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Post by Incandescence 112 on Jul 29, 2019 15:42:15 GMT -8
Best wishes-I hope you recover soon.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Aug 5, 2019 8:24:13 GMT -8
"Down" [2x04]
Oh, Jesse! Did you guys get that Jesse's life is spiraling down the drain? I don't know if I would have understood that without a scene where Jesse literally falls into a portapotty and lies face-up in a pool of liquefied feces. I'm really glad the show is subtlely hinting at the character arcs of this show.
"Breakage" [2x05]
Schraderbrau? Not very compelling branding. How about "Vodkontrivance?" Are we ever going to hear about Hank's bullet-noise factory in the bowels of Casa Schrader ever again? For some reason I doubt it. It's way too perfect of a metaphor.
Um, it's a serviceable episode that's mostly good as setup for "Peekaboo." It's also nice seeing Jesse's dirtbag friends getting integrated into the plot. And seeing Marie's inane shoplifting plot get resolved, although I don't believe for a moment that Skyler would be tearfully reuniting with her sister, or that Skyler and Marie are sisters to begin with. There's some funny stuff related to Jane, e.g. Jesse giving his surname as "Jackson." There's the underwhelming Hank material. And that's it.
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Post by Jeremy on Aug 5, 2019 18:06:37 GMT -8
Dumb as the "Marie's kleptomania" storyline was, I do give the writers credit for attempting to tie it in with the other characters somewhat in Season Two. Plenty of TV shows feature misfired story arcs early on, but tend to hastily sweep them under the rug; Breaking Bad is at least firm enough to stick with the hand it's dealt.
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Post by otherscott on Aug 7, 2019 5:58:26 GMT -8
I think the "Bit by a Dead Bee" to "Breakage" stretch of Breaking Bad is probably the worst stretch of Breaking Bad. Season 2, for me at least, never really comes together like it should. It's still a show that knows its general direction but isn't quite sure the best way to get there yet.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Aug 7, 2019 9:40:04 GMT -8
I think the "Bit by a Dead Bee" to "Breakage" stretch of Breaking Bad is probably the worst stretch of Breaking Bad. Season 2, for me at least, never really comes together like it should. It's still a show that knows its general direction but isn't quite sure the best way to get there yet. The big twist also never landed with me-the improvisational approach the team used to write Seasons 3, 4, and 5 worked better in my opinion.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Aug 13, 2019 16:01:05 GMT -8
I think the "Bit by a Dead Bee" to "Breakage" stretch of Breaking Bad is probably the worst stretch of Breaking Bad. Season 2, for me at least, never really comes together like it should. It's still a show that knows its general direction but isn't quite sure the best way to get there yet. The big twist also never landed with me-the improvisational approach the team used to write Seasons 3, 4, and 5 worked better in my opinion. I think the "big twist" works fantastically well because it just ups the intensity of Walt's "comeuppance" so to speak - internal anguish (sky)writ large. I am not in hindsight enamored with the teddy bear, but it's kinda weird which is nice.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Aug 13, 2019 17:09:27 GMT -8
Speaking of comeuppance
"Peekaboo" [2x06]
This is one of the episodes that won Aaron Paul his supporting actor Emmy, and it really shows. Much like with Allison Janney on West Wing, this shows. Because the episode reeeally goes out of its way to make you feel bad for poor Jesse - starting with a shot of him not being able to squish a bug which Skinny Pete casually destroys, which is maybe the most obvious metaphor on a show full of obvious metaphors. And, oh look, he covers the poor little kid's eyes, so that he doesn't see daddy's squashed head! What a sweet boy. I'm being slightly facetious here, because Jesse's plot is pretty compelling, and Aaron Paul gives a very on-point performance. (Also good - the actors who play Spooge and his lady, who are funny and scary, like subway drunks on... well, methamphetamine.) But for me, the best scene in this episode is only incidental to the obvious Emmy bait of the Jesse material.
As act two ends, Spooge explains that he intends to pay Jesse back with money from a stolen ATM - "it's a victimless crime!" he crows. Except the camera shows quite the opposite, that while stealing the ATM an innocent person died and the blue meth was deposited at the crime scene. This is the first time in the series where we really see what Walt's product does to people, and the consequences of his decision to cook meth. It's easy for us to see it as a victimless crime, because we've been shielded from what exactly meth addiction does to people, except in the context of Hank's ineffective "scared straight" routine. If the theme of this season is "consequences" this is the first time we really see those consequences.
The Walt stuff's fine too. Gretchen is kind of a non-character, but Walt gets to let things off his chest with her, which is cool. Him cursing her out at the restaurant is eminently quotable - Bryan Cranston puts such venom into the most generic three words of obscenity and yet they work so well. Subtler but also good is Walt telling Skyler that Gretchen needs to "keep up appearances" even as his life falls apart, which is more a line about him than it is about her. Good episode!
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Aug 14, 2019 21:52:43 GMT -8
The big twist also never landed with me-the improvisational approach the team used to write Seasons 3, 4, and 5 worked better in my opinion. I think the "big twist" works fantastically well because it just ups the intensity of Walt's "comeuppance" so to speak - internal anguish (sky)writ large. I am not in hindsight enamored with the teddy bear, but it's kinda weird which is nice. I can see that on paper, but the mechanics of getting there are iffy at best. We'll get there when you cover the finale.
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Post by otherscott on Aug 15, 2019 12:16:10 GMT -8
The twist itself fine, the way the season had to be structured to accommodate for the twist less so. Even saying that is judging a little on a curve, though. Season 2 of Breaking Bad is a good season, it's just not as good as the other seasons of the show by and large.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Aug 15, 2019 13:18:22 GMT -8
"Negro y Azul" [2x07]
I remember literally nothing about this episode other than the narcocorrido tune in the opening, which has nothing to do with the episode proper. Let's refresh my memory.
(checks Breaking Bad wikia)
Hm, so this is the beginning of the "Skyler becomes an accountant" arc, I guess, and the "blowfish" dialogue, and the start of Jesse and Jane as a couple, and... um... OH RIGHT, THIS is the one with Danny Trejo's head on the turtle! Great stunt casting: set up an arc where Hank joins a new crew and has to reluctantly collaborate with a pissy cartel boss played by America's foremost Chicano character actor, and then kill them all off in the first episode.
"Better Call Saul" [2x08]
Now this episode's fun. Saul Goodman is a very good character who instantly worms his way into our hearts.
Actually, there really isn't much of a plot to this episode beyond introducing us to Saul. But that's ok. He's great.
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Post by Zarnium on Aug 15, 2019 13:25:21 GMT -8
I like "Negro y Azul" because of how Hank's sensitivity leads to him being one of the few who don't get injured in the bomb blast. Everyone else thinks it's funny to watch a dude's severed head attached to a turtle, Hank has a visceral reaction and it saves his life.
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Post by otherscott on Aug 15, 2019 15:08:55 GMT -8
"Negro y Azul" [2x07] I remember literally nothing about this episode other than the narcocorrido tune in the opening, which has nothing to do with the episode proper. Let's refresh my memory. (checks Breaking Bad wikia) Hm, so this is the beginning of the "Skyler becomes an accountant" arc, I guess, and the "blowfish" dialogue, and the start of Jesse and Jane as a couple, and... um... OH RIGHT, THIS is the one with Danny Trejo's head on the turtle! Great stunt casting: set up an arc where Hank joins a new crew and has to reluctantly collaborate with a pissy cartel boss played by America's foremost Chicano character actor, and then kill them all off in the first episode. "Better Call Saul" [2x08] Now this episode's fun. Saul Goodman is a very good character who instantly worms his way into our hearts. Actually, there really isn't much of a plot to this episode beyond introducing us to Saul. But that's ok. He's great. I'm not sure how you didn't manage to remember the bomb of the guys head attached to a turtle. Granted, the opening and that moment are pretty much the only two memorable things about that episode yes. Saul Goodman is a very good character in Breaking Bad and a GREAT character in Better Call Saul.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Aug 15, 2019 15:23:50 GMT -8
I'm not sure how you didn't manage to remember the bomb of the guys head attached to a turtle. I remembered the turtle with Danny Trejo's head on it, I just forgot this episode was the one where that comes into play. I think every other episode of the season has some obvious hook - "Better Call Saul" is obviously the Saul episode, "4 Days Out" is obviously about them being out for four days, etc. But the two most memorable scenes of this episode are divorced from Walt's story. Hank's PTSD effectively saving his life is a nice touch, but I think it kind of undermines his character at the same time, that he gets promoted, is immediately out of touch with his colleagues, and then watches all his peers die and enters a state of total shell shock. Hank is fine as a character but he's mainly there as a foil for and inevitable opponent of Walt, so I think making him look so gunshy and bad at his job detracts from the story and the role he plays in the story moreso than it improves his characterization, because we're never going to delve that deeply into his character.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Aug 15, 2019 15:37:00 GMT -8
The twist itself fine, the way the season had to be structured to accommodate for the twist less so. Even saying that is judging a little on a curve, though. Season 2 of Breaking Bad is a good season, it's just not as good as the other seasons of the show by and large. Agree wholeheartedly, but the consensus seems to be that Season 2 is a fantastic season. I think it's pretty good-better than Season 1 for sure-but not nearly as good as the show would become.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Aug 15, 2019 15:42:19 GMT -8
"Negro y Azul" [2x07] I remember literally nothing about this episode other than the narcocorrido tune in the opening, which has nothing to do with the episode proper. Let's refresh my memory. (checks Breaking Bad wikia) Hm, so this is the beginning of the "Skyler becomes an accountant" arc, I guess, and the "blowfish" dialogue, and the start of Jesse and Jane as a couple, and... um... OH RIGHT, THIS is the one with Danny Trejo's head on the turtle! Great stunt casting: set up an arc where Hank joins a new crew and has to reluctantly collaborate with a pissy cartel boss played by America's foremost Chicano character actor, and then kill them all off in the first episode. "Better Call Saul" [2x08] Now this episode's fun. Saul Goodman is a very good character who instantly worms his way into our hearts. Actually, there really isn't much of a plot to this episode beyond introducing us to Saul. But that's ok. He's great. You kind of tapped into one of my two main issues with the show (the other being its at times glacial pacing, which is a problem because my interest really only extended as far as Walter and Jesse). It's something that Emily Vanderwerff touched on in her Game of Thrones Season 4 review-it seems to be structured around moments. Everyone remembers moments from "Dead Freight", "Say My Name", "One Minute", "Salud", "Cornered", and others-do we remember what else happened in them? "Better Call Saul" got a perfect 'A' from the AV Club-why? Because it introduces a fantastic character? That's not really enough to call it great-especially by CT's four pillars of great tv-character, emotion, plot, and depth. But, lest I seem like too much of a hipster, I am a big fan of the show, and still think it's better than 99.9999% of all television that's ever been made.
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