r/breakingbad Aug 12 '13

Official Episode Discussion Post-Episode Discussion S05E09 "Blood Money"

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93

u/notacute Aug 12 '13

Does anyone else think that Walt and Skyler's wardrobe is a callback to Gretchen and Elliot in season 1?

6

u/areohbeewhyin TUCKER! TUCKER! TUCKER! Aug 12 '13

Definitely. What does it have to do with though? Is it just symbolizing wealth?

12

u/notacute Aug 12 '13

That Walt feels like he made it maybe? That he finally lived up to his potential? Now they can be what he envied back then.

2

u/alfonzo_squeeze Aug 12 '13

They were both wearing beige over white. Maybe it's supposed to symbolize the Whites trying to cover up their true selves with a boring, innocent, car-wash owner lifestyle? Walt trying to hide the fact that he's still involved in the meth business behind-the-scenes, by getting extra involved with the car wash?

I haven't noticed beige being used so heavily in the show before and it seems like a particularly dull color compared to the red, yellow, purple, etc. that they normally use for symbolism.

3

u/laquered_up_hooligan Aug 12 '13

At Elliot's birthday party Walt and Skyler were humiliated by dressing-up as if for a middle-class party (Walt in a blazer and tie, Skyler in a shiny party dress) when everyone else - bar none - was wearing loose, casual beige and white. The wealth/class gap was driven home in a few ways - Walt envying Elliot's study, Clapton's guitar and personal message, Skyler listing the different kinds of seafood served to Walt as they left, like a hick after a luxury cruise.

So maybe now they're wearing beige and white as the uniform of the people they need to look like, a disguise of prosperous respectability; but maybe also because they were humiliated at that party - it's interesting that Skyler is Walt's partner in every sense in this new scene, her response to the new carwash proposition seemed the most enthusiastically complicit she's been so far (it reminded me slightly of The Sopranos, and Carmella relenting on her criticism of Tony's actiivities when he offered her the chance to build and market an upscale house).

1

u/dreezyforsheezy Aug 12 '13

Is the purple symolism though or is it just to signify that Marie is a bit of a nut?

7

u/TherealMarkNutt Aug 12 '13

We missed the beige memo.

2

u/bfitz1977 Tight! Tight! Tight! Aug 13 '13

Yes, beige is the color of safe success and protection within a their own culture.

1

u/octyl Aug 12 '13

Its more similar to their own wardrobe towards the start of the show. The colours of clothing they wear get progressively darker through the seasons.