text:
SPOILER ALERT: This piece is meant for viewers who have seen the previous night's episode. If it's still chilling on your DVR, abort now.
WASHINGTON - WTOP is counting down the final eight episodes of AMC's "Breaking Bad" with an in-depth look at the show's hidden meanings, story elements and directing techniques.
For those of you who are caught up - and I mean caught up, addicted, obsessed - here are some brief observations from each night's episode:
Saying Goodbye
In case you're having "Breaking Bad" withdrawal, check out this pair of YouTube gems.
The first recaps the entire series by spoofing REM's "It's the End of the World As We Know It."
Viewer beware: there is some foul language.
This second video splices clips from the show to R. Kelly's "Ignition (Remix)."
Someone has a lot of free time, but we are eternally grateful.
Season 5, Episode 16: "Felina," Series Finale
Well there you have it, folks. The series finale of "Breaking Bad" was decidedly more tidy than "The Sopranos," which I still insist was less open-ended than most people think (see more below). But even if the "Breaking Bad" finale was safer, fans are guaranteed to wake up happier. Creator Vince Gilligan tied up all the loose ends in a way that was fitting, fatalistic and bittersweet.
Before our final analysis, check out this goosebump-inducing promo:
The Drug Money: It appeared Elliott and Gretchen's interview with Charlie Rose in Episode 15 would be their final appearance in a sort of "Gray Matter" spark for Heisenberg's rampage. But I was absolutely thrilled that the Schwartzes factored back into the finale. It was a writer's stroke of brilliance to have Walt leave them his money at gunpoint, with instructions to give it to his children in the form of an endowment. Not only was it the only way that Flynn would have accepted his father's drug money, it also gave Walt the last laugh against his manipulative former business partners. The whole reason Walt was in the "empire business" in the first place was because of "Gray Matter." Schwartz is another word for black; Walt's last name is White; and "gray matter" is somewhere in the middle. The idea is that all good characters -- especially anti-heroes -- have a light side and a dark side. In essence, we are all gray matter, able to break bad or break good depending on our choices.
The pivotal confrontation required masterful direction, and Gilligan was up to the challenge, taking the reins for the final episode. The scene opened with an eerie shot of Walt sitting in the darkness deep in the background, as Elliott and Gretchen entered the front door. He's again shown watching through a doorway in a shot recalling John Carpenter's "Halloween" (1978). From there, we get a wideshot of Gretchen and Elliott in the kitchen to the left of the frame, as Walt stands out of their view to the right. This technique of allowing the audience to see what on-screen characters can't is very Hitchcockian, like Mr. Thorwald coming home without Grace Kelly knowing in "Rear Window" (1954) or Tippi Hedren not seeing the maid coming during her office heist in "Marnie" (1964). Finally, Gilligan gives us a shot from inside the fireplace looking out, just moments before Elliott and Gretchen realize Walt is there. The laser-scope snipers were the icing on the cake -- almost as brilliant as the comic relief of these "snipers" being Badger and Skinny Pete with laser pens. Indeed, the pen is mightier than the sword.
The Ricin: When this final season began, Lydia seemed the most obvious candidate for the ricin. You'll remember that Walt was poised to poison her early on, but decided against it. Since then, the filmmakers have consistently drawn attention to her tea bags and lipstick on the rim of cups. In the last week, I began wondering if Walt might ricin himself in a sacrificial suicidal act, but in the end, it was the right move to give it to Lydia. While I still think she was an anti-climatic foil compared to Gus Fring, the order of the drug villain deaths consistently moved up the chain of command, starting with the small-time druglord Tuco, crossing the border with The Cousins, moving higher up with Don Eladio, moving to a regional level with Declan, expanding more nationally with Gus, and ultimately claiming the life of the international ringleader Lydia, a demise signaled by Todd's posthumous ringtone. The last to die? The true mastermind? Heisenberg.
The Machine Gun: Walt's high-powered assault rifle was memorably set up in his trunk eight weeks ago. But no one could have foreseen its ultimate use with a remote control gadget. While this was the episode's biggest "suspension of disbelief" moment, it was badass enough for us to roll with it. The remote control gun answered two key questions: (A) How could Walt possibly take out the entire Neo-Nazi crew by himself, and (B) Will Walt use his brilliant mind one last time to outsmart his opponents, similar to his chemical explosion at the end of Season One? Unlike predictions involving the swimming pool, the answer came on a pool table, as Walt reached across for his car keys to hit the remote control button and let the bullets fly.
Hank/Marie: While we got plenty of closure from Walt's drug trade opponents, we also got closure with Walt's family members. Marie wore purple right down to the end, and while her appearance was brief this episode, we got to see her one last time looking out for her sister. More importantly, Walt gave Skyler the GPS coordinates of Hank and Gomez's burial plot, assuaging our concerns about the lovable Hank getting a proper burial.
Skyler/Flynn/Holly: To the delight of many viewers, Walt's family was spared. Todd's ski-mask threat to Skyler was ominous last episode. There was also the loose end of Marie daydreaming about poisoning Walt, which led me to worry she might somehow accidentally poison Skyler, Flynn or Holly. Instead, they were spared their lives. What fabulous directing from Gilligan in Walt and Skyler's final scene together, pushing in on Skyler in the kitchen to reveal Walt standing behind the pillar. As the scene unfolded, you could see Skyler's face reflected in the microwave, as smoke from her cigarette billowed up over her face. Best of all, she and Walt were visually divided by a pillar, showing their symbolic division until Walt finally tells Skyler the truth (unlike Michael Corleone). As Skyler says, "If I hear you say you did it for the family one more time," Walt cuts her off, admitting, "I did it for myself. It made me feel alive." What a powerful admission from a man dying of cancer. It was hard not to tear up as Walt bid his final goodbye to Holly in the crib, then watched Flynn from afar. While the series has made great use of music, this was a great example of letting silence tell the story. Well done.
Jesse's Escape: On the "Talking Bad" post-show, Gilligan said his final Walt/Jesse encounter was inspired by the ending of John Ford's western masterpiece "The Searchers" (1956), a movie we've referenced numerous times here in our weekly WTOP recaps. Just as Ford's legend grows, so does my respect for Gilligan. Jesse's escape scene had a number of nice touches -- Walt taking a bullet for Jesse, Jesse getting revenge for Andrea by strangling Todd and Walt shooting Todd's uncle -- money be damned. With bodies sprawled across the floor, Walt gives Jesse a chance to shoot him, but as soon as Jesse hears it's what Walt wants, he doesn't give him the satisfaction. Instead of a father-son embrace, Jesse gives a teary-eyed nod to Walt before he drives away, plowing through the compound gate and breaking free of this evil world with a chance to get back to "woodworking Jesse" (his last pure memory of applying himself). We're left to wonder what becomes of him. I'd like to think he becomes a father figure for Brock, starting fresh in New Zealand, where he and Jane planned to go.
Walt's Death: We all knew Walt had to die. He's been preparing for it for a while now. What we didn't know was how it would happen. We got the answer last night, with police cars riding up to the scene as Walt dies in the reflection of his crystal meth tank, with Badfinger's "Baby Blue" playing on the soundtrack, a nod to what Gilligan called Walt's "precious." The final shot of the camera craning up over Walt's body was both a callback to the crawl space episode, where he officially lost his soul, and a more literal visual of his spirit rising above his body after death. It was also eerily reminiscent of Scorsese's shot rising above DeNiro's carnage at the end of "Taxi Driver" (1976).
Art vs. Entertainment: Which brings us back to the notion of a tidy "Breaking Bad" ending compared to "The Sopranos," which is still top of mind for TV fans after the recent death of James Gandolfini. They're two completely different ways of wrapping up a television series -- the conclusive versus the ambiguous. One rewards viewers instantly in a more mainstream Hollywood route. The other challenges viewers to find deeper layers on repeat viewings -- a much more European approach.
"The Sopranos" was clearly the latter, causing some to throw their remotes when the screen cut to black. In hindsight, however, it's pretty damn conclusive that Tony was whacked if you consider five key elements: (a) The shot pattern between objective and subjective shots holds that it was Tony's POV when we cut to black; (b) the expertly timed Journey lyrics suggest "strangers searching in the night" as the gunman enters; (c) the symbolic dialogue by Tony's son tells him to "focus on the good times" while his soon-to-be killer is out of "focus" in the background; (d) our pop culture memory knows Al Pacino grabbed his gun from the bathroom in "The Godfather," a film referenced numerous times by the "Sopranos" mafia; (e) the restaurant blocking suggests Meadow should have been sitting next to Tony, impeding the gunman's path, but arrived late and likely watched her own father's murder.
When the WGA recently ranked "The Sopranos" the best written show of all time, "Breaking Bad" fans hoped their show would rise the ranks higher than No. 13. Based on the strength of the two-part final season, I have a feeling it could one day crack the top ten, but will it take a hit for taking a tidy way out in the finale? Maybe. But that shouldn't cause us to forget that "Breaking Bad" was an overall brilliant television series. The show has proven it's still possible to beautifully straddle the line between art and entertainment. Too many shows/films choose one or the other -- when really it's a false choice. As Jesse says during the pilot, "This ain't chemistry. This is art. Cooking is art, and the sh*t I cook is the bomb," to which Walt replies, "The sh*t you cook is sh*t. I saw your set-up: ridiculous. You and I will not make garbage. We will produce a chemically pure and stable product that performs as advertised."
Indeed, the setup was ridiculous. A nerdy chemistry teacher who becomes a methamphetamine kingpin. But somehow, Gilligan and team managed to create a stable television product that performed as advertised for six great seasons. They did not make garbage. The show was chemically pure. It was art and the bomb at the same time. We're gonna miss you, W.W.
Season 5, Episode 15: "Granite State"
Fitting Sendoff: How fitting that the very night this week's episode aired, "Breaking Bad" won its first Emmy for Best Drama Series. The show has seen great success in other categories in the past -- Bryan Cranston has won three Emmys for Lead Actor (Drama), Aaron Paul has won two for Supporting Actor (Drama) and editor Lynne Willingham has won two Emmys -- but it repeatedly lost the top prize to "Mad Men" and last year to "Homeland." Finally, the series is top dog in 2013, with Anna Gunn winning Best Supporting Actress (Drama) for good measure. It was great to see Dean Norris hugging the show's creator Vince Gilligan, who had just killed off his character, and Cranston, Gunn and Paul embracing, despite their recent on-show feuds.
Calm Before the Storm: It was virtually impossible to top last week's episode with Hank's death, Jesse's discovery about Jane, Flynn's fatherly epiphany and Walt and Skyler's knife showdown. Instead, this week's episode felt like a setup for the grand finale next week. There were jolts and gasps for sure: masked men threatening Skyler inside her own home; Jesse trying to escape his pit like "The Dark Knight Rises"; and Todd's murder of Andrea, where Jesse's Gale Boetticher sins come to revisit his loved one on a front porch. But overall, "Granite State" served as a transitional episode.
Vince Gilligan and team needed to show certain "procedural" things in order for the finale to unfold properly: moving Walt into "unofficial" witness protection as Mr. Lambert; giving Saul Goodman an alternate identity in Nebraska; allowing Skyler to hash out legal matters with a roomful of detectives; keeping Jesse trapped in his meth jail pit; and continuing Todd's attempts to woo Lydia, both sexually and professionally. This may have been a letdown for fans who crave fast- paced, drug-infused action, but we almost needed that release after last week. Have no fear. It's just the calm before the storm.
Bittersweet Sympathy: As we suspected, Walt's wiretapped phone call to Skyler was an intentional move to take all the blame and give Skyler plausible deniability in his meth empire. Saul reveals this by telling Walt, "The phone call was a smart move. Kudos to you. Odds are it was recorded. It's going to play great for a jury. It might even buy her a mistrial." More importantly, it buys Walt sympathy with viewers as he tries (and fails) to make amends with Flynn, then realizes his wedding ring no longer fits. He's forced to tie the ring around his neck like a necklace -- or a noose -- and by the end is so lonely that he pays Saul's contact $10,000 just to stay and play cards with him for an hour in the cabin.
Cinema Echoes: There was a scene in Walt's New Hampshire cabin where Saul's contact says, "I'm not much of a movie guy." But anyone who knows their movie history will realize the irony. The comment comes directly after Walt was smuggled inside a tanker truck, a la James Cagney in "White Heat" (1949), and directly before Walt's trudge through the snow like Warren Beatty in "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971). This doesn't bode well for Walt, as both characters met grisly ends as the ill-fated protagonists of their gangster and western genres. This episode also had several other movie references, from Skyler smoking in the darkness of her home like Barbara Stanwyck in "Double Indemnity" (1944), to Jesse trapped in a "Silence of the Lambs" pit, with Todd lowering a bucket like Buffalo Bill and Jesse picking the lock of his handcuffs like Hannibal Lecter.
Directing Techniques: Like every episode of "Breaking Bad," there are plenty of directing choices to admire. The series has come full circle, using blurred audio to show Skyler's distracted psyche during her interrogation, just like Walt's blurred audio during his cancer diagnosis in the pilot episode. Note also the camera craning down "through" the floor of the vacuum cleaner shop to find Walt and Saul in their underground hideout -- a move pioneered by Orson Welles in "Citizen Kane" (1941). There also are shots with the camera in unique places, such as inside the wood stove looking out. Best of all, there's the closeup of the back of Walt's head as he dons his Heisenberg hat one final time.
Cliffhangers/Predictions: We're there, ladies and gentlemen. The final cliffhanger of the series. And there was a tangible feeling of finality to the end of this episode. Having already been told, "If you leave this place, you will get caught," we know Walt is headed for destruction. But he's not going out easy. As the camera zeroed in on Walt's half-empty shot glass, Dave Porter's "Breaking Bad" theme played hauntingly on the soundtrack. It was the first time (to my knowledge) that the theme has played anytime other than the opening credits, signaling a sort of crescendo to the series. And to the writers' credit, they return to the original source of his desire to be in the "empire business." In a Charlie Rose TV interview, Elliot and Gretchen Schwartz deny Walt credit for their Gray Matter company and insist his transformation is complete, "I can't speak to this Heisenberg, whatever he became, but the sweet, kind, brilliant man we once knew long ago, he's gone."
Walt is now on a death march. He's less Tony Montana battening down the hatches and more William Holden leading Borgnine and the boys on a one-way trip to face Mapache in "The Wild Bunch" (1969). The fact that Walt's actual son (Flynn) told him to "go ahead and die" suggests Walt only has one "son" left: Jesse. Expect Heisenberg to go into Todd's compound, guns blazing, killing Todd, Lydia and the Neo-Nazi gang, while accidentally destroying the very drug money he sought to save, echoing the end of "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948) where the gold dust vanishes in the wind.
Walt will say he's going into the compound to get his money back; but deep down, he wants to save Jesse. I predict the two will have a final showdown, guns drawn, neither able to pull the trigger, with tears in their eyes and love in their hearts, only for Walt to take the ricin in a suicidal act, as Jesse starts fresh in New Zealand like he once promised Jane -- perhaps as a father figure to Brock?
Depending how twisted the writers are, Skyler and Flynn could meet a gruesome fate. Remember, as Walt and Flynn watched "Scarface" (1983) in an earlier episode, Flynn laughs, "Man, everyone dies in this!" Was this foreshadowing? Was Todd's ski-mask warning more than an empty threat? If Skyler and Flynn are in fact killed, expect it to happen in the backyard swimming pool. Gilligan has been setting this up for a while, from Flynn puking in the pool, to Skyler taking a catatonic walk into the deep end. Were these signs of their final resting place? And if so, maybe Marie gets custody of Holly after all?
Of course, all this is just a guess. Vince Gilligan usually has something else up his sleeve.
What do you think will happen?
Season 5, Episode 14: "Ozymandias"
When we look back on the entirety of "Breaking Bad" in a few years, I have a feeling we'll remember Season 5, Episode 14 as one of the most memorable. Not only were the directing choices clever and the performances powerful, the writing tied up so many key loose ends.
Tying Loose Ends: A number of fuses have been burning for a while that finally exploded this episode. Walt's sins have finally visited upon his own family with Hank's death, foreshadowed brilliantly in Episode 13 and executed flawlessly in Episode 14. Gomez is a goner. Marie is a widow. Flynn is finally clued in on his parent's dirty deeds, tossing aside his crutches to protect a mother against a father he's falsely sided with all along. We've also learned just how much drug money Walt has saved: $80 million. And most shocking, Walt has finally revealed to Jesse that he was the one who killed Jane, lighting a new fuse that will likely lead to a final showdown between Walt and Jesse.
Power Performances: Dean Norris went out in style with his own moral code, a touch of colorful language and a reminder of just how much Hank's character has grown since the jock of Season One. Bryan Cranston convinced us that his world came crashing down as Walter White crumpled to the ground, then channeled his inner Heisenberg with a severe turn to the dark side, only to offer a glimpse of hope (more in a minute). Betsy Brandt has miraculously made the once-kleptomaniac Marie sympathetic, switching from purple to a widow's black to say, "Everything changes now."
RJ Mitte stepped up and delivered Flynn's disbelief after having his world shattered, a realization that was a long time coming. And Anna Gunn stole the show, trembling with so much riding on three words - "Where is Hank?" - then grabbing a kitchen knife to face down the monster, dropping to her knees in their suburban street, covered in her husband's blood, screaming for her stolen child.
Directing Choices: This Skyler-Walt showdown was foreshadowed in the episode's opening flashback. Active viewers should have noticed the low-angle shot of the kitchen knives early on, as Walt called Skyler to make a drug-related lie and Skyler suggested naming their daughter Holly. This comes to fruition when we return to the present day, repeating the same shot of the kitchen knives and the telephone, a reminder of the fate that existed the minute Walt started cooking.
The knife foreshadowing was just one of the many clever shots this episode. Note Skyler with the vertical jail-bar window blinds behind her as Marie says Hank arrested Walt. The low angle of Hank's dead body being dragged screen left, revealing Walt in the background, visually implicating him in Hank's death. The shot through a bullet-riddled car window like the last shot of "Bonnie and Clyde." Walt turning his rearview mirror on the exact spot where Hank was killed. And, best of all, the extreme wideshot of the desert, as Walt, Jesse and their RV dissolve away, only for the Hank/Gomez shootout to dissolve back into the frame. This technique drives home the notion of fate, that the world exists independently of these characters, although the shot was sadly broken up by a commercial break.
Soundtrack: "Breaking Bad" has always been adept at layering its images with memorable song choices, and this episode was no exception. I loved the whistling tune as Walt rolls his money barrel across the desert like a tumbling tumbleweed: "Say goodbye to everyone, had a job a year ago, had a little home, now I've got no place to go, guess I'll have to roam." It instantly recalled "The Searchers" theme by Roy Rogers & The Sons of the Pioneers: "What makes a man to wander? What makes a man to roam? What makes a man leave bed and board and turn his back on home?" Blending the gangster and western genres, "Breaking Bad" has transformed Walt into an anti-hero drifter.
M.I.A. Perhaps the biggest feat was that such a compelling episode was done *without* Saul Goodman. Perhaps Bob Odenkirk was resting up for his AMC spinoff show, which is being billed as a prequel so as to not spoil Saul's fate in the final two episodes of "Breaking Bad." But Saul wasn't the only one missing. Lydia was notably absent. One has to think she'll make an appearance in Todd's bizarre "Buffalo Bill" lair, where Jesse is chained to a wire and forced to cook meth while staring at a photo of Brock and Andrea. At first I wondered why Todd would need to keep Jesse cooking when his uncle's crew just made off with $70 million of Walt's money. The answer must be Lydia.
Cliffhangers/Predictions: Jesse's capture leads me to believe that Walt will go guns blazing into Todd's lair. Of course, Walt appears to despise Jesse at the moment, but the machine gun in the back of his trunk must be used for something. Will he muster up a father-figure forgiveness for Jesse, leading to a final one-on-one encounter? We may have gotten a hint at Walt's soft spot in his phone call with Skyler, as police listen in. When you first watch the scene, it appears Walt is a raging lunatic, venting his frustrations at his wife. But when you watch it again, you start to wonder: did Walt purposely implicate himself to save Skyler's skin? Did he just sacrifice himself by falling on the sword? And did Skyler catch on halfway through the conversation, playing along?
One thing feels increasingly certain: Walt's days are numbered. As he rides into the distance - and a stray dog crosses the street - we assume Walt will die a lowly death among the dogs like Michael Corleone in "The Godfather Part III." How will this happen? The machine-gun in Walt's trunk? A suicidal dose of the ricin? The cancer cough that's bound to return? We're on the homestretch.
Jimmy Fallon's "Joking Bad"
In case you missed it, here's Jimmy Fallon's clever spoof of "Breaking Bad."
Season 5, Episode 13: "To'hajiilee"
Best Line: Each episode seems to bring a Tweetable hashtag. This time it was #flushhimout. This, of course, comes from Walt's line about Jesse: "I don't know where he is, but I know how to flush him out." The "flushing out" is indicative of the episode's biggest strength: the one up-manship between (a) Walt and (b) Hank/Jesse, who have formed quite the clever team.
Chess Match: This one up-manship begins where the last episode ended: Walt ordering Todd's uncle to kill Jesse. It continues as Walt pays a visit to Brock and Andrea in an attempt to lure Jesse to his death. Hank returns serve by intercepting the voicemail and using a slab of bloody meat -- and Jesse's "playing dead" impression -- to take a photo that suggests Jesse's brains have been blown out all over the kitchen floor. Similarly, Hank takes another fake photo of what appears to be Walt's money barrels uncovered, luring Walt to the very spot where they're buried. In a stroke of genius, the chess match between Walt and Hank ultimately ends with neither of them being able to control the situation: the outside force of Todd's crew rolling up for a shootout.
Best Shot: As you can see from Hank's cellphone photos, carefully constructed images can be used to manipulate audiences. The same goes for the filmmakers of "Breaking Bad." Once again, there are cool gimmicky shots, opening with a shot from the meth's perspective as Lydia and company inspect its lack of "blueness," and later looking up from the kitchen floor as Hank drops the slab of meat, appearing to stick to the camera lens. Still, my favorite shot is a bit of symbolic "mise-en-scene," a fancy French word to describe all elements in the frame. It comes as Walt gets a phone call. Instead of a standard shot, we see him through the vertical blinds of the car wash window. This creates an illusion of "jail bars," foreshadowing his ultimate arrest at the end of the episode.
Pop Culture Awareness: One of the great treats of "Breaking Bad" is looking for the references to other great works of TV and cinema, from Don Eladio (Steven Bauer) dying in a swimming pool. (In "Scarface," he played the buddy of Tony Montana, who dies in a pool), to the oranges falling when Ted Beneke breaks his neck. In "The Godfather," oranges often signal death). Episode 13 was no exception. The desert showdown was an orgy of western and gangster references. When Walt calls Jesse a coward, he might as well be calling him a "dirty, double-crossin' rat" like Cagney in "Blonde Crazy" (1931) or calling Hank a "copper" like Cagney in White Heat" (1949). When Todd's crew asks Hank and Gomez to show their (stinkin') badges, it might as well be Bogart in "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948). And the fact that Walt & Jesse's drug journey begins and ends in the same desert spot was eerily reminiscent of "High Sierra" (1941), which begins and ends with Mount Whitney, where Bogart "rushes toward death."
Full Circle: Many great works -- particularly in the crime genre -- have a circular effect, where a fatalistic force leads the gangster to meet his tragic end. Thus, "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan is brilliant to have Walt and Jesse's showdown happen in the same exact desert spot where the duo first cooked meth together. As Walt sits behind the rock, gun in hand, peering out at Jesse, Hank and Gomez, you'll notice it's the same spot where Jesse appeared at the beginning of the series. Walt asked, "Do you see anything?" Jesse replied, "Nah, just a bunch of cows." The fact that it comes full circle both heightens the latest episode, and makes the early episodes richer upon repeat viewings.
Cliffhangers/Predictions: The episode-ending shootout between Hank/Gomez and Todd's crew, as Jesse reaches for the door handle and Walt cowers in the backseat, will go down as one of the most thrilling cliffhangers of the entire series. The cut to black likely had folks screaming at the TV -- in a good way. It certainly appears that Hank is done, due to his ominous final phone call with Marie, where she asks why there are brains in her trash can, and Hank saying he won't be home for a while. If that turns out to be their last conversation, what a bittersweet and fitting goodbye. What makes his potential demise so beautiful is that he is allowed to taste momentary victory before the rug is pulled out. Gilligan and company allow Hank the pleasure of outsmarting Walt, handcuffing him and reading him his Miranda rights. So even if it's time for this awesome character to go, we at least feel the closure of Hank finally getting his day in the sun -- even if it's his last.
Season Five, Episode 12: "Rabid Dog"
Coolest Shot: "Breaking Bad" directors love to place the camera where human eyes normally wouldn't go. In this episode, we are placed everywhere from inside the ice machine, to inside the blue suction hose cleaning up Walt's gas-soaked carpet. These shots are indeed flashy, but my favorite shot of the episode was much simpler. Did you notice the episode opened with a shot of a fire hydrant? And Walt's car pulling *in front* of that hydrant, blocking it from view? Right there, in the opening shot, observant viewers would have known the outcome: Jesse will not burn down Walt's house, because visually, Walt's car has rendered the hydrant useless.
Shows like "Breaking Bad" -- and others like "Mad Men" -- are finally asking we, the viewers, to study the images not only for entertainment, but also for meaning in the great tradition of history's best filmmakers. It's a call for us to look closer and think deeper.
Biggest Surprise: While I fully expected someone to interrupt Jesse's arson attempt, I was wrong in my prediction that it would be Flynn. While this would have set up a fascinating confrontation between Walt's two "sons," I was pleasantly surprised to see Hank barge in at the last second, gun drawn, to talk Jesse down. The exchange leads to something we haven't seen all season: Jesse and Hank aligned with Jesse sleeping at Hank and Marie's house, Jesse recording a counter confession video in their living room, and that great hallway shot of Marie asking Jesse whether he wants coffee.
Best Quote: The Jesse-Hank alignment also led to the best dramatic quote of the night: "You really want to burn him down? Let's do it together." Just like Episode 9 allowed us to tweet #treadlightly, this episode brought the hashtag #burnhimdown. Meanwhile, the funniest line of the night belonged to Saul Goodman, who showed Walt his battered face from Jesse's attack last episode. As Walt cringes in shock, Saul spits a bit of his trademark sarcasm: "Yeah but you gotta understand, deep down he loves me." What a great character Saul has become - a true writer's dream.
Light & Shadow: This same scene allows for some fascinating use of light and shadow to visually enhance the dialogue. As Saul suggests Jesse has become the titular "rabid dog" that needs to be put down like "Old Yeller," note that his entire face is cloaked in shadow. Walt is appalled, telling Saul, "Do not float that idea again." Thus, his face is half-lit, showing that part of him has "broken bad," but that part of him still wants to "break good" when it comes to Jesse ("Walt's ruthless. He'll do just about anything to protect his interests. I agree. Except when it comes to you. He cares about you. Can't you see?") This is how you visually tell a story, folks. Props to gaffer Steven Litecky and the grip and electric department, including Drew Louis of D.C.'s own American University.
Anything Goes: If one thing is certain from this shadow-filled car scene, we're in the "dark days" of this television series. Everybody's talking about whacking now. Saul suggests killing Jesse. Skyler wants to whack Jesse. ("We've come this far. What's one more?") Marie hints to her therapist that she wants to poison Walt. Hank is willing to sacrifice Jesse for a wiretap ("Pinkman gets killed, and we get it all on tape.") Jesse thinks Walt is trying to whack him (getting spooked by a harmless father waiting to pick up his daughter), so he threatens to go after Walt's family. And finally, Walt calls Todd saying he needs another favor from his uncle: presumably to kill Jesse.
Cliffhangers/Predictions: What did Jesse mean by hitting Walt "where he really lives?" Will Walt actually have Todd's uncle kill Jesse? Where is Lydia in this whole thing? And what's Hank's next move, now that Jesse has aborted his wiretap plan? My long-shot prediction: Marie will take matters into her own hands, attempting to poison Walt, but inadvertently poisoning Holly or Flynn, the very niece and nephew she's been trying to steal out of the White household.
And yet, such predictions are futile. While the situations seem oddly familiar - Walt lies straight to Skyler's face with a simple "no" like Pacino to Keaton in the final scene of "The Godfather" - but we have no way of predicting where it's going. This is the brilliance of the show's creator, Vince Gilligan, who fits Jesse's description of Walt in a warning to Hank and Gomez: "He is smarter than you. He is luckier than you. Whatever you think is supposed to happen, I'm telling you, the exact, reverse opposite of that is going to happen."
Season Five, Episode 11: "Confessions"
Best Scene: Jesse calls BS on Walt's suggestion that he run away with a new identity. After Walt's giant pitch, Jesse asks, "Will you stop working me for just 10 seconds?" The scene works so well because Jesse not only calls out Walt, but Walt has a moment where he gives Jesse a fatherly embrace.
Having begun the scene with a tarantula making a 90-degree turn toward Jesse, we as viewers wonder whether Walt will kill Jesse during this emotional embrace, just like Walter Neff did when he offed Phyllis Dietrichson in "Double Indemnity" (1944), or whether this is actually a true bonding moment between the two. Beautifully conceived. Beautifully written. Beautifully acted.
Worst Scene: The opening sequence where Todd describes the train robbery to his neo-Nazi henchmen. I'm so ready for the Todd-Lydia storyline to be done. At this point, they've taken a backseat to the more immediate family drama and are only sticking around as convenient warm body targets for Walt to go out in a final blaze of glory. The longer they stick around, the longer they feel like an anti-climatic end to the list of past drug villains: Gus, Declan, Tuco; The Cousins; Don Eladio; and even Hector Salamanca. Time for Todd and Lydia to take a trip to Belize, perhaps with ricin in the tea she so consistently drinks with lipstick on the rim.
Biggest Surprise: Walt's DVD confession. We were lead to believe that Hank's interrogation of Jesse would be the episode's namesake "Confessions," when in reality, Jesse gives up nothing on Walt. Instead, Walt conspires with Skyler to tape a false confession, wherein he pins all the blame on Hank, pretending it was he who forced him to cook meth. This video has a ripple effect where Marie must reveal to Hank that she allowed Walter and Skyler to pay for his medical treatment.
Best Line: This episode had no real gems like "tread lightly" or "take a trip to Belize." So instead, we'll have to go with Marie's impromptu line to Walt at the restaurant: "You have to kill yourself."
Coolest Shot: While the final shot of Jesse dousing the camera in gasoline is certainly creative, it's more of a trick shot. I prefer the symbolic to the gimmicky, so my vote for "coolest shot" came in the interrogation room, where the camera watched from a high angle through a metal grate. It may be slightly jarring to the viewer, but it creates the feeling of a Catholic confessional.
Cliffhangers/Predictions: Is Jesse the one who destroys Walt's home? Is he the one who writes "Heisenberg" on the wall, bringing us to where we were during the season premiere? Or does something stop him? I predict next week will open with Jesse about to torch the place, only for Flynn to enter and have a face-to-face with Jesse, who reveals the truth to Flynn. How fitting would it be for Walt's de-facto son (Jesse) to be the one to break the news to Walt's real son (Flynn)?
Season Five, Episode 10: "Buried"
- Once again, Vince Gilligan and team provide an amazing opening scene filled
with slow disclosure. An
old man leaves his home and starts his truck, only to find a wad of cash sitting
in his driveway. He notices
his next door neighbor has a wad of cash as well. He continues down the street to
find numerous cash
bundles and "follows the money" into a park, where a car has crashed with a whole
bag full of cash inside.
This, of course, is the "blood money" from the previous episode, and reminded me a
bit of Bill Paxton and
Billie Bob Thornton stumbling across the money in the crashed plane in "A Simple
Plan" (1998).
Immediately, we cut to a low-angle shot that reveals Jesse spinning around a
merry-go-round. From here,
we cut to the coolest shot of the entire episode: a high-angle looking down on the
rotating along with it. Cut to the opening credits. Boom. We're hooked.
- After this engaging opening, Jesse is absent for most of the episode. In
he has barely spoken the
past two episodes, wandering around in an almost catatonic state. This has allowed
Aaron Paul to
showcase his acting skills by "showing" rather than "telling." He must express his
thoughts via his face,
rather than hilarious "yo" dialogue. By the time Jesse returns at the end, we
appear to be on the cusp of a
major revelation from Jesse to Hank that could break the case wide open. Will he
rat out Walt?
- The comic relief worked much better this week, with Saul Goodman's two
lying on the
stack of money in the storage locker, Scrooge McDuck style. This pop culture laugh
is both shorter and
sweeter than last week's "Star Trek" rant by Badger and Skinny Pete. And it's used
to move the story
forward, as Saul's henchmen fetch the money for Walt and Saul to load into the
truck. This brings more
laughs at Saul's law office, as Saul not-so-casually suggests "sending Hank off to
Belize" just like Mike.
Walt sounds appalled, stressing that Hank is family. But then again, so was Fredo.
He was a brother, not a
brother-in-law. Luca Brasi may sleep with the fishes, but Hank may be en route to
- This week's episode featured two crucial desert sequences, employing the New
Mexico desert as an
equal character to any human in the story. The scene with Lydia in the underground
meth lab is expertly
crafted, as gunfire rings out above and bullet shells drop down into the lab
below. As Todd helps Lydia
back up to the surface, she covers her eyes to the carnage that we viewers are
allowed to see. The second
desert sequence is, of course, Walt burying the money. This features the episode's
second coolest shot,
where the camera is actually attached to one of the cash barrels, spinning
down into the pit as Walt buries it. The lens flares, covered-head wardrobe and
music combine to paint
Walt like his own form of "Lawrence of Arabia," sweltering in the desert sun,
perfectly setting up his
passing out from exhaustion as he returns home.
- The warning to "tread lightly" pays off in a big way as the various
learn of Walt's
transgressions. The scene between Hank and Skyler at the restaurant is powerful,
featuring competing
goals as Hank wants to get Skyler to confess on tape, while Skyler wants to flee
out of fear of
being arrested. This builds to an even more powerful scene between Skyler and
Marie, as the two sisters sit
on Skyler's bed. As Marie asks how far back Skyler knew about Walt's double life,
a teary-eyed Skyler can
barely speak. When Marie realizes her sister was hiding the secret *before* Hank
was shot by the cartel,
she realizes her own sister has put her husband's life in danger. This earns a
well-deserved slap to the
face and an intense tug-of-war with Skyler's baby, where viewers hold their
breath, worrying the child will
drop. The reason all this works so intensely is because the filmmakers have so
successfully built up all the
lies over past seasons. Now that the cat's out of the bag, we have a wave of
emotions to experience with
the very characters who were in the dark for so long.
Where will it go from here? A teaser photo from the post-show "Talking Bad" shows Walt and Skyler sitting at a Mexican restaurant. Their table has two empty chairs just waiting to be filled. It could very well be Flynn and their baby. But I'm salivating with the hope that it's Walt, Skyler, Hank and Marie, finally getting everything out in the open, speaking in hushed tones and constantly interrupted by the waiter. Could ricin enter the guacamole? Check please.
Season Five, Episode 9: "Blood Money"
- The opening was a textbook example of "Slow Disclosure," gradually revealing
new information
while posing new visual questions. We start off with skateboard wheels on what
appears to be a
skate park. What is this? A wideshot reveals it's actually the empty pool of Walt
and Skyler's
abandoned house. We then see a car pull up. Who's in the car? It's Walt, with
beard grown out. He
opens his trunk. What's inside? A machine gun. He enters the house. What does he
see? The word
"Heisenberg" spray painted on the wall. Why is Walt here? To retrieve ricin from
the electric socket.
Who does he intend to poison? This is the question we're left with as Walt
accidentally runs into his
neighbor. Her ghost-white face makes us wonder what Walt has done to invite such
terror. Cut to
the opening credits. Now *that's* slow disclosure.
- The show effectively answers last year's cliffhanger: Hank's discovery of
Walt's double life via
Gale Boetticher's "Leaves of Grass" book on Walt's toilet ("W.W." = Walter White).
The cat-and-
mouse between Walt and Hank is brilliantly executed. In a stylized directorial
approach, we linger
outside the bathroom door, then plunge inside Hank's head, as his vision blurs and
Marie's voice
fades (she still wears purple, by the way). We get some blatant audience hand-
holding as Hank
pieces together the mystery in his garage, but the montage serves to cover the
time lapse. A
chemo drip reveals that Walt's cancer is back with zero dialogue needed, and his
vomiting allows
him to discover the book is missing from his toilet. This leads to his discovery
of Hank's GPS
tracking device on his car. Rather than see Hank plant it, we're allowed to
discover it along with
Walt, adding to the surprise. This is the key: watching Walt and Hank interact,
without always
knowing how much the other knows.
- The supporting characters are each given time to shine, from Skyler telling
Lydia at the car
wash, to Saul Goodman offering his usual legal zingers. Badger and Skinny Pete
also are given a
comedy attempt with a "Star Trek" rant, but this flops as the weakest part of the
episode. As their
banter drags on, Jesse bails out of boredom -- like we wanted to do minutes
- Jesse appears almost catatonic the entire episode, showing his internal moral
conflict and his
desire to "break good." His Good Samaritan gestures show just how far his
character has come,
discarding blood money out his car window like a paperboy. Speaking of Jesse, did
you notice the
receptionist reading a travel magazine as Jesse waited for Saul? I have a hunch
this will
foreshadow Jeese's ultimate trip to New Zealand, as he once promised Jane.
- After years of build up, the climax between Walt and Hank does not
It's the fulfilling
culmination of Hank's ongoing quest to nab Heisenberg, and Walt's ongoing quest to
evade the
law. I would have preferred the episode to have ended with the image of the garage
door closing
(instead it closes seconds earlier), but the final line was both chilling and
instantly tweetable:
"Tread Lightly." Your move, Hank.
© 2013 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Rock speakers have become the go-to audio components for the outdoors. But there was something about them that didn't resonate with the owner of this spacious outdoor area. "It's a really open area with minimal landscape coverage to blend in rock speakers, and we didn't want to mar the stonework around the pool or the exterior of the house with traditional boxy outdoor speakers," says Kaloma Smith of Home Theater of Long Island (HTOLI), Manhasset, N.Y.
Familiar with the customization skills of Leon Speakers, Smith asked Leon director of marketing Ethan Kaplan to pay a visit to the residence when he happened to be in the area. After analyzing the area and the needs of the homeowner, Kaplan returned to company headquarters to retool its Boundary Series outdoor speakers so that they'd fit perfectly within the moldings along the house and poolhouse. Three different sizes were manufactured and the speaker housings tapered slightly and color-matched to the moldings.
Feeding the speakers is a rack of A/V equipment in dedicated home theater that HTOLI had designed and installed a couple of years ago for the family. "Even then, we knew that the family would eventually put in an outdoor system, so we made sure to run wire for it when we were doing the theater," says Smith. [The home was a bronze 2012 Electronic House Home of the Year winner.] The house had already been set up with a Savant home control system, so the homeowners can simply use the same mobile app on their iPads to access and control the music from the yard. HTOLI divided the backyard audio into 8 distinct listening zones, so that they can select a specific area to have music. "Unless they are having a big party, they usually won't activate all the zones," Smith says.
If you liked the outside of this home, go here for more pictures of the awesome A/V gear and automation inside.
Read here about an outdoor audio/video system that includes a 9-foot TV.
Follow Electronic House on Facebook and Twitter.
Check out our recommendations for the season's best new TVs for home theater, living room or anywhere.
Home automation system helps wounded war veteran live more comfortably.
Check out our recommendations for the season's best new TVs for home theater, living room or anywhere.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Writing Group
Wednesday November 20, 2013: 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
PORT WRITES. The group discusses their work and how to get it published. They meet on the fourth Wednesday of every month, except in November and December 2013, when they meet on the third Wednesdays. Facilitated by Michael Chaplan. 8 p.m.


text: NESCAFE CHAMPS 2012 SNOWBOARD - MUSIC - ART 1-4 MARCH 2012 in LEYSIN Switzerland Oldest snowboard competition in Europe. Part of the TTR World Snowboard Tour. Mythic slopestyle including a full Superpipe. The Place to Be features DJ, concerts and live art throughout the night. Check out this MUSIC trailer and discover the artists who will be at the Champs 2012.


text:
Big Meal, a new Japanese all-you-can-eat with table service
DH took us last night to a new all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant, Big Meal! It's in a space previously occupied by a short string of Japanese-themed failures (including Jade): 1883 McNicoll Ave., just west of Kennedy (Tel: 416-258-3333)
The dinner menu was a triptych of over 150 items, ranging from a good selection of sashimi, special dishes (baked scallops, red tuna, deep-fried prawn with quail egg), creative rolls, temaki and nigiri, cooked dishes (shrimp tempura, salmon belly, beef short ribs, beef-enoki mushroom rolls, garlic and beef cubes) and desserts (eg mango pudding, fried banana, sesame ice cream, fruit salad). For calorie-counters, there were also 4-5 nice salads (I had the mango salad, see picture). I haven't been to Ten-ichi in years but from what I remember, the menu is similar but much, much better.
Friday and Saturday evenings, dinner is currently about $23 and that includes unlimited non-alcoholic beverages. My 12yo son was very happy about that. He thinks that paying $2+ for soft drinks at Dragon Pearl and Wasabi is a rip-off.
The quality of the food was excellent. I know a lot of regular Japanese restaurants where the food is not as delicious or as fresh. Table service was very good and the décor was rather elegant. Tables were nicely spaced apart and there was no pressure to eat and run.
We're planning to host our annual family X'mas dinner at Big Meal. Now that I've written this review, I'd better go and confirm the booking before everyone else beats me to it!
Restaurants ( all Japanese cuisine but Chinese own and operated ) occupying this location must have changed hands at least three times within the past few years! Some of them even advertise on Fairchild Chinese TV but none of them managed to survive long due to the 'location'??!!
re: Charles Yu
It's a quiet spot with no other businesses open at night. The nearest 'big bldg' is a nursing home. Let's see if this one outlasts the others. Food-wise, it's already ahead of the game.
re: Charles Yu
I've been to a couple of the previous incarnations over the years. Inferior food with iffy service...no mystery at all why they would fail. I think the location can be quite good...all that's needed is a good restaurant. Who knows, maybe it will be the "Big Meal" (but could they have come up with a worse name for a Japanese restaurant!). Personally, not a fan of AYCE concepts, but this genre seem quite popular in the area, so wishing them the best.
re: T Long
i too agree with T Long. the service at the previous incarnation (nikada) was pretty bad when it got busy. i don't have high hopes for this new version as the location has been deadly. the pho place that opened beside didn't even last 2 months! it's been a carousel of restaurants for years and years. anyways thanks for the review Aleta, i'll be sure to drop by before it changes hands again lol!
re: blitz
Blitz, thanks for saying thanks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, hoping for the best and going back soon. I finally figured out how to upload pictures from my iPhone so they are linked below. Usually when I expect to eat well (as I do in Spain), I bring a proper camera.
T Long, I agree with you on the terrible name. It reminds me too much of the movie, "Big Night" with Stanley Tucci, which coincidentally is about a restaurant going downhill...
re: .alias
Red tuna, octopus and butterfish are indeed listed in the Sashimi section.
Why do you think your eyes are playing tricks on you?
re: .alias
There are many that offer sashimi actually. Aji Sai being one of them.
re: .alias
I think quite a few AYCE restaurants DO offer sashimi (eg Wasabi, Dragon Pearl et al) but quality is not great.
Went again last night with friends from Chicago and another couple whose husband is in the seafood trade. Multiple orders of butterfish, red tuna, salmon and sweet shrimp. Followed that with some made-to-order sushi and giant rolls (Usually I don't touch the sushi at AYCE places becuz it's disgusting). Chicago friends loved the crispy salmon skin temaki. DS was amazed at the quantity and quality of unagi in his 2 handrolls. I appreciated the bonito flakes billowing on top of his tofu karaage.
One friend went crazy and had 3 scoops of ice cream: black sesame, matcha and mango. I tried the mango pudding but didn't like it. The owner suggested that we try their homemade baked mochi cake. I didn't like that either. I'm very picky about mochi. The only mochis I'll eat are sakura mochi or yomogi mochi.
Looking forward to X'mas dinner... hope a good thing can last.
re: Aleta
I know that most ayce restaurants offer sashimi, but they are usually salmon, white tuna, red snapper, surf clams, etc. Most do not offer octopus, red tuna, or butter fish to my knowledge, in toronto anyways.
I think i'll give big meal a try soon. Is it right across from the community center?
re: jl_1978
You can get red tuna sashimi at Spoon & Fork and you are not limited to one slice.
re: jl_1978
Did you ask the waitress? I noticed the menu allowing 1 choice of the specials and asked the waitress for some clarification. She said we could have whatever we wanted. My son had multiple orders of the quail egg/prawn dish while we enjoyed the red tuna.
I'm sure that once the restaurant gets busy (or if you go later in the evening), they might have to follow the rules.
The entrance to the parking lot is on Midland, diagonally across from the Mon Sheong retirement centre. Southwest corner of Midland/Kennedy.
re: Aleta
I think you meant to say McNicoll Ave, not Midland Ave. Sounds like the "Big Meal" is trying to make a big splash opening. The trick will be to maintain the initial quality....here's hoping. Btw, down the road on McNicoll at Vic Park, a new Chinese restaurant named "Landmark" is coming soon (at the old Elegantview place).
re: T Long
Thanks, T Long, for the correction. Yes, McNicoll Ave. I often get lost in Scarborough.
re: loodle
Link to uncompleted website:
re: loodle
I DO have 1-2 pictures of the menu, which I took on my very first visit, BUT the restaurant asked me not to take any more pictures. Proprietary concerns etc. Therefore, I haven't posted them on CH. All I can say is that the menu is huge, most dishes are quite good and they are still lots of things I haven't gotten around to trying.... even after more than 6 visits in 1 month!
We had our family Christmas Dinner in 1 of the 2 private rooms on Dec 23. The place was pretty full that night, the service was a bit frantic (AYCE + table service = lots of work!) but the quality of the food was still good.
re: Aleta
That's interesting, they don't want their menu to be public? When their main competition has their menu and pricing online for everybody to see:
I wanted to ask, how does this place compare with Ten-Ichi? It used to be our "go-to" for AYCE until recently, as we've noticed quality and service have declined a lot over the last couple of years. By your description Big Meal appears to undercut Ten-Ichi by a buck or two but they are a bit out of the way.
re: TexSquared
I haven't been to Ten-Ichi in years. We used to be regulars until Wasabi opened. After some years of eating there (and still not being happy), I gave up on AYCE Japanese.
From what I remember of Ten-Ichi, Big Meal's selection of sashimi is much better (see descriptions and pictures in my post dated Nov 27) and sushi is definitely higher quality. Sorry to say but Ten-Ichi was one of the places where I refused to eat sushi...
Big Meal's prices, in relation to the selection and quality of food offered, are a huge bargain. Honestly, I don't know how long they can sustain this... I'm enjoying it while it lasts!
re: TexSquared
You're most welcome. All this talk of Japanese food before dinnertime did me in, LOL! Guess where we just went for dinner? :-) I was craving sushi so badly that I showed up before 5:30 pm, expecting to wait at the doors but it was open and people were already eating! When we left at 7 pm, the place was full. I didn't know but dinner service starts at 5 pm.
The manager told me before X'mas that they were going to run some ads. Apparently they did...
We were a party of three, and went on just this Monday afternoon (the boxing day). It was quite empty, we were the table left eating at the end..
Lunch AYCE (at $11.99) is quite good. The food quality is good. Stir fried udon is oily though, in fact, most cooked foods are on the oily side. And having had so much AYCE this past holiday season, I must say this one has one of the better sushi rices. Why would I rate on sushi RICE? Because if you can believe it -- some serve it WARM. Not only that, some serve regular white rice too.. shameful, I know. So this one was totally higher on the totem poll.. Quality of fish is good also. Portion size is awesome too -- you dont end up overeating just to finish the dish. Cooked fishes come in filets as opposed to whole fishes.
Beware not to sit near the window. We should have said something to move .. even with the shutters there, it was quite boiling warm!
As with any AYCE restaurant, go now as it's still new..
re: jennjen18
I agree with you regarding the high quality of the sushi. I used to live in Tokyo and I'm very spoiled when it comes to Japanese food in general. When I go to AYCE, or maybe I should say, IF I go to AYCE, I never, ever order sushi. It's usually bad rice, mashed together, soggy nori, poor quality fish. Big Meal is my one exception. The giant rolls, handrolls and regular nigiri are well-prepared.
Some of the smaller types of grilled fish ARE presented whole, not in filets. It depends on what you order.
One thing this place should get is a pre-printed carbon like ordering menu (like some of the chinese dim sum places) where you can just put qty beside item...."carboned" so I can check off as items are completed.
Several times i had to re-order a item because I didn't get it...I was a bit hesitant however to get something like 18 tempura shrimp (6 after each re-order that never came).
re: LUV_TO_EAT
I took some friends who are in the seafood business and they also made that comment about having a carbon copy. After the New Year rush, I'd like to sit down with the manager and go over a few suggestions, including yours. I have no commercial interest in this restaurant; I would just like to see them succeed where others (in the same location) have failed.
There are some basic staff training issues too. For example, I called one day to ask what time dinner service started and the guy who answered didn't seem to be sure! He said, "6 pm or maybe 5-ish". It was 4 pm at the time and I was in the neighbourhood. If I had had to wait 2 hrs, I would've gone home but for 1 hr, I would be able to kill time. In the end, I took my chances and went around 5: 20 pm. There was somebody already eating! They almost lost my business that night.
When it comes to Japanese food, I am kind of 'spoiled'. As such, I never pay much attention to AYCE Japanese postings. However, this constant raving of a 'Chinese operated' Japanese AYCE really caught my eyes. Tonight, out of sheer curiosity, my family decided to give it a try.
The verdict: As an AYCE, the menu is pretty varied and diversified, food quality was fairly good. However service was on the slow side with only two waitresses there to look after over 10 tables! All in all, the good balances out the bad!
Stand outs of the evening were the Steamed egg, Asparagus wrapped with beef, 'first round' of Tempura (when the oil was still fresh), tofu dishes and the Yakitoris.
Disappointments were the tasty but ' very oily' garlic shrimp skewer, the greasy and mushy octopus balls, the very gamey garlic beef cubes, very greasy and 'tiny' baked scallops and 'SOLD OUT' of sweet shrimps, eggplants and creme brulee dessert.
Sushi and sashimi selection was on the 'cheap' side, typical of AYCE offerings. Slightly more exotic ingredients like Ikura, Tako, Maguro...etc was restricted to only 'one choice' per person. Freshness was acceptable, considering its a Sunday. BTW, lots of rolls were available to attract and fill up the patrons fast!
A couple of things worth mentioning are that they actually use the more expensive tobiko rather than the cheaper Masago.and the Shari for the sushi was actually pretty well seasoned and nicely textured!
Overall, for people who love AYCE Japanese in Toronto, this is for sure one of the better establishment out there. However, for me, I'll stick with my Michi or Zen for better fish and seafood selection sushi/sashimi.
Attached are photos of a small selection of food ordered.
re: Charles Yu
unable to find website for this restaurant. Does anyone know pricing for weeknight dinner and if there is a senior discount? thx.
re: caitlink
Go to http://www.bigmeal.ca
Site is very incomplete but does have hours and pricing.
re: caitlink
Dinner: 5.00pm - 10.30pm
Monday to Thursday
Adult $20.99; Seniors (65 and over) $18.99
Dinner:: 5.00pm - 10.30pm
Friday - Sunday and Holiday
Adult$ $22.99, Seniors $20.99
re: Charles Yu
Thanks for 'coming down' and trying an AYCE, LOL! Your detailed report and comments will undoubtedly benefit both future patrons and the restaurant management.
I agree with your take on the takoyaki (octopus balls) but think you were rather harsh on the sushi and sashimi. Comparing Zen to Big Meal is like comparing a 2 star Michelin to a Bib Gourmand. To some extent, we get what we pay for and it's really not possible to compare a $23/per person dinner with a $40-$50 one.
re: TexSquared
When did they start serving steak at the Mandarin?.... the prime roast beef I had there many years ago was quite good. I thought Ruth's Chris was a rip-off.....
re: Aleta
Knowing it is an AYCE establishment, I was psychologically prepared for the quality and choice of the sushi/sashimi. As such, I was not 'harsh' in that respect. However, I was truly upset to see them restricting the slightly more exotic ingredients to only one per customer AND THEN to inform us they even SOLD OUT on those!! That was indeed like being promised a bit of Michelin star experience but giving us Bib Gourmand instead!
Sounds like the Japanese version of The Mandarin, of which we had many happy Toronto memories. My husband once asked me where I wanted to eat on my birthday and I said The Mandarin, so we went there, and we lived in Chicago. 48 hot Chinese entrees, a Canadian buffet with Prime Rib of Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, a salad bar with shrimp, a dessert bar, a waffle station, six kinds of soup and ten kinds of ice cream...they have a website with pictures BTW.
re: Querencia
I wouldn't describe it at all like the Japanese version of The Mandarin. First, The Mandarin is a buffet style ie serve-yourself place. Food is prepared and left for people to pick through. The sushi is extremely poor quality; little fish content and rice that has been pressed too hard into a gutball (wrong kind of rice too). Next time you visit Toronto, please try Dragon Pearl, Wasabi or one of many other AYCE Asian restaurants. I don't eat sushi at any of them but imho, the general food quality at The Mandarin is ....not great. The only thing these 2 restaurants have in common is probably their price.
Big Meal is a restaurant with table service. If you look at the pictures uploaded by CharlesYu and me, you'll see that food presentation is completely different. You don't have a plate that is piled up with an assortment of food from the hot and cold buffet tables. Each dish is made to order and served directly to you.
Hi kids!
I've been a few times now to Big Meal, and personally, I like it very much - very good quality sushi and sashimi for AYCE, nice variety of specialty dishes, and very friendly service with no line-up every time I've been there.
Contrary to the comments above, I've never found the place more than 3/4 full at dinner, and I've never had a lost or forgotten order from the charming (mom & daughters?) servers, thus far.
Matsuda had become my go-to place, and I do still like some of their unique dishes a lot (killer chicken satay skewers, great handrolls, fantastic 'golden shrimp', etc.) but Big Meal edges them out for quality of fish, some great 'specials' and for a more relaxed atmosphere.
Another goofy tip: if you're in the neighbourhood, check out Sushi 168 at Dufferin & Steeles just for fun. Largest menu of non-sushi items I've seen at an AYCE place, including some cantonese specialties, all of it decent for AYCE, and I can't help but love the uber-tacky decor that feels like a 1980's disco, including purple walls and flashing runner lights :-)
Tried this place for lunch on Sunday. Pricing is fair at $11.99/adult. Decor is kind of bland. Service was a bit slow (only 1 server on duty)...there was a total of 5 tables or 13 customers. The food was pretty good and there was a fair selection...our favourites were the fish roe sushi, ramen, shrimp tempura and deep-fried bananas. They serve canned pop (not the tasteless fountain pop). They also have non-AYCE options (bento boxes, soup noodles) that range from $6-9.
re: baby_tran
Did u not try any other sushi or the rolls? Usually we feast on salmon rose, eel sushi, roe sushi, spider rolls, etc.
Been meaning to try this place but surprise that you are not recommending the fish /sushi related items.
Still waiting for more positive reviews before I make a visit. In the meantime, sticking to Zen.
re: caitlink
I don't think its fair to compare quality and selection of Big Meal's sushi/sashimi with Zen!!
Its like comparing Toronto dim sum with Hong Kong dim sum!!
re: Charles Yu
Big Meal is close by and I've been meaning to try. But reviews still seem lukewarm. So I think I will spend my money somewhere else for now.
Also been meaning to try Tenichi as well. But most reviews mention how crowded it is. So staying away from AYCE for now.
re: caitlink
Take a look at this review (with photos) of Ten-Ichi and you might change your plans now and save yourself the trip:
Also read comments here and elsewhere about poor (and worsening) service. They were OK pre- AYCE, but that restaurant is way too small to handle AYCE effectively... Slow service and missed orders are frequent complaints (and then after ignoring you for awhile they try to kick you out so they can turn the table).
re: caitlink
You wrote, "Big Meal is close by and I've been meaning to try. But reviews still seem lukewarm." Lukewarm? I think not! I've been raving about it and eating there since my first post in November. For the price you pay, you really get a lot of high quality food. Lunch is truly a steal; what is the price of a hamburger meal at MacDonald's these days? Isn't it more than $8? So for a few dollars more, you get sushi, sashimi, salads, yaki dishes, shrimp tempura, beef rolls with asparagus or enoki mushrooms, free non-alcoholic drinks, dessert etc.
They should change the name of the restaurant from Big Meal to Big Steal. For once, it'll be the customers doing the stealing and NOT the restaurant!
If you haven't tried Tenichi yet (after all these years), you're not missing much. Tex Squared has provided you with detailed reasons to 'save yourself the trip'.
re: Aleta
Yeah, and I hope that Big Meal finally beats Ten-Ichi into submission, make them clean up their act. (and you're helping, thanks!)
The "drinks included" policy at Big Meal is unique, how many AYCE places in Toronto offer that? Mandarin bills for EVERY drink, no free refills. As does Ten-Ichi.
Given how bad their food and service are, anybody who still patronizes Ten-Ichi regularly belongs to the category of "sheeple".
re: TexSquared
"Sheeple"! I had never heard of this before. At first, I thought it was a Yiddish term that I didn't know, so I googled it. ha ha ha
Thanks for teaching me a new (and useful) word. I owe you dim sum at Elegant View. That's where I'd like to go this morning but friends have chosen the old Ruby. ho-hum. I don't even know what it's called these days.
re: Aleta
The Elegantview is long gone, replaced by a busy discount dim sum place named Landmark and the old Ruby's space has been taken over by a Scarborough member of the Regal chain....but you know that already if you went today. Btw, stop your constant praising of the Big Meal. Keep it up and it will be unbearably busy when I get around to going;)
re: T Long
There is such a plethora of Chinese restaurants in Toronto. To make matters worse, their English names are often quite similar. Your comment has spurred me to check online (thanks). Turns out I meant Elegant, on Hwy 7 east of McCowan.
I was stuck at the Regal chain member today. All through the meal, we were talking about Elegant! My aunt (who had chosen the Regal whatever-it's-called) commented that the food at Elegant was very high quality but a bit pricey. After several fantastic dinners there, I think I should search on this forum for previous threads. If there isn't one, I might start one about Elegant. Then you don't have to worry that Big Meal will be too busy when you finally get there.
I don't think I was 'constantly praising'. After my post of Jan. 17, 6 other people posted and 2 weeks went by before I wrote in again on Feb. 2.
re: TexSquared
A lot of the smaller AYCE Japanese places used to offer free soft drinks, however not sure if that is still the case.
re: caitlink
We did try salmon sushi, spicy salmon sushi and the salmon rose. The salmon sushi was good, the spicy salmon sushi was barely spicy and the salmon rose was kind of small (I'm used to 2 pieces of salmon around a centre of rice and this place only used one piece of salmon). We ate everything we ordered and there wasn't anything we detested. I would go back.
Went for lunch and dinner on a weekday night. Not crowded at all. We were actually one of two tables for lunch. And it was less than half full for dinner. Overall I was not impressed based on what I read in the reviews here. That is not to say it wasn't good.. I just expected too much =p
The biggest disappointment was that the salmon sashimi was not as fresh as the reviews here stated. Not sure if it was just a bad night but the salmon was pretty bland (didn't have that fresh taste), though the butterfish and other fishes were ok. Was disappointed I didn't see the half shell scallops (that picture won me over!). We were allowed to order as many of the chef's special items as we wanted (there were 6 things I think- prawn with quail egg, alaska crab legs, octopus sashimi, red tuna sashimi, salmon roe sushi, baked scallop). The baked scallop was actually pretty small.. the majority of it was the cheese. Sadly, the maki rolls suffered the same fate as most ayce- too much rice/cucumber/tempura bits in comparison with the actual meat. They did have a lot more interesting rolls than most ayce places though.
re: gateau7
Here's my question to you and everybody who has been there.
I do not eat Monster Truck Rolls. Avoid like the plague.
So, ignoring that part of the menu and only judging the rest of it, how does it compare to the competition? Quality, value, etc.... Any recommendations on what to order (or fill up on) in order to get maximum value out of the dinner price?
re: TexSquared
Honestly, I don't really live in the area so I can't really answer your question. It was one of the better ayce places I've been to though, so I'd say quality isn't too shabby.
Sashimi usually gives you the most value out of dinner price, although the quality wouldn't be on par with non-ayce restaurants. I had no idea that butterfish and red tuna sashimi was so rare at ayce until i read the above reviews. And definitely get the scallops if you can. The place I frequent actually does have scallop sashimi, but they don't come in the shell like the picture in the above review.
If you want the best value, eat more of the chef's special items as you can't find those in most places. Next stop, attack the meat. Grilled ribs is usually a favorite...
re: gateau7
gateau 7, what is the AYCE place that has scallop sashimi? that's pretty rare.
re: caitlink
Yea I haven't found another one which offers it. Don't quote me on this but I think they also serve red tuna and butterfish as well. My go-to place is called Ichimoto, it's located near chalmers and hwy 7 (opposite yoga tree if you know where that is). If you do go, you definitely need to try the chicken wing yakitori (i think they just called it grilled chickenwing) too! They also have golden shrimp, which is deep fried shrimp wrapped in thin shreds of sweet potato- it's pretty interesting, but I rather have tempura lol.
re: gateau7
Thanks, that's pretty much my strategy already (I figure, sashimi and grilled meats means less cheap rice as filler) but since this place does serve some of the better fish rather than the cheaper substitutions, that's what I need to load up on.
Monster Truck Rolls are how sushi restaurants use up the cheapest ingredients they have and charge a premium price for it, for the clueless to dunk in Yoda Bath. Yuck....
re: gateau7
Thank you gateau7 for your posting. I am glad that someone finally produced a review that reflects the 'other side of the story'! Having been an active CH member for almost a decade, I have seen my fair share of accolades and praise bestowed to new restaurants. However, never did I recall seeing so many 'over the top' praises and constant recommendations given to such an average establishment....and a Chinese operated AYCE Japanese at that.!!
No doubt, Big Meal is a shining star amongst the myriad of mediocre par or sub-par AYCE Japanese restaurants in town. The relatively refined plate presentation indeed is a step above many others. However, be that the case, the inconsistency in food quality and the lack of service by the wait staff, IMO, is enough to deter Big Meal from receiving all the non-stop praises and recommendations!!
When it comes to the food, the 'Baked scallop' touched on by gateau7 is a great example of a 'mega-miss'. As previously eluded to, the morsels underneath the sauce is so minute, one really suspect whether it is just a partial chopped up portion of a bigger one?! The tiny pea size morsel deliberately camouflaged by smothering it with a thick layer of greasy and cloying creamy cheese sauce. And they limit this to one per customer! What a joke!!
During our meals there, the fish were also barely acceptable, lacking the shiny lustre usually associated with fresher and better products. However, in our case, the biggest frustration came from the fact that they keep on telling us they have sold out on the more exotic ingredients, thus forcing us to order and replace our choices with mediocre ones! eg.,To run out of amaebi early on a weekend is no excuse!!! Half shell scallops sashimi?! I think its a ploy or gimmick?! Apart from the OP how many of us have eaten that at Big Meal??!!
During the course of a meal, if good dishes are constantly off-set by bad misses, then IMO, one should give the place a thorough second thought regarding recommendation and re-visits! Just my 2 cents worth!
I just tried Big Meal for the first time. I am not one for AYCE japanese food but I was longing to try this new restaurant based on all the positive reviews here. I'm not sure if I was expecting a big wow because of the reviews here, but I was greatly disappointed and do not have plans to return again.
Yes, the presentation were nice and hoping to eat into something scrumptious , I was constantly disappointed.
The fresh sashimi was not so fresh and tasted quite bland. I had the salmon, red tuna, butter fish and shrimp.
I tried 2 different rolls which were also tasteless.
Had some unagi hand rolls, though the filling was nice with a good portion of unagi, avocado, cucumber... it was really tasteless.
We had some baked mussels as well, which did not taste fresh.
Our grilled beef ribs were very chewy and tasted like it was just boiled and then grill marks were placed on them.
The tempura shrimp and vegetables had a "hard" batter that made it difficult to bite into.
I should mention that we ordered the tempura when we first arrived and after about an hour, we inquired about it and they quickly brought it out to us afterwards.
This place is understaffed hence the slow service, but the ladies are trying to do their best.
They are continuously apologizing for the slow service in getting the food out or in clearing the plates.
I think the best part for me was the sesame seed ice cream.
Originally I did not want to write a negative posting and was holding back because of all the praise it was getting on this post... I was wondering if it was just me...
but really, I can't see myself returning as I really felt the food was tasteless.
re: Charles Yu
Based on the all the reviews above, I would expect an above average if not excellent AYCE Japanese experience at the Big Meal, but not expect the level of a good menu place like Zen, Michi, or Yuzu which would be reflective of the variance in the price you pay. Like the OP has stated, "we get what we pay for and it's really not possible to compare a $23/per person dinner with a $40-$50 one." If you've had any experience with AYCE places, you will have a certain standard in mind which is this restaurant's comparable. If you are expecting Zen comparable, be unrealistic and be prepared to be disappointed. I still need to try this place sometime.
re: T Long
As mentioned I'm not into AYCE Japanese but felt the urge to try based on this post.
I was not expecting Zen-like quality, but was expecting something with freshness and taste, both of which I did not experience.
re: T Long
T Long,
Thank you for your noble attempts at preserving some level of equity and logic throughout this pathetic thread. I started out with the desire to share a little gem that I had found in Toronto. Although I live here, I hardly ever contribute to this forum since my interests are in Europe and Asia.
From my second or third posts, I had already mentioned some problems with communication, service and specific dishes I didn't like. I DO think it's important to be realistic and yes, I did say, "we get what we pay for" and "it's not possible to compare". Unfortunately, this forum has members who compare anyway. From comparing Big Meal to The Mandarin or to Zen, it's pretty ridiculous.
This will be my last post regarding this restaurant. I am not a touter nor a hater, just a real person trying to share some genuine intel. I don't have a big ego that I need to feed. Next time I find something special, I'll keep it to myself.
re: Aleta
Aleta: Don't be discouraged by some of the feedback here. It's the nature of the beast so to speak; CH'ders or food geeks as I and some others like to self identify are all passionate about what we eat and sometimes forget that others' views are just as valid as their own. Strong personalities and big egos for sure in many cases, but it's just about food and where else can you learn, contribute and have discourse (moderated too) about one of our passions and where we are all experts! This is a good community (really) and it would be that much better with your continued participation.
re: TexSquared
You should keep posting. You need a thick skin to post for Chinese/Japanese restaurants.
I like Magic Wok but gets slammed when I say how much I enjoy it compared to the other places that get high praise for wok hay.
It would be worse if we all had the same tastes. Then it will be the same folks and long lineups at the same old places. So keep posting.
re: Aleta
I have re-read every single one of the postings on this thread. Frankly, based on my interpretation, I did not notice any posting that particularly stood out that reflects ' strong personalities and big egos '. Furthermore, I did not see anything wrong with fellow chowhounders expressing their 'true' personal experiences pertaining to ' fish that is not fresh or tasted bland' during 'recent' visits!! Afterall, fact is fact! If thats the case, then so be it!! Furthermore, I do not think the lack of fish selection was an issue since I believe every one is aware of this fact!
Lastly, it is not uncommon to see a highly praised restaurant becoming complacent and subsequently go down hill after opening. Sushi Coulture is a prime example!!!
I'm not trying to pour gasoline over open fire! Just expressing my 2 cents opinion!
BTW, some of the exchanges on the Japan board are even more heated! This is how things are on a 'discussion forum'!
Were you around when someone trashed the old Splendido and commented its the worst and most 'overly rated and rip-off' restaurant in town??! Nothing is new!!
So, do stay!
re: Aleta
To be honest, I was hesitant as well to post a bad review when all the other reviewers (especially yours) praised the restaurant so highly. I don't think there's anything wrong with negative reviews- don't all restaurants have a mixture of both?
I'm not sure why you think that all the negative reviews are unrealistic. I feel like you are judging us unfairly, assuming that all the negative reviews are unrealistic comparisons. I based my comparison with other AYCE japanese restaurants I've eaten at.
That said, I'm glad you did post about the place, so don't let this hinder your future posts! I like trying new restaurants and this was a good excuse for gaining that extra 5 pounds =p
re: T Long
I do eat a lot of Japanese AYCE and know what type of quality to expect but the salmon really didn't taste that fresh at all. I do agree that this ayce is above average but was disappointed by the assumptions I made on the quality based on the reviews above. Like I said, maybe the fish quality changed the day I went...
Actually, the ayce place I recommend is cheaper than Big Meal. Give it a try sometime, it's called Ichimoto by chalmers and hwy 7. As expected, the maki aren't that great but they have a good variety of sashimi and their grilled food isn't too bad either.
Didn't know where to eat on thursday so decided to try this place to see what everyone is talking about. I havent had AYCE japanese for a few years, but I think this place is pretty good. Compared to what i remember, the sashimi selection is a bit larger with things like squid, big eye tuna, supposed sweet shrimp and octopus (i kept ordering squid and octopus and it never shows up... eventually asked about it and they said they were out, wish they just tell you that when they noticed you ordered it)... quality of the sashimi is not bad for AYCE, though salmon was a bit bland for some reason, yet still seemed fresh. The chef's special on the menu says 1 item per person, but they allow you to order as much as you like. The specials were crab legs, salmon roe sushi (not very fresh) , baked scallop thingy, red tuna, shrimp with quail egg... the cooked beef items like beef rolls and short ribs aren't very good... desserts so so, sesame ice cream weird blue colour and didnt taste like black sesame... service was not as slow as everyone said, though only 6 or so other tables... i also noticed the plating isnt as nice as the pictures you guys took, so maybe they are going for speed rather than fancy plating now...all in all not bad, if i had to eat at an AYCE resturant in toronto again i would probably go back... thanks Aleta for recommending it
re: Pigurd
I thought I would comment since I wrote a pretty positive review on another website www.yelp.ca shortly after they first opened. I also want to mention I live right around the corner from Big Meal, so I usually go about once every two weeks since I live close by.
I was thinking about writing an updated review because I feel Big Meal is not keeping up the standards they initially had when they first opened and this happens to a lot of new restaurants that open but not all. A big part of this is attributed to the fact they are never really busy, I have gone numerous times for lunch and dinner whether it be the weekend or weekday and the busiest I have seen the place is 1/3 full. As a result I feel they are cutting costs in terms of food quality, availability and staffing. As some of the chowhounders have mentioned that specific area is a terrible place to do business for restaurants, so many restaurants and businesses have gone out of business over the years.
Here is my findings:
Food quality: The sashimi quality has gone down which was quite good initially and can be hit and miss. As others have mentioned a lot of times they don't have items available listed on the menu which can be quite frustrating. The grilled foods was always average with some items being hit and miss. One thing that stood out for me was the plate presentation for an AYCE but now that's not always consistent either. One thing I mentioned on my review was it was pretty good for an AYCE and I don't think it's fair to compare it to Zen or say Cafe Michi but rather to it's counterparts in Markham i.e. Sushi on 7 or Yang's Kitchen.
Service: The service was never really good, only average at best. Initially they would always have two servers but I'm thinking due to their lack of business, they now only employ one server most of the time and it really shows. The servers are nice but slow in attending to your needs and the delivery of the food.
Overall, I still think they are probably only one notch above their competitors but due to their lack of business they are cutting back in a few areas which is really starting to show. I sometimes wonder if Big Meal will survive in the long run because AYCE Japanese buffets make money based off volume (customers) and from the numerous times I have been their, they have never been more than 1/3 full.
Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents on behalf of Aleta...
I've visited Big Meal a number of times now, and I find the quality of sashimi, and the overall food to be a step above most AYCE sushi joints.
Yes, I get better quality sashimi elsewhere if I pay $2 or $3 per piece, but nothing I've found comes close to this quality as far as AYCE is concerned.
Ten-Ichi is in my never-again category for all the same reasons already outlined by others, and I do also enjoy popping into Matsuda and Sushi 168 on occasion, but I will have to visit the other place recommended herein to compare.
re: TorontoTips
You should try the 'new' FUSHIMI on Woodbine and Denison, where the old Taste of Japan used to be!!
Much, much better plate presentation than Big Meal! The way they presented the chicken yakitoris were quite 'surprising'! Excellent hot food and equally fresh fish for sushi/sashimi. Biggest surprise was, they actually give you a 'whole' crab when you order the tempura soft shell crab!


text:
Free Shipping on all orders over $100
First Name:
Last Name:
Registry ID:
Questions? Call us: 877-882-2624
Live Support 7 days/Week 10-6 EST
Picci Brando
Picci Dafne
Picci Debbie
Picci Milo
Picci Moby
Picci Petra
Picci Positano
Picci Raphael
Picci Rose
Picci Tosca
Picci Zoe
There are no products matching the selection.
Live Support 7 days/Week 10-6 EST


text:
Live it Up, Glue it Down & Smash it in with this SMASH Pink Folio Bundle! This kit contains everything you need to create a smashing scrapbook.
4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
Recommend: Yes
Recently, Hobby Lobby discontinued the SMASH line of products. I almost cried in the store when they told me all of the products were on clearance. I hunted stores day and night to try to find the products. Now, I don't have to worry about losing my favorite products! This bundle set has everything you'll ever need for Scrap booking! It includes one-of-a-kind products that you can't purchase separately. Plus, the SMASH folio itself has clear photo slots, so you can create memories on the pages, and safely keep your pictures with the classic album method!
Overall, I highly recommend this product! It may seem pricey - but - if you know how this kind of stuff is usually priced, you will realize that it is a great deal!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Report inappropriate review
3 out of 3 found this review helpful.
This is such a great product. Comes with so many accessories and the book itself is the perfect size for traveling.
We have a 2-3 day in-house process. There will be an additional 1-7 days for delivery.
**During peak Holiday Seasons (Mother's Day & Christmas) it can take an additional 1-2 business days to get your order shipped.
We do not accept International orders online.
To place an order with an International billing or shipping address:
You will need to order by calling 405-745-1275. Customer Service is available Monday - Friday 8:00-5:00 CST.
Your order will need to ship to a US Destination, such as a freight forwarder. By doing so your order will be eligible for our US shipping rates which often include free shipping.
If you would like for us to ship your order directly to you, you will be charged the actual postage amount. That amount is calculated once your order is picked, packed and ready to ship. International shipping address are excluded from all shipping discounts. All orders shipped to an International location are charged the actual cost of shipping.
Please note that this policy does not include Military Addresses, Guam, Puerto Rico & the US Virgin Islands. We will accept and ship orders to these destinations.
If you require expedited shipping for merchandise or a gift card order, please contact Customer Service at 1-800-888-0321 Ext 1275. Customer Service is available Monday - Friday 8:00-5:00 CST. We will do our best to accommodate your request.
Shop Hobby Lobby
Attention Customer Service
7717 SW 44th St
Oklahoma City, OK 73179
If you wish to exchange an item(s) you ordered for a new one:


text:
- More Shows (73)
- Cards & Notes (20)
- Charts & Checklists (6)
- Coloring Pages (24)
- Learning Pages (10)
- Paper Crafts (10)
- Puzzles & Games (11)
- Song Lyrics (5)
- Seasonal (11)
Print the coupon and have your child give it to Dad for Father's Day--or anytime Dad needs a hug!
Watch Little Bill only on Nick Jr.
SHELL-ebrate Dad with this colorable Father's Day card!
It's Franklin by the numbers. Just print, assemble, and add color!
Piece together pictures of Franklin and his friends
Get crafty with these simple Franklin and friends pop-stick puppets!
Print this 8-page pack for your Franklin fan!
A seven-page printable for dino fans with gigantic imaginations
Coloring fun that never goes extinct! Just print, assemble & color
Add a touch of dino decor to your kids' bedroom
Your kids can bone up and become dino experts in a flash
Kids put on their own Jurassic show with these cut-and-fold dinos
Assemble the pages and color by number for some colossal fun!
Young dino experts can dig up the hidden words in this puzzle
Celebrate Valentine's Day in a COLOSSAL way with dinosaur cards
Colorthosaurus? Kids may not be able to pronounce the dino name but they'll love this poster!
Mix and match dinos for double the dino fun!
You'll both go to pieces when when you puzzle out this Dino game
Make a super souvenir your kids can wear!
When the music stops, let your guests know they made your party ROCK!
A mixed-up, musical hidden picture!
Connect the dots to reveal Oswald's frosty friend, then color in the scene.
Introduce instruments in a flash!
Learn the lyrics and sing along!
Have a toe tapping, hand clapping, clubhouse sing-along!
Sensational songs from your kids' favorite entertainer!
Follow along with your favorite songs!
Big holiday cheer in a cheerful little package!
Get your gifts wrapped and ready to rock!
Let's ROCK! If anyone knows how to put on a rockin' party, it's Mary, Mel and Jack!
Help Pansy get her web on!
Who's dropped in to say Happy Birthday to Miss Spider? Connect the dots to see.
Deck the walls with a special banner just for Dad!
Tell Dad all the reasons why he's so fin-tastic!
Tell Dad he rules the roost on Father's Day!
Print out a last minute gift dad will love
Match Dora and her friends with the right dad or grandfather
Make this colorable card and present it to Papi!
Create an album full of your child's drawings and pictures for Dad
Celebrate Dad's Day the knightly way!
These cut-and-fold labels attach to toothpicks to let them know their treat was made with love
Top a homemade treat with these cut-and-fold flags
Tell Dad he's UMIRRIFIC with this printable Father's Day card
Print and fold this super Father's Day card with Geo
Make a splash on Dad's Day with these jumbo-sized cards!
His little Dora fan can make a card that really pops!
Pop out a Pop-ular gift to Pop or Grandpa on Father's Day.
This fun do-together craft will put a smile on Dad's face.
Frame your little one's love to Dad with this specially made gift.
For a picture-perfect Father's Day, create this daddy-esque frame.
Redeem this card for a kiss!
Send a special "Te amo, Papi" greeting from Dora and you!
Dad wins bragging rights with a family photo album he can take along to work
Let Dad know he's the greatest.
Little ones can come up with their own special story for Dad


text:
Original Post Located at:A Voice Of Reason - by Sherry Petro-SurdelOrginal Author:
A growing number of American companies are moving overseas ... on paper, at least.The tactic is called a corporate inversion, but for those who have no idea what that means, perhaps a more apt description would be ōshady tax dodge.ö
It seems like old times in the Arnold family kitchen.The Wonder YearsĀcast recentlyĀ
Something to Talk About
Lowell woman walks the Appalachian Trail By Emma Palova Lowell, MI- No, it wasnÆt on her bucket list. Ivy Haskins is too young to have one. She simply wanted to get away from everyday life between the pub and her house painting ventures. ōEver since...
What was the toughest part about being on the hit showĀBaywatch? According to the cast during a...
- Events Calendar


text:
Quote from: tice on Nov 16, 2012, 11:24:56 AMWelcome. Throw some pics up of your ride.Here ya go. I got reaper mirrors and chromeglow / radiantz rear LED brake and turn signals coming. And I also went to a small round air filter which isn't in this pic.
Welcome. Throw some pics up of your ride.
I just logged onto the Stryker forum ... clicked on the first posting in the general forum, noted it was spam, reported it. Thought I did a good thing. lol Then I noticed the whole first page was spam ... WOW!Anyways, welcome!!Good looking bike ... the wife has a Stryker and loves it.


text:
- 1 Different island, same result: Wildcats top SDSU again
- 2 Play of Wildcats' Johnson no surprise to Fisher
- 3 Arizona beats San Diego State 61-59 in Maui final
- 4 UA-SDSU postgame: On FTs, Johnson and lessons learned
- 5 KVOA News 4 Tucson announces new anchor
- 6 Best of the worst Scum Devils trash talk
- 7 Anxious wait for Barber, McSally over rejected ballots
- 8 Tucson church damaged by fire
- 9 Hansen: Time right for Territorial Cup's return to relevance
- 10 UA football: Solomon officially questionable for Territorial Cup
Solo HRs propel A's to 4-3 win against Mariners - Comments
We welcome your comments. Commentary and photos submitted to StarNet (azstarnet.com) may be published or distributed in print, electronically or other forms. Opinions expressed in azstarnet.com's comments reflect the opinions of the author, and are not necessarily the opinions of the Star, StarNet, or its parent company. See the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for more information.
Our guidelines prohibit the solicitation of products or services, the impersonation of another site user, threatening or harassing postings and the use of vulgar, abusive, obscene or sexually oriented language, defamatory or illegal material. You may not post content that degrades others on the basis of gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability or other classification. It's fine to criticize ideas, but ad hominem attacks on other site users are prohibited. Users who violate those standards may lose their privileges on azstarnet.com.
You may not post copyrighted material from another publication. (Link to it instead, using a headline or very brief excerpt.)
No short set of guidelines such as this can spell out all possible instances of material or behavior that we might deem to be a violation of our publishing standards, and we reserve the right to remove any material posted to the site.
Most Popular
Follow the Arizona Daily Star
Featured businessesView more...
Deals, offers & eventsView more...
Groves Assisted Living Homes LLC will be opening Ella's Care Home soon. We are taking reservations, call today space is limited!
At Groves Assisted Living, it's our people that truly make the…
New customers receive 10% off at Warren Plumbing. Call 520-690-1426
Warren Plumbing offers 10% discounts for Seniors!
Call A American Electrical Services, Inc. for fast, friendly service you can rely on! - (520) 751-9247
Let us solve all your electrical problems!
After School care available with Young Explorers Schools, call us today for more information.
We provide an active child care program to encourage growth in…


text: If you spend most of the day seated at a desk, shouldn't the chair you're using be the most comfortable one around? Give our rolling Kaja Chair a try. Its contoured seating provides continuous ergonomic support all day long and you can adjust the height and tilt until it's perfect for you. Plus, it features a clean, simple design that looks great in any office, studio or home workspace.


text:
Why you should keep a chow chow puppy
The chow chow puppy is a Chinese breed that is both unique and very beautiful. The small dogs were thought to have been used to guard Buddhist temples and they were revered. They have thick coating and short legs and they are almost always red in color. However, they can also have cinnamon color, black, cream or blue as their coating. Sometimes they are referred to simply as chow and they are thought to have originated from Mongolia. They are very sturdily built with their small bodies being square in shape. Their ears are small and triangular while their heads are broad.
If you have never kept a chow chow puppy before then you must know that it can get fiercely protective. It is always wise to keep it on a leash when in the presence of guests. However, they have a pleasant temperament and are very friendly to familiar people. They are not extremely energetic or playful and so it can be kept as a pet in an apartment building. However, you will need to take it for walks so that it can exercise on a daily basis. This will ward off boredom and aggressiveness caused by too much bottled up energy.
Ability to learn
Most chows have a mind of their own and training them is very hard. However, they are very loyal and will normally be too protective of one or two family members. Sigmund Freud and Martha Stewart are some of the public figures who were known to own a chow. Walt Disney also once gave his wife Lillian a chow chow puppy as a gift. If you want your chow puppy to be well behaved then training it as a puppy is crucial. This will avoid over aggressive behavior towards strangers and make it more trainable even thought they can be very stubborn and have a mind of their own. More information about this you can find on tysonc.net