Walter is the fly. He is the contaminant in an otherwise perfectly designed meth business. After this, the whole story details into Walter believing he is going to be killed by Gus. Walter realizing he is in the wrong business, but too far gone to return. The fly is not getting out of the building. Walter is never getting out of this business.
Don’t think it’s a dream because of the episode when Jesse goes down to Mexico when he emphasizes that the lab needs to be searched for contaminants. Don’t think he would’ve said that if not for this episode
Oh wow, that’s a great tidbit!! I was scouring later episodes for every “lab” or “fly” reference but this didn’t come up. I do think it’s still open to interpretation, though. They were always serious about scouring the lab equipment. If only he had said, “every possible contaminant… even a single fly!”
The fact that there was just a raisin laying on the ground for Walt to find after Jesse made his hit "count" only proves that the lab prior to the fly's appearance was already NOT contaminant free.
Maybe the reason you can hear Jesse better outside the superlab door the second time is because he turned off the ventilation aswel as the lights. The first time there was an airlock
That could be it! I don’t understand how it would work exactly, but while it’s on, the sound from the outside (Walt yelling at Jesse) is a bit softer and the sound from the inside (Jesse yelling at Walt) is a lot softer. 🤷♂️
This Episode is one of Brian Cranston’s best performances. I’ve always been a big fan of this episode. It’s great to see Walt Finally admit to all his guilt about what he’s done.
Yeah i was so tense in anticipation, wondering if Walt would blurt it out like the second cell phone, and if he might fall asleep and let the ladder fall, thus putting Jesse's life in danger. I'm glad none of that happened
Oh, the second cell phone parallel is a great one!! Maybe we were supposed to think of that, since he even mentioned it in this episode, but I totally didn’t think of that!
There is the saddest death from the entire show, i expected to see this Fly actor on BCS as well, his acting was simply perfect... I got emotional after see their's corpse. Really, it hurts more than RV goodbye😢
The fly in BCS would have been perfect. 😆 It does “reappear” in Season 5b, though! Probably its great great great… grandchild. On the other hand, the fly was never visibly smooshed. Who’s to say Jesse didn’t carefully release it outside?
I love how both 4 Days Out and Fly manage to convey an important symbolic message whilst also developing characters despite being so limited due to both being bottle episodes, (4 Days Out did expand beyond the initial premise quite a bit though.) It shows that despite their limitations they managed to make the episodes worth the time by making the characters and their surroundings more thematic and developed. In other shows bottle episodes tend to become forgettable parts that are most obviously extremely forced.
I feel like this episode is severely underrated due to it not advancing the plot much. When I first binged through the show, it felt like a waste of time. On rewatch, I realized that it is actually extremely well-written in spite of the limitations it had. Really amazing for a bottle episode. Gets way better the more you watch it.
To me the theory that makes the most sense is that Walt knew Jesse was taking some product and that's what was causing the numbers to not add up, and he also knew that Gus was always watching them, so fixating on the fly was a way to show Gus that he took the issue seriously while protecting Jesse.
Walt losing his mind over that ittle fly has a lot to do with his personality. He fixates on the fly, which is very very insignificant (although he doesn't think that to be true), because in his mind, he sees it as a major issue, and disregards what possible disturbances he might cause to the people around him. This is a recurring pattern of his "odd" behaviour (in relation to this) throughout the series.
@@prisoner5629but at the end of the episode he admits to knowing that Jesse was stealing some of the product. So why would he logically think that it would be a fly?
@@prisoner5629 It's a regular thing for a lot of people, too. To internally, subconciously create a frustrated mental fixationout of thin air wherein there wasn't one before. Probably in the same way that some people start getting frustrated by little things like noisy neighbours, or stains, etc. Now that I think about it...Chuck had the same problem.
Fly is probably my favorite episode and not because I wanna be different but I just really love episodes in shows that just kind of focus on the characters rather than the plot. It's one of the last times Walt and Jesse work together on good terms. The episode really reminds of "dont delete me" from season 3 of Mr Robot which is also my favorite episode of the show. When Walt nearly tells Jesse it had me more anxious than any other scene.
yeah, although technically the season 4 finale has teaming up in a major way. same with the season 5 introduction. But it was all based on a house of cards because of the Brock situation. I also think these bottle episodes are better when your binge watching. It's different when you know you only get an hour over week and sometimes you'll have to wait months or years for the next episode.
This is an amazing video, its edited so pleasingly I usually hate the dredge of "details you miss videos" but his video is so different like this. You deserve much success!
Before I started watching breaking bad I always heard this episode wasn’t loved but after watching it I never understood why everyone hated it so much;
I wonder if we have data on people’s sentiment who watched it live vs. streaming. Because I could see people back in the day wanting more plot progression and then being frustrated to wait another whole week for that. 🤷♂️
I’ve always liked this episode, it was a nice change of pace from the rest of the season and I liked the focus on Jesse and Walter. Especially with Walter showing some regret for letting Jane OD.
Kinda wild to hear that this was a polarizing episode (only watched the whole thing earlier this year and haven't looked up opinions on it until this was recommended to me), it's easily my favorite. As you mentioned the whole scene with the ladder is the scene that had me the most tense, a mix of the conversation with Walt sleep deprived almost letting up for a second time, and Jesse balancing on that ladder (my interpretation is that he's distracted by balancing and would have caught Walt in the lie if he had been on the ground and started interrogating him). It also shows perfectly why I love bottle episodes generally, as it forces the writers and directors to be creative in how to circumvent their budgetary restrictions, etc. To me this is an important episode for the two most important characters at a crucial point in their relationship, so I guess my question is "why" would this be a dream? If you like that interpretation please let me know, but I can't get past the idea that it's more interesting than good writing. And as you mentioned, it's just too clunky with the counterproof, the shirt being different alone is enough imo. Especially when they were so specific with Jesse's shirt, and the fact that the first and last scene were likely shot in succession, having him change the shirt would have had to be deliberate. Great video, gonna check out your other videos on Breaking Bad to see what else I've missed by watching it so late ^^
Thanks for sharing! I was intrigued by the idea when I heard Vince asked about it, and I started to get more convinced when looking for evidence, but I agree that the different shirt thing really killed it for me. (That’s why Hank punched that reason at the end! 😂)
i think another reason this episode is unlikely to be a dream is that when jesse goes to mexico and berates the lab crew for having a disgusting lab and that he refuses to cook until every source pf "contamination" has been cleaned and im 99% sure he got that from walt in this episode
Awesome video! Surprised you didn’t mention how in BCS, Tim Roberts has a conversation on the phone with a woman about an animal trapped under her deck. Which I believe is Jesse’s aunt, referring to the possum (opossum) incident he tells Walt about in this episode
True, I sometimes struggle with situations like this, as I feel like maybe I should save such points for the Better Call Saul episode breakdown in the future. I end up being inconsistent about that. I would probably always mention things in both videos if I wasn't concerned about people who haven't watched BCS yet!
@@betterwatchtv totally understand! I actually thought maybe you were saving it for your BCS breakdowns. Either way love the videos! Keep up the great work!
Haha, that’s true. I hadn’t thought about that. It would also mean Walt is subconsciously worried about Jesse drugging him, which would actually make sense considering Walt’s propensity to do that!
I think that the fly at the end of the episode is supposed to represent something coming back to haunt Walt or something that bothers him and folows him throughout his life. Maybe it represents Jane's death? Or maybe his life choices?
It’s plausible, but they did always spend a lot of time cleaning equipment in other episodes. If he had said “We need to clear the contaminant(s)!” or something like “not even a fly,” then that would seal it for me!
Yoooo you absolutely nailed my name! Binged the entire playlist so I had to join the crew. Excited for the rest of the series and whatever you may have in store next. You kill it on the editing!
Something I learned about bugs, particularly flying insects, is that their perception of time is such that they have difficulty discerning slow-moving objects as a threat, a slow 1cm hand movement in our world being like a year to them. The vice-versa being true as they have heightened reaction speed to fast-moving. So if you want to kill a fly you move very slowly until you're in a close kill-zone and then strike.
I found this to be one of the most important episodes because it's introspective. A quiet episode to stop rushing forward and for Walt to just sit and look back at how far they've come. Walt never fully indulges anyone- not even himself, as to everything he's done until this half way point in the show, which is the closest he gets (and of course, by the end when he confesses to Skyler why he did it all). Walt openly admitting his regret for killing Jane (and the subsequent plane crash) was absolutely warranted, because you can't let something that big go unmentioned again, we needed to know Walt's real thought process, not to just have it inferred in endless subtle ways. My only problem with this episode though is that it drags out its premise far too long. I love all of the early BB shenanigans that Walt and Jesse get up to, but this episode- even for 45 minutes spent way too long meandering to come to the core point; Walt struggling with the consequences of his actions and choices, with no end in sight. Which of course is also why he briefly tries to kill himself in a moment of frustration when he takes Gus' extended deal.
I like the interpretation that it’s not a dream, because the scene where Walter talks to Jesse about the perfect moment to die is so heartbreaking, and I think it loses a bit of emotional weight if it’s just a dream
when i first watched breaking bad with my dad years ago, at the end of this episode he told me that the blinking red from the smoke alarm and the fly meant that walts apartment was now "bugged." im not sure if that interpretation is accurate, but its interesting to think about!
I get why people don't like this episode, but cmon. You watch Breaking Bad to see the chemistry between Walt and Jesse. This episode is just 45 minutes of pure *that*
He isn’t actually concerned about contamination caused by the fly - parallel to jessie’s aunt with the possums and how Jessie says it was from the cancer eating her brain, Walt’s true cancer (the moral rot and multiple murders he has committed) are eating his brain. Up until this point he has been repressing and running away from all of it and this episode shows one of the few times he totally snaps. Along with the knowledge that at any moment Gus could kill him and his entire family. Guilt, fear, regret, he focuses all those pent up emotions on fixating over something very minor that does not actually matter. Much like Jessies aunt at the end of her own life obsessing over possums
4:31 "You can't order shit, Adolf" After noticing the first german references you mentioned, any of them stand out a lot. Been binge-watching all of these videos. Criminally underrated channel, 10/10 editing and writing. Hoping to see you grow a lot and will join the members soon!
I adore this episode. It’s nice to take a break from the fast-paced drama of the rest of the series and just take a moment to examine the relationship of the two main characters.
purely based on walter's speech about his perfect time of death this is actually one of my favorite episodes. There's something so humbling and sad about a man as ego filled as him realizing he'll never die in a satisfying way, because the only chance he had, already passed. Not mention his apology to jessie. I like to belive this isn't a dream because to me this feels like when the last bit of true goodness leaves walter, he feels so genuinely bad about hurting jessie by letting jane die, and seeing that he's already accepted it in a mature way and gone through the entire process of grief had to hurt even more knowing no matter what he says jessie will always internalize her death as his fault and simply accept it. The rest of the show they're kingpins, prisoners, killers, and criminals, and this felt like the last time, for walter at least, they were normal people doing something menial like trying to kill a fly. Jessie got that back later with Andrea but of course walter ruined that too.
Everyone has their episode they think really sealed this show as one of the best ever, but this episode is the one that did it for me. The fact that they only wrote this episode because they were so over budget, but then ended up writing one of the best bottle episodes of all time really shows off this crew's natural instinct to just make banger after banger. The writers were really in their bag every second of this show.
In my opinion (which I found on the internet), the fly represents the contamination and regret of Walts life. Its bothering him and he is not able to get rid of it, it's with him forever. And he desperately tries to swat it until moments before he falls asleep, he finally accepts "It's all contaminated" Saying his life is never going back to normal. He passed the point of no return.
to me this episode was a message not to dwell on things. he let that fly take over his focus and entire day when the fly was never the real problem. he thought killing that fly would solve his issue but once it was already dead there’s this empty feeling (i got at least) once it’s finally dead. gus would’ve for sure noticed the fly but i don’t think he’d want them to stop working over it.
Maybe if it were presented up front as a “special episode” or a “play” of some sort, it wouldn’t have caught people off guard. I think it’s just the breaking of people’s expectations that got people.
I know people have been mentioning this episode giving Walter some additional depth by reflecting over what he did and showing feelings of regret, but the fact he only starts opening up after given the somitol, aswell as how he inches his way towards the topic (likely due to its effects kicking in later) kinda speaks volumes about his character as i doubt hed consider talking so openly otherwise. With this in mind it makes the "I did it for me" line go even harder.
@@betterwatchtv thats wild lmao. Yea just the fact that the dude who directed a masterpiece like Ozymandias is same dude who helped destroy SW with The Last Jedi.....tragic
I think Vince was channeling David chase with this "is it real or is it not?" Vibe... you get that a lot from the Sopranos where a lot is left up to the audience to interrupted and often they go with the major... it works to give life to episodes and keeps discussion going to ages (I mean look at all the Sopranos theory videos that come up even today
I think I noticed one detail which none did. The scene in this episode when Walt asks Jesse to hit him (to kill the fly) looks like a reference to fight club when Tyler asks the narrator to hit in the face. There are two very similar things here: 1.Both Walt and Tyler got hit in the ear by someone who once went into a rehab (Jesse) and a support group(Narraror).Also despite their attempts at self-improvement both Jesse and Narrator end up being manipulated or dragged into chaos by Walt and Tyler respectively. 2.Both Walt and Tyler both reacted to getting hit by the same word-‘Motherfucker’
I take the fly as Walt's guilt contaminating his life. Remember when he told Hank he was sleeping fine after the cancer? With what he did to Jane not anymore, he has trouble sleeping now. Also I think what he says may "comfort" Jesse a little (or give an apology), after Ozymandias he had plenty of time to remember. At least for a time Walt had remorse. And maybe he connects that Walt went there because he viewed him as family. "Don't give up on family", Jane's father advice I mean.
It was no dream, at the end in the parking lot Walt tells Jesse he wouldn't risk saying some things in the lab, for he thinks it is likely wired for sound. Later when Gus installs in-your-face motion-following Metal Gear Solid style cameras in the lab, after Walt complains about it, Jesse says "you always thought this place could be bugged, well now we know". So Jesse didn't forget Walt's warning to be cautious about what they say inside the lab.
"we probably have the most un-picky people in the entire world" I mean, he ain't wrong. Smokers know yo teeth gon rot up and shit from cigarettes and all but they don't stop.
Some people already don't like that it doesn't advance the plot, if it was really all a dream that would make it even worse for them, without really improving it for everyone else.
I actually love this episode. The first time I saw it, it left me confused, but each time I see it, I get it more and more. Yes, it is a filler episode, but I feel like they did a lot with it that actually provides a lot of depth to the relationship between Jesse and Walt. I feel like the fly represents "Contamination" as a whole. It's the contamination of their friendship (Jesse stealing, and Walt succumbing to the guilt of Janes death), the contamination of Walt's mind (As you said, his need to regain control of the uncontrollable), The contamination of the lab (In how Walt replaced Gale, who was perfect with Jesse who is not and his feelings towards that). Also insects are used in multiple places in the series for symbolic purposes, so it would make sense that this episode, though not giving much to the overall storyline, does give a lot of symbolic importance to the events.
Tony dalton's performance as lalo reincarnated as a fly to troll Walter was outstanding bravo vince.
🪰🪰🪰 Charming. Menacing yet understated.
Spoiler
I belive it was Howard. He wanted Walt to realise, that he is there because of Saul, and he should find a better lawyer.
@@michakocher1392 Checks out!
@@defnotatroll my apologies i came across this video not seeing the date it was posted
Walter is the fly. He is the contaminant in an otherwise perfectly designed meth business. After this, the whole story details into Walter believing he is going to be killed by Gus. Walter realizing he is in the wrong business, but too far gone to return. The fly is not getting out of the building. Walter is never getting out of this business.
Great analogy! 🪰 For me, watching Better Call Saul emphasized just how much Walt blew up an efficient business!
I AM THE DANGER! I AM THE ONE WHO SWATS!
@@betterwatchtv Makes you think that Gretchen and Elliot might've dodged a bullet there.
Don’t think it’s a dream because of the episode when Jesse goes down to Mexico when he emphasizes that the lab needs to be searched for contaminants. Don’t think he would’ve said that if not for this episode
Oh wow, that’s a great tidbit!! I was scouring later episodes for every “lab” or “fly” reference but this didn’t come up.
I do think it’s still open to interpretation, though. They were always serious about scouring the lab equipment. If only he had said, “every possible contaminant… even a single fly!”
@@betterwatchtv Come on, dude… Jesse, Gus, and Mike “fly” down to Mexico!
Good catch! It dispels any possibility of the "Fly" episode being a dream.
👏👏👏
Of course it's not a fucking dream.
It's LITERALLY not a dream.
2024 and we're still doing this?
The fact that there was just a raisin laying on the ground for Walt to find after Jesse made his hit "count" only proves that the lab prior to the fly's appearance was already NOT contaminant free.
Haha, so true. And what are the chances!?
To be fair, it's on the ground. Do they change or decontaminate their shoes before entering the lab? Flies like to fly around and land in things.
Maybe the reason you can hear Jesse better outside the superlab door the second time is because he turned off the ventilation aswel as the lights. The first time there was an airlock
That could be it! I don’t understand how it would work exactly, but while it’s on, the sound from the outside (Walt yelling at Jesse) is a bit softer and the sound from the inside (Jesse yelling at Walt) is a lot softer. 🤷♂️
This Episode is one of Brian Cranston’s best performances. I’ve always been a big fan of this episode. It’s great to see Walt Finally admit to all his guilt about what he’s done.
I hadn’t thought about it, but yeah!
The scene where Walter almost tells Jesse the truth is one of the saddest in the show for me
It’s pretty amazing to see the genuine regret and compassion!
Yeah i was so tense in anticipation, wondering if Walt would blurt it out like the second cell phone, and if he might fall asleep and let the ladder fall, thus putting Jesse's life in danger. I'm glad none of that happened
Oh, the second cell phone parallel is a great one!! Maybe we were supposed to think of that, since he even mentioned it in this episode, but I totally didn’t think of that!
@betterwatchtv maybe so, there's always new ways to think about things!
There is the saddest death from the entire show, i expected to see this Fly actor on BCS as well, his acting was simply perfect... I got emotional after see their's corpse. Really, it hurts more than RV goodbye😢
The fly in BCS would have been perfect. 😆 It does “reappear” in Season 5b, though! Probably its great great great… grandchild. On the other hand, the fly was never visibly smooshed. Who’s to say Jesse didn’t carefully release it outside?
That does sound like something Jesse would do honestly
@@tik2243 Yep!
I love how both 4 Days Out and Fly manage to convey an important symbolic message whilst also developing characters despite being so limited due to both being bottle episodes, (4 Days Out did expand beyond the initial premise quite a bit though.) It shows that despite their limitations they managed to make the episodes worth the time by making the characters and their surroundings more thematic and developed. In other shows bottle episodes tend to become forgettable parts that are most obviously extremely forced.
Great point! And it’s hilarious that 4 Days Out ended being way more expensive than a normal episode! 😂
Making sure you get featured in the best Breaking Bad episode ❌
Making sure you get featured in the lowest rated Breaking Bad episode ✔
Thank you for not waiting for Ozymandias!
JUCKER UPLOAD TARKOV WIPE 6 FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
literally who are you
Juncker please
They won't bring me back my wife and son if The Tarkov Wipe 6 doesn't get uploaded
I feel like this episode is severely underrated due to it not advancing the plot much. When I first binged through the show, it felt like a waste of time. On rewatch, I realized that it is actually extremely well-written in spite of the limitations it had. Really amazing for a bottle episode. Gets way better the more you watch it.
That makes sense! When you’re not expecting it, it can feel weird and disappointing for a while!
That’s pretty interesting, cuz I loved fly on my first watch but find it a bit tedious on re-watches, still love it tho one of my favourite episodes
Your channel is pretty much a Recap and explaining/analyzing the hidden details, hope you do one with bettercallsaul after BB is done
Yep, that’s the plan! (With occasional other topics sprinkled in.)
To me the theory that makes the most sense is that Walt knew Jesse was taking some product and that's what was causing the numbers to not add up, and he also knew that Gus was always watching them, so fixating on the fly was a way to show Gus that he took the issue seriously while protecting Jesse.
Hmm! We definitely know Walt figured it out earlier than he let on (he said he couldn’t chance saying it inside), so that’s a cool interpretation!
Walt losing his mind over that ittle fly has a lot to do with his personality. He fixates on the fly, which is very very insignificant (although he doesn't think that to be true), because in his mind, he sees it as a major issue, and disregards what possible disturbances he might cause to the people around him. This is a recurring pattern of his "odd" behaviour (in relation to this) throughout the series.
@@prisoner5629but at the end of the episode he admits to knowing that Jesse was stealing some of the product. So why would he logically think that it would be a fly?
@@prisoner5629 It's a regular thing for a lot of people, too. To internally, subconciously create a frustrated mental fixationout of thin air wherein there wasn't one before. Probably in the same way that some people start getting frustrated by little things like noisy neighbours, or stains, etc.
Now that I think about it...Chuck had the same problem.
@@Hysteria98 No, no. You can't just take this dude's headcanon for granted and then start infecting the canon with it.
No.
Fly is probably my favorite episode and not because I wanna be different but I just really love episodes in shows that just kind of focus on the characters rather than the plot. It's one of the last times Walt and Jesse work together on good terms.
The episode really reminds of "dont delete me" from season 3 of Mr Robot which is also my favorite episode of the show. When Walt nearly tells Jesse it had me more anxious than any other scene.
I totally get it! It is a great character-driven “play” of sorts. And awesome Mr. Robot parallel!!
yeah, although technically the season 4 finale has teaming up in a major way. same with the season 5 introduction. But it was all based on a house of cards because of the Brock situation. I also think these bottle episodes are better when your binge watching. It's different when you know you only get an hour over week and sometimes you'll have to wait months or years for the next episode.
This is an amazing video, its edited so pleasingly I usually hate the dredge of "details you miss videos" but his video is so different like this. You deserve much success!
Thanks so much! I’m glad you gave it a chance! 😁
9:56: "Saul contaminated"
😂👏👏
I love how many "hidden detail" features multiple facts, pretty cool to get more than I was expecting
😁 Awesome, thanks! It can sometimes feel arbitrary how I number them (or if whatever something I’m saying should be numbered at all)!
Glad this episode is my first appearance for shout outs lol
🎉🎉🎉 Welcome! 🪰
same 😂
Good timing, both of you!
Honored to be amongst you
I’m broke so I can’t join you guys
ive been basically rewatching the entire show through your videos keep it up
Thanks!! It’s my hope that people do that (as these videos are really more than just the numbered details)!
fly is sooooo freaking underrated. it really is a good episode for being a budget set.
I agree, and I often marvel at what they do in spite of budget, time, and other constraints! Thanks for becoming a member!!
Before I started watching breaking bad I always heard this episode wasn’t loved but after watching it I never understood why everyone hated it so much;
I wonder if we have data on people’s sentiment who watched it live vs. streaming. Because I could see people back in the day wanting more plot progression and then being frustrated to wait another whole week for that. 🤷♂️
I’ve always liked this episode, it was a nice change of pace from the rest of the season and I liked the focus on Jesse and Walter. Especially with Walter showing some regret for letting Jane OD.
Yeah, both are good reasons to like this one! And yes, Walt genuinely apologizing! Even if it was drug-induced… or a dream!
Jeff Goldblum truly shows his range by playing this episode's main villain. One of the greatest crossovers of all time..
Kinda wild to hear that this was a polarizing episode (only watched the whole thing earlier this year and haven't looked up opinions on it until this was recommended to me), it's easily my favorite. As you mentioned the whole scene with the ladder is the scene that had me the most tense, a mix of the conversation with Walt sleep deprived almost letting up for a second time, and Jesse balancing on that ladder (my interpretation is that he's distracted by balancing and would have caught Walt in the lie if he had been on the ground and started interrogating him). It also shows perfectly why I love bottle episodes generally, as it forces the writers and directors to be creative in how to circumvent their budgetary restrictions, etc.
To me this is an important episode for the two most important characters at a crucial point in their relationship, so I guess my question is "why" would this be a dream? If you like that interpretation please let me know, but I can't get past the idea that it's more interesting than good writing. And as you mentioned, it's just too clunky with the counterproof, the shirt being different alone is enough imo. Especially when they were so specific with Jesse's shirt, and the fact that the first and last scene were likely shot in succession, having him change the shirt would have had to be deliberate.
Great video, gonna check out your other videos on Breaking Bad to see what else I've missed by watching it so late ^^
Thanks for sharing! I was intrigued by the idea when I heard Vince asked about it, and I started to get more convinced when looking for evidence, but I agree that the different shirt thing really killed it for me. (That’s why Hank punched that reason at the end! 😂)
Goddamn, homie must've worked overtime for this editint!! This video looks amazing, and it definitely fits for SUCH an experimental episode!!
Thanks!! I did, and you captured my mindset perfectly! 🪰
The contamination is a symbol for his guilt. Its all «contaminated», and the fly is still there when he gets home
That makes sense!
i think another reason this episode is unlikely to be a dream is that when jesse goes to mexico and berates the lab crew for having a disgusting lab and that he refuses to cook until every source pf "contamination" has been cleaned and im 99% sure he got that from walt in this episode
That’s a good catch, although I don’t think it’s a slam dunk! They were always pretty serious about cleaning the equipment.
Awesome video! Surprised you didn’t mention how in BCS, Tim Roberts has a conversation on the phone with a woman about an animal trapped under her deck. Which I believe is Jesse’s aunt, referring to the possum (opossum) incident he tells Walt about in this episode
True, I sometimes struggle with situations like this, as I feel like maybe I should save such points for the Better Call Saul episode breakdown in the future. I end up being inconsistent about that. I would probably always mention things in both videos if I wasn't concerned about people who haven't watched BCS yet!
@@betterwatchtv totally understand! I actually thought maybe you were saving it for your BCS breakdowns. Either way love the videos! Keep up the great work!
Thank you! 🙏 I definitely plan on mentioning all the BB references in BCS!
That "I did it for me" part was really well done! I never put that together.
Thanks! It made me smile, although I don’t know that it really would have helped their relationship even if he said that earlier.
i've watched all the episodes in 2 days, you are awesome! please continue this series, i forgot how good breaking bad is.
You’re awesome! Thanks!! I do plan to keep at it (with occasional interruptions)!
The fact you went into depth on For/Against being a Hallucination shows your capabilities of going Above and Beyond. Bravo 🎩
Thank you! 🙏
It's old hat for any scene/film that deals with abstraction, calm down
I honestly wish there were more episodes like Fly. I love 40 minutes of just Walt and Jassie being horrible assholes to each other
Haha, that’s fair! I guess 4 Days Out is the closest other episode to that!
huge step-up in quality for this one, good job man!
Thanks! It might go down again 😅, but I felt like I had to honor the extra creativity in this episode!
This video made me appreciate this episode more. Thanks!
Walt's speech at the end and Jesse's naïveness is really well written!
Thanks, that’s a great compliment! And I agree!
I've still never seen someone point out how 2 of them looked like flies with the masks on.
Oh! I've never thought of that! 🪰🪰
This is easily one of the best and most underrated yt series on this platform, keep up the good work brother!
Thanks so much, staffy!
If the episode is a dream then the fact that Jesse gives Walt sleeping pills is ironic
Haha, that’s true. I hadn’t thought about that. It would also mean Walt is subconsciously worried about Jesse drugging him, which would actually make sense considering Walt’s propensity to do that!
4:30 GERMANY MENTIONED 🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪
🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪
*third riech
Makes you proud
next level editing on this one
Thanks, Saner!! And great job using the most-rarely used emoji!
@@betterwatchtv we can't let that be, it's literally fire!
these videos deserve way more views. love the content
Thank you! 🙏 More and more people have been discovering them thanks to views and comments like yours!
I think that the fly at the end of the episode is supposed to represent something coming back to haunt Walt or something that bothers him and folows him throughout his life. Maybe it represents Jane's death? Or maybe his life choices?
That makes a lot of sense!
Also Jesse was concerned about contamination in mexico lab, I think he wouldn't in other way
It’s plausible, but they did always spend a lot of time cleaning equipment in other episodes. If he had said “We need to clear the contaminant(s)!” or something like “not even a fly,” then that would seal it for me!
That guilty grunt that Jesse makes when Walt asks him what he's doing (as he's topping off the chemicals) always cracks me up
Yeah!
I watched al your videos in a couple of days so now I can’t wait for the uploads
Awesome! Thank you so much!
4:00 Pavlov's dog asking for treat
Dwight, want an altoid?
Best small channel i have ever seen. Amazing editing, excellent commentary, good writing. You have the makes of a great youtuber.
Wow, thank you so much!!
Still somehow one of the best bottle episodes of television.
💯🪰
Watching this episode and right at the end a fly starts buzzing around me on the couch
Haha, that would freak me out! 🪰
Glad to contribute! Love your work keep it going!
Thanks, Cityofruin!! I’m glad you’re here!
I think it was all the fly's dream
🤣 Most plausible explanation yet! 🪰
Man I’ve been having a blast watching these all day. Great stuff! Thanks for your hard work
Thank you so much! I’m glad you found the channel!
Yoooo you absolutely nailed my name! Binged the entire playlist so I had to join the crew. Excited for the rest of the series and whatever you may have in store next. You kill it on the editing!
Thanks x2!! Welcome! I’m normally terrible at pronouncing names, so I’m surprised!
Great piece of analysis, probably the best to date. I can't imagine giving it (the episode and your take on it) anything lower than a ten out of ten.
Thanks for the very kind words! 🙏
Something I learned about bugs, particularly flying insects, is that their perception of time is such that they have difficulty discerning slow-moving objects as a threat, a slow 1cm hand movement in our world being like a year to them.
The vice-versa being true as they have heightened reaction speed to fast-moving.
So if you want to kill a fly you move very slowly until you're in a close kill-zone and then strike.
I didn’t realize that, although it kind of matches my intuitive approach! Thanks! 🪰🪰🪰
I found this to be one of the most important episodes because it's introspective. A quiet episode to stop rushing forward and for Walt to just sit and look back at how far they've come. Walt never fully indulges anyone- not even himself, as to everything he's done until this half way point in the show, which is the closest he gets (and of course, by the end when he confesses to Skyler why he did it all).
Walt openly admitting his regret for killing Jane (and the subsequent plane crash) was absolutely warranted, because you can't let something that big go unmentioned again, we needed to know Walt's real thought process, not to just have it inferred in endless subtle ways.
My only problem with this episode though is that it drags out its premise far too long. I love all of the early BB shenanigans that Walt and Jesse get up to, but this episode- even for 45 minutes spent way too long meandering to come to the core point; Walt struggling with the consequences of his actions and choices, with no end in sight. Which of course is also why he briefly tries to kill himself in a moment of frustration when he takes Gus' extended deal.
That’s fair! For some reason, I notice the slow pacing much more in other episodes, but in other cases it’s for smaller chunks.
I like the interpretation that it’s not a dream, because the scene where Walter talks to Jesse about the perfect moment to die is so heartbreaking, and I think it loses a bit of emotional weight if it’s just a dream
Very true! Although I guess even as a dream, he’d still be thinking those things at some level.
I always hoped that Walt had tried some of the blue, would have been funny. 😂
when i first watched breaking bad with my dad years ago, at the end of this episode he told me that the blinking red from the smoke alarm and the fly meant that walts apartment was now "bugged." im not sure if that interpretation is accurate, but its interesting to think about!
Yeah, could be! And/or he's thinking about the fact that the lab is likely bugged. It certainly would fit Gus's character to bug Walt's apartment.
I get why people don't like this episode, but cmon. You watch Breaking Bad to see the chemistry between Walt and Jesse. This episode is just 45 minutes of pure *that*
💯
The best part of the weekend is waking up semi hung over and watching these
Awesome! Happy to help you recover!
Walt obsessed over a fly but doesn't think anything of the contamination of a raisin as well as the hazzard of having food / eating in a lab
Yeah…
He isn’t actually concerned about contamination caused by the fly - parallel to jessie’s aunt with the possums and how Jessie says it was from the cancer eating her brain, Walt’s true cancer (the moral rot and multiple murders he has committed) are eating his brain. Up until this point he has been repressing and running away from all of it and this episode shows one of the few times he totally snaps. Along with the knowledge that at any moment Gus could kill him and his entire family. Guilt, fear, regret, he focuses all those pent up emotions on fixating over something very minor that does not actually matter. Much like Jessies aunt at the end of her own life obsessing over possums
4:31
"You can't order shit, Adolf"
After noticing the first german references you mentioned, any of them stand out a lot.
Been binge-watching all of these videos. Criminally underrated channel, 10/10 editing and writing. Hoping to see you grow a lot and will join the members soon!
Ah yeah, another reference! Thanks so much, Eros!!
I adore this episode. It’s nice to take a break from the fast-paced drama of the rest of the series and just take a moment to examine the relationship of the two main characters.
Great point!
I found your channel just 2 days ago and im already a huge fan of your work.
Keep it up!
Wow, thanks!! Welcome, newest member!
purely based on walter's speech about his perfect time of death this is actually one of my favorite episodes. There's something so humbling and sad about a man as ego filled as him realizing he'll never die in a satisfying way, because the only chance he had, already passed. Not mention his apology to jessie. I like to belive this isn't a dream because to me this feels like when the last bit of true goodness leaves walter, he feels so genuinely bad about hurting jessie by letting jane die, and seeing that he's already accepted it in a mature way and gone through the entire process of grief had to hurt even more knowing no matter what he says jessie will always internalize her death as his fault and simply accept it.
The rest of the show they're kingpins, prisoners, killers, and criminals, and this felt like the last time, for walter at least, they were normal people doing something menial like trying to kill a fly. Jessie got that back later with Andrea but of course walter ruined that too.
Wow, I love that. Thanks for that perspective! That makes me hope it’s not a dream, too!
I can't believe that fly was The Bay Harbour Butcher all along
4:45 "Oh, I'm gonna make it count, alright." Comedy gold.
Everyone has their episode they think really sealed this show as one of the best ever, but this episode is the one that did it for me. The fact that they only wrote this episode because they were so over budget, but then ended up writing one of the best bottle episodes of all time really shows off this crew's natural instinct to just make banger after banger. The writers were really in their bag every second of this show.
Agreed. A masterclass in many respects!
There's a fly in the ointment...
🪰🪰🪰
What’s hilarious is that a single fly was too big a contaminant for there product this season, but season 5 they took up shop in a bug infested houses
Yeah… maybe Walt thought the inner tent was enough to keep them out? Or maybe he has mellowed without the stress of Gus?
Walt's tumble from the catwalk has always amazed me, I've wondered how they did that because it looks so dang real. Thanks for explaining it.
I agree! Happy to help!
Dude why can’t I stop rewatching these 😭😭😭😭
Well I appreciate it!
The editing is off the charts in this video😮. Keep up the good work❤
Thank you so much! 🙏
I just found you and I want to say I appreciate your work. This is what youtube is for!
Wow, thank you! I'm glad you found me!
In my opinion (which I found on the internet), the fly represents the contamination and regret of Walts life. Its bothering him and he is not able to get rid of it, it's with him forever. And he desperately tries to swat it until moments before he falls asleep, he finally accepts "It's all contaminated" Saying his life is never going back to normal. He passed the point of no return.
I like it!
Peak edutainment right here! Great editing skills too!
Thanks again, Gerwique!!
to me this episode was a message not to dwell on things. he let that fly take over his focus and entire day when the fly was never the real problem. he thought killing that fly would solve his issue but once it was already dead there’s this empty feeling (i got at least) once it’s finally dead. gus would’ve for sure noticed the fly but i don’t think he’d want them to stop working over it.
I Iike that! Thanks!
It’s crazy to me that this episode is disliked, it’s a masterpiece.
Maybe if it were presented up front as a “special episode” or a “play” of some sort, it wouldn’t have caught people off guard. I think it’s just the breaking of people’s expectations that got people.
I know people have been mentioning this episode giving Walter some additional depth by reflecting over what he did and showing feelings of regret, but the fact he only starts opening up after given the somitol, aswell as how he inches his way towards the topic (likely due to its effects kicking in later) kinda speaks volumes about his character as i doubt hed consider talking so openly otherwise. With this in mind it makes the "I did it for me" line go even harder.
Very good point! Thanks!
These always leave me in a good mood, keep up the great work
That’s awesome. Comments like this do the same for me! Thanks!
i love watching these videos dude keep them up, this is what i look forward to every week
Thank you so much!! I'm trying really hard to keep up the weekly pace without sacrificing quality, and comments like this help!
saul's pronunciation of "spillage" gets me everytime
Me too!
the fact Rian Johnson directed Ozymandias really hurts my soul....and my brain. It just hurts bro
Aww Hank said Ozymandias hurt his brain more!
@@betterwatchtv thats wild lmao. Yea just the fact that the dude who directed a masterpiece like Ozymandias is same dude who helped destroy SW with The Last Jedi.....tragic
I think Vince was channeling David chase with this "is it real or is it not?" Vibe... you get that a lot from the Sopranos where a lot is left up to the audience to interrupted and often they go with the major... it works to give life to episodes and keeps discussion going to ages (I mean look at all the Sopranos theory videos that come up even today
Ah yes, great point!
"It's a raisen" walt said with defeat.
By the end of the episode I was sold on Walt's cancer coming back. A very erie ending that gives you time to remember what Jesse said about his aunt
That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought that being foreshadowing!
I think I noticed one detail which none did.
The scene in this episode when Walt asks Jesse to hit him (to kill the fly) looks like a reference to fight club when Tyler asks the narrator to hit in the face.
There are two very similar things here:
1.Both Walt and Tyler got hit in the ear by someone who once went into a rehab (Jesse) and a support group(Narraror).Also despite their attempts at self-improvement both Jesse and Narrator end up being manipulated or dragged into chaos by Walt and Tyler respectively.
2.Both Walt and Tyler both reacted to getting hit by the same word-‘Motherfucker’
I take the fly as Walt's guilt contaminating his life. Remember when he told Hank he was sleeping fine after the cancer? With what he did to Jane not anymore, he has trouble sleeping now. Also I think what he says may "comfort" Jesse a little (or give an apology), after Ozymandias he had plenty of time to remember. At least for a time Walt had remorse. And maybe he connects that Walt went there because he viewed him as family. "Don't give up on family", Jane's father advice I mean.
I like that! Thanks!
I love the way Walt says "The batch will be good for nothing" in a sort of transatlantic lilt that sounds like an actor from the 40s lol
Howard's ghost was getting mad annoyed that Walt couldn't catch the fly.
😂🪰
Every chocolate bar in every store contains about two flies.
🤢🪰🪰 Is it really that high?
@@betterwatchtv not sure... but it is a thing, or an uban legend
Dude your channel is amazing holy crap man. I hope you become huge
Thank you! I’m glad you found the channel!
Oh Dios, que buen contenido sube este sujeto. Amo mirar estos videos mientras como algo xD
Respeto máximo, hermano!! ❤
Thanks so much!! 🌮🥪
It was no dream, at the end in the parking lot Walt tells Jesse he wouldn't risk saying some things in the lab, for he thinks it is likely wired for sound. Later when Gus installs in-your-face motion-following Metal Gear Solid style cameras in the lab, after Walt complains about it, Jesse says "you always thought this place could be bugged, well now we know". So Jesse didn't forget Walt's warning to be cautious about what they say inside the lab.
Only 0:28 into the video and already laughing my ass off
😂 I’m glad!
"we probably have the most un-picky people in the entire world" I mean, he ain't wrong.
Smokers know yo teeth gon rot up and shit from cigarettes and all but they don't stop.
Yeah, I like how he says out loud the part that I think many of us are thinking!
Crazily enough, Murge Productions made "What if Walter had his perfect death?" The ending was the most darkest out of every other's in his channel.
Oh, I’ll have to check that out! Thanks!
@@betterwatchtv You're most welcome. I hope you enjoyed it. 😉👍
Some people already don't like that it doesn't advance the plot, if it was really all a dream that would make it even worse for them, without really improving it for everyone else.
Good point! Although if they leave it ambiguous, then maybe it adds some extra intrigue for everyone.
Great work as always
Thank you!! There’s your slightly longer video. 😉
@@betterwatchtv it’s much appreciated! Loving this series, keep it up 👍
Will do!
I actually love this episode. The first time I saw it, it left me confused, but each time I see it, I get it more and more. Yes, it is a filler episode, but I feel like they did a lot with it that actually provides a lot of depth to the relationship between Jesse and Walt. I feel like the fly represents "Contamination" as a whole. It's the contamination of their friendship (Jesse stealing, and Walt succumbing to the guilt of Janes death), the contamination of Walt's mind (As you said, his need to regain control of the uncontrollable), The contamination of the lab (In how Walt replaced Gale, who was perfect with Jesse who is not and his feelings towards that). Also insects are used in multiple places in the series for symbolic purposes, so it would make sense that this episode, though not giving much to the overall storyline, does give a lot of symbolic importance to the events.
Ooo, love it! Thanks!
No dream just sadness
Yes, I believe so.