The last episode was great, I like the way it's just slowly building up.

Finally got round to start watching Series 2.

It's got me hooked again.Anyone else been watching?

Tek wrote:

Series 5 starting on Netflix on Feb 24th 🤘

 
Can't wait - last episode of series four was one of the best bits of TV I've ever seen

First 2 episodes of Series 5 watched.

Bit of a slow start. 

The younger Salamanca character is very good. You get the feeling he is pure evil under the smile and cool, calm persona.

It seems to me that all the main characters this series are acting the way they are due to two main emotions.

Guilt and Revenge

And are using their inability to deal with these emotions to reflect their pain or anger on to others.

Howard Hamlin = Feels GUILT about the death of Charles McGill and as a consequence has became a nicer, more benevolent figure. Actually looking out and trying to see the best in Jimmy. Admitting to not just himself but also Jimmy, that he see's him as an assett to Hamlin, Hamlin, McGill (an opinion he had to suppress when Chuck was still a partner). Hell, he's even willing to forego the acts of destruction against himself by Jimmy. Both property (car with the bowling balls) and reputation (embarrassingly doorstepped at lunch with Clifford Main by prostitutes).

Saul Goodman - On the surface it looks like Saul's aforementioned act's of destruction to Howard's property + reputation are acts of revenge caused by Saul's perceived opinion that Howard is somehow to blame for Chuck's demise. My opinion is, it is, in fact Saul's tremendous GUILT over the death of his older Brother that is making him deflect the blame on to poor Howard (who now seem's genuinely likeable).

Saul know's 'deep down' his actions at the trial versus Chuck (where he exposed his delusions regarding the electro-magnetic disease) led to not only Chuck feeling humiliated (in front of his peers and Ex-Wife), but also led to his descent back into severe mental unwellness and ultimately suicide. Jimmy only has 2 figures left in his life to tie him to Chuck = Howard Hamlin and Kim Wexlor. The latter he is in love with. So he is projecting his anger towards the other, Howard, ironically at at a time when he is offering an Olive branch and offering him everything he ever wanted = to be like Chuck.

Mike Ermantraut = I used to like Mike's character in 'Breaking Bad'. So it has been to my surprise and slight disappointment that I have found him to be a bit of a prick in this Series. But, again, I think (like Saul) we are seeing a man deflect his pain towards others. I think he feels both GUILT towards the murder of his Son (that he wasn't there to stop it) and also (and mostly) that he is fuelled by an absolute inner rage and feelings of REVENGE. 

You witnessed in an episode where the normally unflappable Mike lost his temper and shouted at the Grand Daughter he adores. And all just because she was asking questions about her Dad (his Son). He has obviously never came to terms with this huge loss to his life. Has never began to even properly grieve.

Gustavo Fring (the most perceptive character in the entire show) realises ths emotion in Ermentraut and plays on it. Literally asking him to follow him and work under him for these very reasons. Because they both believe in the same thing = justice and revenge.

Which bring us to the enigmatic Gustavo Fring = Until this series we had all wondered just what motivated this seemingly emotionless man to continue to build his drugs empire and in particular why he was Hell bent on seeing Hector Salamanca suffer. Well it was all revealed in the episode where Hector cruelly asassinate's Gus's right hand man right in front of him in cold blood. Who was this mystery man? Well not much on this is later fed to us other than Fring's mentioning they dragged themselves up from the impoverished streets of Santiago (Chile) together. Was he Fring's lover? Possibly. We never see a Wife or (implied) children. He also never seemingly uses his power, wealth or status for reasons of lust.

Instead he seems completely motivated in this series by REVENGE. It is no coincidence that he took the injured Mike back to Chile to the clay houses he had built for the poor. The place he built the memorial fountain to Maximino. He knew he needed Mike moving forward in this war against the Cartel and he knew he had to convince Ermantraut that not only did he have a benevolent side but aldo that his main motivation wasn't money or power, it was revenge, just like him. If he had any hope of recruiting him.

We also, of course, see a chilling hindsight into Fring's sociopathic tendencies, when even as a youngster he tells a tale of snaring a Coyote who harmlessly ate fruit from a tree he planted. But instead of setting it free or just killing it outright he keeps it. Gains it's trust/affection.

And seemingly kills/tortures it later on when it least expects it.

Lalo Salamanca - Another motivated by revenge. He suspects Fring responsible in some shape or form for his Uncle's invalid status. That and his own ambitions of power (being head of the Salamanca family).

The character I can't figure out (and am most drawn too) is Kim Wexlor = So often I have wondered why this smart, bright, attractive go-getter aligns herself with Jimmy and despite her constant disappointment in him (and his unscrupulous working methods) she just can't seemingly cut ties with.

They finally revealed a little bit of her past in S3 E5 when it showed a young Kim Wexlor as a stubborn, defiant and head-strong as ever as she refused to get in her (semi drunk) Mother's car to drive home in wintery weather.

So what we know is = She is a long way from home (just like Jimmy). There is no hint of a 'Father figure' in her life in the past. Her Mother was seemingly a party-loving, reckless, and unreliable type. And despite this Kim was herself both a studious and driven pupil (she had musical equipment with her as she walked home in the cold).

I think a part of her is attracted to Jimmy's reckless side. A part of him that she genetically also has in her and Jimmy knows it too. The scene when he threw a beer bottle and then she threw several was quite telling.

Another great episode.

Tek wrote:

What are we thinking happened to Kim Wexlor?

She never appeared in 'Breaking Bad' of course.

She's waiting in the hoose, Mesa Verde's CEO, Mr N Jelms has apparently emailed her, her new workload.

Last edited by David_Blunkett (15/4/2020 11:42 am)

David_Blunkett wrote:

Tek wrote:

What are we thinking happened to Kim Wexlor?

She never appeared in 'Breaking Bad' of course.

She's waiting in the hoose, Mesa Verde's CEO, Mr N Jelms has apparently emailed her, her new workload.

Missed this at the time.

It went into my spam folder.
 

First two episodes of Series 6 watched tonight.

'Wine and Roses' and 'Carrot and Stick'.

Brilliant start to the Series already. 

Kim Wexlor has become a bad ass. But you can sense Jimmy's sadness about it.

He's corrupted her. Or so he thinks.

Episode 7 - brilliant.  The acting, story line and cinemaphotography just spot on.  And one hell of a cliff-hanger.

Brilliant episode.

Mike Ehrmantraut's little chink of humanity near the end. Very clever.

Reminds the viewer that he is actually a 'Good guy', in a desperate mess of a situation that he probably can't get out of anymore (and he knows it).

Series 6 Episode 10

The episode we were probably all expecting the return of Walt + Jesse, but instead the writers threw us all a curveball and produced a (rather brilliant) black and white future episode of Gene.

Though he does refer to Walter White in this scene. Next few episodes are gonna be off-the scale.