Breaking Bad Season 5 EP 7 & 8 Early/Uncut Access

Not Frank Sinatra playing during the murders... it was Nat King Cole

Anthony L

that Crystal Blue Persuasion montage is so fire

Sam Wallace

The omage to the Godfather baptism scene is a great montage followed up by the crystal blue persuasion montage. Incredible stuff can’t wait for you to get to Better Call Saul a show that exceeded expectations in every way possible and is on the level of its predecessor wish i could experience it over again.

Anthony Lucido

You might appreciate this if you haven't seen it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9-GgIBPNNc

Munir

i mean has this show not always been a black comedy? is it not perfect to have the way hank finds out to be equal parts comedy and drama? my only real complaint is they never really show the book before this episode, but apart from that its a great way to do it especially in a situation where your thinking to yourself (much like james did in the reaction as well as all of us) "how can this moment even be soured ? hes won!" would it be better if walt started to get sloppy on the buisness end of things right when hes on top? or if someone flipped on him? or maybe someone just gets a hunch and tails him for the hell of it? the show set up walter to be impenetrable because of his connection to hank and hanks misguided interpretation of who walt is as a person. maybe he shouldve found out when walt drove into traffic in crawl space? all of these though wouldve either equally felt like a cop out to you or writting wise be completely antithetical to the pacing and story structure of the show.

Toe

We're in the endgame now

Axl Jones

Season finale of Breaking Bad was so satisfying.

Linda

I think that was the straw the broke the camel’s back, so to speak, but that business relationship definitely had a shelf life and that’s mainly due to Walt’s pride and ego

Nathanael Hammett

We just see things differently, man. :) I also very much disliked the last season of Better Call Saul, so I guess I have a difficult taste. It's my loss anyway because I would prefer to enjoy more episodes of the show, not less. Season 1-3 and 5 are brilliant though. So yeah. Can't wait to rewatch it!

Artem Sheverenov

It's honestly hard to say, because it's such a layered and complex show. I'm not sure which point Mike was referring to. Early season 4, Gus was kinda stuck with Walt and didn't have another chemist (until Jesse after Walt's aforementioned ego pushes him away again). Yet Walt was still doing dumb shit like buying that gun and trying to walk directly to Gus' house. It's possible that Gus was planning on killing Walt eventually regardless of what he did from that point, but we'll never know for sure. It seemed to me that Gus' initial plan was to let Walt cook until he died of cancer, but obviously a lot happened.

Munir

Thank you for summarizing Hank's entire main plot, I must've missed that part. Of course, it was inevitable that Hank would find out, it would've been a big letdown if he never did. I'm aware that Hank's detective work was instrumental in finding Walt, without all the pieces that were set up throughout the show, Hank reading Gale's note would've meant nothing. He was the only person in the world who could read that note and understand the implication. Again though, my point was that Walt grew complacent after Gus, and especially after the time skip this episode. He thought he had already gotten away with it, and was obviously not cautious of Hank anymore. You don't have to like how Hank found out, you're entitled to your own opinion. But I'm having trouble understanding your point? The Walt Whitman discussion was not "after he got shot" like you said. Walt did not bug Hank's office because he was cautious of him like you were implying. According to Lydia, some of the prisoners knew and had seen Walt already, so I don't think killing them is really a good example of Walt being cautious of Hank specifically. Gus said it best, "I don't think we're alike at all, Mr. White. You are not a cautious man at all." And that was well before Walt's ego grew to this level.

Munir

From the very beginning, Hank was the single driving force behind the search for Heisenberg. Time and time again, against all odds and even his own department, he pushed the investigation forward. He was the one who suspected Gus Fring to be at the head of the drug empire and pursued him on a damn wheelchair. And he was a major liability fo Walt for a long time. The situation with potential witnesses in prison, connected to Fring's empire and the blue meth, would not have happened so soon without Hank's involvement; it would take them ages to connect all the dots after Frings's death without his prior detective work. Even now, when he is the head of the department and has no deal leading this investigation, he is conducting interrogations himself. The theme of Hank being obsessed with hunting Heisenberg and getting closer and closer each time is a major theme in the show. And Walt was aware of this fact.

Artem Sheverenov

Walt bugged Hank's office to find out if Lydia set up the tracker on the methylamine barrels, it was just a bonus that Mike used it later. I don't see how the prison murders have anything to do with Walt underestimating Hank? The prisoners snitching on Walt would have ended him regardless of Hank's intellect or involvement.

Munir

I need to push back against Mike's speech to Walt about his "pride and ego" being what screwed up his relationship with Fring, that's not true. Yes, Walt has insane pride and ego and it certainly effects all his moves but it was Walt refusing to let Gus kill Jesse that ruined their relationship.

Ken Veader

Also, the last episode is called FELINA. FE is for Iron, found in Blood, LI is Lithium, found in Meth, and NA is Sodium found in Tears. So the last episode is litterally called Blood, Meth and Tears.

James

Yeah, as of late he underestimated him so much that he bugged his office and orchestrated the murders of several people in prison to prevent Hank from getting to them first. I have several issues with this season besides that, but i really try not to spoil the experience for James at the same time :)

Artem Sheverenov

Good point, Munir

Nathanael Hammett

The entire point was that Walt had essentially gotten away with it if he hadn't been so careless and underestimated Hank. I think it was more than just arrogance, it seemed like Walt took some satisfaction from keeping Gale's gift (almost like Todd with the spider jar). Walt and Gale did actually discuss Walt Whitman the first time they met in Season 3 episode 6. The first time we see the book is the first episode of this season but we never see the note written inside until this episode.

Munir

They probably could’ve come up with something more plausible, but it really didn’t bother me. The show had me completely by the time this aired, I was along for the ride and if anything I think the absurdity of that being that way that Hank connects the dots was a bit funny. Is what it is. I don’t think any show is perfect, and while I think that BB came closer than most I’ve seen, that is a valid criticism you’ve got there.

Nathanael Hammett

There were plenty of times when Hank came really close to discovering Walt, like the scene before the RV's destruction. I mean, the sheer fact that a DEA agent didn't suspect his suddenly rich and personality-altered brother-in-law, who happened to be a brilliant chemist, already required some suspension of disbelief. Let's say that Walt and Jesse hadn't committed that Looney Tunes magnet operation, and Hank could see with his own eyes what his brother-in-law had been doing all this time, including killing people in cold blood. It would have taken the final season in a different direction, yes, but that's precisely why I love the Granite State episode the most and don't like Ozymandias. I'm not a writer, but anything other than a conveniently placed book on a damn toilet would have made more sense and been more satisfying—anything.

Artem Sheverenov

I know it was used as a promo clip by AMC before the second half of the season premiered. I would personally suggest James watching that clip before episode 14 as the name of the episode is "Ozymandias". IMO helps set up the mood for the episode.

MH

Oh yes! James this might be worth doing a reaction to!

Kaitlin

Before next episode hope you check out the Ozymandias poem read by Bryan Cranston in the character of Walt/Heisenberg. It released during the year long gap after episode 8. It's great. It's an early 1800s poem by Percy Shelley. It's applicable to the show but I wouldn't call it a spoiler. https://youtu.be/T3dpghfRBHE

How would you have him find out?

Okay, guys and gals, please explain to me, why the ending of episode 8 is not the lamest way Hank could find out, that Walt is behind it all? I mean considering the amount of time series spent showcasing how obsessive Walt was about covering his lies and manipulating people. Especially knowing that Hank was a major threat to him being discovered from the start, and they actually shared this Walt Whitman book discussion after Gale got shot. Even if you would try to explain it by Walter being arrogant about his drug lord status at this point, it does not excuse it from being very lazy and forced move by the writers. And yeah, making it a cliffhanger was a cheap move. Poor Hank had to sit in the toilet for an entire year!

Artem Sheverenov

What is crazy is that episode 8 was the beginning of a year long break of the season, be glad that you don't have to experience that lol

End of Ep 8 best cliffhanger of all time?

Rockstarrzz

And HERE WE GO

Irrelevant

Gliding Over All is an amazing episode….. and yet somehow it just gets better/worse from here.

Laurel

Not sure if you noticed but the note that Hank read on the book said to my “other” favorite W.W. Which refers to Walter in this case instead of Walt Whitman. It was also signed “G.B”, Gale Boetticher.

Figz

Oh boy oh boy oh boy. SEASON 6 BABYYYYYY

Toe