Episode discussion for: 03x10 | Fly (May 23, 2010)

It's finally Sunday and we get another great episode of the best drama on TV. The writers are demented - in a good way - you can never take anything for granted in this series; anything can, and will, happen.

Looks like their must be a problem in the cook lab. I wonder what Jessie screwed up this time?
Or did Gale sabotage something?

indeed, guy, laugh out loud demented!

What did you think of the episode? A lot of hating going on elsewhere, I think very unwarranted.

I did feel a lot of tension in Walt's rambling about Jane, I was sure he was going to admit to letting her die. And Jessie on the ladder was intense also.

Walt's obsession with the fly was strange and must have been a metaphor for his good life flying away out of reach. He sure rambled about living to long. Jessie and Walt both chasing something they can't get. I wonder if Jessie mentioning his aunts cancer getting to her brain is something important? Also did Walt's fall start something going in his chest - again??

One thing is for sure, both Walt and Jessie are now less contemptible and more human again. So far. Both are very unhappy people and I think the "Fly" episode gave us a picture of that.

Do remember this, BB always sets you up for a big ride. This has to be the climb up the hill before the big screaming ride down the other side.

I wonder if Jessie's talking about his aunts cancer spreading to her brain was important? Walt sure was unnecessarily concerned about the fly.

I'm surprised that fans are unhappy with this episode, I loved it...

I thought Bryan Cranston was wonderfully poignant about how he contaminated his life (by letting Jane die)... I feel as though that's what the fly represented - contamination. He could live (and die happily) with everything up to that point. And, that was a lot to live with - cooking meth, lying to Skylar, killing a drug dealer (in Jesse's basement), before attempting to kill Tuco...

I think Jesse's mention of his Aunt's obsession as a symptom was simply his attempt to find out if that could be the explanation for Walt's obsession with the fly... Which Walt assured him, was not the case...

Walt was a bitter disappointment to himself long before he was diagnosed with cancer and took up the drug trade... the man threw away a brilliant career with his business partner because he couldn't handle losing the love of his life? It didn't turn out like Jobs and Gates... both going their separate ways to make a name for themselves.

I feel like Walt's regrets are his real cancer... Instead of becoming Jobs or Gates of the chemical/biotech industry, he's going to make millions by producing a "poison" (as Jesse pointed out) with a man who could kill him at any moment (Gus)...

of course he's depressed, suicidal, and obsessed.

Great post Jundrawer. I especially loved the "Walt was a bitter disappointment to himself..." comment. Wish I had seen that. He is a very unhappy man isn't he, I think his cancer in remission was bad news to Walt.

... Everything I needed to know about Walt, I learned in the first episode -- in a single scene...

Pretty sure it was the first episode... anyway, I remember the camera panning across the bedroom as Walt started his morning routine -- and, there was a plaque on the wall, a kind of "honorable mention" to Walt for his contribution to a Pulitzer Prize-wining project...

if that doesn't silently scream "that was my potential, and I blew it..." I don't know what does...

WOW !! What an amazing observation you made; kudos to you! (And the set designer and writers for placing that clue there for someone to find.)

Are you a detective? If not you should be.

WTF? A whole episode about a stupid fly? Talk about a waste of time.

This was a hate it or love it episode. I watched it again and liked it even better the second time.

I thought the episode was quite weird. I suppose the writers wanted us to ponder this episode and come to the kinds of conclusions that have been posted here for ourselves. Seems a bit like a filler episode though. I did kind of like the fact that the only characters in the episode were Walt and Jesse (not counting the laundry mat employees), and that 98% of the episode took place in the lab. (the other 2% being Walt's bedroom, the laundry mat and the parking lot). Oh well, am looking forward to seeing where they take it from here.