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[Divvy]

How did Walter know that Lydia would take that particular packet of Stevia or whatever its called?

Brilliant finale, incredible show. In fact, the second half of S5 is probably the best run of episodes I've ever seen. Starting with the prison deaths, right up until the final shot, its just majestic

There was only one packet of Stevia left in the container. She was sorting through them looking for it, and being as anal retentive as she is she even adjusts the sugar packets to be right side up.

 

[Cornballer]

So I guess there were around 4 million viewers who just tuned in because of the hype and their own curiosity. I don't understand that line of reasoning. How do they even know what's going on?

The bigger effect here is that more people tuned in to watch the finale live than previous episodes where they'd timeshift it. Most likely there weren't a huge number of people watching for the first time on Sunday.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

Her schedule is the same so he knew where she would be and she's used the same packet for her drink every time they've met there.

Was there only one packet of Stevia though?

Did any of the DVDs of Jesse ratting on Todd make ut to the police, or did the neo-Nazis take them all? We never hear anything about the police looking for Todd, so I assume they got them all.

Would have liked some closure on Hank's body and funeral. He was my least favourite character at the start, and ended it as my favourite.

 

[Blader]

How did Walter know that Lydia would take that particular packet of Stevia or whatever its called?

There was only one packet of it in there.

 

[maharg]

which makes it even more ridic and pointlesss that they are Nazis. Like I said US shows LOVE to have Nazis as bad guys. It's not enough that you are just a bad person, no you have to be Nazi and have tattoos on your face so that everyone can be reminded in case they forget.

... You do realize that white power/skinhead gangs are a real thing and they're involved in the drug trade, right?

Did everyone dealing drugs in this show need to be a franchise restaurant owner or something?

 

[foxtrot3d]

Someone needs to make a side by side gif comparing the final scene of Walt with the final scene from "Crawl Space." That shot was just beautiful, and I love how he dies with a smile on his face.

 

[zma1013]

How did Walter know that Lydia would take that particular packet of Stevia or whatever its called?

It was the only one left at that table. One would assume if he was setting her up to use a tainted Stevia packet, that he would remove all other non-tainted Stevia packets from the table.

 

[Shrennin]

True. He could have used it to buy himself some time. I can't say that he wouldn't have gone to where Jesse was held up to kill him if things didn't play out as they did.I just don't see what would have changed his mind prior to seeing Jesse being slaved.

I don't think he changed his mind on killing Jesse - I just think that since Jesse wasn't there in the room, Walt was just focused on killing the Nazis. The Nazis were definitely more of a threat than Jesse and I think that was the main thing on Walt's mind at that moment. Walt getting Jesse into that situation wasn't to get revenge on Jesse, it was just to buy time. Of course, had Jesse not appeared like he did, then I think Walt would have killed Jesse as well.

 

[Ashok]

I desperately wish Vince Gilligan would do another science fiction series like The X-Files or Fringe now that Breaking Bad is done. He could work wonders with the genre.

 

[Divvy]

Gotta love the little nuances in the episode. I like how Jesse was scurrying to catch up to Todd when he was being brought to see Walt. They really did break him pretty hardcore.

 

[Linkhero1]

Was there only one packet of Stevia though?

Did any of the DVDs of Jesse ratting on Todd make ut to the police, or did the neo-Nazis take them all? We never hear anything about the police looking for Todd, so I assume they got them all.

Would have liked some closure on Hank's body and funeral. He was my least favourite character at the start, and ended it as my favourite.

I think she was holding the only packet left on the table. It's the same table she's sat on during every meeting between her and Walt.

I think the Nazis destroyed any evidence that would have lead to their incarceration. Would be nice to add some bluray extras for the funeral etc. What I wanted to see is Holly watch the video Walt made for her.

I don't think he changed his mind on killing Jesse - I just think that since Jesse wasn't there in the room, Walt was just focused on killing the Nazis. The Nazis were definitely more of a threat than Jesse and I think that was the main thing on Walt's mind at that moment. Walt getting Jesse into that situation wasn't to get revenge on Jesse, it was just to buy time. Of course, had Jesse not appeared like he did, then I think Walt would have killed Jesse as well.

I agree with that but what I'm trying to say is that we don't know if he had the intent to kill Jesse prior to that. I just don't see any point between Walt leaving to NH and the killing of the Nazis where he would have changed his mind about Jesse.

 

[-griffy-]

Was there only one packet of Stevia though?

Yes, they show in closeup that Lydia flicks through all the sugar/sweeteners until she gets to the one Stevia packet at the back of the holder. Presumably Walt took all the other Stevia packets out and left the one tainted one there, knowing she would use that one since it is the only one.

 

[Stellactic]

Mr. White, he's the devil.

Well the devil just saved your ass, bitch.

 

[bill0527]

I'll need to rewatch the whole series again, but as of right now...and maybe because its so fresh, I think the Elliot/Gretchen/Walt scene from the finale was the most badass scene in the series.

There's something very gratifying about that story thread getting closed - 2 rich douchebags that took all the credit on the back of Walts work got their comeuppance and they get to spend the next 10 months and 2 days living in fear until Walt Jrs birthday and they transfer the money to him.

"Cheer up beautiful people. This is where you get to make it right."

So fucking good.

 

[YoungHav]

Mr White went out like a G. #TeamWalt 4 Life!

 

[Dai101]

anyone gonna name their daughter Felina?

Why would i name my daughter a cat?

 

[ivysaur12]

It was beautiful. I cried when Jesse broke out of the gate.

Amazing numbers. Amazing show. One for the ages.

 

[EmCeeGramr]

I'll need to rewatch the whole series again, but as of right now...and maybe because its so fresh, I think the Elliot/Gretchen/Walt scene from the finale was the most badass scene in the series.

There's something very gratifying about that story thread getting closed - 2 rich douchebags that took all the credit on the back of Walts work got their comeuppance and they get to spend the next 10 months and 2 days living in fear until Walt Jrs birthday and they transfer the money to them.

"Cheer up beautiful people. This is where you get to make it right."

So fucking good.

But we never learned if they actually stole his work or if Walt was delusional about his importance to the company's success.

 

[Perspicacity]

Mr. White, he's the devil.

Well the devil just saved your ass, bitch.

If I burnt down your house then saved you from the wreckage would you really think of me as a hero?

 

[SeanR1221]

Kind of a side issue but the Nazi gang never really seems to talk about race or politics that much. Did anyone notice that? It seems like they are more interested in just getting their money than in any other goals.

I remember watching a gang documentary on Netflix. A lot of modern gangs are less interested in race than before.

 

[Ken K in the Fresh!!!]

You're missing that it is a TV show.

Yah this is a trivial fact. Don't worry about this small thing just enjoy it.

I have no issues suspending my disbelief. I do it all the time when I watch movies. however if they set the table as a detail oriented show and touted for it, they should be consistent from beginning to end. I am giving Gilligan credit and not dismissing this as an oversight. that is why I'm inquiring not criticizing what happened

Maybe one of the nazis got a shot off

naw, the nazi standing guard outside had the vantage but he was the first to go down

 

[PBY]

But we never learned if they actually stole his work or if Walt was delusional about his importance to the company's success.

^This. There's nothing to suggest that they weren't completely innocent- I mean, they even offered to help him.

Rich =/= douchebag automatically.

 

[Freedom = $1.05]

Also, the waiter went to find another packet and seemed to have trouble looking for one. I wonder if walt hid those, as well?

Quick questions: did I miss something or did we never find out how he got the big machine gun in the trunk?

 

[Cornballer]

- Insider Podcast is up

 

[Xrenity]

Bit predictable but very satisfying finale!

 

[apana]

I am not even sure if a gang would have a base like that in America. They would have probably started shifting the money around and gotten as far away from the site of the murder of two DEA agents as possible. I doubt they would have even kept cooking meth with that kind of money, but yeah this is a television show.

I mentioned this earlier but I feel like the "finale" was two episodes ago. The last two were the epilogue. I mean the entire show built up to episode 14 and that's really hard to ignore for me.



Very good point. I've only watched this show live maybe 3 times.

Yeah I agree with this point. To me the end of the show was when Walter White is rejected by his family. Another good ending point was that speech he gave to Skyler over the phone.

The bigger effect here is that more people tuned in to watch the finale live than previous episodes where they'd timeshift it. Most likely there weren't a huge number of people watching for the first time on Sunday.

Well they had a big marathon of episodes before it ended. A lot of new people probably caught some episodes at that time. I hadn't watched a single episode of this show up until a few days ago.

 

[Prez]

How did Walt get the ricin in the packet of stevia in the first place?

 

[Ithil]

In a moral sense.. Did Lydia deserve to die? I can't remember her actually doing bad (meth dealing aside). But it's been awhile since I saw season 5 part 1.

Like, in her first episode she tries to have loads of people killed. And keeps doing so throughout her appearances. She's one of the show's most unpleasant characters, despite her "hands-off" delusions.

How did Walt get the ricin in the packet of stevia in the first place?

By switching it out beforehand (

Spoiler

"Here's one I made earlier..."

) and putting it as the only packet of stevia on the table where she sits at the same spot, at the same time, every single week. Her obsession over scheduling did her in.

 

[Cornballer]

Per Sepinwall, it sounds like Gilligan is doing interviews with Colbert and Charlie Rose. The Colbert appearance is on tonight.

 

[inm8num2]

How did Walt get the ricin in the packet of stevia in the first place?

Osmosis.

Most likely he made a very small hole and used a tiny needle or funnel-shaped object to pour in the ricin.

 

[Lakitu]

What a fucking amazing finale. Loved it. Thank you Gilligan, Cranston, everyone involved in the show. Amazing.

 

[Dark_AnNiaLatOr]

I cried during the jesse walt confrontation post killing. Way too much to handle. I've never ever cried before for any movie or show, but the emotional tension in that scene was just too much. Fucking loved every minute of the episode. I was in a euphoric state of satisfaction throughout as if I was enjoying my very last birthday cake.

 

[-griffy-]

ok so Walt was shot on his right side by a ricochet. same side facing the m60. what are the chances a bullet can be deflected twice to wound up hitting him? the second "bounce" would have to have been off the dry wall separating Walt and the gun, which is unlikely considering how the bullets tore through it initially. alternately, is it possible for a bullet to change trajectory drastically as soon as it hits the wall from the outside? realistically I don't think that can happen. am I missing something here?

I think the more likely scenario is that it wasn't a ricochet, but the bullet's course was slightly deflected when coming through the wall. It exits gun, hits wall, changes trajectory slightly and hits him in the side. It's unlikely that every bullet coming through a wall like that would continue to travel in a perfectly straight trajectory.

It doesn't need to bounce off the back wall, off the other wall and then into Walt.

 

[PBY]

How can a series finale for any show, much less one that had been running for 6 years, ever be taken as a standalone episode?

? You can judge a 50 minute episode on its own merits. Why is an episode like Ozymandias any different in that respect?

 

[sixteen-bit]

Per Sepinwall, it sounds like Gilligan is doing interviews with Colbert and Charlie Rose. The Colbert appearance is on tonight.

Are Gretchen and Elliot gonna be on Charlie Rose too?

 

[captive]

ok so Walt was shot on his right side by a ricochet. same side facing the m60. what are the chances a bullet can be deflected twice to wound up hitting him? the second "bounce" would have to have been off the dry wall separating Walt and the gun, which is unlikely considering how the bullets tore through it initially. alternately, is it possible for a bullet to change trajectory drastically as soon as it hits the wall from the outside? realistically I don't think that can happen. am I missing something here?

go google .50 sniper rifle ricochet. Guy shoots a .50 cal at a target 100 or more yards down range, the bullet flies all the way back and hits him in the ear protection.

Bullet could have split on first impact and gotten him.

It will be known as the Netflix Effect.

Yup. I started on netflix after season 3. Then netflixed season 4 cause i forgot to setup my dvr to record. Then netflixed season 5a and dvr'ed season 5b.


Really good ending i thought.

 

[Raiden]

ok so Walt was shot on his right side by a ricochet. same side facing the m60. what are the chances a bullet can be deflected twice to wound up hitting him? the second "bounce" would have to have been off the dry wall separating Walt and the gun, which is unlikely considering how the bullets tore through it initially. alternately, is it possible for a bullet to change trajectory drastically as soon as it hits the wall from the outside? realistically I don't think that can happen. am I missing something here?

It must really suck trying to enjoy movies and television if you get bothered with stuff like this.

 

[PetriP-TNT]

Great ending to great series. I only started watching like a year ago and I am glad I did. I did see the first few episodes when they first came out but I had to go to the army service and didn't catch the rest of S1 so I waited for a proper time to watch them all.

 

[GK86]

Just finished watching it (thank you based UK Netflix) and wow. That was just about as perfect as you get. Now whenever someone ask which series ended great, I will have BB to go alongside Friday Night Lights. It was an incredibly satisfying ride and one that I will always love.

 

[BobTheFork]

So the spoiler about Charlie Rose being on the show was spoiled by Charlie Rose almost before the season started...

Did anyone hear it before (I had) and who did you think would be on. I was convinced it was Hank or Jesse talking about some book they wrote about Walter.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

- Insider Podcast is up

Listening now. Interesting look into the pitch-outs for this season.

Gilligan actually FORGOT at one point that he pitched Skyler killing herself. She would have escaped with Walt and on the way to the safe-house she would have committed suicide.

 

[inm8num2]

I think the more likely scenario is that it wasn't a ricochet, but the bullet's course was slightly deflected when coming through the wall. It exits gun, hits wall, changes trajectory slightly and hits him in the side. It's unlikely that every bullet coming through a wall like that would continue to travel in a perfectly straight trajectory.

It doesn't need to bounce off the back wall, off the other wall and then into Walt.

 

[Blader]

So the spoiler about Charlie Rose being on the show was spoiled by Charlie Rose almost before the season started...

Did anyone hear it before (I had) and who did you think would be on. I was convinced it was Hank or Jesse talking about some book they wrote about Walter.

Up until the end of Granite State, I thought it was going to be Skylar.

 

[Cornballer]

Content Roundup - Episode 8 - Felina

Videos

- Inside Episode 516 Breaking Bad: Felina
- Making of Episode 516 Felina: Breaking Bad
- Farewell to Breaking Bad
- Talked About Scene Episode 516 Felina: Breaking Bad
- Giancarlo Esposito on Gustavo Fring: Talking Bad
- Vince Gilligan on the Series Finale of Breaking Bad: Talking Bad
- The Cast of Breaking Bad on the Emmys: Talking Bad (link is currently busted)​

Reviews

- Onion A|V Club review
- Sepinwall's review
- Variety: TV Review: ‘Breaking Bad’ Finale Gets the Chemistry Just Right
- memles on the finale for Cultural Learnings
- Alyssa Rosenberg on the finale
- Slate.com review
- IGN review
- The Atlantic discussion
- Frazier Moore for AP
- Esquire
- LA Times
- Poniewozik's review for Time.com
- Tim Goodman on the finale for THR
- Warming Glow on the finale
- Matt Zoller Seitz review
- Maureen Ryan's review
- Badass Digest
- IndieWire #1
- Salon.com #2
- Slant Magazine
- Emily Nussbaum for The New Yorker
- Sean T Collins @ Rolling Stone
- Washington Post
- Chicago Sun Times
- Cinema Blend
- Collider
- NJ Star-Ledger
- Eric Deggans @ Tampa Bay Times
- The Week
- Film School Rejects
- EW.com
- Linda Holmes @ NPR
- Kate Arthur @ Buzzfeed
- Laura Bennett @ The New Republic
- Andy Greenwald's review for Grantland
- NY Times
- Toronto Star
- Jaime Weinman @ Maclean's
- Ryan McGee
- The Guardian
- TV.com​

Other

- AMC Q&A: Jesse Plemons (Todd Alquist)
- Poniewozik @ Time: How Walter White Became the One Who Knocks
- The Onion: ‘Breaking Bad’ Ends With Reveal That Whole Series Was Plot of Book Marie Shoplifted
- Bad Finger - Baby Blue (closing song)
- El Paso (Full-Length Version) - Marty Robbins
- NY Times: Walter White’s Soul, and Yours (Room For Debate Editorial Feature)
- Warming Glow: ‘Breaking Bad’ Series Finale GIF Highlights: Felina
- Salon: Why Flynn is the real hero of “Breaking Bad”
- National Geographic: Things You Should Know About Ricin
- NY Mag: 11 Breaking Bad Finale Facts Revealed on Talking Bad
- NY Mag: Your Final Breaking Bad GIFs
- EW Interview: Vince Gilligan explains series finale
- EW Interview: Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul discuss ending of 'Breaking Bad' finale
- THR: 'Breaking Bad': The Meaning of the Finale's Last Song
- Forbes: Working Bad: Exclusive Interviews With the Brains Behind 'Breaking Bad' (set of interview links)
- Rolling Stone: Lessons of the 'Breaking Bad' Series Finale
- Andy Greenwald answers a few BB questions in his September Mail Bag for Grantland
- The Week: Breaking Bad: An interview with the show's science advisor
- Canada.com podcast on the finale
- Barry Hertz @ Maclean's: Why Breaking Bad’s finale will disappoint—and we’re all to blame
- EW: 'Breaking Bad': 10 questions we'll never see resolved
- Onion A|V Club's "For Our Consideration" Feature: Breaking Bad ended the anti-hero genre by introducing good and evil
- NY Mag: The Dream of Jesse Pinkman’s Happy Ending
- THR: Beyond 'Breaking Bad': What's Next for the Show's Stars
- NY Mag: Albuquerque Said Good-bye to Breaking Bad With Finale Parties
- Yahoo Interview: Michael Bowen on Becoming Uncle Jack
- Slate.com: Exclusive: Aaron Paul’s Complete Script for the Breaking Bad Finale
- EW: 'Breaking Bad' series finale ratings smash all records (10.3M viewers, 5.4 in the 18-49 demo)
- Time: Breaking Bad Finale Downloaded Illegally 500,000 Times in 12 Hours
- Insider Podcast is up
- Sepinwall & Fienberg talking BB on this week's podcast
- NY Mag: Breaking Bad and Badfinger’s ‘Baby Blue’​

 

[PeskyToaster]

So I guess there were around 4 million viewers who just tuned in because of the hype and their own curiosity. I don't understand that line of reasoning. How do they even know what's going on?

I couldn't make it live for a lot of them (bought on Google) but made sure I was there for the finale live. I'm sure a lot of people were like me. Completely anecdotal though.

 

[Broder Salsa]

Dexter's ending is so laughable compared to this.

Dexters ending was laughable compared to even Battlestar Galactica.

 

[GrumpyOutlander]

Confirmed by Gilligan on Talking bad.

Awesome, I need to watch that episode since they had some great guests.

 

[mackattk]

When will the viewer ratings be up? Would be interested to see how many people were watching the finale.

 

[Ibuki]

When will the viewer ratings be up? Would be interested to see how many people were watching the finale.

Are we reading the same thread? I swear like 20 people have mentioned it breaking 10 million?

 

[Cornballer]

A few more videos:
- Talked About Scene Episode 516 Felina: Breaking Bad
- Giancarlo Esposito on Gustavo Fring: Talking Bad
- Vince Gilligan on the Series Finale of Breaking Bad: Talking Bad
- The Cast of Breaking Bad on the Emmys: Talking Bad (link is currently busted)