How the hell are the writers goin' to wrap this up in 1 episode? I presumed the season would go another 4 - 5. Will this be a 2 hr. finale?
There is an awful lot to wrap up. I don't see how 1 episode can do it, outside of nuking the entire cast.
The comments from Gretchen Schwartz to Charlie Rose were fairly damning and set the stage for the finale. Walter has a choice to make; is he going to prove her wrong and commit one last "Heisenberg" hurrah in a hailstorm of bullets to show that deep down, he is a good guy? Or is he going to "kill off" the good guy deep down forever and show that she's right? Vince Gilligan has been sticking with this "Mr. Chips to Scarface" theme from the first season, so it would be odd to end it by having him go back to Mr. Chips when the dust settles. I also don't know if Jesse's future lies in Walt's hands. I think for the past 61 episodes, Jesse's success (or lack thereof) has been linked to Walt's choices. I don't think VG would let Jesse's life-or-death finale come down to Walt's actions. Jesse completes the transformation from meth tweaking bonehead to wise-beyond-his-years man, but maybe at a high cost. I think the ricin for Lydia is all but delivered by this point. It'd be kind of funny if Walt pulled a Gus Fring manuever and had all of the brotherhood share a nice drink laced with poison, but that doesn't sound plausible considering the machine gun. Other than himself (who Walt is finally beginning to blame after his time in New Hampshire isolation), Lydia is probably the most responsible for his downfall and ill-timed ties to the Aryan gang. If Hank never finds the Leaves of Grass copy in the bathroom, Lydia would still have a way of popping up in Walt's life, intentionally or otherwise. And Todd would do anything she wanted, including making Walt's life hell. Sometimes, fate is difficult to escape.
I can't remember looking forward to a story more so than I do for the finale. I know there's no chance at happiness coming out of the end of the storyline, but I would like to see: Jesse escape death and disappear, maybe with a barrel of cash Walt take the Nazis down Walt swallow the ricin, and let Skylar turn him in, knowing that he'll die within days Skylar survive to take care of the family for Walt See Walt Jr and Holly both live their lives knowing that their father loved them However, I think everyone loses in the end.
Here is my ending - Walt storms the nazis with the M-60 and fully aerates Todd while saving Jesse. Jesse then disappears to become a traveling snake preacher to lead others away from the dangers of drugs. Walt then sets up a meeting with Lydia and poisons her tea before turning himself into the DEA. Then while in custody he confesses and absolves Skyler of any guilt coughs up some blood and dies in the interrogation room. Huell then shows up to pick up Skyler and the kids with the barrels of money (all of them since the nazis are dead and walt arranges for him to pick them up) and they roll off in the sunset to live happily ever after in Belize.
I've read a lot of people thinking that Elliot and Gretchen get theirs from Walt. But, i think he asks a favor of them instead of killing them. Why? They seem like the best portal to funnel $ back to Skyler and the kids via charity fronts, etc. So, I think Walt pays them a visit early in the finale and begs for them to do the right thing, either with some of Walt's leftover stash (if he's got some of the barrel left somewhere, buried), or from their own pocket. The Nazis have to go down, but I just don't see Walt driving in, guns blazing, and mowing everyone down with the M60. Instead, what about the gang all convening in the meth lab right around the same time Jesse finds a way to blow the lab to smithereens. The foreshadowing is there for the taking, with the flashback to the first cook and Walt yelling at Jesse for trying to light up a smoke near the chemicals. How he escapes? Dunno, but I see him getting out, at least temporarily. I've always thought his future lies somewhere in obscurity, like Alaska, doing woodwork like he talked of while in group healing classes at the church. As for Lydia, I think Walt gets to her, but doesn't use the ricin to kill her. I think he tells her that he's going to burn her down for allowing the Nazis to threaten his family during the ski mask scene. I think Todd kills Lydia, but don't know why or how. And Walt? Does he save the ricin for himself? Does he turn himself in, or allow Skylar to turn him in, attempting to absolve her name from punishment? Once he knows he's reached the end, he swallows the vial, and beats his eventual cancer death with one of his own? Or, I'm as wrong as everyone else.
It's pretty clear that Walt and the Aryans are going to bite the dust one way, or another, but everybody else is anyone's guess. I think the only one safe is Saul, since he supposedly has a spinoff series.
All I can say is that I'm giddy for Sunday night's series conclusion. I'd agree that Liddy get's the Ricin, Jesse blows up the lab (why else for the flashback?) and Walt goes out in a blaze of glory with the Aryans. I hadn't considered that Gray Matters and associated charities could be leveraged to funnel the money to Walt's family which was the reason for the start of this mess.
I was really hoping that Marie would be taken out, but that's probably not going to happen now. Life is so unfair.
Well Huell didn't get the money or the white woman like I had hoped but the rest went about the way I had figured. All in all this was an all time great series and I still rate the wire as better for quality points but I actually enjoyed Breaking Bad more.
You nailed it CanaTigers. It was a little surreal watching the last episode knowing that it would be over. I enjoyed every moment but am sad that its over. Spoiler alert: I appreciated Walter White admitting to Skyler that what he did he did for himself and nobody else. Ultimately, he was a brilliant guy with an ego that couldn't be satisfied as a HS Chemistry teacher.
I believe that Walter actually started out doing it for his family, but at some point it manifested into a personal power trip. I think the Gus Fring situation is when he really broke bad and there was no turning back.
Started watching the series halfway through Season 1 while I was the foreman of our cattle ranch not far from San Angelo. AMC on DirectTV was one of the few things I had to look forward to out there in the middle of nowhere... after all the twists and turns the show took over the years I always felt season 5 felt rushed. Then again, I know it had to end somewhere. Still feels rushed...and somewhat unresolved. Jesse just driving off in maniacal laughter with nothing to show for what he did next and later... among other things..dunno wished they'd started the decline in season 4 to give a better wrap. What happens to everyone who lived? We'll never know.
Yes, "El Paso" was perfect. Not only is it a great song, but it fit the situation: An ordinary man who's become a criminal and been forced to leave town. He's now returning to settle things. "Maybe tomorrow a bullet may find me. Tonight nothing's worse than this pain in my heart."
No "Breaking Bad" tonight to look forward too. I really miss it already. At least "Walking Dead" starts next week.
