367 replies to this topic

[7V3N]

SPOILERS ALLOWED, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Is anybody else watching? Normally the season openers are a bit slow, but this one started up IMMEDIATELY. Mike, Jesse, and Walt are already in a pickle and violence will follow. I am suspecting Mike's actions will directly kill Hank this season, finally. It looks like that may be set up.

Edited by The Shadow Fox, 21 July 2012 - 08:16 PM.

[Harry the Heir]

What is it about criminals going on the lam to New Hampshire in the final, two-part season of a critically acclaimed crime drama? (That's a rhetorical question: obviously it's the state motto, which makes for a good episode title.) Regardless, I hope we get an episode in which Walt goes antiquing with Vito Spatafore's ex-boyfriend.

[mythsandstuff]

Oh, God no. It's the plane crash all over again. After that initial thought, it was great, though, and I loved Skyler's reaction in that last shot.

[7V3N]

Yeah. "I forgive you." That showed what he believes he is. The master, the king.
That laptop didn't seem too broken...

[mythsandstuff]

Naw, the laptop's done for. It's the picture frame with the info for the bank account in the Caymans that's going to screw them.

[Barristan the Boss]

OH SHIT

I think I read too much

[Francis Buck]

Badass. Badass all the way. Walt is like Lex Luther now.

And that cold opening...

[7V3N]

"I forgive you." Man, you apologize and explain yourself to her. She did it for you! Walt has become a monster. I know he is going to cross the line between boss and master with Jesse pretty soon. I just hope Mike lasts long enough to help Jesse.

[mythsandstuff]

Mike/Jesse/Walt scenes are never not good. I also love that Jesse was the one with the idea. And hate that Jesse's not in the flash forward.

[Harry the Heir]

mythsandstuff, on 15 July 2012 - 10:07 PM, said:

Oh, God no. It's the plane crash all over again.

Yeah, I'm skeptical about the flashforward device too. BB has a way of overhyping things, and season four worked in large part because they didn't hype the Gus-Walt duel of death beyond what the story required.

[7V3N]

Well we still do not know what to make of the flashforward. Maybe this season (has more episodes) is going to cover a lot of time? Is Walt 51 yet?

[Barristan the Boss]

Well he has a fake ID and a head of hair...maybe Hank discovers the real Heisenberg? Walt has that out clause option with Saul in that he can pretty much buy a new life

And this season is a bit longer than the rest - 2 parts, 16 episodes. Judging by this episode I'm not so sure Walt and Jesse will be spending much quality time together cooking it up

Edited by Part time king, 15 July 2012 - 11:00 PM.

[Commodore]

Unpredictable yet sufficiently plausible, that's what makes this show great.

[Harry the Heir]

Walt isn't 51 yet, no, so the flash-forward takes place in a little more than a year.

[7V3N]

I'm siding on the idea that Walt takes his "out" from Sal, but leaves his family behind.

[Francis Buck]

I think the "flash forward" was definitely from the series finale. That being said, I think it's totally unpredictable what will really happen. At this point, I'm only sure of one thing:

Out of Walt, Jesse, Mike, and Hank...at least one of them will die. Probably two will survive, but maybe just one. The "one" is either Walt or Jesse, easy. And that will be the catalyst for S5B. The last eight epsidoes will be Walt vs Jesse vs ?.

My money is on Walt killing Mike, creating an irreparable rift between Walt and Jesse. Thus, the second half of the season is the big showdown we've all been waiting for: Walt vs Jesse vs Hank.

In that case, I say Walt kills Hanks, then Jesse kills Walt. That's the way I see it playing out.

I'd bet real money, however, that Mike won't make it through the next seven episodes.

Edited by Francis Buck, 16 July 2012 - 12:01 AM.

[Francis Buck]

Harry the Heir, on 15 July 2012 - 11:13 PM, said:

Walt isn't 51 yet, no, so the flash-forward takes place in a little more than a year.

Oh yeah, I also think this whole part is basically a hint that there will be a big time-gap between S5A and S5B. I mean we know that one of the episodes from S5A is called Fifty-One...

[Harry the Heir]

Elaborating on the "Walt abandons his family" bit, I don't know specifically how the last season will play out, but there's something that I notice about Walt's arc that strikes me as pretty significant: since season one, VG goes out of his way to show that Walt has other options, that he could choose to do something else, and he shows us Walt turning down those options one by one. And more importantly, as Walt commits himself more and more to a life of crime, his alternatives get progressively worse.

Walt first was offered a cushy job at the company he helped start once upon a time, but since he alienated Gretchen that option was taken off the table. Then when Gus posed a large threat, a number of people (including Jesse and Skylar) said that Walt should go to the police and work out some kind of deal that involves protection for him and his family. This option is probably off the table now: Walt is the big fish, so he has nothing to offer anybody. So that leaves the possibility of disappearing using Saul's guy. I'm sure that Skylar--if she knows about the possibility--would rather choose this than watch Walt play kingpin and paint a target on his back, but it seems just as likely that Walt in his arrogance won't see a need for it now.

Why would there be one more step along this line? Because every time Walt turns down one of these alternatives, it undercuts one of his excuses. Turning down the Grey Matters job made it clear that Walt wasn't just a dying man in need of any source of cash, no matter what the risks. When Walt refused to go to the police, it made it clear that Walt wasn't just a small fish in a big pond of meth dealing, but a kingpin on the make. (Or in his own words: "I am not the one in danger. I _am_ the danger.") The major excuse remaining is that Walt is doing what he's doing to provide for his family, so I would expect a moment, perhaps in the next seven episodes, in which Walt explicitly chooses criminal ambition over his family's welfare.

[Relic]

This episode felt forced, and the magnet caper was pretty damned silly. How long was that laptop in evidence for? Hank gave it a hungry look as it got bagged, like he knew it was of importance. You figure that at least a day had to go by for them to go to Mexico and meet Mike, return, hatch the scheme and execute it. Just...a pretty big stretch.

Ted waking up and swearing not to talk was also strange given his injury was self inflicted.

Edited by Relic, 16 July 2012 - 12:36 AM.

[Harry the Heir]

Relic, on 16 July 2012 - 12:25 AM, said:

Ted waking up and swearing not to talk was also strange given his injury was self inflicted.

"Self-inflicted", in this case, means that he was trying to flee from two goons sent by Skylar who threatened him and extorted money out of him. Skylar and said goons would probably be guilty of a handful of felonies for that encounter, if it were known.

Edited by Harry the Heir, 16 July 2012 - 12:30 AM.