Breaking Bad Season 5 Thread

On another topic, how 'bout that guy who keeps getting his head shoved in the toilet in the Low Rising Sun spot?

"No! No!"

Indeed. Make that ad stop.

 

I've heard almost entirely bad things about that show. I watched the first episode and thought it managed to be both generic and impossible to sustain simultaneously. That's not an easy combination.

 

Not that it matters, but the phones were props according to locals on Twitter.

 

I used a pay phone two weeks ago when I forgot my cell on an assignment. They're out there.

Anyway, here's how last night's Plaza scene could have worked better.

The show had already established that Walt wanted Saul's guys to find Jesse. So when Walt was contacted to set up the meeting, he tips Saul and he sends out the "A Team" to tail Jesse from the point he's spotted.

Jesse shows up at the Plaza, understandably concerned Walt's up to something. As he approaches Walt, he notices Huell and/or Kuby, neither of whom is noted for their competence. Jesse -- who gave Saul a beatdown and knows Saul isn't going to be sympathetic to him -- smells a rat, and bugs out.

That makes more sense than random guy in the Plaza who can be seen in pretty much any public place.

 

Jesse's freaked out about wearing a wire and about sitting down with Walt. He's legitimately scared of Walt (he certainly doesn't want to confront him, better to burn down an empty house), says Walt's the devil. But he's probably not 100 percent trusting of Hank and Gomie, too.

Before they show the so-called random bald guy in the plaza, they show other people in Jesse's path -- notably a point-of-view shot of a homeless person, I believe with a shopping cart -- and they're all freaking Jesse out. He's paranoid and on the lookout for anything that could be a threat.

So I have no problem with the way the story unfolded.

 

I don't have a problem with the logistics. I just don't think it was great story telling.

 

Any ideas for what Jesse meant by wanting to hit Walt somewhere harder? Part of me thinks it has to do with the money, since we know Walt wanted to get his family financially stable should he die from cancer. We know Jesse won't touch the kids.

 

Things that occurred to me included Jesse doing something to the car wash or somehow finding a way to exploit the laundering front that it is. I also considered the money itself but Jesse has no idea where it is. I definitely don't think he does anything to Walt's kids.

Also, I want to know exactly what Walt is planning for Jesse. I know they want us to believe he's putting a hit on Jesse via Todd but that's a bit too simple for Gilligan, I think. I'm curious what the plan is, expecting something a bit more nuanced.

 

The random guy's effect on Jesse was a payoff to the previous scene, though. Jesse tells Hank, "He's smarter than you. He's luckier than you. Whatever you want to happen, the exact opposite will happen."
If Jesse goes through with it and talks to Walt, Walt is done. He spills the beans and the DEA can swoop in and pick him up. However, like Jesse said, that's what he and Hank and Gomie want to happen -- so the exact opposite happens. Jesse gets spooked, backs off, and Walt lives to fight another day.

 

Did anybody think Aaron Paul's acting in the gasoline incident was a bit comical and over-the-top?

 

I think it was supposed to be that way. He was suppose to be high off his ass on coke.

 

It's probably asking too much for Skyler to be eaten by zombie.