Breaking Bad

[Aristocles]

Anyone watching this rather new series on AMC?

X-Files writer Vince Gilligan's offering. It's about a high school chem teacher who is diagnosed with lung cancer. He decides to become a meth cook in order to make sure his family is financially stable after he's gone.

I really enjoy it. Edgy humor with devilish sarcasm...

;)

[phrankinsteyn]

I have watched all three episodes so far and enjoy it.
I am not very chemically sophisticated. :o
I was wondering how accurate are the procedures in the show?

[megalomania]

I heard them interviewing the lead actor on NPR last week (the father from Malcolm in the Middle, whatever his name is), I was going to download the show and see if it is good.

By the way, I edited the title of this thread, the show title is "Breaking Bad."

[Aristocles]

I have no idea what I titled it, Mega. Old age and senility, I guess.

What did I call it? "I want to see the woman from 'Deadwood' naked"?

I think his wife is the actress from 'Deadwood' who was the Sheriff's wife. ;)

[Hinckleyforpresident]

Breaking bad is now one of my favorite shows, just behind doctor who :).

[megalomania]

The only one from Deadwood I want to see naked is little missy Veronica Mars, Kristen Bell. She was a guest in two episodes where she and her "brother" were pretending to be naive kids run away from home, but were actually planning a con. I loved that line of hers when she was talking about being a prostitute. "Them as wants to put it in me." Oh what sexy terrible grammar, and I am one of them as wants :)

I saw Hitman last week and I didn't even recognize Timothy Olyphant without the beard and hat.

Joanie Stubbs played a conwoman on Lost last season as I recall. Oh the terror of being typecast.

I watched an episode of The Unit yesterday, where a fiancee of a killed soldier had to fight for his kids since she technically was not the wife. I knew I remembered her from somewhere, now I just saw her picture from deadwood, she was that calamity Jane chick.

None of this has anything to do with Breaking Bad...

[ChippedHammer]

Sounds interesting, I'll add it to my large usenet que :)

[Aristocles]

Anyone who hasn't seen it, give it a look tonight, at 10 eastern on AMC.

I dunno, I've always been a bit of an oddball vis a vis television series. I enjoyed the 70's version of "The Night Stalker" (Darren McGavin), "The X-Files", "Dark Shadows", etc. Of late, only "The Soprano's" and "Deadwood" have caught my attention, until this.

Then again even my feature films list would seem odd to some. Favorite film is "Det sjunde inseglet" (The Seventh Seal). Oh well...

[Kaydon]

I may give it a go on the torrent. Sounds interesting.

Mega, I thought Hitman was horrible. What was your opinion? I couldn't even finish the movie.

Speaking of television shows though.. Rescue Me and The Shield are by far my favorite.

I never saw Deadwood.

[Silentnite]

I really like Rescue Me, but I can't beat House. I know its predictable and the same thing every show, but I like to think I learn a bit about solving outside the box sometimes. Scrubs comes next because I love comedy's.

[A0tu]

For those of you who are too lazy to download it, You can watch it online at:
http://www.amctv.com/videos/breakingbad/

Kind of AMC to put it up for us eh ;) !

+++++++++
The video was not viewable from my current location, if anyone experiences similar difficulties, let me know - totenkov

[Hirudinea]

I caught episode 4 on AMC and downloaded the other three, not a bad show, but as an aside, the Hydrofloric acid used to deslove the body, and the tub and the floor and ... well you saw it (mmmmmm, body soup!), the chemist character said the acid wouldn't eat through certain plastics, my question is what plastic?
I was thinking that a plastic "water" baloon filled with the acid might be an interesting alternative to home made grenades in situations like riots, etc, so is this possible?

[A0tu]

Ah a friend of mine just informed me of that as well! It seems weird as I am connecting from Ireland. There seem to be videos here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-150025064304279448&q=breaking+bad&total=8987&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=6

[ChippedHammer]

Looks like we will be back in the lab next episode :)

[Barnacles]

, the chemist character said the acid wouldn't eat through certain plastics, my question is what plastic?


I am pretty sure teflon is resistant, and HDPE to some degree, Teflon is the most resistant material on earth as far as chemicals go from what I heard. I bought one of those 500$ teflon 2 liter bottles (got it for 40$, they are 450$ brand new) and to clean it you are suppose to boil nitric acid in it, or sulphuric cant rememeber. Dont take anything I said as gold and risk anything on it, just look at it as a starting point to find the answer to your question. The HDPE I remember reading in the forum here about it being second best to teflon for storing Strong bases such as sodium or ammonium hydroxide.
The bottles theres a deal here (2) 64 oz bottles for 420$
http://www.ecofunnels.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=EF&Product_Code=NG-1600-64

[a3990918]

I heard them interviewing the lead actor on NPR last week (the father from Malcolm in the Middle, whatever his name is),

I believe his name is Bryan Cranston...

[megalomania]

I just finished watching every episode of The Unit this Saturday after starting 2 weeks ago. I downloaded all the episodes months ago, and I had not seen an episode until I started watching my downloads. The producer of the Unit, Shawn Ryan, is the same guy who did the Shield. That explains the mention of the Biz-Lats in one of season 3's episodes.

I have not finished downloading all the Breaking Bad episodes yet. If it is good, I like to watch an entire season at a time. I love heckling the "previously on ..." part because previously for me was likely just minutes ago. Sometimes I get caught up in these shows because I want to know what happens next, so I watch another episode, and another, instead of getting work done or going to bed.

Watching TV this way sure beats live. The average TV show with commercials deleted is only 40 minutes. I tend to pick up on more details and inside jokes watching an entire season over a period of a week or two. I remember the quip about the ducks in the Sopranos in seasons 3 and 4. The ducks were shown in one episode, the pilot, and they make a comment 4-5 years later... I watched all five seasons (at the time) back to back. That's quality TV :)

I thought Hitman had beautiful visuals, stunning camera angles, well designed costumes, impressive special effects not too over the top, and a catchy music score. The plot didn't leave much to be impressed about, but I knew going in this would be an eye candy movie. I liked the movie for aesthetic reasons, I must have an Armani suit like that now.

They went all out on the details in Hitman, they just skimped on the script. I doubt I would ever watch it again.

Yesterday I watched 3:10 to Yuma. Now that was a spectacular movie. For some reason I thought this was a foreign film, so I have been putting off watching it. It is at the top of my file list alphabetically (right after 300) so I watched it because it was convenient to click on. I am glad I did.

Speaking of 300, the reason I still have it on my drive is because that is a movie I would watch again. In fact the day after I first watched it I watched it again.

You should know I have about 150-200 movies on my hard drive. I download almost every feature film release that comes out. I watch a movie every day while eating dinner, and idly while surfing the net. For me to watch a movie a second time means there is another movie I will probably never get to see. I have not given my computer or modem a rest in over 2 years now. To my friends and family I am a living movie critic, I tailor my suggestions to people based on what I think they would like.

If I can't stand a movie I will turn it off. No sense in wasting my time when I have so many others to watch. Some movies I only half pay attention to if they don't rivit my attention.

Today's movie was Atonement. It started off a little slow, rather artsy fartsy, but then it got better about 2/3rd's of the way through. I also watched half of Michael Clayton until I needed 100% of my attention for other tasks. So far it is quite tame. A big lawsuit, scuzzy lawyers, an attack of conscience... this is a little close to real life; movies are supposed to be an escape from reality.

I was going to watch Across the Universe... violation of the megalomania musical prohibition mandate of 1985. I watched a whole 3 minutes before I closed that crapfest. Just last week I watched the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Now that was a very good movie. The first and only musical I have ever liked. I even grabbed the soundtrack. You are young, life has been kind to you - you will learn :)

[JohnG]

Hirudinea,
I have a liter bottle of 49% HF, it came in a nalgene style polypropylene bottle. With a few experiments it eats glass very readily, I am not sure if it would eat through a tub though. As for the balloon idea, forget it. I can't imagine trying to fill it up, let alone tie the balloon (yikes). That stuff is disturbingly dangerous.

Mega,
I have a similar trait in downloading and watching an entire season of a show rather than watch it on TV with the commercials. My latest was Dexter seasons 1&2 (which I throughly enjoyed), thank you for recommending it in a previous post.

[Hirudinea]

Hirudinea,
I have a liter bottle of 49% HF, it came in a nalgene style polypropylene bottle. As for the balloon idea, forget it. I can't imagine trying to fill it up, let alone tie the balloon (yikes). That stuff is disturbingly dangerous.


Just idle thought, and I did think that it would be dangerous to make, but you have to go through a gross of bad ideas until you come up with a good one.

You should know I have about 150-200 movies on my hard drive. I download almost every feature film release that comes out.

Every movie I download I copy to DVD or CD as soon as I can, you just can't compare watching a movie on a computer to a big screen TV (even the crappy 32" CRT I have. :) )

[iHME]

I think I like this show. In fact it is the first non-anime show for me to download in the last two years. Even though I have a 160gb hdd I just never seem to have the space for +1gb files.

[a3990918]

I don't have AMC so I will have to download this from the NET.

I also download a ton of movies and series, prefering to watch several episodes in a single sitting than to catch one every week or so.

[megalomania]

I have my computer S-video output connected to the TV, although after my last video card update this xmas it refuses to acknowledge the TV's existence. I find burning DVD's wasteful for TV shows and movies unless you use a RW disk. I find it extremely irresponsible to ever buy a retail movie or TV season from the store, this is a complete and utter waste of money unless you so love the program that you will watch it over and over. No one ever really gets their monies worth spending $30 for a stupid show they will watch once!

[tmp]

If FTP users are interested, I'll produce .AVI and .RV copies of the series as
I've recorded every episode so far. The series is interesting in that Walter
and Jesse are experiencing Murphy's Law - that anything that can go wrong -
WILL ! I like this aspect of the series. So much like real life but in a different
venue. This makes the show that much more interesting. I just wish the
producers wouldn't "bleep" out some of the language. This may be an
enticement to buy the DVD series later on.

Oh, FUCK IT ! I'll just put it up on the FTP anyway ! Just need the time to
do it ! :D When I do, just look for it in the VIDEO subdirectory. Make sure
you fast forward through the first 16 minutes of the video though. I learned
through painful experience to allow some lead time on DVD recordings.

If I can manage to get it up on RapidShit I'll do that also and provide the
necessary links. FTP still gets the 1st upload though !

[ChippedHammer]

Or you could always nab them off your favorite p2p network or good old usenet :)

This happens to be one of my favorite shows, I guess I can sort of connect with the main character.

[Hirudinea]

I have my computer S-video output connected to the TV... I find burning DVD's wasteful for TV shows and movies unless you use a RW disk. I find it extremely irresponsible to ever buy a retail movie or TV season from the store... No one ever really gets their monies worth spending $30 for a stupid show they will watch once!

Well I guess we're just different. Although I would never BUY a series from a store, I will rent it and copy it, and I do like to watch some stuff more than once, I have about 500 DVDs of documentaries (love'em), movies and tv shows. Also putting videos on DVD (or VCD, or AVI on DVD) saves space on my HD and if I want to give a video to a friend, well its there on DVD, I just pull it out of the case. Hey at $.20 or less a DVD its worth it to me.

[Hinckleyforpresident]

Just saw episode 6 and: Hell yeah! He's into HE now too.

Simply the best show on.

[tmp]

Hinckley, I had to record the episode and watch it later but was it ever worth
it ! Walt may not be the perfect "criminal" but I laughed my balls off when he
demonstrated impact and friction sensitivity of primary explosives to a shitbag
robber ! :D:D:D

[ChippedHammer]

Dammit, cannot find S01E06 out there, looks like a scene group missed it :(

[megalomania]

I watched the first three episodes. This show is wonderful, hilarious. I got a big chuckle out of the lecture he gave to the druggy about not using volumetric flasks to heat things in, you need to use a round bottom flask. I was thinking the same exact thing before he said that :D

I will be putting this clip on the website somewhere. Episode 2, about 24:13 in...
Look, you skipped, clowned around, or otherwise jerked off through every lecture I ever gave. As far as I'm concerned your chemistry education is over.

Season 6 is up and running, it came out yesterday. http://www.mininova.org/tor/1217008

[SafetyLast]

This is truly an excellent show, I watch it near religiously. It's so dark and clever.
The hydrofluoric acid bit with the human goo raining down from the ceiling was outrageously
hilarious. Step aside Bill Nye, Walter White is my new idol. The end of the last episode was great as well. Never seen Hg fulminate like that before though, what do you suppose he was implying by "a few tweaks of chemistry"?

[thelasttrueone]

I love this show. It is the only thing that I watch on tv. Oh and the mercury fulminate part made me go "rogusci is gonna have a field day with this". One inconsistincy I noticed, the round bottom flask turned into a flat bottom flask when he showed it to his stoner friend.

[megalomania]

Another error, on the chalkboard during the beginning, the chemical formula NO was labeled nitric acid... Oops.

That explosion was far too powerful for the crystal he was seen throwing to the ground. If it was powerful enough to blow out the windows and send debris into the street, it was likely powerful enough to detonate the rest of the bag of mercury fulminate.

Why oh why mercury? Silver fulminate would be less toxic, not that Walter cares about that :)

Episode 7, the season finale, is this Sunday. I hate it when good shows only have an abbreviated number of shows. Maybe this has something to do with the writers strike.

[Hinckleyforpresident]

Episode 7, the season finale, is this Sunday. I hate it when good shows only have an abbreviated number of shows. Maybe this has something to do with the writers strike.

I hate it too. And yes, it was caused by the writers strike. IIRC there were supposed to be 12 episodes this season, they only got through writing 7. Arg :mad:.

[ChippedHammer]

So what happens after that?

Hopefully they give it another season...

[Mike123]

I hate shows that I can pick apart. My father in law turned me on to Breaking Bad and I really liked it. I do not have the knowledge of chemistry to spot problems in what was going on, but at the beginning of the first episode, after he crashed the motor home, he stands out in the middle of the road waiting for the cops while pointing a S&W auto of some sort in that general direction. The first thing I noticed was the de-cocker was on. I thought, here we go. Then he pointed the gun under his chin like he was going to commit suicide and pulled the trigger. Nothing, not even the stereotypicaly amplified click. I really appreciate that kind of attention to detail.

[ChippedHammer]

E07 was pretty damn good. I though it was pretty funny when they stole the drum of methylidyne(?) and they had to lug the bastard out of there.

[ChippedHammer]

http://blogs.amctv.com/breaking-bad/2008/03/live-chat-with.php

Interesting interview, sounds like we will be getting another season :)

[tmp]

I will watch it at work tonight. Had to record it for later viewing. On a side
note, I think the .AVI encoder I'm using lost its fucking mind. It keeps putting
out 4 GB length files which doesn't make any sense. Once that's straightened
out the Breaking Bad episodes will be on the FTP.

[a3990918]

I downloaded all 7 epis last night. Plan on watching them all on Tues or Weds night...:)

[Bert]

Why oh why mercury? Silver fulminate would be less toxic, not that Walter cares about that :)


Walter wouldn't have made it to the meet carrying a bag of dry Silver fulminate...

[Hang-Man]

the chemist character said the acid wouldn't eat through certain plastics, my question is what plastic?
I was thinking that a plastic "water" baloon filled with the acid might be an interesting alternative to home made grenades in situations like riots, etc, so is this possible?

A lab buddy of mine used to work in an HF plant and they used teflon body suits when there was a 'spill', however they were only rated safe for 45 minutes iirc. (aside: they made 'spill kits' with everything they needed in a tool box, locked it and threw away the key. The only way to get in being smashing it open with a wrench. That way you knew nobody took anything out of it when you grabbed one :eek:)

I'm 90% sure the stuff we have is in polyethylene bottles but its not that concentrated. It increases in reactivity non-linearly with concentration so teflon containers are probably required for the conc stuff. No dice on the balloon idea, the stuff will literally kill you if you spill it on your skin, hypocalcemia, insoluble florides in the blood etc.

As for Breaking Bad, up there with Dexter for my favorite drama but behind Arrested Development for my favorite overall show. ;)

[monkeyboy]

DAMN YOU!
I figured I'd watch the first episode & see what all the fuss was about.
I just watched the first 5 episodes.
Wow, good stuff.

Anybody still looking for it?

Install the streamplug player:http://www.cedelia.com/
Then go to messagefromme.com for the episodes:
http://messagefromme.com/message-BreakingBadS01E01-16037
http://messagefromme.com/message-BreakingBadS01E02-16043
http://messagefromme.com/message-BreakingBadS01E03-16133
http://messagefromme.com/message-BreakingBadS01E04-16203
http://messagefromme.com/message-BreakingBadS01E05-16201
http://messagefromme.com/message-BreakingBadS01E06-16322


Dexter is also really good. Although sometimes when he does the voice in his head, he hits a little close to home...