Fiona Farnsworth

I’m afraid I have to disagree. I felt that the moments when Skyler and Walt played off each other were frequently some of the most dramatic character scenes in the show. Plus, of course, Skyler initially gave Walt something to fight for, even if he did do so alone. I agree that Gus was an incredible piece of characterisation, but I think in many ways Skyler is just as complex.

I found your article fascinating. This art is often unsettling, but this and the opportunity for societal and self-examination are what make it so intriguing. It’s always interesting to observe the uproar that surrounds works of this controversy: more recently (though admittedly with less focus on pain) Casey Jenkins’ “vaginal knitting” is a standout example of a performance drawing our attention to our preconceptions surrounding the human body.

Fear of joke déjà vu has prevented me from going to see the sequel so far: repetition just screams “lazy cash cow” to me, and I hate the thought of ruining the original. I’m definitely encouraged by your review though – thanks!

Thank you so much! It’s lovely to hear from others who sympathise with the character, especially amongst so much misogyny. I also completely agree with your point about the way that so many complex female characters are received: whilst Skyler isn’t necessarily a likeable person, I can’t help but consider that a male character with similar personality traits might have been received quite differently.

You make an interesting point, but Skyler’s lack of proof of any other criminal activities is yet more evidence of my argument regarding Walt’s refusal to involve her in his decisions. The fact remains that her husband involves himself in the drug business – not just to pay his medical bills, as you say, but as savings for his family after his death – without her knowledge or consent. To me, that’s an affront to the concept of a marriage of equals. I also still believe that Walt did engage with the temptations of the meth business out of choice: one of the most poignant moments of the entire show was in the final episode when he finally acknowledged that in the end, it was all for himself.

I love this! The musical itself is extraordinary on the basis of the score alone, but as you’ve shown, the external details like costume are what really evoke the revolutionary setting. I remember reading that, in the 25th anniversary production of Les Mis, Alfie Boe’s Valjean wore his convict socks throughout the show even after escaping parole: the life he tried to leave behind was, in the end, always on display.

This is a great article. I’ve only just begun to watch Downton Abbey, and so far I’m enjoying it a lot, but can’t help feeling uncomfortable with a number of the situations it presents regarding the “first world problems” of the Crawley family. Nonetheless, for the female characters at least, I do believe that the show depicts contemporary issues of relevance. The confinement of women to the home and the inherent assumption that fulfilment and financial security could only be achieved through marriage are were highly problematic issues. Perhaps they are not life-threatening in the way that those of some of the poorer characters are, but they are important. You do say that you’re aware of undermining certain issues of feminist argument, but I personally don’t think we can belittle such issues because they are borne by the financially well-off: problems of gender equality are pertinent to all classes, and there are many who would argue that a life where one is financially stable at the expense of the ability to hold an individual intellectual opinion is hardly a life at all. Even so, I agree with many of the points you make – access to art and the time to appreciate is something we often take for granted, and the way you compare this to our attitude to celebrity is really interesting.

I suppose that the magnitude of Harry Potter’s success was always going to be difficult to escape, but surely Rowling should be applauded for continuing to write instead of resting on her (considerable) laurels. What do you think about the fact that a male pseudonym led to her discovery: is there really such a thing as “male” and “female” writing? Would she have remained undiscovered if she’d chosen a female alter-ego?