Breaking Bad Season 5 - Part I

simisker said:
I felt really let down by that ending. It seemed like such an unbelievable contrivance that Walt would leave something that incriminating in his 'throne room library' for at least a year, knowing full well that Hank comes round regularly [so to speak!].

Seeking like minds similarly peeved, I visited a few TV forums.

It was on one of these that someone with a keener eye for detail than I noted that the "G.B." in the inscription isn't Gale Boetticher at all... it's Gretchen Black, the maiden name of the wife of husband that owns Gray Matter. Y'know, the woman that offered to lend money so many seasons ago. Because she and Walt had known each other for ages - before she was married. And actually, yeah - that was one well-worn book, wasn't it?

So the book is totally unrelated to Walt's 'Heisenberg' life [it didn't come from Gale], and in his mind he has no reason to consider it incriminating or worthy of hiding.

It's just coincidence* that the initials are the same, and enough to trigger memories and links for Hank.

And so it was that my faith in this show's genius was restored :)


* ... or is it? Could Gilligan really have plotted all this out?! If so, serious cap-doffage.
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I think this could be possible. The writing is completely different for each note.
 
Antar Bolaeisk said:
I think this could be possible. The writing is completely different for each note.
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Actually, a bit more research shows that the maiden name isn't specified, rather than what I put above. But the rest of it tallies; if so, what a world-class piece of misdirection :)
 
If that's the case then I feel much better about the end, it's far more in line with how I've come to expect Breaking Bad to do things, more so than Walt just left a book from Gale lying around anyway.

My memory is terrible with these little details so I'll do some reading around myself, but if that's true the ending has gone from cop out to genius in my book.
 
I'm pretty sure that either Gale gives Walt that book in season three or Walt buys it on Gale's recommendation because Walt shares initials with Walt Whitman. We already know that Walt Whitman was Gale's favourite poet.

Incidentally, I thought the flashback to season four right after Hank seen the inscription was a little too much. This show's great cause it doesn't hold your hand and that was quite an obvious bit of hand holding which they didn't need, in my opinion.

We also seen him taking the book out earlier in the episode, so it's not been sitting in the bathroom for a year.

Also, the poem the episode references to is thus:

GLIDING o'er all, through all,
Through Nature, Time, and Space,
As a ship on the waters advancing,
The voyage of the soul--not life alone,
Death, many deaths I'll sing.

Very prophetic, if you ask me.
 
I agree about the flashback being slightly unnecessary, although I imagine they tried with and without and decided in this intance it was important to know which specific memory it triggers (even though that should still be fairly obvious without the flashback). All the other stuff, the money, the problems with Skyler, etc etc, those can then fall into place after the initial trigger has happened.

I'm still going with cop out though if the book is from Gale, whether it's a year or 5 minutes, he still left it around the house which feels cheap to me.
 
I don't think it's a problem. They eventually arrested Al Capone for tax evasion; no one's infallible. Something so careless really should be Walt's downfall because the way he's built up an immense sense of arrogance this season means that this is the ultimate karmic pay off. He's become too comfortable, thinking it was too easy.

Also, he's probably made two mistakes: leaving the book around and getting a gang involved in his business. Either way, it ain't ending well for Walt.
 
Well i never thought id say this, but its as good as The Wire if not better. I only started watching season 1 two weeks ago and have managed to just see the season 5 finale. absolutely fantastic :)
 
What an episode! When Walter Jr was walking the baby around the pool I was on edge that something was going to happen to her... then Hank's bathroom discovery was such an 'oh **** what's he gonna find... MY GOD' moment! The tension building in the last 5 minutes was awesome! Great TV I can't wait for it all to come out on Bluray or whatever so I can watch from the beginning
 
the book doesn't prove anything, even if he had the handwriting analyzed it's circumstantial. Hank can't do anything except dig around for more info, like Jesse.

I wonder if Jesse is back on meth? He looked almost sad to get the money maybe he knows he can blow it on meth.
 
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This is a good one

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and someone called the book being Walt's downfall.

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I could well believe that Gretchen's initials are in that book and Walter can simply pass it off as such, thus driving Hank mad.

I still haven't got over the ending. It's going to be a long 10 months.

Actually thinking about it, I don't see how Walt can get out of it, I mean come on, an agent of Hank's stature is not going to simply forget about the 'gambling' story.
 
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kwerk said:
I wonder if Jesse is back on meth? He looked almost sad to get the money maybe he knows he can blow it on meth.
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He was certainly doing drugs before Walt came round. But regarding the looking sad, I think that was more a worried relief; when the doorbell went he went off to get that gun knowing Walt could well be there to kill him. There was then that whole awkward exchange where Jesse didn't know if he'd have to pull the gun out at any moment. Once Walt's intentions were revealed and he left, Jesse collapsed and tossed the gun away. I'd like to think Jesse has come far enough to know that he now has a chance to do something good and will shun the drugs. With Walt's downfall we will hopefully see Jesse's redemption.
 
kwerk said:
the book doesn't prove anything, even if he had the handwriting analyzed it's circumstantial. Hank can't do anything except dig around for more info, like Jesse.
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But now Hank has a suspicion he didn't have before.
 
Jesse was scared that Walt was there to finish him off as another loose end. Jesse said to Walt that he heard what he did to Mike's people in jail. I think Jesse is now thinking who have I created? Walt has turned into a complete psychopath. He was scared to hell when he was talking to him and you could see the distance Jesse was keeping.

I think next season Jesse is probably going to be the one who has to take Walt down, probably through Hank getting something pinned on Walt and using Jesse to some extent. Either way I think this series has been one of the best so far in terms of quality per episode. Even though its a short season I don't feel hard done by one bit.

Dexter starts up again soon and its got some serious big shoes to fill in Breaking Bad's absence.
 
At least Boardwalk Empire's back 16th sept. But were all gonna be sick after this final season of BB.
 
Lemin said:
At least Boardwalk Empire's back 16th sept. But were all gonna be sick after this final season of BB.
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I'm not looking forward to boardwalk anymore, season 2 was **** IMO and the show doesn't even have any redeeming characters left BC they decided to kill them all.
So just Dexter, damages and watching through all of the shield again
 
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