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.

Raw Data: In Care Of - Part 2

This is part 2 of the observations for the Season Six finale of Mad Men, "In Care Of".

Part 1

If you have not seen this brilliant "he was dead the whole time" video essay from Forrest Wickman and Chris Wade on Slate, do check it out.  I had originally planned to write up a general post about the season as a whole, but I do not think there is much I can add now after focusing on Don in Part 1 and watching that essay on Vietnam.

• Don wants another fresh start, to go to California.  Back in Season One he begged Rachel Menken to run off to Paris with him.  He had his walkabout in Season Two, touching base with Anna.  In Season Four, it was the fresh start he needed to begin a new marriage with Megan, and this season Hawaii was the high point for him and Megan.  Go West, young man, and try again...
• The episode takes place sometime between Election Day (Nov. 5) and Thanksgiving (Nov. 28) in 1968
• Did not detect an exact date on the prominently featured correspondence
• The episode may, at least literally, refer to the c/o addressee on the mail and telegram received by Don and Pete
• Figuratively, unsure
• Don pours booze into a coffee cup in what is possibly the first time anyone has bothered to hide or be ashamed of their own alcoholism
• His hand to his face during the meeting is the same reaction he had in the elevator trying to chase down Sally in "Favors".
• Almost like a private moment
• SC & Partners is located at 1271 Avenue of the Americas, but we knew that already
• The Depression era scenes always make me want to give Carnivale another try
• That show was super weird and I did not understand it at all, but maybe I am wiser now
• Don taking his kids to see his old house makes me think of Tony Soprano taking Meadow and AJ, at different times, to the old stone church which takes us back to this this and this
• The church was built by Tony's grandfather who was a stone mason from Avalino
• Tony uses the church to illustrate the value of hard work and to show them the old neighborhood
• It also touches on an early theme of the show which is being in on something from the ground up, while Tony laments he's at the end of the good times.
• I also just really really like talking about the Sopranos
• Both old neighborhoods are now black ghettos
• Sally all but threatens her father mentioning she should tell "what she saw"
• Harry Crane appears long enough to make his "I'm totally straight!" comment of the week
• I remember thinking, "meh, that didn't really warrant a comment" except to note how out of character it was for Peggy in the work place
• I don't want to think about what weird comments Harry would make about Megan's sleeping attire
• And once I started thinking about this, I though more about the dark and light colors they were wearing
• A contrast which was also noticeable when Ted plead with Don to let him go to California
• Peggy sits in Don's office and her last shot is the female version of it all
• Pete and his brother Bud are understandably angry, but it quickly morphs and it's interesting to see them, uncomfortably, rationalize that they shouldn't spend time or money to bring their mother's alleged murderer to justice.  Neither one of them were too happy with her when she was alive.  In fact, she was so miserable, she made Pete seem sympathetic
• Polar opposite outcome of the end of Season Two, following the sale of SC to PPO
• Don used to be indispensible.  However, he's become more and more disponsible this season, backing away from work and letting other fill that void, in addition to being an outright liability
•  Don removed himself from the process, saying he would only continue to review work because it is his job.  Meanwhile, colleagues more and more went to Ted with their problems.  Not being busy is a good way to get yourself axed
•  At the end of Season Two, Don, who is even allowed to work without a contract, is crucial to the company.  When he threatens to walk away the entire restructuring, with Duck as president, is re-done.  Like with anything, the bigger SC & Partners gets, the less important he, or any one individual, is
• Burt Cooper, the man without an office, willing to take his name off the firm for the sake of sanity, sits in the lobby still reading his newspaper, and wields enormous power.  
• Real power is knowing when you can give some up, at least superficially 
• Cooper still sits with his finger on the button to destroy Don at whatever moment is most convenient to him
• Loved  "Both Sides Now" at the end.  If only because it was on my dad's Folk Favorite's of the 60's and 70s'.   The point is, Don is trying now.
• We had the tapes, not these fancy CDs, and wore them all the way down
• Try to find a better mix of songs, you won't.
• I wish we didn't have to watch promos over the credits, and these songs could just play out, like on HBO.  

Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

Raw Data: In Care Of - Part 1

These are initial observations for Mad Men episode 6-13 "In Care Of."  This is the Season Six finale and is written by  and Matthew Weiner and Carly Wray who on IMDB is billed as "assistant to writers" for the previous twelve episodes this season.

The episode directed by.....Matthew Weiner! who has directed the season finale for each Mad Men season.

I'm going to do this one backwards, a write up first, and then some bullets and observations about the episode.  

All Don's terrible and selfish behavior catches up with him, effectively alienating everyone and everything (sound familiar?).  His wife is walking out the door.  His partners are pushing him out the door.  His daughter wants nothing to do with him.  Even his underlings at work have had it up to their eyeballs with him.

When he's asked to take a few month's leave, and not given a return date, we recall alcoholic Freddy Rusmen in "Six Months Leave" when  he steps into the cab and says "Goodbye Don" knowing his time off means time's up at the old Sterling Cooper.

With all the death imagery in the season premiere, and revisited again, I'm wondering if it refers to Don's career suicide, or at least the end of the life he's led as Don Draper.

The partners ambush Don, earlier than he is even though he's early (for once).  Last time Don wasn't "in the meeting before the meeting" Pete was going to Duck about Freddy Rumsen's alcoholism, and pushing him out.   Here, well, they push another creative type out the door.

Pete, whose indebted to Don for paying his share when the company was going under, and Ted, who is indebted to Don for allowing him the California opportunity, are not in the meeting, either not wanting to face Don or already on their way to the new office in Cali.  Roger, surprisingly, stands with the other partners.  Considering Joan's mere five percent share (at least, that's what Lane suggested she ask for), one would think if Roger had taken a stand against Cutler and Cooper it may have not been possible to push out Don.

Roger clearly didn't fight for Don.  He may have told Don the same thing he told Bert Peterson when he fired him..."No one fought for you."  We saw the converse when Bob Benson was highlighted and about to be deleted when Joan spoke up for him.  All of Don's savvy and con artistry couldn't allow him to continue to treat everyone and the business so poorly.  Bob Benson is the new con artist in the agency.

The creatives are scattered about, with Ted in California, Peggy holding down the fort in NYC and Don going who knows where.  No doubt the account men are relieved to search for one less mood lightener/topic changer every time Don brings up the Vietnam War/whorehouses/whatever with some huge client.  The fact they do as well as they do is a weekly source of amazement.  Had I sat there in Ken's seat, I'd be forced to break into "The Aristocrats" after every one of Don's weird dark lectures, or someone makes fun of 9/11. 
'
Don's stolen an identity.  He's stolen ideas ("The cure for the common breakfast") and he's stolen opportunities (California, from Stan).  Now, he's being honest.  For all of Don's lying and scheming and manipulation to get a foot in the door at the bottom to eventually build a top 30 advertising firm mainly on the back of his creative genius, it is ultimately his conscious about the war and his single most honest moment, in perhaps both his personal and professional life, that pushes him over the red line and out the door.  Don wants the product, at least this product, to remain pure and innocent, without advertising to obscure and manipulate it before it reaches the public.  It feels a bit like Holden Caulfield wanting to preserve the innocence of childhood.  And it's this honest moment that Roger directly questions "Was any of that even true?"

Much of the problems between Don and Megan were left unsaid this season.  But they talk about the chance to get back where they were with the move to California.  Before it falls through, Don has a civil phone conversation with Betty on the phone, with Megan right there, when he affectionately calls her "Birdie".  Betty tells him there that the good can't beat the bad.  (Did Megan have a similar line?  Re-checking this.  Maybe it was Megan who said it)  Maybe it's then that Don realizes, as much as he tries to run and get a fresh start to try to chase that ideal life he can't have, Don plus in the key and enacts the failsafe, putting those final events in motion to walk into the ocean, as foretold in his ad in "The Doorway".

After Don gives the spot to Ted, Megan drops "You want to be alone with your liquor, your ex-wife and your screwed-up kids" on him, though I'm not sure how much Don wants to be around his kids.  Don blase-ly talks about them being bi-coastal and seeing each other occasionally.  It's almost as if Don knew he could try to re-start the marriage in California, but then realized he didn't want to, and gave the opportunity to Ted as both a gesture of good will but as a way to completely sabotage the marriage because he wants to be better and it is easier to completely tear it down than try to rebuild. 

Raw Data: Mhysa

Initial thoughts and observations for Game of Thrones episode 3-10, "Mhysa" written for television by Benioff and Weiss, and directed by David Nutter, of last week's episode where nothing happened.

This is the Season Three finale.  

• Big fat wrongness on the three weddings in the final three episodes.  Joff and Margaery will have to wait until Season Four.  Too many threads to wrap up or lead into next year to do a big production for the social event of Westeros, if Cersei's seventy seven courses are actually featured.
• O'er the ramparts watched Roose Bolton at the mayham and destruction continuing outside the castle upon the Northern army.  His mere appearance is enough to make you grit your teeth.
• The conversation between Bolton and Walder Frey, as they discuss their new positions in the realms leads you to believe if it hadn't been one thing that led them to betray Robb, it'd be another.  It wasn't for lack of want that would prevent it but the assurances of their betrayal's success and spoils afterward.  Once they received those from Tywin, all bets were off.
• Bolton mentions Robb ignored his advice at every turn, but the best case shown where Bolton advised Robb was to allow Bolton's bastard to retake Winterfell, rather than Robb needing to do it himself.  And Robb took that advice.  So there's quite a bit of resentment there (no kidding) built of in Bolton
• It's amazing how, despite all that's happened to her in Kings Landing, Sansa can maintain any sense of innocence, conveyed when she earnestly explains the prank to Tyrion.
• Give a lot of credit to the actress playing Yara when she and her father receive a package postmarked from Lonley Island.  She communicates much like one of the new characters in the brand new season of Arrested Development.  Then, she takes a crew and voiceovers us into one of the most badass threads for next season
• Maybe it was just the pictures in my old CCD workbook, but the blue Dany wears looks a lot like Mary
• Arya goes from the statue of Baelor in "Baelor" where she's grabbed by gruff old Yoren from the Night's Watch as her father is beheaded among a spectacle, to finally finding her family, only to be mere feet from the new head of her family paraded around, headless, and taken away by gruff old Sandor Clegane 
• She pulls out the coin Jaqen H'gar gave to her, which we saw first and last in the Season Two finale.  Arya declined his invitation to come with her across the sea because she was still searching for her family.  But now there's nothing keeping her there...
• Tywin took the words out of my mouth when he commented on Joffrey's need to state he "is the king".  It's like when someone makes a claim about how they are to be respected.  If you have to say it, you haven't earned it.
• Part of winning the game of thrones seems to be sitting out and biding your time.  Twice that strategy was raised in this episode
• The "late" Walder Frey holding his army back from helping the Tullys at the Trident during the rebellion
• Tywin Lannister holding his army back at Casterly Rock while Robert Baratheon led the rebellion
• It seems a bit out of character for Tyrion to refer to Joff as "the most powerful man in Westeros" when he of all people should know power lies where men believe it lies.  After all, he was Hand all of season two when they seemed to focus on that idea constantly.  I like to think the Iron Throne represents authority in Westeros the same way the ceremonial mace does in England.  Whoever holds it, holds authority.  It's why if Stannis had taken the capital in and the physical throne in "Blackwater", he'd be king, and why the importance of holding it after Robert's death was so apparent to Renly and Cersei but sadly not Ned.
• Possession is nine tenths of the law in Westeros and the other tenth is Tywin Lanniser doing as he pleases
• For example, Tywin used the Kingsguard oaths however suit him best.  With the Queen of Thorns he threatened to add Ser Loras to the Kingsguard, making it so he cannot inherit Highgarden.  When Tyrion raised the issue of his inheritance of Casterly Rock (due to Jamie's Kingsguard oath) Tywin flatly refused him
• Melisandre would be a hipster in a contemporary version.  She's SO over the War of Five Kings.  It's not even cool anymore.  The Wall is where it's at.
• The movement through The Wall between Sam and Gill and Bran, Hodor, Jojen and Meera had a bit of a Revenge of the Sith feel.  They are defeated, for now, but seeking refuge in exile, hoping to regroup.  So as they go into swamps of Dagobah, there's a surprising bit of hope despite all evidence stating there should be none.
• Bran also told a nice story about what happens to those who betray their guests.  Hopefully Walder Frey doesn't die of old age before he can be repaid.

 ...hodor...