In the most blatant forward-looking videogame product placement (i.e. advertisement) since Aaron Eckhart fought aliens under a Resistance 3 billboard in Battle: Los Angeles, Breaking Bad went to bat for Bethesda this past weekend..
Yeah, this totally shot a hole in the previous discussion about how Breaking Bad supposedly takes place in a seven-week period back in 2008 or whatever. So much for that theory!
I make metaphorical connections in video games to real world experiences if I'm just tired and had a bad day... Jesse actually killed someone and has been on a meth binge for a week, so I don't find the problem in using some irrational light gun action to bring out his current demons.
Yeah, this shoots a fatal hole in that theory. On the other hand, it's one of the most effective opening sequences the show's ever done, and the show is known for its great opening sequences. If you watch it carefully, you'll notice that Jesse's toy gun occasionally turns into a real one as he re-lives the whole "shooting Gail" moment. The kid's got some serious PTSD. The "QUIT/RETRY" business at the end was a little obvious, but Aaron Paul sells it- he's still got the choice to break the pattern, but he decides to double down instead.
What's really tragic in this whole scenario is that the Rage footage looks like a generic horror game that could have come out in 2008.