I've heard the criticism about Jack being a weak replacement for Gus, and I think more importantly, those people completely miss the point that Walter/Heisenberg has become the villain of season 5. The Jack and his nazis are there to show how far Walter has gone down the bad choice road.
I agree. I also feel that it adds more to the criminal underworld as a whole. If it was just gus and the cartel it would feel smaller in terms of world building imo
Who could replace Gus. It showed how one drug dealer , Gus, was organized, diligent and saw the bigger picture etc. That was what Walt aspired to be. Instead he let his ego ruin everything Walt and Gus both felt invincible. Things went downhill with Jack- he was sloppy, didn't care about business or relationships with "coworkers". This is what Walt ultimately became.
I feel like they accomplished that but something about going from super calculated drug lord to random white trash guy who was eventually Walter's undoing just felt extremely underwhelming
@@JR-me7yk It wasn't some random white trash dude who was Walt's undoing, it was Walt. He made so many bad and flat out sloppy decisions because he felt invincible. Leaving incriminating evidence in his house in plain sight, getting himself into deeper water by not cashing out when the only two people he could trust decided to quit, and of course working with complete and utter human trash who place no value on human life, much less his or anyone else he cared about. He's the one who made Jesse his enemy, he's the one who let Hank find evidenced that confirmed that he was Heisenberg and he was most definitely the one who led Jack directly to his money. Jack didn't outwit Walter, he overpowered him through sheer force because Walter allowed him to. Of course after Walt has been completely humbled by the event and has nothing left to lose, he easily defeats Jack. His fall from the throne in Ozymandias was completely his own fault
@@SoIstice I worded it wrong and I know it was Walter's decent into moral corruption and inflated ego that was his undoing but it just felt underwhelming how his opposition eventually became Jack
The Marie Kleptomaniac arc was actually less meaningless than I originally thought on my first watch. I still do believe that the season 1 stealing plot wasn't planned to go anywhere, but the season 4 reoccurrence was actually some genius writing to get Hank back on the trail of Walt. Right before Marie gets caught stealing in season 4, Hank has pretty much given up on the Heisenberg case as he is bedridden and very busy with his minerals, but after Marie gets caught, this causes detective Roberts to bring Hank Gale's notebook, since Hank owes Roberts a favor for getting Marie out of trouble. This notebook is what puts Hank back on the case and closer than ever to finding Heisenberg. Without Marie's kleptomaniac era, Hank never sees the notebook and most likely never catches Walt. The Breaking Bad writers took a failed plotline from season one and turned it into maybe the most pivotal part of the DEA's search for Heisenberg. Bravo, Vince.
I think the point of Marie stealing even early on was also to challenge the audience. Like how much more upset are we at Marie when we learn she steals, gets her family involved in her crime and then stubbornly refuses to admit the truth when called out on it than we are Walter who is doing the same thing but 100 times worse?
When Skyler pressed Marie about stealing and told Marie she wanted her sister back, Marie broke down and apologized to skyler. She was willing to set aside her pride and be there for Skyler. This helped her and skyler become close again and they became a strong pair. This is pretty much the opposite of what happens with Skyler and Walter. It's a neat parallel, and it redeems Marie and makes her a strong character
It was so bold of the writers to do a Better Call Saul crossover before they even conceived of the prequel, definitely one of the best crossovers in TV history. Bravo Vince!
How ironic that the one character (Jesse) who was initially destined to die in the first season, turns out to be the one character who escapes death and incarceration.
Yeah it’s crazy how this show came to be. It appears as thoroughly in depth and planned yet they changed stuff on the fly ALL THE TIME. Like randomly adding a character when Bob Odenkirk couldn’t appear that day. So Mike was born.
Thats how good Vince Gilligan is as a writer. He can change shit on the fly and still turn it into gold. Totally destroys the idea of a Southern man being any less intelligent. If anything they're smarter than us yankees
This show is just a Master Piece & then on rewatch it’s a Master Piece all over again especially out of context or with extra context or hyper context chaffed w/irony. Huell knows.
its interesting that Skylar's actress got the same treatment that Geoffrey's actor from game of thrones got, they did so well in their roles that everyone actually really hated them and thought they were actually like these charaters in real life, its also tragic because it made both actors back away from acting and hollywood altogether
I still don't understand how Skyler got the same amount of hate as Joffrey tho. One is a full blown psychopathic sadist and the other is a bit of a nag, who wants to shield her children from a drug kingpin.
@@slungellife she is written specifically to be hated. In the first episode she gives Walt a birthday handjob while tracking eBay sales. She seduces her boss and cooks his books, but never had that type of energy for her husband. It’s not about how “bad” she is compared to Walt, it’s that she’s written in a way that, up until Walt poisons Brock, she’s the easiest to hate.
@@genesisflix To a certain point yes, but she was never supposed to be hated. as much as she was. “Back when the show first aired, Skyler was roundly disliked,” Gilligan said. “I think that always troubled Anna Gunn. And I can tell you it always troubled me, because Skyler, the character, did nothing to deserve that."
20 min into this video is the first time it’s on my recommended page and subscribing because of this comment. I’m always looking for good UA-cam channels.
Goofy or otherwise, that slam that Ted takes is easily once of the most wince inducing moments i''ve seen on TV, and when Skyler sees him in the hospital, that was really shocking the first time I saw it, somehow.
When he fell it was hilarious....I thought he was dead, until his finger twitched I just assumed he had a minor neck/spine injury but fr seeing him be paralyzed completely made me feel sorry for a fictional character who by all accounts was an absolute dumbass
Saul's wacky proposals in season 4 fit better after the writers said they wanted to reveal LazerTag's Danny as none other than Daniel Wormald (AKA Pryce). Saul was trying to save his buddy's business. And it would've been a legendary bit, that Jimmy as a bit connoisseur would love.
About Season 5, you mentioned that Skyler is suddenly team Walt, and I never felt it myself. I'm pretty sure Walter TNTing a nursing home, anyone would be scared to go against him. Not to mention, she went through extreme amounts of stress that lead to her breaking down in the car wash and her attempt at walking into a body of water in Grand Theft Auto Vice City(sorry for censoring, I don't wanna get flagged). Combine this with having to deal with Beneke's aftermath, I don't think she sides with Walt as much as she's just given up. Ofc, the whole Hank thing exists, and, I don't know if it's implied, it reads like she saw Hank was more interested in getting Walter over helping her, which is probably not going to go well over a person who has been stressed and scared for like a few months. There's also the self-preservation angle of not wanting to mess with the law since she also had a hand in Walt's business. tl;dr homegirl is tired and probably wants a break.
Were you censoring an S word that involves one not existing anymore? I find it extremely odd how the internet now censors basic terms you can use on Saturday morning cartoons on network television. It angers me that we can't say simple words used in reality.
I feel you guys miss the point skykars with walt cause if walt geys taken down then she loses everything as she can be implicated guys and that means she ends up in jail or in many court cases, ruining her family so she sided with walt as personal protection not cause she is with Walt etc.
It's kind of insane to think about how, with the exception of the last two episodes, the series takes place over the course of a year. Edit: nvm a year and 6 months
Actually two years; S5E4 marks one year, and Gliding Over All is a 6 month time skip. But I agree - it’s wild what they go through in such a short timespan when we as an audience had years to process it live.
@@SlipMaker Oh, I didn't know Gliding Over All is a 6 month skip. Like you said though, that's still a relatively short amount of time considering everything they go through.
Its actually very common for people diagnosed with a death sentence to have huge problems and anger if the treatment is successful or they otherwise get to live. Obviously most of them IRL don't have a secret meth empire but its a very accurate touch in the show
What’s interesting is that Walter actually died when the doctor said he would die when he was first diagnosed. He was estimated to have 2 years left. He died at 2 years after the original diagnosis.
Dude, your upload schedule is nuts. I feel like we just got the GOT rewind. Your output given the quality of your work is insane. I hope you get the following you deserve. Can't wait to watch.
As someone who grew up in Albuquerque I can confidently say the way jessie acts in the first couple seasons before he gets in too deep is the definition of an abq male😂😂😂😂😂
A moment of silence for the fact that we are unlikely to ever again experience the storytelling perfection of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul in television.
There are tons of great tv shows that have perfected storytelling: - The Sopranos - Six Feet Under -The Wire - Mad Men - Boardwalk Empire - Twin Peaks The Return
Anyone who watched The Wire said that, and is still true. BB is a good drama but they never showed the system except the Madrigal episode. BB cant even compare on that note with The Wire. BB is just longer Scarface retelling.
@@iljavija Huh, I never even heard of that show. I put it on my watchlist. Interesting that it predates the Sopranos when it comes to charismatic villaneous protagonists. There are only 8 episodes right?
To add, I love that you're not going through the plot episode by episode but by looking at individual story and character arcs one season at a time, that's what I like to see
21:41 thank you for mentioning this! Yes, I agree that skyler, before she knew, could be a very frustrating character. Because the audience wanted to go back to the exciting plotlines with Jesse and Walter, because the silent treatment is quite frustrating, because she is too smart to be blind to what's going on, because she acts in a somewhat antagonistic role, being that she's challenging the main characters, -- it resulted in many in audience beginning to dislike her. But then, by the time she knows, is in the scheme, has her own badass moments, acts in ways that all other characters would, I don't understand how people remained hating her. Especially since around this time, your sympathy for Walt is supposed to be dwindling a little. By seasons 4 and 5 (even 3, after Jane's death) the audience begins to take a step back and it slowly gets clearer and clearer, that *even if you still root for him, as a main character*, he is immensely flawed and those who oppose him, those who he hurts, are not antagonists, and should be sympathize with, even if just to a degree. Something that baffles me is the misunderstanding of skylers actions that culminate in Crawl Space. It is painted out to the audience, loud and clear, that she needs Ted to pay this money, *not because she is in love with him, not because she will continue to cheat with him*, but because *if he doesn't, the FBI will be on HER ass too, and they will look into her finances and notice these discrepancies, notice the laundering, and will catch onto Walt's business*. Yet I hear people in my classes and online discussing the show, who act as though she was a terrible bitch for this. Who act like she was completely selfish, when really it was an act for her family and husband, an act of self preservation, that is completely justified within the narrative. Baffles me.
We hate her because of her personality, and because she is a hypocrite. We don’t hate her in defense of Walt. She is every annoying female character rolled into one obnoxious package. Walt is horrible, that doesn’t make her any less annoying.
@@circedelune I never saw her as necessarily hypocritical, but rather just with changing motivations as the plot progresses. Although if you give specific examples I'll definitely consider them. This comment was more about the takes I see that disregard elements of the story and personally bother me. You can still not like her if you want
@@circedelune how is she annoying?? she’s super intelligent and dedicated to trying to protect her family, she’s very similar to walt except she knows how to check her ego. i was rooting for her the whole time
@@islandboy9381 I'm just talking about being an intimidating boss of sorts and a generally unknown quantity for most of the show. his mannerisms are similar to gus' and he played it the same way he played gus
Honestly, the thing I didn't like about the last season was Jesse being the cook slave. That poor guy had been through so much trauma already, he just didn't need that much more.
Walt’s descent into villainy makes perfect sense into season 5. There’s no scene where his depravity surprises me, bc there’s literally nothing that could convince me after he assaulted his wife that he was ever a decent man to begin with.
I hate walter sooner and sooner each time I rewatch it. His moral descent is just him leaning more and more into the shitty and toxic aspects of his personality that were there from the start.
You mentioned how the conversation around smoking weed has shifted since then. And i agree, but I was rewatching it with someone that hasn't seen it all yet. And somewhere in the first 3 episodes Marie asks Hank to show Walt Jr an autopsy. Hank says something like "an autopsy of a weed overdose, Jesus Christ Marie" which made us actually laugh out loud
Anna gunn got a raw deal. Especially when I rewatched it recently pan closer attention to her character to try to figure out the hate, I found her to be even more sympathetic than in past viewing. Not without fault or some degree of complicity but yikes she was still such a s*** sandwich. She handled it better than I would have in a similar situation
Her performance was so incredible that the Skyler haters couldn't separate the character from the actress. Skyler is phenomenally written and I think it's such a shame that Anna Gunn had to deal with so much abuse from the fan base for her performance.
I've seen the series a few times at this point, from first viewing I pretty much hated her too (not because 'she was opposing my hero' like it felt a lot of misguided people felt at the time, more because even though she was realistically written she still ultimately served as a wet blanket and roadblock to the plot), then on around my 3rd rewatch I realized what a great character she really was and how stellar of a job Anna Gunn really did. Now she's my second favorite character after Mike
I don't know about that...I think that these kind of analysis/review videos communicate more than just the words, with the footage that is shown to accompany what they are saying. But that's just how I like to consume this kind of media, everyone's got their preferences.
0:16 Thank you so SO much for actually citing the songs and artists in this video, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it and hate it when others don't! Great video, great work, thank you!!!
I didn't mind the "lapses" for Jesse, when he had less to do. Because it was in a shifting tide between himself and Mike. By the time they meant to part ways and leave town, they were buddies. That juncture brought something out of both characters we didn't see earlier.
I will admit I liked watching Skyler's more criminal focused role in season 4 so much that I didn't realize how it was kinda unfortunate for Saul's role. Wish you didnt point it out frankly :(
I feel like the reason Gus allowed Walt to interfere with his plans to kill Hank, is because he's confident he can keep things under wraps, and because he wanted to try and convince Jesse that Walt should die
I'm glad you won the fight for this bro! Love your retrospectives. As to your Season 3 criticism, Saul gave good advice (relative to the universe) about the car wash. Skyler got her pride hurt and refused to listen to him, manipulating Walt into going along with her. So I view it as a sign of Skyler being better than expected at this but also being as petty as the others. She never took him seriously.
I remember when BB & Mad Men started on AMC. I instantly thought they’re probably going to be stupid. Me & my mom sat down and watched BB together. Since she had recently recovered from cancer we gave it a chance. For the rest of the series every Sunday night at 10pm we were hooked! It was crazy back in the day when you had to wait a whole week in between eps!
Hey man just got this video recommended and already binged your Americans and GoT video after this one. I've literally been hoping to stumble upon a channel with exactly this kind of long form series retrospectives content for a long while now and I know for a fact that I'm not alone in this, so I am really glad I found you! Keep up the good work, the algorithm definitely noticed you already and it's only a matter of time until you explode :)
The irony of breaking bad is that Gus chose his revenge over his employees and that’s what got him destroyed. All he had to do was kill those drug dealers, but trying to kill Walt only made things worse.
A little thing I noticed is the clock in Walter and Skylar house is faintly heard in every scene and it sounds like a timer or countdown just ticking away. emphasizing that time is ticking on the relationship and on Walt in general.
I watched Malcolm In The middle when It first aired and loved Bryan Cranston as Hal. When I watched breaking Bad I thought the casting mad perfect sense, after the series finale on Breaking bad and went back and rewatched Malcom, there is an episode, I can’t remember the exact one but Bryan pulls that quick change of acting in one character to acting in another in a flash the way he seemlessly does between Walt and Heisenberg, It just makes perfect sense, Bryan was always the perfect cast for Walter White.
It’s probably the episode where they take Malcolm’s money for themselves and Hal becomes more callous there’s even that part where he asks Lois “where’s the rest of the money” and it literally sounds exactly like Heisenberg
@@steveharveysmustache3988 the scene was the black dad, Hal, the mom, and I think a couple others from the neighborhood and discussing distracting a security guard for some reason, and they use the words “get rid of him” meaning distract him, and Hal chimes in “ oh you mean, git rid of him” but does it in a Heisenberg voice, then queue the laugh track, “no Hal” from Lois and slap in the arm and conversation continues.
It has always irked me how so many people call Marie's kleptomania an abandoned plot or pointless filler, apparently even people who do longass essays on UA-cam. Here's a breakdown : Marie is a kleptomaniac --> She got caught stealing stuff --> Cop who caught her recognizes her, because she's Hank's wife --> Cop feels bad for the couple because Hank's recovery is taking a toll on both him and Marie --> Cop visits Hank, wants to keep him occupied so asks him to look into the case he's been working on : GALE'S MURDER --> Hank does and finds out Gus is the guy --> ...etc Marie's kleptomania is literally what kickstarted Walt's downfall.
I'm sure there exist many viewers who listen to your words, but I just have to say, the way in which you speak and deliver your script and lines, you have the best way of words. You have excellent word choices and have so many quips, tones, and quick references, I have been on my toes listening to your explanation every second of this 1hr+ video. Thank you for heightening my listening abilities.
Ramping up my watch of BCS so I can catch your retrospective when it drops. Your ability to break down television shows by theme, structure and pacing is peerless, and your taste in kino television is 👌. Keep up the great work!
I was planning on hitting the like button no matter what, but then you hit me with the *“appeasing the Gods with an Aztec sacrifice”* line and I damn near spat out my drink.
DUDE! I am so happy this video is back!! A few days ago I was trying to find it and was VERY sad to find out what had happened to it. It is GREAT to see this video again :') Also, very sorry about your dog. I hope that you're continuing to take care of yourself, as it can be hard to forget to do that at a time like this. Much love
I tried to get a friend to watch the show, but she refused because, "Teachers shouldn't become drug dealers". I replied, "Of course they shouldn't! The series is a character study, not an endorsement of behavior". She rolled her eyes and changed the subject.
“Commit to being evil. Wearing his felt goatee while he waits for the real one to grow in.” VERYYY nice reference lol. Love community this joke works so well on both levels with Walt’s goatee being so iconic
I love the show too, and appreciate the time you put into this retrospective. Respectfully, I do have a few thoughts: • Surprised you brushed over the significance of Walt rejecting Elliot’s offer to his character arc. Not sure if it was just good luck or great planning, but it deserves recognition nonetheless. • Surprised to hear you describe S2 as “case of the week” rather than time well-spent on character development and world building. A good story should expand the stakes surrounding its central conflicts through minor arcs before executing its climatic moments. Too much action and intense drama now could set people up for disappointment later. • On Skyler taking Saul’s place in the story: there are compelling, juxtaposing narrative reasons for this. It was good for the show to have Skyler start breaking bad alongside her husband. Because she shared a full life and a child with Walt, she was likely looking for any way to justify his behavior. This is exactly why she became full “Team Walt” later. Conversely, Saul’s stress is understandable seeing as how across two shows he has always recognized when he’s in too deep but simply doesn’t have the willpower to pull himself out of it. His stress is understandable. • Jesse’s self-righteous attitude in 8A is probably meant to suggest the emotional growth of his character and redemption for his past sins-and 8B is his punishment arc. He may have paid a psychological price for murdering Gale, but going over to the light side and becoming virtuous meant he had to come to new realizations (Brock) as well as later pay a physical price. Remember, the bad guys are the “good guys” in this universe. • Welker was never supposed to be the antagonist. He was never intended to feel like a real threat. By the time Welker came around, the point was he was nothing next to Walt. Walt was always meant to be the S5 villain. Vince Gilligan even stated all of this in the series commentary or an interview or something. I thought “The Fly” was great too. One of the few that felt positive for Walt and Jesse’s relationship. Totally agree about the cold war analogy-interesting take. Also in S4, I hadn’t considered Walt was shedding tears for Jesse and not Walt Jr.
i just finished rewatching this masterpiece of a show yesterday and my main takeaway (apart from how unbelievably good it is) is that the Skyler hate is absolutely baffling. Like I know art is subjective and stuff but if you hate Skyler, you're watching this show wrong.
I believe the fact that a lot of us hated skylar as a character was just a testament to how good the writing was for both her and Walt. Walt was such a good liar he manipulated us the audience.
Walt was a terrible liar, I think he thought he was so much smarter than everyone around him he didn't have to bother trying to come up with a believable lie because they were too dumb to know what he was really up to.
excited for the better call Saul video! it's by far and large my favorite show ever due to how compelling and relatable Jimmy is as a character. what I love about Jimmy is that unlike Walter, Jimmy isn't inherently evil at the start or the end of the series.
I see this show primarily as a comedy, the drama itself is hilariously dark *because* it's so grim but also because it's just normal people being so crazy
@@Cadoe it’s primarily an ensemble buddy comedy. Walt and Jesse bounce off each other seamlessly, Hank and Goomby opt for wise cracks and ribbing. Skyler and Jr have fewer but classic moments “why you gotta be such a b***h?”. The twins, Badger & Skinless Pete, Tio & Gus, Huyell and Bill Burr. Yes I am right
@@bleachboys3623 we all know it *has* comedy, but the stakes and themes of the show are taken far too seriously in the latter half of the show to argue that the spirit of the show is *a comedy*.
Oh my god this just brought me back to all the Rollercoaster of emotions that this show brought. You broke this down so well. Felt like I got to live thru each season....minus the million hours of watching the I don't have time to do again 😂
Sometimes when I’m getting high w the homies I’ll randomly be like “hey yall wanna see a perfect yt video intro” and I pull this up. The song choice, the clip choices, the editing, the raw emotion it exudes, like the whole video is good but I’m obsessed w how beautiful the intro is.
New to your channel but this was great and you got a sub 😁 cant wait for BCS! The only thing I would just critique is that the fued with gus wanting to take out walt wasnt too out of left field for me. Gus, like walt, has an insane amount of pride. No one talks down to him and walt is too unpredictable to trust. He built a relationship with gal, but walt is constantly questioning gus and doesnt fall in line. So walt killing gus's drug dealers without permission was another hit on why he needed to be eliminated. Walt doesnt think about what could be the ripple effect of his actions. Its understandable from gus's perspective on why walt is a fly that needs to be squashed. But still this was amazing work. You are a very talented youtuber ❤
I'm so surprised that you only have like 30k subscribers. I would have figured you would have 500k+ given the quality of your videos. Just went from the better call saul video to this, so I basically binged you for 3 hours
Season 2 is my favorite to rewatch over and over. It’s my “comfort season.” “Four Days Out” is, for me, Breaking Bad’s “Pine Barrons.” Perfect, tense, funny episodes relying on the favorite odd couple surviving shenanigans.
I wouldn’t say it’s nearly as good as Pine Barrens, which is essentially the Ozymandias of The Sopranos in terms of legendary status, but it’s certainly a damn fine episode, and my favorite of Season 2.
@@BenjaminGroff-qi6lc Ozymandias is the culmination of 5 Seasons Pine Barrens was just one off episode, where the Russian plot isnt even followed - ever
I still can't believe we were lucky enough to get Breaking Bad, El Camino and Better Call Saul. If all three had only just been "above average" the fact they remained above-average would've been praiseworthy. But they aren't just "above average", they somehow manage to keep getting *better.* It's even more shocking with BCS, because as a prequel it would've been so simple to screw it all up. And yet not only is it just as good, it manages to genuinely make BB that much better due to how beautifully it all connects and flows with each other. Like, what devil did the team behind this sell their souls to, please tell us so we can get another mindblowingly amazing set of pitch-perfect TV.
Saul's plan isn't a bad idea. He suggests pirchasing an arcade because that's controlled by a trustworthy guy willing to launder money and not rat them out to the authorities. They know Skyler is a seasoned bookkeeper and accountant, but she isn't well versed in money laundering, crime committing, getting her hands dirty, or flaunting the law, so they don't even consider getting her to do it. They don't want to put her in the line of fire and haven't even considered the fact that if Walter goes down or is murdered or tortured that that will affect Skyler's prospects and run the risk of her being implicated and imprisoned already. They are genuinely flummoxed by her notions of getting herself involved deeper in their operations, and they do not realise that she can do money laundering by layering, because whilst she is a seasoned bookkeeper and accountant, they don't realise she is also adept at picking up on how to do it fraudulently, because that take an entirely different skill set. I'm not even sure if Walter told Saul beforehand that Skyler was a bookkeeper and an accountant. Saul's keenness on securing the arcade is based off not wanting to implicate Skyler further. She is the one who is acting irrationally by insisting they obtain the car wash from the obstinate Romanian owner they offended, rather than take Saul's suggestion of just purchasing a different car wash.
I've heard the criticism about Jack being a weak replacement for Gus, and I think more importantly, those people completely miss the point that Walter/Heisenberg has become the villain of season 5. The Jack and his nazis are there to show how far Walter has gone down the bad choice road.
I agree. I also feel that it adds more to the criminal underworld as a whole. If it was just gus and the cartel it would feel smaller in terms of world building imo
Who could replace Gus. It showed how one drug dealer , Gus, was organized, diligent and saw the bigger picture etc. That was what Walt aspired to be. Instead he let his ego ruin everything Walt and Gus both felt invincible. Things went downhill with Jack- he was sloppy, didn't care about business or relationships with "coworkers". This is what Walt ultimately became.
I feel like they accomplished that but something about going from super calculated drug lord to random white trash guy who was eventually Walter's undoing just felt extremely underwhelming
@@JR-me7yk It wasn't some random white trash dude who was Walt's undoing, it was Walt. He made so many bad and flat out sloppy decisions because he felt invincible. Leaving incriminating evidence in his house in plain sight, getting himself into deeper water by not cashing out when the only two people he could trust decided to quit, and of course working with complete and utter human trash who place no value on human life, much less his or anyone else he cared about. He's the one who made Jesse his enemy, he's the one who let Hank find evidenced that confirmed that he was Heisenberg and he was most definitely the one who led Jack directly to his money.
Jack didn't outwit Walter, he overpowered him through sheer force because Walter allowed him to. Of course after Walt has been completely humbled by the event and has nothing left to lose, he easily defeats Jack. His fall from the throne in Ozymandias was completely his own fault
@@SoIstice I worded it wrong and I know it was Walter's decent into moral corruption and inflated ego that was his undoing but it just felt underwhelming how his opposition eventually became Jack
The Marie Kleptomaniac arc was actually less meaningless than I originally thought on my first watch. I still do believe that the season 1 stealing plot wasn't planned to go anywhere, but the season 4 reoccurrence was actually some genius writing to get Hank back on the trail of Walt. Right before Marie gets caught stealing in season 4, Hank has pretty much given up on the Heisenberg case as he is bedridden and very busy with his minerals, but after Marie gets caught, this causes detective Roberts to bring Hank Gale's notebook, since Hank owes Roberts a favor for getting Marie out of trouble. This notebook is what puts Hank back on the case and closer than ever to finding Heisenberg. Without Marie's kleptomaniac era, Hank never sees the notebook and most likely never catches Walt. The Breaking Bad writers took a failed plotline from season one and turned it into maybe the most pivotal part of the DEA's search for Heisenberg. Bravo, Vince.
Vince and crew really were lightning in a bottle.
You mean busy with his rocks.
@@LisaAnn777 for gods sake they're MINERALS!
I think the point of Marie stealing even early on was also to challenge the audience. Like how much more upset are we at Marie when we learn she steals, gets her family involved in her crime and then stubbornly refuses to admit the truth when called out on it than we are Walter who is doing the same thing but 100 times worse?
When Skyler pressed Marie about stealing and told Marie she wanted her sister back, Marie broke down and apologized to skyler. She was willing to set aside her pride and be there for Skyler. This helped her and skyler become close again and they became a strong pair. This is pretty much the opposite of what happens with Skyler and Walter. It's a neat parallel, and it redeems Marie and makes her a strong character
It was so bold of the writers to do a Better Call Saul crossover before they even conceived of the prequel, definitely one of the best crossovers in TV history. Bravo Vince!
Why did people like this
@@badgirlhollywood9741 Because of my astute observation skills and charming demeanor
@@alexthrailkill truly one of the humans of all time
i cant believe i still crack up at these kind of comments
Saul was a massive fail , a slow drudge full of long winded supposedly arty shots that brought nothing but tedium. Overblown
How ironic that the one character (Jesse) who was initially destined to die in the first season, turns out to be the one character who escapes death and incarceration.
Yeah it’s crazy how this show came to be. It appears as thoroughly in depth and planned yet they changed stuff on the fly ALL THE TIME.
Like randomly adding a character when Bob Odenkirk couldn’t appear that day. So Mike was born.
Same for carol in walking dead
Thats how good Vince Gilligan is as a writer. He can change shit on the fly and still turn it into gold.
Totally destroys the idea of a Southern man being any less intelligent. If anything they're smarter than us yankees
@@HugoStiglitz88 Lmaoo
@@ZrankFappaH the show without mike would be weird
mikes “you are not the guy” rant will forever sound funny to me because of that one breaking bad music video
I almost used that as the clip instead, because I feel the same
Nacho reference
almost as good as the chicanery speech
"you are not the guy, you will never be the guy, I had a guy but now I don't, you are not the guy"
@@yogurtmale4946 TUTUTUTUTU, TU TU TU TU, TU, TUTUTU, TUTUTUTUTUTUTU THE GUY"
"Where's the season-arc villain?" He's right there. The bald guy with the goatee who calls himself Heisenberg.
18:18 "Introducing Hector is a stroke of absolute genius."
Heh, a stroke.
Shut up bro pls
Something about watching the great Heisenberg yell “get off the toilet” twice in a row in S1 is immensely satisfying.
“It’s worth *NOTHING* if you smoke it all. Get off the toilet.”
This show is just a Master Piece & then on rewatch it’s a Master Piece all over again especially out of context or with extra context or hyper context chaffed w/irony. Huell knows.
@@michaelreardon303easily one of the ten best shows ever
The fact the bikers were actually mormon missionaries on bicycles is what sold the hallucination joke.
I love that they kept making characters that were only supposed to last a season, but they were just _too fucking good_ to let go of
SAME
Or characters that were introduced for just real-world humdrum reasons, like how Mike was introduced because Bob Odenkirk was unavailable at the time.
@@thecynicaloptimist1884 Or Gus being created because Raymond Cruz didn't want to play Tuco anymore.
its interesting that Skylar's actress got the same treatment that Geoffrey's actor from game of thrones got, they did so well in their roles that everyone actually really hated them and thought they were actually like these charaters in real life, its also tragic because it made both actors back away from acting and hollywood altogether
true. I'm re- watching GoT about the 6th or 7th time and Geoffrey's actor is(sic) a damned legend seriously nails it.
I still don't understand how Skyler got the same amount of hate as Joffrey tho. One is a full blown psychopathic sadist and the other is a bit of a nag, who wants to shield her children from a drug kingpin.
@@slungellife people don’t like nagging. There’s ur answer
@@slungellife she is written specifically to be hated. In the first episode she gives Walt a birthday handjob while tracking eBay sales. She seduces her boss and cooks his books, but never had that type of energy for her husband. It’s not about how “bad” she is compared to Walt, it’s that she’s written in a way that, up until Walt poisons Brock, she’s the easiest to hate.
@@genesisflix To a certain point yes, but she was never supposed to be hated. as much as she was. “Back when the show first aired, Skyler was roundly disliked,” Gilligan said. “I think that always troubled Anna Gunn. And I can tell you it always troubled me, because Skyler, the character, did nothing to deserve that."
The part where you said Jesse was gonna commit to being evil, wearing a fake felt gotee till he grows a real one...I GOT THAT COMMUNITY REFERENCE
I’m constantly baffled by how underrated your channel is.
I gotvtgat😇😇😇😐🙆♀️
Absolutely!
Honestly though
20 min into this video is the first time it’s on my recommended page and subscribing because of this comment. I’m always looking for good UA-cam channels.
I’ll might stick around
Goofy or otherwise, that slam that Ted takes is easily once of the most wince inducing moments i''ve seen on TV, and when Skyler sees him in the hospital, that was really shocking the first time I saw it, somehow.
Almost as good as Night of the living dead, Johnny hitting the tombstone..
When he fell it was hilarious....I thought he was dead, until his finger twitched
I just assumed he had a minor neck/spine injury but fr seeing him be paralyzed completely made me feel sorry for a fictional character who by all accounts was an absolute dumbass
Honestly the reveal in the hospital probably made my jaw drop harder than any other moment in the series
I laughed so much at both
Saul's wacky proposals in season 4 fit better after the writers said they wanted to reveal LazerTag's Danny as none other than Daniel Wormald (AKA Pryce). Saul was trying to save his buddy's business. And it would've been a legendary bit, that Jimmy as a bit connoisseur would love.
He DEFECATED thru a SUNROOF
The prize for getting the high score at laser tag is baseball cards.
@@bradcarver8127 with a slice of pie.
"The only person having less fun-"
It's Jesse. Jesse is always having less fun. That boy needed a damn break, and he never, *ever* got one.
About Season 5, you mentioned that Skyler is suddenly team Walt, and I never felt it myself. I'm pretty sure Walter TNTing a nursing home, anyone would be scared to go against him. Not to mention, she went through extreme amounts of stress that lead to her breaking down in the car wash and her attempt at walking into a body of water in Grand Theft Auto Vice City(sorry for censoring, I don't wanna get flagged).
Combine this with having to deal with Beneke's aftermath, I don't think she sides with Walt as much as she's just given up. Ofc, the whole Hank thing exists, and, I don't know if it's implied, it reads like she saw Hank was more interested in getting Walter over helping her, which is probably not going to go well over a person who has been stressed and scared for like a few months. There's also the self-preservation angle of not wanting to mess with the law since she also had a hand in Walt's business.
tl;dr homegirl is tired and probably wants a break.
Yea I definitely think she developed some form of Stockholm syndrome as well
Agreed, other than you not knowing your explosives.
Were you censoring an S word that involves one not existing anymore? I find it extremely odd how the internet now censors basic terms you can use on Saturday morning cartoons on network television. It angers me that we can't say simple words used in reality.
@@D-Fens_1632 i mean I agree but I really don't think Saturday morning cartoon are saying that word
I feel you guys miss the point skykars with walt cause if walt geys taken down then she loses everything as she can be implicated guys and that means she ends up in jail or in many court cases, ruining her family so she sided with walt as personal protection not cause she is with Walt etc.
It's kind of insane to think about how, with the exception of the last two episodes, the series takes place over the course of a year.
Edit: nvm a year and 6 months
It made Skyler's pregnancy seem to last a decade.
Actually two years; S5E4 marks one year, and Gliding Over All is a 6 month time skip. But I agree - it’s wild what they go through in such a short timespan when we as an audience had years to process it live.
@@SlipMaker Oh, I didn't know Gliding Over All is a 6 month skip. Like you said though, that's still a relatively short amount of time considering everything they go through.
how is it insane? it looks normal to me
Yeah. Feels far fetched honestly. The first two Seasons alone feel like a year.
Its actually very common for people diagnosed with a death sentence to have huge problems and anger if the treatment is successful or they otherwise get to live. Obviously most of them IRL don't have a secret meth empire but its a very accurate touch in the show
Interesting.
Good one😅
dieing is easy living is harder
I guess spelling is really the hardest.@@captainclutch8463
@@captainclutch8463why are you telling me this
What’s interesting is that Walter actually died when the doctor said he would die when he was first diagnosed.
He was estimated to have 2 years left.
He died at 2 years after the original diagnosis.
And the cancer was his pride... And his ego.
Poetry.
😮
Dude, your upload schedule is nuts. I feel like we just got the GOT rewind. Your output given the quality of your work is insane. I hope you get the following you deserve. Can't wait to watch.
As someone who grew up in Albuquerque I can confidently say the way jessie acts in the first couple seasons before he gets in too deep is the definition of an abq male😂😂😂😂😂
You mean any and all ABQ males or the ABQ junkies?
@@AlexandeRSciswoR most abq males lmao trust
@@AlexandeRSciswoR whats the difference?
@@noahdrucker3076 That not all citizens in a city are junkies or drug users.
@@AlexandeRSciswoR woooooosh
A moment of silence for the fact that we are unlikely to ever again experience the storytelling perfection of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul in television.
lots of young filmmakers are breaking bad fans, we're in store for a lot of great shows in the future
There are tons of great tv shows that have perfected storytelling:
- The Sopranos
- Six Feet Under
-The Wire
- Mad Men
- Boardwalk Empire
- Twin Peaks The Return
Anyone who watched The Wire said that, and is still true. BB is a good drama but they never showed the system except the Madrigal episode. BB cant even compare on that note with The Wire. BB is just longer Scarface retelling.
@@pyro380 I would add Profit too, waaay ahead its time and excellent.
@@iljavija Huh, I never even heard of that show. I put it on my watchlist. Interesting that it predates the Sopranos when it comes to charismatic villaneous protagonists. There are only 8 episodes right?
Honestly? That moment when Hank said "It's Hankin' time." Before beating Jesse to near death was such a powerful scene.
I didn’t like that scene because hank didn’t hank all over the place before he left the room
Unrealistic
@@Herzyyyy now i have to think about what "hankin" all kver a room is
Or when Walter said "Bazinga" before detonating a bomb in Tucos office
Slip Maker is for TV what Mandalore Gaming is for video games, and I cannot stress enough how much I love these retrospectives.
They even sound alike!
@@abdulrahmanrehmtulla3833 its the same guy with multiple personalities, all of which enjoy quality content.
On point!
Wait until you discover Retro Ahoy
Wait then who's sesst?
Thanks for mentioning the humor of Breaking Bad I feel like no one talks about how it's funnier than most comedies.
To add, I love that you're not going through the plot episode by episode but by looking at individual story and character arcs one season at a time, that's what I like to see
21:41 thank you for mentioning this!
Yes, I agree that skyler, before she knew, could be a very frustrating character. Because the audience wanted to go back to the exciting plotlines with Jesse and Walter, because the silent treatment is quite frustrating, because she is too smart to be blind to what's going on, because she acts in a somewhat antagonistic role, being that she's challenging the main characters, -- it resulted in many in audience beginning to dislike her.
But then, by the time she knows, is in the scheme, has her own badass moments, acts in ways that all other characters would, I don't understand how people remained hating her. Especially since around this time, your sympathy for Walt is supposed to be dwindling a little. By seasons 4 and 5 (even 3, after Jane's death) the audience begins to take a step back and it slowly gets clearer and clearer, that *even if you still root for him, as a main character*, he is immensely flawed and those who oppose him, those who he hurts, are not antagonists, and should be sympathize with, even if just to a degree.
Something that baffles me is the misunderstanding of skylers actions that culminate in Crawl Space. It is painted out to the audience, loud and clear, that she needs Ted to pay this money, *not because she is in love with him, not because she will continue to cheat with him*, but because *if he doesn't, the FBI will be on HER ass too, and they will look into her finances and notice these discrepancies, notice the laundering, and will catch onto Walt's business*.
Yet I hear people in my classes and online discussing the show, who act as though she was a terrible bitch for this. Who act like she was completely selfish, when really it was an act for her family and husband, an act of self preservation, that is completely justified within the narrative. Baffles me.
People just don’t understand Skylar broke bad too
We hate her because of her personality, and because she is a hypocrite. We don’t hate her in defense of Walt. She is every annoying female character rolled into one obnoxious package. Walt is horrible, that doesn’t make her any less annoying.
@@circedelune I never saw her as necessarily hypocritical, but rather just with changing motivations as the plot progresses. Although if you give specific examples I'll definitely consider them.
This comment was more about the takes I see that disregard elements of the story and personally bother me. You can still not like her if you want
@@circedelune how is she annoying?? she’s super intelligent and dedicated to trying to protect her family, she’s very similar to walt except she knows how to check her ego. i was rooting for her the whole time
@@sasha8345
She sang.
giancarlo even played a character that was basically gus in the cyberpunk english dub, that man is trapped but he just does it so well
Nah the character in cyberpunk turned out to just be a blowhard who was kissing ass to higher ups
@@islandboy9381 I'm just talking about being an intimidating boss of sorts and a generally unknown quantity for most of the show. his mannerisms are similar to gus' and he played it the same way he played gus
He also played an exact replica villain in Farcry 6
23:51 And the fact that Bob Odenkirk never won an Emmy for this role is an absolute criminal.
Agreed
Honestly, the thing I didn't like about the last season was Jesse being the cook slave. That poor guy had been through so much trauma already, he just didn't need that much more.
That's why the movie is so great
I agree, and the movie didn’t rectify that for me
Walt’s descent into villainy makes perfect sense into season 5. There’s no scene where his depravity surprises me, bc there’s literally nothing that could convince me after he assaulted his wife that he was ever a decent man to begin with.
I hate walter sooner and sooner each time I rewatch it. His moral descent is just him leaning more and more into the shitty and toxic aspects of his personality that were there from the start.
You mentioned how the conversation around smoking weed has shifted since then. And i agree, but I was rewatching it with someone that hasn't seen it all yet. And somewhere in the first 3 episodes Marie asks Hank to show Walt Jr an autopsy. Hank says something like "an autopsy of a weed overdose, Jesus Christ Marie" which made us actually laugh out loud
It’s so rare to see creators make prequels and sequels and have them be consistently amazing if not better then the original
Anna gunn got a raw deal. Especially when I rewatched it recently pan closer attention to her character to try to figure out the hate, I found her to be even more sympathetic than in past viewing. Not without fault or some degree of complicity but yikes she was still such a s*** sandwich. She handled it better than I would have in a similar situation
Her acting was magisterial
Her performance was so incredible that the Skyler haters couldn't separate the character from the actress. Skyler is phenomenally written and I think it's such a shame that Anna Gunn had to deal with so much abuse from the fan base for her performance.
I've seen the series a few times at this point, from first viewing I pretty much hated her too (not because 'she was opposing my hero' like it felt a lot of misguided people felt at the time, more because even though she was realistically written she still ultimately served as a wet blanket and roadblock to the plot), then on around my 3rd rewatch I realized what a great character she really was and how stellar of a job Anna Gunn really did. Now she's my second favorite character after Mike
Anna Gunn was a victim of the show's terrible writing.
@@cmonman3639 comment bait
“The terminal treacherous teacher vs the criminal chicken crisper”
“Bad blood between baldies”
I might literally drive into work tomorrow instead of working from home JUST SO I CAN LISTEN TO THIS IN THE CAR.
....could you just take a walk through the neighborhood for an hour? Just throwing out an alternative for listening to this given the two options haha
I don't know about that...I think that these kind of analysis/review videos communicate more than just the words, with the footage that is shown to accompany what they are saying. But that's just how I like to consume this kind of media, everyone's got their preferences.
I also might drive into work tomorrow, but that's just a figure of speech
All I listen to are BB/BCS analysis videos as I drive to work. Makes the hour long commute feel faster.
Literally?
Walter White couldn't have done it without Saul Goodman, but Better Call Saul couldn't have done it without Breaking Bad.
Perfect quote right here
Agreed
Man, “appeasing the gods with an Aztec sacrifice” really got me. Well done, as always.
0:16 Thank you so SO much for actually citing the songs and artists in this video, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it and hate it when others don't!
Great video, great work, thank you!!!
I am only 5 minutes into this and can already tell the level of care that goes into your work. Subscribed.
Same.
Bravo Slip Maker
I didn't mind the "lapses" for Jesse, when he had less to do. Because it was in a shifting tide between himself and Mike. By the time they meant to part ways and leave town, they were buddies. That juncture brought something out of both characters we didn't see earlier.
Knew you were making something like this when Better Call Saul ended. Keep up the good work. I'm excited to watch this!
Hospital Worker:
“Sir, there’s no smoking within 6’ of the building..”
Jesse:
“So push me further bitch!”
I really enjoyed this recap. I'm always amazed at how you can lay out a series so well while being witty and insightful.
I will admit I liked watching Skyler's more criminal focused role in season 4 so much that I didn't realize how it was kinda unfortunate for Saul's role. Wish you didnt point it out frankly :(
Just a few minutes in. First video I’ve been recommended from you. Your voice is soothing. Thanks for being my podcast while I swim
Welcome to the Slipship
how do u listen when swimming? genuine question
@@moshu9952 Zygo headphones. They’re the best
I've rewatched this show so many times I've lost count. Why can't more shows like this be made today??
Have you seen Barry?
No, where was he last seen?@@firiel2366
@@firiel2366 nowhere near as good imo
It’s because of greed.
I feel like the reason Gus allowed Walt to interfere with his plans to kill Hank, is because he's confident he can keep things under wraps, and because he wanted to try and convince Jesse that Walt should die
Gus's underestimation of Walter was always his greatest weakness.
I'm glad you won the fight for this bro! Love your retrospectives.
As to your Season 3 criticism, Saul gave good advice (relative to the universe) about the car wash. Skyler got her pride hurt and refused to listen to him, manipulating Walt into going along with her. So I view it as a sign of Skyler being better than expected at this but also being as petty as the others. She never took him seriously.
I remember when BB & Mad Men started on AMC. I instantly thought they’re probably going to be stupid. Me & my mom sat down and watched BB together. Since she had recently recovered from cancer we gave it a chance. For the rest of the series every Sunday night at 10pm we were hooked! It was crazy back in the day when you had to wait a whole week in between eps!
Hey man just got this video recommended and already binged your Americans and GoT video after this one. I've literally been hoping to stumble upon a channel with exactly this kind of long form series retrospectives content for a long while now and I know for a fact that I'm not alone in this, so I am really glad I found you! Keep up the good work, the algorithm definitely noticed you already and it's only a matter of time until you explode :)
The irony of breaking bad is that Gus chose his revenge over his employees and that’s what got him destroyed. All he had to do was kill those drug dealers, but trying to kill Walt only made things worse.
A little thing I noticed is the clock in Walter and Skylar house is faintly heard in every scene and it sounds like a timer or countdown just ticking away. emphasizing that time is ticking on the relationship and on Walt in general.
This was brilliant. Love that you were fair in pointing out some of the show’s flaws, yet it’s still such a masterpiece
I watched Malcolm In The middle when It first aired and loved Bryan Cranston as Hal. When I watched breaking Bad I thought the casting mad perfect sense, after the series finale on Breaking bad and went back and rewatched Malcom, there is an episode, I can’t remember the exact one but Bryan pulls that quick change of acting in one character to acting in another in a flash the way he seemlessly does between Walt and Heisenberg, It just makes perfect sense, Bryan was always the perfect cast for Walter White.
Cranston is easily one of my favorite actors of all time.
It’s probably the episode where they take Malcolm’s money for themselves and Hal becomes more callous there’s even that part where he asks Lois “where’s the rest of the money” and it literally sounds exactly like Heisenberg
@@steveharveysmustache3988 the scene was the black dad, Hal, the mom, and I think a couple others from the neighborhood and discussing distracting a security guard for some reason, and they use the words “get rid of him” meaning distract him, and Hal chimes in “ oh you mean, git rid of him” but does it in a Heisenberg voice, then queue the laugh track, “no Hal” from Lois and slap in the arm and conversation continues.
It has always irked me how so many people call Marie's kleptomania an abandoned plot or pointless filler, apparently even people who do longass essays on UA-cam.
Here's a breakdown :
Marie is a kleptomaniac --> She got caught stealing stuff --> Cop who caught her recognizes her, because she's Hank's wife --> Cop feels bad for the couple because Hank's recovery is taking a toll on both him and Marie --> Cop visits Hank, wants to keep him occupied so asks him to look into the case he's been working on : GALE'S MURDER --> Hank does and finds out Gus is the guy --> ...etc
Marie's kleptomania is literally what kickstarted Walt's downfall.
I'm sure there exist many viewers who listen to your words, but I just have to say, the way in which you speak and deliver your script and lines, you have the best way of words. You have excellent word choices and have so many quips, tones, and quick references, I have been on my toes listening to your explanation every second of this 1hr+ video. Thank you for heightening my listening abilities.
Ramping up my watch of BCS so I can catch your retrospective when it drops. Your ability to break down television shows by theme, structure and pacing is peerless, and your taste in kino television is 👌. Keep up the great work!
BCS is absolutely brilliant
I'm so very glad that your video is back up, I wouldn'd wanna live in a world without Slip Maker's Breaking Bad Retrospective
I was planning on hitting the like button no matter what, but then you hit me with the *“appeasing the Gods with an Aztec sacrifice”* line and I damn near spat out my drink.
I just got it
DUDE! I am so happy this video is back!! A few days ago I was trying to find it and was VERY sad to find out what had happened to it. It is GREAT to see this video again :')
Also, very sorry about your dog. I hope that you're continuing to take care of yourself, as it can be hard to forget to do that at a time like this. Much love
Doing my exams online, perfect timing for me. Your content is appreciated Slip Maker
I tried to get a friend to watch the show, but she refused because, "Teachers shouldn't become drug dealers". I replied, "Of course they shouldn't! The series is a character study, not an endorsement of behavior". She rolled her eyes and changed the subject.
And Hobbits shouldn’t be leaving the shire lmao
Sounds like a dork
Theyre probably stupid lol
What an ignorant person lol, wonder how much she's missed out on with that attitude
🙄
Appreciate the Ratchet and Clank soundtrack in the background! Excellent video
I cannot explain how epic Breaking Bad is. Its the best crime drama I have ever seen.
Breaking bad and better call Saul are possibly the only shows I can think of where every single season gets better than the last and it is amazing
I actually don’t think better call Saul gets better every season. That’s not a bad thing though, because it stays great the whole way though.
Better Call Saul S05 was Great - 9/10
While S06 was just good
“Commit to being evil. Wearing his felt goatee while he waits for the real one to grow in.” VERYYY nice reference lol. Love community this joke works so well on both levels with Walt’s goatee being so iconic
These retrospectives are some of the best content on youtube imo great job
Real
dude your channel is seriusly underrated, you produce GREAT content, keep up the nice work!
SM viewer: Are we done singing the praises of Vince Gilligan?
Slipmaker: We're done when I say we're done.
I love the show too, and appreciate the time you put into this retrospective. Respectfully, I do have a few thoughts:
• Surprised you brushed over the significance of Walt rejecting Elliot’s offer to his character arc. Not sure if it was just good luck or great planning, but it deserves recognition nonetheless.
• Surprised to hear you describe S2 as “case of the week” rather than time well-spent on character development and world building. A good story should expand the stakes surrounding its central conflicts through minor arcs before executing its climatic moments. Too much action and intense drama now could set people up for disappointment later.
• On Skyler taking Saul’s place in the story: there are compelling, juxtaposing narrative reasons for this. It was good for the show to have Skyler start breaking bad alongside her husband. Because she shared a full life and a child with Walt, she was likely looking for any way to justify his behavior. This is exactly why she became full “Team Walt” later. Conversely, Saul’s stress is understandable seeing as how across two shows he has always recognized when he’s in too deep but simply doesn’t have the willpower to pull himself out of it. His stress is understandable.
• Jesse’s self-righteous attitude in 8A is probably meant to suggest the emotional growth of his character and redemption for his past sins-and 8B is his punishment arc. He may have paid a psychological price for murdering Gale, but going over to the light side and becoming virtuous meant he had to come to new realizations (Brock) as well as later pay a physical price. Remember, the bad guys are the “good guys” in this universe.
• Welker was never supposed to be the antagonist. He was never intended to feel like a real threat. By the time Welker came around, the point was he was nothing next to Walt. Walt was always meant to be the S5 villain. Vince Gilligan even stated all of this in the series commentary or an interview or something.
I thought “The Fly” was great too. One of the few that felt positive for Walt and Jesse’s relationship. Totally agree about the cold war analogy-interesting take. Also in S4, I hadn’t considered Walt was shedding tears for Jesse and not Walt Jr.
You make my favorite long form videos on UA-cam. Keep it up man
i just finished rewatching this masterpiece of a show yesterday and my main takeaway (apart from how unbelievably good it is) is that the Skyler hate is absolutely baffling. Like I know art is subjective and stuff but if you hate Skyler, you're watching this show wrong.
She was designed to be an insufferable character
@@iwannabethekid34xc I don't think she was designed to be a insufferable character.
@@judeconnor-macintyre9874 Vince and the writers will literally tell you that’s not the case
@@JC19021 Oh, well I didn't find her insufferable.
@@judeconnor-macintyre9874 oops sorry meant to reply to Soloman
Awesome work - Every time I watch one of your retrospectives I end up having to add another show rewatch to my queue. It's great.
It feels good to be back thanks for fighting the good fight slipmaker
Imagine if Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould ended Dexter.
Oh boy 🔥
I was so excited to go into the BCS video before I realized how new this video was 😭 Can't wait tho!
I believe the fact that a lot of us hated skylar as a character was just a testament to how good the writing was for both her and Walt. Walt was such a good liar he manipulated us the audience.
Walt was a terrible liar, I think he thought he was so much smarter than everyone around him he didn't have to bother trying to come up with a believable lie because they were too dumb to know what he was really up to.
excited for the better call Saul video! it's by far and large my favorite show ever due to how compelling and relatable Jimmy is as a character. what I love about Jimmy is that unlike Walter, Jimmy isn't inherently evil at the start or the end of the series.
you deserve WAYYY more than 21k subs, your content is actually so based man
9:44 people have no idea what it was like to watch hank open the book on the toilet and have to wait a a whole year almost to see the next episode
48:24 contrary to popular belief, the bulk of Ted's injuries were caused by the oranges falling onto his butt.
I see this show primarily as a comedy, the drama itself is hilariously dark *because* it's so grim but also because it's just normal people being so crazy
it defo isnt primarily comedy
@@Cadoe then why is every episode so funny?
@@Cadoe it’s primarily an ensemble buddy comedy. Walt and Jesse bounce off each other seamlessly, Hank and Goomby opt for wise cracks and ribbing. Skyler and Jr have fewer but classic moments “why you gotta be such a b***h?”. The twins, Badger & Skinless Pete, Tio & Gus, Huyell and Bill Burr. Yes I am right
I'd say is funny, but too serious to be a comedy
@@bleachboys3623 we all know it *has* comedy, but the stakes and themes of the show are taken far too seriously in the latter half of the show to argue that the spirit of the show is *a comedy*.
"People call me racist... I can't even drive."
-Bilbo Baggins
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
Oh my god this just brought me back to all the Rollercoaster of emotions that this show brought. You broke this down so well. Felt like I got to live thru each season....minus the million hours of watching the I don't have time to do again 😂
"By appeasing the gods with an Aztek sacrifice" is a great line.
1:06:17 Quite possibly the greatest and most unexpected crossover reference un the history of UA-cam. Chef’s kiss. You win the internet for the day!
Thanks for your hard work on this, it was an enjoyable watch. 👍🏼
33:26 this community reference is GOLD
YESSS I caught that too
Sometimes when I’m getting high w the homies I’ll randomly be like “hey yall wanna see a perfect yt video intro” and I pull this up. The song choice, the clip choices, the editing, the raw emotion it exudes, like the whole video is good but I’m obsessed w how beautiful the intro is.
Weird...
Amazing and just what I needed to get through a long workout. You deserve more subs!
You gotta be magic. I've seen BB countless time. Currently watching it with my girlfriend for her first viewing
Just finished the last episode with mine last night. Just as good as when it first aired, maybe better.
Amazing video man. You pump this stuff out like a machine and it’s all fantastic
New to your channel but this was great and you got a sub 😁 cant wait for BCS!
The only thing I would just critique is that the fued with gus wanting to take out walt wasnt too out of left field for me. Gus, like walt, has an insane amount of pride. No one talks down to him and walt is too unpredictable to trust. He built a relationship with gal, but walt is constantly questioning gus and doesnt fall in line. So walt killing gus's drug dealers without permission was another hit on why he needed to be eliminated. Walt doesnt think about what could be the ripple effect of his actions. Its understandable from gus's perspective on why walt is a fly that needs to be squashed.
But still this was amazing work. You are a very talented youtuber ❤
I'm so surprised that you only have like 30k subscribers. I would have figured you would have 500k+ given the quality of your videos. Just went from the better call saul video to this, so I basically binged you for 3 hours
Love every one of your videos, you’ve literally been covering all of my favorite shows.
Season 2 is my favorite to rewatch over and over. It’s my “comfort season.”
“Four Days Out” is, for me, Breaking Bad’s “Pine Barrons.” Perfect, tense, funny episodes relying on the favorite odd couple surviving shenanigans.
I wouldn’t say it’s nearly as good as Pine Barrens, which is essentially the Ozymandias of The Sopranos in terms of legendary status, but it’s certainly a damn fine episode, and my favorite of Season 2.
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Ozymandias is the culmination of 5 Seasons
Pine Barrens was just one off episode, where the Russian plot isnt even followed - ever
I still can't believe we were lucky enough to get Breaking Bad, El Camino and Better Call Saul. If all three had only just been "above average" the fact they remained above-average would've been praiseworthy. But they aren't just "above average", they somehow manage to keep getting *better.* It's even more shocking with BCS, because as a prequel it would've been so simple to screw it all up. And yet not only is it just as good, it manages to genuinely make BB that much better due to how beautifully it all connects and flows with each other. Like, what devil did the team behind this sell their souls to, please tell us so we can get another mindblowingly amazing set of pitch-perfect TV.
Saul's plan isn't a bad idea. He suggests pirchasing an arcade because that's controlled by a trustworthy guy willing to launder money and not rat them out to the authorities. They know Skyler is a seasoned bookkeeper and accountant, but she isn't well versed in money laundering, crime committing, getting her hands dirty, or flaunting the law, so they don't even consider getting her to do it. They don't want to put her in the line of fire and haven't even considered the fact that if Walter goes down or is murdered or tortured that that will affect Skyler's prospects and run the risk of her being implicated and imprisoned already. They are genuinely flummoxed by her notions of getting herself involved deeper in their operations, and they do not realise that she can do money laundering by layering, because whilst she is a seasoned bookkeeper and accountant, they don't realise she is also adept at picking up on how to do it fraudulently, because that take an entirely different skill set. I'm not even sure if Walter told Saul beforehand that Skyler was a bookkeeper and an accountant. Saul's keenness on securing the arcade is based off not wanting to implicate Skyler further. She is the one who is acting irrationally by insisting they obtain the car wash from the obstinate Romanian owner they offended, rather than take Saul's suggestion of just purchasing a different car wash.