Gale Boetticher's karaoke video and noteook from Breaking Bad

[Video Link] A few people think that chemist Gale Boetticher from Breaking Bad is a Boing Boing reader. I agree! Above, the complete "Major Tom" karaoke video from Season 3, episode 4.

I think they should publish a facsimile of Gale's notebook.

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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Oskar

Well, he was, in any case.
Bookburn

I was never really interested in watching Breaking Bad… until now. Thanks Mark.
http://www.xeni.net/ Xeni Jardin

YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!
http://www.xeni.net/ Xeni Jardin

AHEM
- Oskar
  
  Mind. Blown.
http://www.facebook.com/clesoine Charlie Lesoine

Every character on this show is freaking amazing.
http://www.jjsaul.com Jim Saul

I can’t believe what a bad ass Malcom’s dad became.
D3

What a great show! But anybody who decides to watch this MUST watch from the beginning. You’ll be glad you did.
- Bookburn
  
  I download as you type. As a chemistry teacher, I realize that valuable material may be contained therein… like ethics and stuff.
  - Oskar
    
    If you’re a chemistry teacher, it also contains ideas for lucrative future career paths you may want to pursue.
- http://www.xeni.net/ Xeni Jardin
  
  CORRECT.
http://www.xeni.net/ Xeni Jardin

I want his vegan marshmallow krispies recipe or whatever that other thing was they found.
http://twitter.com/zeroanaphora แอ็ะปปี้

If anyone’s curious, the subtitles are completely accurate.

<3 the Gale character and how he's been handled. Like a knife twisting in every time he reappears.
- ridestowe
  
  god i know. this season has been so great. i feel so fucking bad for gale
blueelm

Wow, after reading the synopsis this seems like a really good show, but too depressing and complex for me to handle personally.
mrfantasy

The notebook actually has a recipe for vegan marshmallows, that legitimately looks like it would work. I am going to try it.
BookGuy

Brilliant show. It often makes me think that when the publishing world implodes, my next career should be making and distributing crystal meth.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tim-Quinn/528943941 Tim Quinn

Spoiler Alert

OK OK like Walter has just had his partner kill this dude and then his freaking brother in law inadvertently reveals that our now dead pal had untold depths of personality and who knows what else going on. In the brief flash of this inane (and truly swell) video Walter realizes he has gotten himself in even deeper than he could have imagined. Another awesome ten seconds of TV from Breaking Bad.
http://www.facebook.com/people/George-Mokray/767686527 George Mokray

Did you know that Gale Boetticher was related to the great Randolph Scott Western director Oscar “Budd” Boetticher? True. His grandpa tried to teach him bullfighting but it didn’t take.
http://artdonovan.typepad.com Art

Dedicated fan of Breaking Bad here. Best show on TV.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1401810326 Ben Goldhaber

Heads up: pretty sure it was season 4 ep 4. Anyways great post, great show, & a great character.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1201564949 Chris Lites
  
  Me too.
http://twitter.com/bascule Tony Arcieri

For as much as he’s sucking, he’s actually doing pretty good. This is one of my favorite karaoke songs (I actually sang it a couple days before this episode aired). He knows a lot of the details of the song, which leads me to believe that he’s intentionally doing it bad and probably actually a good singer.
- Dirtbag_Kingdom
  
  Considering his stunning rendition of Crapa Pelada you would be right.
  Easily one of my favorite TV characters ever.
Mister44

Breaking Bad is just a phenomenally awesome show. You never would have guessed how talented Bryan Cranston is from his Malcolm in the Middle antics.
Stonewalker

I know! My thoughts exactly. BC is one of my favorite actors now. I can’t wait to go back and watch Malcolm again!
soufron

One more awesome Major Tom cover… for those interested you might want to check this Plastic Bertrand cover from 1983 :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V9asdHYSlI
Blaze Curry

So I’m wondering how Walt is going to turn this around.
The writers seem to be going out of their way to demonstrate Gus to be a strategic genius; but not only is Gus not the protagonist but I think he’s only kept ahead of Walt because he’s kept Walt from thinking clearly.
CSBD

I find the characters in this show fascinating. Every one of them feels “real” because like real people, they are crazy in their own way. If you look at everyone around you, they have some sort of mental problem (if ever so small). Normal screen characters either have no problems or they wear womens’ skins. There is usually nothing in between. Breaking Bad tries to show the viewer that 90+ percent of the reasons that peoples lives suck are directly related to their (and the people close to them) mental problems.
http://evilbobdayjob.blogspot.com/ Deidzoeb

Somehow I don’t think Gale Boetticher’s notebook would sell as well as The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, but it would be cute.

SPOILERish… The sad thing to me is moments on the show when Walt sees the video and flips through Gale’s notebook. I expect him to be emotional about it like I am, but Walt’s reactions are all about making sure there are no clues that will get him caught, or drunkenly bragging that Gale is not the genius meth cooker that the cops are looking for.
- CSBD
  
  Walts drunken bragging was not bragging so much as it was his ego that would not allow someone else to get credit for his SCIENCE!
  
  Walts ego also cost him his part of grey matter and kept him from taking money from his former business partners.
  - Mister44
    
    I think probably part of him want to get caught.
http://ae4rv.com/ royaltrux

Walt has gone bad, it’s what the show is about. We still love him though.
petz79

It would have been weirder if he had sung it in the original german version.

I suggest to the Internet to stop rick-rolling now and use this video instead.
Ted Rockwell

Not sure if previous commenters and fans of Breaking Bad are aware of this, but about a week ago the show was renewed for one more “final” season. In other words, there isn’t a whole heck of a lot of time to have Walter White come back to the light side of the force. Perhaps he’ll have a redeeming Anakin moment at the last, but given his incriminating outburst at dinner with his brother in law and at his wife in this week’s episode, I thinkWW has already lost his mind.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/08/14/breaking-bad-final-season/
http://twitter.com/crablouis craig louis

Hey, before we shed too many tears for nice Gale, remember that he was ready and willing to take over as Gus asked. Just saying!
Mike Polding

minor correction: its season 4, episode 3, not season 3, episode 4
jimmersd

Best line in the whole series “I’m the one who knocks.”
smallteam

Am I the only one to have questioned why Gale would have Thai subtitles on his karaoke? Sex tourist?
smallteam

Then again, maybe it’s just that Thailand is some sort of Karaoke Mecca.