Breaking Bad 2.01
Okay, I understand a bit better why it's highly acclaimed.
"Seven Thirty-Seven"
When first viewing what the episode title was, I immediately thought of an airplane. I blame "In the Heights" for that one, since that is the lyric that always gets stuck in my head. Then I realized Usnavi says 747, so I became sad. Then I thought it had to do with a specific number that was going to recur. Like, a certain time. I'm big into arc numbers. I watched LOST. And as all viewers of LOST knows, those numbers really didn't mean that much. But I had faith that this number would mean something.
And it does. It signifies the amount of money Walt needs to accumulate for his family for them to be okay after he dies. When I think about it, it seems like such a low number compared to everything that he's preparing for. Now, I don't remember the exact list that he recites, but it seemed as if he was thinking bare minimum for every item. In a idealistic society, this would be okay. But in a realistic world where everything is overpriced in spite of 90 % of people unable to afford everything they realistically need to succeed, this number seems dismal. Is he counting on Skyler working after he dies? Is he accounting for any benefits Walt Jr. and Holly may receive because he is dead? Is he counting on the numbers staying in the right now or adjusting for the inflation that happens every few years? To make the money, he says it will take him eleven weeks, which coincidentally would line up to the end of season two. Having such a time frame would allow the show to end as needed should it not have been picked up beyond this season, but how do they justify the continuation of the series if Walt is only making the meth until he accrues enough money? I know they have obviously found a way, I just don't see it yet.
I kind of liked the opening scene. The black and white added a haunted effect to everything. But I could have done without a chunk of the next scene, which was literally replaying half of the end scene from the finale. Now, I don't know how long it was between the airings of season one and two, but I don't need to literally be reminded that Tuco killed his crony twice. (Okay, Wikipedia tells me that it was a year. Still no excuse since most shows with thirteen or less episodes don't re-air part of the last finale's scene.) There would have been a better pace if the episode had picked up straight from the crony getting killed. It especially doesn't flow well with the black and white vignette beforehand to cut to the junkyard. I am glad that besides the misstep, the show got the pacing and suspense back up to what it was previously.
But after that scene, I do have a question. Is Walt going to sexually assault Skyler every time something happens to him, whether good or bad? This has happened twice now, both times highly uncomfortable. I'm ecstatic that Skyler told him off, but I feel that this will continue to be a recurring theme with the two of them. I understand that Walt is starting to feel power, but there are other ways of showing this change than to use the played-out assertion over women. If this show is so groundbreaking, can't it find a different route? Why do the women have to suffer because men found power?
What I truly appreciate is Skyler becoming more of a fully-formed character. She really is jumping up high on my list of characters I like on this show. She truly has a horrible life and is forced to make the best of it. Everyone always blames her for things that go wrong, even when it simply isn't possible. There's the conversation Hank has with her about Marie, how Skyler should forgive her for almost being arrested on her behalf. I'm glad Skyler shut Hank down. Just because Marie has a problem doesn't mean she has to be forgiven for what happened. Skyler has a lot more to worry about than Marie's ongoing troubles with shoplifting. She shouldn't be expected to drop everything just to forgive her. Really, it's in Marie's hand to apologize. Marie was the one who wouldn't admit she had a problem to Skyler. Marie didn't take blame for the tiara. Marie is the one who expects everything be okay without any repercussions for her actions. It just doesn't work like that. I'm also glad that Skyler doesn't buy Walt's flimsy excuses, because they are horrible. Like, he cannot lie at all. It's a wonder no one caught onto his side business early on. He's really only good if he can play off another character or can take charge (like in a plan).
I have to admit that the Walt and Jesse relationship is truly fascinating. I don't really know what to classify it as at the moment. Sometimes, it feels like they have a student/teacher relationship, as Walt explains a lot of science to him. He uses his intelligence to his advantage over Jesse, knowing that he will buy everything Walt tells him. Then sometimes, I feel as if they really do have a true partnership. They both agree that Tuco is bad news; that they should get rid of him by any means necessary. But I truly feel that Walt will never see Jesse as an equal, even though there are plenty of skills Jesse has that Walt will never possess. But there something almost...undefinable about their relationship. Walt doesn't hesitate to go see Jesse even though he is talking to Skyler in a quite serious situation. Of course, that lands him in horrific trouble, as Jesse has been kidnapped by Tuco. And that's where the show decides to end. I may have screeched a little when the scene cut to black because I wanted to know what was next. That was exciting, but I hope that the show doesn't try and rely on shock endings to keep their audience hanging on.
"Seven Thirty-Seven"
When first viewing what the episode title was, I immediately thought of an airplane. I blame "In the Heights" for that one, since that is the lyric that always gets stuck in my head. Then I realized Usnavi says 747, so I became sad. Then I thought it had to do with a specific number that was going to recur. Like, a certain time. I'm big into arc numbers. I watched LOST. And as all viewers of LOST knows, those numbers really didn't mean that much. But I had faith that this number would mean something.
And it does. It signifies the amount of money Walt needs to accumulate for his family for them to be okay after he dies. When I think about it, it seems like such a low number compared to everything that he's preparing for. Now, I don't remember the exact list that he recites, but it seemed as if he was thinking bare minimum for every item. In a idealistic society, this would be okay. But in a realistic world where everything is overpriced in spite of 90 % of people unable to afford everything they realistically need to succeed, this number seems dismal. Is he counting on Skyler working after he dies? Is he accounting for any benefits Walt Jr. and Holly may receive because he is dead? Is he counting on the numbers staying in the right now or adjusting for the inflation that happens every few years? To make the money, he says it will take him eleven weeks, which coincidentally would line up to the end of season two. Having such a time frame would allow the show to end as needed should it not have been picked up beyond this season, but how do they justify the continuation of the series if Walt is only making the meth until he accrues enough money? I know they have obviously found a way, I just don't see it yet.
I kind of liked the opening scene. The black and white added a haunted effect to everything. But I could have done without a chunk of the next scene, which was literally replaying half of the end scene from the finale. Now, I don't know how long it was between the airings of season one and two, but I don't need to literally be reminded that Tuco killed his crony twice. (Okay, Wikipedia tells me that it was a year. Still no excuse since most shows with thirteen or less episodes don't re-air part of the last finale's scene.) There would have been a better pace if the episode had picked up straight from the crony getting killed. It especially doesn't flow well with the black and white vignette beforehand to cut to the junkyard. I am glad that besides the misstep, the show got the pacing and suspense back up to what it was previously.
But after that scene, I do have a question. Is Walt going to sexually assault Skyler every time something happens to him, whether good or bad? This has happened twice now, both times highly uncomfortable. I'm ecstatic that Skyler told him off, but I feel that this will continue to be a recurring theme with the two of them. I understand that Walt is starting to feel power, but there are other ways of showing this change than to use the played-out assertion over women. If this show is so groundbreaking, can't it find a different route? Why do the women have to suffer because men found power?
What I truly appreciate is Skyler becoming more of a fully-formed character. She really is jumping up high on my list of characters I like on this show. She truly has a horrible life and is forced to make the best of it. Everyone always blames her for things that go wrong, even when it simply isn't possible. There's the conversation Hank has with her about Marie, how Skyler should forgive her for almost being arrested on her behalf. I'm glad Skyler shut Hank down. Just because Marie has a problem doesn't mean she has to be forgiven for what happened. Skyler has a lot more to worry about than Marie's ongoing troubles with shoplifting. She shouldn't be expected to drop everything just to forgive her. Really, it's in Marie's hand to apologize. Marie was the one who wouldn't admit she had a problem to Skyler. Marie didn't take blame for the tiara. Marie is the one who expects everything be okay without any repercussions for her actions. It just doesn't work like that. I'm also glad that Skyler doesn't buy Walt's flimsy excuses, because they are horrible. Like, he cannot lie at all. It's a wonder no one caught onto his side business early on. He's really only good if he can play off another character or can take charge (like in a plan).
I have to admit that the Walt and Jesse relationship is truly fascinating. I don't really know what to classify it as at the moment. Sometimes, it feels like they have a student/teacher relationship, as Walt explains a lot of science to him. He uses his intelligence to his advantage over Jesse, knowing that he will buy everything Walt tells him. Then sometimes, I feel as if they really do have a true partnership. They both agree that Tuco is bad news; that they should get rid of him by any means necessary. But I truly feel that Walt will never see Jesse as an equal, even though there are plenty of skills Jesse has that Walt will never possess. But there something almost...undefinable about their relationship. Walt doesn't hesitate to go see Jesse even though he is talking to Skyler in a quite serious situation. Of course, that lands him in horrific trouble, as Jesse has been kidnapped by Tuco. And that's where the show decides to end. I may have screeched a little when the scene cut to black because I wanted to know what was next. That was exciting, but I hope that the show doesn't try and rely on shock endings to keep their audience hanging on.
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