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Breaking Bad 308-309 (Patreon)

Published:
2024-01-09 13:00:02
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

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Files

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Breaking Bad: Season 3 - Episode 8 - 9 - Patreon Version

Comments

JediLounger

Very well said George. Given your perspective on these characters, you guys should check out some British shows I found myself rewatching recently. Both of them are crime stories, and are on the shorter side. The Fall (2013 -2016) is one of the scariest shows I have ever seen, and is very different than most crime stories. 3 seasons, 17 episodes, and if you guys watch it I believe it will become known as “Let’s scare the shit out of Simone for 17 hours.” The second one is Happy Valley (2014-2023), also 3 seasons but has 18 episodes, very scary as well but slightly more traditional. Both shows are unlikely to win a poll, mostly because of low awareness of how good they are. You guys would really enjoy them, and they are very different than pretty much everything you have watched over the last few years.

JakeyShakeyBakeyBoy

Personally I’ve always been able to enjoy characters without rooting for or identifying with them on any strict physical, mental or moral basis as well; Jordan Belfort in Wolf of Wall Street or Jack in Sideways are two examples that are fun to watch because you know it’s what you would never do, nor do you root for them to come out on top either. But the entertainment switch gets flipped and it becomes something you enjoy experiencing at that distance, at least for me. Certainly I can understand where the criticism comes from. Different strokes for different folks is all but I fully agree it doesn’t need to turn into misunderstandings and back and forth that goes nowhere either. Well said George btw 😊

Jeff K
>>126537369

I had to pause and remind myself that Giamatti's character was named Miles, and Jack was Thomas Haden Church, because for a second I was like, "Wait, am I not supposed to identify with the main character?" because oof, did I ever relate to Miles as a former aspiring writer who only ever found mild success, and who probably drinks too much. Haha Also, speaking of Giamatti and Alexander Payne movies: George and Simone, you should check out The Holdovers. It's fantastic.

michael clarke

hell yeah george. just wanted to say that im watching and enjoying you both as taking your first trip. this is my second time through, but i participated in discussion during the airing and recently, now that people are feeling a bit more confused by it. i do my little blah blah because im seeing new things and still working it out in my head though i might come off as "well actually" and very definitive. this has become something i really look forward to. its just a great show and more than most shows, i feel its worthy of examination.

Silje

You're right in not rooting for Walt. He's bad - hence the show's name. However with how well written and complex Walt is as a character, there are many moments one can empathize with him. I loathe Walt but I can also understand and even relate to some of his motivations, because he's such a well-written and complex character. That's what makes it such a good show.

JakeyShakeyBakeyBoy
>>126537369

Dude Sideways is top 3 for me and Miles is one of my all time favourite characters for alarmingly relatable reasons of drinking and bouts of wine ponce-ness haha. Certainly not his treatment of his mom, spoilers avoiding of course. Yep, The Holdovers is wonderful and definitely recommended to Simone and George when it becomes available. Election and of course Sideways if ever the wheel turns that way someday

Joe D. MacGuffinstuff

I read that book "Killing Pablo", it was really good, written by Mark Bowden who also wrote "Blackhawk Down". And I highly recommend Narcos and Narcos: Mexico, both very good shows.

JakeyShakeyBakeyBoy
>>126538385

Well said and agreed. The best characters are often the most contradictory in their own beliefs and heart and mind. In the right property when it’s not simple good or evil (which has its place as well) it can be the core reason you are even interested in the first place to watch a show or film :)

Jeff K

Simone you should definitely stick with You’re the Worst. It’s a bit of an acquired taste but it’s so damn good, and handles different aspects of mental health issues better than any show I’ve ever seen.

Jeff K
>>126537369

Fun fact: Holdovers is streaming on Peacock right now. That’s how my wife and I watched it recently. It was such a beautiful movie.

JakeyShakeyBakeyBoy
>>126537369

Yeah I had to erm… VPN from Peacock due to being an Aussie and it not being here yet; but I do what I can and honestly haha. It’s easily the most effectively shot to be like a 70s dramedy that’s come along in a decade or two. Razor sharp comedy and moving drama perfectly balanced like Payne always can do

Actuarial Lurker

So can Walt keep up with Gus in mental chess- Gus got both Twins Killed, got Hank in the hospital off the case, confronted Hank un front of his family- "I know who you are and where you live" style, and then wiped out Don Bolsa from the Cartel....

Actuarial Lurker

George- If he were ON duty he would have his job-rated health care...

Ravi

Its good that you can appreciate the character without cheering his actions. There were some people who absolutely hated seeing Walt's face on the screen and then wondered what was the point of watching this show. Hope you both enjoy this ride!

Jon

Georges, I understand your speech before the show... but, you don't HAVE to explain yourself - ... I mean, if YOU wanted to do that, that's ok... but If you felt "pressure" or whatever to explain your point of view, fuck it : you got every right to feel what you feel about Walter.... and if some people don't understand that, it's their problem, not yours :) you (and anyone else) are not here to please Internet

J. Valentine

Can't believe you even have to explain that, it's so obvious. But oh well

PastaDon

I like Ice cream!! 😁 Edit: Ferris Bueller is a national treasure!!

michael clarke
>>126538385

absolutely this. his motivations are very human. if hes serving his ego or desperate to alleviate guilt, or operating on an authentic caring for his family, he is very human. i think the real high mark for the show is that his choices are understandable, no matter how awful they are sometimes. even with jane. its completely inexcusable, but she had him. she was blackmailing him and that would have been the rest of his life. i guess im just saying, its rare he makes a choice i feel i would have made, but he never makes a choice he wouldnt make. theres no 'for the sake of the plot'. truly a well written character.

Jesse Coombs

Giancarlo Esposito (Gus) is such a good actor. I hope you guys someday react to "Do The Right Thing". It's one of Spike Lee's best movies and one of Esposito's first roles. He's almost unrecognizable in it.

Vwlss Nvwls

I think you can see in episode eight that Marie is an obsessive compulsive, which is a lot of why she always seems like she is being selfish and making things about herself before. But she is not an uncaring person. She loves deeply, even if she does not show it properly all the time.

Vwlss Nvwls

The DEA fell for the oldest trick in the book, according to Simone. Look! Chicken!

Vwlss Nvwls

I think the times that Walt does a bad job lying is when he feels guilty about the lie. Because there are times that he lies amazingly well, but it is because those times benefit him and he feels no guilt.

Philipp Roensch

What amazing episodes, such heartbreaking aftermath for Hank and the suspension is killing :D. Gus is making them power plays! On Jesse's actions: reminder, the therapist from rehab, also present here, is not quite good? Jesse has accepted he is "the bad guy", since then I would say he is disconnected or embracing his evil deeds. The box story, in his retelling, also ends with his bad choice and not feeling too much about it.

Mike Miner

Cameron was the true protagonist in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". He confronted his demons and ultimately came out a better person for it. Ferris just stayed the same old asshole.

Mike Miner
>>126539547

I've seen EVERY Breaking Bad reactor have to deliver this speech in one form or another. It's become a rite of passage at this point :)

mojo shivers

You’re the Worst is a great show. Most of the time it’s just about a couple who are dysfunctional on their own but whose faults somehow fit each other. But every once in awhile it tackles concerns like PTSD, depression, co-dependency, and other big issues in a unique way and from a different angle than what you see a normal sitcom do. Some of my the hardest times laughed were from this show. In regards to if the police/DEA covers their own when it comes to medical expenses, they do. The only tricky part is if Hank was shot in the line of duty. But since the cousins were connected to the Cartel I’m pretty sure DEA would say this is line of duty and cover all the expenses.

E. D.
>>126542814

Also Nothing to Lose (1997) where the character Esposito is playing is nothing like Gus. A fun entertaining movie that is totally overlooked by all movie react channels for some reason.

Henry 4000

if you guys havent watched episode 10 in advance, expect it to be some else

MacJake

Hell yeah, Ordinary Things shout out

michael clarke

finished it. im curious what people thought about walts suicide attempt. without spoiling anything, just based on whats available, why? i think thematically it shows that his further engagement with gus is putting himself into on coming traffic. but character wise, he just got offered the deal of a life time. its all he could have hoped for. i bring up his guilt often, but is that it? does anyone see anything more?

Tay Schumaker

You're the Worst is great, and full of super unlikeable characters, but it's hilarious

Brad Lowry

Technically, Spoiler Alert for the Sopranos. Hey George, do you know who would totally get your point, if he were alive?... James Gandolfini. He famously was disturbed by how lauded his character, Tony Soprano, was getting in popular culture. He implored David Chase and the other writers to never forget that his character is a deadly criminal and to make sure the irony of his "normal" life was just that, irony and never some idealized expression of masculinity or power. In particular, and here the Spoiler Alert is more specific, the entire conceit of the show is Tony, crime boss, seeing a psychaitrist, Dr. Melfi, to help him to work through the stresses and conflicts of being a crime boss... some would say "enabling"... However, late in the series, when Tony's wife Carmela seeks mental health support, the therapist pulls no punches. He very directly says , "You're married to a Crime Boss, your entire life and everything you have is because of blood money. The only advice I can give you is to leave him and renounce all that he stands for." (approximately, of course) Talk about juxtaposition? The first time I encountered this, explicitly, was in William Kennedy's "Legs" (about bootlegger Legs Diamond). He felt this too, which is why he began his historical novel (?) with this quote by playwright, Eugene Ionesco: "People like killers. And if one feels sympathy for the victims it's by way of thanking them for letting themselves be killed."

Jim Johnson

Very interested to see their reaction to Fly next week. For the record, if Fly has a million defenders I’m one of them, if Fly has 1 defender, that’s me, if Fly has no defenders I am dead.

Vellu

Rain Man (1988) is a great Dustin Hoffman / Tom Cruise film, you should definately watch and react to it.

China Andronicus

Jesse didn’t just randomly go evil. He told Walt he sees himself as the bad guy since Jane died. I think believing himself responsible for her death (and by extension the plane crash) really damaged his perception of himself and led to a lot of his actions in this season. Even confessing to selling the box I think only made him feel worse about himself and drove home his opinion that he was horrible.

Jomero

Walt isn't a good guy. You're right to not agree with what he does and your analogy of the Joker is a good one. Whether Walt started out as a good guy and was slowly corrupted, or he had a bad guy buried in him all along, is a point of argument amongst many. But he is genuine at times. I am of the belief that when he told Jesse his meth was as good as his, it was him putting his pride aside and being honest with him. And I believe that fact is what got Jesse to agree to work with him again.

MR

Definitely you should do "Narcos", it's very good and should fit well to reacting.

Sweet Owl

Ok I understand not liking Walt as a person, but aren't we exagerating a bit with the blame? For almost the whole show Walt is being blamed for things totally out of his control. I'm not saying he's without sin or have no faults whatsoever, but not everything bad that happens is his fault. I don't really think he could be blamed for Hank for example, it was all Gus doing, Walt didn't even know about the assassins. And I don't think he can't be blamed for the plane crash either, that was in minor part Jane's father fault and mostly of the airline company that let him back to a very critical job wihtout even assuring he was mentally ready to do it. Let me write an hypothetical situation so I can explain better my reasoning: let's say you have a huge fight with your partner because he/she did something terrible, like I don't know, cheating on you with your brother/sister. You are heartbroken and enraged, go to a bar and drink yourself stupid, then get in the car and start driving. In this condition you cause an accident and kill the driver of the other car. Following your reasoning towards Walt you would blame the cheating partner for the person death, which is absurd in my opinion. He/she would be guilty to be a big piece of shit, but absolutely cannot be accused of manslaughter or be responsible for you causing a car accident... doesn't matter the mental state you were in, you and only you would be responsible for driving while drunk. And that's how I see the Walt-Jane-Donald accident.

Sumner Hayes

DEA agents (and basically all full-time federal employees) have health insurance through work. Almost all state and local police do, too, but it varies by area. Those plans may have a co-pay/deductable (which might be covered by Worker's Compensation or the employer if the injury is job-related), but the vast majority of a major hospitalization will be covered. Just because George has made comments at various times that seem like he thinks everyone just has to pay all their health costs in cash here: about 90% of Americans have health insurance of *some* sort as of 2022 (about 65% have some kind of private health insurance, mostly through an employer, and about 40% have some combination of Medicare/Medicaid/CHAMPVA/VA/TRICARE, with some overlap between those groups making the total coverage rate around 91-92%). i say this not to apologize for the system: it still leaves a huge number of people at the bottom with no insurance. And some of the people who have *some* insurance are wildly underinsured. These episodes touch on this: the insurance for Hank will cover 4 sessions a week, and if you want to go beyond that then you're looking at massive charges. But there are a lot of people—the majority, in fact—who do have fairly substantial health coverage, and government jobs in particular tend to have pretty good health care and retirement benefits (but somewhat worse pay) compared to equivalent private-sector jobs, at least at the blue-collar level. The above are all broad generalizations with lots of specific exceptions.

TGrimace

I have a dream. A dream that the day will come, sometime in the future, possibly in the far future, where we will get through a discussion of Breaking Bad without a reference to Gilmore Girls :D

Mike Miner
>>126544215

It's a really good point to make, especially with everything else that happened in this episode. Gus distracted the cops with food!

Rachel W

Health care for the poor, disabled and elderly is FREE in the US. There are 2 huge Federal programs, Medicare and Medicaid that cover those three conditions. There are also state programs as well. The issue is the people that are on the margins that may not qualify for Medicare and Medicaid. This is the issue Obamacare addressed. Obamacare wasn't some new program, it just made more funds available for existing Federal health care funding.

Dan Holmes

Good monologue at the beginning :) We just want you to see the nuance in his decision making, both positive and negative. As you say all the time george "no character is pure evil". The complexity of Walt can be an interesting dive. For example some of the things you attribute to his ego are partially rooted in over protection. Something you definitely need to grasp is that Walt views Jesse as a son. even when he gets mad at him or kills jane, it's not always for selfish or evil reasons. sometimes part of it is to protect Jesse. Misguided as it may be. Maybe this can be seen more on a second viewing? either way great reactions! :) Also Simone is 100% right about Cameron and Ferris ;)

Sam_atrc80
>>126539547

it is a great shame but those “incel Walt fanboys” are very sensitive, it turns out 😉

Elder Lyons
>>126556978

youre making it sound like hes just out of no where talking about US health system and cost, he asked that literally right after the show presents the problem of Marie not knowing how to pay for the cost and Skylar offering it. even back in the first episode he mentioned it cause thats literally the catalyst and starting point of the show, that they dont know how to pay for the cancer treatment.

Sumner Hayes
>>126556978

I was actually posting in response to his question in the first episode about whether Hank's health care would be covered because it wasn't an injury he took on the job. Also just an overview since there have been a few questions/comments George has had about the health care system in various other videos. No offense intended.

Jeff K

Seeing the narcotics anonymous meeting leader, it reminds me: Jere Burns is a terrific actor, and plays a great character on the show "Justified." You guys should eventually check that one out, it's fantastic. Takes a few episodes to find its footing because they started out as more case-of-the-week before becoming fully serialized, but it's great. And hey, speaking of Cameron and Ferris: Alan Ruck, aka Cameron, is in one of the early episodes. (He's also excellent in "Succession," which I know is already on y'all's radar.)

Jeff K
>>126537369

Oh right, I always forget that not all streamers exist in all countries. So hell, George and Simone might not even have access to Peacock yet. But yeah, I remember first seeing the previews in like, November, after the movie had already been released, and I just thought, "Man, why is Paul Giamatti doing cheesy looking holiday films now?" And then I saw it was from Alexander Payne and, well, insert Leo in Django meme. And then a couple weeks ago, I was about to bite the bullet and rent it on VOD for $20... only to find out it hit streaming that exact day on Peacock. Kismet. (And great, great movie with fantastic performances; I still can't believe that's Dominic Sessa's first ever on-screen role. He's gonna have a fantastic career.)

Jeff K
>>126542814

I love when I notice him pop up in random, small roles from his early years, like in Maximum Overdrive (the infamously bad Stephen King movie that King doesn't even remember directing because of all the cocaine), and Trading Places. He's also told a story in interviews about when he was making a movie with Madonna, and they had adjoining trailers (or dressing rooms, or something), and he says he caught her sneaking peaks at him through the door. He seemed very proud of that. It's also funny watching him in interviews. He's so damn intimidating on screen, but the real version is a super upbeat, bubbly guy who is nothing but smiles.

Jeff K
>>126546174

I was so floored by the PTSD episode. I remember veterans groups the next day came out commenting on it being the best depiction of PTSD in television history by a pretty wide margin. I love that show. It was crass and abrasive, and filled with characters who do a lot of loathsome things, but it was simultaneously brilliantly written.

Jeff K

Also, seeing y'all talking about Gus and the cartel and the territory and comparing it to The Wire, think of it this way: Gus is more like the Greek than he is Avon or Stringer or Marlo.

Aiden

Well said George yeah a lot of people online aren’t very good with dialectics it seems

Alan Pownall

Jesse selling to his recovery meeting is pretty damn evil, just pointlessly ruining lives.

mojo shivers
>>126546174

Yeah. There were some just smart episodes that dealt with such important matters of mental health and well-being, it’s amazing they could fit so much comedy into it. Even the more mundane “sad” episodes packed a punch. Like when Edgar and Dorothy broke up, that hit me hard. Or even just Dorothy commenting how her dream was crushed due to ageism was rough. Dorothy was a favorite secondary character that I still miss.

Patrick
>>126539312

Yeah, he's suspended but would still have the medical insurance benefits from the police department since he wasn't fired. I assume police get great health insurance coverage so he would just have to pay whatever the deductible is and insurance covers the rest. America's healthcare system is horrible. Capitalism > Health.

Patrick

For those who don't know, "El Pollo Loco" (the crazy chicken) is a real restaurant chain in Mexico and SouthWest America that "Los Pollos Hermanos" is based on. It's even a publicly traded company. The ticker symbol is "LOCO" haha So George y Simone, you might be able to get that chicken craving in real life some day!

Deadly Ramon
>>126555077

Narcos and Narcos: Mexico are series that I think would appeal to everyone who loves Breaking Bad.

akaTheBARON Tokyo Drift

🖤I too was triggered by the way the bell pepper was cut. You can tell they only cook chicken as a front to sell meth LOL

Dan Holmes

You NEED to check out Rain Man!

BangDroid

George's monologue at the beginning: I can't believe something so obvious needed to be said. It's a defense of his view and a reassurance to certain commenters. I'm not having a dig at him either, I'm just surprised he felt he needed to explain himself.

Mr TV Eye

Hey George, your intro speech was spot-on. 100% agree. And I really hope I never offended you or other users here in chat, when I argued my point of view.

Jon
>>126539917

no that's not him... he looks a bit like him yes, but that's a different actor :) ... - the doctor is played by Mark Harelik / Ethan is played by William Mapother

Johen Kay

I don't think anyone has an issue with you (George) thinking Walt is the villain. I think the bone of contention is when someone reflexively calls all of Walt's motivations as wrong, manipulative, or morally questionable without entertaining the possibility of a alternative point of view. I absolutely agree that some of Walt's actions would and should fall under those descriptors. But I don't think that should be the base line in which you judge Walt, because you miss the subtleties that make his character so immensely interesting and relatable on a humanistic level. In my opinion a uni-dimensional view of Walt shows an under appreciation, and possible negligence (on a subconscious level), of the depth of character that is being portrayed. To clarify, this is just my opinion. This is not a dictate on how someone should watch a tv show...

Elder Lyons
>>126580714

ah yes, the most common argument on the internet. "if you didnt see something the same way i did, that can only mean you missed it and is watching it wrong because tv shows can only ever be interpreted in 1 way and no others."

Mark Woodvine
>>126537199

Second on Happy Valley. I don't know if even the streaming services would build a show around a character as uncompromising as Catherine. Amazing show and amazing performance.

Mirko Ferreira

Glad you haven't watched Narcos yet. Insanely good.

Johen Kay
>>126580714

How was it a strawman augrument? Care to elaborate or is constructive dialogue too much to ask for?

UNC
>>126584426

Would love a Narcos reaction in the future after BB and BCS!

JakeyShakeyBakeyBoy
>>126537369

Yeah Payne’s name immediately sells it let alone Giamatti. Da’Vina was amazing too and hope she cleans up those awards anyways

Joey Johansen

it's been interesting re watching this show, somehow I had rosey glasses for walk and the opposite for others when i first watched, and I remember feeling confused some of the time watching. now rewatching most things seem way more clear, walk almost never seemed to be shown being remorseful, he is shown having anxiety about his choices sure, but never like other characters where they express real sadness and greif very very often. I see walt as evil a lot faster than I did the first time watching and it's interesting seeing you guys also catch this as quickly as it's taken a rewatch for me to catch. professional watchers I guess :)

Travis

My Boy George, I appreciate you trying to explain you’re point of view to them but if they aren’t emotionally intelligent enough to realize that people can have varying opinions and both can be correct then you are probably wasting your time. I respect you for trying 🫡

K Murray
>>126580714

Not you... Sorry if that was unclear. Deleting my previous comment, and this is the last time I try joining a comment chain on Patreon's shitty app that doesn't deliver replies properly. You try to defend a guy and end up sounding like a jerk...

Travis H

Likable characters are overrated! I would take a Walter White over most network procedural characters! Ben Linus from Lost is one of my favorite characters of all time and that man can be a monster! As for Georges main character talk (which I agree with everything he said), that’s one of the many things I love about The Wire. That show doesn’t really have a MAIN character, but every character is treated like the main character when they are on screen no matter the importance of the character.

Joel

i know enough comments have been made already. But here is the real issue. George himself said at the end of ep 9 that Skyler wasn't coming around but using the circumstances to "do some actual good". This is precisely how we should see Walt at this point in the story. But unfortunately, Walt will be derided, and Skyler is seen as "understandable". Jesse, Gus, Mike, Saul and now Skyler are all behaving despicably. But since we get "grossed out" by Walt's lying (and no one else's) we hate him more. It makes sense, yet still exposes the hypocrisy all of us bring to this show. Breaking Bad is Walt's story, but he isn't the only one that's breaking bad in this story.

Nathan Jasper, the Artist Formerly Known as Primary

Well-stated opening. I think that's why people get upset at others about having differing opinions about movies and such. People want to be right and when there's an alternate viewpoint, well then everything is suddenly unfamiliar and scary. kinda like how I loved the final season of Game of Thrones while popular vote is it's the worst. Thanks for touching base on that issue :)

JBK405

Here's the thing with the IRS: They really DON'T care where your money came from, as long as you pay your taxes on it. There is in fact an option on standard tax paperwork for a person to mark that some of their income came from illegal enterprises, so that you can accurately report it without needing to lie to them. They don't share that information with other government agencies (At least, they SAY they don't) and they don't prosecute, either. All they care is that they get their cut. You can draw all sorts of "That explains so much about the USA" conclusions, but Saul is right. As long as you report your income and pay the taxes on it, the IRS won't bother you. And if somebody else gets suspicious, they have to do their own investigation from the ground up to prove you're selling drugs, they can't just say "He's got a lot of money". Having a lot of unreported money is a crime to the IRS all by itself, but to the DEA it's just "So what? You can't PROVE it's from drugs!"

p0sthum4n

This episode is nothing if not a reminder that the entire show is predicated on the utter failure of the US healthcare system.

Jonah Bertorelli

Such a powerful couple of episodes, with great acting, and great writing.

Jonah Bertorelli

It's badger and skinny pete. it's peter and brandon, but nicknames are badger and skinny P

Tom M
>>126539917

I think the Dr. is Milosh the tennis ‘pro’ from Seinfeld.

Zoran24

Your opinion is valid, no worries.

John
>>126558473

Medicare and Medicaid are not free, but don't charge the recipients depending on their coverage, Think Medicare Part A,B,C,D. These are covered by Taxes which is fine and a choice made to provide care. It is also important to know that being insured and having access are two different things which this episode highlights. The best Physical therapist are not in Hank's network and so don't take his insurance, so even if you have Medicaid or Medicare if the provider you would like to see does not take Medicaid or Medicare you will have to pay out of pocket.

John

Narcos is great and I would recommend it. An underrated and short comedy with Krysten Ritter is Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23

Who Are These People

We're all getting the same input from the show, same information etc. but some people come to different conclusions. Why is that? Well, having worked as a finance auditor I can tell you that some people can just fail to comprehend a lot of things. I make mistakes occasionally, but I've encountered Accounting managers that don't understand how to calculate percentages. This means two things: HR failed to perceive that the person was unqualified when they hired them, and the person failed to grasp the fundamental concepts of the job. I've seen comments from people who think Walt is a good guy. They're wrong, and it's ok to acknowledge that they're wrong. It'd be great if people had the capability to re-evaluate their thinking when given guidance, but some lack that too. A television show is a trivial matter, but the principle can be vitally important. For example, how many people died of Covid because they scoffed at taking precautions? Even after their own friends and family were dying, some never changed their thinking. The hardest, and sometimes most dangerous, lies to see through are the ones we tell ourselves. George is right. Walt is bad. If you disagree, it's not a matter of "opinion", it's a cognitive failure. Don't be stubborn about being wrong, just change your thinking. There's a reason why the old saying goes "pride comes before a fall."

Starman Deluxe

"You're the worst" is an incredibly underrated show!

AJ Lynch

I imagine that is why jesse chose to sell within the aa/na group because gus would never think to check there for his drugs being sold

Who Are These People

"I know I owe you my life; but more than that, I respect the strategy." That tells you everything you need to know about Walt. Skylar's story about Walt's gambling was *genius*. She played Marie's love of drama *and* Walt's ego. How much do you respect that strategy, Walt?

Who Are These People

Also, Simone, about Gus finding out about extra meth on the market, this is something that chain restaurant (and other retailer) Cost Controllers do in accounting departments (one of my former jobs). Let's say a burger restaurant gets 1,000 lbs of beef delivered per month. The designated serving is .25 lbs, a "quarter pounder* (*precooked weight)". You started the month with 31 lbs of beef in the freezer. The point of sale report says you sold 4,043 burgers. A month-end inventory reports 17 lbs of beef left in the freezer. 4,043*.25=1010.75 lbs sold. 31+1000-1010.75-17 lbs = 3.25. What happened to 3.25 lbs? That's 13 burgers. Please remind your staff not to eat the product without ringing it up first. "They never do, those were dropped product that couldn't be sold." Plausible. But if it's 3,845 servings * .25 = 961.25 lbs and 31+1000-961.25-17 = where did 52.75 lbs go? There was no report of a freezer losing power and raw meat going bad, no electrician or repairman was requested. And don't tell me you dropped 211 patties. Someone is stealing meat. If the burgers sell for $7 apiece, that's $1,477 of revenue lost. Check the video cameras and fire the thief. Gus knows how much chemical is purchased and Gus would ascertain the yield per gallon of "stuff". Gus can calculate the results.

djKENTO

I love you George but it’d be fucking miracle if 12 people could move 200 pounds of meth across 5 states every single week. Especially when it was hard for Jesse and Walt to move a few pounds in a city where demand was high even with 3 people selling. That’s a 4th of your estimate right there just in street level dealers and it got one of them killed. It’s amazing that Jesse hasn’t figured out that 96 million dollars isn’t profit. It’s paying a 5 state network of traffickers, muscle, dealers, all their expenses…

Aiden

I like to think that the reason why Walt is so bad at lying is because before his cancer diagnosis when he was much more innocent he never lied. Lying is honestly a skill so it makes sense that he’d be so bad with no experience especially when you’re lying about something so big

Benjamin H Snider

I actually met Dean Norris who plays Hank. He went to my uncle's funeral many years ago. He was super nice, but it was the most surreal celebrity experience I've ever had, lol. My cousins and I were like "Hank is taking communion at Uncle Pete's funeral!"

Jeff K
>>126547099

I wonder if they'll notice who the director of that episode was.

Jeff K
>>126555077

And then, for people who have watched Narcos, I'd recommend a YouTube channel called History Buffs, for their videos they did breaking down the historical accuracy of the show. It's really interesting stuff.

Reid Mclellan
>>126592839

The problem is not the Healthcare it's Walts ridiculously oversized fragile ego and pride, all he had to do was take the money from Gretchen and Elliot, everything would be better, even hank would be fine

p0sthum4n
>>126592839

The fact that you're saying "everything would be fine if Walt just accepted the free money from his billionaire friend" only reinforces that the entire show is predicated on a completely broken healthcare system.

Diiego

Narcos and Narcos: Mexico are great shows! I think they'd make great reactions

Daryl

I don’t got any cool and exciting anecdotes like everyone else, but HELL YEAHHHHHHH you should watch Narcos!!!!

Dan
>>126542814

He's also in The Usual Suspects, one of the officers helping with the investigation

Zosia B

I probably missed the discussion on it but any plans to watch Better Call Saul at some point after Breaking Bad?

BlindPanda

Ferris Bueller is such a good boy please take it back lol

BlindPanda

The Sopranos before Narcos

BlindPanda

Lots of math being done in this chat

Michael Short

Darnit, i've caught up to you lol. Now I have to wait for episodes to be released lol

Deadly Ramon

Public school teachers in every state (including New Mexico) have the option to join the nation's largest labor union, the National Education Association, which helps provide its members with "quality, affordable, and comprehensive health care coverage for NEA members and their families." The show does not explain what type of insurance Walter White had or why he selected the plan that he found insufficient in treating his condition, or whether or not he was a part of the nation's largest and most powerful labor union. The show also does not sufficiently explain why the sick and injured characters' (Walter and, after his shooting, Hank) wives stubbornly insisted upon out-of-network care by top medical practitioners instead of the more affordable ones within their husbands' medical insurance plans. To imply that only the out-of-network doctors are competent I think is unfair and misrepresents the abilities and professionalism of the majority of doctors who fall below that level of prestige.

Dk

"I now see that Walt's attitude shift toward Gail was in order to bring Jesse in and get him to drop the charges on Walt. And i'll try to take a more nuanced view of Walt's motives from now on." That is literally all you had to say. I don't think anyone is arguing with the points of your actual speech at the beginning.

Hexon66

George, your explanation was perfect (and ought not to have even been necessary). Some commenters think they have a monopoly on interpretation, and like to puff their chests out. Personally, I also was thinking, regarding the Walt/Gale situation "he's not quite getting it". But I recognized it's largely from what I already know about future events. It's always interesting to get fresh perspectives, to make one think in different ways about a scene, and I appreciate that. Not everyone does. Thanks.

Hexon66
>>127421091

He practically quoted you. You *were* arguing those points he addressed.

Honey Hermsen

George not liking Walt isn't the problem. George misunderstanding Walt's actions, because he doesn't like him is a problem.

Cliff
>>126598630

Dear Who Are These People, This a very, very strange argument. Here comes a lengthy reply. The central problem with your comments is that good and evil are human constructs that are only defined by the group norms of a particular culture. For the Athenians in Plato's time, a virtuous man was one who virtually imprisoned his wife, and had her chaperoned when she was outside. For 17th century Parisians, mass cat-burnings were harmless fun. For each society, the rules of good or bad change - good and evil are not cosmological constants, like Planck's constant or the speed of light in a vacuum. More crucially, even within one culture, there is no single, monolithic interpretation of what good and bad mean, no complete agreement on how to interpret the standards, little consensus about what circumstances transgressions may be excusable, or when the means justify the ends. You mention Covid precautions, and that proves an interesting comparison between moral and scientific issues. If you and I disagree on the efficacy of vaccines, we can do some epidemiology or a RCT and establish, using a single agreed standard, which of us is correct (and of course they work!) But we can't do the same thing in judging a human as good or evil, because there isn't an equivalent measuring system. Of course, we have the law, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for defining abnormailty, but no one would say these are adequate ways of evaluating the goodness or otherwise of the human heart, and this is recognised by the latittude that's used in applying their standards. Even if we fall back on a simple consensus definition of good and evil, this still means assigning these on a probabilistic basis, as well as leaving vast gaps where there's likely to be no consensus. With all that in mind, 'Walt is bad. If you disagree, it's not a matter of "opinion", it's a cognitive failure." doesn't bear up to the most casual scrutiny. I wrote this long-ass reply not because I have a particular view on Walter White, but rather because (a) your rudeness made me chuckle, and (b) because I can't understand how an articulate and smart person could post something so steeped in irony. It makes my head spin! Here are my opinions (no facts here): 1. By considering assessments of good and evil - of a fictional character, no less - as incontestable facts, by refusing to acknowledge that you might be incorrect, you're exhibiting exactly the same hubris of which you're accusing others. 2. By showing such rigid thinking about human and moral complexity, you're displaying the cognitive failures that you see in others. 3. To complete the irony trifecta, I think you will be unable to admit that you're wrong about any of this. Still, I'm with you on the Covid precautions. Peace. Cliff.

thethesaxman23

Find someone who looks at you the way Simone looks at that fried chicken at the beginning of Ep 9!!!

Nick Kessler

medical usa - he works for the dea a government agency. He would have have health insurance that he pays through his job. Probably pretty good insurance by usa standards but it would ge similar to insurance to other large companies. The does a realsitic job portraying.

Imnot Acop

For your US cop getting shot question. If Hank was on duty at the time of the shooting, meaning he were doing something job related, it would have been the responsibility of the DEA. So this is a little tricky becuase Hank is at least a detective, which means he'd be salaried without any kind of time-clock or time keeping for his hours worked. It would therefor need to be situationally evaluated to know if he were acting in capacity of official duties, or if he were "off the clock" so to speek. In this case, he was leaving a job-related activity, as the situation with jesse which lead to the meeting in the first place was related to an official investigation. But, as soon as he started to go home, he was no longer acting in official capacity, therefor the job would not have legal responsibility and would not need to offer compensation. buuuuuut, because they took away Hanks firearm, and it happened in their parking lot (therefor their property), they'd likely offer to pay whatever Hank's own insurance wouldn't.

Justin

Walt would never be a weak character if he was a side character. He is public enemy #1- the best meth cook in the world

Justin
>>126538385

Walt would never be a weak character if he was a side character. He is public enemy #1- the best meth cook in the world

Rav Low

Saw some comments about "why'd they go out of network for Hank and Walt?" Frankly as someone with a bit of experience with the medical industry: It's not about the competence, abilities, or professionalism of any particular doctors. It is simply that the truly exceptional specialists are typically not covered by most insurance plans. There are also many states (IIRC at the time NM was one of them) where the NEA has been effectively neutered by the state by clamping down on their ability to collectively bargain for public employees. I'd say it's more of a condemnation of the healthcare system, where a tylenol in the emergency room can cost *at least* $50. AND even if they went with in-network doctors, they would likely have to pay a full deductable, which when this show started, pre-Affordable Care Act, that deductible would likely have been atronomical, or in Walts case claims may have been outright denied due to "pre-existing conditions," tying up the payout in litigation with the argument that the cancer may have existed before the diagnosis and start of the plan, etc. etc. etc. Our healthcare system is still a nightmare, but before 2010, oh god it was even so much worse.

Angela D. Mitchell
>>126556787

Seriously? Walt is the direct reason the twins were on the warpath. Walt was also the direct reason Hank went to Tuco's in the first place. There is no way Hank's shooting isn't directly due -- in a straight line -- to Walt's own actions and choices. Walt was also the direct reason for the plane crash. His choices directly caused Jane's death (first by shaking Jesse and moving her onto her back, second by not intervening when she choked to death), which directly caused her father's breakdown, and the plane crash. It's not "some random drunk driver," it's a verifiable chain of events.

Angela D. Mitchell
>>126557112

What a weird thing to post. This was, as far as I can tell, Simone's first mention of "Gilmore Girls" watching this show, and I've been doing the full rewatch with them. So your dream already came true over a dozen times...? Not to mention that they are TV reactors. So mentioning other shows is natural.

Angela D. Mitchell
>>126558473

Um, (1) nope, they aren't, and (2) the U.S. middle-class is vanishing so there is, increasingly, just "rich," "poor," and "very poor" in America. For many if not most in the lower-middle class and higher levels of poverty, they make too much for Medicaid and Medicare though they don't make enough to cover payments themselves. Hank is actually in a better than average position here with his benefits, and even so, they are only "okay" -- not offering him his best chances at recovery, just the minimum.

Angela D. Mitchell
>>126591386

I'm not really seeing how Skyler telling a white lie about Walt having a gambling problem in order to do a genuinely selfless thing (pay for Hank's medical care) is "despicable" -- especially in comparison to Walt, who has lied, cheated, stolen, kidnapped, murdered, and become a drug lord just to fuel his own ego. I care about Walt, but he and Skylar are not remotely on the same playing field here ethically, and this is why the Skylar hate always drove me nuts watching this show. The two sides are laughably uneven.

Angela D. Mitchell

Hank's doctor is played by Mark Harelik. I know a lot of people are saying it's Ethan from Lost (Tom Cruise cousin William Mapother) but they are two different people. Meanwhile, in Ferris Bueller, Ferris is a privileged little ass on occasion, but he's trying to give Cameron a gift. Principal Rooney starts out just doing his job, sure. But he becomes the villain when he decides to ruin a high school senior's life because he skips school for a single day -- not to mention committing multiple felonies to try to catch Ferris -- plus trying to use the situation to hold Ferris back for an entire additional year out of sheer spite. Meanwhile, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is definitely Cameron's journey, but Cameron needed Ferris, who planned the entire day because he was worried about his friend, and he tried to give Cameron not just a great day of skipping school, but one of the best days of his life -- exploring the city, visiting the Sears tower, touring museums, eating at a fancy restaurant, taking part in a parade, watching a major league baseball game, etc. (My Dad was a high school History teacher for years, and he loves what Ferris did because the day off was also one of the greatest field trips any teacher would wish their students to take.) Is Ferris kind of an ass? Sure. But he's also a decent guy who loves his best friend and is -- tellingly -- willing to take the entire blame for the car. And because of the gift Ferris gives him, Cameron is finally okay with himself and feels hope for the first time in his life.

Thoko

Its definitely not true that a major drug dealer would know all the smaller sellers. Just like Tim Cook at Apple doesn't know everyone on eBay that are selling Apple products. Someone sells to a guy who sells to a guy

Thoko

And having only 12 dealers for a whole state is way off. A state has millions of addicts, so there's going to be thousands of small dealers

Zorak

The excuse you use for your reaction to Walt does not hold water. The huge glaring difference is that when Stringer Bell or the Joker are on screen, you're not constantly whining about them. You make no attempt whatsoever to put yourself in Walt's shoes, and take every opportunity to excuse the actions of every other character and just attribute any failings of theirs as being all about Walt's failings. There's a big difference between having a certain opinion and not understanding the show. You basically reduce all of Breaking Bad down to being a 2 dimensional show about a bad guy and the people around him who have no agency of their own but to get caught up in the "bad guys" evil plots. You trying to hand wave away everyone else's comments as "oh you just don't understand how I see it" is only going to lead to a continued reaction of someone who doesn't get it. I was very excited when I subscribed to watch this along with you and Simone. Now I am dreading continuing this. And it further kills my ambition to watch Better Call Saul along with you as I can already see what your reaction to that show will be.

Armchair Rizzard
>>142046461

i know this comment is old but dude, come on, Walter is the villain of Breaking Bad, straight out of the mouth of Vince Gilligan himself,and even the ending that he got, again, from Vince Gilligan, was too good for him.

Joel
>>126591386

It’s not selfless, it implicates Hank and Marie into the illegal activity that Walt and Skyler are apart of. Hank getting shot, while tragic, is called an occupational hazard. Him not knowing that his recovery is funded by drug money makes Skyler just as culpable as Walt

Thall

I so love how they show his speedometer when Walt is letting Jesus take the wheel. 140! Omg! As a German, that's hilarious