Emmy nominations - Directing

The other category besides writing that is closest to a "best episode" category is direction.  The shows overlap much with the writing category with the episodes abutting their writing nominee counterparts in two cases.

Felina
One episode, Breaking Bad's "Felina" overlaps, and is the only one to do so.  Does that make it the default choice for best episode?


I won't rehash "Felina" again.  Instead, here are the other directing nominees that were featured on I Don't Own a Television.

Best Direction
"Farewell Daddy Blues"
Boardwalk Empire
When this aired, I called it possibly Boardwalk Empire's finest episode.  The Season Four finale executed a lot of what made "The Children" so good for Game of Thrones, probably because these two shows have a lot in common.


"The Watchers on the Wall"
Game of Thrones
A big, singularly focused, episode with lots of action, effects and battle sequences.  I think there is a lot more to the episode than bashing people in the head with swords and axes, which is what elevates it to a higher level.


"Who Goes There"
True Detective
This no doubt largely got the nomination for the six minute unbroken chaos shot as Rust's undercover business goes pear shaped.  There's a reason this made the Internet explode Monday morning.

Fargo
I did not post about Fargo because it was airing at the same time as Mad Men and Game of Thrones, and three shows would simply have been too much.  That said, Fargo, while it submitted in the miniseries categories, could just as easily have held its own as a regular series.  The three best seasons this year were Breaking Bad, Fargo and True Detective and there's no wrong answer as to which came out on top.

Fargo featured two in the directing category "The Crocodile's Dilemma” and "Buridan's Ass" as well as having "Crocodile's Dilemna" in writing, giving it the "Felina" overlap.  While the competition is much easier in the miniseries category (getting harder each year though) the nominations are noteworthy, much deserved and could easily have happened in the series category. 

"Crocodile's Dilemma" is the premiere and it wouldn't be right to discuss it further.  "Buridan's Ass" left me thinking immediately that this is up there with "Farewell Daddy Blues" and "Secret Fate of All Things" and "Ozymandias" as the best episode of the year.  I will forever have the snowstorm with the drums soundtrack implanted in my brain. 

Others
Also featured for writing and directing: "Chapter 14" - House of Cards (Season Two premiere)
Get real.  House of Cards is fun adn I love it, but it's pulp and it's clearly not in the top tier.

Also featured for directing:"Episode 1 - Season Four" - Downton Abbey

All that said, the Emmy voting process is rather unfair and insane

Emmy Nominations - Writing

While I lament the lack of nomination for Pedro Pascal, I am rather pleased with some of the nominations for writing and directing.  There is no Emmy for best episode, so these categories sort of combine for that honor.  Here are the nominees that have entries on here.

Writing

"The Children"
Thwunk

Game of Thrones Season Four episodes were often about moving storylines and characters into place, while punctuating it with a big scene.  The nature of drawing source material from three books, plus the content of that material, plus original material, plus breaking ten episodes made this the natural way to plot the season.  And with a cast of a billion or so, filmed across many continents, it's not surprising we don't see some characters for a week or two.  Given that, this season didn't have as many fun character development scenes like Season Two's Arya and Tywin scenes (though Tyrion's and Jaime's in the dungeon were pretty good).  "The Children" was a great blend of plot, character, source material and original material, all pulled together to move the story forward and perhaps for the first time end on an oddly hopeful note.

"Ozymandias"
Look upon my works, ye mighty and despair

I had occasion to visit Percy Bysshe Shelley's grave in May, and it says a lot my first thoughts go to Breaking Bad.  All of Walt's work, manipulating, lying, ego puffing and violence comes crashing down as gets caught, is responsible for the death of his brother in law, is rejected by his wife and son and loses most of his money to boot.

"Felina"
Blacker than night were the eyes of Felina wicked and evil while casting a spell
...
Back in El Paso my life would be worthless, everything gone in life nothing is left 
...
Maybe tomorrow a bullet may find me
Once everyone caught up on this show, it made this episode the event of the year.  The only competition would be the "Reigns of Castamere" but that would be considered the previous "season".  Walt seeks redemption to the fullest extent possible, able to put aside his ego for a minute to ensure some fraction of his money gets to his children via uber-Heisenberg methods.  Always one to hold a grudge, Walt goes to settle some scores and in his last moments before taking the bullet that would allow him to escape before the coppers ever get him, he saves the life of the show's conscious.

"The Secret Fate of All Things"
Time is a flat circle
Featuring 1995, 2002 and 2012 storylines, the episode both closes and reopens the Reggie Ledoux/Dora Lange case.  We've sensed we're not getting the whole picture and it's confirmed when Marty and Rust go full unreliable narrator as they relate the Ledoux compound firefight.  Mixing in some rambling/Nietzsche and making as good of use as one can of different literary devices, we get as many questions as answers in these sixty minutes.  Even more impressive, this follows "Who Goes There?" and delivers after expectations are raised incredibly high.

To choose is to choose a favorite child or pizza topping.

M-V-P! M-V-P!

With the Golden Globes last night, now is as good of a time as any to expand on my MVP nominations from the Year's End post.  Here's some additional information on the four most valuable characters from 2013:

MVP
The character who kills every scene and single handedly brings up the overall quality of the show.  The nominees are...

Raylan Givens
Justified
You run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole.  You run into assholes all day, you're the asshole"

“You run into an asshole in the morning: you ran into an asshole. You run into assholes all day: you’re the asshole.” – Raylan Givens. - See more at: http://brandnewcool.com/2013/01/08/hole-in-the-wall-favorite-moments-and-more-from-justified/#sthash.MSIoGZBj.dpuf

Always good for a quote about assholes.  For how he dealt with his father dying and his baby being on the way.  He showed ambition for the first time as well as considerable depth and incredible acting (think scene in front of the elevators).  Raylan doesn't fall into the anti-hero lead category that is on the verge of being cliche if more poorly formed versions pop up. He is a more traditional 'hero' albeit with deep flaws, yet still intensely likeable.  And tied together the best plot of 2013. 

Ygritte
Game of Thrones 
"You know nothing, Jon Snow"  
The refrain of the year.  She's hilarious and badass and incredibly astute.  Ygritte elevates the entire North of the Wall storyline in a way Tyrion did in Kings' Landing in Season Two.  Picking an MVP from the cast of Game of Thrones could prove an exercise in futility, but Ygritte made it surprisingly easy.


Saul Berenzen
Homeland
"When it's over it's over. Pull down the shades and go home."
The above quote could well be advice to Homeland as a series.  "The Maestro" had the opportunity and resources to implement his grand vision for moving forward United States foreign relations with a certain country, and it just so happened to settle an old score of his.  Audacious in his vision, yet till hardened enough to do what it took to accomplish the end game.  If Saul's not back next season, we can take comfort in the fact that he did get to play his opus on the grandest stage.

And the winner....

Jesse Pinkman
Breaking Bad 
"Can you just, uh, stop working me for, like, ten seconds straight? Stop jerking me around?

For being the soul and conscience of a show that turned the protagonist into Scarface and gave us a rooting interest we could all agree upon.  Put through the wringer and beat up worse than Ben was in Lost, we can all hope and pretend that he just sped out those gates* and kept driving all the way to Alaska. Even though Vince Gilligan in a GQ interview reminded us his fingerprints are all over that lab run by Jack and company.  

* As much closure as the finale brought, there's still unanswered questions (what happens to Jesse when two miles down the road, etc)  .  You can only do so much.  It's like the big bang theory... each answer begets a new question. It was unfair to knock Lost for the same things because each time they solved a mystery, the answer would inherently raise a new question. 

Year's End

I don't watch every show, but I watch a lot of shows.  Certainly more than your average Emmy or Golden Globe voter.  Here are my 2013 made up winners for my made up categories.

Biggest laugh
"I have decided to do a puzzle." - Winston
"All In"
New Girl
It took me longer to recover from this line than anything else on television.  I probably laughed for 5-10 minutes.  Out of context, it doesn't make much sense.  In context, I'm not sure it makes any more sense.

Favorite single episode
"Decoy"
Justified
The best western made since the Magnificent Seven.  Paired with "Get Drew" you have 90 minutes of a movie. 

Biggest and best single episode
"The Rains of Castamere"
Game of Thrones
So much is already said about this episode.  The only other contenders are probably a few episodes from Breaking Bad

Most important episode
"World War Zimmerman"
South Park
If you have 22 minutes and only 22 minutes to watch television from 2013, watch this episode.  And if you can only watch one scene, watch Mr. Garrison mediate between Token and Cartman.

Best insult
Both of these come from Veep, whose insult-laden, incompetent, self-interested Washington is a much more accurate representation than what we see on The West Wing

Furlong: What is it you move slower than?
Will: I move as slowly as a Mississippi detective investigating the murder of a young black man.
Veep "D.C"

Honorable mention:
"What are you laughing at, jolly green jizzface?" - Selena, Veep "The Vic Allen Dinner"

Best overall season (tie)
Justified
Season Four
This one's here as my favorite season.  Rather than introduce a new villain or big bad to take us from 1 to 13, we explore new avenues of marshalling with Raylan where he tries to solve a mystery, operating largely in the already established universe of Harlan, KY.  Other strengths include a side plot featured in the premiere then revisited mid-season, and Boyd's, largely separate until it wasn't anymore, storyline.

Breaking Bad
Season Five-B
This one's here as the, objectively, best season in television in 2013.  Barney Stinson says a good mix should be "all rise" (rather than rise and fall) and that's what this season did.  Gilligan put his foot on the gas, immediately bringing Walt and Hank to a head and then keeping it there through Walt literally slamming his foot on the gas and confessing in "To'hajiilee" until he regroups in "Granite State" and redeems himself to the extent possible in "Felina"

Worst overall season
Community
Season Four
Often when a show undergoes big creative changes, complaints can still be tempered with "it's not what it was but it's still better than most other shows."  That was not the case here, as Community, at best, attempted an impersonation of the real Community.  The darkest timeline was the one where we had to watch these episodes.

I'm cautiously optimistic though about the return of Harmon-helmed shows in January.

Best death
Catelyn Stark
Game of Thrones

Tara Knowles  
Sons of Anarchy
(runner up)

Best new character to an existing show
Bob Benson
Mad Men
Did anyone provoke as much thought and discussion as this guy?

Honorable Mention:
Oleanna Redwyne, the Queen of Thorns
Game of Thrones

Best new show
I'd say House of Cards narrowly edges Ray Donovan, but living in DC, I'm biased.

Worst returning character
Carrie - Homeland
Started so well.  Then fell so far jeopardizing missions and assaulting expired ponies

Worst returning ensemble
Modern Family 
The Dunphy branch is largely excluded, but the Pritchard branches are nearly unwatchable.  "She's hot!  He's gay!  HAHAHA!"  Despite being a single camera quasi-mockumentary, this show most resembles one written with a laugh track in mind.

Best prop
Ben's Jumbo Mug
Veep

Best short term storyline
Carrie in the nuthous
Homeland

Worst short term storyline
Rehabbing Brody
Homeland
But it was necessary to do so to achieve the end result

Best season long storyline
A bag of money in a wall
Justified

Worst season long storyline
Phillip and Elizabeth's marital up and down
The Americans

Best character scene
Small council
"The Walk of Punishment"
Game of Thrones 

Honorable mention:
Constable Bob and Yolo
Justified

Best reality moment
Hayden throws down at Tribal Council on Survivor
They draw rocks for only the second time in nearly thirty seasons

Most surprising revelation (tie)
Carrie and Saul's nuthouse plan 
Homeland

Irene Adler is Moriarty
Elementary

Least surprising revelation
Ray was molested too
Ray Donovan

Redeemable moment in an unpleasant character
Pete giving Harry what for following the MLK assassination
"The Flood"
Mad Men

MVP
The character who kills every scene and single handedly brings up the overall quality of the show.  The nominees are...

Raylan Givens
Justified
You run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole.  You run into assholes all day, you're the asshole"

“You run into an asshole in the morning: you ran into an asshole. You run into assholes all day: you’re the asshole.” – Raylan Givens. - See more at: http://brandnewcool.com/2013/01/08/hole-in-the-wall-favorite-moments-and-more-from-justified/#sthash.MSIoGZBj.dpuf

Always good for a quote about assholes.  For how he dealt with his father dying and his baby being on the way.  He showed ambition for the first time as well as considerable depth and incredible acting (think scene in front of the elevators).  Raylan doesn't fall into the anti-hero lead category that is on the verge of being cliche if more poorly formed versions pop up. He is a more traditional 'hero' albeit with deep flaws, yet still intensely likeable.  And tied together the best plot of 2013. 

Ygritte
Game of Thrones 
"You know nothing, Jon Snow"  
The refrain of the year.  She's hilarious and badass and incredibly astute.  Ygritte elevates the entire North of the Wall storyline in a way Tyrion did in Kings' Landing in Season Two.  Picking an MVP from the cast of Game of Thrones could prove an exercise in futility, but Ygritte made it surprisingly easy.


Saul Berenzen
Homeland
"When it's over it's over. Pull down the shades and go home."
The above quote could well be advice to Homeland as a series.  "The Maestro" had the opportunity and resources to implement his grand vision for moving forward United States foreign relations with a certain country, and it just so happened to settle an old score of his.  Audacious in his vision, yet till hardened enough to do what it took to accomplish the end game.  If Saul's not back next season, we can take comfort in the fact that he did get to play his opus on the grandest stage.

And the winner....

Jesse Pinkman
Breaking Bad 
"Can you just, uh, stop working me for, like, ten seconds straight? Stop jerking me around?

For being the soul and conscience of a show that turned the protagonist into Scarface and gave us a rooting interest we could all agree upon.  Put through the wringer and beat up worse than Ben was in Lost, we can all hope and pretend that he just sped out those gates and kept driving all the way to Alaska.

And so, we close with HBO's annual year-end trailer.  No one does it better than them.

Raw Data: Felina - Part 3

The most recent television event comparable to Breaking Bad was the Lost finale, which had about 13.5 million viewers.  Breaking Bad garnered 10.3 million, which is incredible considering it airs on a cable network not found on every provider.  Not only that but Breaking Bad airs at a time when more viewers (particularly of cable dramas...like Breaking Bad...) watch television via other platforms like dvds, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon and AppleTV, network websites, and iTunes.  The finale was probably the first time a lot of these viewers watched Breaking Bad at its appointed night and time.

Another aspect reminded me of Lost, compared to Jack sacrificing himself to save the island and his friends, Walt goes into Uncle Jack's lair planning to blow them all away, while being perfectly fine with himself going out as well.

And both shows end  with the main character expiring.

Raw Data: Felina - Part 2

Continued from part one

Thoughts and observations from the show not previously discussed

Previously on Breaking Bad.....

• Bye Felica, er, Felina.
• Walt appeals to a higher power saying a prayer.  With that, the cops magically pass and the keys magically appear.  It's the first time in the series anyone has done so.  
• We simply assume he's going to hotwire it with science, but again, even with small details, the show manages to subvert expectations.
• Walt may be mad enough to telepathically murder Gretchen and Elliot, but he doesn't so much as threaten them until the very end when he ensures his wishes be carried out
• Do all tv rich people put on the classical music when they get home, playing it through some central system throughout their house?
• Badger! (or Beaver?) is back along with Skinny Pete.  Skinny Pete could play piano for the (Zooms) Schwartzes (Figlianos) at their next benefit and be like "We've met, sort of."
• Given the bluffing nature of this visit, ZSF fits. 
• Walt's specter is so huge he has everyone running all over ABQ looking for him
• This show takes place over two years.  Imagine you did a 27 month stint with Peace Corps during this time in East Bumblefuck, Africa.  Maybe you even got recommendation to the program from a former high school chem teacher, and came back to ABQ to hear about this for the first time
• Jesse daydreams about his shop class and his potential as a woodworker
• He told a story about how he slapped together a box trying to get a D to pass and then would move on. But the teacher motivated him by simply asking "Is that the best you can do?"  Jesse looked at it like "Is that all you got?" and tried again and again through a couple different iterations of the box.  
•  Jesse had to kill Todd.  Todd had to go and it had to be by Jesse.  You spend a year making thi sguy into a complete psycho who's coming into direct conflict with the most consistently beloved character on the show, he had to go and he had to go in a dirty, visceral, Luca Brasi-type way.
• Walt trades on the Heisenberg name throughout the episode.  Jack's name apparently means somethign to him too, as he won't execute Walt until he shows him Jesse's not his partner
• Murderer, drug lord, thief, white supremecist....but don't call Jack a liar
•  

Raw Data: Felina - Part 1

Breaking Bad series finale "Felina"
Episode 5-16

Written and directed by series creator Vince Gilligan

Part 1 - Redemptions

The previous seven episodes have been a rapidly rising action to the show's ultimate climax and resolution, a literal rush with fast moving cars, big guns firing and lots of yelling.  "Felina" chronicles the deliberate movements of Walt to settle all family business, as befitting a series finale.

Walt's at his lowest in Granite State, living in a cabin apart from society which he dare not contact for fear of being arrested.  His life as Heisenberg is completely exposed and his wife and son reject him for it.  His partner ratted him out to the law, and his brother-in-law, whom Hank cares for despite being arrested by him, is killed as an indirect result of Walt's activities.  All this so Walt could earn $80 million.  Except most of that $80 million is out of Walt's reach.  And the (relatively) little money he does have left, he cannot get to due to the above mentioned law or the above mentioned rejection by his wife and son.  Even after getting out of the game and bumbling around as car wash Joe for a few months, Walt can't shake what he has wrought.  If anything, getting out of the game only dulled his senses, making him less sharp than when he was Heisenberg, and unable to wriggle out of his final debacle.  Reflecting on this, and finally reaching out to his son, this very smart many finally realizes all this.  Walt is in disbelief that it's all for nothing, that all his efforts for his family tore his family apart and can do nothing to repair them.

Soooooooooo.....


He knows he has little time left.  So he has three objectives.

• get the money to his family, like he planned
• make peace with his family
• get revenge

 If he can accomplish these three things then he can die with a sense of satisfaction.

Maybe Walt has the epiphany of realizing his own faults as he watches Charlie Rose.  Maybe Charlie Rose is only the inspiration for how to accomplish Goal 1.  Either way, it sets him on the final journey.  Walt is starting from the lowest point possible, both in terms of disadvantage and in terms of what his character has become, so he can only gain/redeem from here.

When Walt becomes conscious of what he is, a man who wanted to be a drug kingpin for his own sense of accomplishment, and not to benefit his family as he kept telling himself, he almost ascends to a higher plane of existence.   Walt had put the Heisenberg hat on to hopefully experience that persona one last time.  But by the time he's back to Albuquerque, he's not wearing the hat.  To say he is a man with nothing to lose is too simplistic.  He still has goals he wants to accomplish.  And now, armed with finally being sentient about what he is, he has become some sort of uber-Heisenberg.

Uber-Heisenberg is incredibly soft spoken.  He does not raise his voice, instead speaking softly, but even more intimidatingly.  UH is willing to let his enemies think less of him, in order to gain more later on (allowing opinions Heisenberg would never have tolerated).  And he's able to connect with his wife again by not lying for what may be the second time in the entire show.  And he's able to not lie to her because he's no longer lying to himself about his motives.

UH waltzes into Elliot and Gretchen's house without the slightest bit of sweat or even urgency.  He disarms Elliot with a word.  UH does these things without a weapon in hand and wholly on his reputation.  Knowing that Grey Matter has much to lose, including their lives, UH extorts them into getting the cash to Junior, bluffing his way through the threat of a hit if they do not comply (Regular Heisenberg could lie but not bluff).  UH is able to do this because 1) the vehicle for delivery is plausible but only because 2) UH has reached the conclusion that if he is truly going to do anything for his family (which he has not yet) he needs to be far removed from any credit.  Remember back when Junior set up the Web site and Saul laundered the money through there, Walt was still upset because he wasn't getting credit for earning the money.  UH is finally at peace regarding credit, so he can deliver the money via Grey Matter.  And maybe there is some bonus in there for Walt knowing it's getting to Junior because of his complete and utter domination of the Schwartzes.  They may be rich but they have to do what he says.  Turns out, he was the brains of the operation.

Goal 1 accomplished.

Skyler and Walt were at their lowest when the lies were at their worst and most obvious.  That's when she went to Ted and that's when she kicked a recovering Walt out of the house.  As she became more complicit in the meth business, their relationship actually started to recover and was practically normal by the time Walt got out of the game (on her advice).  The point is it wasn't the meth but the lying that drove them apart.

Because UH is finally aware of his motivations, he can admit them to Skyler and they reconcile as much as can be expected, with Walt providing Hank and Gomie's resting place as penance.

Finally, Walt needs revenge.  It may or may not be more satisfactory than Goals 1 and 2, but is a different kind of satisfaction, and maybe one felt more viscerally by the viewers.

Not long ago, Walt sat in a dingy hotel room engineering prison hits and a hit on his former partner with a group of Nazis.  And you had to think, how did we get here, where a high school chemistry teacher is working hand in hand with the worst of the worst to do the worst things.

Having taken out his opposition, some worthier than others, at every level of the meth game, then conquering the international market, and currently on the run from the law (who, in reality, are the good guys) the only group left opposing Walt are Lydia and Uncle Jack & Co. who, since Todd's introduction last year, have been exactly what they seem to be, psychos with no redeeming qualities.

On Lydia: Walt feigned a much more severe illness than he had to make Lydia and Todd drop their guards.  Being UH allowed him to let someone think less of him, whereas Heisenberg would do everything he could to make his opposition think he is at his strongest.  The ploy is the opening salvo in UH's final Batman Gambit*. 

* Another one was guessing Gus would go see Tio

Walt, I think, placed the ricin at the table he knew Lydia would sit at.  He doesn't appear to switch it after sitting.  Notably, there is only one bag of Stevia at the table she sits at and Walt notes her being a creature of habit.  He admitted how he got the date and time but did not share that he got the meeting all the way down to the table she's select.

On Jack: Walt required the utility they possessed but viewers attained no empathy for these characters.  They then enslaved Jesse, the character everyone was still rooting for, too boot.  So putting Walt in opposition to these guys give the viewers a reason to hope he succeeds.  Walt knows they're going to kill him and manages to set his car up with the gun and the Tinker Toys, positioning the trunk so it aims at the blockhouse.  While Walt didn't initially intend to save Jesse, he ultimately did after seeing what Jack and Todd had done to him.

And with a gutshot, UH is able to simultaneously beat the law and the cancer.

Was Walt redeemed?  I would say Walt was redeemed to the maximum extent possible. 

Coming later, random episode observations and comparisons to the most recent biggest television finale event.

One left of Breaking Bad

Guys, there is only one episode left of Talking Bad!

But seriously, forks...


I did not initially like Breaking Bad.

Fortunately, I picked it up on DVD through Season Three and caught up just in time to start Season Four, immediately following when Jesse shoots Gale in the face.  IN THE FAAAAACE!!!!!

But I really did not like it at first.  In fact, I stopped watching after a few episodes.  But when I heard the opinions of people who I respect say it improves, I gave it another shot and actually started from the beginning again.

I'm not a fan of shows where the main character has a big secret.  To clarify, a secret the audience is aware of.  The character spends all his time and energy keeping that secret and there's little plot beyond narrowly getting caught during his latest adventure.  If the secret is also kept from the audience as well as the other characters, that is a different, more interesting story as in Mad Men.  Even after the audience discovers his secret in Nixon v Kennedy, the premise of the show is not how Don hides his secret from his family, but still focuses on life in the 1960s.  His family finding out is almost ancillary to the rest of the show.  The result of Betty finding out is that it puts Don in a new situation and also helps continue to tell the story of life in the 1960s.*
 
* It's important to say "life in the" and not simply "the 60s" because in that case you get a terrible television move like The 70s

 Walt spent a lot of time frantically hiding things from Skyler and company.  His lies started small (I buy weed from Jesse) and got bigger (the fugue state) until he spilled the beans about his second cell phone.  The "hiding a secret" schtick reached its worst when Walt was hiding in the RV from Hank, saved only by the Junk Yard Guy lawyering him to safety.

This for me is when the show finally kicked into gear.  Skyler became complict in Walt's shenanigans which was important just for the fact that he didnt have to hide things anymore.  But the organized crime aspect of the show was brought in. The additions of criminal lawyer Saul Goodman and Chicken Man Gus Fring allowed a whole new level of crime drama.  Suddenly, there was crime to be had across the border and across the ocean.  The operation was huge and Gustavo's outfit was able to introduce henchmen at will.

By this time, Walt had gone so far around the bend toward Scarface that even when the organized crime aspect was blown away in "Face Off", the power vacuum and the criminal element of Todd's extended family was more the enough to keep the show going strong or even stronger...much better than the "hope my wife doesn't find out" plotline.

Stories like that are inherently limiting.  The only way shows can survive is to re-boot the show, take it to another setting and blow the cover off the hidden identity (Alias, Homeland).  If they become like The Riches and did and focus of the gypsies past rather than how they can adapt and move forward in new surroundings, they don't stand a chance.

Breaking Bad broke free of that, both discarding the secrecy of his double life and expanding the universe and changing the setting. 

Raw Data: Granite State

Breaking Bad episode 5-15 (#7 this year) "Granite State"

Written and directed by Peter Gould who also pulled double duty on "Problem Dog" a few years ago.

• I was wondering what the vacuum guy was going to look like.  I figured they'd cast a Jonathan Banks/Mike Ehrmantraut-type person again as in a guy with old man strength.
• I don't think they ever give the character a name, which would make sense.  Saul said previously he doesn't know the guy, he just has the number
• I'm betting the character as some sort of Vietnam war service background
• Maybe they'll tell us on Conan tonigh, but I doubt it.  Too small a thing to focus on.
• The credit doesn't appear on Robert Forster's IMDB page but I wouldn't be surprised if they were keeping it quiet on purpose
• But I remember him from The Descendants, specifically, punching that kid in the face
• So we'll call him Mr. Forster out of respect for his old man strength
• Mr Forster takes Saul's photo and it all feels a lot like the end of Homeland last season
• Saul is so deflated.  This season he's been the opposite of his boisterous and loud self, with the colorful pocket squares and such.  Everyone is simply beaten down.
• Saul's still offering counsel, good counsel, as Walt's consigliere.  
• These last few episodes, and this is punctuated by the flashback they had to Walt and Jesse's first cook, but you have to take notice about how different the show and characters are now
• Did you think the show would take us to a bunch of Nazis watching a video of DEA evidence?
• On that, Todd smiles a bit, proud of his handy work with the kid from "Dead Freight"
• Todd is liable to fall into that trap of always wanting more.  Like the money doesn't matter and is just a way to keep score at how successful they are
• Be careful or you'll be like that girl at the end of The Last Crusade trying to grab the grail instead of taking Indy's other hand.
•  Walt still gives his family as his excuse for everything.  It's to the point where he's so far gone he can't see what the reality is.  After all, it's not a lie if you believe it. 
• So far his family is 1) Dead 2) facing trial 3) widowed 
• I think it is safe to go with the initial thought and say the BFG is meant for Jack and company
• Maybe Walt saves Jesse is some sort of partial redemption?
• After Jesse survived the shootout at To'hajiilee, I wondered if he wasn't killed there he's not going to get killed.  
•  Skyler, wearing her whites or cream colors, is utterly drained when talking to the U.S. Attorney.  
• We don't even need to hear what he said.  Or anything about her public defender.  Just looking at that scene tells you what you need to know
• Todd cleans himself up and puts on a shirt with buttons and a color for Lydia!  He's even drinking tea to share her interests
• Walt hasn't been Heisenberg this year.  He hasn't put on the black hat yet.  Until now.  So maybe Walt is going to be able to step into those shoes again, even if it's a crazy suicide mission to get even with Jack
• Jesse pulls off a Walter White-esque escape plan
• They tend to pass time quickly in late season episodes and is the only time they do so.  Like immediately before Skyler kicked out Walt, or as they moved things along in "Gliding Over it All"
• Dimple Pinch does not seem to be a particularly pricey or praised brand of scotch
• Or maybe Walt's going to gun down Grey Matter.
• We know his pride and his missed opportunity and unrealized potential are huge motivators for why he does what he does
• His hubris reaches new heights when he tries to bully Saul into continuing.  Until he's literally brought to his knees
• The comment that he had "virtually nothing to do" with the company could kill him faster than the cancer.  Or maybe he will anger the cancer out of him.  Both are entirely plausible and either way it re-charges him.
•  I'm unclear if Walt was going to turn himself into the DEA, or if he planned on misdirecting them the whole time.

The scene where Walt gets treatment from Mr. Forster is interesting.  Walt hasn't had any human contact, and maybe walked to that gate every day with the intention of leaving but could never bring himself to do so.  He grouses at first at the cabin about a $50,000 Costco run, but Mr. Forster's next visit, he's ready to hand him stacks for a couple hours time.  Considering Walt's aversion to spending too much money (such as paying off Mike's guys to stay quiet) and that he quickly accedes to his demand of only one hour it's easy to see how broken Walt is.

Walt hasn't trusted anyone in a long time.  Mr. Forster offers him the cut.  The cut is both practical and an etiquette thing.  It reduces the opportunity to cheat and also puts everything above board simply to make everyone comfortable.  In a non-money game it literally means nothing, but is just one of those things you do when playing cards.  Walt who was not very happy with Mr. Forster doing what was necessary, declines to cut the cards.  Later on, even his attempt to send Junior and Skyler some cash fails.  He's broken to the point of knowing nothing he does matters and there's no changing it. 

Breaking Bad cast on Conan

Two episodes to go, so where better to get ready for the finale than on Conan? 

The cast will appear on Monday's Conan in advance of the final episode. 

Conan and Andy have mentioned Breaking Bad in almost every recent show, and have long been fans of it.  Conan even conducted an interview with the cast a while back, which I mentioned in an old post.

Set the DVR for TBS on Monday at 11:00.  If you're like me, that conflicts with The Daily Show and Olbermann, so figure out how to record one of the repeats one of of those shows later that night.  Gotta get the Hoppah!

Raw Data: Ozymandias

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Sunday Night Television

My dad used to go to pro wrestling, as in WWF.  He's say you can go to a baseball or hockey game...it may be a good game or a lousy one, a close one or a blow out, and your team may win or lose.  Nothing's guaranteed.  But when you go see pro wrestling, you're guaranteed a good show.

Why someone would watch a Sunday Night Football game with no stake it in, rather than Breaking Bad baffles me.

"Ozymandias" thoughts manana.

Raw Data: To'hajiilee

Thoughts and observations for Breaking Bad episode 5-13 (the fifth this year) "To'hajiilee".  Three episodes remain in the series.

 Written by George Mastras, producer and writer of the Emmy nominated episode "Dead Freight"

Directed by Michelle MacLaren, who recently directed "Buried"

Last week in the comments, I mentioned how Walt has lost a step and no longer inhabits his Heisenberg persona.  He's made sloppy, arrogant, emotional mistakes to lead him to where he is, with Hank on his trail.  Now in "To'hajiilee" he makes a few more egregious errors that bring him to the convergence at the episode's conclusion.

When he's barreling toward his money at full speed and gives his confession on the phone it's because he got angry at Jessie.  Rather than talk him out of it like he usually does, he falls victim to his emotion and loses his mind on Jessie, in the course of which he gives a full confession naming murders all the way back to Crazy 8.  He calls Jesse "stupid" which he has never done.  But here he's underestimating both Hank and Jesse, never surmising, or even thinking about, them working together let alone the possibility they could outsmart him.  He lets a "look over there"distraction get the best of him, never hesitating.  Would Heisenberg have picked up on the dirt not matching?  Hank even rubbed that bit in.  Walt bulled through the ruse as fast as he bulled his car down into the dessert.  Hank meanwhile doesn't balk for a second at Walt's attempt with Brock's mother.

Walt always told Jesse "apply yourself" rather than verbally beat him down for his poor grades.  He said the same thing to Todd during those early cooks.  For whatever potential he didn't realize in his research and missing out on Grey Matter, he was clearly an excellent teacher able to focus his chemistry brilliance with teaching, which is a wholly separate skill.  Walt lost control of that here and gave up everything.  I imagine the reason Walt was so well able to manipulate people came from the same well of talent that he pulled from for his teaching ability.  Walt's no longer teaching (despite a promise to Jack for one last cook) and is no longer able to manipulate and control Jesse because the skills he uses in both cases are not as sharp as before.

• POV bingo - meth cooking surface.  First shot of the episode
• The more Walt relies on these crazy white supremacists, the worse off Walt is.
• Obviously Walt survives, given the flash forward
• No clue
• if Walt and Jesse's conversation was recorded
• if Walt and Jesse's conversation was legally recorded
• if a recorded conversation between them would be admissible
•  Walt doesn't bare his soul to Hank in defeat.  He doesn't point out the money. He doesn't confess.  Still looking for a way out, not willing to close that door
• As I watched I wondered if Walt contemplated suicide at that moment but now that I think about it, he wouldn't.  I do think his life flashed before his eyes and he decided he's going to continue to not admit anything and try to find a way out, much calmer than he was when on the phone with Jesse
• Walt maintains Jesse is not a "rat" but in fact "family".  Such close family he wants him killed
• Unfortunately, Jesse is ratting to Hank as they speak
• The plotting is so tight at this point they're overlapping scenes. 
• It is kind of funny to have Walt's ominous call at last week's end responded to by Todd with almost a sing-song "Okay sure"

• The Crazy 8 murder was possibly the roughest to watch because it was the most personal.  Walt had to get his hands dirty as opposed to using a car or bomb.
• Those almost seem small compared to how big the operation got.  But Crazy 8 and others represented points where Walt crossed into new territory
• Even after all that, Walt still has to cook for another guy.
• Who actually put the Jesse murder into perspective for Walt, as much as he didnt want to hear it about the "angry non-rat" (regardless of what he was in reality)
• Todd wondering about the quality of his coffee is funny.  He cooks all this meth using science then a Mr. Coffee after
• Remember Gale's uber coffee machine?  Even Walt was impressed
•  The blue meth which Tuco originally gave a WTF to has become the best brand in the world, and is now preferred
• There was some imitation blue meth for a period of time, right?
• I thought the blue came from Walt manufacturing his own Pseudophedrine?
• Originally thought they'd get Walt from something with the dirt and the odometer but it's better for the characters that they outsmart him and force a mistake
• The scene brough back a lot of past episodes, like Hank stepping out in the dessert to shoot Tuco, or Walt and Jesse's first cook
• Maybe Walt's BFG is meant for Jack & Co.?
• Huel went down quick, but as I mentioned before, sometimes we accept these jumps in order to move things along
• Jesse did shoot Gale in the face.  He's not sharing that with Hank, so he's still liable for it.  It can be thrown in his face at any time and put him away as long as Walt would be.
• Next week is "Ozymandias"

Have an A-1 Day!

Raw Data: Rabid Dog

Thoughts and observations for Breaking Bad episode 5-12 (the fourth of this half season) "Rabid Dog".  Four episodes remain in the series.  The title brings to mind "Problem Dog" from the fourth season where Jesse tells the NA group a story about a "problem dog" (Gale) he had to put down.  "Rabid Dog" has similarities except now Jesse is about to be put down rather than put down the dog in question.  Breaking Bad loves to play with the episode titles, like "The Cat's in the Bag..."  "...and the Bag's in the River" or "737" "Down" "Over" "ABQ" or "Kafkaesque" and "Fly" or "Fly" and Bug".  This one seems to have the plots linked more closely.

Written and directed by Sam Catlin, longtime producer on the show and writer of episodes like "Hermanos", "Fifty One" and "Crawl Space".

• Skyler's hesitancy to make the fake confession video comes up again when she refers to that "awful" video.  But the fact remains she's chosen her husband and abandoned her sister.  On Talking Bad they stated the tones of her clothes match Walt's to represent being on his team. Apparent when they went to Guapo's to meet Hank and Marie
• And that the light earthy tones also represent her being drained.  Very apparent at the car wash when she's so dazed she gives a customer incorrect change
• While Jesse never gave his permission to Gus to whack Walt, he's now working with Hank, the law, to bring Walt down.  Snitching would go against his ethos but it appears from the final scenes that he's going to try to bring Walt down on his own terms, not Hank's.
• When the twins attacked Hank, Marie was upset at the ASAC for making Hank surrender his weapon following his suspension for beating up Jesse.  Marie turned on Skyler when it became apparent their operation had something to do with Hank's attack.  Now Marie is serving coffee to the kid who played a part in Hank's suspension and surrendering his weapon
• Walt storms his house, gun drawn, with all the flair of a guy who is basing his approach on movies where he saw something like this.
• Walt's lies get worse and worse.  Not even close to believable.
• Even Junior can tell he's lying.  He doesn't come up with the correct answer but he knows the one Walt is giving is wrong
• Walt is more than glad to have a better lie supplied to him
• RJ Mitte does a great job in his few scenes.  Junior may be the only innocent character left.  I see lots of discussion about when to stop rooting for Walt.  To be honest, I'm indifferent but I am more concerned with avoiding harm to players like Junior and Jesse.  
• Harming Jesse would alienate even the most stringent Walt supporters, if there are any left.  Generally the debate ranges from Jane to Brock to Mike to where viewers stop rooting for Walt
• The episode feels like a slight change of pace from the previous three.
• Walt's conspiculously in his underwear again
• I keep mentioning this becaeuse in the first seasons they make a conscious effort to make Walt as pathetic looking as possible, with an "impotent" mustache, love handles and underwear.  Now that he's out of the game, he's bumbling around again, passing out and giving terribly unconvincing lies
• I'm not sure Walt is Heisenberg anymore
•  That doesn't stop him from lecturing Skyler about how she doesn't understand the finer points of his ridiculous meth business. God, Skyler, you're so stupid
•  Hank is so eager to take Walt down it may hinder him.  He's willing to sacrifice Jesse so don't think any of these scenes between them aren't just Hank using him as a piece to get what he wants.  Hank may wind up manipulating Jesse as Walt did.  Or trying to.  Based on how the meeting went it doesn't seem like Hank will be able to control Jesse as Walt did
• "He's the devil" echoing "You're the devil" from "Blood Money"
• Badger manages to be hilarious even when off screen "For five hours all he talked about was Babylon 5".  I think the best jokes are the ones where you say, "yep, that character definitely would say that"

Raw Data: Confessions

Thoughts and observations for Breaking Bad episode 5-11, "Confessions"... third of this year with five to go.

Written by Gennifer Hutchison, whose done a lot of work on this series, as well as Gilligan's former home, X-Files

Directed by Michael Slovis, the much lauded director of photography for this series


Walt's Jujutsu
Walt is a deranged evil genius.  He is blackmailing his brother-in-law for something his brother-in-law did not do.  In an incredible jujutsu ninja move, Walt, coming from a weak position and defensive perspective, manages to not only buy time but possibly bring his Hank problem to a sudden stalemate, barring some sort of kamikaze always get his man type mission on the part of Hank.  Last week I mentioned "Hank benefitted from Walt's meth money via his rehab.  Something to keep in mind."  Walt takes Hank's single, incredibly thin tie to the meth (which Hank is completely unaware of) and uses it to his advantage.  Quickly Hank is the one that now needs to make decisions about how to proceed, treading ever so lightly.  You have to wonder if this plan was sitting in the back of Walt's mind the whole time.

But you also have to wonder if it's a bluff, and would he actually bring down an innocent man and member of his family, and, presumably, the successive guardian to his children.  Any family togetherness is clearly gone forever.  Once someone tells you to "Just. Die." it's doubtful they'll split the wishbone next Thanksgiving.  But Walt and Skyler want to have an almost 'no hard feelings' attitude with Hank and Marie.  Even though the bond is gone, will they be willing to bring Hank to his knees as Walt goes down?

I am a bit shocked at the lack of shock and disbelief on Hank and Marie's parts.  It may be because they are so angry they do not have room for any other emotion.  Since Hank's panic attack behind the wheel he's been able to focus his energy and quickly come to grips with the reality of Heisenberg.  Marie seemed to do so even more quickly.  I wonder if it would be different, for Marie at least, if they hadn't been, or hadn't found out they were directly affected by Walt's shenanigans. 

This show takes some giant leaps in the interest of moving plot forward where characters make connections that are seemingly thing.  It also suspends reality in a way that I don't often see with other shows.  The way it is different is that viewers don't give them any guff about these leaps and connections the show asks them to make.  I wonder what that is.

Walt and Jessie
Speaking of catatonic, Jessie gives just enough a reaction out of his fugue state in the interview room to confirm (but not prove) Hank's suspicions.  Talking Bad posed the question, paraphrasing, what would be worse for Jessie to find out, Hank's role in Jane, Mike or Brock.  Looks like we'll see at least two, though I can't imagine the circumstance where evidence of the third would come out.  Jessie has his suspicions about Mike's death and may not be interested in proving it.  As Mike was in the game and understood the risks, Jessie's reaction to information about Brock* would dwarf that.

* Discovering in a similar epiphany-esque way as Hank on the toilet.  

When Jessie deduces the deal about Brock* his reaction is not to go to Hank, who essentially offered Jessie immunity not long before, or to get in the car and start his new life.   No, Jessie quickly obtains a giant can of gasoline and runs into Walt's house completely dousing it to apparently set fire to it.  Wow. 

* This show takes some giant leaps in the interest of moving plot forward where characters make connections that are seemingly thing.  It also suspends reality in a way that I don't often see with other shows.  The way it is different is that viewers don't give them any guff about these leaps and connections the show asks them to make.  I wonder why that is.  EDIT 8/27 But here is one good diagram of how it came together for Jessie

Until Jessie's revelation, Walt is on a manipulation bender, even for him, between hugging Jessie and using his cancer to retain control of his own son.

EDIT 8/27 And, for laughs, how about Walter retrieving his gun, casually making excuses to Skyler. Took a while to find that exact strip.

EDIT 8/27: Compare (I assume) Walt's choice of Guapo's for a meeting place with Hank, the DEA agent. Public and unlikely to cause a scene...with a much less Heisenberg-ed Walt choosing to meet Tuco the drug dealing meth head in the garbage dump. 

Have an A-1 day!

Raw Data: Buried

Thoughts and observations:
Breaking Bad
Episode 5-10 "Buried"

Written by Thomas Schnauz
Producer, writer, director on Breaking Bad.  The episode is also dedicated to Thomas Schnauz, Sr who appears to have passed away, but am unsure if this is the same person.  

Directed by Michelle MacLaren
Director of several AMC shows.  Also Game of Thrones and is already listed as director for the fourth and fifth episodes of GoT's next season.

•  "The monkey's in the banana patch!"
• Hard to believe a show this dark is also this funny.  So in the final episodes, pause and think about the things that make this show so great.  Like Saul
• "Send him to Belize...I'll send you to Belize!"
• New favorite murder euphemism
• On Talking Bad, which is worthwhile of your time, someone tweeted "Send him to Belize" is the new "Sleeps with the fishes"
• Even though Huel and Bill Burr (who is an excellent, underrated comedian *) definitely stole some of the money, that seemed like not a great tip Walt game them, especially considering it's for the three of them.
• I thought Walt would've at least hid an emergency bag in a slightly easier to get to place in a hole that's easier to access.  Like the dead drops Jessie and Mike were doing pick ups for
• POV Bingo: mark off your space for a GPS
• At this point, the episode title seems too obvious, so I'm wondering what else in the episode is going to be buried
• Turns out it is Lydia's inadequate meth producer's lab/shootout avoiding space.  The guy who was going to buy the methlamine from Mike and Jessie
• Get me on her cell phone or blackberry plan if she gets signal not only out in the desert but in the underground lab with the door shut
• Todd is so matter of fact about things.  He doesn't seem to experience emotion and has singular focus on his tasks.  I wonder if Gilligan wrote him as having some sort of learning disability.
• Speaking of, hadn't seen that many bodies since the prison shankings.  Aaaaaaand there's the guy who did the prison shankings.
• Landry has another FNL friend, Jason Street's murderball teammate.  Also, Devil Crowder
• Walt's underwear is conspicuous again
• Hank's all in but he doesn't want to make the reveal until he has it 100 percent
• Marie and her uber-purple-ness in the episode are 100 percent in as well
• The first 30 minutes of this episode had the pace and suspense and feel of a late season episode, like Walt tracking down and trying to bomb Gus. I would not be surprised if that was the rule and not the exception for the rest of the season
• Hank benefitted from Walt's meth money via his rehab.  Something to keep in mind.

Meth meth meth...methy methity meth meth.
 
* Topics include Boston mascots and bandwagon fans, who to vote for, Lance Armstrong, Oprah, Steve Jobs, the Internet, and being president


Have an A-1 Day!

Talking Bad

AMC has a follow up show to The Walking Dead called Talking Dead* where they have cast and crew members and a (varying level of) celebrity guest discuss the show with host Chris Hardwick.  Capitalizing on the monster ratings for Walking Dead, they immediately follow it not with an encore (the "pre-owned" instead of "used" version of "re-run") but this talk show which is entertaining enough to passively watch and (I imagine) a low cost way for the network to get some cash and keep making quality shows.**

* Talking Dead led to this hilarious moment in online polling, when posing a question related to whether the group should spend time looking for Sofia.  The audience clearly had no patience for it.

** Nationals Park in Washington, DC abuts a parking lot that laid vacant for the longest time.  With the rest of the area, which was supposed to have restaurants and bars and retail shoot up, almost completely devoid of options, it makes sense to do the bare minimum, put up a tent, and sling Miller Lights for six bucks, rather than let all that potential income go by the wayside.  That is the concept with these talk shows.  The captive audience from the lead in is there.  This is free money.


It makes sense considering how much and energy we spend discussing these shows, why not do it in house and capitalize?  

They've expanded the concept to Breaking Bad with Talking Bad.  Creator Vince Gilligan and Modern Family's Julie Bowen (who largely carries that show with Ty Burrell) were guests on the first (live) show after the season premiere Sunday.

It's refreshing to see Julie Bowen's sincere and earnest interest in the show.  The Breaking Bad finale is going to be one of those "television events" and it's cool to see a celebrity clearly invested in it.  It's not like celebrities who attend and comment on the Super Bowl, while not actually being a fan of the teams, or football in general  Bowen was clearly a huge fan who wanted Talking Bad to go longer than the half hour allotted.  Anyone who's started talking about a show they love knows that feeling.

Oddly, the show takes a caller like a radio call in show, rather mine from e-mails or tweets.  Given all the sports radio (now podcasts of radio broadcasts) I prefer e-mails because it gives the hosts and production staff a better chance to weed through the nonsense and find comments or questions that are constructive to the show, rather than listen to a caller ramble only to be cut off.   

If the guests remain main cast members, or Vince Gilligan returns I'll continue to watch this Monday evenings.

Have an A-1 Day!

Raw Data: Blood Money

Thoughts and observations for the second half premiere of the final season of Breaking Bad, episode 05-09, "Blood Money" written by Peter Gould who wrote the epic episode "Salud" as well as several others*.  The episode is directed by Walter White himself, who also directed the season two and three premieres. 

* IMDB also lists an episode later this season, "Granite State", which would probably involve Walt's trip to New Hampshire involving the car he had at the Denny's in the flash forward to start last season and this one. Another episode is titled "Ozymandias" which we'll get to in a moment.

• The flash forward picks up in what appears to be a scene that would directly follow the opener from last year at the Denny's.  The Good Denny's.  Here's what we learn
• Walt is identified as Heisenberg and it's well known
• Skyler and Junior are elsewhere
• The house has been abandoned for quite some time (but we know less than a year)
• Walt's neighbor (a different one than he sent to "check on the burner") dropped some oranges, which symbolize death or are at least a bad omen.  Recently seen at the Beneke residence.  
• Walt retrieves the ricin he stowed away after the Jessie/Brock/Roomba incident, which would mean he'd want to use it.  Which is decidedly more subtle than the BFG.
• In the scene they show before (last season) Walt says how long it takes to make the drive "if you only stop for gas" which makes me think he knows because he just did the drive without sleeping
• Hey, maybe Walt is on meth!
•  Present day!  Hank gets off the epiphany toilet
• I wonder if there is some legal thing Saul can do for Hank taking the book
• Probably not because I bet it doesn't matter.  The book was just the inspiration for Hank.  He's going to retroactively connect the pieces. 
• Walt's downfall has often been his pride, whether it be in spats with Mike, or prodding Hank to re-open the investigation.  His shortcomings with Grey Matter and his unrealized potential are the impetus for much of this and it's a trait often cited to lead to his likely downfall.  While it can manifest itself in a desire for quality, like Walt taking pride in his 99 percent purity, and I don't think it will lead to it in the sense that he will get sloppy because he takes so much pride in running things tightly...but because he will overreach.  Walt couldn't stand the fact that he had to launder money through his son's Web site, and would not accept a gift from his friends (partly because he wanted credit for bringing in the cash, however elicit).  Even though he is out of the game at this point.....well, we still have seven episodes for him to get back at it.
• The "Ozymandias" commerical lends itself to this. 
• Even keeping Leaves of Grass is an example of this.  More on the hubris end of the scale.
• The "Ozymandias" commercial may lend a peek to what is going to happen, if Walt ultimately wants to be recognized in some way for his achievement, or flies too close to the sun (as Victor did...) or taunts Hank too much.  The thing about the drug trade is that no matter how often the busts happen, someone else will be there to pick up the pieces and no one will give a second thought to the former man in charge (Walt/Ozymandia).  In a way, the show could end a lot like The Wire in that Walt's efforts to make his mark are as futile as efforts to change the game, whether it be drugs, politics, or education.  Ultimately, the larger institutions or whatever higher power looms over it all (glides?) will push Walt back down
• Ozymandias is one of only a few poems to ever leave a mark with me (or be understood by me), probably my favorite.
• The four toed statue on Lost always made me think of this
• Speaking of, Walt and Ben Linus could put on a clinic about getting punched
• Walt is back to wearing a lot of light and earthy tones and his underwear is conspicuous
• Between Lydia coming for Walt and Hank coming after Walt...I need Sil to cheer me up..
• Just when I thought I was out
• they pull me back in
•  Walt emulates Gus on two occasions
• His demeanor with Lydia at the car wash he shoos her away in an overly polite manner while running his legit front
• Folding the towel and placing it at the base of the toilet as he barfs, to soften the floor on his kneeds
• I chuckled on a repeat when Walt is staring at Gus in the garage through is binoculars, Walt has managed to find a piece of cardboard to there to soften the ground against his knees
• When Walt is honest with Skyler about Lydia pulling him back in, it's jarring.  Because he's being honest.  Which says a lot.
•  I assume whoever wrote the Badger and Skinny Pete scene is a huge Star Trek fan and had a lot of fun with that
• "My script, I just have to write it down"
• Oh jeez someone already animated it
• Huel is looking at Jessie in the waiting room pull out his cigarette pack, probably thinking back to when he lifted the ricin 
• Mike's not dead.  Okay, Walt is back to lying
• Jessie's never been motivated by money, but by being good at something.  He went middle child that one time during an argument between Walt and Mike on costs, offering his whole share so Walt could keep his.   
• If you are playing Breaking Bad Cinematography BINGO, there's some good POV and super close ups of the pool and skateboards to mark off on your card
• Walt pretty much simultaneously admits everything and nothing to Hank, while also simultaneously goading him to investigate and reasoning with him to give it up...then threatens him to "tread lightly"
• I thought Walt would take the strategy of reminding Hank how foolish he'll look if he has to turn in his brother who was under his nose the whole time.  The last ASAC was booted when Gus was discovered for the same offense.  This is even more extreme
• I also thought he'd involve Skyler and Junior.  "Does Skyler know?!  She not only knows, but is laundering the money!  Put me away, put her away, and leave Junior an orphan."  Walt's approach is much more aggressive.
• After a lot of speculation, the real point of the episode was to see how Hank would react to the news.  I could not come to a reasonable conclusion and was surprised at him punching Walt, while also thinking this makes complete sense.

 Have an A-1 day!

Breaking Bad's Coda

Breaking Bad returns on Sunday.  How will it end?

The well known pitch of the show "Mr. Chips to Scarface" may provide a glance into what's going to happen.  In this case, Walt's last stand.  He's slowly progressed from Hero to Villain over each season, with stops in between as an anti-hero and an anti-villian (good aims, bad means).  Each season represented a solid progression on that scale. Who knew Hal would come this far?

In the premiere of the most recent season, we saw Walt celebrating his 52nd birthday, alone, in a diner.  The scene also served to show two years had passed between the pilot and that scene, and that Walt's cancer has returned.  Walt purchases a BFG from the same man who sold him the side arm, along with a car to get out of town.  He's on the run.  If his cancer is back and he's unable to seek treatment, it's possible Walt is a man with nothing to lose, perhaps already embarrassed by being exposed by Hank  to the public including the last two members of his family who don't know, Betsy and most importantly Walter Junior.

How does it end?  Well, how does Scarface end?  Walt's not going down meekly.  His son may or may not want anything to do with him toward the end of the series.  Back in the first season, Walt told his family he did not want to undergo treatment in order to avoid the financial cost of a procedure that was far from guaranteed to work, a cold but pragmatic approach.  Walt may take a similar pragmatic approach, understanding he's going down anyways but engineer it in a way where he comes out looking like a good guy.

Additionally, it's not often the innocent get out of Albuquerque.  Between planes crashing, or Gale, or a kid riding his bike into the desert to catch spiders, there's plenty of blood spilled, not to mention near misses including Hank's attack and the kid Walt poisoned, thanks to Walt's actions and decisions.  Whether it's Junior or another family member who suffers as a direct, indirect or six degrees from a result of some decision Walt makes, it will no doubt be devastating.

Breaking Bad airs on AMC and is available on Netflix streaming.

Plot Not to Be Foiled - Part 2

This is Part 2 of posting about how shows, specifically Justified and their new approach, plot their seasons.  Part 1 included some background.

Why Justified is the Best


Season Four is a whole new approach to plotting a season. it carries an underlying story throughout the season, a mystery, while allowing for detours throughout.  Some plots last an episode, some plots take a few or four episodes for their own arc.  One starts in the premiere, only to be revisited in episodes seven and eight in near complete detour that somehow still manages to be a character study of Raylan.  Some of them tie back into the main mystery and some do not.  The kicker is that the mystery is resolved not in episode 12 or 13 but in episode 9!  How does one tell a thirteen chapter story by resolving the underlying question in episode 9, you ask?

Fallout and reactions.  The world constructed by Graham Yost & Co. is such a well developed, organic creature that revealing the mystery demands fallout and reactions from the characters.  The characters created by Yost & Co. are so well fleshed out, even if they are new to the scene in Season Four, that the audience is better served and more interested in seeing the reactions to the unfolding events than by simply playing up the mystery at hand and making the climax the reveal.  Instead, the climax of the season is when all parties, deftly tied together, react and converge in a not only believable but expertly plotted way.

The approach could have been inspired partially by the format of Raylan, the most recent book by Elmore Leonard which contains three stories.  Each story is about 100 pages long, too long to be a short story but too short to be novels unto themselves.  While the entire book tells a story of Raylan's marshal adventures in his hometown, each story has a beginning, middle and end similar to the detours taken in Season Four*.

* Started this post only talking about Justified ("Why Justified is the Best"), but realized I could not properly explain it without the context of other plotting examples. 

We discuss and analyze and recap shows on an episode by episode basis out of the natural convenience of shows broadcasting one episode on a weekly basis.  However, the cumulative effect a show cannot be felt by discussing a single episode, especially early in a season, without considering "all the pieces" as David Simon would.  If someone (who had not yet seen the show) were to re-cap The Wire now, it would not make sense to write four articles for the first four episodes.  Even the most ardent Wire fan would not claim the show grabs you from the start.  Instead, it takes a few episodes before you are "in it" *.  Rather, if I were writing about The Wire, I would probably take it four or so episodes at a time, at least to start.  There is a reason the show gained traction and attention in the media when HBO decided to send critics the entire season prior to it airing.

* Like Natalie Portman's character in Garden State would say.

As plotting becomes more and more complex, not just in the sense of following a season long storyline, but integrating vingettes and side adventurs like Justified did, the question will be if analysis and discussion can find a new paradigm as well to best suit the new format.  Otherwise it will become like recapping a book chapter by chapter and comparing the chapters to each other (if it isn't already). 

And we already see the format changing again.  With Netflix recently releasing all thirteen episodes of House of Cards and all fifteen episodes of Arrested Development, viewers are more able to get the whole picture in a manner more appropriate to the format.  When House of Cards was released, a bunch of articles popped up about this new phenomenon called "binge watching" that has been around for quite a while.  In fact, binge watching, which was just called "watching DVDs" played a big part in revival of dead shows like Family Guy and Futurama.

The reason this now has a name is because of the demographic shift in who is doing it.  Rather than college kids (with no money) watching a DVD collection they got for Christmas, these are adults watching a high minded show via a subscription service.  A Venn diagram of the audiences may actually show that many of these adults are simply the aged 2013 version of the Family guy watching college kids from 2004.

You could build a house, or at least a nice shed, out of the brick jokes flung about in the new season of Arrested Development.  The serialized and simultaneously released nature of the House of Cards episodes lend to show predicated on the long, long con at the highest stakes.  So not only has the way we watched television allowed us to enjoy the shows in ways not previously available, it is actually influencing the way shows are produced.