wrong with the kids environment? Life is good". The scariest part is that Walt actually believes that is true. He sees no danger coming from the DEA, rival drug cartels, random meth addicts that just want one more hit of the blue rock, or even, one of the people closest to him...Jesse (which I will get to in a moment).

(One side note I do have - I really could have done without the incredibly loud dub-step montage in the opening scene, but since it is Breaking Bad, I will forgive it.)

However, this episode really was all about Skyler. Of course there were a few business matters they had to handle, and the return of Lydia, but as a whole it was about Walt and Skyler's relationship, and really how it has changed. As I mentioned before, this entire season, we have seen Skyler on a downward spiral. She has been depressed and hasn't been able to get out of bed, and we can really see all of Walt's drug dealings and the situation with Ted Beneke reflected in her actions. She seems to have completely disassociated and now truly has a hatred and disgust for Walt. This is brought to a head in the swimming pool scene, in which it looks for a moment like she really might be attempting suicide. Then, we realize that it not only provides glaring symbolism that she is in over her head and can't see a way to get back to the top, but finally allows her to have a catalyst to get the kids out of the house. However, the way she looked at the bottom of that pool was pretty creepy and I do wonder if this also was some foreshadowing about Skyler's actual death and the fact that she just may end up dead at the bottom of a pool.

Which now brings me to Walt and Skyler's fight, and one of the most chilling sentences uttered in the series so far, seriously. It was interesting, because as they began talking about what Skyler could do to help the children, I felt the same helpless and trapped feeling that she did. For every plan that she had, Walt had an answer as to why that wouldn't work and I begin to think and realize, she really is stuck and these innocent children are screwed. The way in which he doesn't really care and really is just obsessed with having his children around is so terrifying it's unbelievable, but then Skyler tells us she finally knows her way out. She is a coward and won't do anything, so she has to wait, hold on, bide her time and hope for the cancer to come back. Chilling. I think I literally got goosebumps. It's so fucked up, but so true, that the only way that she and her family have any chance of getting out of this situation clean and unscathed, is if Walt were to die of something completely unrelated and become incapacitated by the cancer. I have no idea if this is actually what is going to happen, but to imagine the pain Skyler must feel as she sits around waiting and hoping for her husband once again gets a life-threatening illness is unimaginable.

However, there is an indication in the final scene that Walt's life, truly is a time bomb waiting to go off. If we look at the symbolism there, I suspect that his ultimate demise, might come more from his relationship with Jesse, not Skyler. Walt walks out and shows Skyler his watch and tells her that the person that gave him this watch wanted him dead too, and almost killed him, yet he changed his mind about him and so will she. The screwed up thing about this, is the fact that we(the audience) know that Jesse didn't kill Walt because he did so many things to deceive him and pretend he was not responsible for the reasons Jesse wanted him dead. Yet, if he were to realize what Walt did, I'm sure he would be right back there pointing the gun to his head again. It could be only a matter of time before Jesse finds out that Walt actually did poison Brock, which could be the end of all of this. The watch ticks at the end, and we don't know what it is counting down to, but I think the one thing we do know, is that reign of King Walt, is likely going to crash and come to an end in some way, the only question now is why and/or how.

Yup, Skyler's dead. She's a shell where Walt can comfortably shit into. Apart from that, I found it incredibly interesting how Walt delicately uses Walt Jr. to put her even further on edge. She was the bitch mom to cool dad from the start of season 3, but only now it's really hitting the nail on the head. That breakfast scene? It looked like a prison harassment.

By the way, that opening montage must be the most glorious thing ever conceived by man.

The ticking clock turns into the sound of a gun being racked. Seeing as Walt just gave Skylar the idea of putting a gun to his head just moments before, it won't be too surprising if he wakes up to a barrel sticking in his face. Which brings up the issue of why Skylar can't take the kids, and go into protective custody? Instead she conciously tries to manipulate the situation with fake mental breakdowns, followed by future fake accusations of Walt assaulting her. Her melodrama isn't engaging, it's like watching a depressed Dolph Lundgren.

And the 'music video' interludes are starting to feel like exactly that.

@Martin_Blank said:

Which brings up the issue of why Skylar can't take the kids, and go into protective custody? Instead she conciously tries to manipulate the situation with fake mental breakdowns, followed by future fake accusations of Walt assaulting her.

First of all, Walt undermined her credibility with the only people she can turn to - Hank and Marie - by telling them about the affair. They were already a bit on his side when the whole divorce stuff happened, since from their point of view Skyler was acting weird. She attempted to drown herself not to indicate that something is wrong and that she needs help, desperately. She did it to point out that something is wrong and the kids should not be around someone who is apparently going batshit crazy.

Secundo, Skyler is obsessed with preserving a sense of stability in her family. She tries to be the glue holding it and everyone around her is on the case to fuck with that goal. First it's her husband's cancer, then Marie goes on a kleptomania binge, then Walt Jr. starts to distance himself from his family, then Walt goes batshit, then Hank gets shot, then Walt goes batshit even more. She can't ruin the picture completely by admitting that yeah, Walt is Heisenberg. At least not now.

@Ghostiet: Hank and Marie aren't the only people she can turn to. She knows enough about Walt's business to go to the authorities. If she was really in fear for her children's safety, that is what she should do. Acting like that is not an option, is not believable.

I'm glad Skyler has finally done something other than sit around, her confrontation with Walt was great. I really liked that it was Jesse that Mike sent to Lydia.

What a great episode the writing is so good haven't enjoy a show this much since the early years of 24 this might be my favorite tv show ever so addictive and never really felt let down by any episode which I can't say for any other show.

@Martin_Blank: Again - the sense of stability. She makes an attempt at preserving it, wrestling for a tiny bit of control. And it works. Towards the end of the episode, she regains at least a bit of it, since she snaps out of her catatonia enough to bite Walt back. It's clear that she prefers to be a crazy woman than to destroy the idealized image of Walt her son has, considering the way she handled separation in season 3. Not to mention that she's probably terrified of the idea that Walt Jr. would idolize him even more if she told him he's a drug kingpin.

Going to the authorities is a last resort - it will end with both of them in prison, not to mention the fact that Walt can go crazy. She knows he killed at least four people, he'll kill more if the need arises. Going to Hank and Marie is much safer, because it's family and there's a tiny chance Hank will somehow fix it. And Walt will think twice about hurting them.

And it is COMPLETELY believable. You ever heard about domestic abuse, how one partner is so intimidated and grasping hard to the idea of a family that worked once that they won't leave, despite getting beaten up, molested and/or mind fucked? This is exactly this.

Also, Skyler realizes that the only way to go now is down. That's what her scene with Ted illustrated. "Good" wasn't her liking the power she had over Ted. It was pragmatism. She's aware that there's no turning back right now and he just happened to provide her an easy way out of that situation.

Not to mention that the entire "drowning herself in a pool of blue water" is simple symbolism.

The muscle car dubstep scene was kinda hilarious. I'm not really sure what they were going for exactly.

@Ghostiet said:

@Martin_Blank: And it is COMPLETELY believable. You ever heard about domestic abuse, how one partner is so intimidated and grasping hard to the idea of a family that worked once that they won't leave, despite getting beaten up, molested and/or mind fucked? This is exactly this.

Exactly this.

Not believable? It disturbingly is.

@mercurialau said:

The muscle car dubstep scene was kinda hilarious. I'm not really sure what they were going for exactly.

Considering the rest of the episode is dark like a gaping asshole, it required some levity. And it's so obnoxious it showcases really well what is Walt's mindset right now - he's the king of the world in his brain, so he's going to be the loudest dickhead around.

@Ghostiet: So "sense of stability" trumps the safety of her children? They could have been murdered, and they can still be murdered. She acknowledges that herself. If she goes to the authorities she could completely avoid prison, and keep custody of her children, in return for giving up Walt, and his business. That's a safe option. Going to Hank, and playing these conciously manipulative mindgames, is not even remotely as safe.

Skyler hasn't portrayed herself as that sexist stereotype of the weak-willed spouse. Even after she found out what Walt was doing she didn't shrink back like some submissive victim. She took control of the money, she made him buy the carwash. She even made enormous decisions like giving Ted the $600,000 without even consulting him. That person suddenly becoming the mindless, passive shell, is not believable. Especially with the lives of her children in real danger.

@Martin_Blank: As I said, it's both circumstances and both a power struggle. In the end it payed off to Skyler, because she managed to show enough of a backbone to her husband. It's eerily similar to the tug-o-war with Mike from the previous episode. Skyler can either take the easy way out, which isn't easy at all, or fight back. She managed to remove the kids from the picture, so yeah, she's saving them for the time being, until she deals with Walt one way or the other.

It is believable and the weak-willed way she acts is completely normal. Hell, you could easily predict it. The current dynamic between Walt and Skyler mirrors the one from season 1. She was always in control of Walt, even if it was on a much less sociopathic level. Veggie bacon, a birthday party he didn't want, she essentially puts him into cancer therapy, she was perfectly content with the boring life they had because she was setting the tone for it. Look how crazy she goes when she suspects Walt has a second cellphone. It goes beyond simple "he's keeping secrets". It's "he's keeping secrets I have no way of snooping out".

Look how she can't resist to slight Walt when she bullshits Marie about the poker winnings. She's in a position of power, because he can't say jack and shit. She went with the car wash plans, but that was mostly so she could have control over Walt's criminal life, the one part that eluded her so far. And that was fine and dandy until she realized that Walt is fare more dangerous to himself and everyone else than she ever expected. The scene with Walt telling Marie about the affair is almost an exact mirror to the one about poker. They both used her sister as a platform to explain weird behavior and fuck the other over.

And yeah, she's dead, because as I said, she'll finally snap. There's only so much mind games you can play with a sociopath like Walt.

@staceywi said:

It could be only a matter of time before Jesse finds out that Walt actually did poison Brock, which could be the end of all of this. The watch ticks at the end, and we don't know what it is counting down to, but I think the one thing we do know, is that reign of King Walt, is likely going to crash and come to an end in some way, the only question now is why and/or how.

I think it was always the plan for Jesse to be the one, since day one. So far Walt stood back and let the guys girlfriend die, and in the process killed 167 other people, then killed Gus, who we're not even entirely sure really needed to die. The only thing he did was intend to cut Walt out of the game and that set Walt off on another like a boss spree. Then we've got the Brock situation which he seemed basically shameless about. Both of the last two were simple moves of greed, not a need to provide. They hinted at this with him buying the water heater and the new wood, how he was just buying simply because he could without a serious need for an expensive tankless heater or an entire new floor of wood. He's slowly going over board, and Mike knows it that's why he didn't want to and still doesn't want to join them.

Walts' avarice is getting the best of him and eventually it'll lead to him probably getting prideful and telling the truth himself out of ignorant cockiness. I think all of this will converge at some point into a lethal showdown between the two, being the reason like you said, why in the first episode he's buying that rifle.