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Let’s Talk About Ozymandias – Share Your Thoughts! (Patreon)

Published:
2024-08-11 18:20:17
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Hey everyone!

We just dove into one of the most intense and unforgettable episodes of Breaking Bad—Ozymandias (Season 5, Episode 14). Because this episode is so famous we want to really discuss this monumental moment in the series, we also want to hear from YOU!

This episode is widely considered one of the greatest in television history, and we know it hit hard for so many of you. Whether it’s a specific scene, a character moment, or just the overwhelming emotions it brought out, we want to know:

What stood out to you the most in Ozymandias?

Are there specific scenes or moments you want us to discuss in detail?

How did this episode make you feel, and how did it change your perspective on the show?

What do you love (or maybe hate) about the events that unfold in this episode?

Feel free to share anything and everything you think is worth talking about. Keep in mind your comments could be featured in the discussion video! We’re excited to dive into your thoughts and make our discussion even more engaging with your input.

Thank you for being such an awesome part of our community—we can’t wait to see what you all have to say!

Cheers,Maple, Arianna, and the Diegesis Team

Files

Comments

Justin

They should have de-aged Bryan & Aaron in that opening scene. Probably my biggest gripe about the episode.

Tom Fehr

the episode where everything comes apart - everything Walt has been telling himself crumbles, the facade comes crashing down. I feel like this episode also really emphasizes the importance of Skyler’s character to this story - it doesn’t quite work without her, no matter what her haters say. Excited to watch your reaction!

AndyB

Oh, did I miss the reaction video? Can't see it on the feed. Or are you gonna upload it later?

Diegesis

It will be uploaded soon vids take a little to process!!! Just posting this now so you guys aren't confused why there isn't a discussion at the end :P

AndyB

Understandble, thank you!

cheech

We all took bets about the phone call

Jonah Messenger

Ozymandias, is a sonnet written by the English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. And Bryan Cranston actually did a read of this. You can fnd it on YouTube. I've seen other content creators react to that either before or after the episode. Might be worth looking into if ya'll haven't heard of it already.

Camden Marr

I just bought the membership to the patreon yesterday and now im going to watch through all the breaking bad reactions i havent seen yet so i can see the reaction to this episode as soon as possible! You're so close to finishing the show.

Silver Hawkins

I do not think the episode changed my perspective, really. Rather, it felt like the culmination of Walt's journey to me. It was inevitable that his decisions would ultimately bring disastrous consequences for the people around him. The episode does not stand out to me itself, to be honest, so much as it is the entire arc. All the previous episodes have been part of building that piece by piece. You cannot really extract one of them without diminishing the whole. I really appreciate how the show built on and executed that. Obviously, the biggest notable scene is the death of Hank and Walt's desperate attempts to bargain that cost him everything. His delusion that he can somehow close Pandora's Box and make things right again when it is already far too late. It is a delusion he has indulged in repeatedly--like the notion that he can poison Brock or kill Gus without terrible consequences, but in the end that inclination costs him the money he sacrificed so much for.

Travis

I just want to hammer home that the things Walt says to Skyler on the phone is all an act. He knows the cops are recording the like and he’s absolving her of her crimes by taking credit for everything and being extra abusive to sell it

Dan

ETA: Make sure people try to avoid spoilers! There are still two more episodes to speak of, and people shouldn't get ahead of themselves here!!! For me, my main thoughts are just (1) how they managed to pack so much content into one episode without it being implausible and (2) how they managed to twist the knife more than anticipated while doing so. This was no jumping of the shark, it's literally what the whole show has been leading to this whole time. And yet it hurt so much more than you thought it even could. Gomey had to die offscreen simply because they didn't have time to say farewell like a normal show... and the death of a major character was only the 10th or 11th worst thing to happen in 1 hour of television. We thought Hank dying would be the worst part of the episode, but it was so much worse listening to Marie speak of Hank in future tense when we already know what happened to him. Phenomenal use of dramatic irony. Like a kick in the gut every time Marie speaks his name. And her telling Skyler to prepare herself without realizing what's in store for herself... Oof. While waiting for the reaction to upload, I just hope Maple and Arianna realized the phone call was made out to get Skyler off the hook -- lots of people miss that. It explains why Walt is crying while grinding out his insults through his teeth. Great scene of acting if people missed the call's intention. Looking forward to the reaction either way!

AndyB

Before this episode there had been moments in the show that pointed to how some of Walt's actions often come back to bite him in the ass. This was the creators of the show subtly saying: "What Walter is doing is wrong, and if he doesn't stop there will come a day his entire world collapses on itself". We as an audience saw that and knew that day was coming, but Walt did not. His "pride and ego", just like Mike predicted, ended up being the ticking bomb that blew up in his face. He thought he could get away with it, but no matter how intelligent you are (and Walt is intelligent), when there is a gun pointing in the face of a person you care about there is nothing you can do to save him if the guy holding the gun already "made up his mind 10 minutes ago"...

BoundTo

What stood out the most to me was how the writers managed to make every minute of this episode genuinely feel like this was what the entire series was leading up to. Walt's luck and lack of devastating consequences has even been mentioned in the show, but this episode really feels like a fitting reckoning. Regardless of his personal intentions or desires, keeping his actions from impacting the people he cared the most about was unavoidable. It's heavy, brutal, and relentless, but it needs to be. I'd long since lost sympathy for Walt by the time I'd seen this episode for the first time, but it left me feeling unexpectedly sorry for him in a way that only speaks to the quality of the writing. Having watched quite a few dramatic climaxes that don't really feel as inevitable/satisfying given the build up throughout the series, I'm still left impressed by this episode years later and genuinely can't find anything to dislike about it. (without getting into minutiae)

wertnez

Boring episode. Half a star.

Armchair Rizzard

You're like a pizza cutter: All edge no point. Thanks for the laugh though.

Lance Allen

I've always felt that Breaking Bad is a modern literary tragedy. And this episode is when it REALLY becomes just that...tragic. It's hard to even hate any character because everyone really loses. A world affecting so many people is just completely upended. And yes, because of bad decisions/choices - obviously that's the point of the show. But who hasn't made bad decisions/choices? All the while saying to yourself "I can pull this out...right combination of words to make it better...right actions to redeem it all in the end....all is well that ends well". And sometimes, consequence just WILL NOT be narrowly avoided. Sometimes, there just is no rabbit to pull out of some hat - a black brimmed hat (see what I did there?).

Eric Wall

What is this chicanery? He gets to be a patron? What a sick joke! 😜

FW27

First thought: I very much dislike Walter White, but I think this episode encapsulates why people hold him in such high regard as a fictional character. All his qualities (good, bad, and horrific) are on display. For me, the phone call between Walt and Skyler is my favorite performance from Bryan Cranston in the entire series. Second thought: I really enjoy Marie as a character and I think her journey from a slight annoyance to a completely sympathetic character was done quite well, imo.

Eric Wallace

This is possibly the single best episode of tv, ever.

Daniel Bjork

For me one of the best moments in the entire series is when Walt tells Jesse he saw Jane die. It’s set up so, so well. You know eventually that’s going to come back up, but you assume Jesse will find out and that will create a breaking point for their relationship. Instead Walt just straight tells him out of spite. It really subverted the way we intuitively thought they would do the reveal. You also have Walt say “wait” right before they drag Jesse off, and for a second you think maybe he’s had a change of heart. But then the dagger hits and jaws dropped everywhere. I’d rank Ozy in the top 5 of greatest episodes of television ever.

FearTheTREMOR

Ozymandias is a poem about a King of Egypt, Ramses the Second. Ozymandias being that vile king in the video who thought his kingdom would last forever, and wanted everyone to fear him. I'm sure that sounds pretty familiar to another character in the show 🤣 It's such an interesting poem on it's own, speaking to the endless, and therefore meaningless search for power, and that foolish Ozymandias probably never considered losing his power. But he did. No one remembered him the way he wanted. But when you take that poem and apply it to Walt? Man it's like it was written for him 😅 This episode is perfectly named. This is the end of Walts kingdom. He loses his brother in law, his money, his family, and he's now a wanted man. His statue, like in the poem, is now crumbling, leaving nothing but tattered pieces in the sand. No one will remember him as he wanted. And even Walt probably never thought he would lose it all like this. But like Mike called, the time bomb went off, and unfortunately way more people than just Walt suffered because of it. One of my favorite moments in the episode is the opening. Things were so much more simple back during their first cook. No mass murder, no ego maniacal goals, no manipulation, just two guys in an RV. Walt being a poor liar, rehearsing what he was going to say to Skyler just shows how far he's fallen. Now he can just lie on the spot. The fading out of the flashback really gives that feeling of a conclusion. It feels like the show itself is telling you, "This is all coming to an end" and then we get the jarring gun fight and fading in of much worse circumstances, making us miss the past that much more. Poor Jesse being sent to the Neo Nazis is like a fate worse than Death. I think that's why Walt chose to tell him about Jane. He knew he was probably not going to see him again, so he might as well get this last thing off his chest to relieve himself, and punish Jesse. Also in this discussion, maybe talk about what you think could happen? Or maybe say what you want to happen since youve only got two more episodes 👀 Thanks for reading my spaghetti dump if you did ❤️

Josh Rey

I’ve always thought that Hanks story often gets overshadowed by Walt’s. Hank’s story has similarities to Captain Ahab. Throughout the series he kind of has an obsession with Heisenberg. To the point that he passes up on his promotion so he can continue the investigation. He’s told to stop and hides it from his office. Which meant he had no proper backup when arresting Walt. If the show’s main character wasn’t Walt and was Hank, it might be more apparent. But it’s an interesting subplot that never really gets examined.

Jeff Moen

This episode is really the emotional climax of the series, when all of Walt's evil deeds finally catch up with him (obviously there's been a ton of collateral damage before, but this is when it actually affects him). For me Hank's line about Walt being the smartest guy he's ever met and yet too stupid to see the truth really sums up Walt's character. Walt clearly does love his family, and he tells himself that he's doing it all for them, but as the series progresses that motivation becomes more subservient to his own egotistical quest for power. He's either unable or unwilling to see how deeply his actions have hurt his family, at least until this episode, first with realizing he's caused Hank's death, and then later when he looks down at Skyler and Walter Jr. and yells "We're a family!" and the dissonance between that feeling and everything that's just happened starts to click for him. But then he responds by immediately abducting Holly, since he also tends to not make rational decisions. I'd like to think that on some level the phone call where he tries to get Skyler off the hook is a very small first step down the path of redemption, not that he deserves any, but I think if he just gave up and decided to fully embrace being evil he would be a less interesting character. The pathetic way he continues to try and justify his actions, which is so incongruous with reality it's almost laughable at this point, is I think what makes the character and especially Bryan Cranston's performance so amazing.

T.wiley

Just non stop entertainment. Watching one of the biggest egos on tv FINALLY accept defeat and while doing it clear his family's name is pure art. This episode is great out of 8 mate

Chris Bruneau

My view of the episode: (just my humble opinions) Vince Gilligan's creation is a gripping exploration of the transformation of Walter White from a mild-mannered chemistry teacher to a formidable drug lord. The writing on this series is nothing short of brilliant and watching its memorable characters have brought me much enjoyment over the years. This is the most pivotal episode of the entire series. This episode is so important because it embodies the tragedy of the entire series. Walt “Broke Bad’ and transformed himself into the villain Heisenberg supposedly for his family, but like the ancient king Ozymandias, it is ultimately all for nothing, only crumbled ruins remain—his family and his previous life is now shattered and gone. My two favorite moments: first, Hanks’ demise. I love Hank’s Character, probably because my uncle was Chicago Police for 30 years. He gets to go out like a boss, he “got his man”—even if ever so briefly. For me, that was a heroic and satisfying end for his arc. Second, The phone call; this the greatest moment of the episode! Watch Bryan Cranston’s face, he is both angry and crying, he is both Walt and Heisenbug together, like a frightening combination of Jekyll and Hyde. Walt wants to save his wife from being implicated in his crimes, but the venom and bitterness of Heisenberg is also there. Look at the absolute hatred with which he spits out his complaints to Skyler. Yes, he is trying to get her off the hook, but he is ALSO venting pent-up frustration at never being appreciated or respected for his abilities—which is a long running theme in the entire series! This amazing duality is some of the greatest acting ever seen on screen, and is why Bryan Cranston won four Emmys and the show itself won a record-breaking total of 92 awards of various kinds. Thanks for doing this.

evertt

Haven’t commented here before, but I have a lot of thoughts. First off, SOME of people who constantly get on your ass about hating on Walt are unhinged. It blows my mind people pay in Patreon just to tear you apart in the comments. Your opinions are totally valid and understandable (although one can disagree with them) and I think that a lot of those people kind of missed the point of the show. This is a tragedy fundamentally about a man who played with the devil and became a monster. People think “breaking bad” is sort of an aesthetic, but Walt is a murderer, an abuser, a liar, etc. In this episode, it reaches its tragic climax and everything falls apart. One thing a lot of people overlook is how the other characters change. Skyler breaks bad too. She had a very clear moment earlier in the show to walk away when she was talking to a lawyer, but she refused. She didn’t break as bad, but she still made decisions that were unimaginable in season one. The characters that many hate in the beginning, Hank and Marie, end up being the most good. Jesse takes an equally fascinating turn from a criminal punk kid to a character trying to redeem himself, in the exact opposite direction as Walt. From season one onward, they essentially switch places. I’ve heard it said and I agree that the moment Walt drops the knife and took Holly was the moment that Heisenberg died. I won’t go into it more until you see the following episodes but I think if you keep in mind the distinction between Walt and Heisenberg, it may frame the next two episodes a bit. And I’m sure a million people will point this out, but Walt wasn’t berating Skyler because he was angry (at least not solely). You pointed out that it helped to clear Skyler. Anyway, thanks for your content. It’s been entertaining and don’t take the critics too seriously.

James S

I'm always a fan of the little things they do in this show. My favorite from this episode that, just after the 10 minute mark of the episode, hank says "He made up his mind 10 minutes ago".

Ray Johnson

That's the point I wanted to make as well... all the way up until this point, I'm still team Walt. Despite him being a complete psycho... I was still rooting for him. After he gives up Jesse, and tells him about Jane, I'm finally to a point where I can say I hate him. And then he TOTALLY REDEEMS HIMSELF! Maybe.

Tom Fehr

the show is, to me at least, about the slope of how making horrible (morality-wise) choices can lead to one after another, and the impact of your choices can get bigger and bigger, and you can become less and less in tune with your own humanity, or, for lack of a better word, "soul." It can be a worthwhile thought experiment to try to think about how many lives Walt has destroyed over the course of the show, and how that number has grown and grown with his choices. For example, what happens right after (the choice that was perhaps the most common moment people stopped rooting for Walt) watching Jane die? Two planes crash as an indirect (but in some ways very direct!) result of his actions, or rather in that case horrifying inaction. Hundreds die, including children - remember the plastic eye Walt kept from the pink stuffed bear toy. He KNOWS children have died because of him and his choices, but he can't stop - so he has to create his bullshit talking point of how the crash actually wasn't that bad really. He's a fascinating character who is also, undoubtedly, a piece of shit. Ozymandias as an episode, to me, is about his facades crumbling, one to the world, but the bigger one to himself - he can't hide behind the bullshit reasons anymore, he has to confront what a monster he's become. Chills, Vince Gilligan is a real one. I hope you girls will try not to let the toxic fuckboys dampen your enjoyment of the show but I understand your strong reactions to them. much love <3

Demented Avenger

Did you guys take the episode down? It was here a couple hours ago.

Justin

Turns out blurring the hoodie logo was unnecessary

Demented Avenger

really? I guess better safe than sorry with all these crazy copy write claims.

Jeff McDaniel

A few things that I feel like we're a bit misunderstood in your reaction. 1. Walt gave up Jesse because he blames him for getting hank in this situation. He mentioned the Jane death because he wanted Jesse to feel the pain he felt right now for hank. It wasn't some chaotic evil decision. 2. Walt taking Holly wasn't because he was trying to kidnap her or that he was evil, it was because the situation he realized he finally lost his family and all he cared about and there was no going back. Holly was the one family member that represents innocence and brings him back to when they were a loving family. He wanted to hold on to that for as long as he could, but knew he had to give her back. 3. Obviously like other people mentioned the call with Walt at the end was all acting to absolve Skylar of all wrongdoing. Hence why he was crying at the end of the call, saying those words to her hurt him deep. He knew things were coming to an end and he didn't want those to be the last thing he says to Skylar after building a life together. You're not necessarily supposed to like or agree with wants actions, but understand and have sympathy for him. Overall his intentions were never to bring harm to his family.

Claudia S

The idea of doing a discussion video is SO COOL! I've sometimes felt like I wanted to hear more about your thoughts when finishing a special episode (not only for BB, I also had this feeling for certain episodes in FMAB) even though I understand you don't always have time for a deep dive discussion, I think it's a great idea to do a separate video to hear your thoughts about a particular episode (or even when finishing a series!). Thank you for constantly listening to us in the community and doing more a different stuff each time. Really appreciate you!

jo and joe

Ozymandias had that one seen where Walt told Jesse that Walt watched Jane die, which has stuck with me ever since the first time I watched the show. It just felt so cruel for Walt to do that, and it stung me in a way that just felt so painful. I remember reading a YouTube comment from a replay of that scene like a year ago that explained my feelings best. Walt's actions had a selfish motive behind all of them, and they were ways for him to further his interests. Walt didn't gain anything from telling Jesse about Jane's death. Walt simply wanted Jesse to suffer. Terrible. I think maybe how the growth of each characters were would be an interesting talking point. Like how in Ozymandias, it is clearly established how big of a change each character went through. For example, how Jesse seems to not fit in well with the criminal underworld while Water definitely made himself at home. Tense. Miserable. Anxious. SAD. Hank and Gomie died ):. I had great expectations with the show, and the show surpassed it with every episode. It really made me think more about the people who watched this show and say "yeah, Walt did nothing wrong, his actions are justified!". It also made me think about how far the characters have gotten in terms of development, which is insane! Especially with Jesse Pinkman! I love this show so much. Walter. Hate him.

parkenstein

Let me preface this by saying I love your guys content, your guys' reaction to Avatar TLA was great and I look forward to breaking bad every week. Walter is obviously an evil man who not only deserves what happens to him in this episode, but his unrepentant evil directly leads to it all. That being said, I'd like you guys to expound more on why you guys have such a deep hatred for him in contrast to all the other evil characters in the show (And even other shows ie Zhao who had a similar problem in avatar), especially Gus Fring who may or may not have used and ordered the murder of children for convenience sake. I get that the whole "Daddy Gus" thing is a joke and all but why the visceral hatred for one evil and sympathy or even admiration (attraction?) of another? Again don't think I'm knocking you guys, I'm just always curious why people are affected the way they are by fictional characters.

Justin Calhoun

I think the people arguing Walt did nothing wrong or was totally justified are not people worth arguing with. They are either trolling you or truly believe that and that is a problem in and of itself. So I would just hope you stop letting those kinds of people get to you. There's just so much great discussion to be had about Walt (and the entire story and it's characters) and so to just leave it at "He's awful" or "He's awesome" feels like such a simple and uninteresting point of view. He is not a simple character nor is this a simple story and THAT is why this is one of the best shows of all time. Can't wait for the last two episodes. Truly it's been a blast rewatching this (for the 7th time or something? I dont even know anymore), especially with y'all, cause I get to almost experience it like it was the first time again. Arianna and Maple, you rock!

Louis Ryan

I don't understand the people that defend walt, the whole point of the show is to slowly realize you are rooting for the bad guy. Also on a lighter note this is the only episode in TV history that is rated a perfect 10/10. Keep up the good work guys, you don't deserve the hate for simply understanding the show.

kelly

you guys! so excited about your reaction to this episode, and now this special discussion. i have so many fun facts: . the opening scene with walt and jesse in the trailer was the very last scene they shot of the whole series; they scheduled it so aaron paul and bryan cranston could have the right head hair/facial hair, and they brought back THEE rv! (also the last scene scheduled for sentimental reasons) . this is considered one of the the best episodes of TV ever, and has a perfect 10/10 on imdb. i especially love that fact because it was written by a woman – Moira Walley-Beckett, and directed by Rian Johnson, and the venn diagram of people who worship heisenberg walt, have a frothing hate for skyler/anna gunn (perhaps women in general), and probably hate Rian Johnson for star wars is a big ol' circle. suck it haters . i definitely recommend reading the script for this episode if you're into that, there's so many interesting details in the script directions (like the dynamic between Walt + Hank in Act 1; Hank knowing what's coming and being over Walt's shit [like "of course this asshole is working with nazis"], Walt attempting to do what he's always done and talk his way out of something [like contrast the desperation in this scene with his smarmy ass voice in the last scene with Mike], and both Walt and Hank being genuinely surprised that Walt offers his money – everything he's been working for – to save Hank's life) . the title credits didn't actually start rolling until Act 2, when Walt gets into the car – this was Rian Johnson's idea because he thought it would disrupt the tension of Act 1. they had to get special permission from the DGA to hold them off (bc there's specific rules about credits); they gave the ok because it was the director's idea, and Johnson had some extra clout, having won the DGA award the previous year. . when Johnson and the crew were location scouting he was really interested in the desert earth that breaks and cracks when you step on it, and had the idea to have production make these puzzle pieces that they covered with dirt that would break apart on a rig, so after Walt falls when Hank is shot (a very Ozymandian moment) when his head hits the ground the earth under him cracks. . Walt is so eager for the nazis to kill Jesse because (through his Classic Walt Deflection) he blames Jesse for Hank's death . when Walt is rolling the barrel at one point in the foreground he rolls past the "flying pants" from the pilot! it's written into the script and they thought it'd be a fun easter egg for the audience . they had a bunch of different Holly's throughout the years, but the main one for this episode is Baby Mo (her nickname from the crew). when Bryan was filming the scene in the bathroom the baby's mother was just off screen, and she caught her eye, and the only word the baby knew at the time was "mama" – it wasn't planned but a perfect happenstance and luckily Cranston played into it. . in the script they clarify that the main reason Walt takes Holly is because she is his last hope for family, because everyone else knows now what a monster he is – but he very quickly realizes that it would be wrong to take her away, and gives that last bit of his old life up . a lot of people were anticipating y'alls reaction to the phone call scene, and being honest when i first watched it i had the same feelings as Arianna. but in the script it's a sort of misdirection, and while Walt is probably exaggerating genuine feelings he's had towards Skyler, the main point is to play up his evil in an attempt to exonerate her – he knows there are cops listening in, which is why he's being so extreme, and even taking responsibility for Hank's death. you can kinda see when Skyler realizes what he's trying to do, but she can't be obvious about it because of the cops. . the woman at the counter with Walter Jr. before Marie walks into the car wash is the writer of this episode, Moira Walley-Beckett! . Walley-Beckett also wrote the episode where Jane first appears, and she co-wrote The Fly (also directed by Rian Johnson) where Walt almost tells Jesse the truth. in the episode commentary they talk about this moment, and Aaron Paul says that although it's horrible, he's glad Jesse found out . the best part of the episode commentary is at the end as Walt drives off with The Disappearer, and Moira Walley-Beckett goes "and then we hired Banjo the Wonder Dog to cross frame" and the cast make jokes about it – after such a harrowing episode it's a really funny little band-aid right at the end. . Rian Johnson has directed the lowest rated episode (The Fly) and highest rated episode (Ozymandias) of the series! This is such a jam-packed episode where so much happens and so many story beats get paid off, and it's so well executed in the writing, directing, production, and of course the acting. Despite what other comments might say, I honestly think you both are perfectly justified in your Walt hatred – like look at the material! The writers say as much in reflecting on the series as a whole, that they make him so objectively evil and were surprised that (a lot of) the audience just went along with Walt's rationalizations – which they largely credit to Bryan Cranston's incredible performance. Like yes, he did make the phone call to Skyler with the intention of giving her an out, which is why he overemphasized how uninvolved she was, exactly like Maple pointed out; but also, a few hours earlier he intentionally sent Jesse away to be tortured and eventually killed by the nazis, and right before he was sent away told him flat out that he murdered his girlfriend – and no i will not take notes on the use of "murdered" the writers have said as much (and Vince Gilligan's original pitch for that moment was for Walt to inject Jane with heroin and actively murder her, so that was definitely the intention). One of my favorite takes on Walt (from the YT channel The Take's analysis of his character) is that his story isn't about a man going from good to evil, it's about him going from passive to active – he was "good" only through inaction, but all the factors that lead to his decision to cook meth facilitate him becoming more active, and he just keeps escalating. A lot of people considered this episode the "true ending" of the series (one critic said it was the moment when Walt "killed the true hero of his own story"), but i'm so excited for you guys to watch the last two episodes!

Jesse Gonzalez

I think sometimes viewers can struggle when the main character of a show isn't the good guy. They will sometimes try and force them into that role to make the show more enjoyable for them. Its easy in this case due to Walt being such a likable person at the start (or sympathetic to his situation). Hes a brilliant scientist/family man turned high school teacher and car wash employee who gets terminal cancer. Its shown that he has very low confidence and self worth so its completely natural to want him to succeed early on. That being said, anyone saying Walt is justified or a good person after they kill Krazy 8 aren't being honest with themselves. There are also probably 4-5 obvious chances in each season you can hop off the "Walt is a good dude" train... As for Ozymandias - I really enjoyed how animated Arianna got during the phone call scene. While the purpose of the call is for Walt to clear Skylers name of any wrongdoing, I think given everything that took place prior to that scene, its such a good raw reaction. Any show that can make you react that way to something, is doing its job in my opinion. Walt telling Jesse about Jane is just another example of him not understanding that all this is his fault. He sees Hank dying as Jesse's fault for getting him involved, completely ignoring the fact that Hank had figured out he was Heisenberg completely on his own (didn't even have support of the DEA at this point). The show basically being over and Walt still not being able to accept this is borderline comical at this point. While this episode is arguably the best of the season/series, I think the way this show ends will add to why this episode is so good.

kelly

"walt simply wanted jesse to suffer" ugghhhh it's so true and terrible

wertnez

I understand why you might find it odd that people aren't as critical of other characters who do objectively awful things in the show e.g. Gus, Mike, and Jessie. I could be wrong but I think it's in part because Walt displays a lot of repellant personality traits which those other characters do not. He's incredibly arrogant and smug a lot of the time (see dinner scene re: Gale being Heisenberg, "because I said so", etc). He's condescending and bullying to many of the people around him and views them as inferior. He's horrible to his wife and child who he lies to constantly from the very first episode right through the series. He's delusionally self-righteous e.g. "Everything I do, I do for my family". In general his personality is just a lot more toxic than e.g. Mike and Gus who are quite reserved, and Jessie who seems like if he hadn't gotten into drugs would be a decent person to hang out with. Walt also started out as a regular family man and chose to put himself and his family in extreme danger rather than accepting free health insurance. He actually had a pretty decent life before the cancer, he had a family, a home, a stable job, but he clearly felt that type of life was beneath him. Just a prick basically.

Moonman

Overall, I just enjoy how genuinely invested both are in the show. It makes it really fun to watch. I do think evil is the predominant characteristic of Walt but little rays of non-evil seep through on occasion which makes him such an interesting character.

Jesse

I used to dive in to these types of discussions but now they just make me want to quit the internet and move into a cabin in the woods with no electricity.

parkenstein

But why does an egotistical, delusional evil man inspire contempt but a cold calculating, efficient psycho killer get admiration? I mean, Gus makes some pretty stupid decisions because of his character too like demanding that he be the one to kill hector when he knows Walt is after him and again maybe ordering the death of a child to tell off Jessie or whatever he was trying to do.

Demented Avenger

Yeah, I kind of feel their hatred of Walt doesn't let them enjoy the show as much. Walt's a garbage human, but so are the others in the show. Gus ordered the death of a child. Walt poisoned a child and knew it wouldn't kill him, but make him very sick. I'm not sure why they aren't both held in equal contempt by anybody. I'm very interested in how they feel about Jimmy and Kim by the end of BCS.

Demented Avenger

I'm not sure they ever rooted for Walt haha.

Owen Kosik

I don't have any illusions about Walt being a hero or a good guy, but I will say it was driving me crazy that you guys didn't realize he was trying to get Skylar off the hook with that phone call. That's why he was having so much trouble getting the words out, he didn't actually believe any of it. The biggest tip-off was saying he killed hank

Eric Wall

I think other characters get a deeper examination in BCS too. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but to the extent certain characters feel “let off the hook” in Breaking Bad, BCS does a nice job of putting its morally compromised characters firmly ON the hook by the time the show comes to a close.

parkenstein

@Stewart MacInnes I get what you are saying. I feel like Walt crosses over into reality a lot. I know a few people like him IRL and he and I even have some traits in common. I have definitely thought of doing what Walt did to Ken's car to a few people's cars at times, especially when things get tough. IMO that's what makes his character so good (And most of the other characters as well). The fact that I can relate to him on some level despite how bad of a guy he is that's what makes good writing. In a morality play like breaking bad the point is to investigate how evil works and the more you can get people to think about the evil in themselves the better the morality play is.

Pirwzy

Dad of the Year. When he couldn't take his family with him into hiding he successfully gets them off the hook for any sort of complicity. Given the shitty situation (obviously of his own making), he ran only after he was able to do that.

Rudy Martinez

This is a hard one, the whole point of this is to see your reactions to things, but then it’s a problem when the reactions overtake what you need to be observing on screen. I genuinely love how into it you both get, but it is a little annoying seeing assumptions take precedent over observations. The phone call was a genuinely kind act Walt did, even though his words were harsh. You even connected the dots he cleared Skylar from being apart of it but then didn’t connect those dots to the full picture, so it just becomes a little tedious because we all agree that Walt is a monster, but he’s also still human, and seeing those shards of humanity glimmer underneath the hide of a monster is still touching to see and it’s dismissive to say he’s entirely, unequivocally evil. He pleaded with Jack to not kill Hank even though he knew that meant everything he worked for was lost. He did try in his own twisted way to do the “right thing”, but he just never knew what the right thing actually was.

Rudy Martinez

Things you missed this episode because of your hatred. 1. Walt told Jesse about Jane because he blames him for the death of Hank. Being a "rat" is the worst thing to be in the criminal world. Without Jesse Hank would've never been in that position. 2. Many people have pointed out but obviously the phone call. He was trying to clear Skylar and his son of any wrong doing. 3. Just a little fun one, Walts pants from episode one are in this episode in the desert.

BobJ

I have a couple of things to talk about if it makes it into the discussion. 1. I love the direction of the episode from Rian Johnson (I know star wars fans will gag), but the direction was incredible. The confidence it takes to shoot the phone call scene....the scene will only work if Bryan Cranston and Anna Gun act the hell out of that scene.....it takes a lot of courage to shoot it that way. You can tell the exact moment Skyler knows what walt is doing just from Anna Gun's face, and Bryan Cranson is playing fake rage while crying.......incredible 2. Similar to #1, I just wanted to give praise to the acting of the entire cast in this episode. I feel like this is when the entire series came to its unofficial finale and the entire cast knocked it out of the park. 3. The symbolism of walt falling which mimics the ozymandias statue in the poem......the level of artisty in this episode is second to none

Diegesis

Maple said a couple times in that scene that that was clearing Skylar I just don't think she over explained while the dialogue was playing out

Owen Kosik

I did catch that but they were taking him so seriously, I was just yelling at my phone about it lol

Diegesis

Hey Raul just fyi you can be nice and share your topics :)

jonnefcb

"HOW CAN ANYONE LIKE WALT?" Walt is bad. We all knew this would be the case before the show even started. IRL, with my normal moral compass, I of course despise Walter from episode 1. Like, if I read about an IRL Walt on the news I would hate him for sure. But this is fiction. It's a crime show with conflicts between criminals. Most of the major players are gonna be bad people. It'd be kinda weird to watch The Sopranos and just seethe with anger for the whole story just because all the characters are bad, right? So you adjust your standards, set your moral compass to "fiction mode". Now you can root for Tony Soprano even though you hate real life mob bosses. Same with Walt.

Munir

(I already commented this on the episode post but figured I'd also post it here) Walt is definitely evil and has been for most of the series. I also think it's crazy that some people think he's a good guy even by the end. But he does have a few redeeming qualities, dismissing him as pure evil makes you blind to them. He can be very intelligent at times, especially when it comes to improvising, and he's also capable of the rare selfless act (saving Jesse from the two dealers, trying to sacrifice all of his money for Hank, purposefully incriminating himself with the phone call, etc). But he's also an impulsive egomaniac who causes most of the problems for himself and those around him. I love him not b/c I think he's a hero, but b/c he's a complex villain with one of the most dynamic arcs.

Matt Sabourin

Yes Walt is an evil SOB but watching his character is like watching Darth Vader or any other villain, Vader killed billions of people yet he's a lot of peoples favourite movie character. I think what makes it harder for some people is that Walt is more like a real person that actually could do these things in real life, but you have to remember and keep in your mind that they are both fictional characters. Personally I love Walt because of his complexity and growth into this person that you could never imagine in episode one, also Bryan Cranston acts the hell out of the character

pigasus

It’s not a virtue to accept or rationalize the acts of a harmful person like Walt, and I genuinely fear for the viewers that are compelled to point out why Walt needs to be given sympathy. It’s a wise act to distance oneself from damaging, selfish, toxic people.

BobJ

That scene was incredible. While I was watching the show as it was airing, I was constantly speculating how Jesse was going to find out about Jane and how it would be such and explosive reaction and a gotcha moment. I had a number of different theories as to how how would figure it out. I never thought it it would be Walt telling him out of spite and Jesse just crumbling

dylan s

Huh? Marie didn't even do anything wrong lol. Objectively speaking, Jesse has done far worse. Why give Marie pass "only bc she's Hank's wife"?

Steve Johnson

I have stopped myself commenting a number of times throughout this show, probably because I don't want to get into an internet argument. But this feels like the time to get this out of my head, so here goes... First, Walt is not a good person. Not even going to pretend to argue otherwise. But I do think you have missed some of the nuance of the show on a few occasions because of your utter contempt for him. The phone call in Ozy is an example but not the only one. You miss all the different shades of grey, the decent of the character over the show that culminates in this episode, when he is just black or white the whole time. The big, impactful moments when you are supposed to despise him as an audience lose their power when you always assume the worst from him at every opportunity. I really hope that if this gets read, it isn't written off as one of Those comments. Maybe just my perspective to explain some of the frustration and discourse. I am not going to die on this hill. You guys despise him and the show has read differently to you (arguably worse) because of this. That is absolutely fine and I'm not trying to change anyone's mind or argue that Walt is a good man deserving of sympathy, he isn't. Still loved re-watching this with you guys, excited to see the final act!

Ethan Opus

Yet even hank turns into a POS who is 100% ok using Jessie as a sacrificial lamb. ..,and Im paraphrasing -"you mean the junkie losing his breakfast on my bathroom floor" thats some shit behavior.

Travis

I don't think I've see anyone say he deserves sympathy. I'm not sure where people are getting that from. He's clearly an awful person. But by hating him with such passion things get missed. The phone call for example. It's pretty obvious the phone call is intended to throw Skyler a life line, yet so many reactors miss this. They are so wound up in hating him they miss nuance.

GOOSE

I understand why you might feel intense anger or even hatred toward Walter after watching Ozymandias. It's one of the most devastating episodes in television history, and it's easy to see Walter as purely monstrous after everything that's happened. However, I think it's important to dig a little deeper into the nuances of his character and the storytelling to really appreciate what the show is conveying. First, let’s talk about the opening scene of the episode where Walt tells his first lie to Skyler, claiming he’s got to work late at the car wash. At that moment, we see the beginning of Walt’s transformation—a seemingly harmless lie told to protect his family’s future. The scene is simple, but it's packed with meaning. It highlights how a small, almost innocent decision marks the start of a path that eventually leads to ruin. This moment is crucial because it shows that Walt’s descent wasn’t born out of malice but out of desperation and a misguided sense of duty. Then, consider the phone call with Skyler. Walt's words are harsh, even cruel, but his tone and the look in his eyes tell a different story. He knows the police are listening, and he's deliberately painting himself as the villain to protect Skyler. He takes on all the blame to give her an out, knowing it will cost him whatever shred of dignity he has left. It's a final, twisted act of love, which might not redeem him, but it does show the complexity of his character. Finally, when Walt sees his baby daughter, Holly, saying "mama" in the firehouse, you can see the pain and regret in his face. This is not the face of a man who is purely evil. This is a man who realizes, too late, the true cost of his actions. It's heartbreaking because it's a moment of clarity where Walt sees just how far he's fallen and how much he's lost. The brilliance of Ozymandias is that it doesn't let Walt off the hook for his actions, but it also doesn't reduce him to a one-dimensional monster. The show forces us to grapple with the full weight of his choices and their consequences, and in doing so, it reveals the tragedy of a man who could have been something great but chose the wrong path. Hating Walt is understandable, but it's also important to recognize the layers of his character and how the show portrays his downfall with such depth and subtlety. If you ever decide to rewatch it one day, you'll start to pick up on so many clues the writers left in there. I'm constantly finding new ones, even now, and I'm probably on my 15th rewatch! Thank you for your great reactions. Watching one of my favorite shows along with y’all has been a real pleasure, and your insights have made the experience even more enjoyable. I hope you enjoy the last two episodes as much as I do!

Pale Ale

Copy pasting here: I gotta say this journey has been interesting haha I think I get both sides. And I think a lot of people in the 2010s watching Bb for the first time were gaslight themselves by him. Including me 😅. We just wanted him to be a powerful nd cool drug lord, except he was a conniving, and selfish. I'm getting ahead of myself. I binged Bb, I had to know what happened next and I did root for Walter- up to a certain point. But I still saw him as the main character, even though he constantly treated jesse bad, when jesse just wanted his approval. After Jane I could never forgive him of course but I was still okay with him safely poisoning Brock to turn Jesse to his side 😅😅 and though I grieived Gus for the rest of the series, I recognized that Walt won and not by a fluke. I think Bb did something no one was ready for. Where some saw raw confidence, others saw false bravado. It wasnt till after I saw Bb a second time cuz of these girls, I immediately noticed a difference in my perception about Walt. I clocked his manipulative and dismissive tactics and verbal abuse against jesse and his wife much earlier, and could not empathize with Walt at all. Especially knowing where his actions lead him to (including working with and trusting those nazis too much) had to stop watching and I just waited for the reactions to catch up. The way I see it is Walt was kind of evil /severely flawed from the start and maynr to some its a triumphant ode to a monster for breaking free of its cage and wreaking havoc on the world... The monster still has humanity. Like despite me despising Walter and actively praying for his downfall, I definitely understood the meaning of the phonecall. Even though I wanted Walt to die an agonizing death, I knew he loved his wife and his family and what he was willing to do for damage control atp. And the fall of his legend and home life was his punishment. P.S. A lot of comments on your videos have been RUDE, since very early in your reactions to this show. It's one thing to disagree or be irked by the reactions and I get it I really do but people have taken it too far and over a fictional effing hat wearing character. I'm not surprised if their input and constant negativity has impacted A&M's viewing experience and judgement of Bb. I mean I'd hate on Walter out of spite at that point

Forrest

When it comes to Walt, I think so much of y'all's analysis is on point. He is an abusive, gaslighting manipulating, drug-dealing murdered. The only words I have a problem with are "manic", "duranged", "sociopath," and "serial killer." I think y'all all calling him that out of anger though which is fair. Walt is evil, but he isn't evil in those ways. And sometimes those interpretations actually lead to misunderstandings of what's up. The phone call scene is beautiful. It mirrors the phone call at the beginning where they are also talking about Holly. In the, "we're a family" moment, Walt realizes the futility of trying to keep his family together. It takes him having a physical altercation with his wife and son for him to realize that he is abusive, and he is the one who has split them up. And that's when the plan becomes clear. Steal the baby, pretend you are holding her hostage, paint Skylar as a 100% victim and himself as a more 1-dimensional person (the guy y'all think Walt is sometimes haha), communicate that Hank is dead and will never be found. You can see the moment of realization on Skylar's face right before she says, "I'm sorry." You can see how much it hurts Walt to say words that, while untrue, are more true to his character than the "protecting his family" bullshit he's been spewing for the last year. It's this beautiful moment where two people who once loved each other (and probably, in some way, still do) have a last moment of connection. "Holly is okay. Everything is gonna be okay, I'm gonna take care of this, and get you out of it." And you don't see any of that if you think Walt is an evil psychopath. Walt's emotions don't save him of course. Walt has said he's gonna, "take care of it" like a hundred times. You're not supposed to like him. The show is painting a picture of the fucked-up mental processes that turn someone who we can see a lot of ourselves in into an unrecognizable monster. Yall saw it in the opening scene. There was a time when he and Skylar had natural, normal couple conversations. And it feels right and genuine. That guy is still in Walt somewhere, even if he let the pride control him for the last year. Even if he is evil. Even if he deserves the worst. Walt has been gaslighting himself too, and he is a witness to his own destruction of his family.

Pale Ale

As for this episode itself I really forgot that Gomie died along with Hank, it's so damn sad 😭😭 I'm so mad at Walt for turning Jesse in. And I'm mad at him for putting so much trust in the nazis damnit!! Things could have ended normally.

Pale Ale

Also proud of skylar for standing up to Walt for the last time. If she went running with him and the family it would have been a nightmare. Good on Skylar, especially finding out Hank got killed because of him

Joshua Luzania

I just love the amazing acting in the phone call scene. I think Bryan does an amazing job in conveying what his character is doing and how he feels in that moment. Even Anna Gunn conveys amazing subtleties, you can see the cogs in her head moving as she is realizing what he is doing to help keep her from being implicated. I think he realizes that she has picked up what he's doing in the way she says "I'm sorry" back to him.

Camden Marr

Some of the best acting ive seen. Its insane how you can tell what walt is doing immediately just from his facial expressions . And how you can tell the exact moment skyler realizes what walt is doing. Incredible acting from them both.

dolo

Skylar is the principal trigger of this show. Her obsession to control everything is the principal trigger of this show. Walt did not want a medical treatment, he wanted to share his last monthes with his familly, he did not want to let a big medical debp to his familly. Skylar was against that. Next, Skylar had the brillant idea to call Elliott to pay the medical treatment..... She just trampled walt's ego and reminds him his biggest regret... She loved Walt but when he was a weak and sumitted man that she can control... Skylar is absolutely not a good person. She cheated on him and wanted to cheat on him when she was pregnant again... Skylar is a major trigger of the mental switching of Walt. It's funny to see how it's easy to forgive a drug addict in this show, to forgive skylar, to forgive jesse... While they are all responsible of the situation at their own level. It's an agregate of bad choices from a lot of people...