Category: Philosophy of Breaking Bad

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Walt’s Götterdämmerung … (“Breaking Bad”, Season 5)

Topics:

  1. Walt descends into madness as portrayed by the writers.  There’s this weird scene where he makes this big show of “forgiving” Skyler.  What is madness?  Can we boil it down into something like megalomania, with all the other definitions deems relative to whatever current society sees as normal?
  2. What about terms like “sociopath” or “crazy” or “madness” or “criminal” or “hero” – and how did BB help us deconstruct these ideas … What would Foucault think of this show, if he watched TV and was still alive?
  3. A big recurring theme of the series is how Walt wants to reap the benefits of his actions but not suffer any consequences.  Comparing him to Gus, he really seems to have no concept of ownership, even self-ownership, and it’s responsibilities.
  4. Skyler’s “pool state” stunt is a clever reenactment of Walt’s “fugue state.”
  5. Perhaps the pivot point of the series is the killing of that boy on the motorcycle. The first time a completely innocent, non-participant is killed by Walt’s activities.  From there on it’s a follow-coaster ride to the resolution of the many plot conflicts in the series.
  6. Walt won’t sell his share of the Methylamine for $5mil, because he sold his share of Grey Matter for 5,000.  Very twisted logic.
  7. Walt thinks he can find “everybody wins” solutions, but there is always a victim.  He’s really just a two-bit bandit.
  8. Mike:  “Shut the fuck up and let me die in peace.”
  9. Who is W.W.?  Did the writers intentionally use Walt Whitman in comparison to Walter White? Is it because Whitman was a favorite of early 20th century anarchists?
  10. Why would Hank take a dump in the Master Bathroom at someone else’s house? It seems implausible to me, or it reveals something really weird about Hank.
  11. Walt: “Wouldn’t two car washes be better than one?”  Skyler: “Well there’s Gentle Hands over by Kirkland. I do love that location.”  — weirdness
  12. Skyler [referring to Jesse] “We’ve come this far, “for us”, what’s one more?”
  13. I liked it, I was good at it, and….I was alive.”  Discuss: vocation, being human, and how sin distorts it
  14. Trophies: Todd kept the kid’s jar/spider, Walt keeps the Walt Whitman book.
  15. How do we learn from failure? Nat King Cole song … https://youtu.be/20ViFpURIDk
  16. Why is it we need some kind of marginal redemption, especially in fiction?
  17. Götterdämmerung of WALT, the Meth Cook … you could make much of the soundtrack for season 5 from The Ring by Wagner. This would have made a great soundtrack option for this last season: https://youtu.be/a53s4jyCqqU
  18. Joseph Campbell has a book called the Heroes Journey, but isn’t there also a shadow aspect to this … like the Arc of the Villain?
  19. Did WW get away with it?
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“It’s just a cook …” – Victor (“Breaking Bad”, Season 4)

MP3: https://planetarystatusreport.com/mp3/20220807_Philosophy_of_Breaking_Bad_Season_4_with_Seattle_Mike.mp3

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Main theme: POWER and MANIPULATION

Outline:

  1. Can people seeking after control have friends? – Another theme: Friendship / Partnership. Discuss. Skyler, Walt, Hank, Marie, Mike, Gus.
  2. The real drug for Gustavo, Walt and Skylar: Power
  3. Skylar as master manipulator: IRS, Ted, “I found myself admiring the smooth con that Skyler pulled on the locksmith in order to get into Walt’s apartment.”
  4. Gustavo as expert manipulator: Jessie and the face robbery, killing that dude in the first episode
  5. Walt as master manipulator: ricin and the boy, Brock, Andrea’s son
  6. Black market discourse on gun control, and the New Mexico / Western culture of “stand your ground”
  7. In the game of manipulation and control: the greater sociopath wins, empathy loses
  8. Mike E. arrogance is cover for his past guilt.
  9. Madness as a coping mechanism …
  10. The car wash is a money laundry
  11. Walt expresses a common frustration of modernity: “I’m done explaining myself.” Supposedly in the past, asking for an explanation was also an invitation to a duel. Is that good or bad?
  12. Man in waiting room: “Man Plans, God laughs.” Walt: “That…is such bullshit.” Walt says that he’s in charge of his life regardless of cancer.
  13. Walt says he “won”, but what was his victory? What did it cost him?

Notes:

  1. Skylar as manipulator: the locksmith, the time at the jeweler … with pretty much everyone …
  2. A discourse on gun control and self defense … 38 snub …
  3. “White Residence” … when answering the phone … is there an undercurrent of racial commentary threaded into the show?
  4. The Greater Sociopath wins: Gus VS Walter
  5. Mike E. is smarmy and self-righteous by default. A form of arrogance that covers his past wrongs.
  6. I found myself admiring the smooth con that Skyler pulled on the locksmith in order to get into Walt’s apartment.
  7. Gus: “Well, get back to work.” Why did he kill that guy? What does it say about organizations? Is there an analogy to American Business in general?
  8. Madness as a coping mechanism is a theme of the show.
  9. Pride and Madness are closely related? Is pride Walt’s main downfall, his “Achille’s Heel?”
  10. The Car Wash is a Money Laundry. LOL
  11. Walt: “I am the one who knocks!”
  12. Gus channels Zig Ziglar! “I like to think I see things in people.” BS
  13. Man in waiting room: “Man Plans, God laughs.” Walt: “That…is such bullshit.” Walt says that he’s in charge of his life regardless of cancer.
  14. Walt expresses a common frustration of modernity: “I’m done explaining myself.” Supposedly in the past, asking for an explanation was also an invitation to a duel. Is that good or bad?
  15. Another theme: Friendship / Partnership. Discuss. Skyler, Walt, Hank, Marie, Mike, Gus.
  16. Walt says he “won”, but what was his victory? What did it cost him?
  17. With Gus out of the way, Walt takes a short trip to Hell and madness.
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“WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN MONEY?” – Jessie Pinkman (“Breaking Bad”, Season 3)

MP3: https://planetarystatusreport.com/mp3/20220724_Philosophy_of_Breaking_Bad_Season_3_with_Seattle_Mike.mp3

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IEA Chief or BOGDAN?

Link: https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/iea-chief-europe-must-cut-gas-usage-20-survive-winter

Topics:

Starter Question: Why is it people assume forgiveness equals acceptance? Why is it many, especially SJW types these days, believe ACCEPTANCE is a human right?

Forgiveness: “Generally, however, it involves a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge …” – Mayo Clinic

Acceptance: “… the action of consenting to receive or undertake something offered. The action or process of being received as adequate or suitable, typically to be admitted into a group.” – Dictionary

What are/is the bona fides of being a gangster, how do you prove yourself? How are you accepted?

And what is the only true sin? – to kill “protected” or “sacred” members of the group without approval from some greater power.

  1. There are no real Atheists … and the “crawling assassins …”
  2. Is family all?
  3. When is money not enough? – beginning of Season 3, both Walter and Jessie have plenty of money.
  4. What is revenge? Why do we seek it when great harm is done to our families?
  5. Gale points out he is libertarian when he first meets Walter, and he talks about the magic of the lab …
  6. Sacrificial Lamb: Gale …
  7. Gus and Walter: trust among sociopaths
  8. Schadenfreude of Jessie at the hospital when Hank arrives …
  9. “Who is the best physical therapist you know?”, “I can give you some names, but they’re not likely to be in your plan …”
  10. Drug Therapist: self-acceptance is better than self-improvement… is that BS? 
  11. Skyler and Ted = Walt and Jesse
  12. Gus and Mike save Walter’s life and he never knew it.  I wonder often how many times God has saved my life and I was unaware….
  13. “Welcome Home” Skyler to Walt as she won’t tell the cops he’s been cooking meth. There’s a lot of game theory going on in the subtext.
  14. Hank in the bar is an injured crocodile 
  15. Honesty is good: “I fucked Ted.” Skyler really underestimated Walt
  16. Jesse: “Meth: it’s awesome: you get sharp, like action-dagger feelings”
  17. What would have happened if Jesse had stayed away from Walt after rehab
  18. Mike: “You know…Walter, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to have someone watching your back.” A reference to the Divine?
  19. “Walt what’s wrong with you?”  Assistant Principal Carmen
  20. We find out Jesse blew the money for the RV on strippers and blow. A comedic interlude….
  21. intellectual property vs physical property
  22. Gayle: “There’s crime… and then there’s crime.”
  23. Gayle loves the lab… couldn’t stomach the path “the way you’re supposed” to build a career.
  24. Difference between Gus Fring and Walt – psychopath vs sociopath?
  25. Crushed RV 
  26. Hank goes crazy on Jesse – another wounded crocodile move
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“I’ve been thinking about that question you asked me …” – Walter White (“Breaking Bad”, Season 2)

MP3: https://planetarystatusreport.com/mp3/20220717_Philosophy_of_Breaking_Bad_with_Seattle_Mike_Season_2_On_Lying.mp3

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Core Themes: LYING, LIES, DECEPTION and CONTROL

Guest: “Seattle Mike” – https://twitter.com/seattleskeptic

Topics:

  1. Lying, and adding lies to cover up old lies … and where this all ends. “You heard my cell phone alarm …” What this does to relationships.
  2. Family Dynamics: the Pinkman family … what does it mean when family members use 3rd party force to resolve conflict – like the “aunt’s house”.
  3. Episode 2 is one of my all time favorite hour of tv.  Really good. 
  4. Ricin… https://www.britannica.com/science/ricin inhalation of ricin results in severe COVID or what used to be called ARDS.
  5. “Fugue state” equals high-functioning sociopath.  Our society seems to produce an intentionally high percentage of borderline sociopaths and narcissists on one end and a large percentage of helpless people on the other.
  6. Hospital painting of a man rowing out to a ship while his family is on shore waving goodbye.  An analogy for terminal illness ( but also emotional distance)
  7. There’s a theme of “owning” others through manipulation, emotional control, judgmental behavior.  The judgement Skylar gets for smoking while pregnant is the other side of the coin to the veggie bacon she makes her family eat….  Wanting to own someone and taking steps of control is a form of theft.
  8. Hank is a house of cards. Has an anxiety attack in elevator.  He’s a symbol of the weakness of the state
  9. Reputation — “Street Cred” and markets/branding
  10. The cops lie.  The state is a narcissistic parent running a lopsided triangulation scam on us.
  11. Jimmy “in and out” … “He likes it better inside, the outside world has not been too kind to him …”
  12. Jimmy “in-and-out” is a scapegoat. There’s been a lot of that throughout human history, mostly in cities. Our society creates a lot of them through arbitrary rules. (Muh democracy)
  13. Walt cooks meth, Ted Beneke cooks the books. What’s the difference?
  14. Walt’s cooking empire is really “born” on the same day as his daughter.
  15. The ethics of Jane’s death: what are our obligations in that situation? It’s clearly a shitty move, but not illegal. What’s the difference? Which matters more? Which should?
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“I AM AWAKE!” – Walter White (“Breaking Bad”, Season 1)

MP3: https://planetarystatusreport.com/mp3/20220710_Philosophy_of_Breaking_Bad_Season_One_with_Seattle_Mike.mp3

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Core Theme: GRIEVING

Guest: “Seattle Mike” – https://twitter.com/seattleskeptic

Topics:

  1. Grieving – and confronting one’s own mortality.
  2. Ethics and the Law: are they even compatible?
  3. Drugs … and how society should approach this.
  4. Relationships and Deception – are there noble lies? lies designed to protect those we love?
  5. Cancer: wounded lives and relationships
  6. Conflict Resolution in the black market
  7. Excellence: is it enough? Does it matter WHAT you are excellent at?
  8. Skylar: “Where did that come from … and why was it so good?”, Walter: “Because it’s illegal …”, Hank: “Sometimes forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest …”
  9. Altruism vs. self-interest: It’s a very statist perspective to claim altruistic motives for doing what’s really in your own selfish interest.  Walt manipulates others for his own ego and personal gain, often at their expense too. Rush song “Anthem” comes to mind as the ideal where acting out of self-interest benefits everyone: Well, I know they’ve always told you Selfishness was wrong Yet it was for me, not you I came to write this song
  10. When Krazy-8 escapes Jesse’s house and Walt finds him walking down the street he was definitely portrayed as a zombie. Zombies / NPCs / mimetic behavior
  11. Humans are a mixed bag. The capacity for good and evil are always present. Sort of a positive and negative stored energy present at all times in everyone.  Ex. Hank pledging to take care of Walt’s family but meanwhile is an insufferable douche 
  12. Family dynamics. Jesse’s brother scoffs at the idea that he’s the favorite son because his parents are always focused on Jesse. This also dovetails with the human focus on negative outliers.
  13. Theft… lots of themes around this: Broken Windows economics and all of the interests impacted by ongoing drug trade, and why even law enforcement doesn’t want it to end … LE, CIA, FBI, cartels, street criminals – all conspire to keep it going.
  14. Pride… Walt won’t accept help from his former business partner