In this episode’s shot with “Chekhov’s knife” it seems that the shot was equally divided between the knife and the phone; in essence building suspense about which Skylar would go for. Most comments in regard to this seem to ignore the choice between knife and phone. Any thoughts?
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Think of that image in relation to a football field. I’m estimating 60-70 yards. Besides, I don’t think Gomey really had a choice. It isn’t like he had an entire arsenal to choose from when the Aryans arrived. If choosing between a pistol (effective range 50 yards) and a shotgun (effective range 75 yards) in that fight which would you choose? I’m just glad to see no one shooting from the hip.
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Even better - at precisely that time, the credit for the DoP runs: http://i.imgur.com/bCfMpRL.jpg
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I have a different take of what Breaking Bad is about. I think it’s about the fact that evil isn’t always black and white and it can grow out of seemingly ordinary people and seemingly good intentions. And it can fester within people who also have good qualities. There’s a parallel between Walt and Fring - where they started out and what they ultimately became and the good and evil that manifests from both of them. I think one quality that distinguishes Breaking Bad is that even the real bad guys have a humanity that allows us to connect with them in some way. There’s a humanity to Todd who on the one hand has a gentle affection towards Walt and Lydia and yet is a child murderer and a monster to Jesse. And even Todd’s uncle who values family enough that he let’s Walt go because his nephew would never let him live it down.
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Todds uncle might be a bit freaked out about Todd too. Like he’s really useful and family so you don’t just kill him, but that boy ain’t right.
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I couldn’t agree more. Most people find it more comfortable to be able to look at things in a black and white manner when almost nothing is black and white☯ The writers of Breaking Bad get that even if most reviewers do not.
If possible, except in close quarters always go with the long gun. The reality for handguns is that for most shooters anything beyond about 30 yards is dicey, especially when the shooter is under stress such as a massive firefight.
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The scary thing about Todd isn’t that he’s a sociopath–this series has had no shortage of those–but that he’s not very smart.
I only say 50 yards because that is a common maximum effective range referenced for a handgun in the best of scenarios. My point was that there is nothing unusual about Gomey having and using the shotgun. Truth be told , Gomey and Hank likely knew how outgunned they were from the beginning but also knew that they were dead either way. A slim chance is better than none however.
Interesting! I actually think our views are compatible (also - others certainly agree with you).
I think the difference is mostly the angle from which we look at it. You’re talking about the concept of morality within the series and my post was mainly about how that translates to the viewer. The entire premise is built on what you wrote - “a gifted teacher is in trouble and turns to crime” is kind of a boilerplate script. Breaking Bad extends this with “but he is a human with certain flaws”.
I think the Aryans are an interesting choice here - like few people in this series before (Tuco comes to mind), they are shown with little redeeming qualities or excuses for how evil they are. Yes they let Walt go, but they also kill Hank, despite him being family. I also don’t really see Todd as showing much affection to be honest. Like somebody posted in this thread, his affection has a “it puts the lotion on its skin” quality to it.
I think I’m mostly making two points - one being that a lot of people are mistaken about the precise level of “a little bit of the dark side” gets dangerous. Many fans of the series enjoy Walt as a hero (and dispise Skyler because she just “holds him back”). They have followed him slide into the depths of all this and only now do they get the real payoff in seeing it all crumble to dust. Yes, Walt got to this point step by step, his actions may be harmful, but his motivation starts out as noble. But the crucial point is: No matter how noble the intent, no matter how slight the digressions, his actions mount up to something evil. A lot of times, we are taught that these shortcuts don’t matter, that the ends justify the means. Breaking Bad goes against that.
The other point is that there really are people who are beyond redemption. This is why sociopathy - depending on the severity - is described not as lacking social behavior, but as a lack of social behavior. You can treat the first, the second largely escapes treatment, it’s just not even in the frame of reference.
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He wouldn’t take the ricin himself. That would be about the 345th best way to commit suicide.
Minor nitpicks to a fine review: “Covered in blood” doesn’t describe Skyler, which is obvious in the photo beneath the article. And “shallow grave”? Deeper than most graves, I would think.
Anyone consider that Walt just retrieves the ricin because he remembered he left evidence in an abandoned house? Well, yeah, but that’s not the way this show works. Foreshadowing is EVERYTHING with these guys.
I think your experience with shotguns is similar to your experience with drug dealers and addicts. I’ve had various relationships with quite a few and they can be quite complicated people none of whom I would call evil. All are definitely not sociopaths even though their behavior could sometimes make it seem so. If I’ve misunderstood you , I apologize. But I still can’t see Walt as evil, just extremely desperate and greedy.
Hmm, strange, I don’t remember saying that all drug dealers and addicts are evil or sociopaths. Maybe you can help me out here.
I did apologize in advance. I’m obviously having a hard time finding the point of what you’re saying. Maybe I need a nap but to me your post reads a bit like a Gish Gallop.
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I don’t see how 6 or 7 months later Walt could expect the money to all be in one place where he could come and steal it back.
They’re nazis - that money is probably spread all over “free citizen” militia compounds, converted to gold and ammo and burred in sealed PVC caches in backwoods Idaho.
I don’t think Todd’s affection towards Walt or Lydia is simply some perverted quirk. I think it’s actually a key element to the series. I think Todd is a parallel character to Jesse. They both are boys with a need/desire for parental figures which Walt fills a role for. But they both have a strikingly different morality - punctuated by how they both dealt with the welfare of a child in the center of their criminal deeds. It’s these similarities and contrasts between them that results in a central tension of the show that ultimately blows up in this episode.
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Well, at least that’s more constructive than claiming I said something I did not say 
The notion of “evil” and “sociopath” aren’t useful as a label for people, but they are useful when describing the framework that people act in. I think almost no drug addicts can be labelled as sociopaths or evil - like I mentioned in my wall of text post, mostly they’re just really deep into a spiral of self loathing. The urge to break out of it is frequent and noble, but the framework in which they operate means that they often end up on a criminal path - either as a dealer or commiting crimes to have the money to pay for their addiction.
I don’t have any experience with shotguns (it is rare to ever see one in Germany), but I do have experience with drug dealers and addicts. A lot of them are wonderful people but I agree that very often, they are… complicated.
What all this boils down to for me is - are you on a path that leans towards evil or towards good? Most people would say they lean towards good but are willing to accept a little leaning to the other side to get an edge in the race. The story of Walt is just that - he leaned towards good but accepted a little leaning towards evil to earn money. And even in the most desparate situation, where people are getting killed around him left and right, he still believes that he can make it all good again. But that self deception is only as stark a contrast to reality because he has let it come this far - that slight lean has been a persistent feature of his path. One slightly evil brick after the other he has laid a foundation that is now, objectively, mostly evil.
It is that “slight” lean towards evil that many people see as a desirable quality, that he is badass and cool in the face of danger and whatnot. But really it is him shovelling his own grave, bit by bit. And that revalation is what this episode about and why I think it is such a crucial episode.
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As I had written in my wall of text post above:
So yup, totally agree 
Getting the ricin just to clean up loose ends makes some sense… a non-evil person wouldn’t want to just leave that out there for anyone to find, assume is cocaine, and snort.
Plus, wouldn’t Walt have been able to manufacture a new batch in New Hampshire with $10m? Why risk going after that particular sample unless it’s to get rid of it, or for purely poetic reasons?
