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Breaking Bad - The (Beautiful) Finale - Season 5 Part 2 - Sunday on AMC - OT3

Kvikmyndahús;84070265 said:
So, gentlemen. SOTF, the verdict:

1. Breaking Bad
2. The Wire

etc.?

Breaking Bad isn't even in my top 3, The Wire still has my top spot easily.

Season 5 of Breaking Bad is the second greatest season of any television show I've ever watched though, right ahead of The Sopranos first season and right behind The Wire's fourth season.
 
I'm probably the only person on the forum who feels this way but...I feel somewhat sorry for Todd. His final words imply that he was a disconnected sociopath who should've been sequestered from his nurturing environment and put under proper psychiatric guidance from day one. Not raised around a bunch of loaded and murderous neo-Nazis.
 

KarmaCow

Member
Let's not turn this into a wire omg best show ever thread (hyperbole IMO) but I gave up after season 3 a few EPs in. Wasn't feeling it. Season 1 was ok but that bore fest season 2 I couldn't get over it once season 3 started.

Season 3 of the Wire is basically more of Season 1 and Season 4 is one the best seasons of any show ever. Not to get hyperbolic but that season, like the series, extends beyond a story of some characters but an examination of some societal problems.

Give it another shot.
 

Cagey

Banned
Great ending.

For me the scene with Skyler was the best part. Finally admiting to himself and her that it was about him. He enjoyed it. Really well done.

Best part of the episode. The delivery was fantastic in how matter-of-fact he said it. "It was fun. I was good at it."
 

Pimpwerx

Member
Great ending.

For me the scene with Skyler was the best part. Finally admiting to himself and her that it was about him. He enjoyed it. Really well done.

Offered his precious money by Jack... boom. Money is worthless now.

Finally, at the very end, seeing what has become of Jesse and saving him.

Jesse Slave Leia chokes his personal Jabba. Very satisfying death.

Lydia stone cold, satisfying farewell to her.

Even a Skinny Pete and Badger scene. What more can you ask?

Apparently a ballistics expert to make sure the bullet wound from the ricochet was accurate to within .001 degrees. PEACE.
 
"I think you are right" - then tells the audience about John Wayne going to kill a character, then seeing them and realizing he couldn't.

Lol come on now. Also, Vince isn't really going to tell people how to interpret his story. If some of you want to believe Walt went there to manipulate Jesse to kill him, that's more than valid. But I don't think the scenes we had in this episode support that.

If Walt wasn't intending to kill Jessie, why would he have manipulated the Nazis into bringing Jessie into the death room? He did that because he wanted Jessie to die too. When he saw what had happened to Jessie, he decided to save him. Otherwise, he'd have not called Jessie in to risk him getting shot.

I'm agreeing with you, just wanted to continue the convo.
 
I'm probably the only person on the forum who feels this way but...I feel somewhat sorry for Todd. His final words imply that he was a disconnected sociopath who should've been sequestered from his nurturing environment and put under proper psychiatric guidance from day one. Not raised around a bunch of loaded and murderous neo-Nazis.
Fuck Todd.

Got what he deserved.
 
Yeah I dunno. I'm not wanting for more since everything was tied up but it just felt lacking in something for me

Didn't have me as tense as previous episodes

I just hate the idea of the show ending with another Walt scheme that goes (almost) perfectly.

I wish it would have subverted my expectations and not ended on Walt's own terms.
 
Breaking Bad is the more superficially fun show, I guess, but The Wire, overrated as it may be, in an overall sense, is clearly the better show.

Edit: And that finale doesn't do anything to undercut the (very valid) criticism that Walt is basically The Joker, in terms of his plans being so over-the-top and convoluted yet somehow able to be executed perfectly every time.

The moment where Jesse freed himself entirely from Mr. White was a good one, but overall, the finale was about as safe as it could have been.
 

Zeliard

Member
They honestly could do another half season without Walt. What will happen to Brock? Will Jesse rebound and maybe adopt him? Will Jesse ever forgive Walt or try to make peace with Skyler? Will Skyler be prosecuted? Will Elliot give Walt's kids their money? I'd much rather get the answers to these than a Saul spinoff.

I find the notion of a Saul spinoff fairly questionable as well but I honestly wouldn't want answers to any of those questions. I'm quite happy to have that stuff left up in the air and up to personal viewer interpretation.

We've already seen examples in this thread of people viewing, for example, the Elliott/Gretchen money thing two ways - that they'll uphold their end of it or that they'll find it unworkable. Someone also said they think Jesse went off to commit suicide instead of just going off somewhere.

I'm personally taking these events in the show at face value, but I think it's cool that there's enough wiggle room that various people will view things differently. I don't think they need a 100% clear-cut answer.
 
Walt, Jr. is gonna deny Gretchen and Elliot's money just like his father.

Then he'll eventually accept it and buy a new car just like his biological father (Ted).
 

SystemsGo

Banned
No really big surprises but satisfying ending nevertheless.

I'm so glad they didn't do some pretentious ambiguous shit like the Sopranos.
 

Dai101

Banned
So I cried.

bHdcNAN.jpg


Of course you did, bitch
 
Season 3 of the Wire is basically more of Season 1 and Season 4 is one the best seasons of any show ever. Not to get hyperbolic but that season, like the series, extends beyond a story of some characters but an examination of some societal problems.

Give it another shot.
One day probably just for the sake of fulfilling my ocd and completing it. Hope to be surprised but I did give it enough of a chance at least. 2 seasons and a bit. Some shows just aren't for everyone.
 

Mononoke

Banned
If Walt wasn't intending to kill Jessie, why would he have manipulated the Nazis into bringing Jessie into the death room. He did that because he wanted Jessie to die too. When he saw what had happened to Jessie, he decided to save him. Otherwise, he'd have not called Jessie in to risk him getting shot.

He didn't expect to have his car keys taken from him, and wanted to buy time so he could get them. Did you forget they were about to kill Walt?

I'm really surprised a lot of you think Walt went there with the goal to manipulate Jesse into killing him. I also think it undercuts the scene at the end, where Walt decides to give Jesse the opportunity to kill him (when he already knows hes going to die).
 

Zoolader

Member
I loved that the way he died made it look like he'd still been cooking that whole time.

HBO had several remarkably strong shows in the 2000s. The Sopranos (technically started in 1999), The Wire, Deadwood, Rome. Watch, enjoy, and I envy anyone's first viewing of any of those shows.

Wire is a different beast. But you couldn't go wrong with many HBO shows honestly including six feet under.

Yeah he kinda cleared Jesse from any involvement, well that's the idea we are left with.

Thanks for the advice and recommendations I will definitely check out the Wire next and then I'll try Deadwood and Six Feet Under. It sucks getting so involved and devoted to a show only to see it go downhill like Dexter. I kinda regret watching GoT already because it sucks waiting for new episodes. The Sopranos is a great show I need to re watch it from the beginning because I started with the last few seasons.
 

Sotha Sil

Member
Didn't Gilligan say the episode would be diverse?

Maybe a lot of you wanted Walt to get what he deserved and as a long time #TeamWaltIsDespicable I really thought the ending was fitting.

Or maybe I'm just glad Jesse rode off into the night in peace.

Given the fact that his cancer is back, he basically won: he dies on his own terms, with a smile on his face; he had his vengeance, and he knows that his money will probably finds its way to his family. Breaking Bad is a very systematic show, and as such, each loose end has to be tied up - but this perfect closure pretty much means Heisenberg wins on all counts. I think the ending would have been more powerful if everything Walt did had, indeed, been for nothing.
 

lamaroo

Unconfirmed Member
I think in the end Breaking Bad ends up being my favourite series of all time, although objectively I'd still put it behind Deadwood and probably The Wire. I only really know Breaking Bad and Deadwood are my top two though.
 

Nameless

Member
In the end Walt got to:

-watch Gretchen & Eliot stack his millions
-See Holly one last time
-Ensure Flynn and the family will be well off financially.
-Give closure to the family for Hank
-End things on the best possible terms with Skyler
-Defeat Lydia
-Shoot Jack in the face
-Free Jesee
-Share one last moment with Jesse
-Die on his Throne

He definitely salvaged one last victory out of the wreckage.
 
He didn't expect to have his car keys taken from him, and wanted to buy time so he could get them. Did you forget they were about to kill Walt?

I'm really surprised a lot of you think Walt went there with the goal to manipulate Jesse into killing him. I also think it undercuts the scene at the end, where Walt decides to give Jesse the opportunity to kill him (when he already knows hes going to die).

Fair point. It had slipped my mind.
 
Given the fact that his cancer is back, he basically won: he dies on his own terms, with a smile on his face; he had his vengeance, and he knows that his money will probably finds its way to his family. Breaking Bad is a very systematic show, and as such, each loose end has to be tied up - but this perfect closure pretty much means Heisenberg wins on all counts. I think the ending would have been more powerful if everything Walt did had, indeed, been for nothing.

Yup.

It's a safe, crowd-pleasing ending.
 
I think they might have chickened out on what would have happened in Jesse's and Marie's future, but I like those characters so I'm glad they ended up not killing themselves even if they might have had motivation to do so.

Walt coming to grips with who he actually was and happily dying in a meth lab was perfect and pretty beautiful. The entire Nazi slaughter scene and it's buildup was incredible as well. Loved the ending.
 
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