Interesting Facts about Breaking Bad

One of my favorite things to do in my spare time is screw around on the International Movie Data Base (IMDB), especially in the trivia or goofs section. There are always very interesting pieces of information like possible changes to the script, explanations for how certain scenes were done, shows the difficulty that directors go through to cast the actors they needed, and provides insight from a different angle that sheds light on plot points that may have escaped ones' radar the first watch. Upon reading these factoids one begins to imagine what their favorite shows would be like if some of these ideas were acted upon.
          "The show depicts methylamine as a restricted, rare chemical. In real life, methylamine can be produced by combining methanol and ammonia with a catalyst present." This seems like a bit of a goof as long as a very important piece of information. If Walter and Jesse would have simply made their own supply of methylamine it wouldn't have been necessary to embark on multiple robberies that held the possibility of landing them in prison. Honestly this would have changed many plot points in the fourth and fifth seasons. Mike would have been spared because Walter would not have been stressed over the sale of the thousand gallon tank of methylamine. Also, the white power gang would have been without the chemical so they wouldn't have used Jessie. Without methylmine being a supposedly rare chemical, this show would have been very different. Unless of course they simply substituted pseudo-ephedrine.    
        "Jesse Pinkman was originally slated to be written out by the 9th episode. During the hiatus caused by the writer's strike, creator Vince Gilligan impressed by Aaron Paul's portrayal of Jesse, decided to reinstate the character". What would this show have been without Jessie Pinkman? My guess is, not the third best show on IMDB that's where! Walter and Jessie's relationship is the cornerstone of the show. Multiple examples of Walt playing the part of the supportive father/mentor type. This relationship is what drives Jessie to prove to Walt that he can do something right. With Jessie proving that he can work hard is a turning point for what Walter thinks of Jessie, from stoner burn-out, to talented apprentice. Also, their inversion friends into enemies was the most personal conflict of the show, barring the physical fight between Walt and his family with the Kitchen knife and the Kidnapping of their newborn daughter. 

Random

• The nature of Gus and Max's relationship is never explicitly stated. Giancarlo Espositostated in an interview that it was a "possibly lover relationship". Vince Gilligan stated in an interview that they "probably were lovers".

• When Saul first approaches Walt about a business arrangement, he compares his services for Walt to Tom Hagen's role as consigliere to Vito Corleone. Walt objects, saying "I'm no Vito Corleone," to which Saul responds "Right now, you're Fredo." Soon after, when Walt and his family hear that his tumor has shrunk, Hank misquotes The Godfather: Part III (1990), saying "Just when I tried to get out, they pull me back in."

• During the stand-off between Hank, Gomie, and the White Supremacist gang, Jack asks how they know Hank and Gomie are actually cops, Steven Michael Quezada, broke character and said "Because Dean Norris plays a cop in everything he's fu**ing in!"

• In the original pilot script, Jesse Pinkman was named Marion Alan Dupree, and was always referred to by his last name.

• The character of Hank clearly has strong parallels to Ahab from Moby-Dick. Ahab is obsessed with catching the great white whale. Hank is obsessed with catching Heisenberg, who is actually Walter White, and whom he refers to early on as a "whale." Ahab loses his leg to the whale and walks with a false leg. Hank loses use of his legs for a while after he is shot, and walks with a limp afterward. Ahab is the ship's captain. Hank becomes head of the DEA's Albuquerque office. Ahab and Hank are both destroyed by their quest. Just before he's killed, Ahab loses his false leg. Just before he's killed, Hank is shot in the leg. Ahab's body is dragged into the vast unmarked sea. Hank's body is dumped in an unmarked grave in the vast desert destroyed by his obsession with catching the great white whale.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv#spoilers

Emperor of All Maladies

The Emperor of All Maladies is a 592 page book written by Siddhartha Mukherjee, and a 6 hour long documentary made by PBS that depicts the history of cancer and the efforts made to find a cure. In this detailed depiction of a plague that has become a symbol of despair which can bring families and loved ones together to comfort the one stricken with the disease. After both reading and watching the content I was stunned by the complexity of Cancer, and was even more annoyed that stupid people think the government is holding back the cure for cancer. How could I say that? It would "totally" make sense to withhold the cure, that wouldn't free up hundreds of billions of dollars of tax money. Plus, how could one ever make money with a cure for cancer? Always make sure to listen to people with that amount of ignorance.

Breaking Bad

Oh my, the masterpiece of AMC has come to an end. Breaking Bad is done, and now it is time to find another source of blogging material. This show was more than just easy to write blogs about, it was a deep, sophisticated show that deserved a majority of the praise that is has received over the years. No other show produced by AMC has been of this quality, not to say the quality is low for their other shows but that they simply do not compare. Why is that? Because AMC was not Vince Gilligan's first choice, he went to TNT, ABC, and other major broadcasting companies who refused to "Glorify Meth", so AMC lucked out.  Shows like The Walking Dead were my previous staple of grab and go content for this blog, but I am fully aware that these are two wholly different experiences. Perhaps I'm blinded by the glory of Breaking Bad, because when I was watching Breaking Bad I did not have the continuous "Why did they do that?!" moments like I did with The Walking Dead. No sir, when a problem reared it's ugly head, Jessie, Walt, and Saul Goodman were on the case to fix it. Ranging from brilliantly crafted schemes that leave one saying "Oh dang!", to borderline sadistic strategies that leave the audience shocked and questioning whether a line has been crossed. Well the proverbial line was driven over, set on fire, and buried in a shallow grave on many occasions by Antagonists and Protagonists alike. Gustavo and Walter used to differ however there brutality mirrored one another towards both of their deaths. Gustavo poisoned the higher ups of the Salamanca cartel, crafted a dastardly plan to take out Hank and the Salamanca twins in one fell swoop, then the most personal one was where he slit the throat of a subordinate while intensely staring at Jessie, Walter, and Mike all the while saying nothing. On the other hand Walter is equally if not more brutal in the execution of his plans, mainly because he causes pain to those whom he is supposed to love and care for. During The Walking Dead I found myself questioning almost every move they made in utter frustration.
       Now it is undisputed that The Walking Dead is popular but it is revealed to be very basic and lazy once broken down. Granted I do not have the time to break down this show in great detail, but I will do my best to write as many words as possible to fill my quota... Whoops, I meant write a quality piece. Now "Oh look a zombie, run!" is a little fuzzy to me but I remember the basic concept which becomes all too familiar with one who binge watched the series. Basically all this show is stuck in a continuous loop of finding a new character or piece of information, said new thing brings the ever changing gang of fellows to another location where everything looks great, then bad stuff happens. If this wasn't written I think the gratuitous amount of sarcasm in my voice would kill someone. When I sit back and think that is all that show is, it is honestly a little unsettling how popular the show is given the lack of effort put into the story. I am aware that it is based off of a graphic novel which makes sense, each new issue they find a new place and go through some crap. Then they do it all over again, I think it would be better in the written version. That way I wouldn't have to see a protagonist stab a zombie in the head for no other reason then, "Eh why not?", not like we have a story to tell" because why would you shoot it? Not like you won't magically stumble on an arsenal in a yellow H2 in a redneck's driveway, oh wait wrong lazily written zombie flick. Except that is how it always goes, with the complexity of the guns increasing at the same rate of the shows budget, the amount of literal divine intervention like saves that keep the characters alive, and how the rules of the show are conveniently forgotten to help the plot.

The Similarities of Breaking Bad with Other Shows

Since I've filled my quota on words I'll make this brief.

I can't believe that Breaking Bad did what every other drama does, they made the girlfriend or wife a stepping stone. I have done many overviews for my blogs and each time I watch a Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, or Sons of Anarchy it is always the same thing. I swear the directors must be like "Hey guys? Have we put in a wife or girlfriend into the story and then had them shot, or raped yet? We have? 3 times already huh? Well lets make it a lucky 7 times" God it gets old. I would love for a strong female character to be able to stay with the show and not fade into the background. That is why I love Skylar in Breaking Bad. She won't put up with Walter's B.S. and she'll do what she wants, it is very refreshing.

Stupid Pink Bear

Don't get me wrong Breaking Bad is a fantastic show, full of complicated dialogue, there are very deep conflicts going around and inside many characters, and it is full of surprises, but I do have a few small complaints. 

The one that really peeved me was the air plane crash, for half of the show there was this eerie black and white sequence with a charred pink bear in the Whites pool. I instantly thought that Walter became desperate enough to make meth in his own house and he was careless which resulted in him blowing up the house. Nope, all that foreshadowing for a plane crash that wasn't even sad. Then they all wore ribbons like the audience cared about the event. Granted, the cause of the crash was very moving. It has built upon the two meth parents and their abuse of their child. Maybe this is starting to change what Jessie thinks about drugs. Will it lead to him having an altercation with Mr. White in the end? Probably, you all know anyways. Yes I know that it was supposed to show the impact of drugs on those around users but this was a little extreme and fare fetched. Which in my opinion made it hard to relate to and thus ineffective as a device to move the plot. Then the writers won't let it go, like we still care about it. We didn't know anyone in this fake plane crash, and it didn't hurt any character that we know of, just let it go. 

All in all I'm upset about the let down after all that build up for this mysterious pink bear. The eye that Walter kept is bound to show up again, can't wait for that.

The Story so Far 2

      Walter and Jessie have created a product that will send them to the top, their special brand of meth, which later become known as Blue Sky (I doubt that is copyrighted). During the drop off of the first batch of Blue Sky Tuoco kills one of his two bodyguards in a meth fueled rage. Tuoco instructs his other bodyguard to hide the body- unbeknownst to Tuoco his other bodyguard becomes pinned under a pile of cars and bleeds to death- after his killing of his friend Tuoco becomes increasingly paranoid. He ends up kidnapping Jessie and Walter and taking them out in the middle of nowhere to a run down stucco cottage. During this period, Walters family became very worried and put up wanted signs all over town, and Hank (Walters brother-in-law) goes searching for him. Our two meth cooks wind up in front of a guy in a wheelchair who uses a bell to communicate, I assume he had a stroke which left him unable to speak (I really hate that bell). They are perplexed as I am as to who this guy is (Later on, I found out that I was right to assume that he was a high ranking member of the drug cartel) and wondering what they are doing there. Tuoco informs them that he has cousins coming up from Mexico to pick them up and bring them back to Mexico in order for them to cook undisturbed by the authorities. Walter and Jessie decide that they can not go along with that plan, so they think of a way to escape. Their salvation may lay in the ricin that Walter concocted before they were kidnapped as a way to kill Tuoco because he was becoming to unpredictable. This plan fails because they are unable to get him to ingest it, so Jessie hits Tuoco in the head with a rock when he is distracted then he garbs Tuocos guns. Tuoco is then shot in the side by Jessie and left in a ditch to die. Just before Walt and Jessie can make their escape, a Jeep Grand Cherokee owned by Hank pulls up to the house. As Hank exits the vehicle he encounters a wounded Tuoco, and a shootout between the two commences. Ultimately Hank gets a shot to hit Tuoco in the head while he was reloading, ending the fire fight. Hank and Jessie escape the scene on foot since they wouldn't be able to provide a reason to Hank as to why they were their without making themselves look extremely suspicious. Walter then proceeds to catch a ride on a truck of workers, and ends up nude in a convenience store to convince his friends and family that he was in a fugue state. That plan backfires like no other because it is the start of his wife becoming suspicious and eventually hating him. On the drug side of the story, the meth market is barren because of Tuocos death, Walter and Jessie attempt to fill the void.

      Drug peddlers and users all around the Albuquerque area are clambering to get their hands on this product. Before the pair is able to form a partnership with a major distributer, Jessie becomes in charge of distribution; His new position requires him to form a chain of command with his friends being beneath him working the street to peddle meth. They are allowed to sell each ounce for $2,500-which is much higher compared to the market value- and they keep $500 of that for a fee. Early on in this process Skinny Pete is mugged by two psychotic junkies who are bombed out of their brains, and look horribly disheveled. When Jessie informs Mr. White of the bad news, Jessie is instructed by Walter to "Handle it" as he hands Jessie the revolver that he bought when he felt threatened by Tuoco. Jessie then embarks on one of the most powerful scenes in Breaking Bad, and signals a major shift the show. As Jessie attempts to show the community what will happen if you steal from him we are reminded that he is not a violent person, and struggles to do what Walter wants him to do. He breaks into the house of the meth couple who stole from him and finds that no one is home, except a malnourished and abused child. Horrified Jessie makes the child a sandwich and awaits the terrible parents arrival. When they return Jessie holds them at gun point demanding they return his money and his meth. However, the wife lost the meth and the money, but the husband offers up a solution. It comes to the audiences attention that these two have murdered a store clerk in order to steal an ATM, and have previously done so multiple times. The fact that they are murderers alerts the audience that those two will do anything for a fix, meaning Jessie has his hands fulls. After unsuccessful attempts to open the ATM Jessie is hit on the head by the wife, rendering him unconscious. When he wakes up he finds the meth couple still trying to empty the ATM, a fight starts when the husband keeps insulting the wife until she kills him by pushing the ATM on his head. She then walks over to her dead husband and steals his meth to get high, not caring at all that she just killed him. The audience is shown just how strong meth addiction is, and makes us think twice about the world that Jessie and Walter contribute to. 

Characters

Characters are the most important part of any story, without them the tale would have no power. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that the foundation would be built on the characters themselves. Now what makes a memorable character? Is it their attire? Or perhaps it is the way they talk, such as an accent, or even personal catchphrases that distinguish them. The real basis for the perfect character is that the audience can relate to them, or gain an emotional understanding of their situation. Take Walter White for example: Here is a man in his fifties who is desperately bored with life, and despite him working two jobs is unable to make enough money to barely make ends meet. That is an extremely bare bones analysis of his character yet it is so powerful. How many people around the world work their tails off to make ends meet? Then add in that Walter is advanced in age and is ready for a change in life, mid-life crisis anyone? After this you can sprinkle on that he has a disabled son, stress with his wife, a nagging sister-in-law, then the poor guy gets cancer. Mr. White is one unfortunate guy. That is why his character is a stroke of genius. There are an insane amount of reasons why Walter would be stressed, depressed, and downright angry at his life. The writers of this show did a magnificent job of making him such a relatable, and emotionally familiar character. What family in America hasn't had to go through cancer with one of their members. How many married couples have troubles every year? Walter White is the poster child for the stressful American life, and that is why the American people love him. We want to see him rise up and show the world that he is something, and that he can provide for his family.

Analysis of Plot

(Again, only seen the first two episodes)
Breaking Bad is about a straight-laced boring 50 year old chemistry teacher who is sick of his boring life, and low pay. This all begins to change once he discovers that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer, taking this crushing news in hand he decides to make meth, good choice. It just so happens that his wife's brother is a DEA agent who specializes in meth lab busts. He offers Mr. White the opportunity to go on a ride along to witness a bust on a local meth lab.On this bust, Mr. White discovers that a former student is  the meth cooker who they were attempting to catch. He then approaches Jessie at his house and discusses his want to make meth and offers Jessie an ultimatum which forces Jessie to agree to the plan. Let us take a step back to the fact that his brother in law is a DEA agent, that seems like a fairly obvious bit of foreshadowing here. It is reasonable to assume that he will have conflict with said brother in law which will test the bonds with his wife and son. Oh well you all know what happens anyway, so at least pretend to be interested.

Mr. White starts out their business venture by stealing chemistry supplies from the school that he works at, and takes out money from his savings to purchase a mobile home for the purpose of turning it into a mobile meth lab. I imagine that a majority of viewers realized that this is the start of the intro where they crash the Winnebago, well it was. After "supposedly" disposing of the two rival drug dealers with phosphine oxide, which was previously mentioned as being extremely toxic, and relatively easy to make when the meth cooking process is messed up. Then is a panicked rage, Walter picks up an unconscious Jessie, dawns a gas mask, and attempts to drive a toxic mobile home from what he erroneously assumes to be police cars. After crashing said mobile home, he prepares himself to have a final stand with the cops, only to realize that they firefighters responding to the wildfire caused by a discarded cigarette. After that mishap, Jessie and him have the difficult job of disposing of the two bodies. Many morbidly hilarious moments ensue in this process, and a few moments of deep reflection amidst the chaos.

It turns out that Jessie is very squeamish, and Walter simply is not a violent person, which I have a problem seeing since he attempted to gas two people to death. But, I will admit that it is an entirely different matter to kill in order to save your life, versus executing an incapacitated individual. They have two choices: One must dissolve a body in hydrofluoric acid, specifically in a plastic container "Hydrofluoric acid won't eat through plastic. It will, however, dissolve metal, rock, glass, ceramic. So there's that."(1) - Walter White, and the other must kill the live prisoner, then find a way to get rid of the body. A coin is flipped in order to determine which member would do which, leaving Jessie with dissolving he deceased, and Walter executing the live prisoner.
 http://breakingbad.wikia.com/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid

Breaking Bad- Brief Overview

I have just finished watching the first two episodes of Breaking Bad, good for me right? This show gave me a lot of trouble during the first couple of years of high school because people were blurting out spoilers as if it was there job. Now I believe I have forgotten all of them except Walter White dying in the last episode, which is a pretty big one. But, its not like can complain, of course he dies, he has cancer and it serves as a powerful/compelling conclusion. I still would have enjoyed the mystery. At least that spoiler isn't as bad as being told the twist in The Sixth Sense, and Fight Club, oh well. 

At first Mr. White appears to be a stuck up boring character who is frustrated with life. I imagine that he will eventually become more laid back like Jessie, and that will serve as a turning point in his character. That thought was instantly reinforced by the men at his 50th birthday party making fun of him, by calling him wimpy and boring. I also believe that he will be comfortable with guns to serve as a contrast to the fear he showed of his brother in laws firearm.  

Mr. White has to deal with the crushing news of him getting cancer, and decides to go make meth because he learns of the money that can be made, which he sees as his way of getting rid of the stress in his life. Since he is a master chemist he believes that this will be a relatively easy process, he just needs knowledge of the business. This problem is solved during the ride along to the meth lab bust where he sees an ex student of his, which he correctly believes to be a meth cooker. As soon as Mr. Pinkman fell out of that window I thought "Oh, its the guy who says Science Bitch, well he showed up fast", because this show gets off the ground much faster than I anticipated. I also know that he makes his meth blue in order to distinguish himself from the rest, oh yes product differentiation my fellow AP Econ friends. I'm guessing that will come around soon, and a red meth producer will be his competitor? Maybe? I guess not.