Oscars preview, top 10 films of 2015, favorite sports moments

Episode 4 of The Mark&Mark Podcast previews the Oscars, as News-Herald Entertainment Editor Mark Meszoros and Sports Editor Mark Podolski discuss if this is finally Leonardo DeCaprio's year to win as Best Actor, if Sylvester Stallone breaks through with a historic win as Best Supporting Actor. The guys also rank their top 10 films of 2015 and more.

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Talking "Race," return of "Walking Dead" and "Better Call Saul," plus Cavs trade rumors

In episode 3 of the Mark & Mark podcast, Entertainment Editor Mark Meszoros and Sports Editor Mark Podolski discuss the following topics:
 
Jesse Owens film "Race," which opens in theaters Feb. 19 (00:00-13:00)

"Walking Dead" (13:00-19:40)

"Better Call Saul" (19:40-23:00)

New HBO series "Vinyl" (23:00-25:20)

Cavaliers trade talk (25:20-28:45)

"Star Wars: Episode VIII" begins filming (28:45-29:50)

30th anniversary of graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns" (29:50-32:20)

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Talking 'Deadpool,' athletes we love to hate, 25th anniversary of 'The Silence of the Lambs' and more

On episode 2 of the Mark&Mark podcast, Entertainment Editor Mark Meszoros and Sports Editor Mark Podolski discuss Ryan Reynolds' new movie "Deadpool." One Mark likes it. The other Mark? Not so much. Find out where they stand on the big screen's newest superhero. Also, the Marks talk about the athletes they love to hate, Super Bowl 50, plus the 25th anniversary of the 1991 thriller, "The Silence of the Lambs."

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Mark & Mark: Is new FX O.J. Simpson trial miniseries worth watching

The new Mark & Mark podcast is a weekly show with Entertainment Editor Mark Meszoros and Sports Editor Mark Podolski crossing over into discussions sports and pop culture. On the first episode, Meszoros and Podolski talk about the pilot episode, which debuted Feb. 2, of FX's 10-episode miniseries "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story." Is it worth your time? Other topics include Super Bowl 50 and commercials, the likely end of the Johnny Manziel era in Cleveland, and if super Cavs fan Meszoros is all in on new Coach Tyronn Lue.

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'Force Awaken' breakdown

Entertainment Editor Mark Meszoros and Sports Editor Mark Podolski discuss 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' in non-spoiler fashion, as they talk about what Meszoros, who screened the film this week, liked and didn't like about it, the potential for a record-breaking box-office weekend,  if the film is call-back to the magic of the original film in 1977, and more.

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AMC's "Breaking Bad" binge: Did Walter White win in the end?

(Spoiler alert: The following reveals the conclusion to "Breaking Bad." A "Breaking Bad" binge is currently airing on Sundays on AMC. The series ran from 2008 to 2013).

Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul.) AP photo

Watching the final minutes of the greatest TV show ever created this week, I was an emotional wreck.

In the final scene of the series finale of "Breaking Bad," I think we're supposed to be rooting for the greatest TV anti-hero ever created - Walter White, aka Heisenberg - to finally get his.

That wasn't what I was thinking. Walter, near death from a gunshot wound, stumbled into a crystal meth lab with the Badfinger song "Baby Blue" playing in the background. It was like there was no other place he wanted to be, but what was Walter thinking during his final breath?

Was he thinking about his creation, his near-perfect blue crystal meth? Of was he thinking of the crimes he committed, the people he killed and the pain he caused? Or his tortured wife, the son who now hated him, or his infant daughter? Or that his partner from the outset, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), was finally free? Or that he finally won, going out on his own tearms?

"Breaking Bad" is emotionally draining, addictive and fabulous. It pulls you in so many directions, I wasn't sure what to think of Walter when it was over.

Show creator Vince Gilligan has made a masterpiece. A show might come around to equal "Breaking Bad," but I'll be shocked if anything surpasses it.

Actor Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White, will go down in history, with the Emmys to prove it.

AMC began a "Breaking Bad" binge in August, showing eight episodes every Sunday. For me, better late than never.  AMC's binge is nearly over, but the wait for the series' conclusion was excruciating, so I pushed ahead myself. 

The race to the finish of "Breaking Bad" is an experience unlike any other in pop culture. It will rock you to the core. It will entertain you, make you laugh and make you cringe. During the final scene, it might bring you to tears.

Now, back to the series' final scene. When creating "Breaking Bad," Gilligan said, "How can I do a show in which the fundamental drive is toward change?" 

Gilligan created a complex character in Walter, who at times showed great humanity, then followed with unspeakable acts. What made this character tick? It's revealed in the series finale, "Felina," when Walter tells his wife Skyler his true reasons for becoming a meth drug lord: "I did it for me. I liked it. And I was good at it," he said. Walter also tells his wife he felt "alive."

In the pilot, Walter seems like a man whose life has passed him by. It only gets worse when he's told he has cancer. The next five seasons, the transformation from a timid man to a ruthless killer hell bent on getting whatever he wants at any cost is breath-taking.

While we're led to believe Walter's motive all along is his family - his goodbyes to his family in the finale are gut-wretching - in the end his greatest love is for chemistry and his near-perfect creation, the blue crystal meth.

The series' final scene doesn't bring complete redemption for Walter, but there's some of it. He frees Jesse, and relieves some of the burden he brought to his family simply by expiring. Before that, he does find a way to leave millions to his family (watch to find out). All along, I can't help but think the man is a bit oblivious to the destruction he caused in doing so.

So in his final moments, I couldn't but think Walter - or better yet Heisenberg - won. 

- Mark Podolski | @mpodo

2014 summer movie preview

Assistant Managing Editor/Features Mark Meszoros and Sports Editor Mark Podolski preview the summer movie season, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," which hits theaters May 2, and discuss the announcement of the cast of "Star Wars: Episode VII."

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