[Spoilers] Breaking Bad - The whole thing felt kinda shady, y'know, morality-wise?

[Reposado]

I don't want it to be totally believable but to have exactly the four individuals that you need survive machine gun fire out of a dozen or so people is a stretch.

the two really. walt and jesse survived because walt knew about the machine and dove to the ground before he pressed the button, taking jesse down with him

[Chun-Li]

How did Walt manage to slip her the ricin? ? Did he pay off the waiter? ?

When Lydia walks in Walt is already there and it looked like there was only one stevia pack (the ricin) at the table, so I guess he knew where she was going to sit and made the switch before she came in. But maybe someone else has a better explanation?

[Goodbye World]

How did he know where she was going to sit and that no one else was going to sit there before her? His entire plan would have been screwed if she did not sit there.

Picking at the finale on its own would have you disregard the leaps that stretched plausible outcome throughout the entire show. Enjoy it.

I thought the purpose of this thread is to discuss the finale, or at least share our thoughts on it. Eitherway, I'm not saying that this ruins the episode or anything, it was great and I loved it, but again, just sharing some thoughts.

[Independent George]

How did he know where she was going to sit and that no one else was going to sit there before her? His entire plan would have been screwed if she did not sit there.

Because she's OCD - it's the same table she always met him at. It might have been interesting if somebody else took that table before she arrived, and he poisoned them in the process of getting to her, but that's not a story you introduce in the finale.

[The hairy bear]

How did he know where she was going to sit and that no one else was going to sit there before her? His entire plan would have been screwed if she did not sit there.

Easy: Until five minutes before the meeting time, Walt was sitting there preventing anyone to use the table and taking the opportunity to change the sweetener. Then he moved to the bar.

[deleted01]

I loved the finale, for many reasons. There may be legitimate criticisms, but I'm still just sad it had to end, and reeling from how it all came apart and back together. Highlights from the finale, for me:

- Jesse killing Todd. I cheered him on so loud my housemate came up to ask if I was okay. She got bollocked for interrupting.

- Lydia getting the ricin. I had a feeling she might be the one to get it.

- The use of Badger and Skinny Pete. A nice nod to fans who like them (great thread title too, btw).

- Skylar and Walt's final scene. Strangely beautiful.

- Walt manipulating Gretchen and Elliot.

- And of course, the robogun :laugh: I love how it reminded me of Walt going to see Tuco. It may have been "too clean" but I'm in no mood to nitpick. I liked how it was done. I also liked how he shot Uncle Jack in the head.

The best thing about the episode was the final scene between Walt and Jesse. Walt ultimately died saving Jesse's life, something I hoped for, despite my love for Walt. It was how it should be, and Jesse getting free was perfect.

Now I'm well aware that some of the things I listed were not great acts, but I am most definitely biased. Walt still won, and all through this entire show I could never hate him. I love characters like that, that make you question yourself and your own morals, because you're so damn attached to them. I need to see if I can catch that Talking Bad somewhere :pirate:

Just to add: I didn't read all of the last thread before it got locked, but I saw it mentioned that Walt didn't have to go after Lydia. But he did. It was because of her that Skylar was threatened, and Lydia thought that she was the brains of the operation. She was a loose end; a dangerously unhinged loose end.

Just added the special edition of Breaking Bad 1-5 to my Amazon wishlist. It comes in a barrel - I need it :laugh:

[Welease Woger]

I'd give this episode alone a 9. The problem is that Breaking Bad was coming from a major streak of 10s. Anyway, that was a satisfying finale for a wonderful show and all the loose ends were tied.

[Roose Seal]

As a finale, I thought it worked perfectly but I still think Walt got off way too easy. Like someone else said, he had closure with everyone and exacted vengeance on those he wanted to exact vengeance on, he didn't deserve such closure.

[Jamie's left hand]

Such a good ORIGINAL series.

Great series finale and one of the best shows I've ever watched.

Only left with one question, why did Walt leave Grey Matter!

[Roose Seal]

Such a good ORIGINAL series.

Great series finale and one of the best shows I've ever watched.

Only left with one question, why did Walt leave Grey Matter!

It's been explained (although not in the show?): Walt visited Gretchen's family when they were still lovers and when he saw that they were filthy rich, felt inadequate and left, because he was such a prideful little dick.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

I don't think Walt got off easy. His family will never know the money they'll be getting is from him. That was something very important to him, and it's what he'd much rather have as opposed to what he died with.

[Reposado]

no, i dont think it was the greatest finale as a finale. it was a very good episode that satisfyingly wrapped up all plot lines, and gave walt the proper send off.

[JungWheats]

I was just holding out hope that Walt would make it. Ozymandias is definetly the climax episode, but we need these last two as well. The show has been great, I have nothing bad to say. The only thing I'd have done would be swap around the Todd and Lydia scene to happen after the Skyler scene so that it's more clear why Walt should poison Lydia. It really seemed as if he poisoned her just 'cause. If he had heard about the armed men and shit coming through the house first, it'd have made more sense. Oh well, fuck Lydia, though.

Vince and everyone else deserve all the good that will ever come from BB, and I really hope they all continue to have great careers.

And I feel pretty confident that if a mystery amount of money comes to Junior on his birthday, some part of him will always wonder if it came from Walt. I think Skyler will feel like it came from Walt as well. I wonder who's going to find the rest of Walt's money?

Hopefully once some time has passed Sky will have a chance to talk to Junior about everything; I don't want Junior to hate Walt forever. At the root of it all, it really was a dying man on borrowed time trying to do what he could. If he had just drifted away from the cancer and left them some mystery money, I don't think anyone would have minded too much. Its really the confrontation with Hank that drove the wedge between everyone, forced everyone to pick sides.

Its sad. I'm totally satisfied with the ending, I'm just sad knowing that Walt really doesn't accomplish what he had set out to do. In a few months when I go back and rewatch, I'll still want Walt to get away, I'll still want Walt to succeed, despite the dark roads he takes throughout the show.

Congratulations to everyone who worked on the show and made it all happen.

[Mya Stone]

As a finale, I thought it worked perfectly but I still think Walt got off way too easy. Like someone else said, he had closure with everyone and exacted vengeance on those he wanted to exact vengeance on, he didn't deserve such closure.

I understand the sentiment, I really do. But Walt in no way, shape, or form had closure with Junior. He died knowing Junior thought he was a monster. That, to me, is the exact opposite of everything Walt had wanted. Remember when he was beaten up, and Junior was taking care of him, and Walt said, "I don't want you to remember me like this?" Well...he remembers him in a much, much worse light.

To be honest, I remember writing back when I first started my major binge of the show that I would not shed tears for any of the characters. And know what? I didn't. The closest I came was when Walt said goodbye to Holly, because she was truly an innocent. I also remember wondering if Walt would be redeemed in my eyes. And guess what? He was. With his admittance to Skyler, and his saving Jesse in the end, I felt Walt earned a SMALL redemption. I appreciate that at first, Walt called out Uncle Jack and Jesse to get Jesse in the room to die, but once he saw Jesse's condition (and I'm sure, in his mind, admitted that it was directly his fault for this), he changed his mind and saved him. He may have wronged him, but he tried his damnedest to fix that wrong. Ironically, my feeling that Walt redeemed himself through an action of saving someone he had damned is funny to me. :p

[Mya Stone]

I thought it was a brilliant finale, not as riveting maybe as Ozymandias, but still great.

My only query; Why did the police come? I would have thought that the White Supremacists would have used somewhere out of earshot for guns... not that all guns are the same noise level, but why cut it close?

I think they came because they had been shown to be one step behind Walt the entire time, and probably figured out where he was. I don't think Walt meant to die in the gunfight. I truly believe he would have gone with the cops in the end if he wasn't shot. He may have tipped them off himself. Or maybe he had Badger and Skinny Pete do it. All the phone calls of "Walt is back, he has a manifesto, etc etc"

[7V3N]

I understand the sentiment, I really do. But Walt in no way, shape, or form had closure with Junior. He died knowing Junior thought he was a monster. That, to me, is the exact opposite of everything Walt had wanted. Remember when he was beaten up, and Junior was taking care of him, and Walt said, "I don't want you to remember me like this?" Well...he remembers him in a much, much worse light.

To be honest, I remember writing back when I first started my major binge of the show that I would not shed tears for any of the characters. And know what? I didn't. The closest I came was when Walt said goodbye to Holly, because she was truly an innocent. I also remember wondering if Walt would be redeemed in my eyes. And guess what? He was. With his admittance to Skyler, and his saving Jesse in the end, I felt Walt earned a SMALL redemption. I appreciate that at first, Walt called out Uncle Jack and Jesse to get Jesse in the room to die, but once he saw Jesse's condition (and I'm sure, in his mind, admitted that it was directly his fault for this), he changed his mind and saved him. He may have wronged him, but he tried his damnedest to fix that wrong. Ironically, my feeling that Walt redeemed himself through an action of saving someone he had damned is funny to me. :P

I think all of Walt's redemption came in his true confession to Skyler. He finally looked back and saw what everyone else saw, and he felt bad about it.

[Tears of Lys]

It was good but too clean, and I was hoping for less success of Walt and more showing the pain he has wrought.

Also felt it was occasionally too direct. How many times did we linger on the stevia?

The pain Walt wrought was chiseled into his face. He's smart - he was aware of the devastation he was sowing around him. He buried everything in his desperation to find security for his family. His finally admitting that he enjoyed the power that came along with it was... earth-shattering, really - proof of a dying man's coming to terms with himself.

I do believe that if William Shakespeare was a contemporary artist and released his works today, there would be people on the internet talking about his unsatisfying writing.

This.

I'm still soaking in the episode, so my thoughts aren't too cogent at the moment (plus I've got to run an errand.) Needless to say, I thought the ending was pretty damn good.

[Mya Stone]

Triple posting because I truly don't understand the people who say Walt went out with everything he ever wanted.

Walt went out with a small victory, but he had truly lost everything he had worked for. He lost his fortune, he lost his family, he lost his legacy. But he went out on his own terms, in his own way, which in no, way, shape, or form was everything he had wanted. But he made the best of the situation, and adapted, and transformed. And I appreciate that in the end, Walt broke goodish.

[7V3N]

I think they came because they had been shown to be one step behind Walt the entire time, and probably figured out where he was. I don't think Walt meant to die in the gunfight. I truly believe he would have gone with the cops in the end if he wasn't shot. He may have tipped them off himself. Or maybe he had Badger and Skinny Pete do it. All the phone calls of "Walt is back, he has a manifesto, etc etc"

Yeah I suggested to my bud that Skinny Pete and Badger had been making all of the calls about Walt's return (the ones Marie spoke of) to create a smokescreen. Because of all the bogus calls, the police did not take it seriously when the real calls came in.

[Mya Stone]

Yeah I suggested to my bud that Skinny Pete and Badger had been making all of the calls about Walt's return (the ones Marie spoke of) to create a smokescreen. Because of all the bogus calls, the police did not take it seriously when the real calls came in.

Exactly. Marie had said there were three different voices. It makes the most sense to me.