This episode is often criticized because people expected action, but this is where we finally get into the mind of Walt and his motivations. It's like with art, sometimes you have to back away and come back to allow for the mind to see things from a different perspective.
@zaqueuamaral-vu1lk I never hear people criticize that episode online as much, but it's pretty much the same format and formula. It's mostly just character development and dealing with an annoying situation.
I totally agree with Kailyn. This was probably the best episode in this series. No explosions, no violence, just pure acting and writing that holds it all together.
This episode is truly legendary. It was made like this to save some budget, Breaking Bad was struggling with money at this time, they only used 1 set (the lab) pretty much relying on dialogue. But what they did with minimal resources was pure art. 99.1% pure art that now is studied in cinematography classes.
The fly is such a big metaphor for so many things that is happening and the way Walt feels about his guilt over Jane and her father killing himself that ripple effect and the talk he had with Gus knowing doesn't have control over himself anymore and that he knows Jesse is stealing and Gus will kill him if he finds out so putting both of them in danger and what Skyler said about him being responsible for what Happened to Hank and the guilt of that and death following him in every way including his cancer could come back
This episode is just great in that its necessary for the plot and story to happen because it makes walter and jesse bond more and increase their connection , and its important that walt feels sorry for jesse and feels like he owes him for jane because some decisions are going to happen and its going to be big
This is really the magic of limitations. This season cost a lot of money and to fund it, they had to make an episode like this. Contained to a single location. No extras. A cheap episode like this made a lot possible. But of course creators are self-conscious about it, and try to make it better as a result. And breaking bad's strength for moments like this is it's humor. It resulted in this episode that is simultaneously one of the most loved and hated episodes. I believe you guys were warned about such an episode.
i mean how can you say that about budget LOL,episode is brilliant on its own terms definetly,soon as i saw Walt so occupied with hfly i knew what was up has 0 to do with his guilt or Jane dying,its ismple as this Walt is perfectionist,and once in a lifetime he actually does somethhing where being exepctional and perfect menas something,and hes refusing to settle down and cook a batch with a fly in the room,if anything this episode only shows in what lenghts Walt is going to go for this "job" they have,hence why next episodes are titled "Half Measures" "Full Measure" these "phychis" in comments know jack shit about Walt if they think he seeks fly to somehow heal his guilt or ignore it. Makes 0 sense since Walt is already decided that hes all in.
@@anatos1722 It’s symbolic dude. Walt doesn’t have to literally be thinking “I want to kill this fly to assuage my guilt.” Narratively that’s what it represents. It’s buzzing around his head and he can’t ignore it. That’s why he ends up talking about Jane and her dad, telling Jesse he’s sorry and wishing he had never left home the night she died. It also represents his desire to keep his criminal life and home life separate. That’s why the episode opens with disgusting closeups of the fly contrasted with Skyler singing a sweet lullaby in the background. That’s why he’s so desperate to kill it in the lab and why he’s terrified to see that the fly followed him home. He doesn’t want his choices to contaminate his entire life but it’s too late - it’s all contaminated.
@@anatos1722 Budget is always a concern, and when a show does something like this its called a "bottle" episode. Star Trek would often do episodes that took place entirely on the ship, because it was cheaper, and often, they would get a quality character piece out of it. This is no different. The previous episodes, particularly "one minute" where they had that shootout in the parking lot with all the cars, was actually quite expensive. All those cars were paid for, fo two days, and all the people who owned those cars, were also paid for the two days.
I really like the analysis of saying this episode being like a stage play. I had never considered it and will never look at the episode the same again.
Yeah, the most popular interpretation is that the fly represents Walt's conscience (and more specifically, his guilt over letting Jane die). It's the symbolic "fly in the ointment" that nags him, follows him, and won't let him sleep. Because Walt does still have his humanity, but he's doing his best to ignore or silence it when it comes to all the shady or downright horrible things he's choosing to say and do.
6:17 - YEA! And his overly-agressive approach (I think) signifies how he approaches the looming threat of death over his family - he only becomes more violent, more extreme, more feral. I'm noticing Euphemisms I've never noticed before watching with you guys! So cool 😎
oh yes! 27:31 "that was an amazing episode". that moment made me appreciate you guys. as you already know by now, this might be the most divisive episode. in discussion groups/forums, I still see posts and comments in the lines of "I always skip that episode on rewatches", "such a slow/boring/pointless episode", "nothing happens", etc. to me one of the strongest messages that came across is Walt's line "...it's all contaminated". right when he nearly confesses about Jane. and after basically saying he should have died that night. so many great moments. and I agree, it's like a stage play. beautifully directed by Rian Johnson.
Skyler's lullaby to Holly over the fly in the cold open is from Phoenix when Walt is watching the nature show about an elephant and her calf. A reminder of the innocent lives Walt's destroyed to get to where he's at now and the fly is representation for the guilt and skeletons that are following Walt's conscience. There are references to the fly throughout the whole series in the shots & in the music. One of the writers said he wanted the fly to have a "menacing presence". I believe Vince & Rian Johnson were paying homage to the 1986 Jeff Goldblum remake: 'The Fly'. You can't help but think of this episode while watching it. The fly is the reason for Seth's (the protagonist) downfall hence why Walt treats it as if it's so deadly to them. The fly is representation for the morally wrong decisions Walt's made that he can't shake free from. It wakes him up at night in the closing scene. It's to say he was or still partially is a "good man" at least enough to feel remorse. He came from a place of morals before the criminal lifestyle to a certain degree. The metal reaction vessels in the lab resemble the Telepods from the movie, the lab itself and it's high ceilings resemble it's industrial warehouse-esque set. Walt even says the fly is not Particularly dangerous to them. And "This fly is a major problem for us it will ruin our batch- we need to destroy it and every trace of it. Failing that... We're Dead". So much emphasis on the fly- as if the fly itself is deadly to them and not Gus. Seth is careless about the telepod machine's safety precautions after awhile, I like to think that's reflected when Walt finally says: "it's all contaminated" aside from accepting his fate. Jesse on top of the ladder could be an analogy for some kind of moral high ground while Walt holds onto it from down below, propping it up while struggling with Jane guilt. Walt asks Jesse what are the odds that he runs into Jane's father at the bar, which was part of the catalyst for Jane's tragedy sorta like what are the odds of a fly flying into the telepod with Seth? The fly was out of it's element like Walter is in this business. It reminds me of 0210 when after Walt gets done installing the new water heater Jr burns his hand from the hot water as if even when Walt tries to do good, bad things happen. Literally the theme. Walt says: "You want them to miss you, you want their memories of you to be..." good, is what he was thinking. Seth wasn't proud of his work and didn't necessarily want his lover to see what he had turned into... Seth had a genius brain with such a bright future ahead of him and good intentions but by mostly circumstance he turned into an unlovable, deplorable monster that would rather be dead then carry on- a lot like Walter- "Oh, if I had just lived right up to that moment... and not one second more". Jesse's opossum rant is referencing the two-sidedness of the characters and his story about the cancer spreading to his aunt's brain and changing her could also be a nod to the movie. Not to mention BB is all about Change, Metamorphosis and Assimilation.
ive always loved how this episode felt like a break from the rest of the show. it felt so liminally spaced and isolated like a creepy stage play. was a perfect pause in the show to give light on what was happening in walts life
This bottle episode highlights how good of actors Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston are. Both won Emmys this Season. Cranston won for the third time and Aaron Paul for the first time, rightfully so
Probably one of the most controversial episodes of the whole show. Personally, I love it. Yes, it was an episode they did out of budget issues. But it's great. They start as some kind of absurd comedy - that still completely works in the BB context - and than to the end, you get some big time character development moments. Those where often overseen, but I think they are not only well written, but also important in the long run.
I loved that you enjoyed this episode. It's the most divisive of all of Breaking Bad, but I agree that the calibre of the writing and character development, the balance of tension and humor, the build-up despite one setting with two characters for the whole thing pretty much, is all genius. It's really a necessary episode to establish where Walt's head is at by this point, especially the line "It's all contaminated" and the overall symbolism of the fly. It also links really nicely with the other Rian Johnson episode of BB in Season 5.
There's definitely a lot of symbolism going on which leaves a lot to interpretation. My way of viewing it is that Walter is being pestered by something in real life but is unwilling to face it, and instead shifts and focuses his energy towards this tangible pest, the fly. One of the more obvious real life pesterings would be that Walt *knows* that Jesse is stealing from the lab but refuses to even admit it to himself and has to find some other contaminating factor that denies the truth. Notice how in the one scene Jesse is wearing a mask above his head that has two large red circles and looks incredibly like...a fly! Another thing pestering Walt could be his conscience. Around his guilt for Jane's death and other things that he's caused. Notice that immediately after Walter apologizes for Jane (though not explicitly his culbability) is when he says to drop it--no more need for the charade. Other interpretations could have something to do with Walt's feeling of perfectionism/power/idealism contrasted againts the reality of being not in control. I'd point out mentions of his struggle of finding the "exact right words" in a "specific combination", or talk of how complex the world is with everything coming down to tiny bits of matter with random qualities, or mention of how their current work situation leaves "no margin of error". There could also be something connected to the looming fear of cancer's return. I just noticed this time how Jesse relays the story of his aunt not believing the possum is gone, and then in the very last scene the fly "appears" on the light but only for a split second as if Walter likewise can not accept that it's actually gone
"The fly is everything." Pretty much. In so far as Walt's conflict is concerned, you can assign a lot of meaning to it. It's useful to illustrate his approach to problem solving. From the first episode, Walter has consistently been given small and large problems. Despite his ingenuity, he's shown as capable of making really basic errors. More so, his love of "logic," "reason," and the "scientific method" has severe limits. Walter has no introspection about standing on that ledge on falling off, so long as no one is questioning HIS logic, it's just another means to an end. Jesse is given the floor in this space to display emotional depth, and expresses empathy for Walter. Like the viewer, Jesse is aware that this is odd behavior for Walter. Not odd in a "hey, let's call the loony bin ASAP" kind of way, but...yeah...he could use a friend and some rest. I've heard the fly argued as representing Walter's guilt, and that's a good one. It's a representation too of what stress with OCD looks like. That nagging....that inescapable buzzing. Life goes on hold until its resolved, and that's just how it goes. And I like the show tries (despite all good logic, lol) to make the fly this third character. When it dies...the zoom in and the boom...*chef's kiss*. His bete-noir, moby-dick, whatever. It's the thing. The spoopy thing on the horizon that you either can't get or is gonna get ya.
This is the most contentious episode of Breaking Bad, amongst the fan base. Some people hate it, I really like it. Happy to know that Kailyn is among the rational fanbase.
Normally this is a controversial episode because some people think it's pointless while others think it's genius. I didn't have strong feelings myself, the first time, but it's certainly grown on me over the years. And the naysayers aren't completely wrong, in the sense that the writers had to create a bottle episode to stretch the budget for the other things they wanted to do. But the fact they were able to turn this into a masterclass of dialog, as Kailyn put it, proves that they definitely had the chops to pull this off. Lesser shows wouldn't be able to do that, and that's why Breaking Bad doesn't have a single "bad" episode. Not even when the mandate is to do nothing. But now, at this point in the show, they have the budget to do stuff again. So I can't wait till you see what that is 😀 P.S. I don't know of any phrases regarding giving a cookie to a mouse, but I know of the saying, "If you give a _monster_ a cookie, he'll want a glass of milk". Not sure if that's what you were going for or not.
Jessie's situation in the last episode was pretty much kafkaesque for sure, but the fly in this episode for Walt feels orwellian. That's why he had to get rid of the fly.
I actually agree and disagree somewhat with Jesse about the jane situation. Walt shook jesse and jane fell on her back, he chose not to save her. Jesse got jane back into drugs but he genuinely loved her. Jane Chose to stay in a bad situation and get back on drugs. Jesse told her to leave multiple times, told her exactly what he was doing, etc. she knew what he was doing, she knew she needed to leave, and chose to do it. addiction is a hell of a drug. Jesse would still be a drug dealer even with having met walt. they all share equal blame in my opinion for janes death.
The episode's original broadcast was viewed by 1.20 million people, which was a decrease from the 1.62 million of the previous episode, "Kafkaesque". It has the second-lowest number of viewers on its original broadcast of any season-three episode, just ahead of "Half Measures" (1.19 million). This was a very polarizing episode. Many people don't like this episode at all. Many say this is a mistake, and many others believe this is a mistake. The episode is one of the best in the entire series because it perfectly shows the pressures Walt has to deal with and how he feels about trivial things. Plus, it perfectly shows his double standards. I mean, they make poison. The customers don't give a damn. However, Wald always wants to take pride in the great work he does and the high-quality products he produces. What should you expect? The episode was made by Rian Johnson. 😊
I still can't fathom how anyone could hate this episode or think it's the worst - even if it doesn't actively move the plot along, the writing, acting and comedy is all top tier, and some important character development for both of them, not every episode needs death and explosions for it to be interesting, engaging and entertaining.
If Walt hadnt let Jane die, he wouldn't be suffering from such guilt, talk about him hurting Jane's family and Jesse, he ended up hurting himself too because there will always be a part of himself that cannot deal with what he has done no matter how much he tries to move on from it. Walt sees things as problems to be solved but he cannot solve his suffering from his own actions.
Yes Jesse is trying to please Walt trying to kill that fly especially because of what he said about wanting to die he felt bad for him and his loyalty to him gets him in trouble but Jesse being dumb or protective or wanting revenge will get Walt in trouble trying to protect him yet Jesse doesn't fall all the way and Walt did so glad y'all cought on to that part too they layers are great
This episode has always been controversial for some reason, but I think it is clearly one of the best for the exact reasons Kailyn said. You nailed it, girl. Most first time watchers miss it completely.
At the beginning, you think, "is this going to be the whole episode? really?", but part 2 when Walter walks on a knife's edge is great. I don't think Walter wanted that. His emotions confirm this. His incognito was more important at that moment. Jessie shouldn't have told Jane the whole truth. This started a chain of events. Walter wouldn't have come there with a bag of money if it wasn't for the blackmail. He wouldn't go to a bar. He wouldn't have come back to the house. That's why Walter's lies make sense. You can't talk about criminal things right and left. It can cost people their lives.
@@nerdymarriedcouple sorry I'm wrong I just checked. I think it was in my blu ray extras that I saw it. Don't search for it, you might run into spoilers. From what I remember, don't quote me, a stunt man was used for the hit/fall, he lands face down, they lock the shot then Bryan Cranston comes in replaces the stunt actor on the floor. They used CGI to blend the two. It's pretty cool.
So you folks finally came across the infamous *Fly* Episode Every Breaking Bad fan is known to know this as *The Fly* Episode Im glad nobody spoiled you about the Fly episode in advance in comment section
ah the most divisive, worst rated episode of the series. i love it, but i like bottle episodes so eh. the character acting is so fucking good this episode.
I know it's "controversial" to weigh in on this subject, but to me, this episode is my least favorite of the entire series. Given how high the bar has been set by every other episode, this ranks poorly. Even IMDB ranks this episode lower than all the others. The good news is that it's all uphill from here. Enjoy the wild ride.
It's always nice when I get to this episode on a reaction channel and I can skip it. The only way there could have been a worse episode is if they had done what many shows do nowadays and come up with a reason to do a musical episode. Like the "Exposé" episode of LOST, "Fly" isn't relevant to "Breaking Bad" and can be skipped with no loss of continuity. Its only reason to exist is that they didn't have the budget for a full season of shows, so they produced this throw-away episode for 3 bucks and foisted it on the fans as "art". Moving on.
This episode is often criticized because people expected action, but this is where we finally get into the mind of Walt and his motivations. It's like with art, sometimes you have to back away and come back to allow for the mind to see things from a different perspective.
just like the episode "4 days out" from season 2
@zaqueuamaral-vu1lk I never hear people criticize that episode online as much, but it's pretty much the same format and formula. It's mostly just character development and dealing with an annoying situation.
I totally agree with Kailyn. This was probably the best episode in this series. No explosions, no violence, just pure acting and writing that holds it all together.
“The fly is… everything.” 😂
😅😅
This episode is cleverly named "Fly". It is about a fly
clever
Bravo Vince 👏
“Gus”
best bottle episode in the history of television
This episode is truly legendary. It was made like this to save some budget, Breaking Bad was struggling with money at this time, they only used 1 set (the lab) pretty much relying on dialogue. But what they did with minimal resources was pure art. 99.1% pure art that now is studied in cinematography classes.
The fly is such a big metaphor for so many things that is happening and the way Walt feels about his guilt over Jane and her father killing himself that ripple effect and the talk he had with Gus knowing doesn't have control over himself anymore and that he knows Jesse is stealing and Gus will kill him if he finds out so putting both of them in danger and what Skyler said about him being responsible for what Happened to Hank and the guilt of that and death following him in every way including his cancer could come back
This episode is just great in that its necessary for the plot and story to happen because it makes walter and jesse bond more and increase their connection , and its important that walt feels sorry for jesse and feels like he owes him for jane because some decisions are going to happen and its going to be big
This is really the magic of limitations. This season cost a lot of money and to fund it, they had to make an episode like this. Contained to a single location. No extras. A cheap episode like this made a lot possible. But of course creators are self-conscious about it, and try to make it better as a result. And breaking bad's strength for moments like this is it's humor. It resulted in this episode that is simultaneously one of the most loved and hated episodes. I believe you guys were warned about such an episode.
i mean how can you say that about budget LOL,episode is brilliant on its own terms definetly,soon as i saw Walt so occupied with hfly i knew what was up
has 0 to do with his guilt or Jane dying,its ismple as this
Walt is perfectionist,and once in a lifetime he actually does somethhing where being exepctional and perfect menas something,and hes refusing to settle down and cook a batch with a fly in the room,if anything this episode only shows in what lenghts Walt is going to go for this "job" they have,hence why next episodes are titled "Half Measures" "Full Measure"
these "phychis" in comments know jack shit about Walt if they think he seeks fly to somehow heal his guilt or ignore it. Makes 0 sense since Walt is already decided that hes all in.
@@anatos1722
I say this about budget because that is what vince gilligan and the producers said in the podcast about the production process.
@@anatos1722 It’s symbolic dude. Walt doesn’t have to literally be thinking “I want to kill this fly to assuage my guilt.” Narratively that’s what it represents. It’s buzzing around his head and he can’t ignore it. That’s why he ends up talking about Jane and her dad, telling Jesse he’s sorry and wishing he had never left home the night she died. It also represents his desire to keep his criminal life and home life separate. That’s why the episode opens with disgusting closeups of the fly contrasted with Skyler singing a sweet lullaby in the background. That’s why he’s so desperate to kill it in the lab and why he’s terrified to see that the fly followed him home. He doesn’t want his choices to contaminate his entire life but it’s too late - it’s all contaminated.
@@anatos1722 Budget is always a concern, and when a show does something like this its called a "bottle" episode. Star Trek would often do episodes that took place entirely on the ship, because it was cheaper, and often, they would get a quality character piece out of it.
This is no different.
The previous episodes, particularly "one minute" where they had that shootout in the parking lot with all the cars, was actually quite expensive. All those cars were paid for, fo two days, and all the people who owned those cars, were also paid for the two days.
I really like the analysis of saying this episode being like a stage play. I had never considered it and will never look at the episode the same again.
thanks friend ☺️ we enjoyed this one!
Yeah, the most popular interpretation is that the fly represents Walt's conscience (and more specifically, his guilt over letting Jane die). It's the symbolic "fly in the ointment" that nags him, follows him, and won't let him sleep. Because Walt does still have his humanity, but he's doing his best to ignore or silence it when it comes to all the shady or downright horrible things he's choosing to say and do.
It's about ALL of Walt's regrets of his criminal acts. Not just about Jane.
6:17 - YEA! And his overly-agressive approach
(I think) signifies how he approaches the looming threat of death over his family - he only becomes more violent, more extreme, more feral.
I'm noticing Euphemisms I've never noticed before watching with you guys! So cool 😎
thanks so much for watching! 😊
oh yes! 27:31 "that was an amazing episode". that moment made me appreciate you guys.
as you already know by now, this might be the most divisive episode. in discussion groups/forums, I still see posts and comments in the lines of "I always skip that episode on rewatches", "such a slow/boring/pointless episode", "nothing happens", etc.
to me one of the strongest messages that came across is Walt's line "...it's all contaminated".
right when he nearly confesses about Jane.
and after basically saying he should have died that night.
so many great moments.
and I agree, it's like a stage play. beautifully directed by Rian Johnson.
Skyler's lullaby to Holly over the fly in the cold open is from Phoenix when Walt is watching the nature show about an elephant and her calf. A reminder of the innocent lives Walt's destroyed to get to where he's at now and the fly is representation for the guilt and skeletons that are following Walt's conscience. There are references to the fly throughout the whole series in the shots & in the music. One of the writers said he wanted the fly to have a "menacing presence". I believe Vince & Rian Johnson were paying homage to the 1986 Jeff Goldblum remake: 'The Fly'. You can't help but think of this episode while watching it. The fly is the reason for Seth's (the protagonist) downfall hence why Walt treats it as if it's so deadly to them. The fly is representation for the morally wrong decisions Walt's made that he can't shake free from. It wakes him up at night in the closing scene. It's to say he was or still partially is a "good man" at least enough to feel remorse. He came from a place of morals before the criminal lifestyle to a certain degree. The metal reaction vessels in the lab resemble the Telepods from the movie, the lab itself and it's high ceilings resemble it's industrial warehouse-esque set. Walt even says the fly is not Particularly dangerous to them. And "This fly is a major problem for us it will ruin our batch- we need to destroy it and every trace of it. Failing that... We're Dead". So much emphasis on the fly- as if the fly itself is deadly to them and not Gus. Seth is careless about the telepod machine's safety precautions after awhile, I like to think that's reflected when Walt finally says: "it's all contaminated" aside from accepting his fate. Jesse on top of the ladder could be an analogy for some kind of moral high ground while Walt holds onto it from down below, propping it up while struggling with Jane guilt. Walt asks Jesse what are the odds that he runs into Jane's father at the bar, which was part of the catalyst for Jane's tragedy sorta like what are the odds of a fly flying into the telepod with Seth? The fly was out of it's element like Walter is in this business. It reminds me of 0210 when after Walt gets done installing the new water heater Jr burns his hand from the hot water as if even when Walt tries to do good, bad things happen. Literally the theme. Walt says: "You want them to miss you, you want their memories of you to be..." good, is what he was thinking. Seth wasn't proud of his work and didn't necessarily want his lover to see what he had turned into... Seth had a genius brain with such a bright future ahead of him and good intentions but by mostly circumstance he turned into an unlovable, deplorable monster that would rather be dead then carry on- a lot like Walter- "Oh, if I had just lived right up to that moment... and not one second more". Jesse's opossum rant is referencing the two-sidedness of the characters and his story about the cancer spreading to his aunt's brain and changing her could also be a nod to the movie. Not to mention BB is all about Change, Metamorphosis and Assimilation.
thanks for all the insights and info! love it
ive always loved how this episode felt like a break from the rest of the show. it felt so liminally spaced and isolated like a creepy stage play. was a perfect pause in the show to give light on what was happening in walts life
This bottle episode highlights how good of actors Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston are. Both won Emmys this Season. Cranston won for the third time and Aaron Paul for the first time, rightfully so
Your observations about the writing are spot on. I keep telling people this is the best-written show ever made.
Probably one of the most controversial episodes of the whole show. Personally, I love it. Yes, it was an episode they did out of budget issues. But it's great. They start as some kind of absurd comedy - that still completely works in the BB context - and than to the end, you get some big time character development moments. Those where often overseen, but I think they are not only well written, but also important in the long run.
Directed by Rian Johnson!
I loved that you enjoyed this episode. It's the most divisive of all of Breaking Bad, but I agree that the calibre of the writing and character development, the balance of tension and humor, the build-up despite one setting with two characters for the whole thing pretty much, is all genius. It's really a necessary episode to establish where Walt's head is at by this point, especially the line "It's all contaminated" and the overall symbolism of the fly. It also links really nicely with the other Rian Johnson episode of BB in Season 5.
There's definitely a lot of symbolism going on which leaves a lot to interpretation. My way of viewing it is that Walter is being pestered by something in real life but is unwilling to face it, and instead shifts and focuses his energy towards this tangible pest, the fly.
One of the more obvious real life pesterings would be that Walt *knows* that Jesse is stealing from the lab but refuses to even admit it to himself and has to find some other contaminating factor that denies the truth. Notice how in the one scene Jesse is wearing a mask above his head that has two large red circles and looks incredibly like...a fly!
Another thing pestering Walt could be his conscience. Around his guilt for Jane's death and other things that he's caused. Notice that immediately after Walter apologizes for Jane (though not explicitly his culbability) is when he says to drop it--no more need for the charade.
Other interpretations could have something to do with Walt's feeling of perfectionism/power/idealism contrasted againts the reality of being not in control. I'd point out mentions of his struggle of finding the "exact right words" in a "specific combination", or talk of how complex the world is with everything coming down to tiny bits of matter with random qualities, or mention of how their current work situation leaves "no margin of error".
There could also be something connected to the looming fear of cancer's return. I just noticed this time how Jesse relays the story of his aunt not believing the possum is gone, and then in the very last scene the fly "appears" on the light but only for a split second as if Walter likewise can not accept that it's actually gone
so many ways of looking at it 🤔
"The fly is everything." Pretty much. In so far as Walt's conflict is concerned, you can assign a lot of meaning to it. It's useful to illustrate his approach to problem solving. From the first episode, Walter has consistently been given small and large problems. Despite his ingenuity, he's shown as capable of making really basic errors. More so, his love of "logic," "reason," and the "scientific method" has severe limits. Walter has no introspection about standing on that ledge on falling off, so long as no one is questioning HIS logic, it's just another means to an end.
Jesse is given the floor in this space to display emotional depth, and expresses empathy for Walter. Like the viewer, Jesse is aware that this is odd behavior for Walter. Not odd in a "hey, let's call the loony bin ASAP" kind of way, but...yeah...he could use a friend and some rest.
I've heard the fly argued as representing Walter's guilt, and that's a good one. It's a representation too of what stress with OCD looks like. That nagging....that inescapable buzzing. Life goes on hold until its resolved, and that's just how it goes. And I like the show tries (despite all good logic, lol) to make the fly this third character. When it dies...the zoom in and the boom...*chef's kiss*.
His bete-noir, moby-dick, whatever. It's the thing. The spoopy thing on the horizon that you either can't get or is gonna get ya.
Brilliant analysis by Kailyn. Bravo
This is the most contentious episode of Breaking Bad, amongst the fan base. Some people hate it, I really like it. Happy to know that Kailyn is among the rational fanbase.
Normally this is a controversial episode because some people think it's pointless while others think it's genius. I didn't have strong feelings myself, the first time, but it's certainly grown on me over the years. And the naysayers aren't completely wrong, in the sense that the writers had to create a bottle episode to stretch the budget for the other things they wanted to do. But the fact they were able to turn this into a masterclass of dialog, as Kailyn put it, proves that they definitely had the chops to pull this off. Lesser shows wouldn't be able to do that, and that's why Breaking Bad doesn't have a single "bad" episode. Not even when the mandate is to do nothing.
But now, at this point in the show, they have the budget to do stuff again. So I can't wait till you see what that is 😀
P.S. I don't know of any phrases regarding giving a cookie to a mouse, but I know of the saying, "If you give a _monster_ a cookie, he'll want a glass of milk". Not sure if that's what you were going for or not.
I don't think Jesse realizes that the family he said he didn't give up on he was talking about him
'In the world, Eric?' 6:03 Idk why I laughed so hard to that but I did lol
Yes he is being haunted by everything that has happened and death following him everywhere and with everyone and he is feeling out of control
Walt needs to be in control of everything. When he's not, it drives him to do crazy things to get it back.
I was so glad Kailyn really loved and felt like she "got" this episode. I think it's brilliant, but it definitely has a lot of detractors.
Eric kinda reminds me of the kid from Bad Teacher who had the Davy Crockett cap
Jessie's situation in the last episode was pretty much kafkaesque for sure, but the fly in this episode for Walt feels orwellian. That's why he had to get rid of the fly.
i knew you guys would like it. as you look into the details 👍
I actually agree and disagree somewhat with Jesse about the jane situation. Walt shook jesse and jane fell on her back, he chose not to save her. Jesse got jane back into drugs but he genuinely loved her. Jane Chose to stay in a bad situation and get back on drugs. Jesse told her to leave multiple times, told her exactly what he was doing, etc. she knew what he was doing, she knew she needed to leave, and chose to do it. addiction is a hell of a drug. Jesse would still be a drug dealer even with having met walt. they all share equal blame in my opinion for janes death.
The episode's original broadcast was viewed by 1.20 million people, which was a decrease from the 1.62 million of the previous episode, "Kafkaesque".
It has the second-lowest number of viewers on its original broadcast of any season-three episode, just ahead of "Half Measures" (1.19 million).
This was a very polarizing episode. Many people don't like this episode at all. Many say this is a mistake, and many others believe this is a mistake.
The episode is one of the best in the entire series because it perfectly shows the pressures Walt has to deal with and how he feels about trivial things.
Plus, it perfectly shows his double standards. I mean, they make poison. The customers don't give a damn. However, Wald always wants to take pride in the great work he does and the high-quality products he produces. What should you expect? The episode was made by Rian Johnson. 😊
I still can't fathom how anyone could hate this episode or think it's the worst - even if it doesn't actively move the plot along, the writing, acting and comedy is all top tier, and some important character development for both of them, not every episode needs death and explosions for it to be interesting, engaging and entertaining.
If Walt hadnt let Jane die, he wouldn't be suffering from such guilt, talk about him hurting Jane's family and Jesse, he ended up hurting himself too because there will always be a part of himself that cannot deal with what he has done no matter how much he tries to move on from it. Walt sees things as problems to be solved but he cannot solve his suffering from his own actions.
The like and dislike of the Fly episode was pretty much split 50/50 amongst the BB fans.
I liked it a lot myself.
Yes Jesse is trying to please Walt trying to kill that fly especially because of what he said about wanting to die he felt bad for him and his loyalty to him gets him in trouble but Jesse being dumb or protective or wanting revenge will get Walt in trouble trying to protect him yet Jesse doesn't fall all the way and Walt did so glad y'all cought on to that part too they layers are great
This episode has always been controversial for some reason, but I think it is clearly one of the best for the exact reasons Kailyn said. You nailed it, girl. Most first time watchers miss it completely.
At the beginning, you think, "is this going to be the whole episode? really?", but part 2 when Walter walks on a knife's edge is great. I don't think Walter wanted that. His emotions confirm this. His incognito was more important at that moment. Jessie shouldn't have told Jane the whole truth. This started a chain of events. Walter wouldn't have come there with a bag of money if it wasn't for the blackmail. He wouldn't go to a bar. He wouldn't have come back to the house. That's why Walter's lies make sense. You can't talk about criminal things right and left. It can cost people their lives.
Someone please explain to these two that the fly is a metaphor 😂
This episode is amazing and very meaningful. Those who call it "filler" are just too dvmb to understand
I think they have the behind the scenes of Walt falling off the railing on UA-cam.
whaaaaat 🤯🤯
@@nerdymarriedcouple sorry I'm wrong I just checked. I think it was in my blu ray extras that I saw it. Don't search for it, you might run into spoilers. From what I remember, don't quote me, a stunt man was used for the hit/fall, he lands face down, they lock the shot then Bryan Cranston comes in replaces the stunt actor on the floor. They used CGI to blend the two. It's pretty cool.
So you folks finally came across the infamous *Fly* Episode
Every Breaking Bad fan is known to know this as *The Fly* Episode
Im glad nobody spoiled you about the Fly episode in advance in comment section
It was a good The Fly episode
best ep
can't believe we got a "If you give a mouse a cookie" reference. Now we need one for "If you give a moose a muffin"
ah the most divisive, worst rated episode of the series. i love it, but i like bottle episodes so eh. the character acting is so fucking good this episode.
Please tell me you two are watching better call saul after this!
Worst episode but best reactors 😊!
Reinarnation .
Howard or Lalo?
I know it's "controversial" to weigh in on this subject, but to me, this episode is my least favorite of the entire series. Given how high the bar has been set by every other episode, this ranks poorly. Even IMDB ranks this episode lower than all the others. The good news is that it's all uphill from here. Enjoy the wild ride.
It's always nice when I get to this episode on a reaction channel and I can skip it. The only way there could have been a worse episode is if they had done what many shows do nowadays and come up with a reason to do a musical episode. Like the "Exposé" episode of LOST, "Fly" isn't relevant to "Breaking Bad" and can be skipped with no loss of continuity. Its only reason to exist is that they didn't have the budget for a full season of shows, so they produced this throw-away episode for 3 bucks and foisted it on the fans as "art". Moving on.
This is my least favorite episode.
I legit hated this episode.
This, in my seemingly rare opinion, is a trash episode. Sorry not sorry
I don't think it's trash but I do find it boring. Probably the only boring episode in the entire series.