Breaking Bad season 5 (July 15th)

[amoral]

latest, presumably final trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m9mjziiF-w&list=UU1qJtd6Q7jT8IG_oU%20Ua2y_w&index=0&feature=plcp

Spoiler alert

OMG WHYS WALT GOT HAIR?!!!11

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I suspect it's a flashback. Could be wrong.

[Noodle Lizard]

I thought the revelation at the end of the last episode was really great - I'm usually a good one for spotting twists, but I honestly didn't see that coming.  Very clever writing.

[Toast]

That new trailer's got me going, and I just realised it's starting this Sunday, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!

How do you prefer to watch this? Season 4 was the only season I watched week by week as they went out, and I can't decide if I prefer it that way. It's a shame how you can burn through 3 or 4 episodes at a time when they're out on DVD. I think I like season 4 the most and I wonder if the suspense is part of that.

I suspect it's a flashback. Could be wrong.

I'm crossing my fingers that it's another alter-ego.

[Old Nehamkin]

I suspect it's a flashback. Could be wrong.

Ah, but he still has his later-seaons beard though, and his glasses are different. Also, another part of the trailer shows

Spoiler alert

Walt-With-Hair in a mens room giving some money to Elsworth off Deadwood who sold him a gun last season

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.

[dr_christian_troy]

Ah, but he still has his later-seaons beard though, and his glasses are different. Also, another part of the trailer shows

Spoiler alert

Walt-With-Hair in a mens room giving some money to Elsworth off Deadwood who sold him a gun last season

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.

Also, a recent article (I'd link it if I hadn't read almost every Breaking-Bad related online article in the last few months) inadvertently mentioned the cold opening of the first episode, somewhat casually confirming (spoilered as it does indeed confirm whether those clips are from the past or the future)

Spoiler alert

that we see Walt eating breakfast alone, making a '52' from his bacon

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which most likely means that those clips featured in the trailer are

Spoiler alert

about a year or so in the future [I read recently that as of the end of Season 3, the action had taken place over about 31 weeks, having begun on Walt's 50th. Add Season 4 to that, you're looking at almost a year, and so presumably the action of Season 5 takes place as tightly-knit, with the flash-forwards set a year later on his 52nd birthday.]

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[Old Nehamkin]

hmm, interesting.

Spoiler alert

Episode 4 of season 5 is apparently titled 51, which many have speculated refers to Walt turning 51. If true that'd mean the pace would have to speed up pretty fast if we're going to get to that point by the end of the 8 (or even the 16). What worries me about that cold open is that seeing Walt not only still alive but apparently still living comfortably in his home a year later sounds like it'll kill the suspense of the show somewhat, but I'm guessing there'll be a lot more to it than has been revealed.

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EDIT: Here's an article working out the timespan of the first 3 seasons for anyone interested: http://www.vulture.com/2011/07/breaking_bad_calendar.html

[dr_christian_troy]

hmm, interesting.

Spoiler alert

Episode 4 of season 5 is apparently titled 51, which many have speculated refers to Walt turning 51. If true that'd mean the pace would have to speed up pretty fast if we're going to get to that point by the end of the 8 (or even the 16). What worries me about that cold open is that seeing Walt not only still alive but apparently still living comfortably in his home a year later sounds like it'll kill the suspense of the show somewhat, but I'm guessing there'll be a lot more to it than has been revealed.

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EDIT: Here's an article working out the timespan of the first 3 seasons for anyone interested: http://www.vulture.com/2011/07/breaking_bad_calendar.html

Ah yes, that's the fella.

In regards to

Spoiler alert

your blacked out bits,

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the article also mentioned

Spoiler alert

that he stares down at two fried eggs [probably alluding to the 'eye' imagery], grabs some bacon, then makes the '52' himself - so if we add that to the clip of him and the gun-seller in a bathroom from the trailer, I'd speculate that he is sitting alone somewhere in a diner on his 52nd birthday, where he then meets the gun-seller. So in terms of the tension, I think there's an indication that by this point he is at a loss - the tension will presumably then come from very slight reveals throughout these flash-forwards, and we the audience questioning how he got to this point. I'd suspect that we would then probably reach that flash-forward as 'the present' by the end of the 8 episode, with the final 8 next year following on from there, or alternatively having both narratives collide in the one timeline in the final 8.

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[Mister Six]

It also helped tie up that bit of foreshadowing from the spinning gun scene. And it still left a number of questions unanswered about how he actually did it. It could maybe have been a subtler shot in some ways but I think the show leaves enough things ambiguous to be able to get away with the odd explicit confirmation.

To be fair, they did seed that into the season, and has Jesse correctly guess half of what happened: Saul had his big fat bodyguard lift the cigs from Jesse's coat when he was in the office one time, replacing them with a regular pack. There's an animated gif knocking about somewhere on the web showing the clip in question. As for how the kid got hold of the poison, they set up Saul getting close to him and giving him sweets too. That pretty much covers the unanswered questions, even if it doesn't go into specifics.

[Toast]

It could maybe have been a subtler shot in some ways but I think the show leaves enough things ambiguous to be able to get away with the odd explicit confirmation.

(I think) I read an interview with V.G. (on AV Club perhaps) where he said that after the end of season 3, where there seemed to be some ambiguity about whether Jesse shot Gale, that he wanted the ending of season four to be very clear with no room for interpretation. Walt definitely poisoned the boy[nb]I am one of those people who didn't see it coming until the final shot.[/nb]. Perhaps they went overboard but it's understandable if the effect they wanted was to show us what Walt is capable of.

[chand]

To be fair, they did seed that into the season, and has Jesse correctly guess half of what happened: Saul had his big fat bodyguard lift the cigs from Jesse's coat when he was in the office one time, replacing them with a regular pack. There's an animated gif knocking about somewhere on the web showing the clip in question. As for how the kid got hold of the poison, they set up Saul getting close to him and giving him sweets too. That pretty much covers the unanswered questions, even if it doesn't go into specifics.

The explanation for how they swapped out the cigs is there, you're right, Gilligan's said as much, but the actual how of the poisoning itself is not explained. Except that it was at Walt's behest.

(I think) I read an interview with V.G. (on AV Club perhaps) where he said that after the end of season 3, where there seemed to be some ambiguity about whether Jesse shot Gale, that he wanted the ending of season four to be very clear with no room for interpretation. Walt definitely poisoned the boy[nb]I am one of those people who didn't see it coming until the final shot.[/nb]. Perhaps they went overboard but it's understandable if the effect they wanted was to show us what Walt is capable of.

Yeah, I read the same thing, it wasn't meant to be ambiguous but the camera angle confused matters.

I think it's fair enough, I like there to be some questions resolved and some left open. I think it's more important that we know what Walt did because it's an indicator of what he's become, than it is to leave us speculating. There's plenty of major questions still to be resolved without leaving every thread a loose one.

[mr. logic]

I remember thinking that what he done wasn't really all that horrible considering the gruesome alternatives. I can't really remember why I thought that now, though- the kid was never going to actually die was he?

I have been rewarching this. Outside of The Joker, Gus is probably my favourite ever bad guy.

[dr_christian_troy]

I remember thinking that what he done wasn't really all that horrible considering the gruesome alternatives. I can't really remember why I thought that now, though- the kid was never going to actually die was he?

I'm sure if it was necessary they may have, but in terms of the narrative there would have been nothing to gain. That seems more likely to be the type of 'end of the line' circumstance from Walt, were it ever to reach that point.

[mr. logic]

Hmm. I'm sure the writers intended it to be his last sliver of humanity seeping out, much like Tony Soprano ordering the hit on Adrianna, but, within the universe of the show, was what he did so bad? I know that there was fear the kid would die, but wasn't that when they feared he had ingested something else?  If Walt always knew that a) The kid would be fine and b) it was a necessary move to protect everybody close to him, including Jess, was it such a horrible thing he did?

I'm probably forgetting something, though I do remember my first reaction to that last shot in the garden being "nicely played, Walt..."

I think what he did to Jane was a lot worse.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

My thoughts exactly.

[chand]

I think what he did to Jane was a lot worse.

This is true. You could argue that there's a moral difference between letting something happen and actually making it happen, but yeah, non-fatally poisoning a kid during an extreme situation is probably less bad than actually letting a woman die. For me the poisoning thing is less about how evil he's become, and more about how calculating and strategic and devious he is. Playing Jesse and Gus against each other in a similar way to how Gus manipulated them, he's becoming more like Gus.

[Paaaaul]

He murdered someone pretty early in the first series.
If anything he's getting 'better', not 'badder'.

[mook]

^

^

you have to factor in that the woman was bloody annoying though!

well it seems i timed watching this show perfectly. i saw the first couple of episodes of the first series ages back, and for whatever reason it just didn't click with me at the time, not enough to wade through the 4 seasons at any rate. i'm glad i decided to have another crack at it a month or two back. still undecided whether to watch them as they air or wait until the end and blitz through them in a few sittings - probably the former to minimise the chance of spoilers.

[Artemis]

There's a video of the cast discussing how 'c-c-c-CRAZY!' season 5 is going to be that's made me more excited than any of those 'compilations of previous footage' 'promos' so far. It gives me faith that the writers are acutely aware of the major plot points to explore and gives me a lot of hope that this is going to be the send-off Lost didn't deliver.

EDIT: Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WfUxS2TAsM << now tell me that doesn't get you excited!!

[kitsofan34]

There's a video of the cast discussing how 'c-c-c-CRAZY!' season 5 is going to be that's made me more excited than any of those 'compilations of previous footage' 'promos' so far. It gives me faith that the writers are acutely aware of the major plot points to explore and gives me a lot of hope that this is going to be the send-off Lost didn't deliver.

EDIT: Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WfUxS2TAsM << now tell me that doesn't get you excited!!

You shouldn't really take them for their word, they're bound to say that kind of thing. A particular example would be the preview videos for the last series of Curb, where the entire cast were boasting how this is the "best series yet", which turned out to be just complete falsehood.

[Junglist]

And I now know something about the new series I really didn't want to ruin.

Curse me for looking at spoilers.

[Paaaaul]

Spoiler alert

Dick.

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[Junglist]

Spoiler alert

Very true, knuckledragger.

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[ZoyzaSorris]

EXCITED.

Anyone wanna PM me some tips on the best way to get hold of this sort of thing?

Like others here, Im not sure Im gonna be too good at waiting a week for each episode, Im used to BB binges.

[samadriel]

Finally found a copy of the Comic-Con trailer that wasn't region-locked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VlvsE8fMHP4

Neato.

[Hank Venture]

Came here to post that trailer using www.youtubeunblocker.org

I can hardly contain myself...

[Jim Jarmusch]

A lot has happened. Video of four seasons in 10 minutes.

http://boingboing.net/2012/07/13/breaking-bads-first-4-season.html

[Old Nehamkin]

Tonight lads.

[dr_christian_troy]

Let's Cook'd.

[Pseudopath]

Ha ha! Walt's such a bad ass. I can't believe all of those preview clips and trailers were actually from the first episode.

[Artemis]

I thought the same thing - so there's nothing coming up they've previewed yet! Excellent.

Well, that was bloody wonderful. I'm glad I got up early to watch it. I guess the opening implies that

Spoiler alert

Walt is on the run from Hank

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and I'm sure we'll pick up on that again towards the series finale. By the way,

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that bacon looked so tasty!

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So the

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text behind the photo

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relates to

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Swiss bank account details

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from what I could see. I'm not sure how that gets Hank anywhere since Gus did all his deals in cash, it would seem. Can anyone remember an example of Walt getting a bank transfer?

The whole thing moved at a good pace, had an element of dread to it, and didn't make the mistake of introducing lots of new elements (

Spoiler alert

although the trailer for next week includes some new people

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). Things flowed well. Fucking ace to have this show back.