Formalizing Deceptive Reasoning in Breaking Bad: Default Reasoning in a Doxastic Logic

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Formalizing Deceptive Reasoning in Breaking Bad: Default Reasoning in a Doxastic Logic Deceptive and Counter-Deceptive Machines Papers from the AAAI 2015 Fall Symposium Formalizing Deceptive Reasoning in Breaking Bad: Default Reasoning in a Doxastic Logic John Licato [email protected] Analogical Constructivism and Reasoning Lab (ACoRL) Indiana University and Purdue University-Fort Wayne Abstract In this paper, I will attempt to model the reasoning used by The rich expressivity provided by the cognitive event agents in an episode of the television series Breaking Bad. calculus (CEC) knowledge representation framework Episode 13 of season 5, entitled To’hajiilee, is notably rich in allows for reasoning over deeply nested beliefs, desires, deceptive behaviors between characters, being a point in the intentions, and so on. I put CEC to the test by attempt- series’ overall story arc where the conflict between several ing to model the complex reasoning and deceptive plan- consistently wily characters comes to a climax. One group ning used in an episode of the popular television show (Jesse and Hank) devises a plan to lure, trap, and catch an- Breaking Bad. CEC is used to represent the knowledge other character (Walt), and I try to answer two questions used by reasoners coming up with plans like the ones about their plan in this paper: First, what sort of reasoning devised by the fictional characters I describe. However, and knowledge representation would be necessary to devise it becomes clear that a form of nonmonotonic reason- such a plan as the one created by Jesse and Hank? Second, is ing is necessary—specifically so that an agent can rea- sufficiently powerful to represent such knowledge and son about the nonmonotonic beliefs of another agent. I CEC show how CEC can be augmented to have this ability, serve as a base framework for such reasoning? Section 1 will argue that even an analysis of how well and then provide examples detailing how my proposed CEC augmentation enables much of the reasoning used by can model reasoning in a fictional story can be beneficial to agents such as the Breaking Bad characters. I close by the field of automated human-level reasoning, discussing re- discussing what sort of reasoning tool would be neces- lated literature. I give an overview of in Section 2, fol- sary to implement such nonmonotonic reasoning. lowed by a synopsis of the relevant portionsCEC of To’hajiilee’s plot (Section 3.1). An analysis of the plan generation used by An old joke, said to be a favorite of Sigmund Freud, opens the characters1 in Section 3.2 suggests the need for a form with two passengers, Trofim and Pavel, on a train leaving of nonmonotonic reasoning that requires, at a minimum, rea- Moscow. Trofim begins by confronting Pavel, demanding to soning over second-order beliefs. I then spend some time ex- know where he is going. plaining how this nonmonotonic reasoning can work in . Pavel: “To Pinsk.” The paper wraps up with a discussion of implications forCEC the Trofim: “Liar! You say you are going to Pinsk in order future of deceptive and counter-deceptive AI (Section 5). to make me believe you are going to Minsk. But I know you are going to Pinsk!” (Cohen 2002) 1 Why Bother Modeling Reasoning in Plots? Fictional stories can sometimes capture aspects of decep- tion in the real world, especially between individuals who The cognition of deception is particularly interesting to are skilled at reasoning over the beliefs of others (second- model: Knowing when to deceive in social situations may order beliefs), the beliefs of one party about the beliefs of an- make for robots that are better accepted socially (Wagner other (third-order beliefs), and so on. For example, an agent and Arkin 2009; Sharkey and Sharkey 2011). Deceptive ma- a desiring to deceive agent b may need to take into account chines may indeed be the inevitable consequence, or per- agent b’s counter-deception measures (where the latter mea- haps explicit goal, of human-level AI (Castelfranchi 2000; sures may be directed back at agent a, as was suspected by Clark and Atkinson 2013). poor Trofim). Such fictional stories may thus sometimes be Instances of deception in fiction are not difficult to find. a suitable source of test cases for frameworks specializing in Some variant of deceptive behavior seems to appear in any the representation of, and reasoning over, complex doxastic story involving characters containing beliefs, intentions, and statements. The cognitive event calculus ( ) promises to desires about the beliefs of other characters, depending on CEC be such a framework, given its ability to represent beliefs, 1 knowledge, intentions, and desires over time (Arkoudas and Of course, the characters I discuss here are fictional. I really Bringsjord 2009). am talking about the work of the writers of the show, who are rea- soning from the perspectives of the fictional characters. It will be Copyright c 2015, Association for the Advancement of Artificial more convenient in this paper to simply say it is the fictional char- Intelligence (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved. acters doing the reasoning. 27 Rules of Inference [R1] [R2] the definition of deception one accepts. Although some sto- Syntax C(t,P(a,t,f) K(a,t,f)) C(t,K(a,t,f) B(a,t,f)) ries are better than others at accurately portraying realistic ! ! C(t,f) t t ...t tn K(a,t,f) Object Agent Self @ Agent ActionType Action Event 1 behaviors, all were written at some point by imaginative hu- S ::= | | | | v | [R3] [R4] Moment Boolean Fluent Numeric K(a1,t1,...K(an,tn,f)...) f man beings (with some exceptions, cf. (Bringsjord and Fer- | | | [R5] rucci 1999)). They therefore offer clues about the human C(t,K(a,t ,f f )) K(a,t ,f ) K(a,t ,f ) 1 1 ! 2 ! 2 1 ! 3 2 ability to think deceptively and counter deceptively; e.g., a action : Agent ActionType Action plan of deception devised by a fictional character, at the very ⇥ ! [R6] initially : Fluent Boolean C(t,B(a,t1,f1 f2)) B(a,t2,f1) B(a,t3,f2) least, tells us what types of plans humans are capable of both ! ! ! ! holds : Fluent Moment Boolean [R7] ⇥ ! C(t,C(t ,f f )) C(t ,f ) C(t ,f ) comprehending (as the readers of a story do) and creatively 1 1 ! 2 ! 2 1 ! 3 2 happens : Event Moment Boolean generating (as the writers did). For researchers interested in ⇥ ! [R8] [R9] understanding the expressivity of human-level thought, sto- clipped : Moment Fluent Moment Boolean C(t, x. f f[x t]) C(t,f1 f2 f2 f1) f ::= ⇥ ⇥ ! 8 ! 7! $ !¬ !¬ ries of deception are useful benchmarks. initiates : Event Fluent Moment Boolean [R ] ⇥ ⇥ ! 10 C(t,[f1 ... fn y] [f1 ... fn y]) terminates : Event Fluent Moment Boolean ^ ^ ! ! ! ! ! ⇥ ⇥ ! B(a,t,f) f y B(a,t,f) B(a,t,y) 2 An Overview of prior : Moment Moment Boolean ! [ ] [ ] ⇥ ! R11a R11b CEC B(a,t,y) B(a,t,y f) The cognitive event calculus ( ) is a first-order modal interval : Moment Boolean ^ ⇥ CEC S(s,h,t,f) logic for knowledge representation first introduced by Ark- payoff : Agent ActionType Moment Numeric ⇥ ⇥ ! [R12] oudas and Bringsjord (2009) as a way to model Piaget’s B(h,t,B(s,t,f)) false-belief task. A member of the cognitive calculi family I(a,t,happens(action(a ,a),t )) t ::= x : S c : S f (t ,...,tn) ⇤ 0 of logics (Bringsjord et al. 2015), contains operators | | 1 [R13] for several mental states and events:CECBelief, Knowledge, P(a,t,happens(action(a⇤,a),t)) Intention, Desire, Common knowledge, and Speech acts. t : Boolean f f y f y B(a,t,f) B(a,t,O(a⇤,t,f,happens(action(a⇤,a),t0))) |¬ | ^ | _ | Note that not all of these operators are introduced in Ark- O(a,t,f,happens(action(a ,a),t )) f ::= P(a,t,f) K(a,t,f) C(t,f) S(a,b,t,f) S(a,t,f) ⇤ 0 | | | | [R14] oudas and Bringsjord (2009); rather, much of the current (a,t, (a ,t,happens(action(a ,a),t ))) B(a,t,f) D(a,t,holds( f ,t )) I(a,t,happens(action(a ,a),t )) K I ⇤ ⇤ 0 version of reflects subsequent developments, most of | 0 | ⇤ 0 f y CEC $ which were produced in parallel with work on the deon- [R15] ∗ O(a,t,f,g) O(a,t,y,g) tic cognitive event calculus ( ), an extension of $ DCEC CEC Figure 1: The Syntax Used in this Paper (Bringsjord et al. 2014). CEC is loosely based on the event calculus (Kowalski and SergotCEC 1986), but departs from it and other similar logics in several important ways, two of which are especially relevant show, an augmentation is needed before the sort of reason- to this paper’s purposes: ing used by the Breaking Bad characters can be faithfully modeled. Although no formal semantics is fully defined for , • CEC there is a preference for proof-theoretic (and the highly re- 3.1 Plots and Plans lated argument-theoretic) semantics and a natural deduc- Three characters are relevant to the plot at this point. Wal- tion (Jaskowski´ 1934) style of inference. Although there ter White (“Walt”) is a now-retired methamphetamine king- are some cases where cognitively implausible techniques pin who is in possession of over $80 million, trying to such as resolution may assist in the proof-finding process, live the remainder of his life (likely not to be long due the underlying inferences are rooted in a set of constantly to a recurrence of cancer) in peace with his family.
Recommended publications
  • Breaking Bad and Cinematic Television
    temp Breaking Bad and Cinematic Television ANGELO RESTIVO Breaking Bad and Cinematic Television A production of the Console- ing Passions book series Edited by Lynn Spigel Breaking Bad and Cinematic Television ANGELO RESTIVO DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS Durham and London 2019 © 2019 Duke University Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America on acid- free paper ∞ Typeset in Warnock and News Gothic by Tseng Information Systems, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Restivo, Angelo, [date] author. Title: Breaking bad and cinematic television / Angelo Restivo. Description: Durham : Duke University Press, 2019. | Series: Spin offs : a production of the Console-ing Passions book series | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2018033898 (print) LCCN 2018043471 (ebook) ISBN 9781478003441 (ebook) ISBN 9781478001935 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN 9781478003083 (pbk. : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Breaking bad (Television program : 2008–2013) | Television series— Social aspects—United States. | Television series—United States—History and criticism. | Popular culture—United States—History—21st century. Classification: LCC PN1992.77.B74 (ebook) | LCC PN1992.77.B74 R47 2019 (print) | DDC 791.45/72—dc23 LC record available at https: // lccn.loc.gov/2018033898 Cover art: Breaking Bad, episode 103 (2008). Duke University Press gratefully acknowledges the support of Georgia State University’s College of the Arts, School of Film, Media, and Theatre, and Creative Media Industries Institute, which provided funds toward the publication of this book. Not to mention that most terrible drug—ourselves— which we take in solitude. —WALTER BENJAMIN Contents note to the reader ix acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 1 The Cinematic 25 2 The House 54 3 The Puzzle 81 4 Just Gaming 116 5 Immanence: A Life 137 notes 159 bibliography 171 index 179 Note to the Reader While this is an academic study, I have tried to write the book in such a way that it will be accessible to the generally educated reader.
    [Show full text]
  • Breaking Down Breaking Bad 35
    The MelodRama of the UnkNown MaN A Genre of Ethics and Poetics Timna Rauch – 5971942 Research Master Media Studies Final Thesis February 11 2015 Supervisor: G.W. van der Pol Second Reader: J. W. Kooijman Third Reader: W. Staat The Melodrama of the Unknown Man A Genre of Ethics and Poetics Timna Rauch – 5971942 Weberstraat 32 1223 JT Hilversum 06 28 88 99 12 [email protected] February 11 2015 Final Thesis Research Master Media Studies Supervisor: G. W. van der Pol Second Reader: J. W. Kooijman Third Reader: W. Staat University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Table of Contents INTRODUCTION – COOKING GENRE 4 CHAPTER 1 – TOWARDS A POETICS OF SERIAL DRAMA 8 §1 STUDYING SERIAL DRAMA 8 §2 A POETICS BASED APPROACH 11 §3 (NEO-) FORMALISM 14 CHAPTER 2 – GENRE, MELODRAMA AND TV 16 §1 GENRE AND ‘CLASSIC’ MELODRAMA 17 §2 MELODRAMA ON TV 21 CHAPTER 3 – GENRE AS MORAL REGISTER 25 §1 MORAL PERFECTIONISM 26 §2 THE MELODRAMA OF THE UNKNOWN WOMAN 31 § 3 FROM MAN TO WOMAN 33 CHAPTER 4 – BREAKING DOWN BREAKING BAD 35 §1 A STORY OF CHANGE 38 §2 THE TRANSFORMATION OF MR. WHITE 46 §3 FELINA 54 CONCLUSION – THE MELODRAMA OF THE UNKNOWN MAN 59 FINAL THOUGHTS – MY OWN FELINA 62 BIBLIOGRAPHY 64 APPENDIX I 69 APPENDIX II 70 Introduction – Cooking Genre Introduction – Cooking Genre “Some straight like you, giant stick up his ass, all of a sudden at age like what, sixty, he's just gonna break bad?” (‘Breaking Bad’ 1.01 TC: 36:21) When Breaking Bad’s (AMC 2008-2013) creator Vince Gilligan stumbled upon a newspaper article about a man who was caught cooking methamphetamine in the back of his recreational vehicle, he couldn’t stop wondering what happened.
    [Show full text]
  • Watch Breaking Bad - S05E11 Online
    Downloaded from: justpaste.it/4kw1 Breaking Bad Season 5 Episode 11 | Watch Breaking Bad - S05E11 online Summary Jesse decides to make a change, while Walt and Skyler try to deal with an unexpected demand. Click here to Watch the Full Video Previously on Breaking Bad Season 5 Episode 10 "Buried", While Skyler's past catches up with her, Walt covers his tracks. Jesse continues to struggle with his guilt. On this week's Episode title "Confessions", Jesse decides to make a change, while Walt and Skyler try to deal with an unexpected demand. Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series. He turns to a life of crime, producing and selling methamphetamine with a former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), with the aim of securing his family's financial future before he dies. Breaking Bad has received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its writing, cinematography, and the acting ability of its cast. The series has won six Emmy Awards— including three consecutive wins for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Cranston, one win for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Paul, and two nominations for Outstanding Drama Series. Cranston has also been nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama. Watch Breaking Bad Season
    [Show full text]
  • MEDIA RESOURCE NEWS Suffolk County Community College Libraries August 2014
    MEDIA RESOURCE NEWS Suffolk County Community College Libraries August 2014 Ammerman Grant Eastern Rosalie Muccio Lynn McCloat Paul Turano 451-4189 851-6742 548-2542 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 8 Women/8 Femmes. A wealthy industrialist is found murdered in his home while his family gathers for the holiday season. The house is isolated and the phone lines have been found to be cut. Eight women are his potential murderers. Each is a suspect and each has a motive. Only one is guilty. In French with subtitles in English or Spanish and English captions for the hearing impaired. DVD 1051 (111 min.) Eastern A La Mar. "Jorge has only a few weeks before his five-year-old son Natan leaves to live with his mother in Rome. Intent on teaching Natan about their Mayan heritage, Jorge takes him to the pristine Chinchorro reef, and eases him into the rhythms of a fisherman's life. As the bond between father and son grows stronger, Natan learns to live in harmony with life above and below the surface of the sea."--Container. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles; closed-captioned in English. DVD 1059 (73 min.) Eastern Adored, The. "Maia is a struggling model. After suffering a major loss, her relationship with her husband is thrown into turmoil. She holds high hopes that a session with the prolific celebrity photographer, Francesca Allman, will rejuvenate her career and bring her out of her depression. However, Francesca suffers from severe OCD and has isolated herself in remote North West Wales in a house with an intriguing past.
    [Show full text]
  • Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series
    Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Episode 511, “Confessions”: Walt, Skylar, Hank & Marie meet to discuss what's next. Trent, just doing his job, interrupts this very tense situation...more than once. Walter White … Bryan Cranston Skyler White … Anna Gunn Hank Schrader … Dean Norris Marie Schrader … Betsey Brandt Trent* … Guy Wilson Episode 515, “Granite State”: The Disappearer returns to Walt at his hideout in New Hampshire to bring him supplies. Walter White … Bryan Cranston The Disappearer* … Robert Forrester Episode 516, “Felina”: Walt returns to Elliott & Gretchen's. Our fan favorites Badger & Skinny Pete are not far behind. Walter White … Bryan Cranston Elliott … Adam Godley Gretchen … Jessica Hecht Badger … Matt Jones Skinny Pete … Charles Baker Lydia & Todd have an unexpected visit from Walt at the weekly coffee shop meeting Walter White … Bryan Cranston Lydia* … Laura Fraser Todd* … Jesse Plemons The shootout between Jack’s gang and Walter’s machine. The final good-bye. Walter White … Bryan Cranston Jesse Pinkman … Aaron Paul Todd* … Jesse Plemons Uncle Jack* … Michael Bowen Kenny* … Kevin Rankin Lester* … Tait Fletcher Jack’s Man* … Matthew T. Metzler Frankie* … Patrick Shane *Cast this season Casting Summary for Production 12-20-2012 BREAKING BAD Artist Episode # Episode Title Role Name Series Stars: BRANDT, BETSY MARIE CRANSTON, BRYAN WALTER WHITE GUNN, ANNA SKYLER WHITE MITTE, RJ WALTER, JR. NORRIS, DEAN HANK ODENKIRK, BOB SAUL GOODMAN PAUL, AARON JESSE Guest Cast: BAKER, CHARLES 509 BLOOD MONEY SKINNY PETE BRUMMETT,
    [Show full text]
  • State University of New York at New Paltz Breaking Bad and the Intersection of Critical Theory at Race, Disability, and Gender
    Breaking Bad and the intersection of critical theory at race, disability, and gender Item Type Honor's Project Authors McDonough, Matthew Rights Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Download date 01/10/2021 02:24:17 Item License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12648/1578 State University of New York at New Paltz Breaking Bad and the Intersection of Critical Theory at Race, Disability, and Gender Matthew McDonough Independent Study Honors 495-06 Professor Sarah Wyman 8 December 2020 Thesis Abstract: The television series Breaking Bad (created by Vince Gilligan) is considered by audience and critics alike as one of the greatest television series ever made. It tells the story of the rise and fall of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a mild-mannered chemistry teacher turned meth kingpin. He turns to a life of crime after having been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and he sees meth manufacturing as the most lucrative way to provide for his family. It has been nearly a decade since the series finale, yet it endures through sequel films, spin-offs, and online streaming. My thesis investigates the series’ staying power, and I would argue that lies in its thematic content. Breaking Bad is not just a straightforward story of one man’s descent into a life of crime, but it is also a mediation on dominant, repressive power structures. The series offers a look at these structures through the lens of race, gender, and disability through the actions of characters and their interactions with one another.
    [Show full text]
  • A Monomyth Analysis of Breaking Bad
    Breaking Myths: A monomyth analysis of Breaking Bad. Treball de Fi de Grau Grau d’Estudis d’Anglès i Espanyol Supervised by Jéssica Faciabén Lago Iván Cirilo Ramos 2019-2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction: a working definition of monomyth .................................................................... 1 2. Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 2 3. The monomyth in Literary Criticism: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly. ......................................... 4 4. Hypothesis and challenges .......................................................................................................... 7 5. Monomyth Archetypes in Breaking Bad .................................................................................... 8 5.1 Heroes ................................................................................................................................ 8 5.2 Shapeshifters .................................................................................................................... 10 5.3Trickster ............................................................................................................................ 12 5.4 Threshold Guardian ......................................................................................................... 13 5.5 Mentors ............................................................................................................................ 14 5.6 Shadows ..........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Breaking Bad | Dialogue Transcript | S3:E10
    CREATED BY Vince Gilligan EPISODE 3.10 “Fly” A long, tense night in the meth lab pits Walt and Jesse against a pesky fly that refuses to die, no matter what they do. WRITTEN BY: Sam Catlin | Moira Walley-Beckett DIRECTED BY: Rian Johnson ORIGINAL BROADCAST: May 23, 2010 NOTE: This is a transcription of the spoken dialogue and audio, with time-code reference, provided without cost by 8FLiX.com for your entertainment, convenience, and study. This version may not be exactly as written in the original script; however, the intellectual property is still reserved by the original source and may be subject to copyright. MAIN EPISODE CAST Bryan Cranston ... Walter White Anna Gunn ... Skyler White (voice) Aaron Paul ... Jesse Pinkman Dean Norris ... Hank Schrader (credit only) Betsy Brandt ... Marie Schrader (credit only) RJ Mitte ... Walter White, Jr. (credit only) 1 00:02:01,538 --> 00:02:04,833 Surprised he doesn't make us do that. 2 00:02:07,461 --> 00:02:09,796 The pack totally has a pecking order. 3 00:02:09,963 --> 00:02:13,717 And the head hyena, he's the man, you know. 4 00:02:13,884 --> 00:02:16,386 All the other ones have to, like, kiss his ass. 5 00:02:16,553 --> 00:02:18,722 I mean, literally. It's so gross. 6 00:02:18,889 --> 00:02:22,059 They have to lick his junk. 7 00:02:22,225 --> 00:02:25,729 I can't believe they even showed it on TV.
    [Show full text]
  • Better Call Saul
    BETTER CALL SAUL "Chicanery" Episode #305 Written by Gordon Smith Directed by Daniel Sackheim Production Draft FINAL - 11/21/16 SONY PICTURES TELEVISION INC. All Rights Reserved © 2016 No portion of this script may be performed, or reproduced by any means, or quoted, or published in any medium without prior written consent of SONY PICTURES TELEVISION INC. * 10202 West Washington Boulevard * Culver City, CA 90232* BETTER CALL SAUL "Chicanery" 11/21/16 Cast List JIMMY CHUCK KIM HAMLIN LABORER #1 REBECCA DOCTOR CALDERA BANK COMMISSIONER KEVIN PAIGE ALLEY CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE MEMBER #1 COMMITTEE MEMBER #2 PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR FRANCESCA CLERK HUELL COURT REPORTER Non-speaking DAY LABORER OWNER KID MAN ONLOOKERS ASSISTANT SECURITY GUARD OMITTED AUDIO TECH BETTER CALL SAUL "Chicanery" 11/21/16 Set List Interiors: CHUCK'S HOUSE KITCHEN DINING ROOM GREAT ROOM MUD ROOM VET'S OFFICE LOBBY EXAM ROOM STATE GOV'T BUILDING LOBBY STATE BAR BUILDING HEARING ROOM HALLWAY STAIRWAY KIM'S CONDO BATHROOM LIVING ROOM OMITTED: STATE GOV'T BUILDING HEARING ROOM STATE BAR BUILDING SIDE ROOM ELEVATOR LOBBY KIM'S CAR Exteriors: STATE BAR BUILDING FRONT CHUCK'S HOUSE OMITTED: CHUCK'S HOUSE GARAGE KIM'S CAR TEASER WHIRRR! CLOSE ON: the blade of a LAWNMOWER, spinning. Chewing its way through the lawn of... EXT. CHUCK’S HOUSE - DAY Pushing the mower, a DAY LABORER has already cleared the shaggy green grass from more than half the lawn in nice clean rows. Why is Chuck giving his house a makeover? In the b.g., JIMMY crosses from the direction of the garage, something small and black in hand.
    [Show full text]
  • Better Call Saul: Is You Want Discoverable Communications: the Misrepresentation of the Attorney-Client Privilege on Breaking Bad
    Volume 45 Issue 2 Breaking Bad and the Law Spring 2015 Better Call Saul: Is You Want Discoverable Communications: The Misrepresentation of the Attorney-Client Privilege on Breaking Bad Armen Adzhemyan Susan M. Marcella Recommended Citation Armen Adzhemyan & Susan M. Marcella, Better Call Saul: Is You Want Discoverable Communications: The Misrepresentation of the Attorney-Client Privilege on Breaking Bad, 45 N.M. L. Rev. 477 (2015). Available at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nmlr/vol45/iss2/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The University of New Mexico School of Law. For more information, please visit the New Mexico Law Review website: www.lawschool.unm.edu/nmlr \\jciprod01\productn\N\NMX\45-2\NMX208.txt unknown Seq: 1 12-MAY-15 12:16 “BETTER CALL SAUL” IF YOU WANT DISCOVERABLE COMMUNICATIONS: THE MISREPRESENTATION OF THE ATTORNEY- CLIENT PRIVILEGE ON BREAKING BAD Armen Adzhemyan and Susan M. Marcella* INTRODUCTION What if Breaking Bad had an alternate ending? One where the two lead characters and co-conspirators in a large methamphetamine cooking enterprise, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman,1 are called to answer for their crimes in a court of law. Lacking hard evidence and willing (i.e., * Armen Adzhemyan is a litigation associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP where he has researched and litigated numerous issues regarding the attorney-client privilege as a member of the Antitrust, Law Firm Defense, Securities Litigation, and Transnational Litigation Practice Groups. He received his J.D. in 2007 from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where he served as a senior editor on the Berkeley Journal of International Law.
    [Show full text]
  • Midlife Leading Man Breaking Bad’S Dean Norris, a Prime-Time Stalwart
    MONTAGE Left to right: An Aero L-39 Albatros (foreground) and Dassault Falcon 2000 over the Golden Gate Bridge; a World War II-era North American P-51 Mustang over New York City; an Oracle Challenger (red) and Wolfpitts (yellow); Ambats shooting from a Beechcraft A36 Bonanza photoship H BY DAVID FARR DAVID H BY P pilots,” specialists trained to fly feet higher.” Even such a small change can in close formation with other drastically alter the composition. PHOTOGRA planes: some are former Blue An- Ambats usually works from a Beech- gels or Thunderbirds. With ex- craft Bonanza with the rear doors re- posures from ranges as close as 20 moved. (She does not shoot through to 150 feet, this kind of expertise glass.) A harness holds her securely in is essential or it’s “too risky,” she place. Working with a handheld high-end says. “It takes finesse to move an digital camera, she exposes several hun- pleasure. (She rents these craft, which cost airplane exactly 10 feet.” During the shoot, dred images per flight. Lenses with image around $480,000 each; private jets fall in she constantly feeds both pilots directions stabilization can help, and at times she the $3-million to $10-million range.) to line up the planes properly with each deploys a gyroscopic camera stabilizer, “if For shoots, she hires only “formation other and the background: “Biplane, 15 it’s a bumpy flight.” Midlife Leading Man Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris, a prime-time stalwart ean norris ’85 is headed home on a Stephen King science by limousine after finishing a fiction novel, was anchored photo shoot with—he kids— by Norris as “Big Jim” Ren- D “a few underlings from the net- nie, a power-hungry lo- work”: CBS Entertainment president Nina cal politician in a town Tassler and CBS Television Studios presi- suddenly cut off from the dent David Stapf.
    [Show full text]
  • Why We Should Spare Walter White: Breaking Bad and the True Power of Mitigation
    Volume 45 Issue 2 Breaking Bad and the Law Spring 2015 Why We Should Spare Walter White: Breaking Bad and the True Power of Mitigation Bidish J. Sarma Recommended Citation Bidish J. Sarma, Why We Should Spare Walter White: Breaking Bad and the True Power of Mitigation, 45 N.M. L. Rev. 429 (2015). Available at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nmlr/vol45/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The University of New Mexico School of Law. For more information, please visit the New Mexico Law Review website: www.lawschool.unm.edu/nmlr \\jciprod01\productn\N\NMX\45-2\NMX207.txt unknown Seq: 1 7-MAY-15 13:45 WHY WE WOULD SPARE WALTER WHITE: BREAKING BAD AND THE TRUE POWER OF MITIGATION Bidish J. Sarma* INTRODUCTION What if federal authorities captured Walter White? Considering that he committed the murders of many individuals and orchestrated many more in the course of building and running his global meth trade, the prosecution would be able to seek the ultimate punishment against him. But, would a jury give him the death penalty? Walter’s gripping journey stirred within viewers a range of complex emotions, but even those re- volted by his actions must concede that it is extraordinarily difficult to envision a random collection of twelve people unanimously agreeing that he deserves a state-sanctioned execution. Indeed, it seems that many of us actually rooted for Walter throughout the series, even when we strug- gled to understand why. This Essay explores the answer to the question of why we would spare Walter White from the death penalty.
    [Show full text]