Breaking Bad 1.07
"Breaking Bad" is one of those shows everyone talks about, particularly in how amazing it is in relation to the current landscape of television. But I don't get it.
In my (admittedly short) lifetime, I've watched many a critically acclaimed show and understood why people fell in love. I don't get it with this show. I know that's a heathenish thing to state on the internet, but it's true. I don't understand why it's amazing. Maybe it's because I've only just finished the first season, but I have failed to understand why it's one of the most critically acclaimed and internet recommended shows of the past few years. I haven't connected to any of the characters save Jesse, which I feel is detrimental even if they aren't a favorite character. At least I would have an opinion of them.
As a whole, the first season is comparatively lackluster to the hype surrounding it. Yet, this last episode does give a hint at how things will play out later on. But I don't want to wait seven episodes to be mildly captivated. I understand the cancer diagnosis became an outlet for Walt to become what he always desired to be, but the season did not make me understand why Jesse was the one he wanted to work with. Why he didn't realize that making the meth wasn't a one time deal if he needed money for cancer treatment. Why the show felt the need to disconnect Jesse and Walt for a substantial period of time after their first time working together. I might not have the answer to these questions because I admittedly did not pay attention to most of the episodes in the season, but that was because there was nothing to grab me. But that's not to say I didn't enjoy this particular episode. I just wish it happened sooner.
From the episode entitled "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal", I expected it to be about Walt's deal with Tuco to sell meth with him. And I was correct in that aspect. But naively, I thought the episode was going to deal with Walt doing this act as a way to protect Jesse from the harm that befell him in the previous two episodes. The title also alludes to the fact that the meth Walt and Jesse make is not usual. Nobody makes meth as clear and potent as Walt, therefore, he can buy himself out of rough situations by threatening to take his product elsewhere. Walt knows he makes the best meth around, which leads to one of my first points about Walt's subtle transformation.
Women being used as an outlet for the power of men is not a wholly unique concept, nor is one that is going to go away anytime in the near future. We see Walt exercising this power at the school board meeting about the missing lab equipment. As everyone discusses who could have possibly stolen the equipment, never suspected the science teacher with the access to said items. It shows that Walt feels his cancer is calling to act the way he begins to act. He starts to feel up Skylar in the meeting, also noted that it was without her consent. She pulls his hand away the first time, yet he persists. He likes this feeling, which could be foreshadowing to the fact that he has taken a dark turn from the meek chemistry teacher we met in the pilot. The biggest thing I've noticed is that while Walt states that he is making meth so that his family doesn't have to live in debt after he's dead, he doesn't respect Skylar in any way that would show that he cares about what happens to her after he's gone. He really only cares about his livelihood which would be Walt Jr. and the not-yet-to-be-born Holly. The message in Holly's tape alludes to the fact that he's probably not alive anymore and that he really does care about her. Unless he's become really gifted in faking so quickly. But I could never imagine something so heartfelt coming from Walt in regards to Skylar. With her, it's about controlling her the way she controlled him for so long. Except Skylar did it out of love and seemingly a misguided attempt at helping him reach his full potential. Walt's is about feeling alive and feeling untouchable, which adds the creepy factor to it.
There is also the allusion to Lex Luthor, infamous Superman villain, which is what Jesse calls Walt upon seeing his new shaved head. I'm not going to pretend to be a Superman expert at all (more of a Marvel fan), but having this be what is referred to Walt shows that he is truly transformed. Particularly in contrast to Tuco referring to him as Mr. Clean, someone known for cleaning up trouble, not cause it. But that is what Walt is doing. In his personal life and his secret life. He blatantly ignores Jesse's feelings towards Tuco and the deal Walt has made. For someone who wants a partner in the meth making business, Walt doesn't really act like he wants a partner because he doesn't consult Jesse on anything. As naive Jesse is, he has been in the meth business longer and has somehow not gotten caught. That fact does surprise me but that is for a different time to discuss. All Walt has is the ability to make the perfect crystal meth. He doesn't have the street skills and connections that Jesse has which does make them a great partnership. But Walt doesn't value Jesse's skill. He doesn't understand how Jesse didn't procure one of the ingredients for meth, rather than commend him for somehow acquiring every other thing on the list. Yeah, it was an important ingredient but what did Walt do? All he did was give Jesse a list and only after Jesse failed did he feel the need to step in and do the truly "dirty work".
Walt also starts to allude the illegality of what he is doing. First is the conversation with Hank at the baby shower, discussing how somethings that are legal now used to be illegal years ago. He mentions how easy it is to trip over the line of okay and not, with all the rules that are set in place. Hank laughs it off as just a conversation off of the Cuban cigars, noted illegal and he's a DEA agent who shouldn't really be seen with these. Yet, if he were to be caught, his punishment would be far less than Walt's because of the severity of the situation and the norms of society. Cuban cigars always seem to find their way into the US despite being banned on every show I've seen, but cooking meth is the worse offense because of how damaging it can be. For Walt to openly allude to what he's doing, he seems to think that he is in the right for cooking the meth and everyone else is wrong for wanting it to be illegal. But then there's the conversation with Skylar in the end, where he again tests the waters and asks her what she would do if she found out he was shoplifting. The problem is, once again, they aren't comparable crimes. There are serious ramifications to the crime he is committing that aren't comparable to Cuban cigars and shoplifting, mainly how society deals with them. Walt has already been caught in serious trouble, those that don't typically come from the other two situations. Yet, he is starting to rationalize that because other people do bad things, he obviously can to. He won't be around long enough anyways with the cancer.
As a whole, this episode was much stronger than the previous six episodes. I understand that sometimes, shows take a while to develop. Particularly when on a short time frame, but at the same time, this is the norm for shows in Britain. Some shows last exactly this length of episodes and can somehow manage a complex idea of where the show is going. This doesn't do that. "Breaking Bad" has potential, but has it really exercised it? Has it really shown me what it can become? That everything does have serious consequences? Everyone always says that the summary is misleading: A high school chemistry teacher gets diagnosed with cancer and starts to make meth for money. But that is exactly what has happened in the first season. I know that the show advances beyond that, because I like reading spoilers, yet it doesn't feel like circumstances are real yet.
I know there is a bit of negativity in here, and in my eyes, it's warranted. In another person's, it's not. I don't intend to stop watching the show because of a lackluster first season. I literally cannot name a single multi-season show where the first season is my favorite. So, here's a few questions (I don't care if the answers have spoilers). What made you continue to watch "Breaking Bad"? Did you genuinely enjoy the first season or did someone have to tell you that it gets better so that you would continue? Even after watching all there was, did you find it got better? Or does the internet hype conflate what the show actually is?
In my (admittedly short) lifetime, I've watched many a critically acclaimed show and understood why people fell in love. I don't get it with this show. I know that's a heathenish thing to state on the internet, but it's true. I don't understand why it's amazing. Maybe it's because I've only just finished the first season, but I have failed to understand why it's one of the most critically acclaimed and internet recommended shows of the past few years. I haven't connected to any of the characters save Jesse, which I feel is detrimental even if they aren't a favorite character. At least I would have an opinion of them.
As a whole, the first season is comparatively lackluster to the hype surrounding it. Yet, this last episode does give a hint at how things will play out later on. But I don't want to wait seven episodes to be mildly captivated. I understand the cancer diagnosis became an outlet for Walt to become what he always desired to be, but the season did not make me understand why Jesse was the one he wanted to work with. Why he didn't realize that making the meth wasn't a one time deal if he needed money for cancer treatment. Why the show felt the need to disconnect Jesse and Walt for a substantial period of time after their first time working together. I might not have the answer to these questions because I admittedly did not pay attention to most of the episodes in the season, but that was because there was nothing to grab me. But that's not to say I didn't enjoy this particular episode. I just wish it happened sooner.
From the episode entitled "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal", I expected it to be about Walt's deal with Tuco to sell meth with him. And I was correct in that aspect. But naively, I thought the episode was going to deal with Walt doing this act as a way to protect Jesse from the harm that befell him in the previous two episodes. The title also alludes to the fact that the meth Walt and Jesse make is not usual. Nobody makes meth as clear and potent as Walt, therefore, he can buy himself out of rough situations by threatening to take his product elsewhere. Walt knows he makes the best meth around, which leads to one of my first points about Walt's subtle transformation.
Women being used as an outlet for the power of men is not a wholly unique concept, nor is one that is going to go away anytime in the near future. We see Walt exercising this power at the school board meeting about the missing lab equipment. As everyone discusses who could have possibly stolen the equipment, never suspected the science teacher with the access to said items. It shows that Walt feels his cancer is calling to act the way he begins to act. He starts to feel up Skylar in the meeting, also noted that it was without her consent. She pulls his hand away the first time, yet he persists. He likes this feeling, which could be foreshadowing to the fact that he has taken a dark turn from the meek chemistry teacher we met in the pilot. The biggest thing I've noticed is that while Walt states that he is making meth so that his family doesn't have to live in debt after he's dead, he doesn't respect Skylar in any way that would show that he cares about what happens to her after he's gone. He really only cares about his livelihood which would be Walt Jr. and the not-yet-to-be-born Holly. The message in Holly's tape alludes to the fact that he's probably not alive anymore and that he really does care about her. Unless he's become really gifted in faking so quickly. But I could never imagine something so heartfelt coming from Walt in regards to Skylar. With her, it's about controlling her the way she controlled him for so long. Except Skylar did it out of love and seemingly a misguided attempt at helping him reach his full potential. Walt's is about feeling alive and feeling untouchable, which adds the creepy factor to it.
There is also the allusion to Lex Luthor, infamous Superman villain, which is what Jesse calls Walt upon seeing his new shaved head. I'm not going to pretend to be a Superman expert at all (more of a Marvel fan), but having this be what is referred to Walt shows that he is truly transformed. Particularly in contrast to Tuco referring to him as Mr. Clean, someone known for cleaning up trouble, not cause it. But that is what Walt is doing. In his personal life and his secret life. He blatantly ignores Jesse's feelings towards Tuco and the deal Walt has made. For someone who wants a partner in the meth making business, Walt doesn't really act like he wants a partner because he doesn't consult Jesse on anything. As naive Jesse is, he has been in the meth business longer and has somehow not gotten caught. That fact does surprise me but that is for a different time to discuss. All Walt has is the ability to make the perfect crystal meth. He doesn't have the street skills and connections that Jesse has which does make them a great partnership. But Walt doesn't value Jesse's skill. He doesn't understand how Jesse didn't procure one of the ingredients for meth, rather than commend him for somehow acquiring every other thing on the list. Yeah, it was an important ingredient but what did Walt do? All he did was give Jesse a list and only after Jesse failed did he feel the need to step in and do the truly "dirty work".
Walt also starts to allude the illegality of what he is doing. First is the conversation with Hank at the baby shower, discussing how somethings that are legal now used to be illegal years ago. He mentions how easy it is to trip over the line of okay and not, with all the rules that are set in place. Hank laughs it off as just a conversation off of the Cuban cigars, noted illegal and he's a DEA agent who shouldn't really be seen with these. Yet, if he were to be caught, his punishment would be far less than Walt's because of the severity of the situation and the norms of society. Cuban cigars always seem to find their way into the US despite being banned on every show I've seen, but cooking meth is the worse offense because of how damaging it can be. For Walt to openly allude to what he's doing, he seems to think that he is in the right for cooking the meth and everyone else is wrong for wanting it to be illegal. But then there's the conversation with Skylar in the end, where he again tests the waters and asks her what she would do if she found out he was shoplifting. The problem is, once again, they aren't comparable crimes. There are serious ramifications to the crime he is committing that aren't comparable to Cuban cigars and shoplifting, mainly how society deals with them. Walt has already been caught in serious trouble, those that don't typically come from the other two situations. Yet, he is starting to rationalize that because other people do bad things, he obviously can to. He won't be around long enough anyways with the cancer.
As a whole, this episode was much stronger than the previous six episodes. I understand that sometimes, shows take a while to develop. Particularly when on a short time frame, but at the same time, this is the norm for shows in Britain. Some shows last exactly this length of episodes and can somehow manage a complex idea of where the show is going. This doesn't do that. "Breaking Bad" has potential, but has it really exercised it? Has it really shown me what it can become? That everything does have serious consequences? Everyone always says that the summary is misleading: A high school chemistry teacher gets diagnosed with cancer and starts to make meth for money. But that is exactly what has happened in the first season. I know that the show advances beyond that, because I like reading spoilers, yet it doesn't feel like circumstances are real yet.
I know there is a bit of negativity in here, and in my eyes, it's warranted. In another person's, it's not. I don't intend to stop watching the show because of a lackluster first season. I literally cannot name a single multi-season show where the first season is my favorite. So, here's a few questions (I don't care if the answers have spoilers). What made you continue to watch "Breaking Bad"? Did you genuinely enjoy the first season or did someone have to tell you that it gets better so that you would continue? Even after watching all there was, did you find it got better? Or does the internet hype conflate what the show actually is?
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