Breaking Bad 5.01 "Live Free or Die" 7/15/12

[Acsenray]

Three might be other reasons not to wear a ring such as preserving a false identity. It might be too soon to conclude that he's no longer married.

[What the .... ?!?!]

Originally Posted by standingwave

Another one for the Mythbusters to take on because I'm skeptical especially given that the feds have access to all kinds of disk drive forensic tools and disks aren't considered wiped until every location has been written over multiple times. And wouldn't Gus, being the careful person we believe him to be have used encryption anyway? And if he had copies to keep his employees in line, wouldn't those be in a safe deposit box somewhere or perhaps even in his attorney's care along the lines of "in the event of my death..."

Still, it was a lot of fun.

Agreed.......especially the wacky professor salvage yard guy!!!

[SykoSkotty]

Salvage yard guy is also Mr. Heckles from the early seasons of "Friends."

"You're disturbing my birds."

"You don't have birds."

"I could have birds...."

[Bytegeist]

Originally Posted by voltaire

And if he was setting up an alibi: ...

- Why meet an illegal arms dealer there, which is presumably all on camera?

There were cameras somewhere? In the Denny's?

That's certainly possible, but it's unusual enough that we should have been shown the cameras explicitly (in my opinion), if they're going to be important to the plot.

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by voltaire

I think you're way off-base with the "creating an alibi" thing. You're also drawing a false dichotomy between "wanting to be remembered" and "not wanting to be remembered" when it seems very likely that he just doesn't give a fuck either way.

And everything in his appearance and behavior tells us that he just doesn't give a fuck. Besides having a cough, he has hair - the presence of hair seems to indicate that he's no longer undergoing chemo treatment. He's also dressed quite shabbily, something that he never really did before.

As for his behavior, any time we've ever seen him plotting and scheming, he's always careful, calculating and on-edge, not at all nonchalant, like he is here. Every single thing he does and says is completely withdrawn and aloof, like he just doesn't care anymore.

And if he was setting up an alibi:

- Why decline the initial offer of a free meal (with valid ID), not knowing that the waitress would press the issue and give him another chance?

- Why do it under his false identity? What good does that do?

- Why meet an illegal arms dealer there, which is presumably all on camera? Not the best of alibis, to follow a shifty guy into the restroom, them leave immediately afterwards without eating your meal.

- Why switch cars right there, blatantly out in the open, leaving behind his car that presumably matched his identity?

Like someone said, what he did is all pretty much the opposite of creating an alibi. But obviously, I don't think he was trying to actively incriminate himself either - he just doesn't give a fuck either way.

I dunno, I'm still going with the alibi thing. But I don't want to answer so many nitpicky questions that my prediction ends up wrong just based on guessing at lots of details. It maybe totally off base, but I'd hate to be more or less right, but wrong just because I went off on so many tangents defending it so I'm going to leave it where it is.


So just to boil down my two quick predictions from that scene:

1)I think this was an alibi
2)I think we'll see the waitress again in a future episode (in person, on camera or at least someone talking about something she said..."The waitress said/stated that....")

[hajario]

The writers are pretty much fucking with us. I think that this is going to be just like the season with the plane crash. We'll see little bits and pieces every episode and in the end it will be something completely different than what we could have imagined.

[davidm]

Maybe we should be watching the episode titles for the episodes that have these "flash forwards". The four episodes in season two that foreshadowed the plane crash were titled, in order:

"Seven Thirty-Seven"
"Down"
"Over"
"ABQ"

They probably wouldn't use that same trick again and I can't imagine what "Live Free or Die" could be the beginning of, but who knows?

[hajario]

Originally Posted by davidm

They probably wouldn't use that same trick again and I can't imagine what "Live Free or Die" could be the beginning of, but who knows?

He doesn't want to be in hiding anymore. He is either going to "live free" or "die".

[voltaire]

Originally Posted by Bytegeist

There were cameras somewhere? In the Denny's?

That's certainly possible, but it's unusual enough that we should have been shown the cameras explicitly (in my opinion), if they're going to be important to the plot.

I don't think it's unusual for Denny's to have cameras. But I'm saying I don't think they're going to be important to the plot, so there would be no reason to explicitly show them.

Originally Posted by davidm

Maybe we should be watching the episode titles for the episodes that have these "flash forwards". The four episodes in season two that foreshadowed the plane crash were titled, in order:

"Seven Thirty-Seven"
"Down"
"Over"
"ABQ"

They probably wouldn't use that same trick again and I can't imagine what "Live Free or Die" could be the beginning of, but who knows?

As I said previously, the straight-forward reading of the title is that he was "living free" in NH, but for whatever reasons, he decided to stop the chemo and come back to go with the "or die" option. Yeah, it could be misdirection, but it doesn't seem like it.

There's pretty much no way the whole thing with killing Gus will go unanswered. In the current timeline, Walt is all smug and saying that he won, but that's just hubris - no way he gets off that easy. All the major cartel guys could have killed Gus many times, but there is something about his past and his connections in Chile that makes even them too scared to kill him, due to the presumable repercussions.

And towards the end, Gus was quite aware that Walt wanted him dead. With all of his resources, there's little doubt he'd set up some hell to rain down on Walt and make good on his threats to go after his family. It might even be that someone else has access to the money tucked away in the Caymans, and some of those funds are to be used to put out a hit on Walt and/or his family. With a price on his head in the millions, that would be ample reason to assume a false identity and move to NH.

[SykoSkotty]

Originally Posted by davidm

Maybe we should be watching the episode titles for the episodes that have these "flash forwards". The four episodes in season two that foreshadowed the plane crash were titled, in order:

"Seven Thirty-Seven"
"Down"
"Over"
"ABQ"

They probably wouldn't use that same trick again and I can't imagine what "Live Free or Die" could be the beginning of, but who knows?

and they were, FWIW, episodes 1, 4, 10 & 13.

And also, LIVE FREE OR DIE is the state motto of New Hampshire, which is where Walt was assumed to be living now.

[Yeticus Rex]

Originally Posted by Bob Ducca

Funny, but she called him Mr. Lambert.

From the BB Wiki, Lambert is the maiden name for Skyler and Marie.

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by Yeticus Rex

From the BB Wiki, Lambert is the maiden name for Skyler and Marie.

So, they probably finalized the divorce, remarried and he took her name.

[hajario]

Originally Posted by Yeticus Rex

From the BB Wiki, Lambert is the maiden name for Skyler and Marie.

Nice catch.

He probably took it as his new name to be ironic.

[Bytegeist]

Originally Posted by Joey P

So, they probably finalized the divorce, remarried and he took her name.

So they're both called "Skyler" now? That's going to cause confusion.

[Yeticus Rex]

Just an ever so slight hijack.... here is a list of deceased characters...... I had to laugh when I went to page 2.

[Acsenray]

There doesn't actually seem to be a page 2?

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by Acsenray

There doesn't actually seem to be a page 2?

There is for me. The bottom row should have 4 people. The middle two being Gaff and No-Doze. There should be a <1..2> thing under them that you can click on.

[Washoe]

It’s there. It lists the RV as ‘deceased.’

[Yeticus Rex]

Also, here is the list of deaths by season (1-4, a total of 232), AND the party responsible for those deaths.....there was some disagreement up-thread who was responsible for some of those deaths.

[Yeticus Rex]

Originally Posted by Washoe

It’s there. It lists the RV as ‘deceased.’

Should have added the Aztec and the numerous windshields on it, along with the 737 and the other plane.

[SenorBeef]

Those weren't characters. The RV was. I was actually sad when it got destroyed.

[Yeticus Rex]

Ok....dismiss the planes, but there was alot of action in and around that Aztec as well. I was sad when it got destroyed as well.

[Erdosain]

Originally Posted by Yeticus Rex

Ok....dismiss the planes, but there was alot of action in and around that Aztec as well. I was sad when it got destroyed as well.

Hmm? Walt is still driving the Aztec (well, not in the flash forward). In the immortal words of Mike, "You're gonna want to get your car fixed."

[Tarwater]

Originally Posted by Erdosain

Hmm? Walt is still driving the Aztec (well, not in the flash forward). In the immortal words of Mike, "You're gonna want to get your car fixed."

No, he's not. The Aztec was totaled when Walt crashed it into a truck while trying to avoid taking Hank to the laundry. The car we've seen Walt driving since then has been a small ugly white hatchback.

[Yeticus Rex]

Here's the promo for S5,E2. Hank's face at the very end.....PRICELESS.

[Erdosain]

Originally Posted by Tarwater

No, he's not. The Aztec was totaled when Walt crashed it into a truck while trying to avoid taking Hank to the laundry. The car we've seen Walt driving since then has been a small ugly white hatchback.

Whoa. I don't know how I missed that. I could have sworn he was in the Aztec when he called his neighbor to go into his house. I must have mentally filled in the Aztec.

[TBG]

Originally Posted by Acsenray

That's pervasive on television. Characters routinely order food and then abandon it.

I know, but do they routinely order BACON and then abandon it? I mean BACON. It's the food vegans would eat if they could get away with it.

[billfish678]

Okay guys and gals. I've got DISH. Am I screwed or is there some way to see the next episode?

[Ellis Dee]

Originally Posted by billfish678

Okay guys and gals. I've got DISH. Am I screwed or is there some way to see the next episode?

Didn't I read that the dispute has just been resolved? Or were there two disputes?

[hajario]

Originally Posted by Ellis Dee

Didn't I read that the dispute has just been resolved? Or were there two disputes?

The unrelated DirecTV/Viacom dispute was resolved.

[billfish678]

Well, I guess that is good for watching "unrelated" stuff

[jrepka]

Originally Posted by billfish678

Okay guys and gals. I've got DISH. Am I screwed or is there some way to see the next episode?

Yeah, you're screwed.

I haven't heard any noise about them streaming any other episodes, so unless you have a friend that gets AMC you're best option is to go to iTunes or some other service that allows you to download episodes the next day. On iTunes they don't sell individual episodes, you have to subscribe to the whole season, but the SD version is less than $2 per episode...

[billfish678]

Damit!

I am so mad I wanna go Tuco on somebodies ass

[davidm]

"Tight tight tight!"

[Bumbershoot]

I just watched "Live Free or Die" on AMC's website (and loved it).

Does anyone know if they will be streaming future episodes there as well?

[davidm]

I doubt it. But someone earlier in this thread said that they'll be selling them on iTunes.

[jrepka]

Originally Posted by Bumbershoot

I just watched "Live Free or Die" on AMC's website (and loved it).

Does anyone know if they will be streaming future episodes there as well?

iTunes has episodes available to download the day after they air; they may be available elsewhere, but that's the only place I'm familiar with. But you have to subscribe to the entire season, you can't just buy individual episodes.

They're charging $13.99 for the 8 episode half-season (in SD; $22.99 for HD).

[edwards_beard]

You can also purchase episodes on Amazon

[zbuzz]

Originally Posted by jrepka

iTunes has episodes available to download the day after they air; they may be available elsewhere, but that's the only place I'm familiar with. But you have to subscribe to the entire season, you can't just buy individual episodes.

They're charging $13.99 for the 8 episode half-season (in SD; $22.99 for HD).

On iTunes, I see episode one available as an individual download. Are you sure you have to buy the whole season? Also, the HD season pass is US$21.99.

[jrepka]

zbuzz--

I stand corrected on both counts...

[MaxTheVool]

I just listened to the Breaking Pad Insider podcast for this episode, three things worth relating:
(1) They had a discussion about how the magnet scene would make a great test for Mythbusters (which it really would). A Breaking Bad themed mythbusters could be the greatest ever...
(2) They were discussing the question of how Mike encountered Jesse and Walt in their cars on that deserted stretch of road, and Vince Gilligan made the interesting point that he doesn't mind coincidences as long as they don't help the main character, although he acknowledges there was at least one big one of that type in the BB pilot, when Walt is about to shoot himself and then the sirens turn out to be fire engines, not cops.
(3) Apparently the genesis of Breaking Bad was a combination of Vince and one of the writers/producers discussing a story about some idiot cooking meth in an apartment complex, and Colin Powell's presentation to the UN about the supposed mobile WMD labs. (Which led to a joke in the podcast about Winnebagos of Meth Distribution.)

[Alice The Goon]

Hilarious gifs of Aaron Paul on The Price is Right 10 years ago, here.

[Erdosain]

Originally Posted by Alice The Goon

Hilarious gifs of Aaron Paul on The Price is Right 10 years ago, here.

So that's where Bob Barker got the line, "the price is wrong, bitch."

[jrepka]

Originally Posted by MaxTheVool

I just listened to the Breaking Pad Insider podcast for this episode, three things worth relating:
(1) They had a discussion about how the magnet scene would make a great test for Mythbusters (which it really would). A Breaking Bad themed mythbusters could be the greatest ever...

I can't wait to see them dissolve a whole hog in a barrel of hydrofluoric acid...

[Malthus]

Originally Posted by jrepka

I can't wait to see them dissolve a whole hog in a barrel of hydrofluoric acid...

... in their family bathtub.

[davidm]

They have to do it in:

A: A polystyrene barrel (or whatever the plastic was that Walt required).
B: A bathtub over a wooden floor.

They also have to figure out a way to cause an explosion using hydrofluoric acid. There always has to be an explosion.

[Concrete Slab Foundation]

Originally Posted by Flang Dang

It was in the future. Didn't anyone catch that the "Denny's" is a former "Pollos Hermanos"? Maybe even the old meeeting place with Gus.

How can you tell? I just watched the scene again and didn't spot any Los Pollos Hermanos-shaped fixtures. Then again, I'm not sure what would be a giveaway.

[jrepka]

Originally Posted by Flang Dang

It was in the future. Didn't anyone catch that the "Denny's" is a former "Pollos Hermanos"? Maybe even the old meeeting place with Gus,

No, they used that same Denny's in 401. It was where Walt and Jesse went to talk after Gus killed Victor...

[Concrete Slab Foundation]

Originally Posted by jrepka

No, they used that same Denny's in 401. It was where Walt and Jesse went to talk after Gus killed Victor...

Thanks. That's one fewer potential clue I need to carry around in my head.