Breaking Bad (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

[Corax]

You do know that Anna Gunn was on the receiving end of a sustained campaign of complaints, hate mail and death threats?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/opinion/i-have-a-character-issue.html?_r=0

No, I didn't.

And it doesn't affect how I feel about the fictional character - a distinction from the actress that I stated quite plainly in my post.

In case anyone should be in any doubt, and having now given the matter a great deal of consideration, on the issue of whether it's okay to threaten to kill someone because of the person they've pretended to be during the filming of an entertainment series, then on balance I'm probably going to go with "against".

FFS people.

For the record, I also think that Walter's a dick, a hypocrite, and a coward - and the 'only doing it for his family' justification doesn't fly at all once past the first few episodes - I don't feel the narrative/production is asking me to sympathise with him as much as with Skyler though, which is what makes that character particularly grating for me.

Not you particularly 8den - yours was just the first post in this trail of reaction.

 

[8den]

No, I didn't.

And it doesn't affect how I feel about the fictional character - a distinction from the actress that I stated quite plainly in my post.

In case anyone should be in any doubt, and having now given the matter a great deal of consideration, on the issue of whether it's okay to threaten to kill someone because of the person they've pretended to be during the filming of an entertainment series, then on balance I'm probably going to go with "against".

FFS people.

For the record, I also think that Walter's a dick, a hypocrite, and a coward - and the 'only doing it for his family' justification doesn't fly at all once past the first few episodes - I don't feel the narrative/production is asking me to sympathise with him as much as with Skyler though, which is what makes that character particularly grating for me.

Not you particularly 8den - yours was just the first post in this trail of reaction.

Firstly I am aware that you differentiated Skyler from Anna Gunn. I just wanted to make you aware of the reaction some "fans" had to her character.

Personally I really love Skyler's arc she's incredibly conflicted and emotional, at the start she's pregnant, Walt is acting more and more irrational as he's dying, I think Skyler's reaction is believable and understandable.

I merely mentioned the abuse because it's becoming more and more common for female actors to endure it. Leslie Fitzpatrick from Ghostbusters has been tweeting some of the abuse she's received and it is horrific.

 

[The Octagon]

Firstly I am aware that you differentiated Skyler from Anna Gunn. I just wanted to make you aware of the reaction some "fans" had to her character.

Personally I really love Skyler's arc she's incredibly conflicted and emotional, at the start she's pregnant, Walt is acting more and more irrational as he's dying, I think Skyler's reaction is believable and understandable.

I merely mentioned the abuse because it's becoming more and more common for female actors to endure it. Leslie Fitzpatrick from Ghostbusters has been tweeting some of the abuse she's received and it is horrific.

Leslie Jones, just FYI.

 

[SpookyFrank]

The 'Mad Men' Double-Standard: Why Do Fans Hate Betty but Love Don?

Probably because people who like Mad Men are all terrible.

 

[8den]

Leslie Jones, just FYI.

Yes, doubt I can blame the phone for that, lets just say I'm hot and tired.

 

[Reno]

Probably because people who like Mad Men are all terrible.

In that case I'm happy to be called terrible. It was probably my favourite drama series of all time.

I wrote about it here:

Halp! Just finished binge watching Mad Men

 

[Reno]

Sorry, you're obviously right. I mean, who needs good evidence when a glance at Twitter will do?

..and fuck off with your selective, out of context quoting.

 

[Corax]

Firstly I am aware that you differentiated Skyler from Anna Gunn. I just wanted to make you aware of the reaction some "fans" had to her character.

Personally I really love Skyler's arc she's incredibly conflicted and emotional, at the start she's pregnant, Walt is acting more and more irrational as he's dying, I think Skyler's reaction is believable and understandable.

I merely mentioned the abuse because it's becoming more and more common for female actors to endure it. Leslie Fitzpatrick from Ghostbusters has been tweeting some of the abuse she's received and it is horrific.

Aye. Personally I find it hard to fathom. WTF is the thought process that leads up to a decision to message someone you've never met and tell them they "deserve to be raped" or whatever? It's nothing like the hyperbole associated with football for eg (where I'll happily opine that all Arsenal fans are total wankstains that should have tent-pegs hammered into every orifice until they've shown sufficient remorse for their poor life decisions), there's no 'knowing' complicity in such statements being gross comic exaggerations - so just what the fuck is going on in these people's heads?

I agree that Skyler is very plausible as a character - I just fucking hate that character. At least Walt at some level knows he's being a deceitful scumbag and feels some degree of conflict over it. With Skyler though, she comes across (to me) as not just horribly dishonest, but having 100% successfully justified her dishonesty - to herself.

None of which is a criticism of the series, which is fecking great - it would be a bit dull if it was just about a nice high school teacher and his lovely wife, and their weekend trips to stately homes and the garden centre.

 

[Sea Star]

You utterly support napalmimg thousands of people to eliminate a few enemies?

Yeah, and I know who I'm going to start with an all.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Probably because people who like Mad Men are all terrible.

They are?

 

[belboid]

I agree that Skyler is very plausible as a character - I just fucking hate that character. At least Walt at some level knows he's being a deceitful scumbag and feels some degree of conflict over it. With Skyler though, she comes across (to me) as not just horribly dishonest, but having 100% successfully justified her dishonesty - to herself.

This is why she is brilliant, of course. She is us, the viewer. Watching and cheering for this piece of shit who happily leaves a trail of dead in his wake, and making excuses for him, and for ourselves. Your hatred if her is just internalised self loathing.

 

[Corax]

This is why she is brilliant, of course. She is us, the viewer. Watching and cheering for this piece of shit who happily leaves a trail of dead in his wake, and making excuses for him, and for ourselves. Your hatred if her is just internalised self loathing.

Lol - there's nothing internalised about my self-loathing mate.

 

[Corax]

It's not so much disliking a female character for merely trying to cope, it's the sheer aggression displayed towards them, which I find so disturbing. Maybe this is uncharacteristic of Corax, but it's pretty much in keeping with much of what goes on on social media.

Missed this before.

Whilst I get your general point, I'd kinda assumed that anyone reading my assertion that Skyler's "face should be fed to Ramsey Bolton's dogs" would have enough sense to infer that I wasn't in reality sitting in a damp-ridden basement burning effigies of her, whilst alternately sobbing and masturbating by candlelight...

No space for artistic licence these days.

I think early on I found her annoying but as the show evolved I gained more and more sympathy for her. By the end I was utterly on her side.

Now at the start of season 4 and totally with you on this, especially since she dropped the passive-aggressive wide-eyed schtick. I quite like her now; the writing is letting her smarts become more of a defining feature than the partially-supressed anger/frustration.

I'm also increasingly fond of Maria, which I'd never have expected as I would have happily taken a bolt gun to her temple in the first few episodes. I may even be developing some sort of weird masochistic crush on her...

Despite all the changes in Walt and Jesse over S1-3, the two female leads have been written with even more impressive character development IMO. Whoever it was that mentioned that about Skyler before, when I was earlier on in the series, was bang on.

 

[emanymton]

Missed this before.

Whilst I get your general point, I'd kinda assumed that anyone reading my assertion that Skyler's "face should be fed to Ramsey Bolton's dogs" would have enough sense to infer that I wasn't in reality sitting in a damp-ridden basement burning effigies of her, whilst alternately sobbing and masturbating by candlelight...

No space for artistic licence these days.

Now at the start of season 4 and totally with you on this, especially since she dropped the passive-aggressive wide-eyed schtick. I quite like her now; the writing is letting her smarts become more of a defining feature than the partially-supressed anger/frustration.

I'm also increasingly fond of Maria, which I'd never have expected as I would have happily taken a bolt gun to her temple in the first few episodes. I may even be developing some sort of weird masochistic crush on her...

Despite all the changes in Walt and Jesse over S1-3, the two female leads have been written with even more impressive character development IMO. Whoever it was that mentioned that about Skyler before, when I was earlier on in the series, was bang on.

Marie became my favourite character, which was a surprise to me as based on the first few episodes I excepted to hate her. I can even pinpoint the exact point I stared to change my mind, and it's the scene with the 'talking pillow' or whatever it was called.

 

[NoBystander]

All the women in Breaking Bad are written to make you sympathise with the men. It gets better in s4 because the writers knew about the misogynistic abuse and put a little bit of effort in.

Skyler was a compilation of dogwhistling misogynistic tropes because even Cranston needed help keeping us onside.

 

[Corax]

Marie became my favourite character, which was a surprise to me as based on the first few episodes I excepted to hate her. I can even pinpoint the exact point I stared to change my mind, and it's the scene with the 'talking pillow' or whatever it was called.

Exactly the same here... am I logging on as you and posting whilst in a fugue state?

 

[emanymton]

Exactly the same here... am I logging on as you and posting whilst in a fugue state?

That could explain why I found this in my cupboard.

 

[Corax]

Hit my binge-watching limit half way through S4 and needed a break, so started watching Animal Kingdom.

Fuck me it's good.

Very different in many respects, but I'd imagine that most who enjoyed BB would love it.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Animal Kingdom.

Fuck me it's good.

Yup.

 

[Reno]

I only watched the pilot but Animal Kingdom, the TV show, is not a patch on the far superior Australian film it's a remake of. It's like a parody of a cable drama in its desire to be cool and gritty and yet the edges feel smoothed off when compared to the film (or even when compared to Breakin Bad)

 

[Corax]

I only watched the pilot but...

 

[Johnny Vodka]

I only watched the pilot but Animal Kingdom, the TV show, is not a patch on the far superior Australian film it's a remake of. It's like a parody of a cable drama in its desire to be cool and gritty and yet the edges feel smoothed off when compared to the film (or even when compared to Breakin Bad)

Ah, I assumed he meant the film. Didn't know there was a tv series!

 

[Corax]

Ah, I assumed he meant the film. Didn't know there was a tv series!

New TV series, yeah. I'd suggest watching more than just the pilot before weighing in with your considered analysis and judgement though...

 

[Reno]

Sorry, I don't believe that this goes from crap pilot to genius TV show. I'd rather invest my time in something more worthwhile and as I said, I've already seen this done far better. The film is one of my favourite films of the last decade.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Animal Kingdom as a film was great and so well cast. I don't see how a tv show could add much.

 

[DaveCinzano]

To quote I Claudius this smacks of Infamy Infamy they all have it Infamy.

Carry On Cleo, actually

 

[Yossarian]

5 years after the last episode aired, I no longer have to tell people to STFU with Breaking Bad spoilers. Might start on Better Call Saul straight away.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

5 years after the last episode aired, I no longer have to tell people to STFU with Breaking Bad spoilers. Might start on Better Call Saul straight away.

It's better.

 

[Sea Star]

I watched BB about 3 years ago and people were falling over themselves to tell me spoilers. Lucky for me I'm not too bothered by them, but just amazed people are such gits and do this on purpose.

 

[krtek a houby]

5 years after the last episode aired, I no longer have to tell people to STFU with Breaking Bad spoilers. Might start on Better Call Saul straight away.

It's brilliant but a very different animal to BB