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Breaking Bad: Capitalism + The Family

posted 11 years ago by FedRev
3 replies | jump to latest

"Though while Walter was right to feel angry and bitter about the unfortunate hand he’s been dealt, his mistake is that instead of channeling that frustration into exposing and tearing down an unjust system, a system that exploits and oppresses millions around the world, he goes about trying to place himself atop that system of exploitation. He doesn’t want out of the system of oppression, he wants in."

Full Article here
http://fedrev.net/?p=485

A Progressive Review of Mass Media & Culture: FEDREV.net

[–] karencbooth 11 years ago

Thanks for posting this article -- very interesting.

I'm reviewing BB for a U.K. website -- check it out if you're interested:

http://www.geeksunleashed.me/2013/09/09/review-breaking-bad-s05e13-tohajiilee/

[–] Sunnyfish 11 years ago

Now, here's a thought. Just sayin (before you jump on this with objections). Walt was really an upstanding family man. One that loved his family. One that worked for the school system for goodness sake!
He was scared. He was sick. He was like, I worked all my life and look where it got me...at least I can make sure my family is taken care of.

But then as the cancer progressed in his brain in a way that wasn't obvious to the eye or showing up in scans, it infiltrated his personality, the way he thought was changed. Perhaps along with the drugs.
This could have been possible yes? COULD have been?

I think most of us liked Walt for a long time. I know I was rooting for him. How can someone change so drastically (at such a late age), without there being some sort of a reason. Other than he just "went bad".

[–] Speed_Daemon 11 years ago

I would have to agree that Walt was temporarily out of his element, and had a momentary lapse of reason. And if nothing else had happened, there would be no story to build a TV series around.

The plot hook that made the show what it is was the sudden and unexpected entrance of Jessie's former cooking partner and his drug-dealing cousin into Walt's life. Walt's fateful life-taking decision is what locked him into the unlawful lifestyle very early on. By the time Walt had had time to sufficiently reflect and decide to go back to the straight and narrow, it was already too late.

If Walt had decided to do the Right Thing at that time, he would have withered and died while in the hands of the criminal justice system, as they decided his fate. The realism of such a dilemma is the spark of brilliance that made the show what it is. Walt honestly believed that he was near death, so why not toss out the rules?

I'm not sure what you're talking about Walt's cancer metastasizing to his brain. That's not part of any story line that I've ever seen! Also, Walt did not use the drugs that he made.