Yeah, that episode was pretty bad (although I think it could stand on it's own as some kind of short-film or something and have plenty of artistic merit, but as a part of this series, it was horrible). But this whole season has seamed to follow a weird arc of having a lot of action for a couple episodes, then a couple relatively boring ones, then more action. I'm thinking the last three episodes are going to be crazy. What really bothers me about last night's episode isn't so much that they wasted a whole episode and an hour of my time without advancing the plot forward one iota, it's how they did it. If you're going to spend an entire episode on nothing more than character and relationship development, do it with characters who haven't already been developed to that extent. I mean, the entire first two seasons was basically spent building up the Walt/Jesse relationship, did we really need another hour toward the end of season three? What did we even learn from last night's episode? Walt is a perfectionist and a control freak and he feels guilty for letting Jesse's girlfriend die, and Jesse's a thief. In other words...we didn't learn anything that we didn't already know.
Art Vandelay wrote:Yeah, that episode was pretty bad (although I think it could stand on it's own as some kind of short-film or something and have plenty of artistic merit, but as a part of this series, it was horrible). But this whole season has seamed to follow a weird arc of having a lot of action for a couple episodes, then a couple relatively boring ones, then more action. I'm thinking the last three episodes are going to be crazy. What really bothers me about last night's episode isn't so much that they wasted a whole episode and an hour of my time without advancing the plot forward one iota, it's how they did it. If you're going to spend an entire episode on nothing more than character and relationship development, do it with characters who haven't already been developed to that extent. I mean, the entire first two seasons was basically spent building up the Walt/Jesse relationship, did we really need another hour toward the end of season three? What did we even learn from last night's episode? Walt is a perfectionist and a control freak and he feels guilty for letting Jesse's girlfriend die, and Jesse's a thief. In other words...we didn't learn anything that we didn't already know.
This episode really reminded me of the season 2 episode when Walt and Jesse were stranded without water in the RV in middle of nowhere for an entire episode. While watching both episodes I found my self wondering what the point was.
"I do not think baseball of today is any better than it was 30 years ago... I still think Radbourne is the greatest of the pitchers." John Sullivan 1914-Old athletes never change.
The RV episode worked for me though, unlike the fly episode. For one thing, it was early enough in the series that the character and relationship development was needed (or at least understandable). The fact that that episode already took place make's last night's even worse. We've already had the Walt-and-Jesse-Stuck-Together episode, we didn't need it again. Also, the RV episode seemed a lot less forced. It fit in much better with the storyline. And it it didn't have as much ridiculous slapstick.
Here's a pretty good article on last night's episode that, while extolling it as one of the best episodes of the series, which I completely disagree with, at least gives a pretty good explanation of why it was made: http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan- ... w-ever?m=g
Haven't watched an episode yet, but we just got the first couple disks for season one from Netflix. I've heard a lot of good things so I've been looking forward to it.
Art Vandelay wrote:The RV episode worked for me though, unlike the fly episode. For one thing, it was early enough in the series that the character and relationship development was needed (or at least understandable). The fact that that episode already took place make's last night's even worse. We've already had the Walt-and-Jesse-Stuck-Together episode, we didn't need it again. Also, the RV episode seemed a lot less forced. It fit in much better with the storyline. And it it didn't have as much ridiculous slapstick.
Here's a pretty good article on last night's episode that, while extolling it as one of the best episodes of the series, which I completely disagree with, at least gives a pretty good explanation of why it was made: http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan- ... w-ever?m=g
Agreed about the RV episode. That was a legitimate situation they found themselves in, and there was real concern for finding a solution. This...well Walt went crazy over a fly. Nothing was really at stake. There was no development other than Walt saying he was sorry about Jane and it just didn't really matter what happened.
Art Vandelay wrote:The RV episode worked for me though, unlike the fly episode. For one thing, it was early enough in the series that the character and relationship development was needed (or at least understandable). The fact that that episode already took place make's last night's even worse. We've already had the Walt-and-Jesse-Stuck-Together episode, we didn't need it again. Also, the RV episode seemed a lot less forced. It fit in much better with the storyline. And it it didn't have as much ridiculous slapstick.
Here's a pretty good article on last night's episode that, while extolling it as one of the best episodes of the series, which I completely disagree with, at least gives a pretty good explanation of why it was made: http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan- ... w-ever?m=g
That is kinda my point, which I made somewhat poorly. That episode just felt like the RV episode. As I watched it, I was saying to myself, "haven't they done something similar to this before? Do we really need to do this again?" Neither episode advanced the story line much, but the RV episode was original, the fly episode felt like a repeat.
The one thing that this fly episode did add was the possibility that Walt might have finally fully cracked.
"I do not think baseball of today is any better than it was 30 years ago... I still think Radbourne is the greatest of the pitchers." John Sullivan 1914-Old athletes never change.
I think they're trying too hard to be deep and thought provoking, and trying to make Jesse this amazing character with so many levels and emotions. Jesse stole some meth and might sell it, and Walt almost told him that he watched Jane die. Wow. Great episode. How come whenever I get really interested in a show, it starts to suck? We need more Hank, more killing, more dealing. Pretty simple. Play with our emotions, do something. There's potential, but they're doing a poor job with it.
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by teddy ballgame » Mon May 24, 2010 4:10 pm 
