The really great TV thread

[Spooky]

EDIT: I want to know how they got those baby-crying sounds! Did they really piss off/scare a kid that badly for the show??

Funny you mention that as that was the only thing that was distracting for me about that intense scene. It was SO obvious that it was not the kid in the actual scene doing any of that crying. And half of that scene it was obvious that it was a doll in the clothes and not a real kid. While I am certainly glad they chose that route rather than upsetting a kid just for that scene - it did take me out of it slightly.

Oh - and come on over to the house any day about 6:45pm when my son is overtired and you'll here the eact same screaming that was used for that scene.

[dbdynsty25]

If you guys watched Talking Bad right after the show, Anna Gunn was interviewed and said yes, they used a prop baby for most of the scene and just zoomed in occasionally on the real baby. No real babies were harmed during the filming of this show.

LOL @ Spooky...but 6:45pm? Goodness. D doesn't get that way until 8:45pm haha. Then again, he's a little earlier now that he's on the one nap schedule.

[webdanzer]

No, I knew the baby itself was a doll for most of it, but those sounds were certainly real. Is there a stock sound bank somewhere of crying baby sounds? Just curious where that originated.

And props to the makeup work after Walt's bathroom collapse. Dude looked horrendously half-dead, as appropriate.

[dbdynsty25]

No, I knew the baby itself was a doll for most of it, but those sounds were certainly real. Is there a stock sound bank somewhere of crying baby sounds? Just curious where that originated.

Yes. My brother in law is a sound mixer for Sony...they have canned sounds for EVERYTHING in movies/TV. Most sounds you hear are not the ones that are recorded when filmed...they are added later (i.e. gun shots, breaking glass etc.)

[RobVarak]

I think the beauty of Skylar's dilemma is that she clearly still feels some emotional attachment to Walt, almost as if his willingness to walk away from the business demonstrated that he really was doing things for the family. The viewer knows this is B.S., but when he's down in a sweating heap on the bathroom floor, there's clearly more to Skylar's motivation than just self-preservation.

Hank on the other hand clearly overplayed his hand. Given Skylar's past reactions to Walt's behavior, she probably would have been quite receptive to Hank's overtures as a protector and advocate. But when he puts that recorder on the table it undermines his pitch and places him in a perverse moral equivalence with Walt in Skylar's eyes. They're both lying to win the game in her eyes, and given that her prime directive is to protect her kids and herself she's not even looking at the big picture any more. Whether Hank works on the side of the angels matters not. He's just deceptive and manipulative.

Random aside: Bonus points for Bill Burr's reaction when Walt declares the money in the barrels to be "close enough" to the money that was in storage. That millisecond where he goes from seeing his own painful demise to realizing that he's been given dispensation is a beauty.

[wco81]

Anna Gunn was on Talking Bad and she said she though there was a reservoir of love in Skyler for Walt throughout this ordeal.

Last week's episode and the finale of the first part of season 5, she seemed happier because Walt had quit the business, after she showed how big the pile of money was.


Gilligan has said that Walt has become a despicable human being, that nothing he's done is justifiable. The ostensible premise is about people making bad moral choices. But a lot of the time, he's acted while cornered, in some manic, almost primal state.

I caught up re-watching the previous season and when he shoots mike, it's a spur of the moment act, out of desperation because Mike is going to leave with information that he needs.

Then he finds Mike by the river and Cranston's face shows true sorrow, because he realizes he could have gotten the list of the imprisoned former operatives from Lydia.

[RobVarak]

Then he finds Mike by the river and Cranston's face shows true sorrow, because he realizes he could have gotten the list of the imprisoned former operatives from Lydia.

That's one of my favorite moments. It's Heisenberg voicing Walt's internal monologue.

[Jimmydeicide]

The real baby was clearly upset and crying from what i saw , i thought it must have been real . glad it wasnt but that real baby was upset.
And i dont know if i could ever just bury money somewhere like that could be all gone when its time to go get it. I realize it has to completely disappear but still that would be a tough thing to do .

Glad ive finally caught up.

[RobVarak]

The real baby was clearly upset and crying from what i saw , i thought it must have been real . glad it wasnt but that real baby was upset.
And i dont know if i could ever just bury money somewhere like that could be all gone when its time to go get it. I realize it has to completely disappear but still that would be a tough thing to do .

Glad ive finally caught up.

The ADR guy just used audio of Matthew Weiner's last negotiation with AMC for that baby track.

[Diablo25]

I'm a fan of the TNT show Rizzoli and Isles so I was shocked to hear that Lee Thompson Young committed suicide earlier today. Wow...only 29. Sad stuff. RIP.

[pk500]

Skyler is preserving whatever integrity is left of her family, no question. But she also has turned bad, just not to the same dark shades as Walt.

Remember the scene in which Walt first showed her the pile of money in the self-storage shed? There was horror but also a small smidge of impish evil on Skyler's face when she first saw it.

Everyone is bad in this show in some degree. The only true hero may end up being Pinkman, in the irony of ironies.

[vader29]

Walt's "confession" video was genius! I think Hank took dump number 2 of the season right there while standing next to Marie watching it. Fastest hour on tv.

[dbdynsty25]

That was definitely one of my favorite episodes ever. Nearly everything about it was phenomenal. The confession, the dinner scene (what dinner...guess it was the water scene), Jesse finally putting it all together and flipping out...all were fantastic. You're right...the fastest hour on television.

[RallyMonkey]

That was definitely one of my favorite episodes ever. Nearly everything about it was phenomenal. The confession, the dinner scene (what dinner...guess it was the water scene), Jesse finally putting it all together and flipping out...all were fantastic. You're right...the fastest hour on television.

Couldn't agree more. One of my favorite episodes ever. The range of emotions I had for Walt, Hank, Jesse, and Saul within the span of 60 minutes...just pure genius writing.

[wco81]

Walt's "confession" video was genius! I think Hank took dump number 2 of the season right there while standing next to Marie watching it. Fastest hour on tv.

The confession is flawed on a couple of points. If Hank is the mastermind, where is the sign of his money? He didn't have money to pay for his treatment, had to get it from Walt and he certainly didn't buy a car wash.

Hank is in trouble first for pursuing Heinsenburg so much, even when his superiors wanted him to work on other things, especially after he took over the ABQ DEA office. And then not disclosing his suspicions right away, though I guess he wanted to get evidence or confession from Skyler and wrap it up in a nice little package for his bosses.

Whatever he may feel about crime and law and so forth, it's kind of hard to comprehend that he'd turn so quickly on Walt, at least not even try to understand why Walt did what he did. He didn't care, as soon as he found out, Walt was his enemy, to vanquish. He didn't ask why Hank became a criminal after he became sick (like the two are related?).

Sure family members and close friends can become alienated over one event but these couples sure were quick to dispose of relationships that go back decades.

[RallyMonkey]

Don't you think the video along with $177K medical bill paid in cash plants enough doubt that Hank wouldn't want it to get out? It's genius, much like many of Walt's antics on the show, in that it's a diversion away from the truth. He knows Hank is screwed either way.

And in terms of the family "taking it out", Walt was essentially responsible for having Hank shot and nearly killed. Family or not, I'd be pretty much out for blood too if I found out one of my family members was attached to shooting me...no matter how long they've been family.

[dbdynsty25]

And in terms of the family "taking it out", Walt was essentially responsible for having Hank shot and nearly killed. Family or not, I'd be pretty much out for blood too if I found out one of my family members was attached to shooting me...no matter how long they've been family.

Especially if it's someone you've been "hunting" for the past year. And then seeing all the people that he killed, used, corrupted, etc....and that's all the stuff Hank found out prior to Walt visiting him in the garage and essentially threatening him. So Hank's current situation and temperament is completely believable to me. Family or not. Plus, it's not like he's blood anyway...only an in-law.

[wco81]

I'm not saying Hank could easily explain away the video. Walt hasn't been telegraphing the money he has too much, other than the cars, the carwash and the hospital bills for both himself and Hank.

But I don't think the video would stand up to real scrutiny.

However, as a plot device, it's fine, moves the story along. I wonder if the greater threat is going to be from Todd and his crazy uncles, with the swastika tatoos on their necks.

They could probably have kept the series going for awhile, but the ratings aren't as strong as for other AMC shows.

Maybe they can leave open the possibility of a movie.

[dbdynsty25]

Maybe they can leave open the possibility of a movie.

The rumors are there will be a Better Call Saul spinoff. And if those hold water, I am pretty sure Saul is going to have A LOT to do with how this all turns out. I think he's been the major player in a lot of this stuff. He's doing the manipulation of Jesse lately...and I just have a sneaking suspicion he might be a bigger character than we all think. But that's just me conspiring.

[RobVarak]

I'm not saying Hank could easily explain away the video. Walt hasn't been telegraphing the money he has too much, other than the cars, the carwash and the hospital bills for both himself and Hank.

But I don't think the video would stand up to real scrutiny.

Agreed, but I think given Hank's history, particularly the Pinkman incident, it would be enough to significantly derail his career. And from Walt's perspective he's just trying to buy some elbow room. He doesn't need it to be ironclad, just operate as a disincentive for Hank to either kill him or take his kids.

Edit:

The fact that he was pumping Jesse for information about Hank's interrogation makes it clear that Walt doesn't believe Hank is anywhere near calling off the dogs entirely. I think it just buys Walt time to figure out a way to get his $ and get the family out of Dodge or get dead from the cancer.

[sportdan30]

Just watched last night's episode. First, do you realize how difficult it was not to read this thread this morning?

Anyways, that episode reaffirmed why BB is one of, if not the best hour long dramas I've ever seen on television. That particular scene with Walt's confession had my mouth wide open just like Hank's was.

I do think Todd and his thugs are going to pull Jesse, Walt, Saul, and Hank together to bring down the New Mexico drug ring once and for all. But I can't even begin to figure out how it's all going to play out!

[pk500]

For a moment, I thought Marie was about to believe Walt's confession and go mental on Hank.

Riveting TV.

[Spooky]

For a moment, I thought Marie was about to believe Walt's confession and go mental on Hank.

Riveting TV.

I had that same moment.

[greggsand]

Watch Walt's face after Marie suggests he "just go kill himself". He totally has this "hmmmm, not a bad idea" look on his face for a second. I'm guessing he fakes his own death/suicide (hence the 'Lambert' scenes) then follows it up with a 'real' one.

The cliffhanger isn't 'will Jessie burn the house down??' (we know he doesn't). The cliffhanger is 'what stops him from doing it'?'. I'm guessing Walt Jr comes walking out of a bedroom with the baby or something. Love this show. Sooo going to suck when it's gone.

[RallyMonkey]

I'm going to try and keep this somewhat vague so as not to play spoiler but it's been weighing on me. Why didn't they pull their badges and how, with higher ground, automatics, and clear shots, could they have missed.?!?

Oh, and I'm going to need serious therapy after this show because I'm so pissed at the good guys and so badly rooting for evil.