Before The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson Divided Audiences With A Breaking Bad Episode
In the new Scream movie, the most polarizing sequel in the in-universe Stab franchise is attributed to “the Knives Out guy.” This is a knowing nod to Rian Johnson, whose Star Wars sequel The Last Jedi notoriously divided the fan base back in 2017. Some Star Wars fans consider The Last Jedi to be a masterpiece, while others consider it to be the low point of the saga. Johnson’s radical deconstruction of franchise tradition – namely the unusually bitter characterization of Luke Skywalker (and Leia’s “Mary Poppins in space” moment) – was bound to have a divided reaction from the audience.
This wasn’t Johnson’s first experience with a polarized fan base. Seven years earlier, he directed an episode of Breaking Bad that split fans’ opinions down the middle. Season 3’s “Fly” – the first of three Breaking Bad episodes helmed by Johnson – is one of the most controversial installments in the near-flawless run of Vince Gilligan’s iconic crime drama. There are many fans who enjoy “Fly,” but it has a reputation as one of the show’s most-hated episodes.
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“Fly” is a classic example of a “bottle episode.” When a season of a TV show is close to going over its budget, the writers will come up with a “bottle episode” designed to cut down on costs with limited cast members and locations. In “Fly,” Walt delays a day’s work because a housefly has made its way into the meth lab and it could contaminate the cook. So, he and Jesse spend an entire day trying to kill a fly. Some fans and critics decried the episode’s lack of action, story progression, and major characters besides Walt and Jesse, but others consider it to be one of the greatest episodes of the series.
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