I noted that the last season finale seemed like a solid wrap up as Walt was in a position to walk away. However, just as Walt may have thought he was out, fate pulls him back in. Not only is Mike more than a little miffed that his boss just got killed, but it turns out that Gus' surveillance footage could land them all in prison. It leads to a rather uneasy alliance and a scheme that involves a giant magnet.
The change in Walt is noticeable here. He's much more forceful and confident than he ever was. There are times where even Mike and Jesse seem taken aback by the change. Even in the domestic scenes, where Walt would usually revert to his old self, his mannerisms are off. He sounds just as menacing trying to reassure Skyler that she has nothing to be afraid of as he does when he pressures Saul into continuing to work for him despite the quasi-ethical lawyer's protests. At face value, it seems counter-productive, but if you needed more proof that "Heisenburg" was in control now, that's a pretty good indicator.
While some might mourn the loss of Walt, I've been waiting for this for some time now. Now we're really seeing Walt as the cold, calculating figure that his reputation presents him as. I enjoyed it immensely. It's helped by the fact that Cranston does a great job with it. It was already kind of weird seeing him in 'Seinfeld' reruns after watching him here, but I think it's going to be to an even greater extent now. In any event, it's a shame that he wasn't cast as Lex Luthor because he would have been a great fit.
The magnet scheme (which comes courtesy of Jesse) is initially played off as goofy and unfeasible, but it works and on several levels. Not only does it wipe the hard drive, but it smashes the laptop that houses the aforementioned footage. On top of that, it destroys a lot of other evidence to other cases so that it isn't clear who was behind it and it even hinders the cops when they become aware that something is wrong as their security cards no longer worked.
True, Walt goes a bit overboard, causing the truck to tilt in such a fashion that they had to abandon it, but he made sure to cover his tracks well enough that it won't become a problem later. What will likely become a problem later, is that information that was written down on the back of one of Gus' photos. In true, "hoisted by your own petard" fashion, they only come across this after seeing the smashed frame.
Then again, they probably would have opened the frame eventually anyway. Yeah, a family photo is easy to dismiss, but at the same time, rudimentary investigation generally involves searching through things, so it could easily be a moot point.
On other fronts, Skyler learns of Ted's fate. He didn't die, but he's not in good shape. To his credit though, he tells the cops that it was just an accident and keeps Skyler out of it.
While Walt's new demeanor took center stage, the episode also allowed some of the supporting cast to shine. We got to see Mike's grandfatherly side come out as he fed chickens (and admonished them when they started fighting over the food) in an early scene. The junkyard owner made another appearance and he's just as entertaining as he was before. One of the show's unsung successes is fleshing out even the smaller roles to such a great extent. Both the junkyard owner, as well as Badger and Skinny Pete are surprisingly layered considering how they don't play a very big part in the grand scheme of things and are often major highlights of the episodes that they do appear in.
Jesse also gets a few moments, coming up with the scheme to cover their tracks, jumping to Walt's defense when Mike is on a rampage, and even letting Walt borrow money without hesitation when Walt asks because he's strapped due to covering Ted's IRS costs. Mike isn't sure why the two go to such great lengths for each other, but after the brutal falling out last season, it was rather nice to see.
The fifth season is off to a rather strong start. Heisenburg is in action and things are certainly more dire. Thankfully, the show has still managed to keep its sense of humor. I wasn't expecting that, in all honesty, but it does add to the enjoyment of the show. No Nazis yet, but there are still 15 episodes to go. It should be an interesting ride.
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Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Night on Bald Mountain
This is one of those songs that I heard all the time, but only actually learned the title a few years ago. Whenever I hear it, I think of Batman for some reason. I seem to vaguely recall to listening to audio adventures of the caped crusader on records and it featured this music. Considering that classical music is, by and large, public domain, it's rather understandable. Still, it's a pretty neat piece.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Breaking Bad Season 4, Episode 13: Face Off
Thus, the show's fourth season comes to a close and it probably stands as the show's strongest thus far.
As Walt's car bomb plan backfired, he's forced to try to come up with a new plan. It's easier said than done as every location Gus frequents is surrounded by cameras, not to mention Gus' security personnel.
The difficult situation is made worse when the FBI takes Jesse in for questioning. It seems he had a little too much knowledge about Brock's condition and they want to know how he knew what he knew. After all, Ricin isn't exactly common. It ends up being something of a blessing, as Saul notes, Jesse's safe in custody whereas Walt is in danger, as evidenced by the fact that Gus' men go after him in his own home.
Things take a turn when Saul informs Walt about the vendetta between Tio and Gus. Most of the information comes from Jesse and what he saw, but it is enough for Walt to formulate a new plan.
While Tio hates Walt, he hates Gus more. It leads to an "enemy mine" situation of sorts as Walt enlists the old man to help eliminate his enemy once and for all. The plan is rather elegant in its simplicity. Tio fakes taking on the role of fink so that Gus will confront him personally.
Considering how Tio's last conversation with the DEA went, it's surprising that Hank went along with it. Again, we have a situation where the characters point out that it's not smart, though for completely different reasons.
It does lead to one of the episode's funnier moments as Tio just takes the opportunity to curse Hank out. At first, Tio's secondary form of communication seems tedious. Well, it is tedious. He'd be better off using Morse code, but when it comes to the messages he has for Hank, it actually adds to the humor of it as his vulgarities are literally spelled out.
Just seeing the DEA leave is enough to draw Gus' attention. His mooks offer to do the job, but Gus wants to see the old man die by his own hand. Precautions are taken, of course. A thorough search of the room is performed, but it turns out that Walt had planted a bomb on the wheelchair that goes off.
I do wonder how they didn't notice the thing. It wasn't exactly small and, as noted, they did search the room more than once. I guess they just mistook it for another piece of medical equipment?
In any event, the plan goes off without a hitch. True, Tio dies, but he knew going in that it would happen and he gets to take his arch-nemesis with him.
It's rather interesting to hear the news report. They're very solemn, which is understandable as a bomb went off at a retirement home. However, Walt is pleased, as he is safe and even the losses suffered weren't exactly heavy as they were all horrible people anyway.
Ah, but what of the poisoned child and Jesse's arrest? Well, it turns out that Brock wasn't poisoned with Ricin, but with a poisonous berry called Lily of the Valley that kids often eat by accident. This means that Gus really wasn't responsible for what happened, though both Walt and Jesse note that he still had to go. I totally called it, kind of. In fact, Jesse can also make that claim (though he doesn't know it). The episode's final wham shot shows that Walt had a pot of Lily of the Valley.
While the show has been very enjoyable, I have often felt that Walt wasn't living up to his reputation. You always hear about how Walt is this badass and how he takes on this more ruthless "Heisenburg" persona. It popped up on occasion, but it wasn't as prominent as I thought it would be.
Well, those traits comes to the forefront here. While Walt often did questionable things out of desperation, this marks a turning point as he not only poisoned a child, but used that as only a small piece in a much bigger scheme. He doesn't even seem all that torn up over it either.
It also puts the confrontation with Jesse from last episode in an entirely different light. I do wonder if those who go back for a rewatch find that the scene is less effective knowing what Walt did or if it makes it more effective. On the one hand, Walt's humanity is gone, but his ability to lie is beyond impressive.
The funny thing is that, until that wham shot, I was thinking that this easily could have been a series finale. Gus dies, Walt and his family are safe, money is longer a concern. The duo even destroy the lab for good measure. It seems like both Walt and Jesse are in a position to just walk away. It obviously isn't, but the way the resolution plays out, it could have been.
As it is, it looks like the final season is going to take a much darker turn as Walt's descent appears complete. While Walt and Jesse seem on good terms again, I think it's safe to say that Walt's scheme will come to light and drive another wedge into their relationship. Then again, his part in Jane's death has remained secret, so I could be wrong. I guess I'll just have to watch and see.
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As Walt's car bomb plan backfired, he's forced to try to come up with a new plan. It's easier said than done as every location Gus frequents is surrounded by cameras, not to mention Gus' security personnel.
The difficult situation is made worse when the FBI takes Jesse in for questioning. It seems he had a little too much knowledge about Brock's condition and they want to know how he knew what he knew. After all, Ricin isn't exactly common. It ends up being something of a blessing, as Saul notes, Jesse's safe in custody whereas Walt is in danger, as evidenced by the fact that Gus' men go after him in his own home.
Things take a turn when Saul informs Walt about the vendetta between Tio and Gus. Most of the information comes from Jesse and what he saw, but it is enough for Walt to formulate a new plan.
While Tio hates Walt, he hates Gus more. It leads to an "enemy mine" situation of sorts as Walt enlists the old man to help eliminate his enemy once and for all. The plan is rather elegant in its simplicity. Tio fakes taking on the role of fink so that Gus will confront him personally.
Considering how Tio's last conversation with the DEA went, it's surprising that Hank went along with it. Again, we have a situation where the characters point out that it's not smart, though for completely different reasons.
It does lead to one of the episode's funnier moments as Tio just takes the opportunity to curse Hank out. At first, Tio's secondary form of communication seems tedious. Well, it is tedious. He'd be better off using Morse code, but when it comes to the messages he has for Hank, it actually adds to the humor of it as his vulgarities are literally spelled out.
Just seeing the DEA leave is enough to draw Gus' attention. His mooks offer to do the job, but Gus wants to see the old man die by his own hand. Precautions are taken, of course. A thorough search of the room is performed, but it turns out that Walt had planted a bomb on the wheelchair that goes off.
I do wonder how they didn't notice the thing. It wasn't exactly small and, as noted, they did search the room more than once. I guess they just mistook it for another piece of medical equipment?
In any event, the plan goes off without a hitch. True, Tio dies, but he knew going in that it would happen and he gets to take his arch-nemesis with him.
It's rather interesting to hear the news report. They're very solemn, which is understandable as a bomb went off at a retirement home. However, Walt is pleased, as he is safe and even the losses suffered weren't exactly heavy as they were all horrible people anyway.
Ah, but what of the poisoned child and Jesse's arrest? Well, it turns out that Brock wasn't poisoned with Ricin, but with a poisonous berry called Lily of the Valley that kids often eat by accident. This means that Gus really wasn't responsible for what happened, though both Walt and Jesse note that he still had to go. I totally called it, kind of. In fact, Jesse can also make that claim (though he doesn't know it). The episode's final wham shot shows that Walt had a pot of Lily of the Valley.
While the show has been very enjoyable, I have often felt that Walt wasn't living up to his reputation. You always hear about how Walt is this badass and how he takes on this more ruthless "Heisenburg" persona. It popped up on occasion, but it wasn't as prominent as I thought it would be.
Well, those traits comes to the forefront here. While Walt often did questionable things out of desperation, this marks a turning point as he not only poisoned a child, but used that as only a small piece in a much bigger scheme. He doesn't even seem all that torn up over it either.
It also puts the confrontation with Jesse from last episode in an entirely different light. I do wonder if those who go back for a rewatch find that the scene is less effective knowing what Walt did or if it makes it more effective. On the one hand, Walt's humanity is gone, but his ability to lie is beyond impressive.
The funny thing is that, until that wham shot, I was thinking that this easily could have been a series finale. Gus dies, Walt and his family are safe, money is longer a concern. The duo even destroy the lab for good measure. It seems like both Walt and Jesse are in a position to just walk away. It obviously isn't, but the way the resolution plays out, it could have been.
As it is, it looks like the final season is going to take a much darker turn as Walt's descent appears complete. While Walt and Jesse seem on good terms again, I think it's safe to say that Walt's scheme will come to light and drive another wedge into their relationship. Then again, his part in Jane's death has remained secret, so I could be wrong. I guess I'll just have to watch and see.
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Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Breaking Bad Season 4, Episode 12: End Times
Without the funds to disappear, the Whites settle for staying with Hank as they remain under DEA's protective surveillance. It leads to a rather jarring change of pace. The last episode ended with a desperate "oh God, what do we do? We are so screwed" cliffhanger and now everyone is just nonchalantly packing up their things. Even Walt recovers from his laughing fit to find some semblance of serenity.
Walt even goes so far as to stay behind and sacrifice himself so that the family doesn't suffer for his mistakes. It's noble and all, but I'm pretty sure that Gus didn't give him the option of an either/or. I'm quite certain he said that he would kill Walt AND his family..not Walt OR his family. Maybe Walt was woozy or too scared to hear straight, but it is a rather significant difference and it makes Walt's decision seem rather odd. To their credit, Skyler and Walt Jr. both note that it's a stupid move, though for entirely different reasons.
Hank, for his part, remains relatively calm about the whole thing. He doesn't buy that the cartel is after him seeing as he's not on the job anymore, though he does suspect that he has been rattling some cages. As such, he sends Gomez to investigate the laundromat as he is still convinced that it is a prime location for a drug lab.
While Walt wasn't around to provide a warning, they are able to shut down the lab so that the agents are unable to find anything. It somewhat undercuts my assertion that having Walt around as a sort of mole is an asset, though I still stand by it.
Conversely, Gus tries to use it as proof that they should just kill Walt already and be done with it. Jesse, on the other hand, sticks by his guns and says that Walt isn't to be harmed. He may think Walt's a dick, but he doesn't want to sign off on his death warrant.
Soon after, Jesse gets a call from Andrea saying that Brock has suddenly fallen ill. While you kind of figure that the kid had gotten a hold of Jesse's poison cigarette right off the bat, the reveal is still pulled off well enough that it still makes for an effective "oh crap" moment.
I came to the conclusion that it was just an accident; that the kid had picked up Jesse's pack and tried to smoke a cigarette out of curiosity or to try and be cool. Jesse, on the other hand concludes that this is Walt's doing.
His argument is flimsy as all hell, but at the same time, you can tell that he's mad, scared, and desperate. You could also argue that he's trying to transfer blame to alleviate his own guilt. Either way, he goes to Walt's and holds the guy at gunpoint (with his own gun no less).
It leads to another rather tense standoff between the two that makes for the episode's highlight. Credit to Cranston for shifting between emotions so seamlessly. He went from confused to scared to confident and angry on the turn of a dime and it all felt natural.
Not only that, but Walt deduces that Gus was the true mastermind Brock's poisoning. He notes that with the cameras, Gus probably saw the cigarette, had Tyrus take it from his locker, and poison Brock to frame Walt so that Jesse would not only be willing to have Walt killed, but to do it himself.
It's a testament to Gus' strategic thinking, but it allows Walt and Jesse to put aside their differences to start working together again. Considering I've been a fan of the two characters' dynamic from the beginning, I was rather pleased with this development.
Wouldn't it be something if it really was an accident, though, and Walt just put that story together to save his own life? It's unlikely at this point, but it would have been an interesting twist.
In any event, the two decide to take Gus out by luring him to the hospital under the pretense that Jesse refuses to work until Brock recovers. Attempts are made to strong arm Jesse back to the lab, but they backfire and Gus eventually concedes and allows Jesse the time off, as it were.
As it happens, Walt uses the time to plant an explosive on Gus' car and waits from the roof of another building to set off the detonator.
How Gus figures out that it's a trap is beyond me. I know he's good with the tactics, but he has nothing to go on here. Walt was too far away to have been seen and the shots we see from his view show nothing to indicate foul play. If there was a glint from the sun reflecting off of Walt's binocular lenses or something, it would have been nice to see it. Instead, he just stops suddenly and walks away. Even Sherlock Holmes and L had more to go on when they seemingly extrapolated facts out of thin air. It's a minor quibble and it does save the big confrontation for the season finale, which makes sense.
All in all, this was another really strong episode. It started off quiet, but once Walt and Jesse took center stage, things kicked into high gear. Between this and the last episode, this season's finale has plenty of momentum. I have a feeling this season ending is going to be a big one.
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Walt even goes so far as to stay behind and sacrifice himself so that the family doesn't suffer for his mistakes. It's noble and all, but I'm pretty sure that Gus didn't give him the option of an either/or. I'm quite certain he said that he would kill Walt AND his family..not Walt OR his family. Maybe Walt was woozy or too scared to hear straight, but it is a rather significant difference and it makes Walt's decision seem rather odd. To their credit, Skyler and Walt Jr. both note that it's a stupid move, though for entirely different reasons.
Hank, for his part, remains relatively calm about the whole thing. He doesn't buy that the cartel is after him seeing as he's not on the job anymore, though he does suspect that he has been rattling some cages. As such, he sends Gomez to investigate the laundromat as he is still convinced that it is a prime location for a drug lab.
While Walt wasn't around to provide a warning, they are able to shut down the lab so that the agents are unable to find anything. It somewhat undercuts my assertion that having Walt around as a sort of mole is an asset, though I still stand by it.
Conversely, Gus tries to use it as proof that they should just kill Walt already and be done with it. Jesse, on the other hand, sticks by his guns and says that Walt isn't to be harmed. He may think Walt's a dick, but he doesn't want to sign off on his death warrant.
Soon after, Jesse gets a call from Andrea saying that Brock has suddenly fallen ill. While you kind of figure that the kid had gotten a hold of Jesse's poison cigarette right off the bat, the reveal is still pulled off well enough that it still makes for an effective "oh crap" moment.
I came to the conclusion that it was just an accident; that the kid had picked up Jesse's pack and tried to smoke a cigarette out of curiosity or to try and be cool. Jesse, on the other hand concludes that this is Walt's doing.
His argument is flimsy as all hell, but at the same time, you can tell that he's mad, scared, and desperate. You could also argue that he's trying to transfer blame to alleviate his own guilt. Either way, he goes to Walt's and holds the guy at gunpoint (with his own gun no less).
It leads to another rather tense standoff between the two that makes for the episode's highlight. Credit to Cranston for shifting between emotions so seamlessly. He went from confused to scared to confident and angry on the turn of a dime and it all felt natural.
Not only that, but Walt deduces that Gus was the true mastermind Brock's poisoning. He notes that with the cameras, Gus probably saw the cigarette, had Tyrus take it from his locker, and poison Brock to frame Walt so that Jesse would not only be willing to have Walt killed, but to do it himself.
It's a testament to Gus' strategic thinking, but it allows Walt and Jesse to put aside their differences to start working together again. Considering I've been a fan of the two characters' dynamic from the beginning, I was rather pleased with this development.
Wouldn't it be something if it really was an accident, though, and Walt just put that story together to save his own life? It's unlikely at this point, but it would have been an interesting twist.
In any event, the two decide to take Gus out by luring him to the hospital under the pretense that Jesse refuses to work until Brock recovers. Attempts are made to strong arm Jesse back to the lab, but they backfire and Gus eventually concedes and allows Jesse the time off, as it were.
As it happens, Walt uses the time to plant an explosive on Gus' car and waits from the roof of another building to set off the detonator.
How Gus figures out that it's a trap is beyond me. I know he's good with the tactics, but he has nothing to go on here. Walt was too far away to have been seen and the shots we see from his view show nothing to indicate foul play. If there was a glint from the sun reflecting off of Walt's binocular lenses or something, it would have been nice to see it. Instead, he just stops suddenly and walks away. Even Sherlock Holmes and L had more to go on when they seemingly extrapolated facts out of thin air. It's a minor quibble and it does save the big confrontation for the season finale, which makes sense.
All in all, this was another really strong episode. It started off quiet, but once Walt and Jesse took center stage, things kicked into high gear. Between this and the last episode, this season's finale has plenty of momentum. I have a feeling this season ending is going to be a big one.
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Daily Dose of Awesome: $2,000 Amazon Gift Cards
If you go to Amazon to buy a gift card for a friend or family member, you'll notice that they allow you to pick the value and give you a range from 15 cents to 2,000 dollars. Now, I'm guessing that this is supposed to be an extreme outlier that is never meant to be hit because, let's face it, it's not exactly feasible for most people. Granted, there was a time where the cards maxed out at $5,000, but they lowered it.
Still, could you imagine getting a $2,000 gift card from Amazon? The resulting spree would be the stuff of legend. Whether it's books, movies, graphic novels, RPG's, or video games, you could expand your hobby by a significant margin.
Seriously, the things I could do with that much. Now, my own list has swollen to the point where it wouldn't be enough to clear the list out completely, but it would put a sizable dent in the thing, not to mention allowing me to knock some of the higher end items off. I would also try to go around to other wish lists of people I know and give them a few things because, why not?
Heck, you could stock your pantry. Sure, food on Amazon tends to be overpriced (odd considering the whole point is to pay less) and depending on what you buy, the shipping costs can be outrageous, but with $2,000 to throw around, who cares?
Granted, it would never happen, but it would be amazing if some billionaire industrialist just went up to you, handed you a fully loaded gift card and said, "here have this, it's like spare change to me". If only, right? In the meantime, I guess we can only dream.
Still, could you imagine getting a $2,000 gift card from Amazon? The resulting spree would be the stuff of legend. Whether it's books, movies, graphic novels, RPG's, or video games, you could expand your hobby by a significant margin.
Seriously, the things I could do with that much. Now, my own list has swollen to the point where it wouldn't be enough to clear the list out completely, but it would put a sizable dent in the thing, not to mention allowing me to knock some of the higher end items off. I would also try to go around to other wish lists of people I know and give them a few things because, why not?
Heck, you could stock your pantry. Sure, food on Amazon tends to be overpriced (odd considering the whole point is to pay less) and depending on what you buy, the shipping costs can be outrageous, but with $2,000 to throw around, who cares?
Granted, it would never happen, but it would be amazing if some billionaire industrialist just went up to you, handed you a fully loaded gift card and said, "here have this, it's like spare change to me". If only, right? In the meantime, I guess we can only dream.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Breaking Bad Season 4, Episode 11: Crawl Space
After the climax from the last episode, Jesse rushes to get Gus and Mike some help. A regular hospital isn't an option, but they do know about a medical facility, of sorts that is able to give Gus the help he needs. Mike gets the help he needs...eventually. As the doctors point out though, Gus pays their salaries, so he takes priority, typical. Even Jesse is taken aback by their assessment of the situation. It isn't even like there was just one doctor. There were like half a dozen. They couldn't send two guys over to Mike?
In any event, after Gus recovers, he and Jesse make their way back stateside. Not only does Gus commend Jesse for his performance in the fight, but says that Jesse has proven himself as a capable cook, removing the need for Walt's involvement. What happened to the 3% purity gap being a huge difference at that level? Either Gale oversold it or Gus doesn't care anymore and wants Walt dead.
While there's no love lost between Jesse and Walt (as evidenced later when Walt shows up at Jesse's to beg him not to start cooking on his own), Jesse still doesn't want Walt killed. Rather, Jesse suggests simply firing him.
As Jesse won't work if Walt is killed, Gus has no choice but to comply. He does, however, take Walt captive and let him know that if Walt makes any further attempts to interfere, he will kill Walt and his entire family. Remember how Walt and Jesse thought that Gus wouldn't sign off on the murder of children? It turns out that he totally would, as he tells Walt that even his son and infant daughter are in danger. On top of that, as Hank has become too much of a problem, Gus decides that he's marked to die. Hmmm, if only you had someone close to Hank who could hinder his investigation from the inside and tip you off as to where he's heading next so that you could better evade his probe. Oh, wait.
Hell, Walt does that very thing this episode when Hank throws Walt a curve and has him drive them out to the laundromat as opposed to the chicken farm as he suspects that such a place would be a great way to hide a meth lab; not to mention that said laundromat is owned by the same conglomerate that owns Los Pollos Hermanos and ordered the air filter that Gale noted. Walt even goes so far as to intentionally crash the car so that Hank is laid up for a while. Hank even says that the stakeout days are over (though Marie did apply some pressure on that front.)
Speaking of fronts, Skyler continues to push Ted into paying off his back taxes. He's still reluctant, even going so far as to offer to refund what's left of the money. As she doesn't want the IRS gunning for them, she has Saul send in some muscle to force him to send the check.
There's an odd bit where Ted is shown tripping over his rug while going to answer the door. At first, it seemed out of place. I was curious as to why they didn't just use another take, but it actually does prove to be something of a plot point as Ted's attempt to run away is hindered by said rug as he trips over it again with much more severe results. It's very much played for laughs, but the sudden nature of what happens still leaves the viewer with their jaw dropped.
Much like an episode of 'Seinfeld' the episode's subplots all tie together as it reaches its resolution. It's actually quite brilliant and it is here where the episode hits its heights.
As he feels backed into a corner, Walt tells Saul to call the guy to establish a new identity for him and his family. He also asks Saul to place an anonymous tip that the cartel is gunning for Hank again so that he'll be protected.
The guy has a hefty price tag, though. This becomes a problem when Walt gets home to find that a large chunk of his money is gone as Skyler gave it to Ted. Personally, I thought Walt had a lot more money than that. It seemed like he was in the multi-million dollar area so I didn't think much of $600,000 being taken out. Even after the purchase of the car wash, it didn't seem like he was strapped. I guess it was an overestimation as Walt doesn't have enough to pay for the relocation.
Unlike last episode's borderline goofy blubbering, Walt's tears here feel more legitimate as it seems like all hope is lost. Said tears, however, quickly turn to a fit of mad cackling. I don't know if there was an intentional nod to 'The Killing Joke' but it did seem very reminiscent of the Joker's descent into madness. I dug the hell out of it.
As shows like this get closer to the end of the season, one would expect the tension to ramp up and this did that in glorious fashion. It was structured perfectly, building up to the big finale where everything goes to crap. I loved how everything came together and things are looking as bad as they ever have. I'm really looking forward to seeing how things proceed from here.
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In any event, after Gus recovers, he and Jesse make their way back stateside. Not only does Gus commend Jesse for his performance in the fight, but says that Jesse has proven himself as a capable cook, removing the need for Walt's involvement. What happened to the 3% purity gap being a huge difference at that level? Either Gale oversold it or Gus doesn't care anymore and wants Walt dead.
While there's no love lost between Jesse and Walt (as evidenced later when Walt shows up at Jesse's to beg him not to start cooking on his own), Jesse still doesn't want Walt killed. Rather, Jesse suggests simply firing him.
As Jesse won't work if Walt is killed, Gus has no choice but to comply. He does, however, take Walt captive and let him know that if Walt makes any further attempts to interfere, he will kill Walt and his entire family. Remember how Walt and Jesse thought that Gus wouldn't sign off on the murder of children? It turns out that he totally would, as he tells Walt that even his son and infant daughter are in danger. On top of that, as Hank has become too much of a problem, Gus decides that he's marked to die. Hmmm, if only you had someone close to Hank who could hinder his investigation from the inside and tip you off as to where he's heading next so that you could better evade his probe. Oh, wait.
Hell, Walt does that very thing this episode when Hank throws Walt a curve and has him drive them out to the laundromat as opposed to the chicken farm as he suspects that such a place would be a great way to hide a meth lab; not to mention that said laundromat is owned by the same conglomerate that owns Los Pollos Hermanos and ordered the air filter that Gale noted. Walt even goes so far as to intentionally crash the car so that Hank is laid up for a while. Hank even says that the stakeout days are over (though Marie did apply some pressure on that front.)
Speaking of fronts, Skyler continues to push Ted into paying off his back taxes. He's still reluctant, even going so far as to offer to refund what's left of the money. As she doesn't want the IRS gunning for them, she has Saul send in some muscle to force him to send the check.
There's an odd bit where Ted is shown tripping over his rug while going to answer the door. At first, it seemed out of place. I was curious as to why they didn't just use another take, but it actually does prove to be something of a plot point as Ted's attempt to run away is hindered by said rug as he trips over it again with much more severe results. It's very much played for laughs, but the sudden nature of what happens still leaves the viewer with their jaw dropped.
Much like an episode of 'Seinfeld' the episode's subplots all tie together as it reaches its resolution. It's actually quite brilliant and it is here where the episode hits its heights.
As he feels backed into a corner, Walt tells Saul to call the guy to establish a new identity for him and his family. He also asks Saul to place an anonymous tip that the cartel is gunning for Hank again so that he'll be protected.
The guy has a hefty price tag, though. This becomes a problem when Walt gets home to find that a large chunk of his money is gone as Skyler gave it to Ted. Personally, I thought Walt had a lot more money than that. It seemed like he was in the multi-million dollar area so I didn't think much of $600,000 being taken out. Even after the purchase of the car wash, it didn't seem like he was strapped. I guess it was an overestimation as Walt doesn't have enough to pay for the relocation.
Unlike last episode's borderline goofy blubbering, Walt's tears here feel more legitimate as it seems like all hope is lost. Said tears, however, quickly turn to a fit of mad cackling. I don't know if there was an intentional nod to 'The Killing Joke' but it did seem very reminiscent of the Joker's descent into madness. I dug the hell out of it.
As shows like this get closer to the end of the season, one would expect the tension to ramp up and this did that in glorious fashion. It was structured perfectly, building up to the big finale where everything goes to crap. I loved how everything came together and things are looking as bad as they ever have. I'm really looking forward to seeing how things proceed from here.
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Sunday, September 20, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Wordplay
Dumt, men sjovt. God lørdag.(Dumb, but funny. Have a nice Saturday. Artist: Göran Söder)
Posted by Rock Uglen on Saturday, September 19, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Robots on the Move
This is an older commercial, but all the geek references still make it rather fun to watch.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Candyman Theme Remix
One of the two things that made the Candyman movies stand out above your traditional slasher flick was the awesome soundtrack (the other was Tony Todd). While some might argue that silence is scarier, the soundtrack to these films acts as proof that a strong score can make a scene all the more frightening. While looking for some of the standout songs, I stumbled across a fanmade remix of the main theme song. While the video quality isn't great, the song itself is very well done and I enjoy it quite a bit, I suggest giving it a listen because the guy who made this deserves credit for putting it together.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Harrison Ford Settles the "Who Shot First?" Debate
Jaqen H'ghar would say "A man speaks the truth".
Posted by Dave Prowse on Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Breaking Bad Season 4, Episode 10: Salud
At Skyler's request, Saul brings Ted into his office to let him know that he has "inherited" a windfall from a "distant aunt". Said windfall amounts to over $600,000. More interesting, however, is that the aunt is from Luxembourg, of all places. Being born there myself, I got a kick out of that little detail. It's, admittedly, an odd one as the woman is fictitious, but there you go. Ted is skeptical as he doesn't have any aunt there, but he takes the money because, well, why not?
Now, obviously, the plan was for Ted to use the money to pay off his IRS settlement. Unfortunately, Ted isn't all that bright and instead uses the money to buy a fancy new car and to rebuild his business. On the one hand, his loyalty to his employees is kind of commendable, but even Skyler points out that he's being dumb.
Actually, now that I think about it, the IRS would take a chunk of the "inheritance" too. Granted, Ted would still be closer to being able to cover the cost, but he wouldn't be "off the hook". Even if it wasn't an issue until tax filing season, he'd still end up owing a significant amount of change to Uncle Sam.
This doesn't get brought up, but in her frustration over Ted's actions, she does let him know that she was the one who got him the money.
On other fronts, Walt Jr. gets a new car. It's not as sporty as his old one, but it's hardly a clunker. Nevertheless, he's not all that enthused about it. I want to call him an ingrate, but you can sort of understand why he's underwhelmed.
This becomes an afterthought as he goes to visit Walt and sees that his father is still banged up from the fight with Jesse. Granted, Jr. is told that it's from gambling, but he's still surprised to see his dad in such a state.
Walt, for his part, breaks into tears. It wasn't the show's strongest moment, I have to say. Cranston's performance has generally been solid, but this scene breaks from that pattern rather jarringly. It wasn't a believable cry to me and then Jr. starts tearing up and you almost find yourself snickering at the whole thing. The scene is trying so hard to be serious and dramatic that you can't take it seriously.
Thankfully, the two do get to redeem themselves later when Walt relates his only memory of his own father (who died when Walt was a young child). Despite what Jr. says to the contrary, it felt more like a real moment where Walt was conveying his desires and opening up to his son about something deeply personal. As a result, it's a much stronger and more engaging scene.
The real highlight of the episode, however, is Jesse's subplot. He, Gus, and Mike fly down to Mexico to settle their business with the cartel. They are wary of Jesse's ability to cook, especially when he's unable to mix one of the ingredients himself, but he manages to put them in their place in glorious fashion. On top of that, when he does finally get cooking, his sample shows a 96% purity (on par with Gale's) which puts any doubts they may have had to bed.
Not only are they pleased, but Don Eladio says that they'll keep Jesse so that he can cook for them. While Jesse is not happy with this arrangement, Mike assures him that it's all part of the plan and that they're either all going home, or not going home at all.
Indeed, it does turn out to be a ploy on Gus' part to get revenge by poisoning the "gift" bottle that he brought.
I'm surprised that Gus went that route. It seemed like a rather obvious trap, even Eladio doesn't start drinking until he sees Gus down his own shot. I thought maybe Eladio had some potentially fatal allergy that Gus could exploit, but it turns out to be straight poisoning. It was potent stuff too as even after taking an antidote ahead of time and vomiting the drink up a short time later, Gus is still woozy.
It was a shame to see Eladio die. Sure, Gus got his revenge, but Eladio was surprisingly amiable this time around. He was jovial and enthusiastic about the new arrangement. He seemed more than happy to let bygones be bygones and even threw a big party to celebrate the new circumstances. Granted, you can't fault Gus for not being so willing to turn over a new leaf, but still.
As most of Eladio's men took the drink, the trio do make a rather easy escape. One henchman is able to shoot Mike, but Jesse returns fire and takes him down.
The way the sequence was shot, it seemed like they were trying to tie this to Jesse shooting Gale, but I'm not sure the connection is there. This was a pretty clear case of self defense. OK, technically, Gale was too, but this was self defense of the more traditional and immediate variety. Eladio's mook had shot Mike and would've shot Jesse too; Gale, on the other hand, had no part in anything and wasn't a violent man by nature.
The episode took a while to get going, but once it did, it was very well done. The crying thing drags the episode down a bit, but what happens beyond that makes up for it. Again, we have an instance where Jesse proves to be the superior character. Not only has he been the more nuanced and developing character, but he even does a better job of being a bad ass than Walt. It wouldn't be the first time a show's supporting character upstaged the main one, but given the main one's reputation in this case, it is a bit surprising.
We're already coming up on the end of the fourth season. From what I've read, we'll soon be getting to the point where Nazis enter the equation? That'll be weird, but first, we have to see how things play out with Gus.
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Now, obviously, the plan was for Ted to use the money to pay off his IRS settlement. Unfortunately, Ted isn't all that bright and instead uses the money to buy a fancy new car and to rebuild his business. On the one hand, his loyalty to his employees is kind of commendable, but even Skyler points out that he's being dumb.
Actually, now that I think about it, the IRS would take a chunk of the "inheritance" too. Granted, Ted would still be closer to being able to cover the cost, but he wouldn't be "off the hook". Even if it wasn't an issue until tax filing season, he'd still end up owing a significant amount of change to Uncle Sam.
This doesn't get brought up, but in her frustration over Ted's actions, she does let him know that she was the one who got him the money.
On other fronts, Walt Jr. gets a new car. It's not as sporty as his old one, but it's hardly a clunker. Nevertheless, he's not all that enthused about it. I want to call him an ingrate, but you can sort of understand why he's underwhelmed.
This becomes an afterthought as he goes to visit Walt and sees that his father is still banged up from the fight with Jesse. Granted, Jr. is told that it's from gambling, but he's still surprised to see his dad in such a state.
Walt, for his part, breaks into tears. It wasn't the show's strongest moment, I have to say. Cranston's performance has generally been solid, but this scene breaks from that pattern rather jarringly. It wasn't a believable cry to me and then Jr. starts tearing up and you almost find yourself snickering at the whole thing. The scene is trying so hard to be serious and dramatic that you can't take it seriously.
Thankfully, the two do get to redeem themselves later when Walt relates his only memory of his own father (who died when Walt was a young child). Despite what Jr. says to the contrary, it felt more like a real moment where Walt was conveying his desires and opening up to his son about something deeply personal. As a result, it's a much stronger and more engaging scene.
The real highlight of the episode, however, is Jesse's subplot. He, Gus, and Mike fly down to Mexico to settle their business with the cartel. They are wary of Jesse's ability to cook, especially when he's unable to mix one of the ingredients himself, but he manages to put them in their place in glorious fashion. On top of that, when he does finally get cooking, his sample shows a 96% purity (on par with Gale's) which puts any doubts they may have had to bed.
Not only are they pleased, but Don Eladio says that they'll keep Jesse so that he can cook for them. While Jesse is not happy with this arrangement, Mike assures him that it's all part of the plan and that they're either all going home, or not going home at all.
Indeed, it does turn out to be a ploy on Gus' part to get revenge by poisoning the "gift" bottle that he brought.
I'm surprised that Gus went that route. It seemed like a rather obvious trap, even Eladio doesn't start drinking until he sees Gus down his own shot. I thought maybe Eladio had some potentially fatal allergy that Gus could exploit, but it turns out to be straight poisoning. It was potent stuff too as even after taking an antidote ahead of time and vomiting the drink up a short time later, Gus is still woozy.
It was a shame to see Eladio die. Sure, Gus got his revenge, but Eladio was surprisingly amiable this time around. He was jovial and enthusiastic about the new arrangement. He seemed more than happy to let bygones be bygones and even threw a big party to celebrate the new circumstances. Granted, you can't fault Gus for not being so willing to turn over a new leaf, but still.
As most of Eladio's men took the drink, the trio do make a rather easy escape. One henchman is able to shoot Mike, but Jesse returns fire and takes him down.
The way the sequence was shot, it seemed like they were trying to tie this to Jesse shooting Gale, but I'm not sure the connection is there. This was a pretty clear case of self defense. OK, technically, Gale was too, but this was self defense of the more traditional and immediate variety. Eladio's mook had shot Mike and would've shot Jesse too; Gale, on the other hand, had no part in anything and wasn't a violent man by nature.
The episode took a while to get going, but once it did, it was very well done. The crying thing drags the episode down a bit, but what happens beyond that makes up for it. Again, we have an instance where Jesse proves to be the superior character. Not only has he been the more nuanced and developing character, but he even does a better job of being a bad ass than Walt. It wouldn't be the first time a show's supporting character upstaged the main one, but given the main one's reputation in this case, it is a bit surprising.
We're already coming up on the end of the fourth season. From what I've read, we'll soon be getting to the point where Nazis enter the equation? That'll be weird, but first, we have to see how things play out with Gus.
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Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Instant Rimshot
Some time ago, I stumbled across this website called "Instant Rimshot", don't worry it's totally safe for work. It's a sound library. There isn't a whole lot, but the stuff they do have is glorious. They have the now iconic CSI "YEEAAHH!!", they have the classic rimshot, the wilhelm scream, the "Price is Right" fail horn and some others.
Granted, those are the best of them, but that's still pretty darn good. The only downside is that there is no embed code. That would be the cherry on top of the sundae as you could utilize the buttons in your blog posts. Lord knows, I'd put that to good use. They have a "share" button, but it doesn't quite work the same way. I guess one could just make their joke or reference and then hyperlink it, but it's not quite the same and it detracts from the post itself as the readers have to click the link to a separate page.
Minor quibbles notwithstanding, this site is quite a bit of fun. The URL is pretty self explanatory, it's just instantrimshot.com, and from there you can go through the various sounds they have in their repertoire.
Granted, those are the best of them, but that's still pretty darn good. The only downside is that there is no embed code. That would be the cherry on top of the sundae as you could utilize the buttons in your blog posts. Lord knows, I'd put that to good use. They have a "share" button, but it doesn't quite work the same way. I guess one could just make their joke or reference and then hyperlink it, but it's not quite the same and it detracts from the post itself as the readers have to click the link to a separate page.
Minor quibbles notwithstanding, this site is quite a bit of fun. The URL is pretty self explanatory, it's just instantrimshot.com, and from there you can go through the various sounds they have in their repertoire.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Friday, September 11, 2015
Under the Dome Season 3
Episodes 1 and 2: Move On/But I'm Not
Episode 3: Redux
Episode 4: The Kinship
Episode 5: Alaska
Episode 6: Caged
Episode 7: Ejecta
Episode 8: Breaking Point
Episode 9: Plan B
Episode 10: Legacy
Episode 11: Love is a Battlefield
Episode 12: Incandescence
Episode 13: The Enemy Within
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Episode 3: Redux
Episode 4: The Kinship
Episode 5: Alaska
Episode 6: Caged
Episode 7: Ejecta
Episode 8: Breaking Point
Episode 9: Plan B
Episode 10: Legacy
Episode 11: Love is a Battlefield
Episode 12: Incandescence
Episode 13: The Enemy Within
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Daily Dose of Awesome: Vince Wilfork's Interception
Admittedly, this highlight is a few years old now, but it's still amazing. Back in September of 2011, in a game against the San Diego Chargers, Vince Wilfork, a 325 pound tackle for the New England Patriots, intercepted the ball and bolted for the end zone. The result is glorious. The highlight became so popular that "Vince Wilfork" was even a trending topic on Twitter for a few hours after the game.
Honestly, words can not do this highlight justice. You really have to see it for yourself, which you can do via the video embedded below.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Nostalgia Critic's Top 11 Episodes of 'Batman: The Animated Series'
You can watch the video here.
With only 11 spots and so many great episodes to choose from, it was inevitable that there would be some episodes that were left out (for me, said episode was "I Am The Night"). Still, his picks were solid and he backed up his selections with good points. More importantly, it's an entertaining video and a nice trip down memory lane as he looks back at some of the best episodes of one of the greatest animated series out there.
With only 11 spots and so many great episodes to choose from, it was inevitable that there would be some episodes that were left out (for me, said episode was "I Am The Night"). Still, his picks were solid and he backed up his selections with good points. More importantly, it's an entertaining video and a nice trip down memory lane as he looks back at some of the best episodes of one of the greatest animated series out there.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Breaking Bad Season 4, Episode 9: Bug
As Gus is aware of the bug that Hank had Walt plant, he makes sure that the only locations it picks up are his house and the restaurant. Apparently, Gus forgot that there are plenty of innocuous locations that a person could frequent; like, say, a bank, or a grocery store, or a gas station. It might have been a better way to cover his tracks.
Even Hank, who remains suspicious about Gus, doesn't bring this up. Instead, he chooses to focus on the fact that Gus runs more than one location and should be making stops there as well.
With that in mind, Hank recruits Walt to visiting one of their larger distribution centers in the hopes of digging something up. Walt initially bows out, but jumps back in when Hank voices his intent to go with someone else. Walt does manage to delay Hank by feigning stomach illness. Well, technically, Walt just said he was indisposed, Hank jumped to the conclusion of the squirts and Walt just ran with it. It worked, so there you go.
Proving once again that Walt is not one to be trusted by the likes of Gus, he immediately calls up Mike to let him know what Hank plans to do so that they can clear out; which they do.
If anything, Walt's association with Hank is a plus. He's running interference and tips you off every time he's about to make a move so that you can evade his investigation. This is an asset to the operation, but apparently, they still feel the need to send people to tail him. It's bizarre.
On other fronts, the car wash seems to be doing well. Admittedly, this is largely because Skyler rings up fake receipts, but she's convinced that they will be able to sustain themselves on it alone and brings up the idea of Walt quitting his "second job". He doesn't seem too enthused. Maybe if he saw how generous the fake customers were, he'd be more positive. They all seem to go for the high end stuff. I'm guessing she rang up some smaller scale purchases as well just for variety, but all we see are the $50.00 and up transactions. Then again, she did say that the money was all in $50 bills, so maybe that's her line of thinking.
In an odd mirroring, her book cooking at her old job comes back to bite her as Ted reveals that he's being audited. This is especially bad as her signature is on all the paperwork and they might start digging around her accounts.
She manages to put her talents as a creator of fiction to use (as well as display an affinity for acting) by playing dumb to make it look like the bookkeeping was an act of ineptitude as opposed to an actual con. I'm not sure what the problem with using Quicken is. I used to use it and they do have software more oriented towards businesses, but whatever.
It doesn't get Ted off the hook, but they do show some leniency and only ask that he pay back taxes and a few penalties. He doesn't have the money to cover it, but the implication is that Skyler will bail him out. It makes sense as she has more money than she knows what to do with, but wouldn't the question of where Ted got the money pop up? We'll see.
Things don't seem to go too well for Jesse here. While working with Mike and a few others, they are attacked by a cartel sniper. One of Gus' mooks is killed via headshot, throwing Jesse into a small state of shock. Were it not for Mike's intervention, he too would have died. Gus, on the other hand, storms out like a badass and just walks into the line of fire. It appears that the cartel needs Gus alive (as evidenced by the fact that it becomes obvious that the shooter is missing on purpose) so his arrival causes said attacker to retreat.
This raises a lot of questions for Jesse. To his credit, Gus is more than happy to sit down with him over dinner to discuss the matter. It hearkens back to Gus' original "reasonable businessman" persona, but it also gives Jesse a chance to implement Walt's plan to poison him.
I assumed the plan was to offer Gus the poisoned cigarette and have him smoke it, but that doesn't appear to be the case as Jesse notes later that he was never given a chance to poison Gus' dinner when Walt confronts him about it later. On the other hand, it's clear that Jesse's not as committed to the plan as he was before and that may have just been an excuse.
The conversation between Walt and Jesse is the clear highlight of the episode. Things get especially tense when Walt reveals that he was tracking Jesse's car using the same device that they used with Gus. Said device is how Walt knew that Jesse saw Gus for a lengthy period of time and still failed to go through with it.
It all culminates in an all out brawl between the two. This is one of Walt's stronger outings as far as physical altercations go. I was kind of surprised that he was getting the upper hand against Jesse, but things start to balance out later. Still, it was a great fight and a great way to cap off the episode.
Jesse even gets to end the episode with a great line as he tells Walt to GTFO and never come back after establishing that Walt can walk. While a part of me is sad to see the partnership end on such bad terms, it had been starting to show cracks for some time.
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Even Hank, who remains suspicious about Gus, doesn't bring this up. Instead, he chooses to focus on the fact that Gus runs more than one location and should be making stops there as well.
With that in mind, Hank recruits Walt to visiting one of their larger distribution centers in the hopes of digging something up. Walt initially bows out, but jumps back in when Hank voices his intent to go with someone else. Walt does manage to delay Hank by feigning stomach illness. Well, technically, Walt just said he was indisposed, Hank jumped to the conclusion of the squirts and Walt just ran with it. It worked, so there you go.
Proving once again that Walt is not one to be trusted by the likes of Gus, he immediately calls up Mike to let him know what Hank plans to do so that they can clear out; which they do.
If anything, Walt's association with Hank is a plus. He's running interference and tips you off every time he's about to make a move so that you can evade his investigation. This is an asset to the operation, but apparently, they still feel the need to send people to tail him. It's bizarre.
On other fronts, the car wash seems to be doing well. Admittedly, this is largely because Skyler rings up fake receipts, but she's convinced that they will be able to sustain themselves on it alone and brings up the idea of Walt quitting his "second job". He doesn't seem too enthused. Maybe if he saw how generous the fake customers were, he'd be more positive. They all seem to go for the high end stuff. I'm guessing she rang up some smaller scale purchases as well just for variety, but all we see are the $50.00 and up transactions. Then again, she did say that the money was all in $50 bills, so maybe that's her line of thinking.
In an odd mirroring, her book cooking at her old job comes back to bite her as Ted reveals that he's being audited. This is especially bad as her signature is on all the paperwork and they might start digging around her accounts.
She manages to put her talents as a creator of fiction to use (as well as display an affinity for acting) by playing dumb to make it look like the bookkeeping was an act of ineptitude as opposed to an actual con. I'm not sure what the problem with using Quicken is. I used to use it and they do have software more oriented towards businesses, but whatever.
It doesn't get Ted off the hook, but they do show some leniency and only ask that he pay back taxes and a few penalties. He doesn't have the money to cover it, but the implication is that Skyler will bail him out. It makes sense as she has more money than she knows what to do with, but wouldn't the question of where Ted got the money pop up? We'll see.
Things don't seem to go too well for Jesse here. While working with Mike and a few others, they are attacked by a cartel sniper. One of Gus' mooks is killed via headshot, throwing Jesse into a small state of shock. Were it not for Mike's intervention, he too would have died. Gus, on the other hand, storms out like a badass and just walks into the line of fire. It appears that the cartel needs Gus alive (as evidenced by the fact that it becomes obvious that the shooter is missing on purpose) so his arrival causes said attacker to retreat.
This raises a lot of questions for Jesse. To his credit, Gus is more than happy to sit down with him over dinner to discuss the matter. It hearkens back to Gus' original "reasonable businessman" persona, but it also gives Jesse a chance to implement Walt's plan to poison him.
I assumed the plan was to offer Gus the poisoned cigarette and have him smoke it, but that doesn't appear to be the case as Jesse notes later that he was never given a chance to poison Gus' dinner when Walt confronts him about it later. On the other hand, it's clear that Jesse's not as committed to the plan as he was before and that may have just been an excuse.
The conversation between Walt and Jesse is the clear highlight of the episode. Things get especially tense when Walt reveals that he was tracking Jesse's car using the same device that they used with Gus. Said device is how Walt knew that Jesse saw Gus for a lengthy period of time and still failed to go through with it.
It all culminates in an all out brawl between the two. This is one of Walt's stronger outings as far as physical altercations go. I was kind of surprised that he was getting the upper hand against Jesse, but things start to balance out later. Still, it was a great fight and a great way to cap off the episode.
Jesse even gets to end the episode with a great line as he tells Walt to GTFO and never come back after establishing that Walt can walk. While a part of me is sad to see the partnership end on such bad terms, it had been starting to show cracks for some time.
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Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Kesha Star Trek Fan Video
I wouldn't call myself a fan of Kesha's music (and no, I won't use the dollar sign), but I get an odd enjoyment out of this video. For one thing, it's very well put together. Whoever made it did an amazing job in terms of editing and finding appropriate clips to match the song.
While I wouldn't call the song "good" from an objective standpoint, it is catchy as all get out and one will find it almost impossible to make it through without bobbing their head. Also, apologies if this gets the song stuck in your head, because it's not easy to get out.
Still, it's a fun video and good for a laugh. It's two and a half minutes well spent.
Monday, September 7, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Pour Some Sugar On Me (Emm Gryner Cover)
This still stands as my favorite track by Emm. It's the song that introduced me to the artist, and it's still the gold standard by which I compare all of her other songs.
I think I actually like this version better than the original to be honest. The Def Leppard song is great, don't get me wrong, but this is so gorgeous and downright pretty that the rock version almost pales in comparison. On a random note, I have to say that if I'm going to hear about someone being "hot, sticky, sweet", I think Emm makes for a better mental image than the guys from Def Leppard, though I suppose that's a case where your mileage may vary.
Even putting that aside, I highly recommend tracking down this song and adding it to your library. It's stellar and I don't think that words do it justice. It's simply a beautiful cover. The song can be found on the CD, Girl Versions, and you can also download the individual MP3 off of programs like iTunes.
I think I actually like this version better than the original to be honest. The Def Leppard song is great, don't get me wrong, but this is so gorgeous and downright pretty that the rock version almost pales in comparison. On a random note, I have to say that if I'm going to hear about someone being "hot, sticky, sweet", I think Emm makes for a better mental image than the guys from Def Leppard, though I suppose that's a case where your mileage may vary.
Even putting that aside, I highly recommend tracking down this song and adding it to your library. It's stellar and I don't think that words do it justice. It's simply a beautiful cover. The song can be found on the CD, Girl Versions, and you can also download the individual MP3 off of programs like iTunes.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Shark Repellent
It took a while, but it looks like we're starting to catch up to Adam West's Batman
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Breaking Bad Season 4, Episode 8: Hermanos
Gus takes center stage here. It makes sense as he is now in Hank's cross-hairs. True to form, he has an explanation for everything: his fingerprints, how they knew each other, and even has an alibi for where he was when Gale was killed. The latter should come as no surprise as Gus really had nothing to do with it, but it does appear to bring Hank's investigation to a halt.
Appear is the key word there as Hank tasks Walt with planting a GPS tracker on Gus' car. Walt is uneasy, especially as Mike "just happens" to pull up next to their car as they discuss this.
He does it, though not before consulting Gus first. It was weird to see Gus so OK with it. I guess he appreciated Walt's honesty? Walt is convinced that this marks him as a traitor in Gus' eyes, but I don't see it. He went out of his way to show that he didn't sell Gus out and only went through with it when Gus said to.
Walt does try to pressure Jesse into speeding up their time table and tries to come up with ways to implement it, but Jesse doesn't seem too concerned. It hearkened back to their earlier dynamic where Walt would often have to try to brainstorm and formulate strategies in order to get them out of their jam.
Not only does this episode mark the return of Tuco's uncle, but it also lets us know just what the dynamic between Gus and the cartel is. As I've noted, it seems like the show has been going back and forth on that, so it was nice to iron out those details.
It turns out that Gus' long time friend, Max, was also a brilliant chemist who could cook some pretty pure product. As such, they decided to give some samples out to members of the cartel in the hopes of arranging a partnership. I do wonder what percentage he hit. Gale hit 96 and Walt's is 99 percent pure. I have to figure Max's is closer to Gale's, but that isn't made clear.
Interestingly enough, Gus is the Pinkman of the situation as the cartel notes that Gus doesn't really need to be around since Max is the one who makes the product. Unlike the current setup, where Walt's skills are what's keeping him alive, the cartel decides to kill the cook and force Gus to watch helplessly. It's not made clear as to why, though it does imply something bigger about Gus' past.
While the episode didn't advance the plot a whole lot, it did a great job of giving us more information on Gus. His history is fleshed out, his dynamic with the cartel is clarified, and we see that he also had a hand in the death of the second Salamanca cousin via the flashback that opens the episode. The episode really shines in the later flashback as the conversation between the "brothers" and the cartel is as gripping as you would expect.
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Appear is the key word there as Hank tasks Walt with planting a GPS tracker on Gus' car. Walt is uneasy, especially as Mike "just happens" to pull up next to their car as they discuss this.
He does it, though not before consulting Gus first. It was weird to see Gus so OK with it. I guess he appreciated Walt's honesty? Walt is convinced that this marks him as a traitor in Gus' eyes, but I don't see it. He went out of his way to show that he didn't sell Gus out and only went through with it when Gus said to.
Walt does try to pressure Jesse into speeding up their time table and tries to come up with ways to implement it, but Jesse doesn't seem too concerned. It hearkened back to their earlier dynamic where Walt would often have to try to brainstorm and formulate strategies in order to get them out of their jam.
Not only does this episode mark the return of Tuco's uncle, but it also lets us know just what the dynamic between Gus and the cartel is. As I've noted, it seems like the show has been going back and forth on that, so it was nice to iron out those details.
It turns out that Gus' long time friend, Max, was also a brilliant chemist who could cook some pretty pure product. As such, they decided to give some samples out to members of the cartel in the hopes of arranging a partnership. I do wonder what percentage he hit. Gale hit 96 and Walt's is 99 percent pure. I have to figure Max's is closer to Gale's, but that isn't made clear.
Interestingly enough, Gus is the Pinkman of the situation as the cartel notes that Gus doesn't really need to be around since Max is the one who makes the product. Unlike the current setup, where Walt's skills are what's keeping him alive, the cartel decides to kill the cook and force Gus to watch helplessly. It's not made clear as to why, though it does imply something bigger about Gus' past.
While the episode didn't advance the plot a whole lot, it did a great job of giving us more information on Gus. His history is fleshed out, his dynamic with the cartel is clarified, and we see that he also had a hand in the death of the second Salamanca cousin via the flashback that opens the episode. The episode really shines in the later flashback as the conversation between the "brothers" and the cartel is as gripping as you would expect.
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