S03.E06: Off Brand

[Bryce Lynch]

14 hours ago, qtpye said:

I think it was worse...tofu bacon (saying this as someone who likes tofu).

I believe it was described as "veggie bacon" and according to Walt Jr. smelled like bandaids 

ETA Youtube link

Edited May 23, 2017 by Bryce Lynch

[ByTor]

On 5/19/2017 at 2:54 PM, JudyObscure said:

True, Chuck's electrical allergy is psychosomatic, and by definition, I guess, that is a form of mental illness. However, he is not mentally ill in the broader sense of brain diseases like clinical depression, schizophrenia, or bi-polar.  Those are usually understood to mean chemical imbalances in the brain that affect thinking in every area. 

All thoughts, though, are chemical reactions, so why wouldn't thoughts of having an illness that doesn't exist represent a chemical imbalance that affects thinking?  I do, however, think Chuck's constant need to be right & his issues with Jimmy are independent of his illness, since I think the show made it pretty clear that these aren't new characteristics of Chuck's personality.

ETA: I love soy bacon!

Edited May 24, 2017 by ByTor

[MaryPatShelby]

On 5/16/2017 at 10:42 AM, knaankos said:

I have to agree with this. The suspense level on this show is very very low at the moment. It got less suspenseful when the Mike/Gus storyline became more fleshed out. We know the eventual fates of every person on that side of the story except for Nacho. And we know where they stand when Breaking Bad Begins and ends, there are really no questions to be answered. So while it is is cool to see all those character again, what is their to accomplish by showing them? And I also do not see the purpose of telegraphing that Nacho will be the one to eventually put Hector into a wheelchair. I feel that it would have been a lot more effective of a shock to just have him do that when it actually happens without any foreshadowing. 

The two biggest questions of this series are still what happens to Chuck and Kim and that is really what the show ought to be focused on.

So much this.  When BCS first started, it wasn't Breaking Bad: The Prequel. Now half of each episode is about the drug trade in that city in NM that I can't spell, and as of now those stories do very little to forward the story of Jimmy/Saul.  But it's making every viewer except me and possibly the above commenter very very happy, so I'm guessing it won't stop any time soon.  

Edited to add:  I've finally had a chance to read Tara's recap, and I agree with what she said about "watching the show wrong".  That's how I feel every time I have that tinge of annoyance that we're back with the drug people, when apparently I'm supposed to be thrilled; I'm doing it wrong.

Edited June 12, 2017 by MaryPatShelby

[DangerousMinds]

On May 22, 2017 at 4:44 PM, Tatum said:

I never got the hate for Skyler. I found her much more sympathetic and palatable than Walt.

Off topic for this show, but 100% agree!

[SoMuchTV]

3 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

I am in weird late to the show twilight zone at Netflix binging because I am starting with BCS, instead of BB. My reason for the above quotes is that since the Mike reveals his part in being a dirty cop scene with his DIL I have felt that the DIL is using that against Mike, in a blackmail way. She always has an "innocent" request, with underlying threats (it seems that way to me) and then Mike has to go further into the dark zone to pacify her or pay for his past. If anyone wants to msg me or spoiler tag it for me: Is that the end result? Is she using his past to get what she wants?

Huh. I guess I need to go read that recap and decide if I want to continue with BCS (I am up to this episode now) or quit and start BB first. 

I don't know about "watching the show wrong" (from the quote in the above post) but I think it would be an interesting perspective to watch BCS first, then see BB for the first time with that background.  So if you're otherwise enjoying BCS  (and have some time on your hands), one option would be to finish BCS (at least what's already done), then watch BB, then go back and rewatch BCS.  And report back :)

[LilJen]

On 5/15/2017 at 11:31 PM, Bryce Lynch said:

While I understand Jimmy not wanting to help Rebecca help Chuck, I think he may have crossed a major line towards becoming Saul.  I wasn't shocked that he didn't help, but I was surprised that he was not the least bit torn about whether to help.  He seemed very callous and I fear that inner kindness and decency that makes us love Jimmy despite all his faults is dieing.  

On 5/16/2017 at 7:08 AM, Bryce Lynch said:

I think people are being very unfair to Rebecca.  She wasn't "MIA".  She and Chuck were divorced and she had no idea about his mental illness until earlier that day.  The fact that she would fly in to be there for him and then go to his house and knock on the door for an hour is admirable.  My ex-wife wouldn't cross the street to spit on me. :)

Sure, she doesn't get how much Chuck has hurt Jimmy, she is right that you don't abandon a mentally ill relative because he hurt your feelings.  

It seemed to me that she only wanted Jimmy to help her get Chuck to let her in.

I wanted Jimmy to explain (this is me coming at it as a social worker) how many time Chuck had refused treatment for his illness, and thus he is respecting Chuck’s right to make his own decisions, and if Rebecca wants to try to get him the help he truly needs she’s welcome to try. Can lead a horse to water, but legally speaking you cannot force him to drink. (Unless he is in imminent danger, of course, which Chuck was not.)

[gallimaufry]

I have no problem with Rebecca up until 306 but there's absolutely no evidence she stuck around past 306.  Sure, she couldn't see him THAT NIGHT but did she write, did she speak to Howard, did she consult doctors?  

In 309...

If she was still involved in his life I think Howard would have at least tried to go through her in 309.

And for her to say that Jimmy should "do what's right" for Chuck shows she really didn't pay attention in court to the nature and cause of Chuck's disability.  Jimmy had tried for a year or more to manage this on his own but was just making the situation worse because he was the cause.  Granted, she wasn't currently married to him but she was when his illness evidently -- albeit with the benefit of hindsight -- started.  Morally, it seems to me she made a vow and she had a duty of care to Chuck -- and even to some extent to Jimmy who she knew had his own struggles and issues and was clearly ill-equipped to deal with his condition.

I love S3 but I do regret that we didn't get more time with Chuck in the second half of this season.  For the last two seasons, it had been Chuck and Jimmy battling each other like they're two ends of a weathervane but here Chuck has a genuine chance to change and reflect and develop and there's so much I would have liked to see explored here, not least how his relationship with Rebecca evolves.

[Anela]

I will have to re-watch BB at some point, because I can't remember everyone. 

On 5/22/2017 at 4:44 PM, Tatum said:

I never got the hate for Skyler. I found her much more sympathetic and palatable than Walt.

I didn't understand it, either, until she wanted to put a hit on someone. I remember defending her, whenever people I knew, would say something about her being awful. 

[Lalo Lives]

On 5/22/2017 at 5:35 PM, JudyObscure said:

I hate Skylar and it has nothing whatsoever to do with Walt.  I would hate her if she was married to the kindest man on earth and I would hate her if she was married to a serial killer. She had every reason to be angry at Walt as time went on  and in a contest of who has done the most horrible things or who is most likely to burn in Hell it would be Walt, of course, but that has nothing to do with why I can't stand her. 

 From the first episode, I found her smug, controlling and self-centered, always confident they she is in the right,  smarter and better than everyone else.  The sort of woman who would call her husband to dinner and then snap at him like you would a dog, if he wasn't there in twenty seconds.  The kind of woman who, minutes after swearing to her husband that she wouldn't humiliate him in front of his nemesis by asking him for money -- asks him for money. The kind of woman who would set up a big lie about sewage regulations in order to take a man's  business away from him and never blink an eye.  The sort of woman who would refuse to forgive her sister for giving her a stolen present, even after she begged for forgiveness ten times a day, everyday for weeks.  The kind of woman who would take away her son's new car, that he is absolutely thrilled with, even though a simple lie about "gift from online donor," would have explained it.  Why because she is the biggest control freak in the entire world and that car hadn't been her idea.

 At one point, during a fight, Walt tells Skylar that for the entire duration of their marriage he hadn't got his way about one single thing. I had no trouble believing him and I noticed that she didn't come up with an example of that being untrue.  I've never known any murdering drug dealers, but I've known women like Skylar and I couldn't stand them.

SOOO much here to like.

[Lalo Lives]

On 5/22/2017 at 6:00 PM, Ohwell said:

...and the kind of woman who would serve her husband turkey bacon.

Funny how none of the food manufacturers make steak, bacon, pork chops, chicken, or salmon and market them as tasting just like cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, or kale.

[Lalo Lives]

Not that there is anything wrong with vegetables.

In fact, here’s a nice little amuse-bouche I came up with.

Slice a quarter pound of fresh Brussels sprouts in half, with the grain.

Now take a quarter pound of cauliflower heads and cut into little crowns, roughly the size of the sprouts.

Cross section some peeled beets about 1/3” thick.
Soak all of the veggies in a covered dish or plastic bag, overnight, in ice water.

Next, grill (medium high heat) your favorite cut of beef. Mine is ribeye, but New York Strip will do. 16 to 18 ounces should do it.

Don’t over cook as this is just the first step. Rare to medium rare.

You can grill a lobster tail (in the shell) next to the beef selection.

Careful. Seafood cooks quickly. If you see white bubbles on the edge of the shell, it is good.

You should have some salted and melted butter ready at this point.

Now pop the veggies onto a cookie pan, brush with the butter, sprinkle with garlic powder, a dash of pepper and salt, and roast for 15-18 minutes.

NOTE:  Try to time the surf and turf grilling with the vegetable roasting.

(I usually start the beef halfway through the veggie roast, and the lobster about halfway through the steak. So 15-18 min for the veggies, 7-9 min for the steak, and 4-6 min for the lobster.)

With a sharp chef’s knife, cut the beef into bite-sized chunks. Gently do the same with the lobster tail, once you’ve removed it from the shell.

You should have some melted butter left over.

Here’s where the magic happens.

Let the veggies cool for 10 minutes.

Take an unscented, tall kitchen garbage bag, and coat the inside with non-stick cooking spray. I like the coconut oil. Place the tall kitchen (drawstring) garbage bag flat on a dry cookie sheet with the opening on one end. Gently arrange the beets, cauliflower chunks, and sprouts inside.

Tie the bag closed. 

Carry the bag over to the trash can and allow gravity to guide the vegetables and bag into the can. You’ll see the benefit of the cookie sheet.  It lets the veggies just SLIDE. Be gentle. You don’t want to bruise them.

Now take the lobster and steak, arrange on a nice piece of china with some classy silverware. Dunk the lobster in the melted butter. Thinly brush the steak with butter. Sprinkle lightly with pepper and just a hint of salt. Have a cold beverage, and dig in.