When Vince Gilligan pitched Breaking Bad to AMC, he reportedly described the show's entire arc in one sentence: he wanted to take Mr. Chips and turn him into Scarface. It's a strange comparison on its face. Mr. Chips is the gentle, beloved schoolteacher from the 1934 novel Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Scarface is Tony Montana, a … Continue reading The Evolution of Walter White: From Mr. Chips to Scarface
Character Study
Rewatching Smallville – Episode 115
Welcome back to Rewatching Smallville, my weekly dive into the iconic series that explores Clark Kent’s journey before becoming Superman. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the show, you’re invited to join in each Tuesday as I revisit episodes and share my thoughts and observations. Be sure to share your own memories and … Continue reading Rewatching Smallville – Episode 115
The Character Couch – Worf
Pull up a chair. Today's guest arrived early, sat down without being asked, and has already informed me twice that this entire exercise is beneath a warrior's dignity. He's still here. That tells you almost everything you need to know about him before he says another word. Worf is a strange case for the Couch, … Continue reading The Character Couch – Worf
The Character Couch – Anakin Skywalker
Pull up a chair. Today's guest arrives in a full-body respirator, which is going to make the active listening portion of this session a little difficult, but we'll manage. Anakin Skywalker is one of the strangest cases the Couch has ever taken on, because he's not really one patient. He's two. There's the nine-year-old slave … Continue reading The Character Couch – Anakin Skywalker
The Character Couch – Eleanor Shellstrop
Welcome back to The Character Couch, where we dust off our amateur psychology credentials and spend some quality time with fictional people who absolutely could have benefited from a real therapist at some point. Today's subject shuffled in a little late, made a joke about the waiting room being a trap, and spent the first … Continue reading The Character Couch – Eleanor Shellstrop
The Weight of Silver
The trail went cold three miles outside of Ashby, and Lewis Hale was bleeding again. He pressed two fingers against the gash on his forearm — a hunting knife, close call, closer than he'd had in years — and kept moving through the pine forest at a pace that would have broken a younger man. … Continue reading The Weight of Silver
The Character Couch – Travis Bickle
Welcome back to The Character Couch, where we put on our amateur psychology hats and spend some quality time with characters who probably could have used a real therapist at some point along the way. Today's subject arrived at the office alone, at night, and spent the first ten minutes of our session staring at … Continue reading The Character Couch – Travis Bickle
The Character Couch – Mike Hanlon
Welcome to another exciting edition of The Character Couch! This is that section of The Confusing Middle where we take a look at well-known movie characters and examine them from a psychological point of view. What makes them tick? Grab some popcorn because today we're going to dive into the psyche of the steadfast guardian … Continue reading The Character Couch – Mike Hanlon
The Character Couch – Wade Wilson
Welcome to another exciting edition of The Character Couch! This is that section of The Confusing Middle where we take a look at well-known movie characters and examine them from a psychological point of view. What makes them tick? Grab some popcorn because today we're going to dive into the psyche of the Merc with … Continue reading The Character Couch – Wade Wilson
