Recently had a great convo with the homie Benoit on his podcast Discover More. Feel free to listen while doing the dishes. Cheers! Listen to all full-length episodes on audio: Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4OQZ0SEZ30BNFX5m4hCZEl Apple Music: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discover-more/id1478666639 Watch the full-length episode here: th-cam.com/video/021UQ8JPjfk/w-d-xo.html
@JamesVSCinema Walter White is slowly dying, but the cancer is not killing him. In time, all that will remain of him is Heisenberg. Cancer doesn't kill Walter White. No. Heisenberg does. Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. Wilson Fisk became The Kingpin. Norman Osborn became Green Goblin. Harvey Dent became Two-Face. Walter White became Heisenberg.
Walt got screwed out of a fortune by Gretchen and her husband. Gretchen was acting patronizing, and this pissed Walt off. I don't really see anybody deteriorating there. Do you people even watch this show, or do you just go straight to the YT comment section and recycle each other's remarks?
The actor who played the kid recently came to a comicon to see the actor who played Jesse and he instantly recognized the kid even though it had been years.
It actually happened at a Costco not at Comicon, and it was a set of twins who played the kid so actors. Sorry had to fact check you but it’s still a cool story either way!
Definitely one of my favorite episodes in the whole series. I love the glimpse into Jesse's personal hell, and how he somehow still maintains a moral center.
Dale Dickey is "Skank" and she's a legendary character actress. She's a terrifying matriarch in 'Winter's Bone' and she's wonderful to watch in all her work. This was the first episode I saw of 'Breaking Bad' when I was just channel surfing and it was so intense I had to make myself try it again. The first few episodes were brutal, but I'm glad I stuck with it. When this show goes dark, it's intense! 😂
YES!! Absolute legend. I was working at this film fest where we screened A Love Song, and it was so good. We also gave Dale a lifetime achievement award and I got to meet her, she is such a down to earth sweetheart and hilarious. Great actress
The "You have a good rest of your life, kid" still gets me every time. PS. The kid actor now grown up and came to visit Aaron Paul at fan meeting and he recognized him immediately.
In my opinion Jesse has empathy for people and things who have seemingly done no wrong but get wrong done unto them, since he clearly struggles with the things he has had to do to survive in his situation. Idk just my interpretation, but Jesse will always be an interesting character to me no matter what
James great reaction as always. One very subtle thing about Jesse Pinkman is that the house in season 1 is his aunt Ginny's house. You only get a few lines of dialogue where Jesse talks with his mom or mentions recognizing the cancer to Walt, but his aunt Ginny died of lung cancer and Jesse was the one who took care of her, the only person to stand by her side, that being one of the reasons he lives in that house, he was probably there taking care of Ginny initially. It is possible that the grief of losing his aunt and other bad things would push Jesse to drugs as a form of self destruction as he does geniunely care a great deal about people. I am sure he started drugs earlier but events like that would probably just send Jesse back to abusing drugs instead of keeping clean.
It especially indicates that his parents abandoned him when he was still a minor and that he did not receive direction, support to stop taking drugs. The death of his aunt as well as his family environment really impacted him and it is why he took drugs in the first place.
I think everyone has a little bad in them. Marie with the shoplifting, Hank with the violence. Skylar with the indifference. So much character development in this show.
@@edtheman28 I mean one line (I think from BCS) that always sticks with me is that "Your a criminal now". Doesnt mean you are a bad person but you are a criminal. There are good criminals and bad ones, and we see a ton of them throughout this
@@edtheman28 "If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? " Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
@@edtheman28 Skylar was more about diminishing Walt and her cheating, which she had stopped doing when the show started but she does again before the end with her boss if i recall.
I love the double meaning of “peekaboo” here. Until this episode, the casual viewer might have believed that Walt was just a mild-mannered, geeky, good person put in bad circumstances, doing bad things only to help his family, and you might have thought that Jesse was just a druggie degenerate who is selfish and plays the more heartless side of the duo. In this episode, you see both characters’ true personalities on full display. As shown in the heated conversation with Gretchen, Walt is resentful, egotistical and may have other motives for cooking meth than just to care for his family. Jesse this episode is shown to be caring, have a soft spot for kids (possibly due to his own childlike nature), and can’t bring himself to kill two junkies because he’s too soft to be a real criminal. He's too soft to even kill a cockroach; Walt would’ve killed the cockroach while Jesse is fascinated by it.
My mom came home one day while I was watching this episode for the first time - she didn't know anything about the show in general - and decided to sit down and watch with me. Since then, we watched all the remaining episodes for the first time together AND all of Better Call Saul (plus El Camino). I give all credit to this episode and it's terrific ending
in an interview, aaron paul did say he used to skateboard on set and stuff so its cool how many ppl can see the thrasher vibes from some of the shots hes in
It's a great episode for the characters of Walt and Jesse. About Jesse, although this episode shows his empathy and a more responsible side of him when caring for this child, I can't help but wonder if he identifies with this child given that he feels abandoned by his parents. He thinks it's too late for him to improve his life (although deep down he wants to have a better life and meet people who really care about him), he saves this child so that this child don't have a completely wasted life like him.
Jesse's tragedy is continuing down a depraved path because he doesn't feel worthy of redemption, which stems from him being the most moral person. Yet this makes him desperate for wanting approval to get out of it, leaving him vulnerable to Walter's gaslighting.
@@islandboy9381Exactly, but i think too that Jesse continues this depraved path because he never saw that he has value outside of cooking meth. He think of himself as a failure and he tries to forget that sense of failure by cooking meth. Cooking meth give him that sense of accomplishment. Walt is the only person there who gives him what he has always lacked: guidance, purpose and direction and jesse desperately needs both parental recognition and a sense of academic achievement.
Throughout this series you’ll find the amazing way vince Gillian and the crew juxtapose jesses story with Walt’s. I think it’s the core of the show and is one of its strongest assets. My fav series on TH-cam right now. Please upload twice a week if it’s not too much of an ask. If it is, I’ll be tuned in every Tuesday looking forward to your precise in depth review all the same
I love the pace you’re going. It’s how I experienced it for the most part. My dad and I got into the show sometime between the gap of season 3 and 4. We rented the first three seasons from a family video across from out apartments. We watched those first 3 seasons FAST. Then I watched it as it came out live. There are a lot of amazing moments yet to come that make for awesome reactions. Can’t wait…. but I enjoy the idea of you watching it a bit slower as opposed to rushing through it because this show is worth waiting for!
You are completely right. My mother retired after 33 years of working for DHR and the stories she has shared with me about child neglect and abuse will make you physically sick. She is happily retired now but you can tell what she saw changed her. This show knows EXACTLY what it's doing lol
This was wierdly the first episode I ever saw. A college roommate had it on and when the episode ended I went straight to my room to binge the first 3 seasons in like 2 days. Fantastic episode
I was just having the same conversation/argument earlier in another comment section. About Jesse being a good person. He has a good heart. And he has his morals. He’s a young guy who got into a not so good Situation. But he doesn’t intentionally hurt or manipulate.
Bruh, this episode is how I experienced life at a young age. Meth head mom and a little brother that looks almost identical to the red haired kid in this episode. Random people I didn't know showing up at the house in the middle of the day. Shit was weird seeing this portrayed in a tv show.
I love the way this show flips your expectations of characters. Hardworking husband and father with terminal lung cancer trying to provide before he dies. A low level meth dealer/addict just trying to make enough cash so he doesn’t have to work a 9-5. One of them is a good hearted person in a bad situation and the other just outright sucks as a person. On paper, you’d think you’d know who was who, but this show says, “nooope!”
I'm with you on not binging every show. Like I'll binge a comedy show, but a good drama like Breaking Bad I'll take my time and enjoy it. I'll give my self time to analyze and think about the show.
I think this is the episode where breaking bad fully establishes how devastating it can be with all the humor/alleviations of tension it holds no punches reminding you of the reality, jokingly season 1 is referred to as the "remember the good times" era 🤣 that line "have a good rest of your life kid" destroys me everytime
"Only in Breaking Bad can they make you laugh like crazy and then smack you upside the head with some depressing reality." That is one of the reasons I love BB and is a feature of all my favourite art. I call it "emotional curry"--hitting all the flavours either at once or in succession. My favourite TV show, Soap, makes me laugh and cry every episode. BB is probably the runner-up for almost being able to do the same.
That scene with the bug is probably my favorite in the series. I feel like everyone (cast, crew, writing team, etc) knew exactly who Jesse was at that moment and there are some really cool call backs to that motif and sentiment throughout the show for the rest of its run.
Been watching your reaction for awhile! Love you insight and just honestly your raw reaction to what your witnessing on this. Still surreal you got to Breaking Bad reactions. And better call saul next! ARGUABLY the two greatest shows of all time and your pure reactions makes me stoked!! Glad your enjoying it. (Also, love seeing the BB community so engaged in this series on your journey.)
I’ve been gone from this channel for a bit. Especially after my brother passed. And I’m so glad to come back. This channel is such a place of peace and happiness for me. And it’s great to know James is still out here killing it. I hope you’re doing well my guy. The new setup is super dope.
I am loving your commentary. I'm an obnoxiously huge fan of Breaking Bad, like my friends are sick of hearing about it. I've watched the series 4-5 times over. But watching you go through the story and hearing your very insightful comments on the actual film making and character development feels like a fresh new perspective. Actually excited for you to see where it goes.
It's wild how life and people work. Walt was a straight shot "stick up his ass" boring old dad in the beginning. Timid and soft but he was smarter than everyone else around him so this could be taken as a lesson of what it looks like when someone like that becomes the bad guy. He has the advantage. People don't expect him to lie because he never has but now you see the complete display of emotional intelligence. Walt almost always knows exactly what to say and when and how to say it. He is working everyone around him because his mind is made up. He is willing to do and risk ANYTHING to build this empire.
I've lived a long time and seen a LOT of shows--and I swear that BB is arguably THE best series drama in TV history. There is consensus on this being one of the best ever, certainly.
The first scene with the beetle is supposed to show how amazed jessie is about life. To jessie life is very precious. But others come in and squash that beetle
I never realized the parallel between the kid and the beetle until now! Theyre both frail and helpless to the world, and the beetle getting squished is some heavy foreshadowing
It feels like I'm showing one of my friends Breaking Bad right now. Also, I haven't watched Breaking Bad in a while so it is like the perfect combo. Keep it up big dog.
I fuckin love these videos. You're having the same reactions(with way better insights) that I had when I watched this show for the first time through about five years ago...keep up the good work sir!
13:31 funny story there was a robbery at my local DMV where some dudes came in with a tow cable and wrapped it around the ATM, when they drove off the cable tightened and shattered 4 windows and frames and RIPPED the ATM out of the floor with the bolts still attached, they dragged it a few blocks before they stopped and put it in the bed of the truck and apparently they never caught them lol(we know one of the employees so we got to see the CCTV footage from her phone, it was wild)
If you love Aaron Paul, I think you'd really love Bojack Horseman, he plays Todd and he's hilarious. One of the deepest cartoons ever made if you haven't seen it yet!
as usual great video, man. i forgot about the "wholesome" ending with jesse leaving that kid outside to be safe and found. this is where Walt truly becomes absorbed in the villainy
I have a different take on Walt and those who think he is simply swayed by pride to do evil things. I see Walt as someone who is forced to confront both a middle age crisis and his mortality at the same time after a lifetime of being a henpecked husband, a disrespected teacher and an unrecognized genius. The show begins with him at his 50th birthday party but as an outsider, far from the center of attention and the butt of jokes from his flamboyant brother-in-law. No one in his life really takes him seriously with the possible exception of his son. It's a place that many people with talent find themselves: Whatever aspiration they had, whatever thrills they once found in life, are decades on the past. But Walter's mid-life crisis comes with a cruel twist: Cancer and a diagnosis that erases every conventional path to what he once craved but missed. He has spent a lifetime accumulating regrets. Now he has what may be only months left. What happened next was serendipity, a chemical reaction of sorts that came together in a way no one planned: A chance newscast at the birthday party and a ride-along to a cook done by his former student. But for those components coming together, Walt never undergoes the volatile reaction that is the center of the show. He lusts for what he has missed, and he wants it quickly. When he finds it by using his genius to carve out a place in an adrenaline-fuelled world, he rushes in not because he has been a prideful man but because he is desperate to leave his mark in a world in which until then he has been invisible. Making a mark delivers the rush he has been missing. That is HIS addiction. And like others with addictions, he will do anything to get the next rush whatever the cost to himself or anyone else.
dude your videos are great, but I can't wait to see what you produce. I've never seen any of your own creations (not to undermine your reaction video skills), but with your love and true understanding of the art and craft of filmmaking I don't think that your first project will be anything short of sensational
One thing that I love about Gretchen and Walt's conversation is that you don't really know who's telling the truth in this argument. Each has their own perception of events over Grey Matter, and, in Walter's case, has festered into a cyst of internalized regret, of unrealized potential. Maybe Gretchen and Elliot DID push Walt out of the formation of the company. Maybe Walt left for his own reasons and doesn't want to own up for his missed opportunity. In any case, it reveals a lot about Walt and his continued path down towards his repressed pride.
FWIW, Vince has talked about this in interviews since the series ended. It's absolutely as Gretchen says: Walt broke off their engagement after he met her family because their success made him feel inferior. Then he cut a deal with Elliot to leave Gray Matter so he could ghost her instead of having to see her face to face and deal with it.
I’m shocked he reacted so negatively to Walt’s half of the conversation..saying how awful he was, over and over and for what? And too many comments are following suit. Seemed like Walt just had a lot of pent up thoughts and emotions about the matter (as does she apparently) and Gretchen not letting up finally made him snap. Then she proved him right by being all “sweetness and light” even in her manner of handling the ‘cutting off of the money’..not telling things straight but also forcing him to take the fall immediately (all to make herself still look like a good person to him while damning him at the same time, not realizing that he would be able to cover up with more lies..she thought she was forcing his hand and that Skylar would soon know the truth, whatever that may be), and her extreme condescension during the conversation at the table was atrocious. One has got to be extremely naive to believe that Gretchen is some sort of victim while Walt is a “villain”, especially during this episode..where he displays the very little villainy, if you could even call it that..versus the rest of the series where it becomes more debatable.
@SuzakuX if that was the intention then they did a poor job at it , because Gretchen, as written, is just as prideful as Walt is, but far more privileged, so she doesn’t have to struggle to keep her pride intact. And when she does, it seems to only be in response to Walt calling her out, to which she responds with quite intense condescension that is clearly a passive aggressive way of getting back at Walt for hurting her during the conversation, so she says “I feel so sorry for you Walt”, and anyone who has ever heard that from someone you just had an argument with..knows exactly what it means.
@@lukasribin4168 I understand Walt’s saltiness, but I am much more inclined to believe Gretchen. If she and Elliot really did conspire to cut Walt out and steal his ideas, it would not make sense for her to cover for him now. Even after Walt told her to get f*cked, she removed herself from the lie but still didn’t expose him. It would’ve been such an easy thing to do and wouldn’t have harmed her in any way. The only logical reason for her not to do it would be because she didn’t want to hurt him, and why would she care about that if she already stole his research and ruined his life?
7:20 one of the small touches I think gets lost is how Jesse calls the guy he's here to rob "Mr. Spooge" to the kid, not out of respect for the mugger but because he can't bring himself to bring even such a small negativity as using just a junkie street name for his father to this poor kid. So of course Spooge is "Mr. Spooge" for that moment only.
Most people hop off the "rooting for Walt" bandwagon much later on in the show, but James is suuuuper on it and paying attention 😂😂 interesting to see this perspective
I get you man. My friend got me into Ozark, which is another great show that rivals Breaking Bad. I like watching one episode a week and my friend was badgering me nonstop. But i get you brotha, keep enjoying the art of BB
16:35 Remember when I said abc Network only allowed one F-word per season so the show uses „fuck“ to really underline key moments in the story? Here we go. :D
Acting in this show is top tier. Not a single weak point even the side character like cameos like actress who played Gretchen I do believe that they really had a history but this is the first time we saw them conflict in front of our eyes
Not watching the video I just seen the thumbnail and decided to comment. For some reason seeing the old lady drop the atm or wtv it was on her husbands head saying “I ain’t no skank” is something that stayed w me for my whole life idk why I remembered watching that as a kid but it’s one of my first ever memories
The decisions Walt makes in the series to get out of situations I mostly* agree with but his first few major decisions that basically start this whole chain reaction of a story I don't I wouldn't have went from dying of cancer to cooking meth lol and I would have 100% taken Gretchen and Elliots hand me out. He is so damned intelligent but his intelligence is rivaled by only his pride and ego.
Oh nooo. As soon as I saw the title of this episode, I knew which one it was. This one is so depressing. That poor kid. EDIT: Also, respect for not bingeing. I wish I had that kind of self control, lmao. You just take your time. I'm enjoying your reactions.
shout out to the cating director for this show every cast member brings something even the sa's this episode is a great example jesse,thecrackheads,the kid even the superwhoolesome postlady
Okay, after this analysis, I can't wait to hear what you have to say about "The Fly." I'm really hoping that your analysis of that episode will silence some of the naysayers, for the exact reason that you explained in today's episode. I apologize for sounding overtly esoteric. It's because I'm making an effort to not ruin plot lines.
I remember watching this the first time, and had to skip it a bit because how sad it made me feel. It's so heartbreaking that i was crying because of the child whose parents were drug addicts.
I had the complete opposite reaction to the Walt and Gretchen scene. I know people like her irl, Walt was in the right here and her saying “I feel so sorry for you”..come on, it’s classic passive aggressive patronizing. Insulting.
Walt operates on the out of sight, out of mind mentality, thinking that drug users will get their shot anyway. Meanwhile Jesse is on the streets, and has to see the violence, and how innocent people are often caught up in drug dealing. The entire community gets hurt. It reminds of the first lines of Tupac's "Brenda's got a baby": "I hear Brenda's got a baby But Brenda's barely got a brain A damn shame, the girl can hardly spell her name (That's not our problem, that's up to Brenda's family) Well, let me show ya how it affects the whole community."
Recently had a great convo with the homie Benoit on his podcast Discover More. Feel free to listen while doing the dishes. Cheers!
Listen to all full-length episodes on audio:
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4OQZ0SEZ30BNFX5m4hCZEl
Apple Music: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discover-more/id1478666639
Watch the full-length episode here:
th-cam.com/video/021UQ8JPjfk/w-d-xo.html
@JamesVSCinema
Walter White is slowly dying, but the cancer is not killing him. In time, all that will remain of him is Heisenberg. Cancer doesn't kill Walter White. No. Heisenberg does.
Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader.
Wilson Fisk became The Kingpin.
Norman Osborn became Green Goblin.
Harvey Dent became Two-Face.
Walter White became Heisenberg.
Bro you should react to Chainsaw man, it has one of the best cinematography in a anime
This episode shows how, so far, Walt is deteriorating as a person, but Jesse seems to be improving as a person.
I prefer to think of it as the moment they both showed their true colors on full display for the first time, hence the title "peekaboo"
You might say he “breaks good.”
This season also shows how their actions are affecting people directly and indirectly!
I think it shows how Jesse already is
Walt got screwed out of a fortune by Gretchen and her husband. Gretchen was acting patronizing, and this pissed Walt off. I don't really see anybody deteriorating there. Do you people even watch this show, or do you just go straight to the YT comment section and recycle each other's remarks?
The actor who played the kid recently came to a comicon to see the actor who played Jesse and he instantly recognized the kid even though it had been years.
It actually happened at a Costco not at Comicon, and it was a set of twins who played the kid so actors. Sorry had to fact check you but it’s still a cool story either way!
@@BoyPadForDanyeah Aaron and Bryan were promoting their tequila and the kids showed up. So wholesome tbh 😂
Definitely one of my favorite episodes in the whole series. I love the glimpse into Jesse's personal hell, and how he somehow still maintains a moral center.
"It's subtle, until it doesn't want to be" nail on the head man, I love how well you understand this show
Dale Dickey is "Skank" and she's a legendary character actress. She's a terrifying matriarch in 'Winter's Bone' and she's wonderful to watch in all her work.
This was the first episode I saw of 'Breaking Bad' when I was just channel surfing and it was so intense I had to make myself try it again. The first few episodes were brutal, but I'm glad I stuck with it. When this show goes dark, it's intense! 😂
Big fan of hers. You must watch A Love Song if you haven't seen it. So good. And her costar is the awesome Wes Studi.
@@stephenmcdonald8474 I screamed when I heard about that movie! Wes is a legend! I’m sad I missed it in theaters but I’ll stream it soon.
I paid for it on Amazon. Not sure if it is free yet. Worth the 6 bucks though.
YES!! Absolute legend. I was working at this film fest where we screened A Love Song, and it was so good. We also gave Dale a lifetime achievement award and I got to meet her, she is such a down to earth sweetheart and hilarious. Great actress
Agree. Winter's Bone is one of the best movies I've ever seen.
The "You have a good rest of your life, kid" still gets me every time.
PS. The kid actor now grown up and came to visit Aaron Paul at fan meeting and he recognized him immediately.
Love that you recognized Walt as a villain so early. So many people just refuse to see the darkness in his character, sometimes it's frustrating.
Yeah, him saying “fuck you” is the real nail in the coffin.
Jessie is the hero. This episode clearly shows his empathy for kids and insects. His journey through this series is amazing. He grows so much.
Kids, I kinda agree, insects? Fuck 'em.
In my opinion Jesse has empathy for people and things who have seemingly done no wrong but get wrong done unto them, since he clearly struggles with the things he has had to do to survive in his situation. Idk just my interpretation, but Jesse will always be an interesting character to me no matter what
Not Walt. Walt never did it for his family, or because of cancer. He did it for himself. It’s like he says in the last episode “i was alive”
The twin actors who plays the child reunited with Aaron and Bryan a decade later and Aaron instanly recognised them
th-cam.com/video/3qENO2hLudY/w-d-xo.html
James great reaction as always. One very subtle thing about Jesse Pinkman is that the house in season 1 is his aunt Ginny's house. You only get a few lines of dialogue where Jesse talks with his mom or mentions recognizing the cancer to Walt, but his aunt Ginny died of lung cancer and Jesse was the one who took care of her, the only person to stand by her side, that being one of the reasons he lives in that house, he was probably there taking care of Ginny initially. It is possible that the grief of losing his aunt and other bad things would push Jesse to drugs as a form of self destruction as he does geniunely care a great deal about people. I am sure he started drugs earlier but events like that would probably just send Jesse back to abusing drugs instead of keeping clean.
It especially indicates that his parents abandoned him when he was still a minor and that he did not receive direction, support to stop taking drugs.
The death of his aunt as well as his family environment really impacted him and it is why he took drugs in the first place.
Walter is an bad person playing a good guy while Jesse is a good person playing a bad guy
I think everyone has a little bad in them. Marie with the shoplifting, Hank with the violence. Skylar with the indifference. So much character development in this show.
@@edtheman28 I mean one line (I think from BCS) that always sticks with me is that "Your a criminal now". Doesnt mean you are a bad person but you are a criminal. There are good criminals and bad ones, and we see a ton of them throughout this
@@edtheman28 "If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? " Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
@@edtheman28 Skylar was more about diminishing Walt and her cheating, which she had stopped doing when the show started but she does again before the end with her boss if i recall.
@@LilRedRasta and its this understanding that makes Breaking Bad and Saul what they are: masterpieces
Love to see someone watch this without constantly making nonsense excuses for Walt.
I love the double meaning of “peekaboo” here. Until this episode, the casual viewer might have believed that Walt was just a mild-mannered, geeky, good person put in bad circumstances, doing bad things only to help his family, and you might have thought that Jesse was just a druggie degenerate who is selfish and plays the more heartless side of the duo.
In this episode, you see both characters’ true personalities on full display. As shown in the heated conversation with Gretchen, Walt is resentful, egotistical and may have other motives for cooking meth than just to care for his family. Jesse this episode is shown to be caring, have a soft spot for kids (possibly due to his own childlike nature), and can’t bring himself to kill two junkies because he’s too soft to be a real criminal. He's too soft to even kill a cockroach; Walt would’ve killed the cockroach while Jesse is fascinated by it.
My mom came home one day while I was watching this episode for the first time - she didn't know anything about the show in general - and decided to sit down and watch with me.
Since then, we watched all the remaining episodes for the first time together AND all of Better Call Saul (plus El Camino). I give all credit to this episode and it's terrific ending
in an interview, aaron paul did say he used to skateboard on set and stuff so its cool how many ppl can see the thrasher vibes from some of the shots hes in
It was at this point where Jesse had completely won me over.
he catches on so quick, there is some serious christ imagery of jesse at the end of the show
I felt that in El Camino, too.
It's a great episode for the characters of Walt and Jesse.
About Jesse, although this episode shows his empathy and a more responsible side of him when caring for this child, I can't help but wonder if he identifies with this child given that he feels abandoned by his parents.
He thinks it's too late for him to improve his life (although deep down he wants to have a better life and meet people who really care about him), he saves this child so that this child don't have a completely wasted life like him.
Jesse's tragedy is continuing down a depraved path because he doesn't feel worthy of redemption, which stems from him being the most moral person. Yet this makes him desperate for wanting approval to get out of it, leaving him vulnerable to Walter's gaslighting.
@@islandboy9381Exactly, but i think too that Jesse continues this depraved path because he never saw that he has value outside of cooking meth.
He think of himself as a failure and he tries to forget that sense of failure by cooking meth.
Cooking meth give him that sense of accomplishment.
Walt is the only person there who gives him what he has always lacked: guidance, purpose and direction and jesse desperately needs both parental recognition and a sense of academic achievement.
Throughout this series you’ll find the amazing way vince Gillian and the crew juxtapose jesses story with Walt’s. I think it’s the core of the show and is one of its strongest assets. My fav series on TH-cam right now. Please upload twice a week if it’s not too much of an ask. If it is, I’ll be tuned in every Tuesday looking forward to your precise in depth review all the same
Two eps a week would be cool indeed
Literally one of my favorite episodes
Love watching you’re reactions to this show man, can’t wait for the next seasons
have a feeling you guys are gonna DIG those
@@JamesVSCinema Yeah like a bunch of meth heads, we're just eagerly waiting on the good stuff to arrive.
i rarely tear up when watching movies/shows, this ending was a rare occasion for me
I love the pace you’re going. It’s how I experienced it for the most part. My dad and I got into the show sometime between the gap of season 3 and 4. We rented the first three seasons from a family video across from out apartments. We watched those first 3 seasons FAST. Then I watched it as it came out live. There are a lot of amazing moments yet to come that make for awesome reactions. Can’t wait…. but I enjoy the idea of you watching it a bit slower as opposed to rushing through it because this show is worth waiting for!
Don't forget the Breaking Bad film "El Camino" that ties up the loose threads left at the end of Breaking Bad.
I always saw it as Jesse is a good guy at heart when you really get down to it while Walt isn’t.
You are completely right. My mother retired after 33 years of working for DHR and the stories she has shared with me about child neglect and abuse will make you physically sick. She is happily retired now but you can tell what she saw changed her. This show knows EXACTLY what it's doing lol
This was wierdly the first episode I ever saw. A college roommate had it on and when the episode ended I went straight to my room to binge the first 3 seasons in like 2 days. Fantastic episode
16:36 best delivered “fuck you” in cinema history.
The way breaking bad characters see and treat children they run into is such a good example of their true nature
I like the way you watch weekly. Makes watching each episode an event, and every episode is truly special, so it deserves to be felt as an event
My favorite episode of the series. Amazing acting, story, everything. Just amazing
I didn't notice the first time but the crushing of the big was foreshadowing. Damn, I love this show!
James, believe it or not, this crazy show has barely started ramping up. I appreciate watching you appreciate it for the first time my friend.
I was just having the same conversation/argument earlier in another comment section. About Jesse being a good person. He has a good heart. And he has his morals. He’s a young guy who got into a not so good Situation. But he doesn’t intentionally hurt or manipulate.
Bruh, this episode is how I experienced life at a young age. Meth head mom and a little brother that looks almost identical to the red haired kid in this episode. Random people I didn't know showing up at the house in the middle of the day.
Shit was weird seeing this portrayed in a tv show.
Just want to say I love your channel. One of the few consistent things I watch currently :)
Appreciate that! Happy to see everyone vibing with these!
I love that you appreciate how Jesse is a good person. Lots of ppl just see a stupid junkie. Like Walt. It’s very telling.
I love the way this show flips your expectations of characters.
Hardworking husband and father with terminal lung cancer trying to provide before he dies.
A low level meth dealer/addict just trying to make enough cash so he doesn’t have to work a 9-5.
One of them is a good hearted person in a bad situation and the other just outright sucks as a person.
On paper, you’d think you’d know who was who, but this show says, “nooope!”
Jesse is a good person who thinks he is a bad person. Walt is a bad person who thinks he is a good person. Such a great episode.
I'm with you on not binging every show. Like I'll binge a comedy show, but a good drama like Breaking Bad I'll take my time and enjoy it. I'll give my self time to analyze and think about the show.
One of the best episodes of the season imo! Really made you love Jesse more when you didn't think you could love him anymore lol
I think this is the episode where breaking bad fully establishes how devastating it can be with all the humor/alleviations of tension it holds no punches reminding you of the reality, jokingly season 1 is referred to as the "remember the good times" era 🤣 that line "have a good rest of your life kid" destroys me everytime
Oh man I can’t wait till the end of this episode, this is gonna be crazy!
"Only in Breaking Bad can they make you laugh like crazy and then smack you upside the head with some depressing reality." That is one of the reasons I love BB and is a feature of all my favourite art. I call it "emotional curry"--hitting all the flavours either at once or in succession. My favourite TV show, Soap, makes me laugh and cry every episode. BB is probably the runner-up for almost being able to do the same.
That scene with the bug is probably my favorite in the series. I feel like everyone (cast, crew, writing team, etc) knew exactly who Jesse was at that moment and there are some really cool call backs to that motif and sentiment throughout the show for the rest of its run.
That final line and lingering shot still gets me every time, man.
16:36 I've noticed it with other actors as well, but when their characters are really angry there's red around their eyes.
This one was definitely about Jessie's humanity vs. Walt's villainy.
James you feel like family to me. I love your reactions and your channel and you seem to be a beautiful soul.
That’s love I appreciate that Jay! Stay good my friend
Been watching your reaction for awhile! Love you insight and just honestly your raw reaction to what your witnessing on this. Still surreal you got to Breaking Bad reactions. And better call saul next! ARGUABLY the two greatest shows of all time and your pure reactions makes me stoked!! Glad your enjoying it. (Also, love seeing the BB community so engaged in this series on your journey.)
Right!? Been loving the conversations within the comments.
I’ve been gone from this channel for a bit. Especially after my brother passed. And I’m so glad to come back. This channel is such a place of peace and happiness for me. And it’s great to know James is still out here killing it.
I hope you’re doing well my guy. The new setup is super dope.
Sorry for your loss
Love you man!
Episode 12 is getting closer and closer.
I am loving your commentary. I'm an obnoxiously huge fan of Breaking Bad, like my friends are sick of hearing about it. I've watched the series 4-5 times over. But watching you go through the story and hearing your very insightful comments on the actual film making and character development feels like a fresh new perspective. Actually excited for you to see where it goes.
Merry Christmas, my guy !
Ayyyy Merry Christmas! Enjoy the holidays brotha!
It's wild how life and people work. Walt was a straight shot "stick up his ass" boring old dad in the beginning. Timid and soft but he was smarter than everyone else around him so this could be taken as a lesson of what it looks like when someone like that becomes the bad guy. He has the advantage. People don't expect him to lie because he never has but now you see the complete display of emotional intelligence. Walt almost always knows exactly what to say and when and how to say it. He is working everyone around him because his mind is made up. He is willing to do and risk ANYTHING to build this empire.
I've lived a long time and seen a LOT of shows--and I swear that BB is arguably THE best series drama in TV history. There is consensus on this being one of the best ever, certainly.
The first scene with the beetle is supposed to show how amazed jessie is about life. To jessie life is very precious. But others come in and squash that beetle
I never realized the parallel between the kid and the beetle until now! Theyre both frail and helpless to the world, and the beetle getting squished is some heavy foreshadowing
I could say this for every episode. Jesse is such a good person. He's just so lost.
It feels like I'm showing one of my friends Breaking Bad right now. Also, I haven't watched Breaking Bad in a while so it is like the perfect combo. Keep it up big dog.
I fuckin love these videos. You're having the same reactions(with way better insights) that I had when I watched this show for the first time through about five years ago...keep up the good work sir!
13:31 funny story there was a robbery at my local DMV where some dudes came in with a tow cable and wrapped it around the ATM, when they drove off the cable tightened and shattered 4 windows and frames and RIPPED the ATM out of the floor with the bolts still attached, they dragged it a few blocks before they stopped and put it in the bed of the truck and apparently they never caught them lol(we know one of the employees so we got to see the CCTV footage from her phone, it was wild)
If you love Aaron Paul, I think you'd really love Bojack Horseman, he plays Todd and he's hilarious. One of the deepest cartoons ever made if you haven't seen it yet!
as usual great video, man. i forgot about the "wholesome" ending with jesse leaving that kid outside to be safe and found. this is where Walt truly becomes absorbed in the villainy
This episode really opened up the floodgates for the development of Jesse's character..
I have a different take on Walt and those who think he is simply swayed by pride to do evil things. I see Walt as someone who is forced to confront both a middle age crisis and his mortality at the same time after a lifetime of being a henpecked husband, a disrespected teacher and an unrecognized genius. The show begins with him at his 50th birthday party but as an outsider, far from the center of attention and the butt of jokes from his flamboyant brother-in-law. No one in his life really takes him seriously with the possible exception of his son.
It's a place that many people with talent find themselves: Whatever aspiration they had, whatever thrills they once found in life, are decades on the past. But Walter's mid-life crisis comes with a cruel twist: Cancer and a diagnosis that erases every conventional path to what he once craved but missed. He has spent a lifetime accumulating regrets. Now he has what may be only months left.
What happened next was serendipity, a chemical reaction of sorts that came together in a way no one planned: A chance newscast at the birthday party and a ride-along to a cook done by his former student. But for those components coming together, Walt never undergoes the volatile reaction that is the center of the show. He lusts for what he has missed, and he wants it quickly. When he finds it by using his genius to carve out a place in an adrenaline-fuelled world, he rushes in not because he has been a prideful man but because he is desperate to leave his mark in a world in which until then he has been invisible. Making a mark delivers the rush he has been missing. That is HIS addiction. And like others with addictions, he will do anything to get the next rush whatever the cost to himself or anyone else.
dude your videos are great, but I can't wait to see what you produce. I've never seen any of your own creations (not to undermine your reaction video skills), but with your love and true understanding of the art and craft of filmmaking I don't think that your first project will be anything short of sensational
One thing that I love about Gretchen and Walt's conversation is that you don't really know who's telling the truth in this argument. Each has their own perception of events over Grey Matter, and, in Walter's case, has festered into a cyst of internalized regret, of unrealized potential. Maybe Gretchen and Elliot DID push Walt out of the formation of the company. Maybe Walt left for his own reasons and doesn't want to own up for his missed opportunity. In any case, it reveals a lot about Walt and his continued path down towards his repressed pride.
FWIW, Vince has talked about this in interviews since the series ended. It's absolutely as Gretchen says: Walt broke off their engagement after he met her family because their success made him feel inferior. Then he cut a deal with Elliot to leave Gray Matter so he could ghost her instead of having to see her face to face and deal with it.
@@SuzakuX wow, I never saw the interviews. That's such incredible writing.
I’m shocked he reacted so negatively to Walt’s half of the conversation..saying how awful he was, over and over and for what?
And too many comments are following suit.
Seemed like Walt just had a lot of pent up thoughts and emotions about the matter (as does she apparently) and Gretchen not letting up finally made him snap.
Then she proved him right by being all “sweetness and light” even in her manner of handling the ‘cutting off of the money’..not telling things straight but also forcing him to take the fall immediately (all to make herself still look like a good person to him while damning him at the same time, not realizing that he would be able to cover up with more lies..she thought she was forcing his hand and that Skylar would soon know the truth, whatever that may be), and her extreme condescension during the conversation at the table was atrocious.
One has got to be extremely naive to believe that Gretchen is some sort of victim while Walt is a “villain”, especially during this episode..where he displays the very little villainy, if you could even call it that..versus the rest of the series where it becomes more debatable.
@SuzakuX if that was the intention then they did a poor job at it , because Gretchen, as written, is just as prideful as Walt is, but far more privileged, so she doesn’t have to struggle to keep her pride intact.
And when she does, it seems to only be in response to Walt calling her out, to which she responds with quite intense condescension that is clearly a passive aggressive way of getting back at Walt for hurting her during the conversation, so she says “I feel so sorry for you Walt”, and anyone who has ever heard that from someone you just had an argument with..knows exactly what it means.
@@lukasribin4168 I understand Walt’s saltiness, but I am much more inclined to believe Gretchen. If she and Elliot really did conspire to cut Walt out and steal his ideas, it would not make sense for her to cover for him now. Even after Walt told her to get f*cked, she removed herself from the lie but still didn’t expose him. It would’ve been such an easy thing to do and wouldn’t have harmed her in any way. The only logical reason for her not to do it would be because she didn’t want to hurt him, and why would she care about that if she already stole his research and ruined his life?
been waiting for this episode...emotionally gut-wrenching. great tv!
7:20 one of the small touches I think gets lost is how Jesse calls the guy he's here to rob "Mr. Spooge" to the kid, not out of respect for the mugger but because he can't bring himself to bring even such a small negativity as using just a junkie street name for his father to this poor kid. So of course Spooge is "Mr. Spooge" for that moment only.
Most people hop off the "rooting for Walt" bandwagon much later on in the show, but James is suuuuper on it and paying attention 😂😂 interesting to see this perspective
Two hard little words, and Cranston gives one of the all-time best reads of that short, brutal sentence ever recorded. Baby, he's a STAR.
I get you man. My friend got me into Ozark, which is another great show that rivals Breaking Bad. I like watching one episode a week and my friend was badgering me nonstop. But i get you brotha, keep enjoying the art of BB
🤘🏽 my guy!
16:35 Remember when I said abc Network only allowed one F-word per season so the show uses „fuck“ to really underline key moments in the story? Here we go. :D
Love the breakdown at the end. This episode might not be pivotal for Jesse, but it feels like it because how much character we get to see from him.
Acting in this show is top tier. Not a single weak point even the side character like cameos like actress who played Gretchen I do believe that they really had a history but this is the first time we saw them conflict in front of our eyes
Finally a reactor who gets how funny Walt's "they're prideful people" line is. :D
Not watching the video I just seen the thumbnail and decided to comment. For some reason seeing the old lady drop the atm or wtv it was on her husbands head saying “I ain’t no skank” is something that stayed w me for my whole life idk why I remembered watching that as a kid but it’s one of my first ever memories
“This guy sucks!” Yeah lol that was exactly my reaction to Walter white in this episode
In today's modern world, when a show makes a "fuck you" sound so damn HARD and vulgar, then you know it's a good show.
Just noticed the blanket on the back of the sofa n Walt's house is the same colours as the RV
The decisions Walt makes in the series to get out of situations I mostly* agree with but his first few major decisions that basically start this whole chain reaction of a story I don't I wouldn't have went from dying of cancer to cooking meth lol and I would have 100% taken Gretchen and Elliots hand me out. He is so damned intelligent but his intelligence is rivaled by only his pride and ego.
Oh nooo. As soon as I saw the title of this episode, I knew which one it was. This one is so depressing. That poor kid. EDIT: Also, respect for not bingeing. I wish I had that kind of self control, lmao. You just take your time. I'm enjoying your reactions.
Wait until you meet the next big bad. I'm so excited for you to experience that next chapter!
shout out to the cating director for this show every cast member brings something even the sa's
this episode is a great example jesse,thecrackheads,the kid even the superwhoolesome postlady
Okay, after this analysis, I can't wait to hear what you have to say about "The Fly." I'm really hoping that your analysis of that episode will silence some of the naysayers, for the exact reason that you explained in today's episode. I apologize for sounding overtly esoteric. It's because I'm making an effort to not ruin plot lines.
With all this talk about the delivery of Walt's lines, I absolutely cannot wait to see his reaction of the knocking scene.
Gray Matter was Waltz deal. I don't blame him at all.
Trust me, as the show continues, you’ll find yourself liking some antagonists more than Walt!
- I feel so sorry for you, Walt.
- Fuck you!
😅
One of the greatest shows ever written. You’ve got a crazy ride ahead, my friend! 😂
I remember watching this the first time, and had to skip it a bit because how sad it made me feel. It's so heartbreaking that i was crying because of the child whose parents were drug addicts.
I had the complete opposite reaction to the Walt and Gretchen scene.
I know people like her irl, Walt was in the right here and her saying “I feel so sorry for you”..come on, it’s classic passive aggressive patronizing.
Insulting.
If you think that was agitating, you may want to get fitted for a sturdy helmet.
"They're prideful people." Forgot about that line but never again omg...
Walt operates on the out of sight, out of mind mentality, thinking that drug users will get their shot anyway. Meanwhile Jesse is on the streets, and has to see the violence, and how innocent people are often caught up in drug dealing. The entire community gets hurt.
It reminds of the first lines of Tupac's "Brenda's got a baby":
"I hear Brenda's got a baby
But Brenda's barely got a brain
A damn shame, the girl can hardly spell her name
(That's not our problem, that's up to Brenda's family)
Well, let me show ya how it affects the whole community."
You’re in for a treat with this one
"My spine has left the building" 😂🤣😂🤣