Breaking Bad...The premise makes no sense

[coldmeat]

I call bullshit.

My wife's school's payscale tops out at nearly $90k for certificated teachers with a masters (I believe it's 20 years,) and that's at a fairly small school district in Central California. Her health insurance is also very good (though it is expensive.)

Also, none of this stuff is made evident in the first 3 episodes of the show.

It's extremely unbelievable, to the point where willful suspension of disbelief is pretty tough.

I will keep watching because the characters are pretty interesting (with the exception of the wife and her sister, who make me want to stab them through the TV.)

He has cancer and expects to die. He wants to leave money for his family after he passes, since they will lose their primary source of income. How is this so hard to figure out?

 

[OverVolt]

I call bullshit.

My wife's school's payscale tops out at nearly $90k for certificated teachers with a masters (I believe it's 20 years,) and that's at a fairly small school district in Central California. Her health insurance is also very good (though it is expensive.)

Also, none of this stuff is made evident in the first 3 episodes of the show.

It's extremely unbelievable, to the point where willful suspension of disbelief is pretty tough.

I will keep watching because the characters are pretty interesting (with the exception of the wife and her sister, who make me want to stab them through the TV.)

The Gen Y expectations, it burnsssssssssss

Living costs are extremely high in cali.

 

[Corporate Thug]

He has cancer and expects to die. He wants to leave money for his family after he passes, since they will lose their primary source of income. How is this so hard to figure out?

yeah...it seems pretty straight forward to me. There are two kids in the picture, one being an infant and the other with developmental problems. These things cost money.

 

[OverVolt]

And Gen Y wonders when they are offered $40-45k starting and they counter offer $85k why they can't find a job, lawls.

 

[drebo]

He has cancer and expects to die. He wants to leave money for his family after he passes, since they will lose their primary source of income. How is this so hard to figure out?

So the bitch of a wife should get a job.

Also, life insurance.

 

[MiniDoom]

this has to be a troll thread.

 

[MiniDoom]

So the bitch of a wife should get a job.

Also, life insurance.

maybe she does?...

 

[OverVolt]

Just someone on ATOT who buys into the "everyone makes $100k" and hasn't actually tried to get a job yet. Its so painfully obvious it hurts.

 

[Brigandier]

His wife is a huge bitch, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

 

[Platypus]

His wife is a huge bitch, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

I think of the current TV dramas, her and Betty Draper are the most insufferable cunts. It's almost to the point where it's hard to watch someone be that much of a massive bitch.

 

[drebo]

Just someone on ATOT who buys into the "everyone makes $100k" and hasn't actually tried to get a job yet. Its so painfully obvious it hurts.

Nice assumption. Very wrong.

It's a legitimate concern about the entire premise on which the show is based. It's incredibly weak.

If I assume he's underpaid, assume his wife lost her job, assume he has shit health insurance, assume...assume...assume.

Then it makes sense. However, those are a lot of assumptions that need to be made for the premise of the show to make sense, and the way that people seem to get all orgasmic when they talk about the show, I just would have expected it to be a bit better written.

 

[SP33Demon]

dude makes ~50k a year
has 2 kids
1 newborn (unplanned)
has cancer
has shit for health insureance

how is this hard to figure out?

I thought during the first season he said 45K. Which sux ass for pay but it's probably what they actually make in NM.

 

[MiniDoom]

Nice assumption. Very wrong.

It's a legitimate concern about the entire premise on which the show is based. It's incredibly weak.

If I assume he's underpaid, assume his wife lost her job, assume he has shit health insurance, assume...assume...assume.

Then it makes sense. However, those are a lot of assumptions that need to be made for the premise of the show to make sense, and the way that people seem to get all orgasmic when they talk about the show, I just would have expected it to be a bit better written.

you've watched 3 whole episodes and have it all figured out?

 

[PottedMeat]

Spoiler

there are no more tits after the pilot

 

[OverVolt]

Spoiler

there are no more tits after the pilot

:'(

 

[Lifted]

It doesn't jive. $80k in Arizona should be upper middle class. Their house certainly shows that they are.

That house is upper middle class? Isn't upper middle class generally considered to be doctor & successful lawyer salary and lifestyle at a minimum? It's a 3 bedroom ranch, 1,100 - 1,400 sqft with no basement. They bought it when she was pregnant, so that was 15ish years before the start of show, which puts the purchase date around 1993. So how much do you think that house, in Albuquerque NM, could have possibly cost in 1993? 50k - 75k? Looking at craigslist today, 20 years after they bought their house, I see newish 2,100 sqft 4bd 3bth - asking $160k. I also see houses closer to the size of the one in the show "3BR/2BA Single Family House Sq Footage 1,130 - offered at $109,999".

Not so hard to believe that a teacher in NM is making ~$50k with such a low cost of living out there.

Did they ever explain why the bitch wasn't working originally? Was it to take care of Walt Jr and she only went back to work when he was able to take care of himself?

 

[Lifted]

Spoiler

there are no more tits after the pilot

Spoiler

Strip bar flashback scene in season 3 or 4 had lots of fake tits.

 

[Corporate Thug]

That house is upper middle class? It's a 3 bedroom ranch, 1,100 - 1,400 sqft with no basement. They bought it when she was pregnant, so that was 15ish years before the start of show, which puts the purchase date around 1993. So how much do you think that house, in Albuquerque NM, could have possibly cost in 1993? 50k - 75k? Looking at craigslist today, 20 years after they bought their house, I see newish 2,100 sqft 4bd 3bth - asking $160k. I also see houses closer to the size of the one in the show "3BR/2BA Single Family House Sq Footage 1,130 - offered at $109,999".

Not so hard to believe that a teacher in NM is making ~$50k with such a low cost of living out there.

Did they ever explain why the bitch wasn't working originally? Was it to take care of Walt Jr and she only went back to work when he was able to take care of himself?

Also, they can't afford to replace the faulty water heater...they must be swimming in money.

 

[OverVolt]

There MUST be money, poor people DONT EXIST.

Gen Y is gonna have it rough.

 

[Dannar26]

The show starts off by introducing a Walt that gets pushed around constantly. It's understandable, why he doesn't make as much money as he should.

Could you imagine pre-bald Walt standing his ground and being assertive about a raise?

 

[BladeVenom]

I think of the current TV dramas, her and Betty Draper are the most insufferable cunts. It's almost to the point where it's hard to watch someone be that much of a massive bitch.

But Betty wasn't all bad. I even kind of liked her early on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltl0EQ9O7Gg&t=0m50s

I disliked Skyler from the start.

 

[DaTT]

Don't fuck with Walter White.....don't even think about it.

 

[Wingznut]

California economics (and pay scale) can be very different than other areas of the country.
80k for a family of four really isn't a lot of money.
Cancer treatment is not cheap.

 

[Anubis]

its not set in Cali its in New Mexico, which is like the poorest state in the country

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

all the hospital bills cost money, a lot more than 80k I would imagine can support, he originally wasn't given very long to live iirc and needed a huge amount of cash to help them out.


also it's a fictional TV show.

This. Fictional TV show is well.. Fictional.