The Dichotomy of Walter White and Gus Fring - A Breaking Bad Video Analysis
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ย. 2016
- Created by Gil Brummett.
A video essay for NKU's CIN 202 Fall 2016 Semester taught by Prof. Blaise Weller.
This video was created for educational purposes only.
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"I Watched Jane Die:” Theorizing Breaking Bad’s Aesthetic of Brutality by Ian Jensen: www.academia.edu/25008348/_I_W...
Wow! Three million views. That absolutely blows me away. I cannot express how much I appreciate the support I've received from you all - your kindness has been so motivating. Despite the radio silence since posting this video in 2016, I promise to be back soon with more! Stay tuned.
p.s. - The background track is "Convicted" by Keith Anthony Holden. :)
Gil Brummett weird how i came back to watch this the day you comment.
Can you send a link of the track? I can't find it anywhere
How strange to see this video the day after you return. Amazing work!
You did an amazing job on creating and editing this video. I've never seen a better video of someone talking about Breaking Bad. You truly deserve all the views you have.
Hey Gil, I just recently finished breaking bad (I'm in the 9th grade) and honestly I haven't ever felt this way about a show before. It was, perfect. I started watching video essays like this one once I'd finished the show but I always find my self coming back to this one. You almost perfectly display the show and why it's so amazing you deserve more subscribers for this fantastic content. Thanks for making such a great video about such a great show.
In the end, Walt no longer denied who he was. Gus still tried to live with two faces until he literally died with two faces.
i love in the end by linkin park
boi dats deep
@@bountyhunter7407 ya man linkin park legends
Shots fired
@@nav5738 do u KNOW linkin park
Watching Breaking Bad for the first time is a once in a lifetime experience
Doing anything for the first time is a once in a lifetime experience dumbass.
Nice pun
I just finished this show for the first time. I’m blown away man, you’re right, once in a lifetime experience.
Just finished binge watching all seasons tonight and I totally agree! Now onto El Camino!
couldn't have said any better
I was profoundly relieved when Gus Fring's character entered the show. "Finally, someone who knows what they're doing!" is what I thought.
Then he said the lines ”I will kill your wife, son and infant daughter” and I was like ”oooh kay, i liked him up to this point but now he has to go...”
@@eagleman5138 same
Right. Tuco was a complete idiot with too much power and no brain. I felt like who tf placed this useless brawling fuçk on the top of a drug distribution chain. For once I just wanted to see Tuco get his ass kicked badly to get his a$$ learn a lesson.
Exactly me too
@@piyushgyl97 Chill out. It's just a fucking TV show.
what was really sad about Gaile's death to me, was how Jesse completely lost his innocence. There was no going back for him at that point
Sy James he had lost his innocence way before that... it was more of a tipping point. The straw that broke the camels back per say. He went from teetering on the edge to completely mentally unstable
@@larry5289 I'm noticing from a rewatch atm just how mentally unhealthy Jesse is throughout. Had he not discovered Walt, he would likely have likely just wound up a deadbeat junkie because he's got an addict's personality. But because of the awful things that happen to him throughout the show, he's effectively got PTSD throughout most of the series (perhaps since Jane's death). His mental torture is actually very difficult to watch, every chance he has at happiness is ripped away and eventually his soul is irredeemably crushed by killing Gale and seeing the dirt bike kid get shot. Makes me glad for having a comparitavely boring life, I can't imagine what this does to people irl.
Yeah thanks to walt that practically ruined his life and he didnt even ask he just threathen him that if he declines he'll go to the dea and then he kills his girlfriend makes him kill an guy only for precation and makes him his god i love the show it makes you hate hlit characters and i love it
@@SoapCkat walt tried to save his ass season after season, even in the last episode he sacrificed himself from Jesse - a drug addicted, useless Simp. Had he listened a single time to Walt during season 1-3 he never would have needed to kill Gale. After Gales death Walt kept trying to help Jessie, but he hadnt learned his lesson, instead he shifted the blame on Walt and finally that caused Walt to poison the kid (mind you with a calculated unlethal poison) (mind you the kid Jesse all of a sudden started to care about because he now wants to be the good guy, but if he really cared about Andrea and her son, he would have just stayed away from them), to save himself and Jesse again. What some people see as ruthlessness was Walt being calculated and caring for his family more than anything else. Jessie was basically family to him too. People always talk about pride being his downfall, but if it wasnt for his pride he never would have cared for his family in the first place. Empires will crumble, our bodies will fade, friends will go their separate ways, art will eventually be forgotten and there are only 2 things that will live on: Science and family.
The 2 things Walt is made off.
Despite his wife, Jesse, his sister-in-law and brother-in-law ruining their own family (because they think something that countless police officers and politicians do regularly is illegal and worth destroying their family over) and turning his son against him (note: Had Skyler kept her mouth shut and just waited 1 hour after Hank arrested Walt, Walter Junior would have never found out and lived a normal life like his father wanted for him), he kept going, he didnt even give up in the last 2 episodes. Walt was thrown into the most brutal of worlds, with all the biggest inconveniences he didnt deserve, but he kept going. Was it wrong? It depends on whats most important in life to you. For me it was inspiring that he didnt give up when Grachel disrespected him on live-television and instead of falling into a disasterous rage, Walt gave it one more shot and finally reached his goal. Maybe his children will become genius scientists who will change the world for the better. Maybe they will become happy parents who can provide for their own kids and these children will change something in the world. Either way he changed something for the better (and on a side-note: he destroyed 4 drug empires on his own, so props to that) - and before anyone gets started on things like the planecrash, etc. - it wasnt directly his fault. None of these terrible things would have happened had people been professional from start to finish and not made rash / stupid decisions.
IF we want to talk about Walts mistakes there are truly 2: Not accepting the job from Gray-matter (understandable, but here his pride kicked in too hard) and latter when he rescued Jesse in season 3 (understandable, he got attached, but can you truly call it a mistake when he has to save his almost-sons ass, because Jesse made some huge mistakes already? Isnt in that case Jesse at fault?)
All in all Breaking Bad doesnt have any black or white, good or bad characters. All people in the world are gray (-matter haha), heck even characters like Tuco wouldnt have turned out this way had they been born into a different family and life. Calling Walt a villain is being ignorant to him as a person and the situation he found himself in. Whats important is realizing that we all can turn under the right circumstances into different people, but that with hard work and strong will we can pull through even the worst of situations.
@@AMVhuntingSyndrom yes
Best thing about breaking bad was that every episode was created equally, no saving all the action for the finale
Mr.Anonymous That’s one of the best episodes in terms of writing. Just Bc there’s no kaboom doesn’t mean it isn’t great.
@negativeletter It's all about developing the characters of Walt and Jesse and Walt attempting to deal with his guilt (one of many readings). That's not filler at all.
@Mr.Anonymous yeah, the best episode.
Yeah, one thing that LaCasaDePapel severely fails at!
@@WhiteWolf496 It's filler bro, it doesn't advance the plot. Still an exceptional episode.
I wish I could forget this show just so I could watch it again.
Abreham Tesfaye I feel the same way with Cabin in the Woods
but then you not appreciate watching it a second time as technically you have never seen it bringing you back to where you started...
Watch better call saul
Abreham Tesfaye I wish I could do the very same
Be careful what you wish for...
Walters biggest flaw was his ego/pride. Though Gus hides it well, his weakness was wrath, his desires for vengeance.
I agree. What I especially like to point out about Gus is that it isnt just about Hector Salamanca or Walt and Jesse killing Gale. I already thought to myself that it isnt smart to kill off Walt or Jesse for the death of two random dealers who killed a kid, when Walt and Jesse are the cooks and Walt being so dangerous. Why risk your whole production for 2 dealers? In the end the 2 dealers actually cost his production and his life.
Exactly, if gus had just killed Hector after he killed the cartel, he would have lived.
@@gabago0lOr even allowed Mike or Tyrus to kill Hector instead, which they initially recommended to him before he chose to inject Hector himself.
Idk... why was gus involved in the drug business at all before his partner died? The guy was cutting corners before that trauma
@@kernalfleak it was hinted “we know who you are” and “chilli is gone”. so maybe he has been doing it already
notice how in gus' very last moments, he's adjusting his tie, fixing his physical appearance to look smart and well kept. he did this the entire show, not physically maybe, but metaphorically, he was constantly keeping his public appearance clean and tidy, as if he could never be involved in dirty work, so he would never be suspected. He was so obsessed with keeping that image, he did it up to his last breath. I thought that was cool ig.
Reminds me of the shot of him neatly laying the towel down before he kneels down and pukes out poison. Walt does something similar in the season after Gus dies iirc.
@@kennygoodin2132 ye, every time walt kills someone, he "takes" one of their habits, like domingo with the sandwich crust.
That’s a really good idea, but I personally think he was fixing his tie, to look proper meeting the devil
@@paigelads7321 what about Jane?
@WolfxXx65 Walt tried to shake Jesse awake, this caused Jane to roll over and choke on her vomit and die, the actions of Walt lead directly to her death, he definitely killed her
Gus' character was played so beautifully and evil. I loved him being added into the series. It really made the final seasons so incredible.
I never understood why Gus was presumed as evil just because he opposes Walt. From Gus's perspective, he's just a guy trying to run a meth business with a useless middleman drug cartel holding their hand out demanding his money and then here comes some unhinged egomaniac who's running around murdering all his employees because he got his feelings hurt.
Gus was always my favorite character. Well, he became my second favorite after Jesse turned into a badass in the last 2 seasons. But still, Gus was amazingly written and acted out.
@@billpage5900 agreed, out of the two I always preferred Gus and was actually upset when he died and Walt decreed that he had "won".
@@alborzajeli768 So you think Walt should have let Gus kill his entire family? Gus was evil to the core and deserved everything he got.
Tobias Beecher Gus wasn’t going to kill his family. He said IF Walt continued to make contact with Jesse he’d kill his family. Walt put his family into protective custody because he was planning on seeing Jesse again to turn him against Gus by poisoning Brock.
This show is why I now understand how money laundering works.
Lmao yep
@@socaltop10well they couldn't go into too much detail about it because someone might copy cat them. Getting ideas from the show. It wasn't a problem.
200th l8ke
Did you think they put it in a washing machine before?
Why is there a Mattress Firm on almost every corner in cities but they never have any customers?
Gus's fatal flaw was his hatred for Hector Salamanca.
Walter's fatal flaw was his own ego.
Both really wanted to destroy
being able to stay unspoiled for this show for so long until i finished it today was the best decision i've ever made. this show was incredible
Same it was very good
Fucking same
You're God damn right.
Fucking pyrocinical spoiled hanks death for me, and I fucking hate him for it
Just finished as well. T’was worth the wait.
"Killing Jessie James won't make you Jessie James" - Mike
doesn't
fuck i was wrong, it's "don't"
oh also it's spelt jesse
th-cam.com/video/pyHEj4HMjKw/w-d-xo.html
Just because you killed Jesse James doesn't make you Jesse James
- Mike Ermantraut
John bet me to the correction. Seen BB too many times lol
Yep, Robert Ford knows it all too well..
I can't believe it took me this long to notice that when Gus slit Victor's throat, Mike actually pulled his gun and pointed it at his boss in surprise. He was probably even more shocked than Jesse and Walt.
McGuinty2 Yeah I caught that in my last rewatch. Mike was horrified. I think that was pretty much the only time we saw that kind of reaction from Mike
katnissandpeeta Yeah if Mr. Cool Cucumber himself, Mike Ehrmentraut had that sort of reaction, you know how fucked up that was.
McGuinty2 definitely!
5:15 provide a link next time
I think he was aiming his gun at Victor, who could've drawn his own weapon in response to getting his throat slashed.
The difference: Walter white became drug lord after living a normal life. Gus began becoming drug lord and then started living normal life.
Then*
Then*
Then*
Wow you guys suck
Wait is that why its called breaking bad?
The most tense moment in Breaking Bad personally is when Gus kills Victor. Hank finding out that it was Walt he was looking for this whole time is the most "oh shit" moment. My 2 favorite scenes in Breaking Bad.
I stopped cheering for Walt after the entire child death situation. But I still watched all of it.
Both of those scenes still live in my head rent free
@@labadaba5088same
After watching this, you will no longer find joy in usual entertainment. The bar is set unbelievably high.
I still find entertainment in many different shows. Different genres have different things to offer. That being said, Breaking Bad's consistent quality and excellent writing are near untouchable.
SeeN the walking dead
SeeN The Walking Dead has one of the worst writing in television right now, it only has some good scenes because they're adapted from the comics
Well trailer park boys did a great job for another drug show but it's entirely based on comedy instead of being a thriller
I know it's different genre, but is Game of Thrones equally as good as BB? I'm thinking of watching the series since it is highly rated and have good feedback.
Wether he was better than Gus or not, he killed everyone who got in his way, managed to get his millions to his family, and died on his own terms, never ending up behind bars. Walter may have lost, but in the end, Heisenberg won.
Krazie Phantom Having just watched the show for the first time, I would argue that Heisenberg lost and Walter won, just not in the way he had originally planned at the start of the series.
Krazie Phantom At the end of the series, in the last frame, you can see an officer going over to check Walt's pulse, then cut to black. This implies that he could have survived the gunshot, and ended up paying for his crimes. Or he could have died then and there, who knows, I guess it's left up to the viewer
Matt G dude go and watch el camino
@@Krishna-hp1hh loooove el camino.
The cancer wins either ways lol
The only thing I disagree with is about the “Heisenberg” depiction. IMO, Heisenberg is not a persona, but actually Walter White at his purest self.
As pure as his meth.
Exactly
I as Walter at his refined self i this. It's Walter after a lifetime of unreached potential while his former partner built a billion dollar company on his work while he ends up as a highschool teacher who gets cancer and has no way of paying for it or providing for his family. A younger Walt would've never became Heisenburg but the after years of resentment and unfulfillment, the crushing disappointment of realizing he's going to die a weak death after an insignificant life pushed him over the edge. You could still make a meth comparison here i think
the fragnents of hisenberg can be seen in ep 1 only . he stare at his award for being part of noble prize winning research while exercising
Walter White became the persona
I would love to have a home-cooked meal at Gus Fring’s crib. Impeccable.
it is acceptable.
Cross him and "The Last Supper" becomes literal.
@@michaelwoolcock5600 CROSS
Sorry, only veggie bacon for you.
I bet his Paella slapped so hard.
First time watching: Cheering on Walter/Heisenburg
Second time watching: Need to look away from this unbelievably long train wreck of a monster in the making.
Third time watching: What's wrong with you?
"Parroting the same meme as every other NPC"
Heisenberg*
I went in watching the show long after it ended, before that I’ve experienced so many people online cheering and hailing Heisenberg as this biggest badass on TV. I finished the show the first time and all I could say about him is, the man’s a seriously deranged genius who only cares about himself lol idk why people cheer for him as if he’s jesus
@@rhetiq9989 Because the modern day viewer doesn't actually comprehend what they're watching... so they only noticed every time Walter was being a mood. I deadass skipped every time the disabled son had a scene because it felt like a waste of time the first time around. Filler. But the second time around it's actually easy to see that it's a realistic and desperate plea for his father or Walter's very own last rope for pulling his head out of his ass. And he royally fucks that up for his son. It's hard to remember the show is about a family when it treats the real life issues like real life: boring; and the crimes as badass. But I suppose it does a good job of expressing to the viewer what a power trip might be like from a deranged person's perspective.
Marvellizor 99 he absolutely does not only care for himself. Don’t get me wrong, as the series progressed he became progressively more and more selfish, greedy and cold blooded, but he never stopped caring about his family and never stopped caring about Jesse (until after hank died because he most likely blamed hanks death on jesses actions).
I loved the character "Mike" he was a bad ass...
Mike has a lot of screen time in Better Call Saul, check it out if you haven't yet
@@MrZootSuitz I need to see that.
Mike is like an old Jason Statham.
mike was also a murderer
Danny Boyle don’t bother. These shows are always seen by a majority that doesn’t get the point. I remember in my time Trainspotting was hailed as championing the junkie life. Hilarious.
Gus' decision to take Jesse on his side instead of the obvious choice to kill both Jesse and Walt is one of the thing I love. He realized Jesse's worth as being loyal and trustworthy and having him on his side would be very beneficial to his business. Also turning Walt's trusted partner on him would make it much torturous for Walt as revenge. Such a scary and clever villain
He did it because he knew he Jesse was the only one who could cook to the standards he needs (other then Walt & dead Gale lol)
& Walt obviously has cancer so taking in Jesse was the right move. W.W was gonna within a few years. Aaaaaand the last thing is he saw Jesse was loyal to Walt… & thought he could then J.P against Walt into his corner
Gus didn't see any potential in Jesses character. He just needed walts meth without walt himself. So he tries to replace Walt with Jesse, just like he tried to replace him with gale.
"I'm in the Empire business."
@black spectre *and then skylar comes in and they have the most awkward dinner in the history of television series xD*
@black spectre He is right though. In Walt’s twisted mind he thinks that is something of an achievement.
Breaking bad, the tale of a man who becomes the man he kills
Quite literally.
Cutting out the sides from slices of bread. - Krazy 8
"Learn to take yes for an answer." - Mike Ehrmantraut
Like Dutch VanDerlinde and Colm O'Driscoll from Red Dead Redemption
A tale that perfectly describes the terrible state that the American health care system is in.
hmmmm.the man he wants to kill
@@Idfkleavemealone420 harsh but true
You better have gotten an A on this project homie
Jonathan Spanakos B-
lmfao! Damn straight
Spanakopita
You're god damn right
fa reals
It’s funny how most of the baddies who were either taken out of the picture or killed have been in the business for years while Walt had only been in it for barely two. It just shows how destructive and unpredictable he is to the point that experts like Gus where fooled and toyed by him.
Gus wasn’t fooled and toyed with by Walt
He was basically on par or even smarter than Walt surviving all the assassination attempts until walt found out about gus’s only weakness
Hector
I’m glad he’s playing the far cry 6 villain .
I would be glad if he played villaing in 3 or 4 when the series was on top. Playing in 6 is like playing in 150 episode of Fast and Furious. You get probably paid good but who will even remember it after one month.
@@slovnicurling9808 Kinda sick that they got Michael Mando (Vaas from Far Cry 3) a role in Better Call Saul though
@@Adrian-fo4kv yeah that’s cool
@@slovnicurling9808 Bro that’s such a silly take, you speak as if something needs to be popular to be worthwhile lol
Besides, the ‘BIG NUMBERS = BAD’ logic only works when it’s the same characters and context being utterly exhausted like in F&F, in FC it’s refreshed every installation, basically the only common thread is FPS and outposts.
It’s basically a category unto itself.
It’s the perfect role for him frankly, like really, can you even think of a more villain-led property? I certainly can’t...
Better Caul Saul is a sequel and less popular too and it’s superb
@@Adrian-fo4kv a match made in heaven
What the hell? I just watched a college project.
For anyone to analyze this show as in depth as you have (Gil), there may be just that explanation. However, the only problem with the video is that people such as niac 1234 can easily shrug this hard work and effort off as something of an immature student when this may not be the case. I appreciate your level of detail and the hard work you put into the video. I commend you in your restraint in dealing with this insult.
Cabo287 oh no definitely not an insult! I just thought that it's quite bizarre you know. A university film analysis on TH-cam. Like we're coming full circle here. It really is a great work I enjoyed it. That other guy's comment is weird though. It reads as a bit masturbatory.
A college project that deserves an A+.
KoH Chris but somehow got a c! Lol
TNTFPV insult? Calm your ass down lmao
Did Gus actually have kids? I always thought that he was just casually lying when he makes that comment to Walt.
That only makes the parallel even more interesting.
Hell no, he is obviously gay.
@@pearlmax I never seen him as gay. More like asexual. Complete devoid of any interest in other humans.
@@Gunplabro That's an interesting observation. Do you think he felt genuine love for Max? I mean, he spends years and years plotting revenge on the cartel for killing him.
@@siren7362 I couldn't say. You get so little of them together. I can't even remember their relationship tbh
The fart that gets pushed out by your sneeze at the end really brought this whole essay together.
☠️☠️☠️
Just thought I’d make everyone jealous and say, I’ve just started watching Breaking Bad for the first time. (Edit) I just finished all of it including El Camino and it was so good
You are in for a ride my friend
Horse Man been watching for less than a week and I’m bout to be on season 5. It’s that good
Enjoy. Season 1 is slow character development but it takes off like a wildfire in season 2.
Rusty Shackleford Tuco was horrifying
@@xcadan5829 Just wait.
What i find is after walt kills.. He picks up a trait from who he's killed (crazy 8 - no crust on sandwich, mike - rocks with drink) he picked up putting the towel on the ground like fring when he pukes in a toilet, but he picked up alot more than that from fring.. He became fring.. Fring witnessed his good friend die to the hands of the cartel. Fell to the ground helpless crying with his face to the ground and what did he do? He let time go by and came up with a plan and ultimately killed everyone.... Walt watched hank die by the hands of jack and his crew, fell to the ground helplessly crying face to the ground and what did he do?????... let time pass by came up with a plan and ultimately killed them all. I rest my case
Wow... That made me take a deep breath
Woah
Wow. Very valid points and they're all actually facts.
It's not your "case" this idea has been said over and over, especially on reddit.
You've simply taken what other people have observed and pasted it here, to try and feel smart. The only thing this says about you is that you're pathetic and have no original thoughts of your own
Hank picked up characteristics from Tuco after he shot him, beating the shit out of Jesse and the guys in the bar. How about Todd after he shot Drew sharp, playing with the tarantula after disposing his body. Or when Thomas tells Jesse to bounce after he killed Combo, a word Combo used. I know the last two are a stretch, but interesting to think about. Imagine Jack saying "clean living and vitamin pills" or suddenly picking up an interest in minerals.
Gus didn't have kids - he was manipulating Walter
MagnumTriumph Media how do you know?
MagnumTriumph Media that's an interesting theory. never thought of that.
many reasons. for one - mike would've given Walter grief about Gus's fatherless kids after his death.
Media Minded also a strong implication he's gay (not that that means he can't have kids, but less likely)
+Darknesscoming
On the third hand (??? :D) Gus would never have kids because they could be used as leverage against him, just as he does with Walter.
Giancarlo Esposito should get an Emmy for his portrayal of Gus. Amazing character.
I still remember the feeling of hearing Walt say ‘I won,’ as the music plays. It was a wholly unique feeling for me, and it’s one I’ve not had since. Just complete satisfaction with what I’ve seen.
The series peaked then. Such a good season finale
This was fantastically done. I need more BB video analyses :(
Enthios I want the same
Enthios I agree, very impressive analysis.
Enthios Film Theorists (MatPat from 'The Game Theorists) channel has an exceptional theory about the final scene on his channel. I believe it is episode 10 of his TV Theory Playlist. I highly recommend you check it out if you liked this (4 months ago)
Check out my analysis. Not of breaking bad, but kind of similar?
Honestly I was just rooting for Jesse the whole time because I could see how corrupt Walt was becoming and how willing he was to put everyone he knew and loved in danger just to save himself. Granted he saved Jesse a few times…. He was also the sole reason for most of Jesse’s trauma and PTSD annnd his relapses….
Jesse's relapses weren't on him?
The thing about Walt that no one understands is that he didn't change over time. He simply slowly became who he truly was. From the very beginning, there was very clearly something wrong with the way he thinks. Back when he was "innocent Mr. Rogers" he had so many options but he chose the worst possible one over and over again. Gretchen and Elliot had the power to make all of his problems go away, but he didn't take that opportunity because of his delusional ego. Gretchen and Eliot weren't flexing on him by offering him the job and to pay for his expenses, and they weren't doing it out of pity. They did it because they felt like they owed him something after what happened with the company. They unfairly profited off of his ideas and they knew that and they wanted to make it right, there was no pity going on there. But Walt convinced himself they were just trying to make themselves look bigger than him, and they were looking down on him. Even if they were (which they weren't) it shouldn't have mattered. When you're in this situation you shouldn't be thinking about yourself, you should be thinking about your family, but he wasn't he was thinking about himself no matter how hard he tried to tell everyone he was thinking about his family. So even if Gretchen and Eliot were just helping Walt out of pity (which again they weren't) Walt should have just sucked it up so that his family would have what they need. The stability they need, a college fund for the kids, and even possibly Walter himself, for their daughter to have a father when she grew up. Walt was mentally ill from the very beginning, it didn't start later on when he killed Jane or whatever. All the ingredients were there from the very beginning. Also gambling is the made up version of what Walt does that they tell Hank, but they Walt doesn't realize that the story he tells Hank is actually very much the truth. Walt is a gambler. He is very clearly one in the VERY FIRST EPISODE. He gives every dime that he has in the world to his druggie burn out student who hasn't seen in ten years and who meth deals meth and isn't even very good at it. He isn't just betting everything he has, he is betting everything that Skyler, Walter Jr., and his unborn daughter have, the very people who he's saying he doesn't wanna leave nothing behind for, he took everything away from them on the off chance he could bring something back in return. Walt is an unstable man from the beginning, don't forget that.
I disagree with that completely. Walt definitely changed. He was always f*cked up in some ways, but he wasn't always "Heisenberg."
Exactly my thoughts about Walter. If he was truly "doing it for his family" as he was obsessively telling his family and himself, he should've taken the offer from Gretchen and Elliot, even if it meant that his ego and manhood would have been questioned (which again would have been ridiculous since it was practically only himself who felt belittled by that offer) in the process.
I got that vibe pretty strongly in that bunson burner shot in the first episode. It seemed to hint at a deep reactive evil in him, a burning fire which consumes and destroys.
@@ghostpants3770 You mean the same scene where he talks about change in an extremely on the nose moment of foreshadowing?
It’s worth noting that he was interested in the money when seeing Hank’s drug bust on tv BEFORE he had a diagnosis of his condition
The shot at 5:40 shows how Gus is always in control, even when Walt is holding a knife to his heart
I love how he puts himself in a vulnerable position just to flex on Walt
Never thought of that
I always thought about Gus Fring as the success story of Heisenberg. Every line of his character is just oozing with wisdom ("never trust a junkie", "never make the same mistake twice" etc.). These specific examples are referring to how both men have been walking the same path, and that there is almost an underlying master and apprentice relationship.
It's like you get to see the whole beast of Heisenberg in all of its forms. With Walter, you get to see the start-up phase; the "breaking" of a good man, but with Gus you get to see the end-game of choosing that route and doing it successfully. That which broke Walter White required a Gus fring, thus his excellence had to be as apparent as it was. When a director manages to pull this off, it's good stuff.
"It's like you get to see the whole beast of Heisenberg in all of its forms. With Walter, you get to see the start-up phase; the "breaking" of a good man..."
What I like is how you can see, as the series goes on, how Walter was always kind of an asshole. Right from the start, you see a hint - the plaques on his wall showing that he contributed to Nobel Prize-winning research, yet he's a public high school teacher. That means nothing at first, but then you see his friends, and how much money they made, and how the female used to be with him until his weird personality cost him that relationship. And just in general, how his ego constantly fucks up what should be easy wins for him, and, as a double-whammy, then makes him bitter that he didn't win and get recognition and praise from everyone for being so smart.
Mister Guy There is no plot without ego problems.
I just don't understand why they gave Gus a Mexican accent later in the show. I think they thought we wouldn't notice that he didn't have an accent before. All of a sudden, "shoes" were "chooce", "jobs were yobs", and "explain yourself" turned into "eggsplayng jorselv".
Which makes the old volvo he rides up from new hampshire an interesting image.
John Doe I never really noticed that haha. It would make sense as he was from South-America anyway.
I always wondered if Gus knew Walt would be the death of him. For me personally Breaking Bad is the best and most iconic show ever made. I ( like millions ) was gripped from the very start.
Well obviously not or he would've killed him immediately 🤷🏻♂️
If anything he just didn't like Walt because of his obvious pride and seemingly unorganized nature
I think on some level he understood the threat which is why he was pushing for jessie to take over (so that he could eventually get rid of walt)
Billions*. with a capital B.
He underestimated walt
I think a spin-off centered around gus moving up in the drug business and possibly backstory about Chile would be amazing. 5-6 seasons of just Gus makin plays and bein smooth
Yo I’m sorry guys I was so baker when I posted this comment
Gustavo Fring is THE greatest bad guy to ever be written into a story. The way the writers focused on the business organization of the empire was fascinating and realistic. Aside from distributing meth, anyone should admire Frings competence & character at running a business. He's not so much a criminal gangster as he is a fortune 500 CEO.
jordanaug81 yeah I hated him so much but now I love him after his death scene
Personally I wouldn't even say he's the bad guy of the show. Honestly now with Better Call Saul I think we're gonna get a lot of the beginnings of Fring's operation, along with Mike and everything. I think viewers are really gonna like him.. All this to say Walter is the real bad guy of the show. Because he killed every good/compelling character there was. All for due to his own hubris.
Matthew Gomez Gus ordered the murder of a child. He's instantly a bad guy.
Chris Wilson That wasn't Gus, that was the 2 gang bangers. Gus said Walter should've let him handle it.
Gus was my favorite character. I would've rather seen The Rise of Gus than Better Call Saul (although I do love that show, too). I just don't think it's very likely now BECAUSE we have BCS that we'll get a proper Gus spinoff. One can still hope, I guess. If they do they can call the three shows an effective television trilogy, God please let them do it if only for that reason. I don't think that's even precedented, certainly not for all shows in a particular universe to be extremely well done.
"The Godfather" of tv shows
bluebird it Truly is
bluebird better than the Godfather for me, as a piece of TV/Movie culture.
bluebird
Yes...if you compare Walt to Michael, ofcourse
GoodFellas is better than the Godfather.
What I didn't like about Breaking Bad is how they changed direction several times within the ongoing series. The last seasons of Breaking Bad should have been about Walt and the Drug Cartels fighting each other ending with Walt getting killed by them - how it has been planned originally. At least, they did some obvious foreshadowing in a previous season. The whole Gus Fring arc was something they didn't plan from the beginning, I suppose.
Gus is the perfect villain to the last moment, he still has time to adjust his suit
The writing and cinematography on both this and BCS are phenomenal, everything is so well thought out
2:14 Gotta admit, that carpet is absolutely stunning for 18 years. Looks the same as the day they moved in.
Well, there isn’t any kids able to ruin it
I would kill for a carpet like that
DING
I always rooted for Jesse. The underdog who never had anything going for him. Always beholden to someone else, and desperate for emotional fulfilment.
TheSpacecraftX Same. I almost wish they had shown him living the high live but that wouldn't fit with the series. It's a shame he was probably caught by the authorities in the end.
TheSpacecraftX likewise, I always saw myself in him. The drug addict down trodden but supremely capable guy that nobody wanted. It's beautifully written.
I heard he took his inspiration for desperation after his price is right appearance :-)
Same here. I stopped routing for Heisenberg/Walter White pretty quickly. He enfuriated me in so many ways and I never got why nobody saw through that character but was going for him. Jesse on the other hand was a pretty sad and dramatic character and I could really feel the hopelessness and despair that sorrounded him after a certain part of the story.
same, definitely after his gf died he wanted to change when walt was being just an asshole.
I watched this video back when it was first released, and I still find myself coming back to it every few years. One of the best videos on the site--if not the best.
Just finished breaking bad and binging trough everything on youtube, this video was top notch quality mate. Great job.
I think Gustavo Fring is the better Walter White in terms of being a kingpin and Hank Schrader is the better Walter White in terms of being a family man.
So, Hank is a better Walt, and Gus is a better Heisenberg.
Which kind of doesn't make sense because Walt essentially escapes them both. Nobody is better than Walt - isn't that the point of breaking bad? Walt's a severely overqualified chemistry teacher with superior intelligence and wit. He escaped, defeated or outsmarted everything and everybody, then finally, after deciding to fix all the remaining unresolved issues, saved Jesse, got revenge and chose the place to die. Whilst Gus presented a cleaner, more professional version of Walt - he was ultimately not smart enough to survive Walt.
And despite all his skill, Walt couldn't fully thrive in the two worlds he desired. (His family life and his life of professional crime)
To quote Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid, "Walk on road, hmm? Walk right side, safe. Walk left side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later, you get a squish just like grape."
I think this is the tragedy of the show, how an absolutely average yet overqualified high school teacher tries to make space for himself in the world.
Walter White: Thrill-seeking, Cancer man.
Jesse Pinkman: Unfortunate, young junkie.
Hank Schrader: Outgoing, DEA father figure.
Mike Ehrmantraut: Formidable, old cleaner.
Gus Fring: The perfect Heisenberg and humble psychopath.
Hector Salamanca: Sadistic, cruel man in a wheelchair.
Tuco Salamanca: Ultra-violent, unpredictable sociopath.
Jimmy McGill: Immature and charismatic criminal lawyer.
Nacho Varga: Cunning and reasonable enforcer.
Marco and Leonel Salamanca: Silent, twin killers and intimidators.
Jack Welker: Backstabbing, racist gang leader.
Todd Alquist: Calculating, young criminal with no remorse.
I really wish we had some sort of interaction with Gus's kids and his family. We only ever see Gus alone. I never even knew he had kids until you pointed out the line he says in 2:34
BIGxBOSSxx1 thats on you.
BIGxBOSSxx1 I actually think it's somewhat implied that he fabricated the fact that he had kids in that scene to reach Walt personally as he knows Walt is in the meth business for his family vs when jesse visits gus and all the toys and indications he may have children are gone I could be wrong though it's been awhile since I've watched those episodes
Wasn't there a theory that Fring is gay? That friend of his that got killed years ago by Hector Salamanca was supposed to be his boyfriend, which is the motive behind his revenge.
If that was true, it'd make sense that we never get to see his family, as they're just means to establish his 'stand up citizen' persona.
What do you even mean?
Also yeah. I'm pretty sure Gus is gay. When young Hector was pissing into the pool in the episode where Gus's partner is killed, the other cartel bro gets pissed at Hector for peeing into the pool, Hector than replies, "They like what they see" and then makes a kissing noise. I think that implies that Hector knew they were a gay couple. Gus also has a framed picture of him and his old partner in the episode after Walt and Jesse destroy the laptop with the magnet.
Gus Fring was calculating and methodical and molded himself into a kingpin by removing emotion from himself completely. He was a meticulous and accounted for each possible scenario and detail ahead of time; a pro-active preparer.
Walter White, on the other hand, was a brilliant man who lead a disappointing life because he was ruled by his emotions. When he takes on a life of crime, it is without a structured goal in mind, following only emotion. Events often go wrong around him (usually due to lack of prior preparation) and he relies on quick thinking and intellect to fix them. He was creative reactionary.
Had White never met Fring, he could have failed completely, gotten caught or any number of random outcomes.
Had Fring never met White, he could have continued business as usual for several years.
*note: I realized I posted this in the wrong place so I reposted it here.
I’ve watched this video essay about 5 times. Very impressive analysis, great job man!!
Can we just take a minute moment to appreciate the background music of this video.
It's cool hey!
@M unfortunately not
amen to that!
Whats the music called?
@@kerecsenracz8094 Have you find this music ? I want it!
I wish youtube would appreciate videos like yours, unlike the shit they feed to everyone. Quality content here, bro, keep this same pase and you'll go big.
01Phenom what do you mean by appreciate
01Phenom like plug this kind of video producer instead of kasey neistat vsauce and rich kids buying gtrs
Aaren Myatt vsauce has quality content
pace* and i dont think of this as quality content, not gonna lie. he kind of just repeats the same point others bring up when taking a closer look into a series. the color being a foreshadowing detail and the zooming and widening of the camera bringing the idea of over comfortableness. they've both been done so much that if anyone uses it in their videos because it makes them seem smarter or that theyre looking more closely at the background than others kind of ruins the videos for me
I wish I was black
Hands down best analysis video I've ever seen. Kudos to you man
This is one of the only two videos on your channel?!?! What, how? Dude please make more, I love video essays and I really enjoyed this one especially, I would love to see this kind of quality of content way more often on TH-cam. You should definitely make more, my guy.
Walter isn't responsible for Combos death? Nah dude. Walt was directly responsible. Walt forced Jesse's crew to push out into territory that wasn't theirs, causing Combos death.
Jesse was in charge of distribution though.
@@hectorgarza8540 Yes and Walt manipulated Jesse
@@senritsu4685 Jessie was a grown man who shouldn't have been so easily pushed around. His weakness allowed someone unqualified to control that situation.
@@onelerv1 Jessie's backgroundstory explains thoroughly why he isn't a 'grown man that's not so easily pushed around' .
@Mr.Anonymous Wanna walk a thousand miles in his shoes before such thoughtless claims?
Funilly enough. If Walter was more like Fring he would simply have Jesse killed somewhere around time he got beat up by Hank and cook for Fring with Gale hassle free...
And if Walt actually was just in this to pay for his cancer and leave something for his family, he wouldn't have gotten jealous about how much Gus was making, been happy with the millions he brought in, and it would have been as much like a normal day job as possible. Heck, after making several million (if I remember correctly, that would have been a year?), he could have offered to finish teaching Gail (and/or whoever else Gus wants to cook for him) anything he didn't know yet and work on transitioning to retirement to spend with his family and live out his life.
sybrwookie I actually don't thing Gus would have just let him go like that
Loyalty and egotism is a very fine line
But that’s what we have with Walt
Gale wasnt hassle free. Once he's learned enough, Walt's life isn't guaranteed.
I think that if Walt had acted in the more satisfied manner and easily taught Gale, he may have earned respect from Gus instead of the hatred for their reliance on each other. While Gus is very careful, I do think that he would be satisfied letting Walt live in this scenario, unless of course Walter were arrested or investigated by the DEA.
The music mixed with the editing and imegary just gives me a sense of nostalgia and it makes me want to cry all the time, no clue why, but it just comes out of nowhere
Gil, you did a superb job on your video essay! I was enthralled until the end! A+!
I always considered Gus to be Walter's equivalent of Moriarty to Sherlock Holmes. The antagonist who is the equal, if not smarter, than the protagonist. The Napoleon of crime he was called. That is how Fring is shown. His tactics are almost always superior to everyone else but then he meets his Waterloo in a nursing home.
I believe they are referred to as the foil, in literature.
his waterloo is his humanity manifested as long-standing hatred and appetite for revenge
Multipleman78: what a brilliant concept ... Moriarty is a perfect analogy for Gus as regards Walter. And in addition to Gus being the more intelligent of the two, even though Gus is portrayed as a villian and villians are rarely liked, Gus is a lot more caring, fair, balanced, secure, sophisticated and classy than Walt is or could ever be. Thus, a lot more to like about Gus than Walt.
Always thought Walt’s actions were chaotic and panicked, complete opposite to Gus even when he’s in control.
Went looking for more of your content, I thought this was really well done, was shocked to not see more content!
This was your first video... How? I mean really, HOW!? You made this, made another, and dipped off the face of the earth. You literally made one of the best video essays ever and just... Vanished...
Watching this and everything breaking bad related in preperation for October 11.
Me too man, me too
You'ren goddamn right
Uh actually not type idoleex
Instant subscribe! That breakdown of one of my favorite shows of all time was soooo good! Thanks!
the background music literally makes this so much better, great video
Man this matured beautifully, I’m glad you got to really shed some light on relationships that were not as looked on as closely.
Gus did not have kids. He lied about it to manipulate Walt.
Source?
@@andrewfoster6303 A functioning human brain + basic observational skills.
@@ourcorrectopinions6824 Agreed. he lied. i saw it right away.
But then what about the toys shown in gus’s house during an episode?
cmox buy some toys
This was an amazing break down... I need to watch more
One of the all-time great video essays. Hope you got an A+ for this
Brilliant analysis. Please do more. You have an eye for it.
this was one of the best analysis videos of "Breaking Bad" that I've seen and you really dug deep, not only into the psychosis and inner workings of each character's mind, but their inner desires in the current moment as things were unfolding, but can we also talk about that amazing "Double-Double" with the Sneeze and Fart combo followed by "son of a gun"
I quite often think about the circumstance of Gus representing everything Walt wants to be, and Walt killing him. Think about that for a second. A man just killed the archetype of everything he strives for.
That execution was incredibly stunning, moving, and full of nail-biting tension to the last second.
Well done Gill. What a review. Wanna watch this series again, after seeing this.
This video is so well made
Amazing video, please keep making more
Fantastic video. What an incredibly insightful analysis my man.
I look forward to your future videos
Are we just gonna pretend that sneeze didn't happen
And fart
I read this comment right when he sneezed lol
Great videos man, you are gonna be famous, this is really great.
The quality of this video is amazing man, props.
I absolutely love the performance of David Costabile as Gale. When Jesse arrives to his doorstep to kill him, he first says "I got money." Then he sees Jesse crying and he realizes that Jesse doesn't want money. I really love the change in body language when he sees it
i completely agree
Just finished breaking bad. I’m on episode 54 of monster should I continute?
@@brooks152 I am on ep 50 of monster? Should I continue?
@@Agent-mw1bk Yes bro don’t waste ur life
@@brooks152 what do you mean by don't waste your life?
Yes, Yes, Yes!! Your analysis is spot on correct. Gus, is the epitome or archetype of what Walt strives to be.
He becomes it for a scene, when lydia comes back to the car wash begging Walt to cook again because the product was dropping in purity. He was at the cash register doing business calmly like gus at pollo when Walt wanted to get a meeting in the first place
9:09 *FARTS AND SNEEZES AT THE SAME TIME* Son of a gun.... *SNIFF* XD
The guy was sick, give him a break.
That guy snarted, or feezed!
Hahahahaha
Just like most things Breaking Bad, that ending came out of nowhere.
Farting bad
You know what I really love about the show? Is that every time I rewatch it I always pick up something new like a small detail that actually makes me change the way I view characters. Like every time I watch it I can always interpret it differently as to why things had to happen and if it could’ve been avoided.
The production, the characters, the scenes, the vignettes, the everything, so fascinating
0:05 me when i'm losing an internet argument
Cant believe you have only 10k subscribers, this is a very good video essay. Well done.
absolute masterpiece of a video
Great stuff! Looking forward to more!
What I find amazing about the series is how they dared to have it start with such a slow pacing and yet managed to keep us invested.
Slow pace? He kills 2 people I. The first episode lol.
Jacob Mendoza that wasn’t the first episode I see what you’re saying but there’s no doubt it was slower at the start than series 3,4,5
@@tommyvinceze6249 doesn't walt blow up a car in like the second episode? It's really not a slow show, like, at all
Gus was a total boss, Walt was a crazy cook. You never feel Walt achieved the same heights Gus empire did
I don't think Walt's ego would have allowed him to build an empire to rival Fring's, he wouldn't have been able to resist the temptation to say "It's *ME* I'm the one your looking for!" And that's basically what he did with Hank, he hated the thought that someone else was getting the respect and praise he wanted.
While Walt didn't achieve what Gus did, he absolutely reached a level in a fraction amount of time that took Gus to reach, Gus was always working for the Cartel, even in most of the Breaking Bad story and in Better Call Saul he directly reported back to Eladio, Walter managed to be his own Boss in less than two years and racked more money in a few months (80 millions) than Gus did in years of slinging Meth.
Felipe Aguena gus has his own doctor and blood. He was on another level.
@@gherbihicham8506 guys was making more than that in a month
@@IDADDYIproductions *gus
It's great of how you breakdown the cinematography in addition to breaking down the characters.
you better have gotten a 100 on this film assignment because it’s beautiful the way you articulate exactly what’s going on at all times