Originally Posted By familyguy 2 pieces that were satisfying... Walt FINALLY admitting that he did all of this for HIMSELF....NOT for his family. Jesse killing Todd. (I think we ALL wanted that after Andrea, if not before)
Originally Posted By ecdc >>Oh, and I think Jesse's going to Alaska and becoming a woodworker. Lots of wood in Alaska!<< Vince Gilligan agrees with you <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/09/30/breaking-bad-finale-vince-gilligan/">http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/09...illigan/</a>
Originally Posted By ecdc The more I think about Walt's statement to Skyler, the more chills I get. Don't most of us, as we suffer the disappointments of life, as we exit our heady we-can-do-anything! youth, and settle into a mundane existence, don't we know exactly how Walt feels? Even now, down this road of damnation he's walked, there's nothing that quite resonates like hearing him say he liked it and he was good at it. Most of us have that thing, right? We're actually good at something (granted, it's probably not quite as evil as meth) that the world doesn't want from us, or at least won't pay us to support our families with, and we just want to be able to do what we're good at? And when we do it, it makes us feel, as Walt says, alive? But no one else cares or perhaps they pay lip service and say it's nice that you can do that but we're all keenly aware that we're expected to be responsible people with boring jobs and traditional families and follow the predetermined pattern of American life. And Skyler looks at him and shakes her head, awed at his selfishness. That's how the viewers will break. They'll either be like me, and understand Walt's selfish desire to just feel alive (still aware of his monstrosity), or they'll be with Skyler, stunned and sickened by his selfishness. Excellent.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Huell. What happened to Huell? Is he still sitting in that motel room even now???
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 I also liked how Aaron Paul drove right into the Need for Speed movie he's starring in next year.
Originally Posted By leobloom I've been surprised how many of the critics had quibbles/problems with the finale. Quite a few of them mention that the "Bad Fan" won and that the writers turned out to be Team Walt. The last shot with Walt smiling as he's dying -- it validates all the horrible things this guy has done. How much more striking would the ending have been if the final shot was a simple establishing shot of the abandoned, condemned White residence with a tattered fence around it? I understand people wanting a more "upbeat" ending, but frankly that's not true to what the show had become. And a number of articles point out just how ridiculous the plot was last night -- the Nazis conveniently all gather within the range of the gun contraption, Walt sneaking into Skyer's place, Walt "guessing" when Lydia would meet with Todd, Jack insisting on bringing Jesse to the room before killing Walt. Jesse killing Todd? Just what Jesse needs, more blood on his hands. Would've been interesting for Walt to kill Todd, since he's responsible for at least some of the bad that has come to Jesse. A more biting ending would've had the Nazis take Walt to the lab to show him Jesse, thereby foiling his use of the machine gun, and executing one of them or both. I wanted Jesse to live, but really he'd become more of a pawn in these last few episodes, that they could've killed him off in Ozymandias and not much would've been lost. Great, great series, but I think the consensus opinion will turn out to be that the show should've ended one or two episodes earlier. Which is a shame, because I really thought they were going to pull this off with an A+.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I give them an A+. Walt died, and that's not an upbeat ending by any measure. He beat cancer by getting shot, but ultimately, he lost everything: His money, his family, his business, his good name. He was a brilliant man, undone by his own ego ultimately, but he was still smarter than the average bear. He was able to get some measure of revenge on the Schwartzes who arguably set the wheels in motion way back when. He was able to use them like they used him. Jesse suffered through a lot and was basically a good guy most of the time (well, at least compared to many others on the show). Every woman he loved died, children around him died or were nearly killed... he'd paid plenty for his crimes. Even Hank was not concerned should Jesse die out in the desert. He gets a fresh start somehow, somewhere, with no drug money to live on. Todd was, I think, the creepiest character in the show. I'm not sure anyone would have liked to see him live at the end, especially once he killed Brock's mom that way. Walt lost his son's love and respect. He was reduced to looking at him from afar one last time, knowing he'd lost that relationship. He lost Skyler and Holly, and I think he did care about Hank, too. No, there really wasn't a more satisfying end to the show that I could think of. A montage of sound clips of news reports, to see how the story would be played in the media, might have been interesting, but I was fine with the music instead.
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf Perfect end to a magnificent series. And let's not be too harsh on Walt, most of the people he killed were vile human bings (a la Dexter). Where people start to hate him is when he let Jane die (not his greatest moment but she was going to die from meth or heroine anyway) and when he poisoned Brock (who survived like he thought he would). He did not kill Hank, though you can argue he was partially responsible. And Jesse was a screw-up from the beginning and was lucky to live as long as he did. Remember Walt tried all along to help him, put him in rehab, etc. Don't get me wrong, he suffered more than any human ever should, but he chose his path long before he ever reconnected wth Walt so Walt does not deserve all the blame laid at his feet. Maybe it's the old Republican buried down deep (very deep) in me, but I do not, nor never did, see Walt as pure evil. I always rooted for him and his death simply served to put an end to his family's suffering. It was a final sacrifice to put everything right. He confessed to Skylar, finally telling her the WHOLE truth before the end. And she forgave him, go back and watch. Perfect finish Vince. Well done!
Originally Posted By leobloom >> Walt died, and that's not an upbeat ending by any measure. He beat cancer by getting shot, but ultimately, he lost everything: His money, his family, his business, his good name. << He certainly doesn't see it that way. He gets his money to Flynn (in theory -- I'm skeptical it would work), which all along has been his goal. He thinks he gets Skyler out of trouble (again, I'm skeptical). He thinks he's done right by all his family.
Originally Posted By leobloom >> He confessed to Skylar, finally telling her the WHOLE truth before the end. And she forgave him, go back and watch. << She didn't forgive him as much as the writers buckled to the pressure of fans like yourself who demanded that Walt experience redemption. Yes, poor Walt, all those family members were just too stupid to appreciate his criminal genius. Fan service. Pandering. Call it what you will.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 We knew that when they showed Chekov's M60 it was going to be used we just didn't know how. The way it was used did match up with Walt's ingenuity, you have to give a little artistic license. It would have been silly had he come in Rambo style. And let's not forget this show has never really dabbled in reality. I mean one guy's head was strapped to a tortoise bomb. And I don't blame Jesse for killing Todd. I mean if I was held captive by Nazi's who forced me to cook meth and also killed my girlfriend I'd likely snap too. I thinking it was a great ending and very fitting. Walter White was perhaps the ultimate anti-hero of our times.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 Plus I think that had Jesse shot Walt that would have been showing compassion towards Walt to end his suffering. Instead he died by the very thing that brought about his downfall
Originally Posted By Mr X ***He gets his money to Flynn (in theory -- I'm skeptical it would work)*** I think it would've been more believable if he'd said $2 million rather than 200k (perhaps with a shot of him burning millions up in NH, that would've been mysterious to say the least). Plus a better explanation, too. For example, half to the hitmen up front, and the other half in a fund or something (I dunno the details, but anyway...). The way it played out, it wasn't so perfect, because what would stop the hitmen from just walking away with the money as soon as they heard Walt was dead? Less risk, same payment, and that's probably how the rich friends would've seen it after thinking it over (heck, why wouldn't they just put out a notice to the hitmen offering them a million each to call it off, for that matter?). I liked the ending, thought it was great, but this was a weak point honestly. There really was just no way for Walt to give the money to Junior, any plan would fall apart as soon as he was found dead—and I thought it was kind of weak of the creator to say how clever he thought their solution was in that linked interview. Brilliant series, brilliant finale, but this wasn't quite so brilliant imho. which all along has been his goal. He thinks he gets Skyler out of trouble (again, I'm skeptical).
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>The way it played out, it wasn't so perfect, because what would stop the hitmen from just walking away with the money as soon as they heard Walt was dead?<< I think the Schwartzes were not the kind of people who would second-guess Walt by that point. He was a wanted fugitive, armed and dangerous. It wasn't their money, so I think they'd attempt to do as they were instructed after having been terrorized in their own home. And they might realize that they were on the invisible hitmen's radar, and their own wealth (and lives) would be at risk. I think they'd do as they were told. Whether Walt Jr. would figure out that it came from walt, and if he would accept the money, that's an open question.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>I think the Schwartzes were not the kind of people who would second-guess Walt by that point.<< Exactly. Part of the beauty of Breaking Bad was the number of ordinary people shoved into this criminal world. And they had no idea what was going on - including Walt. The acting by the Schwartzes was excellent--they are so out of their depth. This isn't their world and they have no idea what to do.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <And let's not be too harsh on Walt, most of the people he killed were vile human bings (a la Dexter). > But if even one wasn't... well, I think you can finish that thought. He may not have been pure evil, but that's a pretty low bar. Very few people who have ever walked the earth have been pure evil, and of course fictional characters are far more interesting with shades of gray. But Walt was evil - bottom line. Gilligan has himself said, basically, that if you came out of BB thinking that Walt "won" then you are not receiving his intentions. He gained some small measure of redemption, perhaps, but he was too far down the road to Hell for true redemption. <I think they'd do as they were told. Whether Walt Jr. would figure out that it came from walt, and if he would accept the money, that's an open question.> I think so too, on both parts.
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf That's a fair point, Dabob. But I, like many fans I think, are trying to understand why we rooted for him. Either there was something redeemable in him or we are just as evil as he is.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Oh, I don't think it's that deep. Ultimately, it's still just a work of fiction. And sometimes it's fun to root for the bad guy, at least on one level, or just because it's necessary to keep the story going.
