Breaking Bad Writers Discuss Jane's Overdose Scene

Breaking Bad Writers Discuss Jane's Overdose Scene
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[@BrianTKessler]

Walter White is the most amazing character change in all of television. In season 1, he's tormented at the thought of having to kill drug dealer Krazy 8. White realizes a piece of broken plate is missing, and it's kill or be killed. White is literally sick at the thought of killing. By the end, White doesn't think twice about mowing people down with machine guns.

[@katiehutchins5945]

This 💯💯💯💯

[@interdimensionalsteve8172]

And it's a 100% believable transformation, that's really key.

[@maniac50ae14]

@@interdimensionalsteve8172 yeah, his and Jesse's transformation is very gradual

[@john_dillermand]

It's like watching the gods of the breaking bad universe. Their opinions are absolute.

[@papaemeritus5842]

Vince reminds me of Littlefinger!

[@nimeshajayatunge4007]

he even speaks like him!

[@josoncruz2333]

heroin is a ladder

[@JigsawJay007]

They didnt even talk about when Walt finally told Jesse "I watched Jane die!" before they were gonna kill him. That was a huge moment between those two.

[@Annasea666]

JigsawJay007 one of my favorite lines

[@BrentHutchinson1]

I think this interview took place before that happened. Didn’t it?

[@xdz1039]

@@BrentHutchinson1 Nono after. They even talk about Andrea's death, which occured after Hank's. Btw, Walter says that to Jesse because he thinks he's responsible of getting Hank killed.

[@zenlee1109]

Yep , walt shaking Jesse is what rolled Jane into her back. Earlier in the episode, Walt is gently taking care of Holly, and even says he's rolling a towel to keep her on her side incase she vomits. Genius morbid foreshadowing

[@ninetails5594]

Jesse made the mistake of even informing Jane about who Walter was and allow her to blackmail him for the money and for that reason when he saw Jane overdosing he decided to let her die to protect her exposing him and Jesse. Walter could't trust that she will keep this to herself and run the risk of her continuing blackmailing more money.

[@123Henil]

If she had not died Jesse would have continued to do drugs and maybe overdosed himself... so he saved Jesse in a way

[@tapaskumarbanerjee4016]

@@123Henil so in order to save one man's life you should let another innocent person die? Gtfoh with that! If he would have saved her then she might have not exposed his secret and showed mercy on him. Jessie was the one who motivated her to do drugs in the first place. And Jane really loved him but sexually

[@bizzionary1]

it also goes back to when he meets Gus for the first time and he tells Walter, "You can never trust a drug addict."

[@maniac50ae14]

That scene comes on the back of Gus telling Walt that "you cant trust a addict"

[@lordmfitzgerald3rd754]

She didn’t really realise what Walt was capable of lol Silly silly girl.

[@LemonChieff]

I remember seeing this scene (end of s02e12) and I actually was so shocked that I cried. Probably because I could relate personally to losing someone from heroin OD. But I'm sure most people can empathize with that. That's the moment I lost all the respect I had for Walter White. Up until then I was kind of "buying his bullshit". Then it always felt like he was just trying to manipulate everyone around him. At that time I really started to relate to Jessie and seeing him cry on screen would make me burst into tear. Needless to say, from then on, all of my focussed switched towards Jessie (and I think that's intended to foreshadows a lot of what happens later on in the show), he became the main protagonist, in my eyes. Probably because he felt so human, so real and relatable.

[@itsstill2020]

Yeah it was really tough to watch especially for those of us who have witnessed the death of someone we loved/cared about.

[@zvicenteoo]

Thanks for this comment.

[@elzeus13]

Good interview

[@AA-qb7ni]

Bless these people

[@ebbtide4233]

Walt dies in that scene too heisenberg is all thats left

[@itsstill2020]

Technically it wouldn't be murder it would be criminally negligent homicide. And didn't Jane blackmail Walt for $400,000?

[@Fbitypeshit]

@@itsstill2020 she even said "i guess you don't" so she could have keep on blackmail him till they both probably die

[@itsstill2020]

@@Fbitypeshit yep exactly.

[@euanstirling1866]

He was protecting his family. The whole point in his original mission.

[@somm150]

You can say that about literally every scene that doesn't make it true

[@trishafoster8019]

Mike. That's when I was no. But love the show, best of all time. Love the ending. Changed TV viewing for all time.

[@thepoobandit2850]

The way Vince’s girlfriend interpreted the Jane scene is how I thought of it the first time I saw it. And I’ve found that a lot of people don’t think of it like that

[@SidPhoenix2211]

I was absolutely horrified by that scene, and felt a bit of sickness towards Walt. I was thinking, "You horrible piece of shit! Regardless of however Jane is or maybe, she is a human being, and you are in power of helping her! DO SOMETHING!". But then, and this is fucking crazy to me, this tiny little voice inside my head went: "But if he doesn't let Jane die, he is ultimately dooming Jesse. He is practically murdering Jane so that Jesse lives". And I love that about the scene. And holy shit, Cranston acted the fuck out of the scene.

[@thepoobandit2850]

Siddhant Pandey oh ya definitely it was amazing

[@greentaigo2552]

Siddhant Pandey it wasn't actually qcting tho, he actually reacted that way because he saw his own daughter laing there

[@nickcostley9282]

TypischTygo then I suppose the acting bit was holding back from saving her

[@MadameTamma]

the way I saw it was that Walt was doing it partly for Jesse, but he knows that Jane is a liability, she would have made good on her blackmail threats. Jane and Jesse were talking about their romantic New Zealand dreams and getting clean but that very same night they give in and shoot up. They would have definitely squandered their money on drugs (If they didn't die first) and when they started to run low, Jane would come back to Walt to blackmail him for his share. Walt is capable of loving others but he's always going to look out for number one first.

[@CodyWard-gz4iv]

The fact that Vince had Walter sit down and have a beer with Donald right before Jane's death absolutely blows my mind! Phenomenal plan out truly, the greatest tv show to ever be created! ❤❤

[@mrdewarion]

Vince looks and talks so much like Littlefinger.

[@golatejas5714]

Shut up rent boy

[@BrentHutchinson1]

Wow! What a great great interview! I am glad Walt didn’t intentionally shoot Jane up with heroin to kill her because they’re right, it would have changed Walt’s dynamics too soon. This way (just letting Jane die and not helping) you can see Walt is very conflicted and knows what he is doing is terrible, but it has to be in order to save Jesse. That’s who really matters -not Jane’s blackmailing ass who would have killed Jesse with drugs. I think it’s interesting that Walt inadvertently made Jane roll over which started the choking process. It’s a lot lighter than injecting her with dope! Wow. Lol. As writers they have to explore different options but I’m glad they kept it this way. Great great interview.

[@jamesstillwell5978]

I quit watching the show shortly after this scene. I understand all of the nuances around the decision, but choose to put hope, joy and love into my soul, instead of watching something that does the opposite. There's enough misery, death and greed in real life every day...why would I choose to watch something that, if not glorifies that, chooses to take the story to that end; I want to see stories of triumph; stories where WE CAN choose better and DO. I've know too many people personally, who've lost this battle in life; I don't need to waste my time watching a fictional version of too many peoples reality.

[@Fujikorific]

Holly is right. That’s the more interesting interpretation of the character.

[@Arthur-nr5ci]

Michael McKean said about Vince Gilligan, "The way he talks sounds like he's getting ready to sell you a boat." Lol, I can't get that out of my head when I listen to him now.

[@stephenprecious5856]

Greatest series of all time

[@paultoy9611]

So then murder may be committed by ommisive acts? I believe that's true.Walter chooses to save his own "son like" character but for reasons of avarice and malevolence because of Jane's future threat to his character and family.

[@lordmfitzgerald3rd754]

Basically you don’t piss off Walt!

[@maskedmarvyl4774]

The scenes they are describing are disturbing and even despicable, but the fact that they are able to discuss their effect on the audience dramatically (and even their effect on themselves) in such depth, is the entire purpose of dramatic writing. It's not happening in real life, but it disturbs the audience morally and ethically and makes them examine uncomfortable situations we'd rather not think about. It holds the mirror of human behavior up the audience, to paraphrase Shakespeare, and forces them to consider it. Which to me is the most relevant reason that drama exists.

[@junesondrab3833]

The way Jane's father hated Jessie, I thought he'd knock him out when the body bag rolled by. Or tell the cops this kid is a heroin junky and get him arrested. That scene didn't make sense.

[@jugganuat6440]

He was already hurt from the loss of his daughter it wouldn’t make any sense to attack Jesse

[@christossavvides5153]

Look how open to other opinions these people are! Game of thrones with D&D was so shitty, because it looked like they didn't discuss their ideas with someone else

[@KoongYe]

Jane would not have appreciated Walt saving her.

[@matvangogh]

Reality check :Walt saved Jesses life by letting Jane die. He scared him straight., Either Jane dies or they BOTH die via OD( half a million dollars worth of heroin will bury them in a week

[@beatlecost]

I don't really get why this scene gets so much heat. Walt was, from the beginning of the show, a man who wanted LIFE. The "providing for the family" bit was merely the driving force along with the illness. He wanted to be feared, to be admired for his mind, to excel at something. His ego exploded from being a timid and a Ned Flanders type of guy. It happens so often in life and that's why Walter White is one of the best characters, this is why some sympathize with him, but at the same time are afraid to become like him. He truly reminded me of Anakin, although Walt was clearly a better written (and acted) character.

[@fun_facts_and_music]

you don't create LIFE by pushing a girl on her back, watching her die.

[@beatlecost]

Yes, of course. But, he didn't want to create life, he wanted his life back.

[@SodaPopBot]

Have you ever heard the tale of Darth Plaegus Fring..?

[@Greggee100]

i once knew a girl who O.D just two months after a guy i grew up with in my old neighborhood. She was very good at painting and wrote a story about her. so in a round about way, I brought her back from the dead.

[@maninchair6648]

This was the scene when I stopped being on Mr White's side. There was no coming back from that.

[@lndingalle9605]

man in chair why she threatened him for money and very nasty might I add. She also got jesse on heroin. I didn't care at all.

[@raphaelanibasa7570]

man in chair me too!!

[@VIK_1903]

Tough, but fair.

[@ShortyTheDireWolf]

He's so rude to Jesse throughout the series, but that was when I lost all respect for him when he let her die. Jesse deserved something good :\

[@eobardthawne1430]

Lndin Galle exactly, Walt didn't see her from behind closed doors like we did, all he saw was a rude junkie that got Jesse on new drugs, while also demanding Jesse's money while making threats to Walt.

[@reggiejames1986]

It was so sad the next episode when he tried to wake up her lifeless body.shocking and 😆

[@TheCoolestJose]

That interviewer is such a baby

[@Bplaying21]

I never got to hate Walter White, only Skyler.

[@JudgeDee42]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hF68paGrjrCXp8U

[@gashugicedron2724]

Discovered this hate on Skyler recently didn't hate her as I discovered the show, I felt like kind of thought that her actions were understandable regarding of the crazy things his husband had brought into their lives It personally didn't bother me

[@ebbtide4233]

People that have this opinion have issues

[@planethellgate1278]

Remember that Shakespearean play Macbeth. Lady Macbeth had a sleepwalking nightmare about her husband Macbeth killing the King. Lady Macbeth would sleep walk looking at her hand, which in her dream she saw a spot of the King's blood on her hand, which she replied: "Off, off, damned spot!" Out of guilt. Hank confesses to Jessie that he helped kill her by watching her for and not intervien, which is murder. Hank's actions are saying, "Off, off! Damned spot!"

[@Annasea666]

Hellgate Blinders nope, it's not murder. Not even close.

[@cloverjames1750]

I took it more as he wanted to cause Jessie torment before they killed him because he blamed him for Hank having to die

[@cloverjames1750]

@@Annasea666 he was directly responsible for her death. He disturbed her sleeping position which led to her choking to death on her vomit

[@reguluspastor]

*Walt (I'm assuming)

[@TheSoftLifeMeditations]

Jane had to go. She was just no good. Walt saw this. I am kind of disappointed even those people dont get this

[@Annasea666]

gänsefüßchen thai yeah, Jane's death didn't bother me at all

[@gloriauderzo8582]

The dynamics of the scene are crystal clear, and perfectly coherent with the evolution of Walt’s character. So I’d suggest the woman in the middle and the rest of the crew to re-watch a little closer 😅 masterpiece!

[@HoneyMike]

I don't remember Andrea at all

[@This_Lazy_Guy]

This host is not very articulate.

[@jwizdum2103]

This scene made me so fucking happy, not because of the overdose but because Walt was smart enough (and dark enough) to let her die

[@kevinw712]

I'm not sure I've ever seen Gennifer Hutchison on camera before (the writer to Vince's immediate right), oh man I am officially in crush lol... She references going on her honeymoon, well that husband is a lucky guy. She's a very talented writer, but also forgive me for being so teenage-y and saying she is all kinds of adorable, too.

[@soldatheero]

guy in pink shirt has some insight

[@chiyo-chanholocaust8143]

Not gonna lie, I'd rather have gone with Vince's idea

[@morissettematt123]

I don’t think that is enough to let Jane die. It seems 50/50 for the motives for why Walt let Jane die. 1) Walt’s selfish reasons I.e Jane being a liability for what she knows, and her having more power over Jesse than Walt has, thus her getting in the way of their thing going(cooking meth). (2) Walt letting Jane die to help Jesse not go down the wrong path of substance abuse in heroin, and overdosing. You don’t deal with a situation like this by letting the girl Jesse loves die. It ruined Jesse’s life. More foul than good, even without adding on the unknown consequences of letting Jane die, which caused her dad to accidentally kill several people in the plane crash. After watching this show the second time around, now older and more mature, this situation where Walt let Jane die, altogether had me disgusted by Walt and frankly I stopped watching the show again after this episode. As the lady in the interview basically said, I couldn’t follow this character anymore. Case in point. In my opinion, this was way too early in the show to have Walt do something like this. And frankly I think it was a mistake that the other writer’s who later came on didn’t hold the original writer back. Yes they dampened his vision, but this was too much and a mistake. Bye Walt. Good luck Jesse.

[@KoongYe]

I mean... she threatened Walter. Its Karma.