Well, in his defense I'd have to say that anyone who would notice Walt's series-pilot pants lying in the desert foreground in Ozymandis can validly notice the Chilean and Mexican flag colors in the Pollos Hermanos' clothing. I noticed both.
so sad how Jr is treated . everyone makes fun of his character , but imagine being in his shoes realizing everything has been a lie . EVERYTHING. Manipulation , lies , and straight to his face with tears and all ; his own father ... not to mention his mother .. :(
I honestly really like Walter Jr. He genuinely loves his father and respects him and also supports his mother. I get it that people hate him for being angry and hating Walter but it’s understandable from his perspective. He’s a good kid.
@@rohantripathi9791 what the fuck??? i just finished the series last week (it was obviously amazing) and why would anyone ever not hate walter?? just cus he's the protagonist?? we obviously sympathise with him at first but when he started really abusing jesse & treating his family like garbage i started to hate him, and he just got worse and worse from then i'm genuinely shocked that some people were still rooting for him all the way to the end
@@miles4939 I was talking about Walter’s son Walter Jr in my comment, but I get why you dislike Walter so much. He becomes a full blown criminal mastermind at the end. But I really like him to be honest. I hated him at some points but overall he’s a very well developed character. His actions in the final episode where he saves Jesse and avenges Hank somewhat redeem him in my eyes, but he’s still a bad guy. That’s why I sympathised with Water Jr for hating him. Walter white is a bad man but a very well developed and well written character.
This video gave me a totally new perspective about Walt Jr's role in Breaking Bad. Not only he is a bonding element to Walter at the beginning, but also an element of comparison of the relation between him and walter and walter and jesse. Walter is much more of a father to Jesse than to walter Jr throughout the series. Also, the pool scene where walt makes walt jr drink tequila shows how it has always been about himself, not about his family.
ITA. It's pretty clear from that scene where Walt is drunk and high on pain meds & accidentally calls Jr. "Jesse" that he feels more of a father-son type bond with Jesse than w/ his own son.
@@Gigibaby88 Oh yeah. It was one of the few times we saw Walt actually break down in tears as, to him, he had lost his 'son' Jesse. It's arguably the moment their relationship became more toxic and possessive :/
You can almost see the moment where Walt makes the decision to kill Mike; when they are in Saul’s office talking to Mike on the phone about his bug-out bag. Jesse is eager to help Mike do whatever he needs, and this is just after he told Walt he doesn’t want to be involved with him anymore clearly scared of Walter. Walt gives Jesse a look when Jesse is telling Mike that he’ll grab the bag and bring it to him clearly showing he has a fondness for Mike, and would risk his freedom to help him. That is unforgivable in Walt’s twisted prideful mind. It was the ultimate form of spite against Jesse.
Outstanding video! I think that this perfectly encapsulates Walt's motive for killing Mike - yes, it was about Mike challenging his pride and his ego in that moment, but that moment was just the icing on the cake. Walt desperately needs Jesse, Jesse is the foundation of his empire, his pride, and for that alone, Walt loves him. The terrible things he puts Jesse through are all done to preserve that hold he has over Jesse, and Mike's presense in Jesse's life jeopardized everything.
I always found it fascinating how the show treated masculinity and the role of a man. In the pilot , it's implied that Walt is unable to gain an erection despite Skylers attempts to stimulate him. It's only after the fear and excitement of his first venture into the criminal underworld that he returns home to then engage in sexual intercourse with his wife. The fact that she states 'Walt, is that you?' suggests that he has been without an erection without a long time. Of course, erections are traditionally seen as a symbol of masculinity and male dominance. Walt becomes more sexually active the further he descends into the criminal underworld ('now why was that so damn good?' - 'because it was illegal') You've also got to remember that Walt has kind of been emasculated for most of his life by people such as Hank, even if his comments were just jokes. Walt and Hank are actually similar in that they try to pertain to another traditional trait of masculinity - not showing emotional vulnerability. Walt only becomes more hardened to his emotions over the series while Hank eventually breaks down due to his PTSD, which he was at first hesitant to discuss with Marie. Then we come to Gus's speech about a man 'providing' for his family. Gus tries to play Walt like a fiddle by preying on his supposed motivation for entering the drug trade - providing for his family. It's why when Walt goes to his house, Gus makes casual references to having 'kids' , plus there are children's toys in the background. But when Jesse goes, such items and references are absent. It's a plot by Gus to prey on his workers feelings. However, this is where Gus perhaps underestimated Walt. We know by 'Felina' that Walt really did it all for himself, as it actually gave him a purpose in an otherwise meaningless existence. His 'motivation' was misread by Gus, who was thus outfoxed :0
I have literally been watching videos about Breaking Bad ever since I first finished the series about a week ago (I got to the party late) and this was by far one of the more thoughtful and in depth I've seen on the series. Mike was my 2nd favorite character after Jesse and the moment Walt killed him was when I lost all sympathy for him. I think you absolutely hit the nail on the head about the real reason behind Walt killing him. Really great work, hope to see more from you! 👏🙌👍
That's really sad that Walt fathered and loved Jesse more through his actions because he could pass his legacy onto him. Blue meth on the streets not cooked by Walt he automatically knows is Jesse
There's also the fact that you could read the tension between Mike and Walt in S5A as a struggle between two fathers for control over Jesse, who Walt has grown to view as a second son. Jesse himself tries to resolve and be the voice of reason between his two father figures. Whereas Walt wants the drug money for himself, Mike does it with an end goal of providing for his granddaughter. Walt sets himself an initial goal of 737,000, but by the end is consumed by greed, and the assertion of male power that comes with the role of drug kingpin. Also, keep in mind the scene in 'Seven-Thirty Seven' where Walt assaults Skyler in the kitchen. He does it out of the fear of death when he fears that Tuco will be after him. It's a similar case to how, in wars, many travelling soldiers would become more sexually active/ predatory as they felt the fear of death meant they should have one more intimate moment of pleasure before the inevitable 'end'. :)
He literally just didn't think about Lydia having the list at the time. Jessie says it best -if Walt killed Mikes men he'd have to look over his shoulder for eternity. You say El Camino weird.
I would also like to add that you can see the dueling patriarchies not just between Walt and Mike, but also between Walt and Hank. Except instead of feuding over Jesse, they're feuding over Flynn. Right from the start, you see how much Walt means to Flynn, how much Flynn idolizes him. And so much of Flynn's lashing out towards Skylar stems from his loyalty towards Walt. But Flynn wrestles with this yearning for a good father, and Walt's incapability of filling that role. Or unwillingness. Either way, like you said, time after time he uses Flynn as a pawn. You see that in the drinking scene, and you know what I see? How Hank rushes towards Flynn to help him while Walt just stands there. And I think that's where things start to change for Flynn. I think I'd have to go back and rewatch this arc in order to explain it better, but you can see the ramifications when they're in the waiting room after Hank gets hospitalized, and Flynn's talking about the book Hank gave him. How Walt sort of looked defeated, like he had lost a pawn or something. But what really struck me is that RJ Mitte, Flynn's actor, says that he imagines that after the events of the series, Flynn joins the DEA to carry on Hank's legacy. And GOD, when he screams at Walt on the phone in Granite State - I just think that it all shows how Flynn ended up chosing Hank as his father. Hank was the good father he needed, not Walt. And even then, Walt took that away from him. Truly sad.
I think the biggest mistake he made was telling his wife about the under hand dealing, killing Mike jepodusing Jesse's trust, burying all of his cash in the same place. Not accepting the job offer at grey matter.
@@shredgod6394 Uncle iro conquered land and slaughtered innocent people but on his path to peace Mike isn't really like that he probably just compare the two cuz it's too old guys that a lot of people like
It's interesting, because I have said this over and over. Jessie and Walter Jr needed to have a scene together. Really. There's a whole story hidden in that, which would have been one of the best if it had been built on at all. I did hear that there was a sub plot at one point, where after finding out about Brock's poisoning, Jessie gets Walter Jr addicted to his father's meth. But even if this would end up making Jessie too unsympathetic, in denying us a scene between the two, they didn't pull a really interesting cheklov's gun. We could have gotten into issues of feeling inadequate.
It could also be because like even though Mike goes into hiding that doesn’t mean he can’t send somebody to kill Walter to protect his people. Mike knows everything and can use that information to stop Walter one way or another even in hiding.
I have watched the show 14 times and I’m working on number 15 now… There are so many aspects throughout that show that relate to not only myself but so many other facets within life. The best show hands-down
I always saw the dueling patriarchs of Jesse pinkman. Never quite understood how far it went! This was great! God, I friggin adore this show, and it’s characters more than is probably natural! I understand why you do.
Breaking Bad is all about moral complexity. It's about mixed, multi-layered motives, moral compromises, unintended consequences, damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't choices. ALL GREAT LITERATURE IS ABOUT MORAL COMPLEXITY. Moral complexity is the human dilemma. So, when you say that Walter White revealed the "real reason why his did all of it.", I say, "That's rubbish." Satisfying his ego, breaking free of his boring, humiliating life, was only one motive, one cause among many for his many choices, many actions (not always chosen). If anything, his simplistic "confession" was an attempt to tie it all up in a neat bow for Skyler, to dissipate her anger about his having said that he did it for the family ("did it for the family" is, indeed, ONE of the motives for his choices). You might say that when he "confessed', he did it for his wife, the center of his family. In any case, it would have taken years on the psychiatrist's couch to fully parse all the many-layered motives for his choices in his many, many actions. There was no time for that, and anyway, Skyler would have no patience to even let Walt start. By the way, "family", not Patriarchy (a loaded term---for heaven's sake, use it with discretion---or do you mean "fatherhood"?), is at the core of Breaking Bad. As Hector Salamanca said, "Family is everything." Family loyalty, family welfare, family survival drives the plot. Gilligan and Co. are questioning the influence of family, for good or ill, on society. It's not Patriarchy. (There are more than a couple of domineering toxic mothers in the show to compete with "Patriarchy".) Family includes Skyler laundering money. It includes Lidia providing luxury for her daughter. It also includes warm, loving fathers, such as Janes's father. Family is complicated. It can be toxic and psychotic, it can be miserable, it can simply be maddening. Hm. You meant "fatherhood". Just a bad choice of word. Oh, well
I think the exact momant walt becomes Heisenberg is when he kills the people that Jesse was about to try and shoot I mean he watched Jane die but those with the last visual Cues of remorse for the most part because he unflinchingly killed both the criminals and I think that's the point Walter stopped caring I also love how as the series progressed Walter builds his confidence and he's able to talk and argue with Skylar without being a submissive and I loved the point when Skyler was trying to buy the car wash and her and Walter talking with soul the way she says it's got to be this car wash mentioning how car wash owner was rude when mentioning Walt which peaked Walt interest to carry on pursuing the Carwash despite soul pleading not to😂😂😂 and I'm glad that they did the swimming pool scene how they did with Walt wanted to show Walt junior that he's the one with the authority but I think that was a time when he was more inexperienced as to how he conducted himself with his liberation he was more impulsive but as the series progressed he was smart enough to manipulate Mike into letting him phone Jesse to get him to kill Gail the evolution of his character was amazing
Personally, I don’t think there is an exact moment where Walt becomes Heisenberg. Heisenberg has always been a part of Walt. He just didn’t “shine” until Walt let that part of him out or until Walt began to find out the power he held more and more.
Thank you so much for this take! But I always felt like people are missing how much of the shows crime aspect is a metaphor I feel for the life walt expects to have as the patriarch hero or antihero daddy and in his actual „legal“ life he‘s not able to be the masculine ideal he‘s so obsessed with, so he drops out and tries to get into shady dangerous business to live his own fantasy of being „the man“. I mean remember when he stated early into the show: „I don‘t have any control over My life!“ because he can‘t be the big dominant hero daddy he‘s so desperate to be. And hanks constant teasing i feel was initially just a setup for walt to be established as a man trying really hard to be the masculine ideal while people like hank always emasculated him at every turn. Point is though, As Walter White walt in the eyes of the patriarchy is a failed pathetic weak man. And he hates this. But in the Drug Lord fantasy he‘s the strong dominant, cool and calculating provider. This is also seen as whenever they „cook“ is the only time music is seemingly really used instead of ambiance tracks, very minor music or silence. I also feel like this symbolizes the fiction and the absurdity of his new heisenberg life and juxtaposes it to the normal life he has where making money isn‘t all that easy because the cards are stacked against you and you‘re pretty much failed already in the ideal of who you should be cause only really lucky ppl or people with insane privilige or inheritence are able to live up to that „provider“ role fully. But that‘s the thing. If anything this show just exposes how toxic, destructive and damaging traditional masculinity and a patriarchial family structure is by cranking that up to a T and making it reach absurdity to expose the sillyness and the childishness of such a dysfunctional gender ideal. All these patriarcs do in the end, be it Walt, gus, mike or any other one of them in the show, is turning into ruthless, violent authoritarian monsters with no ethical standard, no respect for human life, and a hatred of all emotions except for anger. And All they do is box in their „family“ if they want that or don‘t, turn them into prisoners, emotionally abuse them to total submission and mental deterioration like seen in skylar and Jessie, and all they do it for only themselves in the end because it‘s not about that role. It‘s about the power trip of That role. The dominance that makes all of them feel they are a proper „man“ and that in the end i feel is the strongest point of the show. I mean obviously. They break the 4th wall all the time with „A man xyz!“ speeches just to make you notice it‘s the main theme. It‘s not just about Drugs, or crimes, or human struggle, Or a Man‘s descent into evil. It‘s about patriarchy and a subversion of manhood to expose the toxicity that so often comes with it. And how It only serves to stroke one person‘s ego who‘m is of course „the man“. And they do that by sacrificing anyone they „love“ or call family with mental and physical torture until the subject or rather the histage is submissive and obediant. And the fact that so many straight cis men who watched this show didn‘t get the message, get angry when you even mention masculinity as a theme of the show, idolize walter while Painting his emotional abuse victim aka skylar for being „naggy and annoying“ as the wrost character, and have literally all the show is trying to say fly above their heads. I mean it‘s only a sign that the show saying „toxic masculinity is a huge problem and men can‘t see that“ is absolutely right about that. No matter how many dude bro‘s will throw a hissy fit over it. They just Prove the show‘s point and I‘m honestly jere for it because it‘s so refreshing to see toxic masculinity actually called out Like this implicitly. Because that so rarely happems despite that thing being a massive societal issue.
Season 6 season 6 season 6!!!! Walt wakes up in the hospital, handcuffed to the bed, recovering from his gunshot wound, police standing outside, in walks Saul, they talk briefly, Walt ends up in jail and shortly after begins to plot his escape , which is successful, Jesse is still cooking walts meth working for himself, gets word that Walt is alive and goes to help.....
This would totally destroy the message of the series though. Walt was never meant to survive, because he didn't end up the hero. Jesse was always supposed to resist the pull, which is why he wouldn't voluntarily go back to cooking, and even if he did, it wouldn't be framed as positive by the show
And never stated any of it was betrayed as positive And they never showed Walt actually die he was just laying there with a gunshot wound while the sirens grew closer And Jesse all in all, loves cooking, even after all he went through, and sees Walt as a father figure, maybe wanting to continue his legacy
@@sinenomine7405 fair enough, I thought it went against the message. I think it was the right decision to not move forward with it. Even with walt saying "I did it for myself" and all the plot showing how he was wrong, if he kept getting away for much longer it would be harder to show that he wasn't doing the right thing
Yep, the hyper masculine, traditional, and toxic portions of modern "Western" masculinity are main driving forces behind many of the characters, especially Walter. It's the only way they make sense and aren't self-contradictory to the point of being unrealistic. Mike's willingness to do just about anything to provide excessively for his granddaughter even though he could do it with a regular job well enough. Hank saying the family will be taken care of as if it's a duty and not something he wants to do because he loves them, his entire personality, and especially the denial of his obvious PTSD. Walt risking his family's safety and emotional and mental well-being to cook knowing the potential consequences when Gretchen and Elliot gave him an easy out early on as well as his need for total control of everything. Pretty much all of the antagonists are dropping with it, even Gus in his own way with his control freak nature and need for vengeance over his murdered lover and partner. It's everywhere throughout the show yet I see so few people talk about it despite it being such a major factor in the way these characters behave and interact. In a better culture with a more healthy idea of masculinity it would be an entirely different show. In this one we get what we have.
Season 1: ok I’m done cooking Skyler: I hate you Walt Season 2: ok I cooked alittle more but I’m done now. Skyler: I despise you Season 3: ok I’m in remission, and quit for good this time. Skyler: I want a divorce, also get out of my house cause ted and I are gonna bang. Season 4: uhh Skyler where’s our money I sacrificed my soul and sanity to provide for you for? Skyler: oh I gave it to Ted, no big deal Season 5: hey Skyler I killed the guy who tried to kill us all. Skyler: You are a monster and I wish your cancer came back. Season 5 part 2: oh god Hank knows, I’m gonna turn myself in. Skyler: NO YOU WONT!! We are gonna make a confession tape to make you look unredeemable in our family’s eyes.
Skyler never said "no big deal"? She gave it to Ted to save his company not realizing that Walt was in danger since she always assured her he wasnt. She hates him in season 5 because he continues to lie to her putting all of them in danger. Also it was Walts idea to make the tape
walt spends season 1 lying about his cancer and ducking and diving her without any solid explanation of she’s gonna be irritated. season 2 is much the same. season 3 he’s a literal meth cook but she’s doesn’t want her kids to find out. walt spends that season overriding her decisions like a typical abuser and so by fucking ted she thinks she’s giving walt a reason to divorce her but he still chooses not to. by the end of season 3 she starts to forgive him bc she genuinely believes he was doing it for his family (marie’s speech). seasons 4 she realises she’s in it now but she’s also extremely smart and wants to do everything possible to not incriminate her and her family so she starts to launder his money. by season 5 he’s out of control he not only threatens her but even though he insisted he’d be out of the game he still chooses to stay in it and outwardly tells her the horrific situations he’s been put in (gun to his head, killing people) her only priority at that point is getting her kids away from this active threat as soon as possible and all whilst being his hostage. if u had a brain u could understand that.
honestly can't believe you were so bored that you started analyzing a shirt with two chickens on it
💀💀💀
That's gotta say something about the exciting diversions available in the Scottish Isles:
Stare at sheep, or analyze a chicken shirt...
Lol
Well, in his defense I'd have to say that anyone who would notice Walt's series-pilot pants lying in the desert foreground in Ozymandis can validly notice the Chilean and Mexican flag colors in the Pollos Hermanos' clothing. I noticed both.
so sad how Jr is treated .
everyone makes fun of his character , but imagine being in his shoes realizing everything has been a lie . EVERYTHING. Manipulation , lies , and straight to his face with tears and all ; his own father ... not to mention his mother ..
:(
Ramen Trifecta - Walt Jr always appeared to be more loyal/devoted to his Alpha-Male uncle.
All he had to do is start cooking lol
I honestly really like Walter Jr. He genuinely loves his father and respects him and also supports his mother. I get it that people hate him for being angry and hating Walter but it’s understandable from his perspective. He’s a good kid.
@@rohantripathi9791 what the fuck??? i just finished the series last week (it was obviously amazing) and why would anyone ever not hate walter?? just cus he's the protagonist?? we obviously sympathise with him at first but when he started really abusing jesse & treating his family like garbage i started to hate him, and he just got worse and worse from then
i'm genuinely shocked that some people were still rooting for him all the way to the end
@@miles4939 I was talking about Walter’s son Walter Jr in my comment, but I get why you dislike Walter so much. He becomes a full blown criminal mastermind at the end. But I really like him to be honest. I hated him at some points but overall he’s a very well developed character. His actions in the final episode where he saves Jesse and avenges Hank somewhat redeem him in my eyes, but he’s still a bad guy. That’s why I sympathised with Water Jr for hating him. Walter white is a bad man but a very well developed and well written character.
This video gave me a totally new perspective about Walt Jr's role in Breaking Bad. Not only he is a bonding element to Walter at the beginning, but also an element of comparison of the relation between him and walter and walter and jesse. Walter is much more of a father to Jesse than to walter Jr throughout the series. Also, the pool scene where walt makes walt jr drink tequila shows how it has always been about himself, not about his family.
ITA. It's pretty clear from that scene where Walt is drunk and high on pain meds & accidentally calls Jr. "Jesse" that he feels more of a father-son type bond with Jesse than w/ his own son.
I’m just gonna assume the pun wasn’t intended when you said “not only he is a bonding element”
@@Gigibaby88 Oh yeah. It was one of the few times we saw Walt actually break down in tears as, to him, he had lost his 'son' Jesse. It's arguably the moment their relationship became more toxic and possessive
:/
You can almost see the moment where Walt makes the decision to kill Mike; when they are in Saul’s office talking to Mike on the phone about his bug-out bag. Jesse is eager to help Mike do whatever he needs, and this is just after he told Walt he doesn’t want to be involved with him anymore clearly scared of Walter. Walt gives Jesse a look when Jesse is telling Mike that he’ll grab the bag and bring it to him clearly showing he has a fondness for Mike, and would risk his freedom to help him. That is unforgivable in Walt’s twisted prideful mind. It was the ultimate form of spite against Jesse.
Outstanding video! I think that this perfectly encapsulates Walt's motive for killing Mike - yes, it was about Mike challenging his pride and his ego in that moment, but that moment was just the icing on the cake. Walt desperately needs Jesse, Jesse is the foundation of his empire, his pride, and for that alone, Walt loves him. The terrible things he puts Jesse through are all done to preserve that hold he has over Jesse, and Mike's presense in Jesse's life jeopardized everything.
well said
I always found it fascinating how the show treated masculinity and the role of a man.
In the pilot , it's implied that Walt is unable to gain an erection despite Skylers attempts to stimulate him. It's only after the fear and excitement of his first venture into the criminal underworld that he returns home to then engage in sexual intercourse with his wife. The fact that she states 'Walt, is that you?' suggests that he has been without an erection without a long time.
Of course, erections are traditionally seen as a symbol of masculinity and male dominance. Walt becomes more sexually active the further he descends into the criminal underworld ('now why was that so damn good?' - 'because it was illegal')
You've also got to remember that Walt has kind of been emasculated for most of his life by people such as Hank, even if his comments were just jokes.
Walt and Hank are actually similar in that they try to pertain to another traditional trait of masculinity - not showing emotional vulnerability. Walt only becomes more hardened to his emotions over the series while Hank eventually breaks down due to his PTSD, which he was at first hesitant to discuss with Marie.
Then we come to Gus's speech about a man 'providing' for his family. Gus tries to play Walt like a fiddle by preying on his supposed motivation for entering the drug trade - providing for his family.
It's why when Walt goes to his house, Gus makes casual references to having 'kids' , plus there are children's toys in the background. But when Jesse goes, such items and references are absent. It's a plot by Gus to prey on his workers feelings.
However, this is where Gus perhaps underestimated Walt. We know by 'Felina' that Walt really did it all for himself, as it actually gave him a purpose in an otherwise meaningless existence. His 'motivation' was misread by Gus, who was thus outfoxed
:0
I always like video essays n a breakin bad one is just what i need
I have literally been watching videos about Breaking Bad ever since I first finished the series about a week ago (I got to the party late) and this was by far one of the more thoughtful and in depth I've seen on the series. Mike was my 2nd favorite character after Jesse and the moment Walt killed him was when I lost all sympathy for him. I think you absolutely hit the nail on the head about the real reason behind Walt killing him. Really great work, hope to see more from you! 👏🙌👍
Mike was always my favorite
11:45 Walter is a great dad as he holds his son through his tears.....despite the fact he is the reason behind those tears.
That's really sad that Walt fathered and loved Jesse more through his actions because he could pass his legacy onto him. Blue meth on the streets not cooked by Walt he automatically knows is Jesse
There's also the fact that you could read the tension between Mike and Walt in S5A as a struggle between two fathers for control over Jesse, who Walt has grown to view as a second son. Jesse himself tries to resolve and be the voice of reason between his two father figures.
Whereas Walt wants the drug money for himself, Mike does it with an end goal of providing for his granddaughter. Walt sets himself an initial goal of 737,000, but by the end is consumed by greed, and the assertion of male power that comes with the role of drug kingpin.
Also, keep in mind the scene in 'Seven-Thirty Seven' where Walt assaults Skyler in the kitchen. He does it out of the fear of death when he fears that Tuco will be after him.
It's a similar case to how, in wars, many travelling soldiers would become more sexually active/ predatory as they felt the fear of death meant they should have one more intimate moment of pleasure before the inevitable 'end'.
:)
you really have a talent for media analysis. this is a perspective i've never seen anyone else talk about. great video.
He literally just didn't think about Lydia having the list at the time. Jessie says it best -if Walt killed Mikes men he'd have to look over his shoulder for eternity.
You say El Camino weird.
I would also like to add that you can see the dueling patriarchies not just between Walt and Mike, but also between Walt and Hank. Except instead of feuding over Jesse, they're feuding over Flynn. Right from the start, you see how much Walt means to Flynn, how much Flynn idolizes him. And so much of Flynn's lashing out towards Skylar stems from his loyalty towards Walt. But Flynn wrestles with this yearning for a good father, and Walt's incapability of filling that role. Or unwillingness. Either way, like you said, time after time he uses Flynn as a pawn. You see that in the drinking scene, and you know what I see? How Hank rushes towards Flynn to help him while Walt just stands there. And I think that's where things start to change for Flynn.
I think I'd have to go back and rewatch this arc in order to explain it better, but you can see the ramifications when they're in the waiting room after Hank gets hospitalized, and Flynn's talking about the book Hank gave him. How Walt sort of looked defeated, like he had lost a pawn or something. But what really struck me is that RJ Mitte, Flynn's actor, says that he imagines that after the events of the series, Flynn joins the DEA to carry on Hank's legacy. And GOD, when he screams at Walt on the phone in Granite State - I just think that it all shows how Flynn ended up chosing Hank as his father. Hank was the good father he needed, not Walt. And even then, Walt took that away from him. Truly sad.
I think the biggest mistake he made was telling his wife about the under hand dealing, killing Mike jepodusing Jesse's trust, burying all of his cash in the same place. Not accepting the job offer at grey matter.
I saw someone once say that Walter jr was Walt's son, and that Jesse was the son of Heisenberg
Only once?
It's true
Mike is the Uncle Iroh of the show, Jesse is Zuko, Walter is Ozai
Lmfao Comparing Mike to Uncle Iroh! 🤣 as if there’s any moral code or gentleness to Mike
@@shredgod6394 Uncle iro conquered land and slaughtered innocent people but on his path to peace Mike isn't really like that he probably just compare the two cuz it's too old guys that a lot of people like
@@powerlifting1012
Uncle Iroh reformed and stopped hurting people that’s the big difference
It's interesting, because I have said this over and over. Jessie and Walter Jr needed to have a scene together. Really. There's a whole story hidden in that, which would have been one of the best if it had been built on at all.
I did hear that there was a sub plot at one point, where after finding out about Brock's poisoning, Jessie gets Walter Jr addicted to his father's meth. But even if this would end up making Jessie too unsympathetic, in denying us a scene between the two, they didn't pull a really interesting cheklov's gun.
We could have gotten into issues of feeling inadequate.
This video deserves so much more attention
Your future plans sound good man. I look forward to them. Subbed!
I love how he pronounces Spanish words
It could also be because like even though Mike goes into hiding that doesn’t mean he can’t send somebody to kill Walter to protect his people. Mike knows everything and can use that information to stop Walter one way or another even in hiding.
Dude! This needs more views! Great fucking video essay
Alternate Title: Breaking Dad
You're a natural, keep up the quality work
This video is amazing bro! Absolutely love this g you’re sick at this!🔥
I think he killed Mike so he could kill his guys without having to worry about him coming back
I have watched the show 14 times and I’m working on number 15 now… There are so many aspects throughout that show that relate to not only myself but so many other facets within life. The best show hands-down
Skyler's "cruel" actions are entirely justified lol
One’s familial loyalties aren’t always driven by biology.
*TAP TAP*
It's, "El cuh-ME-no." Great video, by the way.
Geez, YT recommendations did me good on this one, your channel is so criminally small.
Walter killed Mike because he was still holding a grudge from the time Mike beat Walter in the bar
Spectacular essay
Amazing take! Never thought of it that way, really glad i discovered this essay
I am still so salty that Jonathan Banks lost his supporting actor Emmy for Five-O to season 5 Tyrion Lannister on autopilot
Yo, i really love this video.
I never thought of Mike's death this way but it makes total sense!
I always saw the dueling patriarchs of Jesse pinkman.
Never quite understood how far it went! This was great!
God, I friggin adore this show, and it’s characters more than is probably natural! I understand why you do.
Great work man. I wish you made more videos about Breaking Bad.
Nice video man
Breaking Bad is all about moral complexity. It's about mixed, multi-layered motives, moral compromises, unintended consequences, damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't choices. ALL GREAT LITERATURE IS ABOUT MORAL COMPLEXITY. Moral complexity is the human dilemma.
So, when you say that Walter White revealed the "real reason why his did all of it.", I say, "That's rubbish." Satisfying his ego, breaking free of his boring, humiliating life, was only one motive, one cause among many for his many choices, many actions (not always chosen). If anything, his simplistic "confession" was an attempt to tie it all up in a neat bow for Skyler, to dissipate her anger about his having said that he did it for the family ("did it for the family" is, indeed, ONE of the motives for his choices). You might say that when he "confessed', he did it for his wife, the center of his family. In any case, it would have taken years on the psychiatrist's couch to fully parse all the many-layered motives for his choices in his many, many actions. There was no time for that, and anyway, Skyler would have no patience to even let Walt start.
By the way, "family", not Patriarchy (a loaded term---for heaven's sake, use it with discretion---or do you mean "fatherhood"?), is at the core of Breaking Bad. As Hector Salamanca said, "Family is everything." Family loyalty, family welfare, family survival drives the plot. Gilligan and Co. are questioning the influence of family, for good or ill, on society. It's not Patriarchy. (There are more than a couple of domineering toxic mothers in the show to compete with "Patriarchy".) Family includes Skyler laundering money. It includes Lidia providing luxury for her daughter. It also includes warm, loving fathers, such as Janes's father. Family is complicated. It can be toxic and psychotic, it can be miserable, it can simply be maddening.
Hm. You meant "fatherhood". Just a bad choice of word. Oh, well
The Chad Walt and The virgin Mike
Mike kills what vince gilligan reveals to be the long lost brother of walt. So that could be why walt kills mike idk
Awesome analysis! Thanks, I really enjoyed this 👍
Nice video enjoyed your analysis
Thanks for the awesome video man
Damn, I've never seen the show in such a light. Great video!
Walter white is very similar in motivation to Tywin Lannister.
Anybody else get mad by the way he said el Camino?
Amazing video
I think the exact momant walt becomes Heisenberg is when he kills the people that Jesse was about to try and shoot I mean he watched Jane die but those with the last visual Cues of remorse for the most part because he unflinchingly killed both the criminals and I think that's the point Walter stopped caring I also love how as the series progressed Walter builds his confidence and he's able to talk and argue with Skylar without being a submissive and I loved the point when Skyler was trying to buy the car wash and her and Walter talking with soul the way she says it's got to be this car wash mentioning how car wash owner was rude when mentioning Walt which peaked Walt interest to carry on pursuing the Carwash despite soul pleading not to😂😂😂 and I'm glad that they did the swimming pool scene how they did with Walt wanted to show Walt junior that he's the one with the authority but I think that was a time when he was more inexperienced as to how he conducted himself with his liberation he was more impulsive but as the series progressed he was smart enough to manipulate Mike into letting him phone Jesse to get him to kill Gail the evolution of his character was amazing
Personally, I don’t think there is an exact moment where Walt becomes Heisenberg. Heisenberg has always been a part of Walt. He just didn’t “shine” until Walt let that part of him out or until Walt began to find out the power he held more and more.
Very good video
Thank you so much for this take! But I always felt like people are missing how much of the shows crime aspect is a metaphor I feel for the life walt expects to have as the patriarch hero or antihero daddy and in his actual „legal“ life he‘s not able to be the masculine ideal he‘s so obsessed with, so he drops out and tries to get into shady dangerous business to live his own fantasy of being „the man“. I mean remember when he stated early into the show: „I don‘t have any control over
My life!“ because he can‘t be the big dominant hero daddy he‘s so desperate to be. And hanks constant teasing i feel was initially just a setup for walt to be established as a man trying really hard to be the masculine ideal while people like hank always emasculated him at every turn.
Point is though, As Walter White walt in the eyes of the patriarchy is a failed pathetic weak man. And he hates this. But in the Drug Lord fantasy he‘s the strong dominant, cool and calculating provider. This is also seen as whenever they „cook“ is the only time music is seemingly really used instead of ambiance tracks, very minor music or silence. I also feel like this symbolizes the fiction and the absurdity of his new heisenberg life and juxtaposes it to the normal life he has where making money isn‘t all that easy because the cards are stacked against you and you‘re pretty much failed already in the ideal of who you should be cause only really lucky ppl or people with insane privilige or inheritence are able to live up to that „provider“ role fully.
But that‘s the thing. If anything this show just exposes how toxic, destructive and damaging traditional masculinity and a patriarchial family structure is by cranking that up to a T and making it reach absurdity to expose the sillyness and the childishness of such a dysfunctional gender ideal. All these patriarcs do in the end, be it
Walt, gus, mike or any other one of them in the show, is turning into ruthless, violent authoritarian monsters with no ethical standard, no respect for human life, and a hatred of all emotions except for anger. And
All they do is box in their „family“ if they want that or don‘t, turn them into prisoners, emotionally abuse them to total submission and mental deterioration like seen in skylar and Jessie, and all they do it for only themselves in the end because it‘s not about that role. It‘s about the power trip of
That role. The dominance that makes all of them feel they are a proper „man“ and that in the end i feel is the strongest point of the show.
I mean obviously. They break the 4th wall all the time with „A man xyz!“ speeches just to make you notice it‘s the main theme. It‘s not just about
Drugs, or crimes, or human struggle,
Or a
Man‘s descent into evil. It‘s about patriarchy and a subversion of manhood to expose the toxicity that so often comes with it. And how
It only serves to stroke one person‘s ego who‘m is of course „the man“. And they do that by sacrificing anyone they „love“ or call family with mental and physical torture until the subject or rather the histage is submissive and obediant.
And the fact that so many straight cis men who watched this show didn‘t get the message, get angry when you even mention masculinity as a theme of the show, idolize walter while
Painting his emotional abuse victim aka skylar for being „naggy and annoying“ as the wrost character, and have literally all the show is trying to say fly above their heads. I mean it‘s only a sign that the show saying „toxic masculinity is a huge problem and men can‘t see that“ is absolutely right about that. No matter how many dude bro‘s will throw a hissy fit over it. They just
Prove the show‘s point and I‘m honestly jere for it because it‘s so refreshing to see toxic masculinity actually called out
Like this implicitly. Because that so rarely happems despite that thing being a massive societal issue.
I know I’m late but great video dude! Nice analysis.
What the underrated channel
deserves more subs
Season 6 season 6 season 6!!!!
Walt wakes up in the hospital, handcuffed to the bed, recovering from his gunshot wound, police standing outside, in walks Saul, they talk briefly, Walt ends up in jail and shortly after begins to plot his escape , which is successful, Jesse is still cooking walts meth working for himself, gets word that Walt is alive and goes to help.....
Haha not bad. Could do with some improvements, but not bad.
This would totally destroy the message of the series though. Walt was never meant to survive, because he didn't end up the hero. Jesse was always supposed to resist the pull, which is why he wouldn't voluntarily go back to cooking, and even if he did, it wouldn't be framed as positive by the show
Well, those were Vince Gilligans words
And never stated any of it was betrayed as positive
And they never showed Walt actually die he was just laying there with a gunshot wound while the sirens grew closer
And Jesse all in all, loves cooking, even after all he went through, and sees Walt as a father figure, maybe wanting to continue his legacy
@@sinenomine7405 fair enough, I thought it went against the message. I think it was the right decision to not move forward with it. Even with walt saying "I did it for myself" and all the plot showing how he was wrong, if he kept getting away for much longer it would be harder to show that he wasn't doing the right thing
Good video but I think you’re way off on the Walt and family dynamic and Jessie.
I wore that t-shirt yesterday.
The thumbnail reminds me of the poster for The Assassination of Jesse James.
Very nice point of view
sPooilers
Walter JR won. He got the $ & the protection of billionaires. Winning can suck.
11: 47 *u m* this scene just 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
I don’t see any spooilers here
This is legit full of spoilers. What are you on about
Oh I get it now
S[po]oilers? What’s a Spooiler?
it's good you had a spooiler warning
Jesse
spooilers
I actually sped the video up by 1.25x so I could hear you talk at a normal speed
Major spooilers?
This guy is defo incellectuals scotland
Another one of the zillions vids "walt is a monster"... So simple...
A good take on it I haven't heard before.
Yep still fanboys cant grasp any criticism of their beloved and glorified criminal
Yep, the hyper masculine, traditional, and toxic portions of modern "Western" masculinity are main driving forces behind many of the characters, especially Walter. It's the only way they make sense and aren't self-contradictory to the point of being unrealistic.
Mike's willingness to do just about anything to provide excessively for his granddaughter even though he could do it with a regular job well enough.
Hank saying the family will be taken care of as if it's a duty and not something he wants to do because he loves them, his entire personality, and especially the denial of his obvious PTSD.
Walt risking his family's safety and emotional and mental well-being to cook knowing the potential consequences when Gretchen and Elliot gave him an easy out early on as well as his need for total control of everything.
Pretty much all of the antagonists are dropping with it, even Gus in his own way with his control freak nature and need for vengeance over his murdered lover and partner.
It's everywhere throughout the show yet I see so few people talk about it despite it being such a major factor in the way these characters behave and interact. In a better culture with a more healthy idea of masculinity it would be an entirely different show. In this one we get what we have.
wtf are u roy keanes son??????????
Bruh how did you pronounce el camino so bad wtf
Ok
Season 1: ok I’m done cooking
Skyler: I hate you Walt
Season 2: ok I cooked alittle more but I’m done now.
Skyler: I despise you
Season 3: ok I’m in remission, and quit for good this time.
Skyler: I want a divorce, also get out of my house cause ted and I are gonna bang.
Season 4: uhh Skyler where’s our money I sacrificed my soul and sanity to provide for you for?
Skyler: oh I gave it to Ted, no big deal
Season 5: hey Skyler I killed the guy who tried to kill us all.
Skyler: You are a monster and I wish your cancer came back.
Season 5 part 2: oh god Hank knows, I’m gonna turn myself in.
Skyler: NO YOU WONT!! We are gonna make a confession tape to make you look unredeemable in our family’s eyes.
I agree it seemed out of nowhere for her, but she still made a good point
Skyler never said "no big deal"? She gave it to Ted to save his company not realizing that Walt was in danger since she always assured her he wasnt. She hates him in season 5 because he continues to lie to her putting all of them in danger. Also it was Walts idea to make the tape
What a way to undermine all Walter fkups between those moments But ok, fanboys Will be fanboys
walt spends season 1 lying about his cancer and ducking and diving her without any solid explanation of she’s gonna be irritated. season 2 is much the same. season 3 he’s a literal meth cook but she’s doesn’t want her kids to find out. walt spends that season overriding her decisions like a typical abuser and so by fucking ted she thinks she’s giving walt a reason to divorce her but he still chooses not to. by the end of season 3 she starts to forgive him bc she genuinely believes he was doing it for his family (marie’s speech). seasons 4 she realises she’s in it now but she’s also extremely smart and wants to do everything possible to not incriminate her and her family so she starts to launder his money. by season 5 he’s out of control he not only threatens her but even though he insisted he’d be out of the game he still chooses to stay in it and outwardly tells her the horrific situations he’s been put in (gun to his head, killing people) her only priority at that point is getting her kids away from this active threat as soon as possible and all whilst being his hostage. if u had a brain u could understand that.
El kameno
Common European L