Breaking Bad - Final Season. Spoilers...Tread lightly.

[Mya Stone]

400 posts in 2 episodes. We are quite the verbose bunch. :P

[The Monkey]

Cutting them off from the Czech Republic was going to mean war; there's no way Declan is going to quietly accept losing that kind of revenue stream. Since war was inevitible, she chose to launch a decapitation strike.

Thanks, I'm an idiot.

One thing I've been thinking about, why do all the characters always have that much clothes on them? Isn't Albuquerque in the middle of the desert? Jesse and the other stoners always have several layers of thick wool, and Walt always have a jacket, a shirt and a white T-shirt under. (BTW, why do people on American TV always have a t-shirt under their normal shirt?) Shouldn't they all die of heat exhaustion?

[Reposado]

Thanks, I'm an idiot.

One thing I've been thinking about, why do all the characters always have that much clothes on them? Isn't Albuquerque in the middle of the desert? Jesse and the other stoners always have several layers of thick wool, and Walt always have a jacket, a shirt and a white T-shirt under. (BTW, why do people on American TV always have a t-shirt under their normal shirt?) Shouldn't they all die of heat exhaustion?

pretty extreme temperature variation in the that area. it gets very hot, but also cold.

[Roose Seal]

The Hamlet theory definitely fits and would make for a pretty compelling (if predictable) ending.

[Jabronius Maximus]

pretty extreme temperature variation in the that area. it gets very hot, but also cold.

Yeah in the 'making of' video, the episode was filmed in January, and temperatures then can fall to like 15F which is -10°C. That is definitely cold by US standards. I live way north in Canada, so that's a normal day in winter. Those people are wusses

[Rockroi]

Skyler continues to be the worst written character on the show. It doesn't detract much from the overall quality, but her senseless changes of mind are really annoying. All throughout season 5a, she loathed Walt, was terrified of him and actively wished for his death. Then he arranges the murder of 11 people in cold blood, and suddenly she's on his side? What the actual fuck?

Skylar is one of only two characters on the show who I do not buy (the other is Ted Beneke) and for the exact reasons you stared - as seasons come and go Skylar's reactions are only there to make Walt's life more or less miserable. If the writers want Walt to act crazy, they make Sky cheat on him with Ted; want Walt to be stable and level-headed? Have Sky buy the car wash? Want Walt to feel like he's out of control? Have Sky say she wants him to die of his cancer. Want Walt to seem virtuous? Have him beg Sky to get immunity and keep the money... then have her agree to stay ... even though just a few months ago, Sky was unhappy that Walt had not been slain by Gus Fring.

I think that if Skylar (or more accurately, the writers) would just pick one of Skylar's personalities I would be okay with it. Some people say that Skylar is shrill and nit-picking of Walt, and for a time that was definitely the case. But as time has gone on, that's not the problem. The problem is that she is so manic; up and then down, black and then white, etc. And there is no rhyme or reason to it. And the more unpredictable she gets, the more edgy Walt becomes. Its a pretty horrible circle right there. They just cannot EVER make me believe that what Skylar is expressing is legit or real, but instead, I am constantly reminded about what a story-driver it is.

[red snow]

Skylar is one of only two characters on the show who I do not buy (the other is Ted Beneke) and for the exact reasons you stared - as seasons come and go Skylar's reactions are only there to make Walt's life more or less miserable. If the writers want Walt to act crazy, they make Sky cheat on him with Ted; want Walt to be stable and level-headed? Have Sky buy the car wash? Want Walt to feel like he's out of control? Have Sky say she wants him to die of his cancer. Want Walt to seem virtuous? Have him beg Sky to get immunity and keep the money... then have her agree to stay ... even though just a few months ago, Sky was unhappy that Walt had not been slain by Gus Fring.

All of those examples you've made fit into being about Walt being happy/sad. I'd agree with most of them but Skylar's reactions when Walt started to control her last season seemed justified on her part.

I think that if Skylar (or more accurately, the writers) would just pick one of Skylar's personalities I would be okay with it. Some people say that Skylar is shrill and nit-picking of Walt, and for a time that was definitely the case. But as time has gone on, that's not the problem. The problem is that she is so manic; up and then down, black and then white, etc. And there is no rhyme or reason to it. And the more unpredictable she gets, the more edgy Walt becomes. Its a pretty horrible circle right there. They just cannot EVER make me believe that what Skylar is expressing is legit or real, but instead, I am constantly reminded about what a story-driver it is.

The character has been all over the place but her reactions have felt organic on some occasions - especially since she's known what he was really up to instead of an affair/gambling. But the swings in compliance since have sometimes felt forced or maybe more accurately not set up plausibly.

I suppose you could argue that Jesse is the same except for the fact his reactions are always the same (with an ever increasing decline) and the event preceding the reaction is justifiable. But Jesse is arguably repetitive but in an entertaining and character arc kind of way.

[Lord Toblerone]

Want Walt to seem virtuous? Have him beg Sky to get immunity and keep the money... then have her agree to stay ... even though just a few months ago, Sky was unhappy that Walt had not been slain by Gus Fring.

Not going to try to convince you your opinion of Skyler is wrong, but I must take exception to this assessment.

That scene was not about making Walt seem virtuous. That was about Walt clinging grimly to the idea that if his family can keep the money, it will all have been okay. But nothing now can make any of it okay.

[Relic]

My god Rock, can you stfu about Skylar already? Please? We get it. You've said it 100000 times.

[drawkcabi]

Cable goes out Sunday night before Breaking Bad. People panic, call 911. :lol:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/19/us/cable-outage-911-calls/

"We are receiving numerous 911 calls regarding the Cablevison outage. This is neither an emergency or a police related concern. Please direct your inquiries to Cablevision. 911 should only be called for Life Threatening Emergencies ONLY. Incidents that are not of an emergency nature may be reported to the Fairfield Police Department. ... Misuse of the 911 system may result in an arrest."

[Jabronius Maximus]

My god Rock, can you stfu about Skylar already? Please? We get it. You've said it 100000 times.

This exactly. What kind of person can keep it together after finding out her husband is a murderous drug kingpin? I think she is a compelling character to say the least.

[Relic]

This exactly.

You don't even understand. He's been going on and on about this for THREE YEARS.

[Roose Seal]

The Skylar hate in general is pretty tiresome.

Some of it might be well argumented but 98% of it boils down "I don't like woman to have opinion on man being murderous drug lord"

[Q the Cat]

You don't even understand. He's been going on and on about this for THREE YEARS.

A tall, strong, independent woman is an easy target for criticism in truth and fiction alike.

[Q the Cat]

The Skylar hate in general is pretty tiresome.

Some of it might be well argumented but 98% of it boils down "I don't like woman to have opinion on man being murderous drug lord"

:agree:

Oh, and is your avatar pic from Gladiator? One of my favorite films of all.

[Tears of Lys]

You don't even understand. He's been going on and on about this for THREE YEARS.

I had to :lol:

I don't understand the Skyler hate myself either.

Great thread title, BTW, Mya.

ETA: And just a nitpik... let's put this issue to bed before the series ends. It's "Skyler," not "Skylar."

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0096616/?ref_=tt_cl_t1

Thank you. :P

[WTFSalami]

The Skylar hate in general is pretty tiresome.

Some of it might be well argumented but 98% of it boils down "I don't like woman to have opinion on man being murderous drug lord"

This is pretty much exactly how I imagine the really hardcore Skylar haters. "Woman must shut mouth while man make lots of money! Woman must not have complex or conflicting feels or emotions! Woman must choose one feel and stick with one feel! No development for woman!"

I have zero idea of what people are expecting from Skylar. She's one of the most complex and emotionally ranged characters in TV history and nobody stops to watch it unfold because they can't hear her over the earth-shattering guffaw that they let out every time a woman who might not approve of her husband being a monstrous drug kingpin comes on the screen.

And then god forbid she try to hold her family together by staying with the man she fell in love with, even covering for him when he creates something beyond his control. We wouldn't want her character to display a range of conflicting ideologies because that wouldn't make for an interesting character study at all. No, she must be nothing more than a prop.

[Tears of Lys]

This is pretty much exactly how I imagine the really hardcore Skylar haters. "Woman must shut mouth while man make lots of money! Woman must not have complex or conflicting feels or emotions! Woman must choose one feel and stick with one feel! No development for woman!"

I have zero idea of what people are expecting from Skylar. She's one of the most complex and emotionally ranged characters in TV history and nobody stops to watch it unfold because they can't hear her over the earth-shattering guffaw that they let out every time a woman who might not approve of her husband being a monstrous drug kingpin comes on the screen.

And then god forbid she try to hold her family together by staying with the man she fell in love with, even covering for him when he creates something beyond his control. We wouldn't want her character to display a range of conflicting ideologies because that wouldn't make for an interesting character study at all. No, she must be nothing more than a prop.

Why are you trying to enrage me?

***(I love this Mercenary Chef line and intend to use it often.)

[Q the Cat]

...

Great thread title, BTW, Mya.

...

Thank you for bringing that to my attention. Very clever, Mya. :bowdown:

That was such a subtle threat. Perhaps worthy of Littlefinger or Varys. :-)

[Rockroi]

My god Rock, can you stfu about Skylar already? Please? We get it. You've said it 100000 times.

1. The character has not gone away nor improved, so I am going to explain my disagreement. I'm sorry- I'm the guy who dislikes Skylar and can back it up. My bad.

2. All the show had to do was write her better. They never could. They stopped trying long ago. They even admitted she was badly written at the start of season 5 when she basically admitted she had no idea what she was doing. You don't like what I say and that's fine. The problem is that the show cannot seem to contradict me. So, yeah, I am stuck on it because its the one bad part of the show (that and Ted... I must be a man-hater because I also hate Ted, right?).

The Skylar hate in general is pretty tiresome.

Some of it might be well argumented but 98% of it boils down "I don't like woman to have opinion on man being murderous drug lord"

Exactly. I must be a misogynist because I don't like Skyler. That MUST be it. Not that she is all over the place and untethered; not the fact that she changes 180 degrees in complete emotions in the matter of a few hours. Not the fact that she wants Walt out of the house, then Walt throws a plant through his boss' window and then ... does nothing... I thought she wanted him out? Domestic violence in the workplace? Why change her mind? Why do nothing (easy- the show didn't think on it - they went for the cheap joke).

But I cannot defend my opinions because its deemed "hate" and Relic gets upset and tells me to shut up (he cannot contradict what I say... but hey - tell me to shut up and I am obviously wrong).

A tall, strong, independent woman is an easy target for criticism in truth and fiction alike.

If Skylar were any of these things I would agree that I must be a closed minded, sexist ass. But she's not. And the writers, producers and actors can keep saying that but they can't get any facts right. See, Skylar flies off the handle for no reason (SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP... and AM I UNDER ARREST AM I UNDER ARREST!!!!... Its practically the fourth season of the Wire). Her moods swings go beyond the pale etc. Oh, and she loves Walt, hates him, loves him, hates him. Pick a gear. She cannot stand the fact that Walt killed Gus Fring he's now a "monster" ... but ... hire White Supremacists to kill 7 guys in 5 prisons in ten minutes... no... that's cool.

That's not a strong, or ... tall... I ... if she were 5'2" would my opinion be valid?... ah... and certainly not independent. You cannot be intellectually serious and say this. What makes her independant? BEcause she seems awfully dependant on Walt. But...

Oh, sorry... I almost brought in some examples and some well-thought out evidence for my opinion instead of just reducing it to soundbites... that, obviously, makes me a hater.

And is what I am saying mean Walt is a great person? No.

Does it mean some of Skyler's opinions are automatically invalid? No.

Does it mean that Skyler has been void of good ideas and/or well-thought out plans? No.

But it must mean I hate women.

The tune is fine, but the lyrics don't fit,..,,,