Listen: Firewall & Iceberg Podcast No. 140
Dan and Alan talk TCA Press Tour, 'Breaking Bad' and more
Happy Whatever-Day-Today-Is, Boys & Girls!
It's time for our third straight mid-week installment of The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast.
Two weeks ago, we were delayed by the start of Comic-Con. Last week, we were delayed for the Emmy nominations. And this week, we were delayed by the start of the Television Critics Association press tour and the challenging of finding the necessary pocket of recording time.
In this week's gabfast, we discuss the first four days of press tour, we answer a few pieces of Comic-Con-based mail and we offer this week's reviews of "Breaking Bad" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Today's breakdown:
TCA Press Tour (00:00:00 - 00:40:30)
Comic-Con Listener Mail (00:41:25 - 00:49:40)
"Breaking Bad" (00:49:40 - 01:03:20)
"Buffy the Vampire slayer" (01:03:25 - 01:13:30)
A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupJohn
July 25, 2012 at 11:05PM EST Reply to CommentOk, a few things on Breaking Bad. First, this is kind of a minor detail, but Mike never says anything about being from Philadelphia during the "Half Measures" speech or anywhere else up to this point. I long assumed that he was a former Albuquerque police officer. Second, I'm not entirely sure I agree that Hank hasn't made any connection about Walt. I don't think he immediately thinks that Walt is Heisenberg, but I do think that he might start taking a closer look at his brother-in-law.
I really liked this episode, and there does seem to be a wide range of opinion on it. While Dan was relatively lukewarm (by Breaking Bad standards), Grantland's Andy Greenwald suggested that it might be the best episode in the history of the show. I wouldn't go *that* far, as it isn't even the best of the last three episodes, but I really liked it.
Finally, I disagree with the characterization of Lydia as a "wet blanket." This is a woman who clearly is a fan of Casino (this is probably what Mike was getting at when he referred to the kinds of movies she's been watching -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FZ2FA-epcE), as she had no problem ordering hits on 11 different people, including Mike, even after he told her not to. Sure, her plan backfired on her, but I don't think anyone who does that can be considered a wet blanket.
I really liked her as an addition to the show, and I was very happy with Laura Fraser's performance. I didn't have a problem with her acting at all, as it didn't sound obviously Scottish or whatever, and there isn't a single "American" accent. There are lots of different kinds of accents in this country, which is why I don't tend to notice "bad" American accents unless they're *really* bad. And it wasn't like she was botching a specific regional accent (like a Southern accent, which is routinely butchered in Hollywood).
All in all, I liked her, and I really liked this episode. More Mike is always a good thing. And good podcast, even if I had some disagreements this time. Keep up the good work.
Mike Yeah, I've got to agree on Ms. Fraser's accent, but then again, it's rare I notice a poor non-regional (I'd add Boston and NY to Southern in terms of often butchered accents) American accent as well, unless it's particularly egregious, such as when Jax Teller can get a wee bit British from time to time. Look, she's not Damian Lewis or Hugh Laurie, but it's not distracting either, at least in my personal experience watching the episode.
July 26, 2012 at 1:19AM ESTAs for Greenwald's take, I liked the episode quite a bit, but Best Ever seems more than a bit hyperbole when One Minute, Fly and Crawl Space (among others) still exist.
dj Greenwald didn't say the episode was the best ever, he said the first 5 minutes were some of the best television he has seen in years. He loved the episode though. Matt Zoller Seitz did say though that he would rank it as one of the shows best episodes as he described it as a perfect episode. It was a great episode no doubt. As far as Laura Fraser's accent goes, I thought it was pretty good to be honest, and the only critic that has complained about her accent has been Dan and to a lesser extent Alan.
July 26, 2012 at 1:36AM ESTDave I
July 26, 2012 at 11:05AM EST Reply to CommentWalt letting Jesse beat himself up over the tainted cigarette...
What other choice did he have? Suddenly confess that he actually poisoned Brock and led Jesse on some subterfuge-laced rat race for a cigarette he stole after conniving Jesse into helping kill Gus, who was also ironically not involved and yet the first person to truly trust, respect, and give a job to Jesse after also sticking up to him by taking out the Mexican Cartel as well as trusting HIS life to Jesse? How well would that have gone over? At that point, just laying the truth out there on the table was hardly a viable option for Walt.
As for Walt's hubris and future downfall? I think we'll see Walt live it up until close to the break. I would imagine he will bask in his new empire, build up the business, until Hank gets a whiff of the new product and puts the pieces together that Heisenberg is back. I also suspect we will get Hank realizing Walt is Heisenberg right at the break, or get close to that at the break and have some big reveal & chase to take him down in the final half of the split-season. So it makes sense to me that the first half would be Walt building his empire while the second half is how it all crumbles down and things go very poorly for him. I suppose we shall see. All we know is somehow he ends up unkempt, back on meds, with a bad cough, fake ID, and a machine gun in the trunk of his car in about a year's time. How and when all that happens is obviously a mystery, yet it makes sense to me that we get to see a roughly equal time of Walt in charge, possibly further placing his head in the noose, with the aftermath of when things go wrong for him.
-Cheers
sauloccl
July 26, 2012 at 11:10AM EST Reply to CommentNBC is really trying to copy FOX. First the singing competition and the musical, now the Paula Abdulness (of Greenblatt and his fellow executives) and The X-Factor (of Crystal The Monkey).
Krista
July 26, 2012 at 11:31AM EST Reply to CommentDan, i'm very curious, how would you have made Erik Kripke cry?
dan Krista - I just never felt like I got a satisfactory answer to my gun control/allegory question and in circling the answer, Kripke seemed vulnerable. I could have persisted...
July 26, 2012 at 11:36AM ESTOr I could have attacked him with a freshly cut onion...
-Daniel
Melanie
July 26, 2012 at 12:59PM EST Reply to CommentThanks for answering my question ! Mélanie, from France.
bybrandy
July 26, 2012 at 2:24PM EST Reply to CommentI always put in less oil rather than more vinegar in salad dressing. I put in equal parts vinegar and oil. Martha's are always too oily because she follows strictly standard conventions. But I always always always find that too oily.
andrei Sacrilege - Martha's jack-booted sous-chefs will be over shortly to confiscate your tongs!
July 26, 2012 at 4:57PM ESTolivia
July 26, 2012 at 4:08PM EST Reply to CommentDan, not every female character on Breaking Bad was introduced the same way as Lydia, like being erratic and neurotic. Jane was very confident. Skylar wasn't too likable but she was in contol of her stuff. I'm happy they're at least introducing a female for a change, I couldn't take another bald head badass type. I realy liked the actress and her scenes. The accent didn't bother me at all, different people sound different, that's never a big concern of mine, we don't know anything about her backstory, she looks kind of ethnic. Even if she's supposed to be all american, she could have a lot of people with accents in her life rubbing off, or she could have studied or worked abroad... Idk she sounds fine to me, her delivery was good.
John These are good points, and I would add that Lydia has some pretty good reasons to be acting erratic and neurotic. When we first meet her, she's afraid of prosecution, and she clearly isn't experienced enough with this sort of thing to be as calm as Mike was. And then we see her with a deadly serious Mike about to execute her. I suspect that a lot of people, male or female (Walt was pretty freaked out when Mike was about to kill him at the end of Season 3), would react in a similar way.
July 26, 2012 at 9:31PM ESTcraxa
July 26, 2012 at 4:19PM EST Reply to CommentThink you guys are way hard on 'Madrigal'. The intro of Lydia wasn't nearly as distracting/annoying/whatever as y'all make it out to be, certainly not enough to bring it down to the "B" range. Thought it was a top-notch episode in the spectrum of the "Breaking-Bad-sphere" ... the cold open, the interrogation, Jesse's breakdown, and everything Mike put it as a solid "A-" for me.
dan Craxa - So you're saying I'm WAY hard on the episode because I'd give it a B+ and you'd give it an A-?
July 26, 2012 at 4:27PM ESTThat's angels dancing on the head of a pin...
-Daniel
CRAXA Hey the difference between a B+ and A- can be big ... in college for example it can be the difference between making Dean's List or not! Which of course is all that is important!
July 27, 2012 at 12:21PM ESTCGO
July 26, 2012 at 5:06PM EST Reply to CommentPlease yes, do talk about Buffy S2, it's one of my favorite season of TV ever, and there's so much more interesting stuff to discuss. Even if you do 2 episodes a week, that's fine.
deegee Yes! Totally agree. Would love to hear about season 2 and like CGO said, 2 episodes a week would be fine. I find it hard not to watch another episode immediately after the other anyway so I see no problem in keeping up.
July 26, 2012 at 6:06PM ESTHaven't had a chance to comment on the re-watch yet but I've loved it so far. Except for the occasional repeat on TV I haven't seen a lot of season one since they first aired. Definitely not all the way through like this. I must have been around 14 when Buffy first aired. Wow that's a long time. I forgot how good SMG was, even this early on. Nightmares is a great example of that. As a kid that scene with her dad made me sob - and i still teared up watching it now.
Tim Isola can i watch season 2 without watching season 1 bec what ive seen of season 1 is laughably awful and i just cant sit through it
July 27, 2012 at 7:56AM ESTChrissy Yes, Tim. All you need to watch of season 1 is the pilot and the last episode, Prophecy Girl. If you watch that last one, you're good to watch the excellent season 2.
July 27, 2012 at 9:13AM EST