The Breaking Bad Finale Discussion Thread [SPOILERS WITHIN - UP TO FINALE]

[MEXzilla]

I've liked every ep so far but I do think the first one and this last one were the weakest one for me. Still something I notice is that each episode has a great ending so far, it's setting itself up for a bloody great ending.

[Powerage5]

I really liked the episode, I'm surprised no one liked it....

Did anyone feel a little sad when Walt Jr. went to hug his father?

I liked it. There's very few episodes I haven't liked in the whole series. This season, I'd rank them best to worst:

Confessions

Blood Money

Rabid Dog

Buried

[bacardimayne]

I really liked it. Another solid filler episode from the guy who directed 4 Days Out and Fly, two great filler episodes.

[Aaron_H]

^ but when you only have 8 episodes in the season (I don't consider it as season 5B, more like S6), why are you fucking around at anything remotely close to filler?

Before the season started, I expected the whole Hank vs Walt thing to progress more slowly but the first episode seemed to suggest things were going to progress at a much faster rate and so managing to squeeze a lot into the last season. Now I just have a feeling that the story itself is going to be short and they're gonna rush the last 4 episodes.. Ugh.

I might be surprised (I seem to remember them putting a lot in the last few episodes of Prison Break) but considering the pace of the whole series as a whole, I don't know how much story they'll be able to tell in 4 episodes. I think that a lot will happen but there's going to be very little time for reflection and proper emotional character development.

[Powerage5]

I really liked it. Another solid filler episode from the guy who directed 4 Days Out and Fly, two great filler episodes.

Do you really consider 4 Days Out a filler episode?!? I mean sure, it was pretty much the Walt and Jesse variety hour, but it developed their relationship a lot IMO, and of course the ending was one of the biggest plot points of the series.

[Ace Nova]

Yes, he broke bad but that doesn't mean he has to die. He and Jesse always had a bad relationship. I bet the 2 will be friends in the end and alive.

I think a lot of people are missing the double meaning of Breaking Bad. By common language, it means to basically "become bad" or to turn your life towards criminality, against morals, etc. So now the characters have officially done what the show's title is. (By common language standards)

Now, if you read the two words separately and translate them literally, one means to destroy (Breaking) the other means evil (Bad). So now that they have become the common (street) translation of the phrase, "Breaking Bad" all that is left is the literal translation - destroy evil. Meaning, that by the end of the series all the evil will be destroyed.(Everyone who broke bad will die.) Breaking-Bad.

[Dan H.]

It's not a filler episode guys.

The writers are setting the pieces for the checkmate. These episodes are establishing tension, and putting all the characters in the right mind set and positions for what I imagine will be a lot of fast paced action in the last few episodes.

I'm guessing next episode will be about as dry as this one, and then in the last three episodes, shit flies off the handle.

[Ace Nova]

It's not a filler episode guys.

The writers are setting the pieces for the checkmate. These episodes are establishing tension, and putting all the characters in the right mind set and positions for what I imagine will be a lot of fast paced action in the last few episodes.

I'm guessing next episode will be about as dry as this one, and then in the last three episodes, shit flies off the handle.

That's pretty much the way I feel. I think this episode was huge in terms of character development - it pretty much finished developing Skylar, Marie and Hank as all three 'Broke Bad'. Now it's time to dismantle them...and that's what will begin to happen, imo.

[OmarBradley]

That's pretty much the way I feel. I think this episode was huge in terms of character development - it pretty much finished developing Skylar, Marie and Hank as all three 'Broke Bad'. Now it's time to dismantle them...and that's what will begin to happen, imo.

This is what I've been waiting for since the start of part 2 of this season. I thought last night's episode was the best of the last four by far.

[Powerage5]

That's pretty much the way I feel. I think this episode was huge in terms of character development - it pretty much finished developing Skylar, Marie and Hank as all three 'Broke Bad'. Now it's time to dismantle them...and that's what will begin to happen, imo.

This is what I've been waiting for since the start of part 2 of this season. I thought last night's episode was the best of the last four by far.

Really? I thought it was Confessions, no contest. It's easily in my top 5 of the series.

[downzy]

They're not shitty people though, that's the best part.

Each character is doing everything correctly for the position they were in.

If I were Jesse, I'd rat out Walt.

If I were Hank, I wouldn't care if Jesse died.

If I were Skyler, I'd want Jesse dead.

If I were Marie, I'd fantasize about killing Walt.

They all are in the right mind set. And it's funny how well the writers poise the audience against every character so flawlessly, even though none of them are evil.

This. There seems to be a high degree of moral relativism in this thread. They are all acting as most would act, but let's not forget that none of these characters have nearly as much blood on their hands as Walt. Accusing Jesse for turning rat, as if it's the dishonorable thing to do, in light of the heinous crimes perpetrated by Walt is simply fucked. Having Skyler suggest that they should kill Jesse is not anywhere near many of the deaths that have come from Walt's actions. Walt has done some terrible things and deserves whatever is coming (and it is coming). The others, though far from perfect, have broken bad only as a response to Walt's corruption. As Marie's shrink points out, everyone has different sides to their personalities, but as Marie counters, Walt's alternative personality is in a different league. The characters around Walt are simply reacting (rationally, I'd argue) to what Walt has set in motion. Cheering for Walt because Hank has less scruples to catch the guy who was responsible for putting him in a hospital is ridiculous.

Hank was going to die, someone was going to die in last night's episode, blah, blah... you're all really shitty at guessing what is gonna happen.

I'm glad you were wrong about Hank, bitches.

It makes me laugh going back in this thread and reading all the terrible predictions (i.e. is Hank suicidal?). While I applaud the courage to make such bold predictions, it's funny how many have been so far off the mark. The only prediction I'm willing to wager is that a lot of people die. I don't know particularly who, but I'm fairly certain that few live to see the closing credits. I'm 99% certain that Walt meets his demise by the end of the show. I'd also like to think that Hank gets some sort of redemption, but I'm not so sure on that (the show is a tragedy after all).

It's not a filler episode guys.

The writers are setting the pieces for the checkmate. These episodes are establishing tension, and putting all the characters in the right mind set and positions for what I imagine will be a lot of fast paced action in the last few episodes.

I'm guessing next episode will be about as dry as this one, and then in the last three episodes, shit flies off the handle.

This.

Yeah, anyone who viewed S5E12 as a filler seems to be missing the point. This was a pivotal episode in that it formally pits Walt against Jesse. It's the last five minutes that will lead to the carnage (another prediction, but not a tough one to make). I don't know how you have the rest of the season without putting the pieces in place, which this episode did so well. It's a transition episode. Without it the show would suffer from poor pacing and ambiguous motivations by the key characters.

[downzy]

Great interview of Dean Norris (actor who plays Hank). He explains a lot about Hank's motivations and his thinking behind some of the more controversial lines in this week's episodes. Great read if you have a couple of minutes. It's also not too spoilery, so long as you've seen the latest episode:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/01/dean-norris-deconstructs-breaking-bad-s-hank-schrader.html

"“Hank wants to be the guy who fights injustice,” Norris explained. “And I think [creator] Vince [Gilligan] does, too. That’s part of Vince’s character. That there’s some sort of, you know, karmic justice in the world, and Hank represents that force. He’s not going to let Walt get away with what he’s done.”"

This line goes to my prediction that Hank will in some way prevail, that Walt will end up losing (either his family, his life, his freedom, or a combination of those), that justice will end up being served.

[Aaron_H]

I do wonder how the different characters would feel if they actually sat down and talked about it rationally. There were a lot of fucked up things that Walt did (especially as the series progressed), but earlier on it was easy to see why he made the decisions he did.. Would Hank be so pissed off if he knew exactly why Walt made every decision that he did? I don't know.

[Powerage5]

I do wonder how the different characters would feel if they actually sat down and talked about it rationally. There were a lot of fucked up things that Walt did (especially as the series progressed), but earlier on it was easy to see why he made the decisions he did.. Would Hank be so pissed off if he knew exactly why Walt made every decision that he did? I don't know.

Hank seems beyond the point of wanting to hear any explanation - that became evident at the dinner scene in Confessions.

[downzy]

I do wonder how the different characters would feel if they actually sat down and talked about it rationally. There were a lot of fucked up things that Walt did (especially as the series progressed), but earlier on it was easy to see why he made the decisions he did.. Would Hank be so pissed off if he knew exactly why Walt made every decision that he did? I don't know.

Hank seems beyond the point of wanting to hear any explanation - that became evident at the dinner scene in Confessions.

In fairness, you have someone try to cut off your head and let's see how willing you would be at hearing the explanation from the party that's responsible.

Walt is an interesting and fun character to watch, but he deserves whatever wrath Hank brings his way.

[Nobodys_Fault]

Last episode felt a bit off. It's like the writers hit a switch and now all the characters are suddenly "bad". Somewhere along the way they skipped a step in character progression. The whole 'would be assassin is just a harmless dad' thing felt really lazy too.. I get that they are driving home the point that Jesse is ultra-paranoid but it was executed poorly in my opinion.

The writing is still better than anything else on tv right now but I've come to expect more from the show. I still have faith the story will all come together in the end. Just didn't particularly like this chapter.

[ManetsBR]

I didn't like it either. I agree with all you said.

[luciusfunk]

This episode was the first time I've ever been on Hank's side and wanted to see Walt go down. Until Hank pulled the bullshit with Jesse, telling Gomie he'd prefer Walt to kill Jesse on tape.

[ManetsBR]

Saul: Send Hank to Belize; put Jesse down Old Yeller style.

Skyler: Suggested for Walt to kill Jesse.

Hank: Does not care if Jesse is killed by Walt.

Marie: Have been researching untraceable posions.

Jesse: Probably want Walt dead, also.

Except for... Heisenberg!
Walt refuse to kill Hank on account he is family, refuse to kill Jesse on account he believe talking to him will calm him down.

[ManetsBR]

Edit: Came across something interesting on Reddit: Jesse tells Hank "Mr. White has a zero policy on threats", yet, Jesse threats him a few minutes later... Just to induce Walt to make a move? (Which he did).

[downzy]

Edit: Came across something interesting on Reddit: Jesse tells Hank "Mr. White has a zero policy on threats", yet, Jesse threats him a few minutes later... Just to induce Walt to make a move? (Which he did).

But you're not seeing things from Jesse's perspective. He really doesn't know that Walt has turned somewhat of a new leaf. All he knows is that Walt has killed or disposed of anyone who has threatened him. He has manipulated Jesse to achieve his desired outcome without much concern for the well-being of Jesse's social circle. Hank's interpretation of how much Walt cares for Jesse is inaccurate or lacking details. He can only guess how much Walt has manipulated Jesse, he really has not clear idea of the extent.

Jesse threatens Walt (I'm assuming we're talking about his verbal threat on the pay phone) under the misconception that Walt is there to have Jesse killed. It was not meant to induce Walt's hand since Jesse already believed Walt was out to get him. Walt has never really seen Jesse as a threat and has treated him so, but now that Jesse has made it clear that he can no longer be manipulated, he has initiated exactly what Jesse told Hank he would do. Walt's faith in Jesse was never truly in Jesse, but in Walt's ability to manipulate Jesse. Now that this form of control is no longer available to Walt (induced by Jesse under false pretenses and unfortunate timing - had he seen that the big burly guy that he believed was there to kill him was actually a tough looking father he likely would not have threatened Walt on the phone) he resorts to the course of action that he's taken since becoming a drug kingpin .

Walt refuse to kill Hank on account he is family, refuse to kill Jesse on account he believe talking to him will calm him down.

Walt has refused to kill both Hank and Jesse thus far because he believes in his own ability to control both these individuals. In his mind he's nullified the threat of Hank with the "confession" video and until Jesse verbally threatened him he believed he could control Jesse. Once the air of control is gone, Walt turns into Heisenberg and we know how Heisenberg handles threats.

Don't think that if push came to shove that Walt would not take out Hank. He's already verbally threatened him in Hank's garage ("tread lightly"), and if he felt Hank was truly a threat he'd deal with it as he's now dealing with Jesse. I don't think Walt has a high opinion of Hank. He's likely always perceived him as his intellectual inferior and thus such drastic measures are not necessary. Walt's a smart person, he understands that violence and death have consequences, and that the employment of such actions could bring further consequences further down the line. He's not killing Hank because he's family, but because of the potential blow-back. Killing your brother in-law who is also a top guy at the DEA is not something Walt would want to do unless it's the only option he has left. Carnage begets carnage, and if Walt's motivation is to get out, it's likely not a smart move to take out your cop brother-in-law.

Edited September 3, 2013 by downzy

[SunnyDRE]

Did anyone else think Walt's explanation to Skylar and Jr about the gas was kinda lame?

He's smarter than that.

Edited September 4, 2013 by SunnyDRE

[Forsaken]

^ Totally unbelievable and think it was written that way on purpose, Skylar knew he was lying from the beginning.

[Gordon Comstock]

Jr. thought it was pretty lame

[RussTCB]

I just loved the look on Walt's face when Jr came up with a FAR better story. Walt looked like "Fuck. I should have just said that!"