Breaking Bad 5.3 - Hazard Pay

Welcome fellow (blue) meth addicts!  Episode 3 was chock full of psychological warfare, artsy cook shots and the triumphant return of Badger and Skinny Pete.  We also met the boys at Vamonos Pest, learned about Mike's day job as a paralegal and very briefly visited the infamous Lazer Base.  Let's get to it.

1. What will bring down the new cooking operation?

Susan: First, let me say that I was SO excited to find out that it wasn't at the car wash.  Sweet, sweet Vince.  I should never have doubted you.  That being said, this new cooking operation has a million problems.  You have four new unreliable characters, who specialize in burglary, and stealing information from people.  Great.  You have Walt running the show, which always leads to short-sighted errors and general pride trap situations.  For example, won't the owners notice the ginormous spike in their electricity bill that month?  Or how about the fact that set up and tear down of the lab and the super fancy equipment is left to 4 bug men who know nothing about the business?  Then you have that scene with Ira where he outlines all of the potential reasons that the homeowners might need to re-enter their fumigated home before Walt and Jesse are done cooking.  Not to mention the nanny cams/home security issues.  It's a terrible, terrible, terrible idea that is way too clever to work.  My crazy prediction?  Jesse's work around with the agitator motor doesn't work and we have our first meth lab explosion on the show.  It's honestly amazing that it hasn't happened already.

Steven: They seem to be pointing towards a nanny cam scenario.  However, I think it will be simpler than that.  We were just introduced to four brand spanking new characters, all con men, who Walt and Jesse's cooking operation depends upon.  And one of those characters, Todd, we all know well from the fantastic Friday Night Lights.  They're not going to waste him.

My prediction:  Landry, I mean Todd, will bust the whole operation by putting on a Crucifictorious house-show across the street.  Then he'll roll on Mike after the police discover the body of the would-be rapist Todd murdered at the beginning of season two...  Wait, I think I'm confused again.  (What ended up happening with that anyway?  I just remember his dad setting the family car on fire and Tyra being conflicted for a thousand seasons.)

But really, I have no idea at this point what will bring the cooking down.  I thought they'd be working out of the car wash by this point, and now that's just a back drop for Skylar and Marie to eat their enormous salads against.

2. What role will Todd/Landry play?

Susan: Thank you, Vince Gilligan, for bringing Jesse Plemons back to my television.  He was so good on Friday Night Lights and I think he has the perfect blend of dark and light to fit in perfectly in the wacky world of Breaking Bad.  He's obviously too big a star to be in one episode, and he broke Mike's rule on the very first day, so I think it's safe to assume that he'll play a bigger role as this terrible plan progresses.  I think Walt will win him over and try to get him to help take down Mike.  Or maybe he has higher aspirations too and wants to edge out Jesse?  Perhaps he'll propose running extra security during the cooks?  He's trouble for someone, but a welcome complication for me.

Steven: Refer to question #1.  Also, I think that in the end Todd will realize how extermination brought him closer to the other guys --different races be damned!

3. Who is Walt comparing Victor to when he says that he flew too close to the sun?

Susan: Jesse.  A case could be made for Mike, but I think Walt really felt that he had the upper hand in the negotiation before Jesse selflessly offered up his share to end the argument.  Jesse has way more money than he needs and absolutely nothing to spend it on.  I think he's starting to realize in this episode that he's trading the people he actually likes for a job and money that he really hates.  He can't include Badger and Skinny Pete in the operation and he had to give up Andrea and Brock because of his sordid history with Walt.  By the end, when he sees that Walt has absolutely zero perspective and refuses to be happy, I think Jesse really starts to realize that maybe it's time for him to pick up and leave town, like Mike begged him to earlier in the season.  Unfortunately, it looks like he meets Lydia next episode, which will just suck him down even deeper.  There's no escape, and there's no way to win.  

Steven: I think this is directed at Jesse.  Translation: "Don't offer to pay out of your own share again.  Don't offer to do anything independently ever again, or else I'll convince you to leave behind more than just your girlfriend."

What bothers me most is that he's so pissed off about the money that Walt doesn't even feign interest in Jesse's life.  Walt has gotten what he wants, one less liability, and he just moves on.  Re-watching that beer drinking scene was excruciating.  I kept wondering what Jesse's NA sponsor guy would've said instead.  Maybe, "Carry your cross but keep the people who make you happy."  I feel so terrible for Jesse that I forget he's a grown man capable of determining his own lot in life.  Andrea and Brock brought out such a wholesome, promising side in Jesse.  And (going back to an earlier prediction) I really want Jesse to be the one blowing town at the end, but I want him to be headed to Andrea.  I guess I just still haven't gotten over Jane...  (Although I'm glad she's found a new home in Apartment 23.)

4. Where was Hank this episode?

Susan: Working.  I think Vince wanted to set up the new cook site, and the new characters and establish the amount of work Mike is having to do in his off time to keep his guys quiet.  By showing us Mike's work, he doesn't have to show us Hank, because they're basically going to the same places, talking to the same people, about the same things.  Mike just has to get there first.  If he didn't, we'd see Hank.  However, after watching The Wire, it does seem odd that Hank doesn't have people trailing Mike.

Steven: Building a case.

Last time we see him, he's discussing Gustavo with his commanding officer, Merkert, and running into brick walls in his case with Mike.  The next logical step, in my mind, is for Hank to put the last piece in the puzzle and act.  The fact that we get so much Marie, and have Marie alone waiting on a sofa in one scene, raises flags in my head.  She tells Skylar that Hank is back at work and staying busy, but no details on what he's doing.  This makes me think he's purposefully not telling her the details because he's pulling a Gustavo-hunt style operation on Walt.  They put Hank's realization up in the air last episode and then purposefully ignore him for an episode, because what else is there for him to do or think before starting the Walt-hunt?  Or, before clueing in Walt.  (Still not sure which direction he'll go myself, but I'm leaning towards a confrontation.)

5. Is Walt thinking at all at this point?

Susan: He's certainly not thinking about exit strategies or potential problems.  He's thinking about how wonderful he is and how much money he should have and how much people should fear and respect him.  He's thinking about that all the time.  But he's certainly not feeling guilty or worrying about anyone's feelings.  He's come a long long way since that scene in episode 1 where he had to make a pro/con list about killing the guy in the basement.  No need for that now.  Walt is fully convinced that everything he does is brilliant and right and true.  It's amazing how smoothly he talks to Brock, manipulates Jesse into breaking up with Andrea and outs Skylar's affair to Marie. He's completely reprehensible, in a way that Gus never was. 

Steven: No.  He can figure out the percentages and knows exactly how much Mike is shorting him.  But, he somehow doesn't understand that 50lbs of meth is worth far less than 200lbs?  Walt is manipulating people but not following through (Skylar, Jesse).  He's willfully ignorant of the big picture.  Who's supplying the methylamine?  Who cares!  What happens if we don't pay these guys off and they flip on the whole operation?  That's not my problem!  That's your share!!  This is my apple, I'm going to bite it!!!  

I love that Vince Gilligan finally brought in a clip from Scarface.  The juxtaposition of Al Pacino racing around frantically with no plan whatsoever and Walt offering Skylar cold pizza "if she's up to it" is perfect.  Walt isn't snorting from massive piles of cocaine but he is high on something, and like any good addiction, it's making him miss EVERYTHING. 

(I also love how they literally kill cockroaches after their first house cook.  Was that the whole reason for this elaborate cooking operation, Vince?  Be honest.)

6. Are Badger and Skinny Pete going to muck up this operation as well?

Susan: I don't think so.  I think they're in this episode because they're beloved characters, and they show us how removed Jesse is from his old world.  They also show up when Jesse's about to relapse, so it could indicate that he's about to start using again.  But I don't think Mike or Walt will let them anywhere near the new operation.   

Steven: I feel like they're going to play a bigger role than just buying a few roadie cases.  Is Jesse going to let his guard down after pushing Andrea away and bring these two jokers back into the fold or, like they always manage to do, are Badger and "Skinny" Pete just going to push and push until they're a part of the operation?

Potential.  That's all I'm saying.

Bonus thought: The Scarface scene. 

The Scarface scene gave me a new perspective on the cold open.  When Vince Gilligan first pitched the show to AMC, he said he wanted to tell a story where Mr. Chips turned into Scarface over the course of the series.  I think the cold open did nothing more but to show us that the transformation is complete.  It's his birthday, 2 years after the pilot episode.  He has a new identity.  He's alone.  He's picking up a machine gun aka "say hello to my little friend."  I think that Vince put in the Scarface scene in that episode to remind us of that initial concept for the show.  Rather than showing us where the series is going plot wise, he wanted to show us, at the beginning of the final season, that the transformation is complete.

Best line, courtesy of Badger and Skinny Pete, naturally.  "Hey man, I’m trying to do business over here, bitch! Sorry, he’s like, overly enthusiastic.”

Next week - Walt's birthday, the Heisenberg hat, more Lydia and the one with the bee on it.  Sure to be a quiet hour.  

Breaking Bad 5.2 - Madrigal

Hey there loyal readers.  We made it through 2 episodes!  That's amazing consistency.  In case you missed it, here's what happened on episode 2, Madrigal:

A Madrigal man committed suicide after trying "Franch".  Walt hid Chekhov's ricin in his bedroom and psychologically terrorized Jesse, Skylar and Saul.  Walt's magnet plan from last week created  huge new problems for Mike which led to two people dying and an unfortunate partnership with a snooty tea drinker named Lydia.  Oh, and kids continued to be everyone's Achilles' heel.  Let's discuss. 

1. Where will they cook?

Steven: The car wash.  I feel like they've been setting this up ever since episode one where you see Walt working with various chemicals in his second job.  They really ramped it up when they introduced Gus and his laundromat.  By the time Skylar purchases the car wash to launder money, I was screaming, "They've got their own lab!" in my mind.

Susan: The car wash seems like the most thuddingly obvious place.  So I really really hope it won't be the car wash.  But if it's not the car wash... where would they possibly go?  Back to Jesse's?  Walt's apartment?  Saul's office?  I'm hoping to be surprised and delighted.

2. Will Mike last the season?

Steven: I think Mike or Jesse will be the only character to make it out alive by the end.  I see one of the two of them boarding a bus out of Albuquerque with nothing but a duffel bag full of money and never looking back. 

Susan: I always worry when they have a supporting character carry an episode.  Any time you start to get back story on the supporting cast, you know they're not long for this world.  Plus Mike coughed all through last season, and so far this season we've taken time out to notice that his bullet wound is still bleeding, he's old enough to have a fake hip and he drinks Ensure with his beer.  Mike's not a healthy guy, and now that his financial health is in jeopardy, things are going to get a lot worse for everyone involved.  Fearless prediction - Mike doesn't end up dead at the end of this season.  He ends up in jail.  And it's Lydia's fault.

3. What does Hank know?  

Steven: What doesn't Hank know?  Here you have a gifted detective, able to see through people from afar, able to put connections together that even his department can't.  Enter Walt and Skylar.  Skylar has a ridiculous story to make sense of Walt's new cash flow.  Walt not only never talks about his gambling, hasn't had any warning signs up until now, and he keeps dropping hints for Hank to pick up.  One character has a bad lie, while the other wants to get caught.  If Jesse represents "addiction" and "half-measured recovery," and Skylar represents "the devastation of addiction on the family," then Hank is "denial" all the way.  When ASAC Merkert tells his story about grilling out with Gus, I think we see Hank have a moment of clarity, where his understanding cuts through the cloud he put up around this brother-in-law of his.

What does Walt represent, you ask?  An idiot.

Susan: That scene with his boss is oh-so-tricky.  I think Hank has been on to Walt for quite some time.  Why else would he keep feeding Walt top secret info about his investigation?  I think what we're seeing in that scene is not Hank figuring it out, but Hank wondering if everyone else has figured it out too.  I think Hank is trying to find a way to catch Walt on his own, so that he can either turn him in and act shocked, or convince him to get out and never come back.  Hank knows that he's all tied up in it and his reputation will be ruined and that he'll be an accomplice after the fact since his PT is funded by the drug money.  He sees his boss thrown under the bus because of his friendship with Gus and knows that his career will absolutely be over if Walt ever gets caught.  So what's the best scenario for Hank?  Can anyone escape the Walter White poison? 

4. What other illegal operations is Madrigal Electromotive running?

Steven: For some reason I feel like one of the other restaurants is a money laundering front for the Mob, maybe in Jersey or Miami.  If there were more than 14 episodes left, I'd predict that we'd get to see the affect this Peter Schuler's illegal fast food operations have had on the towns these other chains are in.  Maybe a plane crash situation like in season 2 where we saw the devastating repercussions of Walt's actions...  However, with just this much time left, I think they'll just be side notes, but I think there will still be plenty of other illegal activity.

Susan: It sure seems like a massive front for other drugs, doesn't it?  Why else do we get a look at all the other signs in the building?  Does each business correspond with a different drug market?  Will we ever find out more about it?  What's more interesting to me is how Gus got involved with a German company in the first place.  I don't know if the series really has enough time to go down that road, but it'll be interesting to find out just how big Gus' empire was.  It also makes it impossible to guess at this point which piece will end up bringing them all down. 

5. Who is Lydia exactly?

Steven: Executive in charge of illegal fast food operations.  I feel like she's going to turn out to be Schuler's assistant.  And now that Mike is taking charge of this specific meth-ring, I think she'll become his assistant. As much as the writers may want us to believe that the power play is between Mike and Walt, I think the real money is at Lydia's level, and I think the real struggle will be between her and Mike.

Susan: I feel like she's close to Gus in some way.  We got a good look at Mike and Chao's houses in this episode and Lydia appears to have done much much better for herself than those two.  It's also interesting that her daughter is learning Spanish.  I think she's either related to Gus, or perhaps Gus' bestie who was killed in Mexico by Don Eladio.  It's interesting to me that Gus would choose to do business with her, because she seems very volatile and unprofessional.  She's also not on the secret payroll from the offshore accounts, so she's not one of Mike's people.  Maybe she has cartel connections?  Wouldn't it be great if we get through the whole series without Walt knowing that she exists?  I can't believe how much Walt doesn't know.  He doesn't even know about the great cartel showdown last season!  He just thinks everything is peachy.  He doesn't know that his magnet plan completely backfired.  He doesn't know why Mike reconsidered. He doesn't know that his precious precursor is coming from an extremely dangerous place.  He doesn't even know how many people are going to be on his new payroll!  

6. Why hasn't Skylar left yet?

Steven: It's either greed or cowardice, and I'm leaning towards the prior.  If she loved Walt -- which we know she doesn't -- that might be enough reason to keep her baby girl in such a dangerous situation.  She ran away once, she a moment of rationale thinking, and then she reversed it immediately.  Why?  Does she really think Walt or someone is going to track her and her baby down?  Does she not want to leave Walt Jr.?  She could have always asked Saul to vanish her and the kids.  I'm not saying it wouldn't be hard to leave your life, friends and extended family, but I think there is more to Skylar's motivation than loving her family.  It takes a certain personality to cook someone's books in order to keep a business alive, a certain personality to force someone into selling their car wash in order to keep a meth business running, and I believe Skylar has such a personality.  The kind of woman who loves her family enough to stay, would've never gotten so far in that she'd have to make that decision.  Greed, or at the very least Pride, is running the show here.

Susan: I think she's plotting.  She's like Walt in that respect.  She's not going to run away and let someone win.  She just needs some time to figure out a plan.  Children are constantly used as bargaining chips on this show, so I'm guessing it will come down to that.  She's just coming up with the perfect strategy.  And maybe an overly worked script.

New thought this week: what is Breaking Bad saying about the theme of brotherhood, if anything?  Gus' franchise is Los Pollos Hermanos.  The final battle will be Walt vs. his brother-in-law Hank.  Mike was a cop in the city of brotherly love (Philadelphia) and left on a bad note.  A problem with his brother, perhaps?  Jesse never felt loved by his parents because of his perfect younger brother.  Something there?  Or just Vince exorcising some demons?

Best line: "Ketchup... that one is essentially just ketchup."

Thoughts?  Questions?  Quibbles?

Breaking Bad 5.1 - Live Free or Die

Welcome!  Steven and I are attempting to recap/review/rehash Breaking Bad season 5 episode by episode.  We have crazy schedules and are generally lazy, so don't rely on these for instant morning after analysis.  Our (very ambitious) goal is to post them before the next episode airs.  Can we do it?  Time will tell.  I have my doubts.  But Steven has faith!  We'll see.

Basically we'll do a very, very, very short recap, full of spoilers, and then burning questions, full of spoilers, and then crazy predictions, full of spoilers.  If you don't watch the show, you should.  If you want to read this and follow along without watching the show, check out a fuller recap on Entertainment Weekly, AV Club or Vulture.  All great, all timely, all more impressive.  Then come back and chat with us about our theories.

Okay.  Recap time.  Here it goes.  Walt cleans up the mess after blowing up Gus, talks Mike into helping them, plays with magnets in the junkyard, saves the day with science, and tells everyone that he's the big bad and they better deal with it.  As Mike says, "If Wendell doesn't eat, no one eats."  He was talking about chickens, but it applies.  Oh and the cold open was basically a giant teaser showing us that at some point Walt will have a full head of hair, beard, snazzy glasses, new identity, New Hampshire license plates, 52nd birthday breakfast at Denny's and a shiny new machine gun. All set?  Let's go.

1.  Is Walter White's identity really safe? 

Steven: I'm going to say, Yes.  He's using a fake I.D. probably in order to cover his tracks -- the car he leaves in the parking lot, the clandestine meeting in the bathroom, can all be attributed now to a "Mr. Lambert."  Already we've seen him acting like a professional with the magnetic truck, so I think he's safe.

Susan: Yes?  I think Hank has known, in his gut, about Walt for quite awhile.  He's had too much time to sit around and stew, and then get in that crazy forced accident with Walt last season.  Hank knows, but he doesn't want to see it.  Crazy prediction #1 - the Hank and Walt showdown will happen at the end of these 8 episodes.

2.  Is the machine gun going to be for a specific purpose, or is he just amassing an arsenal?

Steven: Arsenal all the way!  "It's never leaving town," Walt tells the arms dealer.  Leaving town would imply he's on the offensive, so unless he's lying, it seems like he's creating a Scarface-esque fortress of some sort.  And he doesn't seem to have his lie-face on.

Susan: The machine gun kind of bothers me. Walt's plans usually involve some sort of creative science (ricin, magnets, thermite, etc.)  He's certainly used a gun before, but as a supplementary tool.  The fact that the machine gun is the big reveal in the cold open gives me pause.  Maybe it's not a machine gun after all?  Maybe there's some sort of trade involved?  I think it's more deceptive than revealing, like most things in that sneaky teaser.

3.  Is Skylar still on board?

Steven: The way she handles the Ted situation seems to contradict her "I am relieved...and scared."  So far she has shown no hesitation with breaking the law, and though the New Hampshire car might suggest that Walt has taken a Saul vanishing service alone, I don't see Skylar turning back now from anything.

Susan: Poor Skylar.  She just keeps making bad decisions.  As much as I want to root for Skylar and see her as pure and innocent she just keeps falling into the same vices as her husband.  She goes to see Ted to try to fix things, is shocked by his appearance, and then turns again when he pleads with her for his life.  She likes the power, and sure she's scared of Walt, but she's more scared that she might not be in control of her home anymore.  Walt has never been in power in his marriage, and as Skylar starts to see the extent of Walt's transformation, I think she feels her power in the home threatened and that scares her.  Crazy prediction #2: Skylar comes up with a new plan to put Walt back in his place.  And it leads to his escape to New Hampshire.

4. What's in the bag that Walt is carrying in the cold open?

Susan: I hate that I'm obsessed with the cold open, but I am.  I could sort of get past it in season 2 because they made no sense.  But now that we're closer to the end and there's so much at play, I'm hopelessly obsessed.  It also closely mimics the final scene in the Sopranos, another famously overly critiqued television scene.  Hopefully I'll be over it by next week.  But this week, I want to know what's in that damn bag.  Money?  More guns?  The plant?  Bomb equipment?  Does it matter?  Probably not, but we see that bag, and then the first new scene of the current season is Walt stuffing bomb and plant evidence into a bag and putting it in the back of the car.  Coincidence or red herring?  Gah!  I have no idea.

Steven: A sack full of money.  If Walt is really building up a fortress, then perhaps this machine gun is the first purchase of many.

5. Where in the show's timeline is the cold open?

Susan: At first I thought that the cold open was the open from the series finale.  The pilot was set on his 50th birthday, where he had turkey bacon with his family.  Now he's in a Denny's, getting a free meal by himself on his 52nd birthday with real bacon and no wedding ring.  The more I (over)think it though, the more I think it might be the opening of the last season.  Crazy prediction #3: After Hank runs Walt off, he gets in trouble with the cartel and Walt has to come back to save him.  Eh.  I don't like it either.

Steven: This had episode 9 written all over it.  The beginning of the end of the series.  Over the break, I see time passing between the first and second batch of episodes.  I don't think we'll know all of the basic particulars of Walt's situation even when we catch up with this scene.

6. What's with the roofing hammer in evidence?

Susan: More than the open, that hammer has been bugging me.  Why do we get such a close look at it?  Who is Alvin B. Gutierrez?  Will that introduce us to a new character somehow?  I don't remember a roofing hammer being important in any other season.  The only thing I can remember are the axes that the cousins carried around.  Will we meet a crooked cop?  Did Gus/cartel have a mole in the DEA?  Is it just showing us that the evidence was filed alphabetically so that we know all the Fring evidence was destroyed?  Any ideas would be appreciated.  It can't be random.  It's keeping me up at night.

Steven: Alvin B. Gutierrez...  Why is this hammer lumped in with all of Gus's stuff?  There has to be a connection, but I don't have any clue.  My only guess is that it has some of that good Heisenberg Blue on it.  This would give them another direction to start following.  

Best line: "Keys, Scumbag.  It's the universal sign for keys."

Steven's crazy prediction: Walt dies at the end of the series.  But it's cancer that gets him.

6.18

I noticed on facebook that today is a special day for many people in my newsfeed.  Birthdays, weddings, the Ali Kemp anniversary.  This date has been etched in my memory, to the point that the assembly of numbers 618 pop out at me constantly.  The time of day, an address, a room number, a course listing.  This day seems to hold so much weight for people in my circle of the universe and it's an interesting thing, to sit on the sidelines and observe their piece of this day's history.

It's been 4 long years, and there are many more to come.  So many milestones have passed without her already and it's still unfathomable to think of the future without her.  The scary dreams have passed and the guilt comes and goes.  This year I felt good when I woke up, and we went swimming and I ate breakfast and had a reasonably productive day at work.  I felt happy, bolstered by the good choices I made throughout the day.  I like thinking that she's proud of me for getting up in the morning and exercising, eating healthy, going to work, not spending money and being kind to others.  Tonight I'll take a walk, enjoy a quiet moment on my own and then go through a closet and throw something away - just for her.  This is how I honor her, how I retain sanity on this day and all the others.  One penny saved, one good deed, one productive chore, one healthy choice.  It's the best I can do, and I know she'd like that.

Mama, I'll miss you at 6:18, on 6/18, while walking past the house at 618 17th St.  And I'll miss you all the other times too.  Lub lub.

The Late, Great, Signing Day Report - 2012

You know you can make this your facebook cover photo, right?  http://www.kstatesports.com/ot/wallpapers.html

In keeping with tradition, I'd like to finally discuss signing day 2012, 4 months after the fact.  Y'all have been waiting patiently, right?  I thought so.

The most important thing to take away from this signing class is that Snyder is finally building his team.  It takes about three years to undo the mistakes of the previous coach and to be able to build depth for future teams instead of just plugging immediate holes.  Hence, for the first time in years, we have more 4 year recruits than transfers, and they're spread out evenly among the offense and defense.  Depth is a concept that seemed entirely lost on Prince, as he had absolutely no idea how to foster a competitive environment.  He seemed to operate solely under the notion of Freeman is our King which led great Kansas players such as Ian Campbell and Marcus Watts to sadly twist in the wind and squander their tremendous potential.  Campbell and Watts weren't given the great gift of timing that Jordy Nelson had and it makes me sick to my stomach to think how different their futures are now.  /End rant.

Anyway... this signing class is exciting for multiple reasons, but let's start first with the specifics and then go to my handpicked standouts.  Of the 26 signed, 20 were high school seniors and 6 juco transfers.  11 for the defense, 13 for the offense and 2 free agents.  The offensive picks only include 3 linemen, which is troubling, and 5 wide receivers, which seems excessive for our style of offense.  Only one safety in the defensive class, which seems odd, but maybe that's a stylistic choice that I just don't understand.  Now on to my predictions for breakout stars in 2012:

Ellwood Clement & Tavon Rooks - Offensive Line

I'm hoping that Clement and Rooks can get in there and start producing immediately because the OL is making me crazy nervous.  We have BJ Finney at Center, a true Snyder prodigy and roomie of Colin's, which helps immensely.  He did his best to turn a bunch of lazy but talented seniors into a unit last year, despite injuries and lack of depth, and they were inconsistent at best.  They're going to need to be a lot stronger this year to get Rose, Hubert and Klein the snaps and variations that they need to spread out the offense and keep Klein healthy through this season.  The news broke this week that Foketi has left the team, which I don't think is a huge loss.  He was never as consistent as he was supposed to be last year, and never seemed to fully buy in to the family approach.  It's going to take a healthy and consistent unit to battle the Big 12's improved rush defenses this year, and they could be great assets.  Dickey has is work cut out for him this year.  We'll know very quickly if Finney really earned that Sophomore Captain status.

Kent Gainous - Safety

I need Gainous to be terrific.  I'm worried about our safeties and cornerbacks this year with the losses of Pearson, Hartman and Garrett.  They were all undervalued and only seemed to be mentioned when a play managed to slip past them.  They gave us a fighting chance all year long in close games and their spots were never highly contested.  I think we have a real lack of depth in those areas that everyone is too afraid to talk about and our pass defense could suffer greatly without them.  Gainous' name keeps popping up in preseason blogs, and I'm taking that as a positive.  My prediction?  If we win 10 games this year, Gainous will be a big part of it.

Chaquil Reed - Defensive Line

What a great name.  Sure fits in nicely with Meshak Williams and Javonta Boyd.  I think Reed and Wesley Hollingshed have a great chance of starting this year and filling the tremendous shoes of Ralph Guidry and Jordan Voelker.  I favor Reed a bit since he's a former teammate of our savior Arthur Brown.  Butler players sometimes have a harder time adjusting to the Snyder system, so here's hoping he puts in the work this summer and is fully conditioned before camp starts.  We need healthy new players with a high football IQ to keep the defense progressing under Hayes' system.  The wildcard with the defense is the new addition of Cox as Linebackers coach.  I'm sure Coach knows what he's doing but it still makes me nervous.  I'd like to see one these new guys make some serious waves during conference play to settle my nerves about our defensive future.

Steven West - Wide Receiver

We officially lost Brodrick Smith in the offseason, which isn't surprising but still hurts.  I don't know if it was academics or if he just didn't fit into the new family, but since his injury in 2010, he hasn't come out with the same fire.  He was a great target for us and had the speed and length to get free when Haper/Thompson/Lockett couldn't, and I think West will fill that hole nicely.  There's a ton of competition at WR this year, and it's possible that he'll redshirt, but I have a good feeling about him.  Probably means he'll redshirt, but hey, I can't be right all the time.

Marquez Clark - Wide Receiver

Steven West is the long shot, but Clark should definitely be in the mix this Fall.  The latest "roster" gives him a slight edge over Lockett, which is great news.  Now if the line will just hold up their pass protection and Smith can actually teach the receivers how to run the proper routes, we might have a bona fide deep threat this year.  Darnell McDonald, anyone?

Glenn Gronkowski - Fullback

He will almost 100% redshirt this year, but I would love nothing more than to see him mess some people up on special teams.  Gronkowski is, in my mind, Tim Riggins come to life, though I also picture him with a proclivity for fumbling.  No way he starts in place of Braden Wilson, and I hope he will be something special in years to come.  For now though, it's good to dream.

As usual, not much of note came out during Spring practices or the Spring game except that Snyder was a teensy bit happier/more optimistic than previous years.  A big chunk of the signing class weren't on campus in the Spring so there are still a lot of variables in play.  Camp reports should be exciting.  Stay tuned for more wildly speculative reporting from yours truly.

Idol does not become him

So Philip won Idol.  That's the 5th white guy with a guitar in a row.  It's okay though.  He done good.  He done so good that he gave up halfway through his coronation song and just wept, looked super awkward, and then walked off stage, looking like he was just voted off, and sought solace in the arms of his family.  His family did their best to shield him from his celebration and adoring fans, but those camera men are ninjas.  It took FOREVER for Idol to finally realize that the show was over.  A completely uncomfortable moment, courtesy of reality television.  Thanks, Idol.  For the millionth time, you remind us how little you care about your contestants and viewers.  But who am I kidding?  I'll watch next year.  It's got me, and it's got me for good.

 
The finale was mostly crazy, with too many women in catsuits and leg cutouts and dancing and non-singing and hollerating and poorly rehearsed medleys and bad duets.  Basically, the same as last year, only with Neil Diamond.  They did manage to make fun of Randy in a funny, clever, entertaining, good humored way.  It's shockingly good.  That's how low my expectations are for this ridiculously addictive terrible television show.  It just hurts so good.

Steven was excited about the victory, as Philip is the first Idol he's liked.  It took almost 5 years, but Steven has finally admitted his deepest darkest guilty pleasure.  He loves frat rock.  He hid it under the layers of Joanna Newsom and Adam Green and Bjork, but secretly, his heart beats for OAR and 311 and DMB, just like everyone else.  Oh, and Carly Rae Jepsen.  He literally can't hold a conversation with me if that song is on the radio.  He's adorable.

Idol is about a million times more entertaining if you also follow the recaps.  I discover new ones every year, and they're always terrific.  It's such a huge ratings monster that all the major publications have to cover it, but they still operate on such a silly and cheap scale (Randy Jackson, terrible set pieces, vague "themes", same songs over and over) that there is plenty for the critical and articulate recapper to eviscerate.  My favorites are Annie Barrett at EW, Jay Caspian Kang at Grantland, Dave Holmes at Vulture and Michael Slezak's web series Idology at TVLine.  It's the real reason Steven still watches the non-Philip parts of the show with me.

In my mind, Joshua won after this performance in top 5 week.  So let's just pretend this was the coronation song and go to bed happy.  Take it away, sweet little Ledet.

I'll probably sneak some more Idol videos in via links throughout summer blog posts, but this is my last Idol-centric blog post of 2012.  Thanks and you're welcome.  Miller - out.

Idol and music and videos and blogging!

I haven't posted about Idol this year.  That. is. tragic.  My favorite got third, as usual.  He's amazing.  Proof:

The final two this year are Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips.  Jessica is classic Idol (huge voice, tiny person), Phillip is new age Idol (harmless cutie pie white guy).  The show desperately needs balladeer Jessica to win, but Phillip is on a hot streak right now.  Proof:

And he was definitely the best tonight.  Much like Jessica's "save" earlier this season, I say the producers call it in Jessica's favor to save face and give the top 5 record deals.  The stakes really aren't that high on the 12th go-round.  Everyone wins at this stage.

It is nice to see that my music is finally becoming mainstream.  I don't mean that to sound like that Cake song, just that I like that whiny, quiet, singer/songwriter music is now found on Top 40 radio.  Thanks, Adele.

Speaking of awesome music, let's share some more videos, yes?  How about California hipster rock group Dawes?  Yummy.

Or did you know that Regina has a new album coming out next Tuesday?  You can stream her album for free on NPR all week. 

If you follow me on Twitter (ksusue) then you love me and know how much I love last year's 3rd place Idol finisher, Haley Reinhart.  Seriously, buy the album and Listen Up!.

 

Last but not least, this song is getting me through the long summer workdays.  I love my job, but I love my husband more.  As it should be. 

Happy listening!  Remember to laugh and watch more TV.  Always.