Breaking Bad

[Jeff Lebowski]

I guess I'm misunderstanding what you mean when someone could kill his own wife and not be any worse of a human being. That sounds pretty black.

I am saying it is possible, but I never said it was a sure thing or even likely. I am on record as predicting that someone else kills his family.

I have never said that Walt is 100% pure evil (not even sure that what means). I have just said that he has done so many evil things up to this point that I find it odd that people are still rooting for him or hoping for some kind of redemptive ending. Not likely.

[CardiacCoug]

I used to hate Skylar. I like her more now.



I'm with you. I won't excuse anything Walt has done and I would never call him a "good" guy, but I also have a harder time than I should hating him. I guess evil fascinates me. Except in the case of the psychopath/sociopath, people don't just do bad things to do them--there's always some decent motive behind them. So what protects us from walking the same path? That's a fascinating question to me, and keeps me hoping for some sort of redemptive path for Walt.

The show explores this question in a new and interesting way--is it possible to enter a dirty business with good motives and stay good? Apparently not. But I don't think Gilligan thinks Walt is wholly evil, despite what he keeps telling TV mags. I don't know why people keep trying to paint him as wholly black. That's boring and completely unreal.

Walt's motivation in getting into the meth trade is what is fascinating to me.

His stated motivation, even to himself, is that he needs to provide a nest egg for his wife and kids so they can live comfortably after he is gone.

His actual motivation for a long time has been pride, sense of importance, notoriety, etc. The famous lines "Say My Name!" and "I'm the One Who Knocks" illustrate that. Here was a guy who was shit on and unappreciated for his entire life by everybody around him and now he has changed that and he wants people to know. In a drunken state he even recklessly told Hank that Gale couldn't have been Heisenberg -- he was that prideful that he didn't want Gale getting credit for what he did, even if it put him at significant risk.

The thing that I can't figure out is why he has given up being Heisenberg. To me based on his underlying motivation that only makes sense if his cancer really is back and he knows he's going to be dead soon anyway.

[Commando]

I forget where I read it, but someone suggested that the end of the show should be Walt going into witness protection as the dad on Malcolm in the Middle. ha.

It was a twitter joke that blew up a couple months ago.

[Commando]

After all of the things he has done thus far? Not really.

Really? No jump between ordering a hit on hardened convicts to preserve himself from prosecution and killing his wife?

[ERCougar]

I am saying it is possible, but I never said it was a sure thing or even likely. I am on record as predicting that someone else kills his family.

I have never said that Walt is 100% pure evil (not even sure that what means). I have just said that he has done so many evil things up to this point that I find it odd that people are still rooting for him or hoping for some kind of redemptive ending. Not likely.

I'm not saying that you predicted you'd kill his wife. When I asked if he would be any worse morally if he did, you said no. I think he does, because I still see a shred of goodness in him. The question of whether I'm rooting for some redemption is a different one.

[Commando]

I have never said that Walt is 100% pure evil (not even sure that what means). I have just said that he has done so many evil things up to this point that I find it odd that people are still rooting for him or hoping for some kind of redemptive ending. Not likely.

When the villians are humanized people usually root for them. It's fun. See Scarface, Goodfellas, the Godfather, et al...

[ERCougar]

Walt's motivation in getting into the meth trade is what is fascinating to me.

His stated motivation, even to himself, is that he needs to provide a nest egg for his wife and kids so they can live comfortably after he is gone.

His actual motivation for a long time has been pride, sense of importance, notoriety, etc. The famous lines "Say My Name!" and "I'm the One Who Knocks" illustrate that. Here was a guy who was shit on and unappreciated for his entire life by everybody around him and now he has changed that and he wants people to know. In a drunken state he even recklessly told Hank that Gale couldn't have been Heisenberg -- he was that prideful that he didn't want Gale getting credit for what he did, even if it put him at significant risk.

The thing that I can't figure out is why he has given up being Heisenberg. To me based on his underlying motivation that only makes sense if his cancer really is back and he knows he's going to be dead soon anyway.

Yeah, there were definitely other motives that became more important, but I think his initial motives were fairly pure. One of the brilliant moments of the first season is the infamous rear entry scene. I don't want to get into the rape discussion, but he found his masculinity and power there, and these other forces began to grow.

[CardiacCoug]

Really? No jump between ordering a hit on hardened convicts to preserve himself from prosecution and killing his wife?

Yep.

Huge difference between killing other people who are "in the game" like Mike and Gus and even Jesse's druggy girlfriend and killing the mother of your children. I highly doubt that they will have Walt kill Skyler. I don't think he will kill Hank or Marie either. I wonder if the Whites will even cut some type of deal with Hank and Marie -- Hank is afraid of being humiliated and losing his job. They have no kids -- isn't Hank's job everything to him?

[YOhio]

I'm keeping my eyes open this next episode to see if Walt is sucking on a pacifier, drinking a bottle or calling himself Flynn. Then we'll know that bastard killed his own children.

[Commando]

Yep.

Huge difference between killing other people who are "in the game" like Mike and Gus and even Jesse's druggy girlfriend and killing the mother of your children. I highly doubt that they will have Walt kill Skyler. I don't think he will kill Hank or Marie either. I wonder if the Whites will even cut some type of deal with Hank and Marie -- Hank is afraid of being humiliated and losing his job. They have no kids -- isn't Hank's job everything to him?

The Aryan Nation or whoever those guys are are gonna do all the killin'... which Walter will ultimately be responsible for because of the unstoppable boulder he loosed with not just tapping out when he had ample opportunity to do so earlier. That's how Walter's hands are further soiled in my opinion. I think it takes too much out of the character they've developed over five seasons to do a reverse deus ex machina and abruptly have him do something that makes the audience check out. The writers have shown that they are too smart for that.

[CardiacCoug]

The Aryan Nation or whoever those guys are are gonna do all the killin'... which Walter will ultimately be responsible for because of the unstoppable boulder he loosed with not just tapping out when he had ample opportunity to do so earlier. That's how Walter's hands are further soiled in my opinion. I think it takes too much out of the character they've developed over five seasons to do a reverse deus ex machina and abruptly have him do something that makes the audience check out. The writers have shown that they are too smart for that.

Yeah that makes sense.

[Donuthole]

I guess I'm misunderstanding what you mean when someone could kill his own wife and not be any worse of a human being. That sounds pretty black.

.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I don't think Walt is 100%, but killing Skyler wouldn't be any worse than what he has already done. Let's see, killing a woman who has enabled Walt in his drug trade and benefited from all that Walt has done vs. poisoning a child. Also, make no mistake Todd did exactly what Walt wanted when he killed the kid. If Todd hadn't acted so fast, Walt would have found a way to take care of the kid another way.

[Art Vandelay]

There are 6 episodes left, the last presumably will significantly involved a shaggy New Hampsherite (ian?) with a really big gun. Next week will likely spend a lot of time on the same day, as this week, with Hank interrogating Jesse. So in 4 episodes Walt goes from be willing to turn himself in, as long as Skyler keeps the money to killing her. No Fway.

Lydia is the woman to watch from here in out, not Skyler.

[Commando]

I don't think Walt is 100%, but killing Skyler wouldn't be any worse than what he has already done. Let's see, killing a woman who has enabled Walt in his drug trade and benefited from all that Walt has done vs. poisoning a child. Also, make no mistake Todd did exactly what Walt wanted when he killed the kid. If Todd hadn't acted so fast, Walt would have found a way to take care of the kid another way.

I'm calling BS on this one. That kid was out collecting spiders. All they had to do was wave and send the kid on his way. The kid would have had no concept of what was happening. There is literally nobody in that character's life who would bat an eye even if he related the whole story of four men hooking up hoses to a stationary train, collecting a fluid, and un-hooking as the train resumed its course-- let alone if he related what he actually probably saw, which was four men with a water pump and a hose high-fiving.

Say the kid asks a question-'what are you doing?' "We're testing for water contamination/collecting a deposit from this train. What's that you got there? A tarantula? Great! Have a nice day!" The kid's murder has been the biggest tragedy of the series, in my opinion, and one Walter was a reluctant party to, unfortunately. Much like the upcoming deaths of more innocents, he is not directly responsible for it, but is technically an accomplice.