Breaking Bad Season 5 Thread

This first 8 episode arc just feels like the bothersome episodes that get in the way before they get to the real stuff.

There is plenty that has to be settled before this show is over, namely the conflicts between Walt and Jesse, Walt and Skyler and Walt and Hank. It was perfectly logical that Mike would be the one "big" death that happens before this 8 episode arc ends. I'd like to think there's a whole lot of stuff that's going to happen in the final eight.

 

Yep. The writers certainly changed everything we knew to be true about Mike to lead to his death. He was an unfailingly competent person in everything he did. Then this season, they magically soften him up to the point that he's leaving loose ends all over the place. He lets Lydia off multiple times, he takes part in a bunch of ridiculous schemes, etc. The only time the Mike we knew before this season showed up was when Lydia put the hit on him and he snuffed it out expertly.

 

Vaguely feels like part of season 6a of the Sopranos, since it was split into 16 eps in similar fashion.

 

I'll counter the argument about Mike being changed for the sake of plot.

This season is by far the most we've ever seen of Mike. We see his house, tons of interaction with his granddaughter, engagement with very minor characters like the guy in the jail and Todd, etc. Perhaps this IS the REAL Mike. The Mike we saw vaguely late in season two, partially in season three and a bit more in season four was just the surface. Now, we're seeing what he does when things get way too close. And he's not quite the perfect badass we thought. It's not a stretch to reach this conclusion about the character.

 

Fair enough. I could see that point.

 

Yeah, pretty much this. Season 4 should have been the end. The greatest last line of a show ever, "I won."

 

To go along with this, there really wasn't much development of the Mike and his granddaughter theme until this season. I don't remember the subject of her being broached until he was being interrogated by Hank and Gomez. The fact that she's got the biggest safe deposit box says volumes about where his motivations were. And, he knew that he wouldn't be around to see her 18th birthday.

Another question: Mike's out. Why would Walter call him and warn him the cops were coming?

 

Walt doesn't want to take the chance Mike might implicate him if he's brought in by the DEA? Walt actually didn't remember until he shot Mike that he could get those 9 names from Lydia, and wanted to nail them down?

It's paranoid and makes no real sense if examined, but that's a lot of Walt's actions this season.

Apart from that, I got nothing.

 

I'm guessing that Todd's relative in prison will be helpful in Walt's attempt to eliminate Mike's nine guys.

 

Yup. He even apologized to Mike after realizing he could have got the names from Lydia.

These aren't actions and words ("Say my name," etc.) of heavy-handed writing. This is what Walt is and it's brilliant writing.

 

I'm beginning to wonder whether Dish Network not having AMC has been a blessing in disguise for me.

Every review I've read has made me question some of the directions the show has gone in. Maybe I should never watch this season.

 

While I think some seams are showing, the show is still mostly on-target. I don't think most of what's happened this season is that illogical as far as the characters that we've come to know. As NDub pointed out, I think we all have this more badass idea of what Mike is as opposed to what Mike really is.

Also, to the point made about not much happening, that's to be expected when you have the major crime organizations in the area getting taken out at the end of last season. It shouldn't be a surprise that there is a need to build things back up and that it's not going to happen that quickly. Go back and watch the 4-5 episodes of season two after Tuco dies. They're extremely slow.