Kim Wexler: She Has a Two-Year Plan

[Simon Boccanegra]

On 8/17/2022 at 5:32 AM, gallimaufry said:

That's significantly different from Skylar who absolutely knows that people die as a result of Walt's actions and, certainly by 514, is resigned to that.

In 5-12, she's way beyond passively knowing; she's trying to overcome Walt's resistance to murdering Jesse. "A person that's a threat to us...we've come this far. What's one more?" 

Perhaps understandable in the context, but still part of her arc. 

[JudyObscure]

3 hours ago, Simon Boccanegra said:

In 5-12, she's way beyond passively knowing; she's trying to overcome Walt's resistance to murdering Jesse. "A person that's a threat to us...we've come this far. What's one more?" 

To me Skylar, unlike Kim, never cared about anyone but herself and her children.  She always reminded me of the wife in, "A Simple Plan." When her husband showed her the huge bag of money he had found in a downed plane, her first reaction was the standard, "Oh we must turn in into the police!"  After thinking about it for a few hours she was coming up with ideas to make sure they keep it and planning how to spend it.

Skylar saw the money and started right in with ideas of her own. Skylar ruined two men, acting entirely on her own plans, her boss and the man whose pride and joy in life was his carwash business.  She didn't have an ounce of sympathy for a kid like Jesse or any other kids ruined by drugs.

  Long before she knew anything about Walt's business, she punished her own sister with the silent treatment for weeks over the stolen bracelet.  She told Walt's old partner about his cancer immediately after Walt had told her not to. When Walt gave their son a wonderful car she made him take it back, when it would have been easy enough to say it was a gift from someone who saw their Go-fund-me site. I think she was just mad because Walt didn't ask her permission first.

Walt said to her one time that in their entire marriage he had never had anything his way and she couldn't think of an answer to that.  Yes, Walt broke bad for himself, but one reason he loved it all so much was that for 20 years he had been totally controlled by her.

[Lalo Lives]

6 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

To me Skylar, unlike Kim, never cared about anyone but herself and her children.  She always reminded me of the wife in, "A Simple Plan." When her husband showed her the huge bag of money he had found in a downed plane, her first reaction was the standard, "Oh we must turn in into the police!"  After thinking about it for a few hours she was coming up with ideas to make sure they keep it and planning how to spend it.

Skylar saw the money and started right in with ideas of her own. Skylar ruined two men, acting entirely on her own plans, her boss and the man whose pride and joy in life was his carwash business.  She didn't have an ounce of sympathy for a kid like Jesse or any other kids ruined by drugs.

  Long before she knew anything about Walt's business, she punished her own sister with the silent treatment for weeks over the stolen bracelet.  She told Walt's old partner about his cancer immediately after Walt had told her not to. When Walt gave their son a wonderful car she made him take it back, when it would have been easy enough to say it was a gift from someone who saw their Go-fund-me site. I think she was just mad because Walt didn't ask her permission first.

Walt said to her one time that in their entire marriage he had never had anything his way and she couldn't think of an answer to that.  Yes, Walt broke bad for himself, but one reason he loved it all so much was that for 20 years he had been totally controlled by her.

And she schtupped Ted to, what, get back at Walt? Can't remember specific reason(s). So a real keeper.

I do think Skylar was written so well, and acted so well, that we had dick-brains being unkind to the actress.

Her character's actions, at least early on, may have been understandable. She was still unappealing. Part may have been visual. Part may have been aural. Her breathy henpecking grated. And her birthday song should have earned her a trip to a North Korean prison. But that's supposed to be painful for the viewer. To give us another color in the Skylar pallette.

Walt became so reprehensible that Skylar had to be less than pleasant to elicit some regard for Walt's state of mind.

Had Walt been married to (principal) Carmen Molina, I don't think he'd have left the house.

[JudyObscure]

7 hours ago, Lalo Lives said:

I do think Skylar was written so well, and acted so well, that we had dick-brains being unkind to the actress.

I didn't see any of that, but I'm not on Twitter or Facebook.  Of course it's always stupid to blame an actress for the roles she plays, soap opera actors have had to deal with that forever.  I do blame Anna Gunn for implying that anyone who doesn't like Skylar is misogynist.  Skylar herself seemed to hate other women judging by the way she sneered at all the  women in her office and bullying her way past the receptionist.  

Kim is just the opposite at work, defending women, respecting her secretary, and helping other women lawyers like Paige.

[Lalo Lives]

1 hour ago, JudyObscure said:

I didn't see any of that, but I'm not on Twitter or Facebook.  Of course it's always stupid to blame an actress for the roles she plays, soap opera actors have had to deal with that forever.  I do blame Anna Gunn for implying that anyone who doesn't like Skylar is misogynist.  Skylar herself seemed to hate other women judging by the way she sneered at all the  women in her office and bullying her way past the receptionist.  

Kim is just the opposite at work, defending women, respecting her secretary, and helping other women lawyers like Paige.

I did not see any of that either. But Vince Gilligan just brought it up AGAIN, recently.

I agree that any criticism she receives should not exclusively be laid at the feet of misogyny. Often people assume criticism of any type is the result of a prejudice of some sort. NEVER is it about the person’s shortcomings.

Politicians are wont to do this. ‘You don’t like me because I’m a woman, I’m a minority, I’m a man, I’m white, I’m Latino/a, you’re a racist, sexist, homophobic, I’m “whatever.”’ No, often we don’t like you or your ideas because they are stupid.

It must be nice to be able to deflect any criticism because of some all-encompassing faulty thinking on the part of the one leveling the criticism.

Removes the need for introspection, self awareness, and self evaluation.

Edited August 23, 2022 by Lalo Lives
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[PeterPirate]

Here is an excellent essay about Kim and Walt.  

Like myself, he points out her reaction to Jimmy's actions in Cobbler, and her aspiration to be Atticus Finch.  

The only thing he left out is the part about Jimmy asking "Am I bad for you?", which other reviewers have mentioned.  

[peeayebee]

It was fun watching that video and seeing old scenes from both shows. Thanks.

[PeterPirate]

A nice essay about the differences between Kim and Skylar, and viewer reactions to them.

[PeterPirate]

People are still making videos about this show.