Firewall & Iceberg Podcast, episode 146: 'Coma,' 'Outlaw Country,' 'The Newsroom' & 'Breaking Bad'
Dan and Alan also answer your mail
It's an Firewall & Iceberg Podcast this week, as Dan and I review a miniseries (A&E's "Coma"), a busted pilot that somehow aired (FX's "Outlaw Country"), "The Newsroom" finale, and another episode of "Breaking Bad," while also finding an excuse to analyze both "Boy Meets World" and "Charles in Charge."
The line-up:
"Coma" (00:00:40 - 00:12:05)
"Outlaw Country" (00:12:10 - 00:25:50)
"The Newsroom" (00:25:50 - 00:45:00)
Listener Mail - Devolving Characters (00:45:20 - 00:54:00)
Listener Mail - "Survivor" returnees (00:54:00 - 01:00:40)
"Breaking Bad" (01:00:40 - 01:25:30)
As always, you can subscribe to The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast over at the iTunes Store, where you can also rate us and comment on us. Or you can always follow our RSS Feed, download the MP3 file or stream it on Dan's blog.
Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
News From Our Partners
-
'Hangover III': The Reviews Are In!
Jennifer Aniston Breaks Bad, Strips Down In 'We're The Millers' Trailer
'Star Wars' Fans Still Love To Hate Ewoks 30 Years Later
-
What to Watch This Weekend: Orphan Black, Behind the Candelabra, and Arrested Development's Netflix Debut
What to Watch Tonight: The Season Premiere of Rookie Blue and the Series Premieres of Save Me, Showville, and Does Someone Have to Go?
Less Jaywalking, More Web-friendly Clips: Dos and Don'ts for Seth Meyers' Late Night Career
-
CBS Fall 2013: 'Intelligence' Extended Trailer Evokes 'Chuck' For Grown-Ups
Marvel's 'Avengers Assemble': Producers Explain Movie Tie-In, Plus New Clip!
'Hannibal' Review: "Trou Normand"
-
The Saturdays Are Sexy Housewives Seeking a 'Gentleman' in New Video
Enter for a Chance to See Emblem3 Live on 'Good Morning America!'
Bruno Mars Rumored for 'American Idol' Judge Spot
-
'Grey's Anatomy' Scoop: 'Callie Isn't A Victim'
'Supernatural's' Surprising Ratings Victory
Three Years Later, People Are Still Livid About 'Lost'
-
The Telefile - Save Me: Lightning Strikes NBC
The Telefile - Modern Family: Goodnight, Gracie. Hello, Series Highlight.
The Telefile - Critics' Choice Television Awards 2013: Nominees Announced
-
Quicksilver in 'X-Men: Days of Future Past': Evan Peters Cast as Magneto's Son
'Poltergeist' Reboot May Actually Be a Sequel
Brad Pitt Shocks Fans at 'World War Z' Screening (VIDEO)
-
Critics Consensus: Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh
Red Carpet Photos with Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Gina Carano and More
Video: The Hangover Part III Cast Interviews
Get Instant Alerts on What's Alan Watching
Latest Posts
-
Will gets lost in a case, and Lecter tries to protect Abigail HobbsThursday, May 23, 2013
-
Announcing this summer's blog rewatch seriesThursday, May 23, 2013
-
The Dunphys and Pritchetts head to Florida for the funeral of Phil's momThursday, May 23, 2013
-
If picked up, would be first regular TV job in decades for the 'Soap' and 'SNL' alumWednesday, May 22, 2013
Recent Activity on Facebook
Most Popular on Facebook
Top Stories From Around the Web
Comments
Option 1
Comment instantly as a guest GuestOption 2
Option 3
Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupCol Bat Guano
August 28, 2012 at 11:18AM EST Reply to CommentAlan, thank you for pointing out how The Office has undermined most of their supporting characters. I can barely watch Kevin now. What happened to the guy who won poker tournaments and had a band? Now, I'm surprised he can remember to breathe.
Ilyrio
August 28, 2012 at 10:11PM EST Reply to Comment"Mike is Batman except when the plot requires him to not be Batman."
Mike was not in complete control of situations in several instances throughout the show's run: the deaths of Gale and Victor, getting pinned down by the Cartel sniper, getting shot in Don Eladio's driveway, hiring a lawyer whose loyalty only went so far, etc.
Just because he was overwhelmingly more competent than not and got several chances to prove so during his run on the show, does not mean he was an infallible character that we were supposed to expect to come out on top of every situation.
Mike's biggest mistake in Sunday's episode was underestimating Walt's megalomania, and you even pointed that out when you talked about him pushing Walt's buttons. Even after Walt orchestrated the deaths of Gale and Gus, Mike still never saw him as a threat. He also never took seriously enough Walt's willingness to get what he wanted, impulsively, against ALL better judgment.
Maybe Mike felt a little twinge of gratitude for Walt devising a way to get him out of the business. Maybe it was because Walt warned him about the DEA. Whatever reason, shouting "Mike wouldn't have Walt get his bag!" over and over again doesn't change the fact that Mike DID have Walt get his bag, and that the overwhelming majority of viewers didn't see that as a showbreaking moment.
Maybe you just misread Mike's disdain for Walt's personality, methods, and motivations in the drug business as a pathological hatred that was never there to begin with.
DonGately I agree, the combination of Walt getting Mike his $5M, warning him about the DEA, and Mike running out of options led him to trust Walt.
August 30, 2012 at 12:11PM ESTCaveboy Yes yes Jesus H. tap-dancing Christ yes!
August 30, 2012 at 5:23PM ESTjamestabe
August 29, 2012 at 7:40AM EST Reply to CommentThey like this
odessasteps
August 29, 2012 at 1:33PM EST Reply to Commentno pod next week? even w season premiere of dr who?
btw, adam baldwin for old school cigar chompin nick fury, agent of shield
dan OdessaSteps - Nobody said no podcast next week. We just said it won't be on Monday and it probably won't be til the end of the week. And even then, we won't talk about "Dr. Who" any more or less than we'd talk about the return of "Vampire Diaries" in October.
August 29, 2012 at 1:38PM EST-Daniel
odessasteps My apologies for the misinterpretation.
August 29, 2012 at 10:08PM ESTIf you're not going to discuss who on the pod, I will at least look forward to Alan's reviews (assuming he is doing them this season).
Madel
August 29, 2012 at 6:12PM EST Reply to CommentAS: "For a very long time, one of the things that distinguished it was that it (the show) didn't take shortcuts; it didn't require you to sort of have to rationalize things in your head."
DF: "Breaking Bad never had to be a show before that was immune from complaints about things like this because it was never quite as much of an issue..." and "...so we now have a second scene in like three weeks or four weeks... where its all built on contrivance."
It's just NOW taking shortcuts and being contrived? There is no possible way they could have could have gotten though all the plot in a year (show time) that they did without taking massive shortcuts and staging extreme plot contrivances.
Here are just a very few moments right off the top of my head from previous seasons:
Hank, tracking Jesse's car, just happens to show up to have a gun battle with Tuco at the precise moment Walt and Jesse have run away.
Walt just happens to need the stash and have to bust into Jesse's apt. at the precise moment Jesse and Jane are unconscious - then sits on their bed in just the exact spot needed to get Jane to rollover on her back and - (surprise, surprise... Chekov's vomit) Jane just happens to vomit at that moment.
Walt, in the only time we've ever observed him go into a bar on his own, just happens to run into the father of the girl who's death he's responsible for - and then just happens to have a chat about children.
Jane's father just happens to cause a mid-air collision almost directly over Walter White's backyard - exactly at a moment when Walt happens to be standing there.
Two Terminator-like cousins (ridiculous constructions to begin with) stalk Walter to his home and then, as they sit on his bed waiting for him to finish his shower in order to kill him (didn't they ever see 'Pyscho'?), receive the phone call that calls them off.
Walt just happens to see a TV news report at the precise moment needed in order to arrive just in the nick of time to run down the two drug dealers Jesse is walking towards suicidally.
Gale just happens to be boiling water at the exact moment Jesse is coming to kill him, so he doesn't hear his phone ringing with the call that would save his life.
I could go on and on and on and.... the list would be huge.
So I disagree with you, Dan, about the way you described the 'immunity'. If anything, I think you have it exactly backwards: I think BB has often enjoyed the immunity you described in previous seasons (for reasons which could be pondered in a longer discussion) - but it seems to me the complaints this season about plausibility stem from the fact that it's the final season - and nothing else. Breaking Bad, although without a doubt one of the most clever, moving, and darkly funny television shows ever produced, has always 'suffered' (if you want to view it that way) from major plausibility/contrivance issues.
DonGately These are terrific points, BB has *always* been outsized in its plotting, with many spectacular coincidences driving the story forward. I don't think plausibility is ever at the top of the writers' list of priorities. (And you'll hear no complaints from me.)
August 30, 2012 at 12:14PM ESTGuesser
September 2, 2012 at 12:30AM EST Reply to CommentI admire that Dan is stating how BB has apparently become immune to criticism aside from "damn that's awesome", but let's keep a little perspective here. The Firewall & Iceberg podcast has largely been driving that "all positive, no negative" bus for most of Breaking Bad's run (or at least riding on that bus). Sample any episodic "discussion" prior to this season and it's essentially two fans exchanging bullet points of things they love about this show without noting any writing shortcuts or going into any depth re: plot contrivances.
I've found this season's podcast discussions on BB more interesting than any other season b/c Dan and Alan are pointing out both pros and cons of a pretty great show, versus cherry-picking solely the amazing scenes.