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Breaking Bad - Awaiting the Final Episodes **Spoilers**

sk1wbw said:
Am I the only one that thought it was lame as hell?
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I wouldn't go that far, but clearly the climax of the series was two episodes ago in "Ozymandias". It's mostly been wrap up since then, which has been much less dramatic, intense, dark, or whatever descriptive word you choose.

SteveAbootman said:
Unless Homeland comes out swinging this season, BB most likely wins best Drama next year. Just don't see Thrones or Boardwalk challenging it.

Cranston is a virtual lock. Even if there are better performances (John Hamm), he'll win it as it's his last shot. Plus, with AMC deciding to split the final season of Mad Men over 2 years, it makes the decision easier; Cranston next year, Hamm the year after.
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You'd think that'd be a lock for Hamm, but he has never won an Emmy. In fact, no major character has ever won an Emmy for Mad Men. Pretty hard to believe in my mind.
 
SandboxGeneral said:
My theory is that Walt called the police before he went in the compound. That makes the most sense because no one else knew where they were aside from Lydia who had issues of her own to contend with. Not only that, the police were turning the bend when she learned Walt was there and responsible for her "health" issue. There's no way she could've called them, explained it all and they be en route and there within a couple of minutes.

You know, this whole show was Hank's fault. If he hadn't gone over to Walt's house to brag up his big drug bust by gathering the family around the evening news, Walt never would have seen the whole cash pile they seized and subsequent DEA ride along where he saw Jesse.

Just sayin' :D
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And the writers agreed with you. They flash backed to the party in the last episode when hank first offers to take walt on a bust. It all started right at that point.
 
AppleScruff1 said:
It was perfect. And who would have ever thought it would end that way? I keep telling myself, it's only a TV show. But it sure did bring out strong feelings and emotions over the last few years.
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Yeah, it most definitely did. The whole show made you run the gamut. You went from rooting for Walt and hating everyone who stood in his way, to hating him and fearing for the people around him, back to seeing his more human side come out at the last few days of his life while you pitied the people caught in his wake.

Even at the end it didn't make things clear cut. Walt lost most of his soul on the way to becoming the man he always wanted to be in Heisenberg, but he manages to salvage just a little bit of it by realizing that wasn't the man he should've been. He's not forgiven. He did some terrible things during those two years. But he didn't die a monster. He came to accept with what he did and why he did it, tried his best to fix what he could, and died with a measure of peace.

Man...I thought I would've quit talking about it after the show was over. But damn if I'm still not obsessing. :p
 
Renzatic said:
That whole scene, music, acting, directing, and everything came together so perfectly, didn't it?
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Yeah, from start to finish, that scene was perfect. Walt lying on the floor, in the position he was in.
The camera pulls away and up ...

.
"But he didn't die a monster. He came to accept with what he did and why he did it, tried his best to fix what he could, and died with a measure of peace.

Man...I thought I would've quit talking about it after the show was over. But damn if I'm still not obsessing"

Agree with Renzatic here.


Just feels, don't want to let him go, alone.
 
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Renzatic said:
Yeah, it most definitely did. The whole show made you run the gamut. You went from rooting for Walt and hating everyone who stood in his way, to hating him and fearing for the people around him, back to seeing his more human side come out at the last few days of his life while you pitied the people caught in his wake.

Even at the end it didn't make things clear cut. Walt lost most of his soul on the way to becoming the man he always wanted to be in Heisenberg, but he manages to salvage just a little bit of it by realizing that wasn't the man he should've been. He's not forgiven. He did some terrible things during those two years. But he didn't die a monster. He came to accept with what he did and why he did it, tried his best to fix what he could, and died with a measure of peace.

Man...I thought I would've quit talking about it after the show was over. But damn if I'm still not obsessing. :p
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I think people will be talking about this show for a while. I plan on starting over at the beginning and watching it all again sometime soon just to pick up on any details I missed and to memorize even more of the classic lines. I really am sad to see it end. And if the bullet didn't get him, the cancer would have soon, so he still had control until the end. He went out on his terms. I think we were expecting a different end for him, but that's the brilliance of Gilligan. Somethings happened that we expected, but he still wasn't predictable. The only thing predictable about this show was that it was unpredictable. You knew he was going to die, but had no idea exactly how. I'm glad Jesse got his revenge on Todd and I'm glad that he survived.
 
Roller said:
I thought it was perfect. No loose ends or unanswered questions. Brilliant way to make sure his family would get the money and make good use of the ricin.

Now I have to figure out what to do on Sunday nights.
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Roller said:
Putting the stevia package at the right table wasn't the only time Walt stretched the bounds of believability. He managed to get into Skyler's place, walk around the kitchen, and leave undetected by the police outside, and it's unlikely that someone as notorious as Walt could drive a stolen car cross country without being noticed. (Actually, Vince Gilligan said that he had written a scene where a former student did recognize Walt, but it was never filmed.) In an earlier episode, he was able to drive at very high speed to the spot where he buried his money without attracting attention.

Even Badger and SP were lucky that they were able to aim their laser pointers directly on Gretchen and Elliot almost instantly. It would be possible with a laser scope, but very difficult with a hand-held pointer.

Gus had his moment, too. I don't think many people could sustain the blast injury that he did and then walk calmly out of the room and straighten his tie before collapsing.

None of these things prevented me from enjoying BB, but just like with many television shows and movies, I had to suspend disbelief at times.
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ok here's my thoughts on believability... The ricin being at the correct table was very believable. Lydia was a creature of routine and always sat at the same table, that's how he not only knew she would be there at that time, but also at that exact table.
The Gus death scene is completely impossible though. It's a physical impossibility, but made for a somewhat humorous scene.
The most unbelievable scene of the finale for me was Walt killing all but Todd of the Nazis with the machine gun setup. Great concept but not realistic at all.
 
Just watched finale again and...

... there are two brief scenes that I swear I saw during the original screening last night that I didn't see on my DVR today:

  1. When Walt goes to Gretchen and Elliot's house, I thought that he said that he parked on the street since he wasn't able to get by their gate.
  2. At the end, there was a panel that gave Walt's cause of death as gunshot wound and lung cancer.
Am I remembering this incorrectly? I especially recall thinking that technically, Walt didn't actually die of lung cancer.
 
1. Yeah, kinda. He had something to give them but he couldn't get it through their gate.

2. Nope. Pretty sure not, at least not where I got the episode from!
 
AppleScruff1 said:
Well done Gilligan and Company. It may be a while before we see anything of this caliber again. It was a masterpiece of acting, writing, directing, filming, editing, music, you name it, it was there at the highest level.
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I take issue with "masterpiece of acting". Skyler White was a weak character poorly executed. None of the villains were that compelling less one (Gus). When you watch all the episodes in a row, the "that never would have happen"s rear their ugly heads. It's a fantastic show in structure and directing, specifically, but those things are not enough to completely cover up the shortcomings when compared to the Wire and Sopranos.
 
AustinIllini said:
I take issue with "masterpiece of acting". Skyler White was a weak character poorly executed. None of the villains were that compelling less one (Gus). When you watch all the episodes in a row, the "that never would have happen"s rear their ugly heads. It's a fantastic show in structure and directing, specifically, but those things are not enough to completely cover up the shortcomings when compared to the Wire and Sopranos.
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To each their own. Skyler played her character exactly as scripted. And she was rewarded for that performance a week ago. I didn't watch all the episodes in a row nor did I with the Sopranos. And the Sopranos had plenty of "that never would have happened moments" too. Todd was every bit as good as Richie Aprile, Uncle Hector, Tuco, The Twins, etc were as good as any villains in the Sopranos.
 
AppleScruff1 said:
To each their own. Skyler played her character exactly as scripted. And she was rewarded for that performance a week ago. I didn't watch all the episodes in a row nor did I with the Sopranos. And the Sopranos had plenty of "that never would have happened moments" too. Todd was every bit as good as Richie Aprile, Uncle Hector, Tuco, The Twins, etc were as good as any villains in the Sopranos.
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Take a look at the "Better Call Saul" episode. That one contained some of the worst acting I have ever seen. The whole undercover police officer was the worst. I can't believe they couldn't find a better actor for that roll and they signed off on it and aired it.
 
AppleScruff1 said:
To each their own. Skyler played her character exactly as scripted. And she was rewarded for that performance a week ago.
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Then you watch Edie Falco. There's no comparison. Ten times the character, ten times the actress.

Todd was every bit as good as Richie Aprile, Uncle Hector, Tuco, The Twins, etc were as good as any villains in the Sopranos.
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You can't possibly compare Tuco (a character we know nothing about) with the real Sopranos villains like Uncle Junior, the New York crime families (Johnny Sack is better than any BB villain less Gus). Christopher Moltisanti was a better character than Jesse Pinkman. Adriana La Cerva has no equivalent in Breaking bad. For that matter, neither does Dr. Melfi. Maybe five or so years down the line we can look back with a bit more clarity, but Sopranos was an absolute masterpiece that remains hugely relevant 10 years later. Watching Breaking Bad again, it really feels like an AMC show in a lot of places. I've watched Sopranos three times over and I am still blown away by it.
 
JackieInCo said:
Take a look at the "Better Call Saul" episode. That one contained some of the worst acting I have ever seen. The whole undercover police officer was the worst. I can't believe they couldn't find a better actor for that roll and they signed off on it and aired it.
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Yea, you're right, Breaking Bad was a total failure. And most people agree.

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AustinIllini said:
Then you watch Edie Falco. There's no comparison. Ten times the character, ten times the actress.


You can't possibly compare Tuco (a character we know nothing about) with the real Sopranos villains like Uncle Junior, the New York crime families (Johnny Sack is better than any BB villain less Gus). Christopher Moltisanti was a better character than Jesse Pinkman. Adriana La Cerva has no equivalent in Breaking bad. For that matter, neither does Dr. Melfi. Maybe five or so years down the line we can look back with a bit more clarity, but Sopranos was an absolute masterpiece that remains hugely relevant 10 years later. Watching Breaking Bad again, it really feels like an AMC show in a lot of places. I've watched Sopranos three times over and I am still blown away by it.
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Prior to Breaking Bad, the Sopranos was my favorite TV show. As I said, to each their own. I stand by what I said.
 
Roller said:
... there are two brief scenes that I swear I saw during the original screening last night that I didn't see on my DVR today:

  1. When Walt goes to Gretchen and Elliot's house, I thought that he said that he parked on the street since he wasn't able to get by their gate.
  2. At the end, there was a panel that gave Walt's cause of death as gunshot wound and lung cancer.
Am I remembering this incorrectly? I especially recall thinking that technically, Walt didn't actually die of lung cancer.
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At least I now remember where the second one came from: it was on BBstorysync, not the show itself.
 
The ending was really, really good. Just finished watching it and I really enjoyed it.

In fact, the entire 5 series have been amazing. I think the only 'duff' episode was Fly, the rest were brilliant.

A bit sad that it's all come to an end, even though I didn't watch it from the start.

Glad that WW still showed glimmers of the early Walt, even after all the terrible things he's done.

Good bye Breaking Bad.
 
AustinIllini said:
Then you watch Edie Falco. There's no comparison.
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I think you hit on one of the very few areas where Breaking Bad lost points to The Sopranos. Not to take anything away from Anna Gunn, but her character just wasn't ever going to be as central to the show as Carmela was to the Soprano storyline. And Breaking Bad didn't have any character to compare with, say, Lorraine Braco's Jennifer Melfi. But that misses the point, IMHO.

The Sopranos was painted on a much bigger canvas: 86 hour-long episodes, versus BB's sixty-two 45-minute episodes. And the list of Sopranos characters grew unwieldily. (Did we really need to meet Tony Soprano Senior's goomah?)

Breaking Bad took no side trips. Walt's months in New Hampshire were an essential part of the story in a way that Tony's week as "Kevin Finnerty" certainly wasn't. We could have done very well without Carmella's annoying relationship with Father Phil Intintola - but Skyler's tryst with Ted Bennicke gives us the raison d'être for not only Walt's return to the meth lab, but also Skyler's complicity in the money-laundering.

Breaking Bad isn't perfect. But it comes about as close to the ideal as we're likely to see for a long, long time.
 
vrDrew said:
I think you hit on one of the very few areas where Breaking Bad lost points to The Sopranos. Not to take anything away from Anna Gunn, but her character just wasn't ever going to be as central to the show as Carmela was to the Soprano storyline. And Breaking Bad didn't have any character to compare with, say, Lorraine Braco's Jennifer Melfi. But that misses the point, IMHO.

The Sopranos was painted on a much bigger canvas: 86 hour-long episodes, versus BB's sixty-two 45-minute episodes. And the list of Sopranos characters grew unwieldily. (Did we really need to meet Tony Soprano Senior's goomah?)

Breaking Bad took no side trips. Walt's months in New Hampshire were an essential part of the story in a way that Tony's week as "Kevin Finnerty" certainly wasn't. We could have done very well without Carmella's annoying relationship with Father Phil Intintola - but Skyler's tryst with Ted Bennicke gives us the raison d'être for not only Walt's return to the meth lab, but also Skyler's complicity in the money-laundering.

Breaking Bad isn't perfect. But it comes about as close to the ideal as we're likely to see for a long, long time.
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I'm with you, I do not know how or when another BB will come along.
 
vrDrew said:
I think you hit on one of the very few areas where Breaking Bad lost points to The Sopranos. Not to take anything away from Anna Gunn, but her character just wasn't ever going to be as central to the show as Carmela was to the Soprano storyline. And Breaking Bad didn't have any character to compare with, say, Lorraine Braco's Jennifer Melfi. But that misses the point, IMHO.

The Sopranos was painted on a much bigger canvas: 86 hour-long episodes, versus BB's sixty-two 45-minute episodes. And the list of Sopranos characters grew unwieldily. (Did we really need to meet Tony Soprano Senior's goomah?)

Breaking Bad took no side trips. Walt's months in New Hampshire were an essential part of the story in a way that Tony's week as "Kevin Finnerty" certainly wasn't. We could have done very well without Carmella's annoying relationship with Father Phil Intintola - but Skyler's tryst with Ted Bennicke gives us the raison d'être for not only Walt's return to the meth lab, but also Skyler's complicity in the money-laundering.

Breaking Bad isn't perfect. But it comes about as close to the ideal as we're likely to see for a long, long time.
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I agree. The main difference is that "The Sopranos" was more of a general drama, where character development was in and of itself a goal. "Breaking Bad" was all about the story arc-the "reaction" that began in the first episode when Walt and Jesse first cooked, and the inevitable ending at the Nazi compound with Walt dying.

I rewatched the whole series leading up to the finale because my wife wanted to see what the hype was about, so it's all quite fresh for me. There were almost no offshoots or side plots for the sake of side plots...the "Breaking Bad" universe existed solely to move Walter White from Point A to Point Z, and all the points and characters along the way were there to keep him on that path. Some of them, like Jesse, Mike, Gus, Saul, Hank, and Skyler, got a fair amount of development along the way because they were incredibly key to Walt's life. Some of them, like Gretchen and Elliot, existed as catalysts for pieces of the plot, but we don't get nearly as much background on them because their individual backgrounds don't matter-they only matter where they intersect with Walter White.

It's almost as though shows like "The Sopranos" are a scattergram, with many points on the graph, while "Breaking Bad" is a Venn Diagram with multiple circles representing each character/plot-the only parts of them that matter are the parts that overlap in the center, and that overlapping center is Walter White.
 
I thought for sure that the last scene was going to be Walter Jr. finding the original video tape from episode 1 and watching when Walt records himself saying he did it all for his family.
 
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