I can't speak to Breaking Bad's famously satisfying conclusion, as I've never managed to make it through the pilot (I know, I know; my only defense is it gives me sympathy for people who also can't find the handle of a similarly lauded work whose brilliance I take for granted). But, picking up a thread from several posts back, it's very sly to use a modern piece of excellent storytelling to try and sell the Youths on the Classics. Little do those Kids These Days realize that beneath that innocuous Art of Breaking Bad dustjacket lurks The Poetics!
My other Breaking Bad comment is a story: In 2012 or 2013, Anna Gunn came in to have lunch at the (fancy, expensive) restaurant where I then worked. My chef, a big Breaking Bad fan, was torn between his desire to do well by our guests and his intense hatred for Skyler. Professionalism won out but he spent the whole meal grumbling.
I wonder if it says much of anything about me that I remember in some detail the strips about procrastinating on the leaf project but this part with the aliens apparently left no mark on me. Probably not.
That's a great anecdote about Anna Gunn. It's been said by many others, but I really feel like perhaps the show's greatest weakness was turning Skyler into a dislikable scold. I clench every time she comes on screen. The writers tried, as the show went on, to make her more complex and integrate her into Walter's schemes, but it never felt natural. A wasted opportunity to give him something beyond another foil.
The leaf arc is a very strange piece of storytelling by Watterson. Usually he's so sharp about pacing, but in this case it feels like he's being obtuse. We can chalk that up to intention... or maybe just to half-assing/not being on his game. Given how hard it is sometimes to do a weekly newsletter, I can hardly fault the guy for sometimes flailing in his obligation to do a daily comic strip.
The way you set it up reconfirms the idea that the last episode plus was just an elaborate Walt revenge fantasy as he does in New Hampshire. And yet, still very satisfying in its way. I’m glad I’m a season behind on Better Call Saul, to watch tv shows from those masters of craft is one of the best things modern life has going for it. Off-topic but have you listened to the podcast series Richest Hill? I’m partway through it, it’s really well done. Makes me curious to go to Butte.
I need to go back and rewatch the final season of Breaking Bad after reading this; such good viewing it is.
My go-to late-night rewatch is The Sopranos and it happens that just last weekend I watched The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti (a later S1 episode). Christopher is trying to write his screen play for "The Made Man" and has come up with some crappy dialogue and he wants Adriana to review it for him. I forgot exactly what she says, but it's something like "I can't really give you feedback on your story when you don't have a story, all you have is a couple lines of dialogue at a time," and Christopher responds with "Once I have a killer script the story can follow." It cracked me up how wrong Christopher is and how right Adriana is in that situation. How can you write a script when you don't even know what the story is! Aristotle wept. I know he can't have the story written though, because he's trying to write a barely-fictionalized autobiography and his story isn't over yet.
Another good post (essay? missive? musing?), man, thanks :)
Lol I had forgotten how great that Chris Moltisanti screenwriting stuff is. What a brilliant meta-commentary on the torments of writing. Also thanks for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed this one
I can't speak to Breaking Bad's famously satisfying conclusion, as I've never managed to make it through the pilot (I know, I know; my only defense is it gives me sympathy for people who also can't find the handle of a similarly lauded work whose brilliance I take for granted). But, picking up a thread from several posts back, it's very sly to use a modern piece of excellent storytelling to try and sell the Youths on the Classics. Little do those Kids These Days realize that beneath that innocuous Art of Breaking Bad dustjacket lurks The Poetics!
My other Breaking Bad comment is a story: In 2012 or 2013, Anna Gunn came in to have lunch at the (fancy, expensive) restaurant where I then worked. My chef, a big Breaking Bad fan, was torn between his desire to do well by our guests and his intense hatred for Skyler. Professionalism won out but he spent the whole meal grumbling.
I wonder if it says much of anything about me that I remember in some detail the strips about procrastinating on the leaf project but this part with the aliens apparently left no mark on me. Probably not.
That's a great anecdote about Anna Gunn. It's been said by many others, but I really feel like perhaps the show's greatest weakness was turning Skyler into a dislikable scold. I clench every time she comes on screen. The writers tried, as the show went on, to make her more complex and integrate her into Walter's schemes, but it never felt natural. A wasted opportunity to give him something beyond another foil.
The leaf arc is a very strange piece of storytelling by Watterson. Usually he's so sharp about pacing, but in this case it feels like he's being obtuse. We can chalk that up to intention... or maybe just to half-assing/not being on his game. Given how hard it is sometimes to do a weekly newsletter, I can hardly fault the guy for sometimes flailing in his obligation to do a daily comic strip.
The way you set it up reconfirms the idea that the last episode plus was just an elaborate Walt revenge fantasy as he does in New Hampshire. And yet, still very satisfying in its way. I’m glad I’m a season behind on Better Call Saul, to watch tv shows from those masters of craft is one of the best things modern life has going for it. Off-topic but have you listened to the podcast series Richest Hill? I’m partway through it, it’s really well done. Makes me curious to go to Butte.
That should read “as he dies in New Hampshire”
Haven't heard that Butte podcast! Can confirm it's an incredible town tho
I need to go back and rewatch the final season of Breaking Bad after reading this; such good viewing it is.
My go-to late-night rewatch is The Sopranos and it happens that just last weekend I watched The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti (a later S1 episode). Christopher is trying to write his screen play for "The Made Man" and has come up with some crappy dialogue and he wants Adriana to review it for him. I forgot exactly what she says, but it's something like "I can't really give you feedback on your story when you don't have a story, all you have is a couple lines of dialogue at a time," and Christopher responds with "Once I have a killer script the story can follow." It cracked me up how wrong Christopher is and how right Adriana is in that situation. How can you write a script when you don't even know what the story is! Aristotle wept. I know he can't have the story written though, because he's trying to write a barely-fictionalized autobiography and his story isn't over yet.
Another good post (essay? missive? musing?), man, thanks :)
Lol I had forgotten how great that Chris Moltisanti screenwriting stuff is. What a brilliant meta-commentary on the torments of writing. Also thanks for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed this one
It's good! You won't regret it