Use of the name, Heisenberg, also shows Walts simultaneous evil and impotence: both men used their brilliance for evil; and both men failed to achieve their ultimate goals a German atomic bomb for the former; perfect meth, a legacy, and his wifes respect, for the latter. I deserve this, but Jesses innocent counter included the phrase that Walt adopted as his guilty alibi: Hey snap out of it. You have cancer. Thats interesting about the grotesques. In Breaking Bad, ideas are subtly portrayed through the plate, the coin toss, etc., and are usually not re-referenced. Much smarter than Ted Beneke, whom she saves from prison, but not as smart as Walt (who was? Another symbol of bondage, handcuffs, appears in the series finale, Felina, Walt sacrificing the remains ofhis fetid soul to release from the Nazis the handcuffed Jesse. The seduction complete, the fooled viewer either must run from identification with Walt like Joseph from Potiphars wife or, like Walt, cling to vengeance like a sword. I have likely missed a lot of stuff, too. I know there is a multitude of objects with hidden significance in Breaking Bad, but I didnt realize that certain objects pop up season after season, like the pants. I would like to see a Badger and Skinny Pete spinoff. Very interesting read. Whoops! Prove you are human, type cats in singular form below: Breaking Bad Winnebago Crash, Pilot Opening Scene, Charles Mingus - Theme For Lester Young (Goodbye Pork Pie Hat), Breaking Bad: The Fifth Season - "The Pool". When Walt wanted to assert his assumed godlike status, he donned his Heisenberg pork pie hat. But thebear witnesses the end of any semblance of Walts innocence, observing his complicity in the deaths of Jane, her father, and the plane load of innocent people. We also see Jesse, who drives a pimp Monte Carlo, he sees himself as a some sort of gangster MF but after Jesse gets his feet wet he becomes a different person, Hes not actually a hot shot thug but a normal guy who wants to be happy. Skyler liked to make the familys decisions and had for years until Waltconfused manning-up with breaking bad. I really appreciate this insight, especially on the foreshadowing of Gus death and being burned. Gus Volvo also symbolized the depth of sacrifice he had made to gain and maintain power, as well as the depth of his hatred for the cartel who killed his former partner, Max. At that point, like the crucified Christ becoming sin for mankind, the seer becomesthe bear. I dont know if this is symbolism but the cars in Breaking Bad. Youre a very keen observer and for that I commend you. Thank you. Breaking Bad is breathtaking television, and the creators have considered almost every single element of the show in creating their streamlined vision for the world these characters inhabit. When I hear heavy-handed, I think of a particularly horrible scene from Oliver Stones Natural Born Killers. In it, Stone hints that watching too much tv is the cause the duos violence. The coin flip set Walt on his darker, fateful, murderous course, determining that he would kill Crazy-8, and that Jesse would dispose of Emilios corpse. Gus Frings nerdy Volvo allowed him to hide in plain sight.

Of course I understand that a lot of work went into it, having to adapt episodes depending on budget, casting issues, popularity etc. Aaron Paul was brilliant in the role, just mesmerising. Like a most likely unintended namesake, Swedens King Gustaf III, Gus Fring was an understated but bold leader. People theorize Breaking Bad a lot, but Ive never seen such a thorough investigation of the objects and imagery as it informs the undercurrent of the plot. Okay, so I went back, and not only are you correct, but the crossing of the planes begins exactly 37:00 minutes into the episode. Its disappointing to see Walt gear mainly t-shirts and bumper stickers saying I am the one who knocks, Say my name, etc. After Walt learned that he had caused a plane collision, he tossed lit matches into the pool. Through identification with Walts sufferings, the show seduces viewers into mourning the possible loss of Holly Is that her Teddy bear? while excusing the Walt-caused deaths of innocent travelers. The box cutter Gusused to slit the throat of his assistant, Victor who also may have beena possible lover senttwo messagesto Walt. When Saul Goodman first met Skyler, he gushed that her name and attractiveness reminded him of a blue sky. I hadnt watched tv in over 20 years, so I was surprised to see how far it had come since 1990. The last thing that got me excited about writing was Vonneguts books or Bob Dylans songs. But the pants flew (i.e., Walt lost his manhood) after Walt cooked meth his fate/God-defying attempt to capture his life and manhood releasing from Pandoras box Emilios murder and forfeiture of his own manhood. One of the best things I caught recently when rewatching Breaking Bad was Ted tripping on his carpet a little bit as he goes to answer the door for Skylerthat was really great. On the other hand, there are reasons to doubt the sincerity of Skylers breakdown, which appears self-servingrather than self-annihilating. Tucos grill (his silver-covered teeth ) initially a gag gift from coworkers, became a symbol of the gap between Hanks public persona and his private PTSD-fueled masculinity crisis. It would be easy to cynically conclude that, whether shakedown or breakdown, water seeks its own level, and Walt and Skyler deserve each other.

Hanks fumblings in his masculine identity remained mostly private and his sufferings remaining mostly inward, while Walts private crisis spread, serpentine, like the toxic meth he cooked. Walt has been bought, Jesse has not. Therefore, it would seem that unhappiness robs a familys individuality. In Madrigal (S2E5), Walt addressed the guilt Skyler felt regarding Teds injury, saying, You know, it gets easier. I loved the Sopranos, am enjoying The Wire, but Breaking Bad is absolutely pregnant with meaning. During a Hank-Walt conversation over a drink and Hanks illegalCuban cigars, Walts plays devils advocate, creating dramatic irony: we know Walt regards laws and morality as arbitrary, but Hank believes it to be the musings of an intellectual. The writing is absolutely top notch and Bryan Cranston is a revelation. What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory. Rather than risk Maries rejection, Hank rejected Marie, increased his false machismo, and bonded instead with his physical therapist. I think this may reflect, as well, his willingness and acceptance of death: shaving his head is a way of acknowledging the cancer and the inevitability that he will die. The pace of the show is also too fast for heavy-handedness. In Jesses rehab support group, when asked of his ultimate avocation, Jesse first postured make fat stacks then said that hed be a carpenter, recalling Christ,and told of the box he made in Mr. Pikes class. Hank kept Tucos grill on his desk, but it became not a shallow measure of masculinity, but a sad reminder that he had played God by ending another mans life. In the beginning, Walt was the poor, henpecked husband with cancer; then he becomes evil. Good decision. First, she shoplifted a tiara for Hollys baby shower. Walts unwillingness to go gently into the good night of mortality sends others there instead. This is still one of my favourite things ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-V75LKwLNk. Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Fathers care. The seer finding the bear before the police symbolizes the superiority of Gods justiceto human justice, recalling Matthew 10:29, 30: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? After seeing it, I tried a few other shows to no avail. Breaking Bad is a fantastic piece of TV. Im glad that with Better Call Saul, we get to see him in somewhat happier times, with a woman as great as Kim.

Unlike One-Eyed Jacks good Rio, Walts heart is a dry, black river, his dishonesty and superficial respectability like that of the despicable Dad Longworth. Evidently, who is over you is more important than who is under you. Even in English you would want to say Black Woman Creek or Creek of the Black Woman, which in Spanish would be Arroyo de la Negra. Without de la, its just nonsense. Perhaps Tolstoy, being a Christian, was emphasizing the narrow gate of Matthew 7:13. A good essay on a series I finally got around to watching recently. Walt seemed to accept his fate of dying in the desert or being caught or both when Jesse discovered him, coughed-up blood in his hand. It was a reversal of John Prines line, My head shouted down to my heart, Youd better look out below.. The matches seem to represent the lives lost in the crash, the scene showing Walt in a brief existential crisis, soon likely patched over by his all-purpose mantra, I did it for the family. If so, the pools blue water would then seem to represent the infinite sky from which the planes fell; the Sky(ler) blue, infinitely-second guessing wife; and Walts blue meth, the finite purity with which hes infinitely obsessed. She is the younger sister, the baby of the family, probably daddys little princess, the one who Skyler resentfully refers to as that,kleptomaniac bitch little sister who always manages to be the center of attention. In her make-believe, royal purple world, Marie is princess and Hank her brave prince, but in reality, the castle was damaged long before the dragon, Heisenberg, breathed fire on Hank. Want to write about TV or other art forms? His Los Pollos Hermanos (chicken brothers) partner, Max, was also his lover. In the end, Rio and Jesse live on, while Longworth and Walt suffer similar ignominious ends. Then he drops another hint, and another, ad nauseum; finally the words TOO MUCH TV appear on the wall. Upon seeing Rio, Longworth made excuses, ala Walter White, for not returning to rescue Rio who, unfooled by Longworths excuses or new life, stated, You may be a one-eyed jack around here, but Ive seen the other side of your face. Like Walt, Longworth feared the exposure of the other side of his face. The implication seems to be that one or both Schraders was secretly sterile. It seems she had given up, Walt reveling in her disintegration. What youre feeling right now about Ted Everything. In fact, when Hank died, it was Walt who begged for Hanks life while Hank said to Walt, He made up his mind ten minutes ago, and to Jack, his killer, Do what youre going to do. In the end, his posturing done, Hank died as a man, showing Walt how to die. I agree, the Sopranos is excellent. Hank laughed about the gift and Tucos death, while privately mourning the loss of his innocence and his former simplistic view of manhood. Impulsively, she revealed Walts cancer without his permission; then decided again, without Walts permission thatthealibi for theirnewfound wealth was gambling; and perhaps afraid that she wouldmiss driving Walts meth-train decided that the money should be laundered her way, viathe car wash, apparently because her fear of losing control was stronger than her fear of incarceration. Its great he rescued Jesse, but he destroyed his children, so no, he didnt redeem himself, money for them or not. Whats that, a Volvo with a gun rack? shows the underlying, undeserved reputation of theVolvo as a suburban sign of respectability, almost altruism. I dont know, just a thought! It appears that Gus 20-year vendetta against the cartel was not as much about business as love. I think him keeping the eyeball from the teddy bear is about him reminding himself, and the audience of the ramifications of his actions. Inanother sense it is fitting that Hank finds his true masculinity in the manliness of his garage. The word reversal seems to indicate the Whites marital power struggle that Jesse pointed out, saying to Walt, Way to wear the pants in the family. No doubt Jesses comment reflects something of his own bias, but likewise notices Skylers inability to control her impulses. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I didnt exactly find it subtle. Makes sense: Jimmy (Saul) saw his fathers strong character as weak. Not only that, but its the most compelling show Ive ever seen. I read an article about Vince Gilligans meticulousness with Dean Norris commenting on Gilligan considering about a dozen nearly identical t-shirts before settling on one for Norris to wear in one particular scene. If theres a God, you are about to meet Him, and no amount of turning can change that.. Certainly no one could have predicted that a Walt-caused two-airplane collision would create the witness bag debris. And when Marie wasnt in purple, she wore the black of a mourning mother. As a proxy for his own self-doubted rocks (read, manhood), Hank bought big, heavy, impressive minerals (read, rocks). the show is brutal and so left field. Hanks words in the talking pillow scene Maybe Walt wants to die like a man echoed in Walts death scene and his own, for both men died doing the right thing, though for Hank this was long part of his character. Just to be clear (no pun intended) The Path isnt about Scientology. I never despised Marie, like some do, so when I discovered her theft was based on infertility, I just bowed toward LA in awe of Vince Gilligans writing. It also seems to represent Gods omniscience in finding like the seer in the montage and avenging anyone, such as the plane crash victims, harmed by a monster such as Walt. Thank you, This was an incredibly insightful analysis of one of, if not, the best dramas, in the last decade. i just love the atmosphere of it. I like to think that was put in there to show that Jesse might have been thinking about the boy in the desert that Todd killed. The low price for the Pontiac Aztek might be a comment on the cheap value the U.S. government placed on Americans lives. Walt first drives a Pontiac Aztek, whats considered a boring and lame car, eventually in an episode he finds his Heisenberg hat and proposes that he will sell a mechanic his car for $50, then we see Walt drive a badass Chrysler 300, I feel like that somehow symbolized he was now another person.