Breaking Bad

[Jeff Lebowski]

If he really despised Skyler and meant all those horrible things he said to her, why would he call at all? Why not just let her go down for her role in the business?

The only reason he makes that phone call at all is to help her and protect her, even after she just tried to kill him. Another example of how Vince Gilligan is full of shit when he says there is nothing redeemable about Walt -- that he's Scarface.

It's hilarious when people claim Vince Gilligan doesn't understand his star character.

[Non Sequitur]

When you saw Walt rolling that boulder through the desert, did anyone else think of Sisyphus?

[UVACoug]

Has Walt ever shown any real affection for his family? Walt might love his family, but I don't think he really loves the members of his family.

Exactly. He loves the idea of being a family man. In many ways, it is all he has. He doesn't have any "friends". He has never had a good relationship with anyone in his family, including Walt Jr.

[CardiacCoug]

It's hilarious when people claim Vince Gilligan doesn't understand his star character.

Oh come on -- Walt offered and lost his entire fortune (86% of it, at least) to try to save Hank.

He does his great acting job on that phone call for only one reason -- to help Skyler and exculpate her.

I know Vince Gilligan understands Walt. Just for some reason he likes to say there is nothing redeemable about him, but keeps having him do these inarguably admirable things. Although sure he's done a lot of really bad things, too.

[Jeff Lebowski]

This. I honestly think it was incredibly obvious what he was doing, and don't really see how it could be seen any differently. Love that in the same episode he was willing to see Jesse killed right in front of him, and then he throws himself on his sword--in a way--to protect his family and particularly Skylar.

I guess if you had to pick a secondary theme for this episode, it would be the juxtaposition of extremes. You start with the flashback to the RV scene and then fade it into the current scene. You have Walt begging for them to save Hank, and then giving up Jesse a few minutes later. Stealing his daughter and then dropping her off at the fire station.

[Pheidippides]

Oh come on -- Walt offered and lost his entire fortune (86% of it, at least) to try to save Hank.

He does his great acting job on that phone call for only one reason -- to help Skyler and exculpate her.

I know Vince Gilligan understands Walt. Just for some reason he likes to say there is nothing redeemable about him, but keeps having him do these inarguably admirable things. Although sure he's done a lot of really bad things, too.

When has he said there is nothing redeemable about him? I haven't heard that, and I don't think he's said it. What he's doing is responding to people who are rooting for Walt to pull it off somehow. Walt is evil, but even evil people aren't bad in everything they do. Hitler (Godwin's law alert!) was reputedly nice to his secretaries.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Oh come on -- Walt offered and lost his entire fortune (86% of it, at least) to try to save Hank.

He does his great acting job on that phone call for only one reason -- to help Skyler and exculpate her.

I know Vince Gilligan understands Walt. Just for some reason he likes to say there is nothing redeemable about him, but keeps having him do these inarguably admirable things. Although sure he's done a lot of really bad things, too.

We have debated this ad nauseum. Either Vince Gilligan is FOS about this brilliant character he has created or you are still missing the nuance in the point he was making.

[Jeff Lebowski]

When has he said there is nothing redeemable about him? I haven't heard that, and I don't think he's said it. What he's doing is responding to people who are rooting for Walt to pull it off somehow. Walt is evil, but even evil people aren't bad in everything they do. Hitler (Godwin's law alert!) was reputedly nice to his secretaries.

Ding, ding, ding...

[UVACoug]

When has he said there is nothing redeemable about him? I haven't heard that, and I don't think he's said it. What he's doing is responding to people who are rooting for Walt to pull it off somehow. Walt is evil, but even evil people aren't bad in everything they do. Hitler (Godwin's law alert!) was reputedly nice to his secretaries.

[CardiacCoug]

We have debated this ad nauseum. Either Vince Gilligan is FOS about this brilliant character he has created or you are still missing the nuance in the point he was making.

I don't have the quote, and sure he didn't say exactly that there was nothing redeemable about Walt. He said that he's perplexed by people who cheer for Walt, that Walt is a bad dude, you can't sympathize with Walt anymore, etc.

But then he keeps having Walt do these good things, even amidst all the shit that's going on. Skyler tries to kill him, and he still helps her with that phone call.

Agreed about the theme of good and bad juxtaposed. The episode is bracketed by the two phone calls to Skyler and that's interesting, too. He's lying and acting in both calls.

[Commando]

I'm still pulling for Walt.

[UVACoug]

I don't have the quote, and sure he didn't say exactly that there was nothing redeemable about Walt. He said that he's perplexed by people who cheer for Walt, that Walt is a bad dude, you can't sympathize with Walt anymore, etc.

But then he keeps having Walt do these good things, even amidst all the shit that's going on. Skyler tries to kill him, and he still helps her with that phone call.

Agreed about the theme of good and bad juxtaposed. The episode is bracketed by the two phone calls to Skyler and that's interesting, too. He's lying and acting in both calls.

Making everything Walt does purely evil would turn him into a cartoon, not a real human character. I don't think Gilligan has ever said Walt was pure evil. He has merely questioned why people would still be rooting for him, which seems pretty strange to me too.

To be completely honest, I didn't buy Walt giving up his money for Hank's life. It was a really stupid move and Walt has never had a deep love for Hank. His other "redeeming" acts seem consistent with his character, but I thought his dedication to Hank went a little beyond believability. Especially when he so willingly gave up Jesse ... who he always had a closer relationship with.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I re-watched the opening scene and enjoyed it even more the second time. When Skylar is talking during the flashback scene she's very content, she made $9 on the sale of that stupid ceramic clown, and she likes Walt's suggestion that the family go off together for the weekend. And as she talks she's standing next to the set of knives...

Later in the episode when we see her again in the kitchen next to the knives, the conversation is about money and Walt's "suggestion" that the family head out together, but things have changed.

[Commando]

He wasn't trying to protect his family. It's always been about control for Walt. He always treated Jessed like a son, until he could no longer control him. When he lost control of Skylar and Flynn, that was the end. He took Holly, because that was the last thing he thought he could control. He didn't do it out of love or concern. Now the only thing he has left to control is that big barrel of money.

That was wildly, overtly, obviously protective move of a phone call, every "mean" thing he said done in a voice he's never made before and punctuated with silent, agonized weeping. Maybe you were playing Candy Crush and just listening to the episode.

[Commando]

To be completely honest, I didn't buy Walt giving up his money for Hank's life. It was a really stupid move and Walt has never had a deep love for Hank. His other "redeeming" acts seem consistent with his character, but I thought his dedication to Hank went a little beyond believability. Especially when he so willingly gave up Jesse ... who he always had a closer relationship with.

Why does he turn on Jesse?