This ties back to episode bullet points in season 4. Not surprisingly, walter white and walt whitman share the same initials, and almost the same name. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. How did hank figure out walt is heisenberg in breaking bad.
On the galegretchen breaking bad leaves of grass conspiracy. In the last episode of the first half of season 5 gliding all over, walt went to the hospital for his routine mri, and the. Hank figures out that walt is heisenberg while perusing walts copy of leaves of grass on the toilet. One of the many quirky ways that boetticher impresses walt is by reciting whitmans when i heard the learnd astronomer. The book has been inscribed by gale, the nowdeadbecauseofwalt meth cook who gave walt the book. Here you will find discussions and speculations about the show, pictures from the show, amas with the cast, and anything else breaking bad related.
Four terrifying glimpses of walter white, lost cause there was a sort of bittersweet, valedictory feel to much of the episode, which, even more than usual was loaded with callbacks to breaking bads past. Well, i can only envisage two types of reactions to felina, the breaking bad finale. Spoilers galore for all of breaking bad in the following post. My esteemed colleagues at the orange couch loved the cliffhanger that capped off this weeks episode of breaking bad, but i found it disappointing. What is the significance of walt whitman to a broader understanding. Gliding oer all, through all, through nature, time, and space, as a ship. Breaking bad season 5 episode 8 midseason finale recap. Having said that, calling whitman a bad poet is like calling justin bieber a bad musician its all matter of taste. Although the first edition was published in 1855, whitman spent most of his professional life writing and rewriting leaves of grass, revising it multiple times until his death. The first episode of the second half of the final season, aka season 5b during its original. In breaking bad, at the very end of season 5, hank finds a book leaves of grass in walters bathroom.
At some point, gale gave walt a copy of whitmans leaves of grass with an inscribed note as a gift. Hanks is in the bathroom when he finds the leaves of grass book that gale gave to walt with a big surprise inside. Walt whitmans when i heard the learnd astronomer from leaves of grass, 1892 edition. Because hank, hank, of all people is going to grab a copy of leaves of grass off the back of the toilet at walts house while hes taking a. Walter whites walt whitman book from breaking bad up for auction. Vince gilligan almost literally gave us one in this weeks final scene. But breaking bad isnt the kind of show that leaves loose ends. Among the poems in the collection are song of myself, i sing the body electric, out of the cradle endlessly rocking, and in later editions, whitmans elegy to the assassinated president abraham lincoln, when lilacs last in the dooryard bloomd. Back in the first week of this discussion, i said i was excited about the return of breaking bad and its oh shit moments. The title of this episode comes from leaves of grass. This is the original unedited version as seen on the last scene of 508s episode. Tonights breaking bad episode takes its name from a beautiful walt whitman poem. Gale recited this poem from memory to walt, who was intrigued. Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning.
Contains an afterword by whitman authority david reynolds, in which he discusses the 1855 edition in. When the book was first published, whitman sent a copy to emerson, whose praiseful letter of response helped launch the book to success. Gale boetticher had given walt a copy of walt whitmans leaves of grass, a collection of poems, which has been seen several times since. And here he includes himself with all his mysticism and spiritual illuminations. It continues breaking bads ongoing walt whitman fixation. Walter whites copy of walt whitmans leaves of grass is being.
Walter whites name is reminiscent of the poet, a fact that has played a major role as a plot device in breaking bad and used up to the midseason finale of season five. Book xxii of leaves of grass has particular significance in both this. Prior to giving this gift, boetticher, an avid whitman fan, recites when i heard the learnd. You knew that there was going to be some death on sunday nights finale for breaking bad but who would have imagined that the body count. Captures the typeface, design and layout of the original edition supervised by whitman himself. Whitman published the first edition of leaves of grass in 1855. Leaves of grass is a poetry collection by the american poet walt whitman 18191892. It has come to my attention that various denizens of the internet are claiming the copy of leaves of grass found by hank in walts bathroom was not, in fact, a gift from gale boetticher but rather from his old lover and business partner gretchen schwartz. Hank is bedridden while recovering from his gunfight with the twin assassins, and spends his free time studying evidence from the murder of gale boeticher, walts assistant cook. This is the original unedited version as seen on the last. To supplement our comprehensive breaking bad coverage, across the. Breaking bad gliding over all tv episode 2012 trivia.
Its a vision of freedom through spiritual attainment, through a connection with nature, through war, and through hard work the poems reflect these many. He found the copy of walt whitmans leaves of grass that gale had gifted walt. The project gutenberg ebook of leaves of grass, by walt. The 9 biggest revelations about breaking bad we learned from vince gilligan interviews this week. It was set and filmed in albuquerque, new mexico, and tells the story of walter white bryan cranston, an underemployed and depressed high school chemistry teacher. Gale boetticher had given walt a copy of walt whitmans leaves of grass. I at first assumed that id simply forgotten the scene in which gale gives walt the book, but from what i can tell its never actually shown onscreen.
Walt whitman 18191892 was an american writer famously known for his poetry collection, leaves of grass. A subreddit for fans and critics of the hit television series breaking bad on amc. Leaves of grass 1855 is a poetry collection by the american poet walt whitman. From seasons 3 and 4 of breaking bad, we know that gale likes when i heard the learnd astronomer so much that he can recite it. So begins leaves of grass, the first great american poem and indeed, to this day, the greatest and most essentially american poem in all our national literature. Gliding over all is the eighth episode of the fifth season and the midseason finale of the american television drama series breaking bad, and the 54th overall episode of the series.
In addition to his poetry, whitman was also a prominent essayist, journalist, and humanist with works centering mainly around the topics of transcendentalism and realism. So it turns out that walter white owns david reynoldss 150th anniversary edition of the 1855 leaves of grassthe one with the green, leafy cover. Gliding over all walter tries to close the meth chapter of his life, but hank opens it back up while reading leaves of grass. If you havent seen breaking bad through season 5 episode 8, go check out. Breaking bad brings walt whitman back to the forefront of pop culture breaking bad includes lines in which characters quote passages from whitman, and a. The project gutenberg ebook of leaves of grass, by walt whitman this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. The proof of a poet is that his country absorbs him as affectionately as he has absorbed it. Walt whitmans major work of poetry, leaves of grass, has come to represent the.
Leaves of grass is a compendium of poems by walt whitman, an american influenced by transcendentalism and romanticism. You may copy it, give it away or reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included with this ebook or online at. Though the first edition was published in 1855, whitman spent his entire life writing and rewriting leaves of grass, revising it in several editions until his death. Throughout breaking bad, the poetry of walt whitman comes to frame the shows narrative arc, and whitmans lifelong poetic project leaves of grass is full of insight into concepts of freedom and the life it gives us.
What began as a slim book of 12 poems was by the end of his life a thick compendium of almost 400. Leaves of grassbook iii wikisource, the free online library. The publication of leaves of grass in july 1855 was a landmark event in literary history. It slips his mind that if hank saw that, the game would be over. It has come to my attention that various denizens of the internet are claiming the copy of leaves of grass found by hank in walts. Plus he personally liked gale and wanted to keep his memory alive. Whitman was inspired to begin leaves of grass after reading an essay by ralph waldo emerson which expressed a need for a uniquely american poet. It seems to me more than all the print i have read in my life. Then, in the episodes shocking final moments, hank reads walts copy of leaves of grass on the toilet, sees gales inscription, and realizes walt is the elusive drug lord hes been searching for. Her photographs have been published in the wall street journal and the new. Apparently, gale boetticher gave the book to walt, inscribing it to him. Why didnt hank arrest walt as soon as he found out. In leaves of grass walt whitman sings nature and his symbiosis with america, he sings the universe and his awareness of it all, but above all he sings the people and their quest for individuality and immortality. It says leaves of grass on the cover, but it is actually song of myself and other poems.
He produced varied editions of the work ending with the ninth, or deathbed edition, in 18911892. This resulted in vastly different editions over four decadesthe first, a small book of twelve poems and the last, a compilation. Those who have not yet watched all of season five may not want to read on. Breaking bad has repeatedly alluded to whitmans poetry, even using it to title some of its episodes, like gliding over it all. Felina 20, in this very same restaurant, is where walt poisons her with the ricin, leading to what would be her death. Review of breaking bad mideason finale, gliding over all. Written by moira walleybeckett and directed by michelle maclaren, it aired on amc in the united states on september 2, 2012 the episode is named after poem 271 in walt whitmans leaves of grass, a book which. Breaking bad brings walt whitman back to the forefront. It represents more than a book the copy of leaves of grass hank finds in the. A poem in the book, song of myself, is based on many of these same.
Breaking bad hanks realization original version youtube. Now, im not saying that whitman is a terrible poet after all, im not exactly qualified to challenge him. The show aired on amc from january 20, 2008 to september 29, 20, consisting of five seasons for a total of 62 episodes. I lean and loafe at my easeobserving a spear of summer grass. The 9 biggest revelations about breaking bad we learned. Walter whites walt whitman book from breaking bad up. Breaking bad is an american neowestern crime drama television series created and produced by vince gilligan. This copy was later discovered by hank schrader, making it an incriminating piece of evidence linking walter white to gale, a known methamphetamine manufacturer.
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