Free Presuppositions And Conversational Implicatures In Breaking Bad (Gillian 2008) Movie Review Example

Season 1, Episode 2:

Skyler: Who's this Jesse Pinkman to you?
Walter: Hesells me pot.
Skyler: He sells you pot?
Walter: Marijuana, yeah. Not a lot. I mean, I don't know. I kind of like it.
(Presupposition is that Walter knows Jesse Pickman, and he has a pot to sell. This is structural presupposition because there is WH question presence.)

Season , Episode 1:

Jesse: Alright, say we set up one last sale, this is providing he doesn't decide to waste us before then. Now every time we bring in a new batch he always tests the product, right? So as his head is down, y'know giving it a snort, just pop, pop, pop!
(Presupposition because “the last sale” means there were sales before, and “he always test the product” that he tested it this time as well and that he had some information about it).
Season 2, Episode 13: Walter: Okay, can you at least tell me why? Skyler: Because you're a liar, Walt. Two cell phones after all. Walter: What? Skyler: Right before your surgery, I asked if you had packed your cell phone and you said, "Which one? (Presupposition because it can be guessed that Walter has got more than 1 cell phone. Existential presupposition because Walter has named the subject that supports the assumption of its existence).
Season 5, Episode 5: Skyler: I'm not your wife. I'm your hostage. But since you insist on keeping me imprisoned, I'll make you deal. I will launder your money. I'll keep your secrets. But the kids will stay at Hank and Marie's where they have a chance of being safe. (Presupposition is non-factive because Skyler says that she believes that children will be “safe” at Hank and Maries’. This means she understands that leaving with Walter is dangerous and so he does something that can potentially result in a serious harm for her and their children. Also she tells that she is not his wife – she fell that she is a foreigner for Walter).
Season 5 Episode 9: Walter: No one else got sick, so you probably shouldn’t worry about it. Well, Skyler will be very happy to hear that you’re feeling better. Which reminds me, I better get back to it. If there’s anything I can do (Presupposition is that somebody did get sick. The usage of the exact word – factual presupposition).
Season , Episode 14: Marie: Flynn, honey, your mother is telling you the truth. Right here, right now. Believe it. (Presupposition – it can be understood that Flynn does not believe his mother.)
Season 5 Episode 15: Walter: On my son’s 18th birthday, which is 10 months and 2 days from today, you will give him this money in the form of an irrevocable trust. You will tell him it is his to do with as he sees fit, but with the hope that he uses it for his college education and for the betterment of his family. (Presupposition is that he is 17 years old because he tells when he will get 18 and it is less than 1 year and he gives Gretchen money for him and he wants him to spend them on college education because he mentions only this variant. It is factive – there is a word “hope”)

Generalized Conversational Implicatures in “Breaking Bad”:

Season 1 Episode 7: Tuco: What is this shit? This is blue. Walter: We used a different chemical process, but it is every bit as pure. (GCI: The previous chemical process gave the other color.)
Season 4 Episode 4. Walter: "I'm terribly, terribly ashamed of my actions."
Skyler: Yeah. Walter: Two terribly's? Skyler: It's supposed to show contrition. (GCI: Skyler has doubts about the contriteness of the phrase).
Season 5 Episode 7: Jesse: What, just because I don't want to cook meth any more, I'm lying down? How many more people are gonna die 'cause of us? Walter: No one. None. Now that we're in control, no one else gets hurt. Jesse: You keep saying that and it's bullshit every time! Always. (GCI: Walter’s permission that “no one else gets hurt” has never been truth.)
Season 4 Episode 12: Gus: Do you know what is happening upstairs? Jesse: I have a pretty good idea. (GCI: Jesse does not exactly know what is happening).
Season 5 Episode 4: Walter: What are you going to do to stop it? Skyler: Whatever it takes. Everything in my power. (GCI: Skyler does not know what she is going to do yet).

Particularized Conversational Implicature in “Breaking Bad”:

Season 3 Episode 9: Jesse: What's the point of being an outlaw when you got responsibilities? Badger: Darth Vader had responsibilities. He was responsible for the Death Star. (PCI: They are responsible for something that can be soon destroyed. They are the anti-heroes.)

Season 1 Episode 6:

Jesse: Whatever, man.
Walter: No matter what happens, no more bloodshed. No violence.
(PCI: There definitely was some violence and bloodshed that occurred before that Walter wants to escape.)
Season 1 Episode 1: Jesse: Man, some straight like you, giant stick up his ass, all of a sudden at age, what, 60, he's just gonna break bad? Walter: I'm 50. (PCI: Walter considers everything else except of the age truth.)
Season 3 Episode 7: Walter: Listen, something's come up. I think it's a good opportunity. There's been a job opening. I need a new lab assistant. Jesse: I did my time. Why don't you just get yourself a monkey? (PCI: Jesse rejects the proposal of coming back because of Walter’s attitude to him.)
Season 5 Episode 15: Walter: Change of plans. He's coming with me. Saul: No. No, that's– Walter: We're going together. I can use him. Ed: I'll give you two a minute. (PCI: Ed finally permitted Walter to take Saul.)

Works Cited

Gillian, Vince. “Breaking Bad”. Online TV series. AMC., AMC Networks, 2008. Web. 9 Apr. 2015.