Breaking bad, you watching it?

[Raven]

Yeah, it didn't look like anyone obviously got hit.  Gomez's grimace was a little weird but rewatching it, there was no reaction shot to taking a hit or any blood anywhere from anyone. 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Breaking Bad, complete series DVD

[d00hickey]

I haven't missed an episode of the series but I can't remember a specific, crucial plot point and was hoping someone hear could help me remember it. Why did Walt poison Brock in the first place? I have vague memories but if anyone could sum it up simply I would appreciate it. 

[Raven]

I'm really gonna be sad to see Breaking Bad go.  In the next 3 weeks there are 3 shows that I've followed all the way from beginning to end that are wrapping up and my opinions on them ending couldn't be more varied. 

Burn Notice ends this Thursday.  A lot of the seasons I only stuck with because of Bruce Campbell but this final season has gotten a lot darker and the show has gotten a little better and less formulaic.  I find myself more engaged with this season than the previous two and will be a little sad to see it go.  I have a feeling that this is only because I know that it's ending and the wrap up is what's making it good. 

Dexter is another story entirely.  There have been seasons that are really interesting but the series has just been treading water.  I'm curious to see how it will end in 2 weeks but I honestly feel like it's time for it to go.  Way too many people are let in on Dexter's secret for the show to not collapse under it's own weight.

Breaking Bad is the complete opposite of the other 2.  I'm extremely sad to see it go, but my appreciation for every single aspect of this show has never wavered.  I can't think of a single episode that I disliked and while the stakes getting higher and higher the show could have gotten completely ridiculous and my "suspension of disbelief" may be more forgiving for this show, I don't think anything was to out there.  I honestly can't say how a single character's story is going to end in this one and that's truly unique.  There are scenarios I can picture where every single character could end up dead and the story would still work.  How strange is that?

[Raven]

I haven't missed an episode of the series but I can't remember a specific, crucial plot point and was hoping someone hear could help me remember it. Why did Walt poison Brock in the first place? I have vague memories but if anyone could sum it up simply I would appreciate it.

Walt poisoned Brock to make Jesse think that Gus had poisoned him.  That would get Jesse to help Walt find a way to kill Gus.  Poisoning Brock wasn't a direct action Walt took, but instead a means to and end. 

[Johnny Unusual]

I read the situation slightly differently.  Basically, he felt it was the only way to get Jesse to visit him.  Walt wanted to make Jesse think that he accidentally caused him to be poisoned and would go to Walt for help.  After all, he couldn't go to Gus since that was the very poison he was supposed to use on him.  When Jesse felt that he must have had his cigarette stolen, then Walt spun it so that his cigarette must have been stolen by Gus, who had let kids die before.  Walt made Jesse think that this was Gus' plan to turn Jesse against Walt, since, quite rightly, Gus did want Walt dead and Jesse was the only one standing in the way.

[Raven]

I don't think he came up with the "spinning it" on the fly.  He had Saul lift the cigarette in the first place.  I'm pretty sure the whole thing was the plan in the first place. 

[Johnny Unusual]

Yeah, but I think the real plan was to have Jesse think that he poisoned Brock with the cigarette, which is where the conversation starts.  Then when he sees where the conversation is going to uses that opportunity to take it even further.  Pinning it on Gus doesn't really work well unless Jesse suspects Walt.  Otherwise it would make no sense to bring it up to Jesse.  Either that or he was taking a gamble that Jesse would make that assumption.  I think if he had to pin it on Gus without those suspicions from Jesse, then he would have to jump through a lot more logical hoops to come up with a reason that Gus would want to kill this completely unrelated kid.  It would be harder to convince him that this was Gus' plan to pin it on him if it didn't work.  I think he just wanted Jesse to come over so he could look for a way to get Jesse on his side, but he didn't necessarily know all the details.  Walt is a good improviser, after all, but he can't see the future.

Anyway, just watched the most recent one.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Very satisfying to see Walt and Jesse outsmart Walt.  Walt actually had a solid plan to get to Jesse, but he didn't count on who Jesse had sided with.  I like that the arrest happened so early rather than in the penultimate episode.  Yeah, looks like Walt is going to escape somehow, do two more cooks: one to pay for the spring and the second to pay for disappearing himself.  Then the last episode he returns to... I want to believe try to save Jesse or something.  I'm not looking for redemption, or even hope, but maybe a sign of humanity.  Like he goes to help Jesse, Jesse is all like "Fuck you" and Walt realizes he's truly alone.

BTW, there's definitely going to be at least one more cook.  What will the last cook song be?

My pick is this:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gVvuYeWYrwg" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/gVvuYeWYrwg</a>

[Johnny Unusual]

Best contest prize ever!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/B16ZybnrwHo" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/B16ZybnrwHo</a>

[d00hickey]

So Jesse new about the poison? if so, what did Jesse think the poison was for? did he just not know the circumstance leading to Brock's consumption? Thanks for the replies, I know this info is available in abundance on the internet already but it's difficult to find specifics without weeding through a mountain of info.

[Johnny Unusual]

You really don't remember much.  I'll break it down.

- Walt made poison for Jesse to kill Gus.
- Jesse hit the poison capsule in a cigarette that he kept with him at all times.
- Jesse decided not to use it.
- Walt had Huell (Saul's bodyguard) stole the poison while frisking Jesse.
- Jesse saw that he was missing his poison and though that Brock must have smoked his cigarette.
- Jesse visits Walt for help.
- Jesse thinks Walt poisoned Brock (He's correct).
- Walt convinces Jesse that Gus did it.
- Jesse and Walt team up and Walt finds a way to kill Gus.
- Afterward, it is revealed that Brock wasn't poisoned with the ricin Walt made, but a common poisonous plant called lily of the valley, which is much less lethal than ricin, which makes Jesse thinks no one actually poisoned Brock, but that he just happened to ingest lily of the valley.
- Walt goes home and we see that there's a pot of lily of the valley in Walt's back yard.
-Walt later tricks Jesse into thinking that he lost the poison cigarette somewhere in his house.
- When Huell pulled the same trick with Jesse's weed, Jesse realized his cigarette WAS stolen and that he's been manipulated by Walt.

So, in short, Jesse knew about the poison because it was his to use.  He thought it was for killing Gus, but the ricin was never used.

[d00hickey]

Thanks Johnny Unusual, there's allot I didn't get about the last two episodes and you just brought it all together for me. I can swear I never missed an episode but the Lilly of the Valley stuff rings no bells, must have missed it or been drunk.

[Thrifty Version II]

The Breaking Bad, complete series DVD

Specialty packaging is cute, but I don't like it cause it won't fit properly on my DVD shelf.  I once bought the complete series of Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but returned it and bought the existing seasons a la carte.

[JimJ]

Thanks Johnny Unusual, there's allot I didn't get about the last two episodes and you just brought it all together for me. I can swear I never missed an episode but the Lilly of the Valley stuff rings no bells, must have missed it or been drunk.

All of the Lilly of the Valley stuff was revealed at the end of the season 4 finale.  I can see how Gus's death could overshadow those details, especially if you've only seen it once.

[d00hickey]

Yea I'm pretty sure I was drunk, I watched most of the series with friends and booze was involved.