Kadath

Details: New series on AMC starring Bryan Cranston (best known for his role as the father on Malcolm In The Middle) as Walter White. White is a high school science teacher who supplements his meager income working at a car wash. His son is handicapped and he has just turned 50 when he discovers he has inoperable lung cancer. With a prognosis of two years at best, he turns to meth: not using it but rather cooking and selling it an attempt to make money.

I watched the pilot and the first five minutes (after the opening) almost turned me off the show, but then it quickly became interesting. Apparently the season was only slated to have nine episodes to begin with and the writers' strike chopped that back to seven, but we'll see what happens. Some of the stuff is a little fantastic (his newfound assertiveness), but I definitely like it overall.

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it's quiet in here

SSJTWIZTA

i missed it even though it was a major priority to see it. im kind of disappointed in myself :\

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First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for me And there was no one left to speak out for me.
-Pastor Martin Niemoller

Kadath

Encore of first episode on Thursday!

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it's quiet in here

MexicanOnABike

downloading it now. we'll see if it's worth it.

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- Movie Reviews - Ratings-

hagatha

I liked the acting but found the premise a little far fetched---I mean this guy REALLY has it bad, from the disabled child, lung cancer and being belittled in front of his students while washing their car. I got it, I got it, The American Dream is an illusion, no need to hit me over the head with it.

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Thats the last time I trust the strangest people I ever met....H. Simpson

Cynthetiq

I watched the pilot, it's interesting, but skogafoss and I found it slow going.

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Willravel

Something about it bothers me and I can't figure out what. The story is clever and original, the writing isn't bad, the acting is interesting.... I think it's the directing. It could also be the art direction. Something just seems wrong about it.

Sun Tzu

Everything Will said, except I like the directing. The start of the third episode is pretty disgusting, and I can usually handle my share of gore.

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To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.- Stephen Hawking

Mondak

What was the name of that exp1o$ive compound he threw on the floor? While the scene was neat, why wouldn't the b1ast hurt him the worst rather than the others in the room since he was nearest to it?

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All truth passes through three stages:
First it is ridiculed
Second, it is violently opposed and
Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER (1788-1860)

Sun Tzu

The compound is mercury fulminate.


He had a bloody nose.

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To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.- Stephen Hawking

settie

Watch that part again, when he tosses it, he does his best to shield his face from the blast, which helped just a little bit, but not much.
I really like this show because it feels real, less direction, more lifelike I suppose.
I can see what you're saying Hagatha about the story seeming far fetched, but I disagree. I know a lot of people with lives just as compoundedly shitty as his.
What I love about this show is his struggle to keep the peace between both sides: the "american dream" everything's perfect and my family is great and quiet side, and the out of control, do it on a whim side. Gooood stuff All but his wife, I really want to kick her ass, haha.
One of my favourite scenes is in the pilot when his son is mocked in the store, and he goes apeshit on the guy....awesome.
*kick* *grinds foot into calf* "What's wrong chief, having a little trouble walking?" BUHAHAH
The 7 episodes for the first season were great. I hope they fire up a second season.
Now that I think about it, Walter reminds me of my dad's persona...very quiet, but a real ticking timebomb if you push the right (or perhaps, wrong) buttons. hehe, maybe its a chemist's quality. Wow, I just realized they had quite a bit in common. To have that ability to really shock people with what you do or say, interesting stuff...
If my dad was still around, I think he would have liked this show.

Kadath

Well, he didn't throw it straight down, but rather almost parallel to the floor. I agree it's a bit fantastic (clearly he, along with everyone else was subjected to a significant concussive blast and while I'm not a chemist I think mercury fulminate is not tremendously stable and the explosion would have a chance of setting off the rest) but the show is not totally realistic in general. I do like his new look. I'm also glad Walter and Jessie are back together; they have a pretty funny dynamic and while they were separate the show was getting a little sad bastard.

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it's quiet in here

Mondak

One thing that bugs me most about the show though has to do with Jessie. He can be alternately the dumbest person to ever walk the earth and then suddenly smart.

As a side note, I think I like the show because if I was in that situation, I don't think I could pull it off. I am not tough enough. While Walter has placed himself in his pathetic life for whatever the reason is, the change he has made for himself is impressive.

__________________
All truth passes through three stages:
First it is ridiculed
Second, it is violently opposed and
Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER (1788-1860)

MexicanOnABike

great show overall. it's too bad the season seems to be over.

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- Movie Reviews - Ratings-

Jetée

First of all: I have never been witness to two more gripping ending scenes, back-to-back, then what has transpired in the first couple episodes of the new season (season 3) of Breaking Bad.

Also, for those that saw last night's episode ending, I had this thought: who, ultimately, was most responsible for saving Walt? It was a veritable "telephone game", but I think it was Saul's "24-hour detail" he placed earlier that had the most to do with it, or else no one would have foreseen what was to come. Then again, it was Walt's own honesty/naivete that led him to the multiple circumstances he is in right now, though regarding his relationship with Saul, his forthrightness with him about the discussion he had prior with his (soon-to-be-ex-?)wife, you could say, actually saved his life.

So, Walt both placed his life in immediate jeopardy by revealing his identity to Tuco, yet also rescued (from life's peril, not family/social peril) himself by being as honest as he needed to be with his business associates, namely Saul, and to a lesser extent, being as open as he is / important to Gus (the Los Pollos Hermanos manager/owner).

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As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

dippin

Warning: spoilers if you haven't seen the end of season 2.









I still really like this series, and this season is moving along nicely. But I am still disappointed at the end of season 2. They wrapped up too many story arcs too abruptly. Suddenly he's cancer free, with all the money he needed, and no one else in his way? And the plane crash was a bit of jumping the shark, especially as it seems to have not really led anywhere. Still, the new story lines seem engaging and interesting.

Jetée

For the best show on television for the past several seasons, (arguably) I really find it quite ironic that it still generates so little buzz anywhere (namely, for instance, here) but in certain other pockets (read as: discerning individuals and professional critics of which I don't know/care about) it is the best televised drama since The Sopranos (I think that's what they're saying).

Anyway, the season finale was stupendously-gripping, as per usual. What amazes me about this show is the ability to seem utterly ordiniary one moment, if not actually boring, then all of a sudden, having you crying Oh My God! like a lilting fangirl (allegedly; I have no idea what the practice of fangirls/boys are) at what dramatic turn of event just occurred on-screen. It's the ability to use those honest scenes and actually turn them on their head to build into something magnificently-engaging and mind-blowing that is so entrancing. I've honestly gotten into the habit of re-watching the encores every single time they come up, just to see what little nuance I might have missed that makes the next scene all the better.


I'm definitely going to be feeling a void on Sunday nights now (up until the new season of Dexter, that is).
Alright, that's it for my little rasing of awareness commentary to a series that is evidently niche in the TFP.

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As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

powerclown

I really like this show, too. I think the premise of the whole thing is very clever and interesting. The setting and landscape vistas of the desert areas are cool. Brian Cranston is great, the punk dealer not so much. He seems to be overacting, with all the screaming and yelling and calling everyone "BITCH". But the writing at times is pretty inspired and those moments where things seems normal one minute and completely twisted the next are cool. I like the inter-family craziness and irony alot. Got this whole season on DVR, Ive watched about halfway through. Another win for AMC.

Jetée

I've just stumbled across this link of an interview with Breaking Bad's creator, regarding the finale, and all points that led up to it, and in a word: "magnetizing".

I highly recommend reading this if you just got through watching this past season's rollercoaster of a series.

'Breaking Bad' creator talks finale, next season -- The Live Feed | THR

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As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi