Breaking Bad cast Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk and creator Vince Gilligan at the The New York Times talks panel 2013
I think they only had that one bathroom. I remember when Walt had just come back to live with his family against Skyler's will and he couldn't use the toilet because she had locked herself in the bedroom. He had to use the kitchen sink instead.
@@carinak619 but we don't see walter jr ever using the washroom. Also from a house design point of view, it does not make sense to have only one washroom just with master room, since the house does additionally have two other bedrooms
@@theLUCKYdude17 We don't see Jr or anybody in the house in another bathroom either, so I don't think that's a valid point. Whenever we see a bathroom, it's this one. I agree it would be unusual if there was only one, but as I see it, it is still implied. Plus Walt called the house a starter home and considered it much too small when they bought it. That's not a valid point either, I know, it just fits in my theory. But the part where Walter had to go pee in the kitchen, because Skyler wouldn't let him use the bathroom wouldn't make sense, If he could just have used another bathroom.
That always wondered me as well.. What if Walt Jr has togo to the toilet at night, he just has togo trough his parents room!? 😂 Doesn't make any sense. 😅
I think Vince's idea is most realistic. If you look at how criminals get caught, it's rarely some dramatic arrogance or meaningful event. He simply didn't think about it, it was just his bathroom, and was overlooked. The banality of it is a perfect representation of how random or seemingly insignificant events can change the course of lives. As they say a criminal must never make a mistake, and nobody can be perfect forever. The banality of this is most poetic to me.
That's true, but this isn't really banal. It's oddly specific and involves a throwback to a previous episode. Banal is dropping a distinctive hair clip or cufflink.
@@jojohehe3251 Think maybe my word usage wasn't the best. it was certainly planned from the writers perspective, but I look at the story more than how it's made. From Walter's perspective it may have been an insignificant carelessness as Vince suggested, and I like to think.
I agree he just simply overlooked leaving the book. Think back when you were a teen most times you get caught by overlooking a minute detail which may or may not be discovered
Yeah, kinda like that one serial killer that got caught by sending a floppy disk to the police, after asking the police if they could track him from it. Pretty dumb way to be caught after flying under the radar for so long
He literally turned into Tim Whatley to me at the end, as a wink to the man who asked about Jewish Jokes, his face while asking “have you been flossing?” was that of Tim
For the writer to say that the audience’s opinion is every bit as valid as his own… that’s a level of humility that makes Gilligan’s work more commendable
I came to the comment section looking for this type of comment and I found it instantly 😄 I respect Gilligan more and more each time I hear him speak, and he's a rare gem in Hollywood these days...
This kind of outlook is a useful tool for any creative to have. It shows in their output when applied to their creative process. It is always the authors own fault if they assign a "correct" meaning to something and nobody catches it. If the author chooses to be bothered by the fact that everyone besides themselves got it "wrong" they should have accounted for that before presenting their creation. Creatives are often believed to be in the worst place to understand the audience journey, and that is exactly why they should take active steps toward doing so at the time of making what it is that they make. Whether it is a book, a song, a film or a painting, the author does not have the authority to author the response; to author what the world determines it to be. They should not be telling us what it is. That is the job of the work itself. Their is a lot less merit to a showing if the same message can be communicated more easily and accurately with an explanation. This is just the importance of knowing the balance between when to be explicit and when to leave things open.
@@dennisthemenace3695 It's about interpreting the work of art. The audience does that from their own personal points of view and each of them are as valid as the artist's original intention. Edit to clarify because I have been asked so many times now: I was trying to explain to the person before me what Vince meant in my opinion. I agree with Vince to a degree, that art comes to life by both the artist's Intention and the viewer's interpretation. But for me personally the artist's intention behind his creation is still more relevant than the audience's interpretation. Although in a way both need each other to make an impact. So I understand Vince's point of view and for an artist that's probably a reasonable mindset, though as a viewer looking at it from the other side I personally don't agree 100%.
@@dennisthemenace3695 I think there is a difference in what you said (adding to, altering, fan service) and what Vince said (interpreting the meaning). Many works of art mean many different things to many different people. I don't think it's fair to say that the only valid interpretation is the creator's.
I agree with him. I also believe that Walter didn’t kill Mike purely out of emotion and impulse. I believe he was ready to kill him before they meet if he didn’t give him the names which is why he took the gun out of his bag.
I've always just accepted that he got careless. Police catch people all the time with stuff that you'd never in a million years think somebody would be able to find and link to a crime.
Yeah. Not to mention his life style was returning to normal at that point in the show. He had no more nemesis to fight and no need for cooking meth. He kept the book because of his ego, but what ultimately doomed him was pure carelessness.
He didn't "get" careless though. He was careless from the very start. He acts like a brilliant all knowing god, but we see very well he isn't. From literally working with an addict, and other addicts, to the way he carries himself. Gus didn't want to work with him, even DESPITE the quality of his meth, Gus said Walt was an amateur and not a careful man. He didn't even want to meet with him at first. In Better Call Saul we learn that even Mike thought he was reckless and untrustworthy
Walt had several close calls with Hank and Hank seemed oblivious to each one. He likely never would’ve expected Hank of all people to randomly grab a poetry book out of his bathroom, read the inscription, and piece together the whole implication in seconds.
Hank was suss with the first WW inscription which he raised that explicitly and pointedly with Walt, and this book had a second one clearly referencing the first. Hank was a good enough detective to discover the laundry, which shocked Walt. It simply doesn't add up that Walt leaves this second explosive clue around like this when he knows Hanks is visiting and he later knows Hank has taken it and why. He was aware. That's why it's crappy writing. The first WW reference was a fake-out tease and the second one was just a dumb obvious "time to wrap this up" plot device.
@@jojohehe3251 You're thinking about it way more than Walt did, though. He didn't reason any of that, he just *felt* that he had gotten away with it so often, why would Hank figure something out now? And it cost him. He became too relaxed, too comfortable with being a "mastermind". A lot of Walt's successes were driven from stress and a need for quick thinking. When he's left without the stress, the fear of being caught, he relaxes too much and lets down his guard. It could happen to anyone. I'd further add that many times in the past even Walt had made stupid mistakes (like bringing a bomb into a hospital). He's not flawless, the truth is that it was a mixture of cleverness and luck that got him out of the *many* hairy situations he got himself into.
I think Walt's complacency was specifically driven by the fact that he chose to believe that Gale didn't matter. He consistently belittled, disrespected, and under appreciated Gale in order to feel powerful and stroke his ego. When Hank finally figures it out, it's made possible because Gale was a good guy, who just liked doing chemistry, and because Walt was so arrogant he literally forgot. Gale gets a posthumous win just for being kind enough to give Walt a gift.
@@jojohehe3251 I guess his feeling terrible might also be a reason why he kept the book. Seems like part of his character was that tension between guilt and his need for control.
Gale was making meth on an industrial scale for a drug cartel. Not exactly a good guy. He was a weirdo who idolised Walt and was eager to be his lackey, like Todd. Walt liked his obedient students.
@@AnthonyFlack Isn’t there also some theory about Gale being a Pedo? I remember hearing somewhere that there was some evidence pointing to it in the show but I don’t remember where
"the most careful geniuses"?! 😂 Walter White proved himself a reckless imbecile at literally every point in the show. Nothing he did was subtle or smart.
@@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid conspiring with an enemy to destroy a greater enemy wasn’t reckless. Walt was plenty reckless, sure, but he had his moments.
Hubris? Agreed. However, that's usually from low IQ criminals. Even Ted Bundy wasn't that smart. He was just charismatic. Walter White was portrayed as this super genius.
Walter got so close to being caught by Hank so many times. Hank missed so many clues before... why would Walt all of a sudden suspect that this seemingly innocuous piece of evidence would not only be found by Hank by pure coincidence, Hank not being the type to read poetry, but also that Hank would read the inscription, rather than going straight to one of the poems, and would then piece it together, remembering a specific detail from his investigation from months ago. That last point sounds more like Hank, but would Walt consider that? Only if he were extremely cautious and methodical in covering his tracks, which he is not, as he demonstrated many times throughout the show.
It seemed to me like he just put the book down and forgot about it. If I recieved that book, I wouldn't think of it as incriminating evidence. It felt like pure dumb luck that he found it and even then, it was just an inscription
Here's a question for you , why didn't Gus simply kidnap his son or wife or both and then MAKE Walter teach HIS scientists to make THE EXACT thing only Walter knew how to make , otherwise this and this would happen to them ? So Gus is supposed to be this absolute ruthless mastermind criminal yet allows himself to be blackmailed by a school teacher ?
@@svengali5862 Gus was too careful to make a high risk move like that. An entire family doesn't just disappear and raise 0 questions with the people around them.
@@MrMalkraz But he was VERY CAREFUL when choosing to work with a DEA closest family member just because his product is a few % higher , something the average consumer cares little about ??
Vince's comment about the book inscription resonates with me. A few years ago, my brother had a book sent to me ('Lincoln in the Bardo,' by George Saunders), and I thanked him for it, but always thought my brother's reaction back to me was a bit strange -- like he was disappointed with the way I reacted. A year afterwards, when I finally got around to reading it, I noticed the title page was inscribed personally to me, from the author, with a nice little hand-drawn doodle from the author, too. Turns out, my brother had met him at a book signing. I immediately phoned my brother and offered my apologies for my extreme oversight.
@@reinertgregal1130 I know, right? I flipped through it (completely missing the title page), but just didn’t have time (or didn’t make time) to sit down & read it. I felt awful for missing it for so long. My brother was thankfully really cool about it, though.
@@MrDuneedon I get around to things like that when I feel them calling. I've been given books and movies... took my time and somehow those times were right.
The bathroom is also a place where Walt find comfort and protection as we see him retreat there multiple times. It is probably one of the last places that comes to his mind when it comes to keeping his charade up.
The question was why he left the book out on the toilet, obviously he was going to keep the book since it's evidence and it was given to him by a "fan" but he could've kept it on his bookshelf or bedside.
Its such a minor thing, its very easy to accept that it slipped his mind when his whole life is as chaotic as it is. Its hard to be picture perfect when the main detective literally takes dumps in your bathroom.
Good writing doesn't have to mean that the character can perceive every outcome and never make any mistake. Walter White is a human, we make mistakes sometimes, that's it.
I think it’s more-so that the instant after Walt decides to retire Hank immediately finds out he was Heisenberg all because he decided to pick up and read some random book he found and just so happened to open it at the exact page where he would find out everything as he was taking a crap
Exactly the point which many animes like death note misses and people go crazy stating that the story line is amazing. No it's not, it's stupid and childish.
I think it also speaks to Walt's contempt for Gale. To Walt, Gale was literally disposable, no one missed him, and nothing related to him could be consequential to Walt's safety. Walt didn't view him as a meaningful part of the story. And he paid for it.
Walt knew the inscription was on that book. That’s what got him curious enough to look under his car for Hank’s tracker after the book had gone missing.
and so from that point forward he accepted that he will be busted but since he adopted his heisenberg alter ego, why the hell not just threaten hank and be safe instead of the police coming for him
I tend to agree. Walter just straight up didn't think about it. Walter wasn't some super mastermind, pretty much everything he did was just pure luck and frantic decisionmaking. Things just worked out for him, and it gave him an inflated ego.
yeah, imo walt's cleverness stems more from being a quick thinker and being very good at mind games. outside of a few instances, he doesn't have the best foresight lol. he's more of a reactionary kind of person, which works well for a protagonist. he probably would've hid the book if he suspected there was a threat of being caught, but with everything seemingly over he just didn't think to predict the risks
I agree. It was only when he had a chance to cool off in New Hampshire and take a real hard look at his life that he was able to come up with a real plan that worked exactly the way he anticipated with no unforseen fallout.
@@jesusnthedaisychain even then, he didn't expect for jesse to not be partnering with the neo nazis. walter expected that jesse was a partner, and expected to take him down too
@@mistabean9272 uhhh no man, im pretty sure the entire purpose of his plan was to go there and free jesse in an act of redemption. He ratted jesse out when he was hiding under the car to the neo nazis because he wanted him to suffer for betraying him, which can also be seen when he tells him coldly that he, "watched jane die.". I dont think there was any doubt in his mind that jesse was being held there against his will.
@@codykay6871 Nope, not that I remember. He started his plan by tying up loose ends with his family; coming clean to Skyler, ensuring they don't financially suffer after his death, saying last goodbyes, etc. Then, after his talk with Elliot and Gretchen, he learned from Badger and Skinny Pete that blue meth was still being made, which they thought was him. That made him realize Jack and his gang never killed Jesse like he told them to, and made him think they completely partnered up with him. That's the key there; Walter completely thought Jesse was dead by the time he started his plan - no, back when he was going to his and Skyler's home. His plan had nothing to do with Jesse; Jack wouldn't have even been on his radar had Badger and Skinny kept quiet.
Beautiful response. Well done for Vince for not shying away from it but giving his true interpretation and not apologizing for his own decision! I love this!
Another take, I think Walt’s morals and lack of guilt or empathy is a large part of it as well. The average person would look at that book (gifted from a former friend that they murdered) and wouldn’t be able to even stand to look at it, the mere presence of the book would make them uncomfortable and remind them of their actions. Walt showed no remorse or guilt for anything he had done in the later seasons, and this lack of emotions caused him to view the book as anything more than paper and words.
To be fair, the inscription is cryptic. That is, if one didn’t know the exact details of Walter’s life, it would be impossible to connect this to a large meth lab hidden in an industrial laundromat.
True. Only hank could’ve put the pieces together because he was family and he knew so much about Walt. Once he saw that he thought of all the other wierd things that he never gave much thought like when they got in that wreck that Walt caused to keep him from the laundromat
@@McDonaldsDude ... who already has directly confronted you with the first WW inscription from a talented chemist, clearly referred to in the second one.
I always took it as it just something that he overlooked. It syncs up with what Skylar told him in Season 3 after they bought the car wash and Walt bought an expensive drink. She tells him that for the whole operation to work and remaining working, EVERYTHING needs to be accounted for and tie into the story they tell people. The smallest irregularity, the smallest inconsistency, the slightest oversight could bring everything crashing down. And that's exactly what happened.
That Seinfield reference was splendid. In adittion, I like how he mentions that Walter was a man of science. I studied engineering and in my personal life sometimes I lack common sense, because I think way to much in the science side of things. Maybe, in this paricular case, Walter was a man of science, but not a man of common sense.
Could you please explain the Seinfeld reference? I know that Cranston was on Seinfeld but I didn't understand what the man said about jewish jokes or smth?
@@natalyamartirosyan I don't remember the episode exactly, I think it went along the lines that his character a dentist, was recently converted to judaism, and once converted he began making a lot of jew jokes, which Jerry found ofensive because, Cranston's character was recently converted. I think he eventually got into a dispute with Jerry, because Jerry started telling dentist jokes. The episode was really funny.
Honestly I think "Walt just forgot/wasn't cautious" is a perfectly valid explanation. People do mistakes all the time, even criminals, and yes, even geniuses. And we even saw him 'almost' do that before, when he thought he cleaned everything after the Brock stuff, then realized he forgot to throw away the Lilly of the valley, so he went to pick it up. This time, he didn't catch himself forgetting something. To me this is perfectly fine and believable. If I had to point out THE #1 writing mistake on the show, I'd say it's Walt letting Tuco bleed out... That was ridiculous. It helped create a great scene with Hank and all that, but that decision from Walt was insanely idiotic. And it wasn't a "oops I didn't think about it", he seemed to actually consider the options, and then picked the worst of them.
Interesting take, I’d considered that before but never put much thought into why it was such a bad choice since Tuco ended up dying right after anyways, why do you feel that way about that particular choice?
@@alphacraig2001 Well Walter didn't know Tuco would die right away (he doesn't have viewers knowledge). Think of all the ways letting him bleed out could've turned poorly; 1) He could simply not die. People survive gunshots all the time. Then Walter and Jesse are dead. Probably their entire families too. 2) He could live long enough to tell the cousins who did it. Then the cousins chase them and kill Walter and Jesse. 3) He could be brought to an hospital, and eventually interrogated/arrested, and snitch on Walt. (Now, WE know he would never snitch, but Walter doesn't know that. And even if he doesn't snitch, he'd just try to get them killed, even from jail). So many ways letting him bleed out could go wrong... And what does he gain, to make up for this? He gets to look badass for a few seconds? He gets to make Tuco suffer? No way... The risk is a billion times greater than anything else. There was zero logical explanation not to just finish him right there. And a science-type man like Walter knows gunshot wounds don't always kill. (In fact, single-bullet wounds don't often kill, victims have even survived headshots).
Walt was still relatively green at that point; I think the "let him bleed" line was just his cowardice/unwillingness to finish Tuco off manifesting itself as what he thought was some power move with a badass line to go with. S2E2 Walt was not a killer who could pull the trigger without thought, but he still wanted to seem like one.
Makes me think of a famous quote by Ted Bundy in reference to his killings and covering them up: “You learn what you need to kill and take care of the details. It’s like changing a tire. The first time you’re careful. By the thirtieth time, you can’t remember where you left the lug wrench.”
I think of it as he finally let his guard down after being out of the business for a month. We have to remember that Walter at this point in the story is indefinitely rich and laundered money through the car wash business to justify his expenditures. He did not have to hide his money like in earlier seasons. He finally got to relax and not have to worry about anything. He no longer was scared of being caught and it led to his arrogance. We can see this as Walter seems very comfortable with Hank right before Hank steps into the bathroom.
I think Vince is right. The irony of doing big maneuvers successfully and then getting caught because of a stupid slip up like not placing a random book in a particular place is exactly the beauty of it all. His arrogance from his many successes goes to show that while being brilliany, he's still flawed
Vince is so damn humble haha ‘take my take with a grain of salt’ bro you ultimately made this art! But it’s sweet how there are so many perspectives to take on the matter
i believe its kind of foreshadowing in a way if i you remember Skyler talking about the Watergate scandal and supposedly how they got caught "Leave a piece of paper/note on the door" or something. Walter's faith eventually unfolded in a similar fashion
The fact that the guy asked Vince a question is a foreshadowing that Vince was going to answer it. Woah… did Vince write this Q&A session? Brilliant writing, Bravo Vince!
Ok, my phone is definitely listening in on my conversations. Yesterday I randomly thought about this exact question and brought it up to my sister then today I come across this video in my recommended. Haha!
Gale respected Walt and Walt loved the recognition he received. He wouldn't have destroyed evidence of that recognition from one of his peers and leaving it in such an accessible place showed that Walt knew there was a chance of someone else seeing that recognition.
I dunno why he used it as a bathroom book. It's a thoughtful gift from someone who respected him and who he sacrificed. Just so rude to use it as a bathroom book.
i strive to be a writer like Vince. i’ve always loved the idea that once a character has been created you don’t always have 100% control over them, that’s what makes a world come alive imo
That’s a great response honestly from both of them. It reminds me of in “The House That Jack Built” where Jack starts being more confident and careless with his murders simply because of the ego he’s developed from always getting away with it.
I love this! I honestly always took it as Vince’s way-Walter was full of chemo, dealing with the stress of being a murderous drug lord, and trying to save his marriage on top of all of that. It’s not that crazy he simply didn’t think of the book after that one time.
To really sell the idea of how much more careless Walt became overtime, there's an intentional contrast between the 2nd season when Walk berates Jesse for bringing a meth lab to an airport, then later at the very end of Season 4, Jesse berates Walt instead, after Walt just brought a bomb into a hospital.
I never for a second thought this was an unbelievable scene. Walt got away with messing with Hank for a whole year. So many times he went right over Hank's head because he knew Hank would never believe he was a criminal. Why not hide the book in plain site? It makes perfect sense and is a totally believable scene.
I always just thought if it as a costly mistake, like he genuinely forgot it was there and how damning if evidence it was as well. I think that even MORE now, due to how Vince points out that he got the book back in season 2, during a time where there was no way to link that book to Heisenberg. The only time Walt would’ve have thought about it is right after he killed Gus. (Burning down the lab, cleaning up the bomb making supplies, and throwing away the lilac plant) The think about everything that was going on at the time, and the fact that they had forgotten about the laptop even. It’s no wonder he overlooked the “Leaves of Grass” book.
I was always under the impression that because he was in the "I got away with it all" mindset, Walter simply became arrogant and that book was the consequence for it.
This is also why accidents on the roads can happen. You can be 'extra coutious'. But if you drive 1 hour straight and you're in some routine and everything is fine, you will subconsciously underestimate the importance to be alert. Even just for a little while once in a while.
I think it makes sense how Vince views it. It had been months of Walt being out of the game he probably thought that he was in the clear and didn't have to worry about little things that might tip Hank off especially since every time Hank or anybody has gotten close to discovering his secrets he always finds some elaborate lie to brush it off. On top of that Vince is totally right about getting stuff from people and sometimes not actually looking for some sort of inscription, everybody gets gifts or buys random things only to put them in a closet or drawer or bookshelf never to be seen again and I'm sure that's just what happened with Walter hell I'm pretty sure most of us had even forgotten that the book was still around. Had Hank found some evidence like this in one of the earlier seasons I'm sure Walt could've found a way to lie himself out of it but by this point I feel like there were just too many coincidences for Hank to ignore it and it helped piece together everything including all of Walt's lies. I respect Vince for saying that it's up to the viewer though, there doesn't have to be a concrete explanation for everything that happens in a show.
What I find most appealing and distinctive about BB. and BCS, is how real the characters are. Many stories in cultures tend to deal in archetypes to represent a set of characteristics that can give a wide application of the lessons learned. What I find so appealing about BB and more so BCS, is that it gives characters an individual identity with the actors showing quirks not necessary for the plot or some grander point. You can't put a label on any of these characters and they are never fully on one end of any spectrum. For all the good in certain characters we see their bad side however rare, and Walter still show moments of empathy despite his out of control ego. None of the main character are 100% anything. There is some yin to every yang. In that, it succeeds in suggesting that it doesn't require a stereotype to fall into these tragedies, but any one of us, with out own unique characters and lives, much like the characters portrayed in these shows, in certain circumstances could fall into the same actions and fate. People change when circumstances enable it, and bad is an inherent possibility in everyone. They suggest that it's circumstance that drive our behavior often against our own interest or principles as much as or more so than out character. Nothing bad ever happens to good people, and bad people always get punished is just not true in the real world. One could argue that Walter achieved his goals while Jesse didn't, even though Walter died while Jesse lived.
I never had a problem with it. The Gale saga was ancient history and a complacency had set in. These circumstances resulted in a natural oversight with profound consequences. Moreover, Walt had long dodged the worst of the many mistakes he made; that luck could only last so long.
There are numerous stories of criminals who thought out & planned their criminal activities "to a T" yet overlook or ignore something as trivial as what Walt did. Intentional or not, I thought how Hank finally figured out Walt was 100% believable.
It could be a plot device that Walt left the book in the bathroom knowing that it has the note from Gale and Walt’s initials. He probably just thought that nobody would want to read it much less Hank would look at the very first page
I think that when Walter received the book he couldn't see any reason on how it could relate to his crimes, as one could just interpret the gift by someone he has taught before. So he just left it in the bathroom maybe as he was reading it one time. It was only once hank was looking for a student teacher relationship between Gale and Heisenberg, that walter had any reason to remove the book. Especially since the initials were matching. But, at this point walter did not think of or notice anything relating to these set of facts, so he did not remember to remove the book, as it probably was a while ago that he had received it. So it is completely plausible that he just left it in a bathroom. If it was me I could of easily done the same.
I think the most believable theory is that Gale gave Walter the book when they were still working together, and Walter put it in his bathroom soon after. Then when all the evidence about Gale was found, Walter simply forgot about the book in his bathroom, or just didn't think anyone would catch the written message.
It feels believable. If you compare it to something like Death Note, where the protagonist is caught as a killer due to some elaborate scheme that took two masterminds (one being a child) and multiple human errors, I prefer Walts slip up because it feels closer to Occam's Razor - the simplest explanation is usually the best one.
To me, he was out of the game for just long enough to start slipping. If this had happened the day after Hank asked him about “WW” for the first time, Walter would have remembered to ask him to use a different bathroom or something.
I believe that he just got careless because he had already made more money than he had ever dreamed of, finally got the power and respect that he wanted and then retired from the crime business and just thought that everything was ok and didn't even think that the book could incriminate him
Countless times in the series Walter tells multiple people to forget the past and move on. I think a part of him forgets at times that he was responsible of the death of Gale and looks at his gift as a fond memory of a coworker he once had. Walter got careless.
For me it's Walt probably thought no one except him or another well educated person would have picked up the book. He knows Hank is the lead investigator after him and he's been after him for a while at this point so he also started to underestimate Hank which lead to him being careless and leaving the book out cuz in his head why would Hank ever pick up the book and I also don't think Walt was thinking too much about gale
He knew Hank discovered the laundry and was on to Gus Fring. Hank's prowess as a detective was obvious. Walt had also already contextualised the WW inscription directly for Hank, and the second book clearly references that.
My take is that Walter let his ego control him, and like Vince said he started to act more emotionally rather than methodically, and thus he just plum forgot about the book and placed it in his bathroom without thinking twice about it. I think it's more fitting that of all the things to take down Walter White, a scientific and criminal mastermind always 2 steps ahead of the authorities, he got found out by a simple little poem book that he probably didn't even realize has an inscription on it. And from that inscription being from Gale of all people, someone who Walter ordered be killed by Jesse. Looks like Gale got the last laugh, Walt.
He was looking for the book because he was reading it. He realised that Hank had taken it, thus checked his car and found the tracker, which only makes sense because of the inscription, which Walt knew about.
You can make up reasons why Walter White left the book in the bathroom, because it was never specified, but as far as storytelling goes, it is poetic, the book given to him was from his biggest fan and the one who set up his lab, It all ends how it begins, just trying to do the right thing for yourself, family or friends.. relationships are based on who or what you love, Science is based on what you see or do.. Sometimes people forget who they are, or do not realize what they have become..
I think getting a book as a gift, never opening it, and putting it on the back of a toilet is the most normal human interaction, and Walt had no idea it was inscribed. Why would he have known? For Gale to do that was so beyond how anyone else in that business had acted. It was actually that act of unexpected kindness and sincerity from Gale that caught Walt. That's how I read it
Walter had lost himself in the series. every season he was losing more pieces of himself. he became BAD. he wanted to be acknowledged for what he was proud of. It felt like he wanted everyone to know. Remember the scene that they were all on the table talking about a guy who got killed who was a chemistry genius and Walt couldn't hold but show his true face and almost admit he knew the man, he was better than that man and he got him killed. he was proud of who he was, he didn't care if he was sloppy anymore and did not give a damn if hank would take a shit and read a piece of evidence that discriminates him.
The bathroom is your personal domain. The commode, your throne. I've never heard of a three bedroom house with a single bathroom that was only accessible via the master suite.
Vince Gilligan's take on the validity of audience opinion with respect to that of the creators is the best I have encountered. It always unnerves me when creators attempt to dictate the message of a piece of media, taking the subtlety out of interpretation. All respect goes to this man and I admire him for the brilliant work he has created
My personal take is that at multiple moments Hank could have caught onto Walt, but Walt somehow got super lucky (You could also say that it was convenient luck for the sake of continuing the story) right up until the time where the series needed to come to a close
I think it is both ego & sloppiness. Without the ego, he would've tossed the book or at least stored it away carefully. He probably kept it because Gale (a very capable professional in the same field who couldn't get close to Walt's results) thought the sun shone out of Walt's ass. I agree with Bryan in that Walt became more free & loose. I think he was sloppy because he'd closed the chapter on the criminal part of his life. Walt had somehow escaped detection when the odds were stacked against him, so he let his guard down.
Better Question, why is hank dropping a deuce in the master bath. You do not use the master bath if its not yours.
Hank is just that guy
I think they only had that one bathroom. I remember when Walt had just come back to live with his family against Skyler's will and he couldn't use the toilet because she had locked herself in the bedroom. He had to use the kitchen sink instead.
@@carinak619 but we don't see walter jr ever using the washroom. Also from a house design point of view, it does not make sense to have only one washroom just with master room, since the house does additionally have two other bedrooms
@@theLUCKYdude17 We don't see Jr or anybody in the house in another bathroom either, so I don't think that's a valid point. Whenever we see a bathroom, it's this one. I agree it would be unusual if there was only one, but as I see it, it is still implied. Plus Walt called the house a starter home and considered it much too small when they bought it. That's not a valid point either, I know, it just fits in my theory. But the part where Walter had to go pee in the kitchen, because Skyler wouldn't let him use the bathroom wouldn't make sense, If he could just have used another bathroom.
That always wondered me as well.. What if Walt Jr has togo to the toilet at night, he just has togo trough his parents room!? 😂 Doesn't make any sense. 😅
I think Vince's idea is most realistic. If you look at how criminals get caught, it's rarely some dramatic arrogance or meaningful event. He simply didn't think about it, it was just his bathroom, and was overlooked. The banality of it is a perfect representation of how random or seemingly insignificant events can change the course of lives. As they say a criminal must never make a mistake, and nobody can be perfect forever. The banality of this is most poetic to me.
That's true, but this isn't really banal. It's oddly specific and involves a throwback to a previous episode. Banal is dropping a distinctive hair clip or cufflink.
@@jojohehe3251 Think maybe my word usage wasn't the best. it was certainly planned from the writers perspective, but I look at the story more than how it's made. From Walter's perspective it may have been an insignificant carelessness as Vince suggested, and I like to think.
yes. i like it
I agree he just simply overlooked leaving the book. Think back when you were a teen most times you get caught by overlooking a minute detail which may or may not be discovered
Yeah, kinda like that one serial killer that got caught by sending a floppy disk to the police, after asking the police if they could track him from it. Pretty dumb way to be caught after flying under the radar for so long
I can't see Walter White when I look at Bryan Cranston being his normal self. That is the mark of a good actor.
Totally agree
He literally turned into Tim Whatley to me at the end, as a wink to the man who asked about Jewish Jokes, his face while asking “have you been flossing?” was that of Tim
It's easier to see the character from Malcolm than from Breaking Bad.
Great point
Bravo Bryan
For the writer to say that the audience’s opinion is every bit as valid as his own… that’s a level of humility that makes Gilligan’s work more commendable
I came to the comment section looking for this type of comment and I found it instantly 😄 I respect Gilligan more and more each time I hear him speak, and he's a rare gem in Hollywood these days...
@@dimitarapostolov9788. He’s evidently never been of that Hollywood nature. It doesn’t take JUST this video to observe that.
Jfc it's a blatant placating gesture...
I agree 1000 percent
This kind of outlook is a useful tool for any creative to have. It shows in their output when applied to their creative process. It is always the authors own fault if they assign a "correct" meaning to something and nobody catches it. If the author chooses to be bothered by the fact that everyone besides themselves got it "wrong" they should have accounted for that before presenting their creation.
Creatives are often believed to be in the worst place to understand the audience journey, and that is exactly why they should take active steps toward doing so at the time of making what it is that they make. Whether it is a book, a song, a film or a painting, the author does not have the authority to author the response; to author what the world determines it to be. They should not be telling us what it is. That is the job of the work itself. Their is a lot less merit to a showing if the same message can be communicated more easily and accurately with an explanation. This is just the importance of knowing the balance between when to be explicit and when to leave things open.
Love how accepting Vince is of the reality that once a work of art is out there, it becomes the audience's as much as the creator's. Very inspiring
@@dennisthemenace3695 It's about interpreting the work of art. The audience does that from their own personal points of view and each of them are as valid as the artist's original intention.
Edit to clarify because I have been asked so many times now: I was trying to explain to the person before me what Vince meant in my opinion. I agree with Vince to a degree, that art comes to life by both the artist's Intention and the viewer's interpretation. But for me personally the artist's intention behind his creation is still more relevant than the audience's interpretation. Although in a way both need each other to make an impact. So I understand Vince's point of view and for an artist that's probably a reasonable mindset, though as a viewer looking at it from the other side I personally don't agree 100%.
@@dennisthemenace3695 I think there is a difference in what you said (adding to, altering, fan service) and what Vince said (interpreting the meaning). Many works of art mean many different things to many different people. I don't think it's fair to say that the only valid interpretation is the creator's.
I agree with him. I also believe that Walter didn’t kill Mike purely out of emotion and impulse. I believe he was ready to kill him before they meet if he didn’t give him the names which is why he took the gun out of his bag.
Comrade Vince: OUR show
What does this mean specifically? Waltuh and Finger banging is now canon? 🤔
I've always just accepted that he got careless. Police catch people all the time with stuff that you'd never in a million years think somebody would be able to find and link to a crime.
Yeah. Not to mention his life style was returning to normal at that point in the show. He had no more nemesis to fight and no need for cooking meth. He kept the book because of his ego, but what ultimately doomed him was pure carelessness.
It's kind of like how Al Capone got away with so much, he was basically unstoppable, but all it took was the IRS to take him down.
Just look at the watergate scandal said Skyler.
@@kylem1112 Goes to show that you can get away with literal murder and robbery in this country, but don't you DARE skip out on your taxes lmfao
He didn't "get" careless though. He was careless from the very start. He acts like a brilliant all knowing god, but we see very well he isn't. From literally working with an addict, and other addicts, to the way he carries himself. Gus didn't want to work with him, even DESPITE the quality of his meth, Gus said Walt was an amateur and not a careful man. He didn't even want to meet with him at first. In Better Call Saul we learn that even Mike thought he was reckless and untrustworthy
Walt had several close calls with Hank and Hank seemed oblivious to each one. He likely never would’ve expected Hank of all people to randomly grab a poetry book out of his bathroom, read the inscription, and piece together the whole implication in seconds.
Hank was suss with the first WW inscription which he raised that explicitly and pointedly with Walt, and this book had a second one clearly referencing the first. Hank was a good enough detective to discover the laundry, which shocked Walt. It simply doesn't add up that Walt leaves this second explosive clue around like this when he knows Hanks is visiting and he later knows Hank has taken it and why. He was aware. That's why it's crappy writing. The first WW reference was a fake-out tease and the second one was just a dumb obvious "time to wrap this up" plot device.
@@jojohehe3251 A whole lotta doubt to rule out "he made a mistake", what if he liked the book and left it there in his careless retirement?
Yep exactly. Maybe it was his ego but I think he just got careless around Hank because he saw that Hank wasn't catching onto things.
@@jojohehe3251 You're thinking about it way more than Walt did, though. He didn't reason any of that, he just *felt* that he had gotten away with it so often, why would Hank figure something out now?
And it cost him. He became too relaxed, too comfortable with being a "mastermind". A lot of Walt's successes were driven from stress and a need for quick thinking. When he's left without the stress, the fear of being caught, he relaxes too much and lets down his guard. It could happen to anyone.
I'd further add that many times in the past even Walt had made stupid mistakes (like bringing a bomb into a hospital). He's not flawless, the truth is that it was a mixture of cleverness and luck that got him out of the *many* hairy situations he got himself into.
@@jojohehe3251 "That's why it's crappy writing." Try not to pull a muscle sucking your own ...
I think Walt's complacency was specifically driven by the fact that he chose to believe that Gale didn't matter. He consistently belittled, disrespected, and under appreciated Gale in order to feel powerful and stroke his ego. When Hank finally figures it out, it's made possible because Gale was a good guy, who just liked doing chemistry, and because Walt was so arrogant he literally forgot. Gale gets a posthumous win just for being kind enough to give Walt a gift.
Walt felt terrible about Gale and was mean to him solely to justify getting Jesse back
@@jojohehe3251 I guess his feeling terrible might also be a reason why he kept the book. Seems like part of his character was that tension between guilt and his need for control.
Gale was making meth on an industrial scale for a drug cartel. Not exactly a good guy. He was a weirdo who idolised Walt and was eager to be his lackey, like Todd. Walt liked his obedient students.
@@AnthonyFlack Isn’t there also some theory about Gale being a Pedo? I remember hearing somewhere that there was some evidence pointing to it in the show but I don’t remember where
@@alphacraig2001 that’s a disturbing theory. never heard that before. for my sake, i’m not gonna look into it😭
I agree wholeheartedly with Gilligan, everyone, even the most careful geniuses, slip into complacency. It’s called being a human being.
"the most careful geniuses"?! 😂
Walter White proved himself a reckless imbecile at literally every point in the show.
Nothing he did was subtle or smart.
@@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid op weren’t talking specifically of Walter… Gus is a good example tho
@@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid conspiring with an enemy to destroy a greater enemy wasn’t reckless.
Walt was plenty reckless, sure, but he had his moments.
@@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid He did have one hell of an ability to snake his way out of trouble whenever he was under pressure.
Hubris? Agreed. However, that's usually from low IQ criminals. Even Ted Bundy wasn't that smart. He was just charismatic. Walter White was portrayed as this super genius.
Walter got so close to being caught by Hank so many times. Hank missed so many clues before... why would Walt all of a sudden suspect that this seemingly innocuous piece of evidence would not only be found by Hank by pure coincidence, Hank not being the type to read poetry, but also that Hank would read the inscription, rather than going straight to one of the poems, and would then piece it together, remembering a specific detail from his investigation from months ago. That last point sounds more like Hank, but would Walt consider that? Only if he were extremely cautious and methodical in covering his tracks, which he is not, as he demonstrated many times throughout the show.
It seemed to me like he just put the book down and forgot about it. If I recieved that book, I wouldn't think of it as incriminating evidence. It felt like pure dumb luck that he found it and even then, it was just an inscription
Here's a question for you , why didn't Gus simply kidnap his son or wife or both and then MAKE Walter teach HIS scientists to make THE EXACT thing only Walter knew how to make , otherwise this and this would happen to them ? So Gus is supposed to be this absolute ruthless mastermind criminal yet allows himself to be blackmailed by a school teacher ?
_You are NOT a cautious man at all._ - Gustavo Fring to Walter White.
@@svengali5862 Gus was too careful to make a high risk move like that. An entire family doesn't just disappear and raise 0 questions with the people around them.
@@MrMalkraz But he was VERY CAREFUL when choosing to work with a DEA closest family member just because his product is a few % higher , something the average consumer cares little about ??
Vince's comment about the book inscription resonates with me. A few years ago, my brother had a book sent to me ('Lincoln in the Bardo,' by George Saunders), and I thanked him for it, but always thought my brother's reaction back to me was a bit strange -- like he was disappointed with the way I reacted. A year afterwards, when I finally got around to reading it, I noticed the title page was inscribed personally to me, from the author, with a nice little hand-drawn doodle from the author, too. Turns out, my brother had met him at a book signing. I immediately phoned my brother and offered my apologies for my extreme oversight.
Hell of a book
That was nice of you to reconcile him after the fact
... you didn't open the book YOUR BROTHER gifted you in a year? wtf dude
@@reinertgregal1130 I know, right? I flipped through it (completely missing the title page), but just didn’t have time (or didn’t make time) to sit down & read it. I felt awful for missing it for so long. My brother was thankfully really cool about it, though.
@@MrDuneedon I get around to things like that when I feel them calling. I've been given books and movies... took my time and somehow those times were right.
The bathroom is also a place where Walt find comfort and protection as we see him retreat there multiple times. It is probably one of the last places that comes to his mind when it comes to keeping his charade up.
My take from the situation was that Walt kept the book due to ego. The inscription was flattering, so he just couldn’t bear to part with it
agreed
Red Dragon style.
The question was why he left the book out on the toilet, obviously he was going to keep the book since it's evidence and it was given to him by a "fan" but he could've kept it on his bookshelf or bedside.
That doesn‘t explain why he left it on the toilet. Should‘ve kept it in a box, well hidden.
The author literally said that it wasn't the ego it's just that he wasn't as cautious are you dumb 😂😂😂
Its such a minor thing, its very easy to accept that it slipped his mind when his whole life is as chaotic as it is. Its hard to be picture perfect when the main detective literally takes dumps in your bathroom.
Or maybe he left it out and Sklyar put it out as a classy decoration for the bathroom
Good writing doesn't have to mean that the character can perceive every outcome and never make any mistake. Walter White is a human, we make mistakes sometimes, that's it.
I think it’s more-so that the instant after Walt decides to retire Hank immediately finds out he was Heisenberg all because he decided to pick up and read some random book he found and just so happened to open it at the exact page where he would find out everything as he was taking a crap
@@shadow-squid4872 the "exact page" is literally the first page. Have you ever opened a book? You usually start with the first page.
Exactly the point which many animes like death note misses and people go crazy stating that the story line is amazing. No it's not, it's stupid and childish.
crazy how witty bryan cranston is haha, guy never fails to make me laugh
Severe TDS and woke infestation, sadly
Bryan missed the chance to say, "He was a very methodical man, emphasis on the meth"
You're goddamn right
meth inks you're right.
It's his trophy. And he never expected Hank to use his throne.
That's one way to put it
They have family gatherings frequently, though
😂😂
I think it also speaks to Walt's contempt for Gale. To Walt, Gale was literally disposable, no one missed him, and nothing related to him could be consequential to Walt's safety. Walt didn't view him as a meaningful part of the story. And he paid for it.
He metaphorically wiped his ass with Gale's memory.
Awesome take. The karmic justice that the book was the straw that broke the camel’s back is *chef’s kiss*
Fring to Heisenberg: "You are not a cautious man at all."
Walt knew the inscription was on that book. That’s what got him curious enough to look under his car for Hank’s tracker after the book had gone missing.
He might have forgotten until the book went missing, then connected the dots. Would have been a real facepalm moment if he wasn't panicking.
Could have been suspicious as well because he knew it just was a gift from Gale and Hank took it
and so from that point forward he accepted that he will be busted but since he adopted his heisenberg alter ego, why the hell not just threaten hank and be safe instead of the police coming for him
I tend to agree. Walter just straight up didn't think about it. Walter wasn't some super mastermind, pretty much everything he did was just pure luck and frantic decisionmaking. Things just worked out for him, and it gave him an inflated ego.
yeah, imo walt's cleverness stems more from being a quick thinker and being very good at mind games. outside of a few instances, he doesn't have the best foresight lol. he's more of a reactionary kind of person, which works well for a protagonist. he probably would've hid the book if he suspected there was a threat of being caught, but with everything seemingly over he just didn't think to predict the risks
I agree. It was only when he had a chance to cool off in New Hampshire and take a real hard look at his life that he was able to come up with a real plan that worked exactly the way he anticipated with no unforseen fallout.
@@jesusnthedaisychain even then, he didn't expect for jesse to not be partnering with the neo nazis. walter expected that jesse was a partner, and expected to take him down too
@@mistabean9272 uhhh no man, im pretty sure the entire purpose of his plan was to go there and free jesse in an act of redemption. He ratted jesse out when he was hiding under the car to the neo nazis because he wanted him to suffer for betraying him, which can also be seen when he tells him coldly that he, "watched jane die.". I dont think there was any doubt in his mind that jesse was being held there against his will.
@@codykay6871 Nope, not that I remember.
He started his plan by tying up loose ends with his family; coming clean to Skyler, ensuring they don't financially suffer after his death, saying last goodbyes, etc.
Then, after his talk with Elliot and Gretchen, he learned from Badger and Skinny Pete that blue meth was still being made, which they thought was him. That made him realize Jack and his gang never killed Jesse like he told them to, and made him think they completely partnered up with him.
That's the key there; Walter completely thought Jesse was dead by the time he started his plan - no, back when he was going to his and Skyler's home. His plan had nothing to do with Jesse; Jack wouldn't have even been on his radar had Badger and Skinny kept quiet.
Beautiful response. Well done for Vince for not shying away from it but giving his true interpretation and not apologizing for his own decision! I love this!
Another take, I think Walt’s morals and lack of guilt or empathy is a large part of it as well. The average person would look at that book (gifted from a former friend that they murdered) and wouldn’t be able to even stand to look at it, the mere presence of the book would make them uncomfortable and remind them of their actions. Walt showed no remorse or guilt for anything he had done in the later seasons, and this lack of emotions caused him to view the book as anything more than paper and words.
Love that Seinfeld callback at the end.
It went over my head. Can you explain?
@@AldiePezeh thanks! But what does he mean when he says do you floss. 🤣 That isn't a Jewish joke right?
@@terrachan8225he plays a dentist in the show
To be fair, the inscription is cryptic. That is, if one didn’t know the exact details of Walter’s life, it would be impossible to connect this to a large meth lab hidden in an industrial laundromat.
True. Only hank could’ve put the pieces together because he was family and he knew so much about Walt. Once he saw that he thought of all the other wierd things that he never gave much thought like when they got in that wreck that Walt caused to keep him from the laundromat
This is a fine explanation..... if you're Brother in Law is NOT a DEA agent
@@McDonaldsDude ... who already has directly confronted you with the first WW inscription from a talented chemist, clearly referred to in the second one.
This basically ends all doubt. The inscription is cryptic to the point where someone like Walt would not have alarm bells ringing.
I always took it as it just something that he overlooked. It syncs up with what Skylar told him in Season 3 after they bought the car wash and Walt bought an expensive drink. She tells him that for the whole operation to work and remaining working, EVERYTHING needs to be accounted for and tie into the story they tell people. The smallest irregularity, the smallest inconsistency, the slightest oversight could bring everything crashing down.
And that's exactly what happened.
That Seinfield reference was splendid.
In adittion, I like how he mentions that Walter was a man of science. I studied engineering and in my personal life sometimes I lack common sense, because I think way to much in the science side of things. Maybe, in this paricular case, Walter was a man of science, but not a man of common sense.
I was hoping after he asked him about Seinfeld that Bryan was going to say "give me a schtickle of fluoride"
Could you please explain the Seinfeld reference? I know that Cranston was on Seinfeld but I didn't understand what the man said about jewish jokes or smth?
@@natalyamartirosyan I don't remember the episode exactly, I think it went along the lines that his character a dentist, was recently converted to judaism, and once converted he began making a lot of jew jokes, which Jerry found ofensive because, Cranston's character was recently converted. I think he eventually got into a dispute with Jerry, because Jerry started telling dentist jokes. The episode was really funny.
Booksmart vs streetwise.
Two different skills, though if you have the 1st it's possible to learn the second, but not vice versa
@@-The-Darkside I dont agree with this. What do you mean exactly
HE FORGOR 💀
He forgot he took it in the bathroom. When he discovered the book was gone, he was looking in his nightstand.
💀
😂😂😂
*forgot
@@Jagar_Tharn ligma
even the smartest people fuck up sometimes
Walter wasn't even remotely close to "the smartest people".
He fucked up at every turn, without fail.
Honestly I think "Walt just forgot/wasn't cautious" is a perfectly valid explanation. People do mistakes all the time, even criminals, and yes, even geniuses. And we even saw him 'almost' do that before, when he thought he cleaned everything after the Brock stuff, then realized he forgot to throw away the Lilly of the valley, so he went to pick it up. This time, he didn't catch himself forgetting something.
To me this is perfectly fine and believable.
If I had to point out THE #1 writing mistake on the show, I'd say it's Walt letting Tuco bleed out... That was ridiculous. It helped create a great scene with Hank and all that, but that decision from Walt was insanely idiotic. And it wasn't a "oops I didn't think about it", he seemed to actually consider the options, and then picked the worst of them.
Interesting take, I’d considered that before but never put much thought into why it was such a bad choice since Tuco ended up dying right after anyways, why do you feel that way about that particular choice?
@@alphacraig2001 Well Walter didn't know Tuco would die right away (he doesn't have viewers knowledge).
Think of all the ways letting him bleed out could've turned poorly;
1) He could simply not die. People survive gunshots all the time. Then Walter and Jesse are dead. Probably their entire families too.
2) He could live long enough to tell the cousins who did it. Then the cousins chase them and kill Walter and Jesse.
3) He could be brought to an hospital, and eventually interrogated/arrested, and snitch on Walt. (Now, WE know he would never snitch, but Walter doesn't know that. And even if he doesn't snitch, he'd just try to get them killed, even from jail).
So many ways letting him bleed out could go wrong... And what does he gain, to make up for this? He gets to look badass for a few seconds? He gets to make Tuco suffer?
No way... The risk is a billion times greater than anything else. There was zero logical explanation not to just finish him right there.
And a science-type man like Walter knows gunshot wounds don't always kill. (In fact, single-bullet wounds don't often kill, victims have even survived headshots).
Walt was still relatively green at that point; I think the "let him bleed" line was just his cowardice/unwillingness to finish Tuco off manifesting itself as what he thought was some power move with a badass line to go with. S2E2 Walt was not a killer who could pull the trigger without thought, but he still wanted to seem like one.
Makes me think of a famous quote by Ted Bundy in reference to his killings and covering them up: “You learn what you need to kill and take care of the details. It’s like changing a tire. The first time you’re careful. By the thirtieth time, you can’t remember where you left the lug wrench.”
@@newpgaston6891 Not to mention, being a meth manufacturer he should know that's a hell of a drug. It makes people dangerous
Interviews with creators/actors where they talk about the show/movie/characters go so hard
I think of it as he finally let his guard down after being out of the business for a month. We have to remember that Walter at this point in the story is indefinitely rich and laundered money through the car wash business to justify his expenditures. He did not have to hide his money like in earlier seasons. He finally got to relax and not have to worry about anything. He no longer was scared of being caught and it led to his arrogance. We can see this as Walter seems very comfortable with Hank right before Hank steps into the bathroom.
Walter left it there out of nostalgia.
I think Vince is right. The irony of doing big maneuvers successfully and then getting caught because of a stupid slip up like not placing a random book in a particular place is exactly the beauty of it all. His arrogance from his many successes goes to show that while being brilliany, he's still flawed
Vince is so damn humble haha ‘take my take with a grain of salt’ bro you ultimately made this art! But it’s sweet how there are so many perspectives to take on the matter
i believe its kind of foreshadowing in a way if i you remember Skyler talking about the Watergate scandal and supposedly how they got caught "Leave a piece of paper/note on the door" or something. Walter's faith eventually unfolded in a similar fashion
I own the show as much as he does? Sweet. Where's my royalties, Netflix?
Who's gonna tell him that neither Bryan nor Aaron got a penny from the netflix revenues...?
The way vince addressed and answered the question made me respect him even more than I already did
I love how Vince never got a big head from all the success Breaking Bad got and is still one of the most well-spoken people I've ever heard
"You own it as much as we do" Oh man, thanks Vince.
When will I start getting my royalty checks?
The fact that the guy asked Vince a question is a foreshadowing that Vince was going to answer it. Woah… did Vince write this Q&A session? Brilliant writing, Bravo Vince!
Ok, my phone is definitely listening in on my conversations. Yesterday I randomly thought about this exact question and brought it up to my sister then today I come across this video in my recommended. Haha!
Gale respected Walt and Walt loved the recognition he received. He wouldn't have destroyed evidence of that recognition from one of his peers and leaving it in such an accessible place showed that Walt knew there was a chance of someone else seeing that recognition.
I dunno why he used it as a bathroom book. It's a thoughtful gift from someone who respected him and who he sacrificed. Just so rude to use it as a bathroom book.
Not as cautious as he should have been, sounds right to me.
i strive to be a writer like Vince. i’ve always loved the idea that once a character has been created you don’t always have 100% control over them, that’s what makes a world come alive imo
I appreciate how great a show is that both fans and creators can have a pleasant back and forth about its scenes.
So refreshing to hear an answer to a challenging question that’s more than “it’s just a show, don’t think too hard”
That’s a great response honestly from both of them. It reminds me of in “The House That Jack Built” where Jack starts being more confident and careless with his murders simply because of the ego he’s developed from always getting away with it.
I love this! I honestly always took it as Vince’s way-Walter was full of chemo, dealing with the stress of being a murderous drug lord, and trying to save his marriage on top of all of that. It’s not that crazy he simply didn’t think of the book after that one time.
To really sell the idea of how much more careless Walt became overtime, there's an intentional contrast between the 2nd season when Walk berates Jesse for bringing a meth lab to an airport, then later at the very end of Season 4, Jesse berates Walt instead, after Walt just brought a bomb into a hospital.
He thought of the book as a trophy, pure and simple.
now see, this is the appropriate way to say 'walter kinda forgot about it'
Daenerys kinda forgot who was writing her script but D+D certainly didn't forget about her. Man that was a dumb interview from even dumber people.
I never for a second thought this was an unbelievable scene. Walt got away with messing with Hank for a whole year. So many times he went right over Hank's head because he knew Hank would never believe he was a criminal. Why not hide the book in plain site? It makes perfect sense and is a totally believable scene.
Well, it's in the script.
From any side you look at it, this story is a masterpiece, from the acting to the writing and directing 👌🏼
God I love Vince and how humble he is
Especially the statement "You own the show as much as we do" tells how much he cares about audience experiences , it brought smile to my face...
0:29 Vince really is one of the greatest ever. Some Star Wars directors need to learn this as well.
Just finished breaking bad 2 weeks ago and I'm absorbing all of the behind the scenes and interviews ever since😂
I always just thought if it as a costly mistake, like he genuinely forgot it was there and how damning if evidence it was as well.
I think that even MORE now, due to how Vince points out that he got the book back in season 2, during a time where there was no way to link that book to Heisenberg.
The only time Walt would’ve have thought about it is right after he killed Gus. (Burning down the lab, cleaning up the bomb making supplies, and throwing away the lilac plant)
The think about everything that was going on at the time, and the fact that they had forgotten about the laptop even. It’s no wonder he overlooked the “Leaves of Grass”
book.
I was always under the impression that because he was in the "I got away with it all" mindset, Walter simply became arrogant and that book was the consequence for it.
This is also why accidents on the roads can happen. You can be 'extra coutious'. But if you drive 1 hour straight and you're in some routine and everything is fine, you will subconsciously underestimate the importance to be alert. Even just for a little while once in a while.
Amazing question an amazing response. Thank you for posting.
I honestly love the interpretation that Walt never even opened the book. Gail was always too good for him.
I think it makes sense how Vince views it. It had been months of Walt being out of the game he probably thought that he was in the clear and didn't have to worry about little things that might tip Hank off especially since every time Hank or anybody has gotten close to discovering his secrets he always finds some elaborate lie to brush it off. On top of that Vince is totally right about getting stuff from people and sometimes not actually looking for some sort of inscription, everybody gets gifts or buys random things only to put them in a closet or drawer or bookshelf never to be seen again and I'm sure that's just what happened with Walter hell I'm pretty sure most of us had even forgotten that the book was still around. Had Hank found some evidence like this in one of the earlier seasons I'm sure Walt could've found a way to lie himself out of it but by this point I feel like there were just too many coincidences for Hank to ignore it and it helped piece together everything including all of Walt's lies. I respect Vince for saying that it's up to the viewer though, there doesn't have to be a concrete explanation for everything that happens in a show.
Seeing how men like Vince compose themselves with such poise is such an inspiration to me
What I find most appealing and distinctive about BB. and BCS, is how real the characters are. Many stories in cultures tend to deal in archetypes to represent a set of characteristics that can give a wide application of the lessons learned. What I find so appealing about BB and more so BCS, is that it gives characters an individual identity with the actors showing quirks not necessary for the plot or some grander point. You can't put a label on any of these characters and they are never fully on one end of any spectrum. For all the good in certain characters we see their bad side however rare, and Walter still show moments of empathy despite his out of control ego. None of the main character are 100% anything. There is some yin to every yang.
In that, it succeeds in suggesting that it doesn't require a stereotype to fall into these tragedies, but any one of us, with out own unique characters and lives, much like the characters portrayed in these shows, in certain circumstances could fall into the same actions and fate. People change when circumstances enable it, and bad is an inherent possibility in everyone.
They suggest that it's circumstance that drive our behavior often against our own interest or principles as much as or more so than out character.
Nothing bad ever happens to good people, and bad people always get punished is just not true in the real world.
One could argue that Walter achieved his goals while Jesse didn't, even though Walter died while Jesse lived.
"How could Walter White leave the book in the bathroom?"
We gotta wrap this thing up soon.
I never had a problem with it. The Gale saga was ancient history and a complacency had set in. These circumstances resulted in a natural oversight with profound consequences. Moreover, Walt had long dodged the worst of the many mistakes he made; that luck could only last so long.
Vince truly understands Death of the Artist. It's not surprising, it's a real reflection of how good he is.
bro literally had a shower thought and pieced together the entire mystery while dropping a deuce
There are numerous stories of criminals who thought out & planned their criminal activities "to a T" yet overlook or ignore something as trivial as what Walt did.
Intentional or not, I thought how Hank finally figured out Walt was 100% believable.
It could be a plot device that Walt left the book in the bathroom knowing that it has the note from Gale and Walt’s initials. He probably just thought that nobody would want to read it much less Hank would look at the very first page
Huge fan of how Vince gives his audience the time of day
I think that when Walter received the book he couldn't see any reason on how it could relate to his crimes, as one could just interpret the gift by someone he has taught before. So he just left it in the bathroom maybe as he was reading it one time. It was only once hank was looking for a student teacher relationship between Gale and Heisenberg, that walter had any reason to remove the book. Especially since the initials were matching. But, at this point walter did not think of or notice anything relating to these set of facts, so he did not remember to remove the book, as it probably was a while ago that he had received it. So it is completely plausible that he just left it in a bathroom. If it was me I could of easily done the same.
Bryan beautifully added to vince opinion and made it completely a rational explanation to me
I think the most believable theory is that Gale gave Walter the book when they were still working together, and Walter put it in his bathroom soon after. Then when all the evidence about Gale was found, Walter simply forgot about the book in his bathroom, or just didn't think anyone would catch the written message.
I can't believe it's been a decaded since it ended.
“You own it as much as we do” so where’s my fuckin money Vince
It feels believable. If you compare it to something like Death Note, where the protagonist is caught as a killer due to some elaborate scheme that took two masterminds (one being a child) and multiple human errors, I prefer Walts slip up because it feels closer to Occam's Razor - the simplest explanation is usually the best one.
To me, he was out of the game for just long enough to start slipping. If this had happened the day after Hank asked him about “WW” for the first time, Walter would have remembered to ask him to use a different bathroom or something.
I believe that he just got careless because he had already made more money than he had ever dreamed of, finally got the power and respect that he wanted and then retired from the crime business and just thought that everything was ok and didn't even think that the book could incriminate him
Countless times in the series Walter tells multiple people to forget the past and move on. I think a part of him forgets at times that he was responsible of the death of Gale and looks at his gift as a fond memory of a coworker he once had. Walter got careless.
For me it's Walt probably thought no one except him or another well educated person would have picked up the book. He knows Hank is the lead investigator after him and he's been after him for a while at this point so he also started to underestimate Hank which lead to him being careless and leaving the book out cuz in his head why would Hank ever pick up the book and I also don't think Walt was thinking too much about gale
He knew Hank discovered the laundry and was on to Gus Fring. Hank's prowess as a detective was obvious. Walt had also already contextualised the WW inscription directly for Hank, and the second book clearly references that.
My take is that Walter let his ego control him, and like Vince said he started to act more emotionally rather than methodically, and thus he just plum forgot about the book and placed it in his bathroom without thinking twice about it. I think it's more fitting that of all the things to take down Walter White, a scientific and criminal mastermind always 2 steps ahead of the authorities, he got found out by a simple little poem book that he probably didn't even realize has an inscription on it. And from that inscription being from Gale of all people, someone who Walter ordered be killed by Jesse. Looks like Gale got the last laugh, Walt.
He was looking for the book because he was reading it. He realised that Hank had taken it, thus checked his car and found the tracker, which only makes sense because of the inscription, which Walt knew about.
I think he just got so comfy with it he didnt even think about it
It's amazing the little details a mad genius will over look.
i like the idea that it was a trophy for his ego.
and that if he did want to get caught, it was also his ego wanting credit for all his dealings...
You can make up reasons why Walter White left the book in the bathroom, because it was never specified, but as far as storytelling goes, it is poetic, the book given to him was from his biggest fan and the one who set up his lab, It all ends how it begins, just trying to do the right thing for yourself, family or friends.. relationships are based on who or what you love, Science is based on what you see or do.. Sometimes people forget who they are, or do not realize what they have become..
A poetry book, and it's poetic. How apt.
Such a humble preface to the answer. Love to see it
I think getting a book as a gift, never opening it, and putting it on the back of a toilet is the most normal human interaction, and Walt had no idea it was inscribed. Why would he have known? For Gale to do that was so beyond how anyone else in that business had acted. It was actually that act of unexpected kindness and sincerity from Gale that caught Walt. That's how I read it
Walter had lost himself in the series. every season he was losing more pieces of himself. he became BAD. he wanted to be acknowledged for what he was proud of. It felt like he wanted everyone to know. Remember the scene that they were all on the table talking about a guy who got killed who was a chemistry genius and Walt couldn't hold but show his true face and almost admit he knew the man, he was better than that man and he got him killed. he was proud of who he was, he didn't care if he was sloppy anymore and did not give a damn if hank would take a shit and read a piece of evidence that discriminates him.
The bathroom is your personal domain. The commode, your throne. I've never heard of a three bedroom house with a single bathroom that was only accessible via the master suite.
It's completely realistic. Walter wasn't a perfect character, he had flaws. Criminals get caught by tiny details all the time
To be fair Hank doesn't look like a Walt Whitman type of guy. More like a Sports Illustrated/Maxim/look at photographs of dead guys type of guy.
Greatest show on tv till date
Have you watched Better Call Saul? Arguably better than BB, even though it’s a real slow burn.
@@J2theMo13 just as slow as Chuck's house
@@J2theMo13 watch The Wire, and get back to me with that new opinion of yours ;>
Not as good as Mad Men from the same time and channel.
@@MokuTom The Wire is pretentious.
Vince Gilligan's take on the validity of audience opinion with respect to that of the creators is the best I have encountered. It always unnerves me when creators attempt to dictate the message of a piece of media, taking the subtlety out of interpretation. All respect goes to this man and I admire him for the brilliant work he has created
It's the same reason that major criminals are usually caught not putting their signal on to turn and get pulled over and then it's over for them.
My personal take is that at multiple moments Hank could have caught onto Walt, but Walt somehow got super lucky (You could also say that it was convenient luck for the sake of continuing the story) right up until the time where the series needed to come to a close
100%. Unfortunately, too many things happening or not happening because the plot needs them to
I think it is both ego & sloppiness.
Without the ego, he would've tossed the book or at least stored it away carefully. He probably kept it because Gale (a very capable professional in the same field who couldn't get close to Walt's results) thought the sun shone out of Walt's ass.
I agree with Bryan in that Walt became more free & loose. I think he was sloppy because he'd closed the chapter on the criminal part of his life. Walt had somehow escaped detection when the odds were stacked against him, so he let his guard down.
of the writers