Breaking Bad

[Derek]

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Unless I'm mistaken, Jesse had the gun in his hand when Walt called, so I assumed they had that as a last resort beforehand.

]

[Ezee E]

Time to begin Season 2.

[Winston*]

Season 3 finale spoilers
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You think Jesse actually shot Doug?

]

[Ezee E]

Hell of a way to start the season. Stupid early days at work, not allowing me to continue the season.

[[ETM]]

Season 3 finale spoilers
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You think Jesse actually shot Doug?

]

No doubt about it.

[Winston*]

No doubt about it.

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In the final shot before he shoots he moves the gun to the right, but the gun was already pointing at Doug's face in the previous shot. What does this mean, ETM?

]

[ThePlashyBubbler]

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In the final shot before he shoots he moves the gun to the right, but the gun was already pointing at Doug's face in the previous shot. What does this mean, ETM?

]

[

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The A.V. Club: Last season ended with an episode that was reasonably conclusive, whereas this season ends with a cliffhanger. Why’d you choose to end on an ambiguous note?

Vince Gilligan: Well first let me ask you: When you say “ambiguous” do you mean ambiguous in the sense of did Jesse shoot Gale or not?

AVC: Among other things, yes.

VG: Gotcha. That’s interesting, because I’m hearing that from some folks, that question. To me, for what it’s worth, it’s not actually meant to be ambiguous. It’s meant to be, “Oh my god, Jesse shot poor Gale.” But I’m realizing now that when people see the camera come dollying around so it’s looking down the barrel of the gun, some are reading that as maybe he’s changing his point of aim. But that’s not what we intended. Apparently it’s not as clear as I thought it would be. [Laughs.]

]

[[ETM]]

[

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In the final shot before he shoots he moves the gun to the right, but the gun was already pointing at Doug's face in the previous shot. What does this mean, ETM?

]

[

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No he doesn't. The gun stays pointed at the same spot, but the camera pans in front of it to give us Gale's POV as Jesse fires.

]

Or yeah, what the interview says.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

His name is Gale, not Doug.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41400478515

[Glass Co.]

This show just keeps spiraling into the abyss. I wonder if the final episode will involve the systematic slaughter of the major characters.

Although that was a joke, I don't see it as being that far from the truth.

[Henry Gale]

Referring to him as "Doug" in my head and reminding myself that he was that actor (and only an actor) was the only thing keeping me from completely being taken over by the anxiety the ending was throwing at me.

Usually with TV, characters slowly giving into bleaker motives, and making increasingly ill-advised or unsympathetic choices in the process, makes it hard to be fully invested in a show. But with Breaking Bad, it somehow makes it all more and more fascinating and engaging. It's the perfect nuance of allowing every bad decision to matter and left unable to be undone, only leaving the right choices for the future of these characters being the ones that end in their self-preservation.

I've loved this show so much more this season than I would have ever expected to a couple of years back as I was only mildly impressed with Season 1. Can't wait until next season, even if it's a year from now...

[[ETM]]

The joke stops being funny when you do that, Amnesiac.

[Winston*]

Hey well at least I'm not alone in misreading that scene.

[Qrazy]

[

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I too thought it was supposed to be intentionally ambiguous but was guessing Jesse had probably killed him.

]

[Dead & Messed Up]

Okay, through "Fly" and "Abiquiu."

Should finish up the season tonight.

[RoadtoPerdition]

I like the discussions about Walt breaking down a bit at the end of the episode. That felt awkward to me as well. Seemed very out of character, but considering the circumstances, you never know how people will react. I also thought that Jesse had moved his arm and not that the P.O.V. had changed, for what it's worth.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Good finale. Didn't start hitting me hard until the reunion in the lazer place.

Man, working with Gus again is gonna be more awkward than that time Costanza's co-workers found out he wasn't handicapped.

[Ezee E]

WOW.

Season 2, Episode 2 might be one of the finest displays of television suspense I've ever seen. Masterful.

[RoadtoPerdition]

WOW.

Season 2, Episode 2 might be one of the finest displays of television suspense I've ever seen. Masterful.

There are several more at least on par with that one later in season two and then a few in season three. Ah, to be able to watch those episodes for the first time. I envy you.

[Henry Gale]

WOW.

Season 2, Episode 2 might be one of the finest displays of television suspense I've ever seen. Masterful.

I'd say it only gets better from there.

I remember not really loving the show until about Episode 5 of that season. For me, it still had to overcome (or at least better mask) the way it dealt with relying on certain contrivances to allow convenience, instead of believability, to dictate the drama.

[Derek]

Yeah, the show really hits its stride once Gus becomes involved. I want an off-season spin-off to ease the long wait 'til Season 4.

[transmogrifier]

People who didn't like the climatic event at the end of the second season are silly. And people who call it a deux ex machina are even sillier.

Of all the possibilities for those b&w cold openings, they chose the most awesome one. Well done, that show.

[Qrazy]

People who didn't like the climatic event at the end of the second season are silly. And people who call it a deux ex machina are even sillier.

Of all the possibilities for those b&w cold openings, they chose the most awesome one. Well done, that show.

The show pushes the suspension of disbelief a little hard in places. I personally felt it was a bit much there but I'm glad they acknowledge and owned that in the third season. Walt has a speech to Jesse which is basically... 'do you have any idea how impossible some of these events have been'. That monologue managed to bring the show back to a certain level of heightened realism for me while allowing it to persist in the layering of highly improbable events for the sake of character drama.

[amberlita]

The show pushes the suspension of disbelief a little hard in places. I personally felt it was a bit much there but I'm glad they acknowledge and owned that in the third season. Walt has a speech to Jesse which is basically... 'do you have any idea how impossible some of these events have been'. That monologue managed to bring the show back to a certain level of heightened realism for me while allowing it to persist in the layering of highly improbable events for the sake of character drama.

I was grateful for that speech in "Fly" as well. I'd read a great comment on Walt's speech there, that he was trying to rationalize and comprehend how astronomical the odds were of those events occurring, so miserable in his belief that the universe had chosen to defy its own laws just to destroy him.

[transmogrifier]

I like the discussions about Walt breaking down a bit at the end of the episode. That felt awkward to me as well. Seemed very out of character, but considering the circumstances, you never know how people will react. I also thought that Jesse had moved his arm and not that the P.O.V. had changed, for what it's worth.

I never doubted for a second that it was part of his plan. He never intended to give up Jesse, he just needed an excuse to get on the phone. The breaking down was all part of the act.

Anyway, one thing I especially love about this series is the various inventive uses of the cold open - flashbacks, flashforwards, montages, fake advertisements, music videos, filling in the gaps in previous episodes, insect anatomy.....