1801

I agree with a lot of this, especially the comparison to The Wire.

I saw a similar complaint about realism involving the GPS coordinates Walt uses to locate his money on Grantland, but this “contrivance” is more like an Easter Egg.

1802

Super magnet truck caper would seem to be BB’s gravest sin on the contrivance continuum, along with (though in a different way from) the magical poison delivery to Brock. But no show is perfect.

1803

Does anyone believe you could give a bunch of coordinate numbers to some wacky nazis and they’d figure out they were GPS coordinates without direction AND be able to translate them to a location AND get to that location within 10 minutes? Or that wacky nazi meth gangs even exist other than on TV?

You just wouldn’t have obviously fictional contrivances like that in some of HBO’s shows, by comparison, and yet Breaking Bad is so good that those things don’t really matter much. This season has really cemented its place as one of the best shows ever – it’s real “event TV”, more than any other series in recent memory.

1804

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=34+59+20+N+106+36+52+W
Google maps, bitch! ;)

As for the getting there so quickly, it did seem unrealistically fast. Granted, we don’t know how much time passes off camera, or exactly where all the parties are, but it did leave a frown on my face.

Another thing that seemed odd was how unconcerned the New Mexico Nazis were about having killed a couple DEA agents. There has got to be a TON of physical evidence at that site, and it doesn’t seem like the sort of thing the DEA is just going to let go. I suppose they’re banking on no one ever finding any evidence to point them to the site.

1805

haha, this image is attached to those coordinates.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/94875659

1806

They’ll probably burn the vehicles; the guns are probably all unregistered and untraceable. With all that money, they could just retire and disappear altogether, except for Todd the lovesick puppy and wannabe Master Chef.

1807

The coordinates seemed sensible to me, probably because those guys with all their flack jackets and automatic weapons seem like they’d be capable to handle some electronic gear with its roots in military operations. I think the reason they have to be Nazi instead of a more realistic biker gang because there is nothing like Nazi’s for amplifying and manipulating the audience’s emotions. It’s like how FPS games all have Nazi/Zobmies for their villains. Look at how the bad guys have grown over the five seasons. The next bad guy always has to bring a little more to the table and in BB they always do.

1808

Well, it is difficult to tell how long it took them to get there because of “TV time”. This gang is the one that helped Walt kill 10 people in different prisons in a two minute time window. If you accept that they are capable of that, it is easy to believe they know what GPS is.

Or that wacky nazi meth gangs even exist other than on TV?

How about former chemistry teacher turned meth druglord kingpin, for that matter? Of course things like this are unrealistic, that’s why I watch tv… to see something more exciting than reality.

1809

Yeah doesn’t strike me as too odd, they sort of seem like some of them would be the Minutemen American Defense type.

1810

Even in HBO’s offerings, it’s really only The Wire that I’d put in it a category all its own for realism. What other shows were you thinking of in this comparison?

1811

Actually this one doesn’t particularly bother me. There are plenty of outlaw motorcycle gangs, etc. like this, with ex-military members, etc. Would I guarantee that every wacky Nazi gang has some sort of dude who could quickly figure that out? No. But it doesn’t strike me as particularly weird or out of the question that someone might know.

1812

I can accept they know how to look up GPS. Because #2 has a fancy phone, remember??

The only part that bugged me was Hank and Gomey not calling backup. They knew what Heisenberg is capable of and that his friends can kill ten inmates in two minutes. Really guys, you’re threatening his money by yourselves? Reminded me of Mike’s “sure Walt, get my bag and gun and bring it to this remote clearing mmkay!” But that suspension of disbelief is a small price to pay for the awesomeness of Breaking Bad.

1813

I’ll be really interested to hear what the writer’s have to say about Todd’s character in the end. I suspect he’s supposed to be a commentary on our feelings towards Walt. His likability is off the chart and this is clearly deliberate on the writer’s part. His polite, respectful, caring, aw shucks manner is in stark contrast to his unambiguously monstrous actions. That whole scene where he is shooting the shit with his uncle about the train heist was a great example of this. We all know how that story ends and here are his associates with their Nazi tattoos but he’s so charming and down to earth and likable while telling that story. It’s chilling.

1814

Huell Waits

1815

He is great character for the reasons you point out. He seems so boy-next-door and then he just guns down a kid and falls asleep at night like an angel. Glad he made it to the end, but I really do want Jesse to shove a sword in his guts or something equally medieval.

1816

So they seem like other imaginary criminals? Like Doctor Octopus?

1817

The Wire and the Sopranos, primarily. Game of Thrones does an incredible job with its production details too, as does Boardwalk Empire. I wouldn’t put BE in the same quality category as the others, but it has its moments (and its goofiness) and its recreation of the setting is accurate and meticulous.

1818

How much can you take in one sitting?

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Related

AMC has announced that it will rerun all five seasons of the gripping and beloved drug drama in a five-day marathon. Your binge-watch challenge begins on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m., when the network unspools the season 1 pilot, and runs deep into the night of Friday, Sept. 27 with the conclusion of season 4. The marathon takes a one-day break for before resuming with the season 5 premiere on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 11 p.m., and wraps up just before the series finale is unveiled on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m.

1819

Damn you to hell, show, for making me feel bad for Walt.

1820

Breaking bad is really about Jesse Pinkmans personal hell. Kids don’t do drugs or you will wind up a slave to nazis.