Breaking Bad, Big Love
(Anyone who has ever taken a hiatus from LJ knows that as soon as you say you won’t be posting, all you want to do is post. I am still experiencing RSI-related pain, but what can I say? I’m a junkie for endlessly recording my thoughts on yaoi.)
I know no one else watches this show, but Breaking Bad #2.02 was a masterful TV episode. It was highly plotted without feeling contrived. It zigged and zagged unexpectedly. And, if a sound can be an objective correlative, I feel that the ding of a brass doorbell will immediately fill me with laughing/screaming hysteria for some time to come.
Some spoilery comments about my weird OTP:
Walt will die for Jesse*, but Jesse will not die for Walt**
* See: Walt’s comments when Tucco threatens to kill Jesse: “he’s my partner, you don’t get him without me” etc.
** Walt: “Because my life expectancy is shorter than yours, my life is worth less than yours?” / Jesse: “Duh.”
Well, that’s what we learn on the face of it, but clearly there’s more going on below the surface. Firstly, Walt has been socialized to be the brave protector - of his family; of the world, should that be asked of him - while Jesse has convinced himself that he’s a loser who shouldn’t even try to protect or care about anyone but himself. This discrepancy is strengthened by the fact that Walt still thinks of Jesse as his student - decreasingly, I think, but the feeling’s still there. Obviously, Walt’s gonna stand up and take the bullet for his partner, while Jesse will shrink away and look after number one.
However, crucially, it never came down to that. The only contrived moment of the whole episode was Jesse grabbing Tucco’s gun, relieving Walt of the duty of shooting Tucco and saving Jesse. At the time, I was mildly irritated by this turn of events, but actually, I think it’s emblematic of what I’m trying to say.
I think Walt displays greater bravado (and self-delusion) than Jesse. If it came down to the wire, Walt would probably say, “I am worth more than Jesse; kill him, not me”. By contrast, I think Jesse would probably ultimately sacrifice himself for Walt. And this is the heartbreaking crux of their relationship, IMO - that Jesse cares more about Walt than Walt cares about Jesse. It’s unsurprising, considering Walt’s emotional energy is tied up in Skyler and Walt Jr, while Jesse basically has no one.
(Side note: I did say that Walt’s emotional energy is tied up in Sky, but he clearly has tons of insane, sexual energy for which he has no outlet. I distract myself endlessly while I’m watching this show by writing Walt/Jesse non-con in my head. :x)
I’m already beginning to have pangs because we’re nearing Big Love’s end of season. Woe. This season has not followed quite the path I expected it to (what, we couldn’t have gotten more Sarah/Heather and Ben/Margene?) and it remains light on good arcs and clear plotting. However, I have still enjoyed it immensely. Truly, there’s no better characterization to be found on TV.
I may have yelped with joy when Creepy Scott came running down the street. YAY CREEPY SCOTT. (No, I don’t know why I can’t just refer to him as “Scott”.) I again felt robbed of meaningful interaction (and, uh, talking) between Creepy Scott and Sarah, but Aaron Paul and Amanda Seyfried are a vision of loveliness together, so… *handwave*
(How did Scott find out about the baby/miscarriage? Did Heather tell him? Is this beyond the realm of possibility? Am I grasping at straws? … Probably. I miss Heather.)
I love that Nicki referred to Sarah, quite unselfconsciously, as her daughter. <3 God, I love Nicki. (I find angry!maligned!Ray inappropriately hot, too. Nicki/Ray hatesex, plz. >_>)
Joey sitting in the hay loft talking about how it wasn’t worth killing himself because he wouldn’t get to see Cathy in heaven anyway, because they weren’t sealed, was so incredibly sad. Gahhhh. (I just wanna read long, slightly boring domestic fic about Joey and Cathy falling in love slowly and undramatically. Ayyyy. This ‘ship, it does not fit my type.)
I know no one else watches this show, but Breaking Bad #2.02 was a masterful TV episode. It was highly plotted without feeling contrived. It zigged and zagged unexpectedly. And, if a sound can be an objective correlative, I feel that the ding of a brass doorbell will immediately fill me with laughing/screaming hysteria for some time to come.
Some spoilery comments about my weird OTP:
Walt will die for Jesse*, but Jesse will not die for Walt**
* See: Walt’s comments when Tucco threatens to kill Jesse: “he’s my partner, you don’t get him without me” etc.
** Walt: “Because my life expectancy is shorter than yours, my life is worth less than yours?” / Jesse: “Duh.”
Well, that’s what we learn on the face of it, but clearly there’s more going on below the surface. Firstly, Walt has been socialized to be the brave protector - of his family; of the world, should that be asked of him - while Jesse has convinced himself that he’s a loser who shouldn’t even try to protect or care about anyone but himself. This discrepancy is strengthened by the fact that Walt still thinks of Jesse as his student - decreasingly, I think, but the feeling’s still there. Obviously, Walt’s gonna stand up and take the bullet for his partner, while Jesse will shrink away and look after number one.
However, crucially, it never came down to that. The only contrived moment of the whole episode was Jesse grabbing Tucco’s gun, relieving Walt of the duty of shooting Tucco and saving Jesse. At the time, I was mildly irritated by this turn of events, but actually, I think it’s emblematic of what I’m trying to say.
I think Walt displays greater bravado (and self-delusion) than Jesse. If it came down to the wire, Walt would probably say, “I am worth more than Jesse; kill him, not me”. By contrast, I think Jesse would probably ultimately sacrifice himself for Walt. And this is the heartbreaking crux of their relationship, IMO - that Jesse cares more about Walt than Walt cares about Jesse. It’s unsurprising, considering Walt’s emotional energy is tied up in Skyler and Walt Jr, while Jesse basically has no one.
(Side note: I did say that Walt’s emotional energy is tied up in Sky, but he clearly has tons of insane, sexual energy for which he has no outlet. I distract myself endlessly while I’m watching this show by writing Walt/Jesse non-con in my head. :x)
I’m already beginning to have pangs because we’re nearing Big Love’s end of season. Woe. This season has not followed quite the path I expected it to (what, we couldn’t have gotten more Sarah/Heather and Ben/Margene?) and it remains light on good arcs and clear plotting. However, I have still enjoyed it immensely. Truly, there’s no better characterization to be found on TV.
I may have yelped with joy when Creepy Scott came running down the street. YAY CREEPY SCOTT. (No, I don’t know why I can’t just refer to him as “Scott”.) I again felt robbed of meaningful interaction (and, uh, talking) between Creepy Scott and Sarah, but Aaron Paul and Amanda Seyfried are a vision of loveliness together, so… *handwave*
(How did Scott find out about the baby/miscarriage? Did Heather tell him? Is this beyond the realm of possibility? Am I grasping at straws? … Probably. I miss Heather.)
I love that Nicki referred to Sarah, quite unselfconsciously, as her daughter. <3 God, I love Nicki. (I find angry!maligned!Ray inappropriately hot, too. Nicki/Ray hatesex, plz. >_>)
Joey sitting in the hay loft talking about how it wasn’t worth killing himself because he wouldn’t get to see Cathy in heaven anyway, because they weren’t sealed, was so incredibly sad. Gahhhh. (I just wanna read long, slightly boring domestic fic about Joey and Cathy falling in love slowly and undramatically. Ayyyy. This ‘ship, it does not fit my type.)