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

Content Roundup - Episode 8 - Felina

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Wilbur

Banned
I must have missed it - but was there more than one of it? I know it's been mentioned over and over. I thought it was in a group of those packets tho (so that's what I meant about her having to pick that specific pack out of the others).

Or did she bring the pack herself? I forget. And if she brought it herself, how did Walt get it in there? (I thought she grabbed it from the restaurant, and Walt had swiped it before she sat down.)

He knew she sat there all the time from the meetings they always had there. She rifled through the sugar pot thing and there was only one Stevia, one which I assumed Walt had put the ricin in in his car or whatever and then put it in the sugar pot.
 
He was able to leave money behind for his family and make things as right as possible, but he lost his family in the process.
Walter won in the sense that he accomplished his mission with the hand he was dealt. He set out to pay his family what he earned. He would have lost if he was not able to give money to his family and died a broken, runaway criminal in a hut in new hampshire. With this episode he made Schwartz his bitches, made sure all his money got to his family, killed the Nazis, got squared with Jesse and end his life on his terms, not on cancer's or anyone else.
 

Mononoke

Banned
Eh, it's a win/lose for me

Does he absolutely know his money is going to his kids? No. Does he get to fully enjoy the revenge on the Nazis? No. Not to mention the fact he's still down 75m dollars or so that he did make for his children, and only sought that revenge after his brother in law was killed in front of him and he spent months wasting away in a hell.

It was never about Walt winning, and he didn't win really, when you separate Walt's ego from the rest of the world. He went out in control. But everything else around him goes on, still fucked up. He admitted he was a fuck, he didn't die with his wife, or his children, or his partner. He died in a steel, metal meth lab. Heisenberg won, yeah. I'm not necessarily sure Walt did.

I agree that Walt didn't really win. I mean, he pretty much ruined the live's of his family. And him dying with his Meth was pretty pathetic. But Walt still mentally went out on top. He died feeling good, and feeling alive. He died with his Meth - and he died believing he did something great.

So I think in that sense, he definitely won. So I'm curious how that makes Walt haters feel? (I don't mean that in a challenging way. I actually hated Walt too).
 
I don't really feel strongly about the ending, I guess I'm happy it wasn't awful.

It just feels like, to me, it would have been the same if they ended the show when Walt defeated Tuco, or when Walt defeated Gus, as when Walt defeated Uncle Jack.

Had Walt been found out and his family destroyed when he did those things?
 

-griffy-

Banned
I must have missed it - but was there more than one of it? I know it's been mentioned over and over. I thought it was in a group of those packets tho (so that's what I meant about her having to pick that specific pack out of the others).

Or did she bring the pack herself? I forget. And if she brought it herself, how did Walt get it in there? (I thought she grabbed it from the restaurant, and Walt had swiped it before she sat down.)
There was only one packet of Stevia in the sweetener holder among the other sweeteners. The implication is that Walt assumed she would sit at the same table they had met at previously, and he put the ricin in that packet and removed all the other Stevia so she would use that one packet.
 

TOYCOFFIN

Banned
I think the only things that I found kind of sloppy were:

I. Walt being able to get Lydia's sweetner (I mean, okay I buy that he knew her routine. But damn, knowing exactly which Sweetner she goes for - pretty crazy memory). You could argue that it's not far-fetched. But I don't know if I liked how it was done.

II. Uncle Jack NOT BEING CALLED A LIAR - and that being what causes him to give Walt the upper hand. Just seemed kind of goofy. Lol I mean, Walt is going to die. But god forbid he called uncle Jack a liar. He better prove it to Walt before he kills him.

But outside of that, I loved the ending. But those are the only things I personally had an issue with.

EDIT: I still think the Jesse and Walt scene was great, and more than enough. Don't agree with those complaints. I think they did what could be done (anything more, I wouldn't have believed it coming from where the characters were at in the story).

I. She's mentioned it plenty of times before. Walt seems to have a crazy memory and intelligence--not that far fetched.

II. Jack is an Aryan. Have you seen Oz? Honor, their code, shit like that is crazy important to them. Plus Walt insinuating that he'd work with a rat/traitor (goes back to their code/honor).
 

Blader

Member
I must have missed it - but was there more than one of it? I know it's been mentioned over and over. I thought it was in a group of those packets tho (so that's what I meant about her having to pick that specific pack out of the others).

Or did she bring the pack herself? I forget. And if she brought it herself, how did Walt get it in there? (I thought she grabbed it from the restaurant, and Walt had swiped it before she sat down.)

yeah there was a bunch of sugar packets, but she only uses stevia and the ricin packet was the only one there.
 

Persona7

Banned
Wow, this is the first series where I have never missed a SINGLE EPISODE.


I've watched every single episode on its original air date.
 

Raxus

Member
Please note Breaking Bad's victory lap is going to be everywhere this week. Vince Gilligan is going on Colbert Monday and there are certainly more comedy specials coming this week as well.
 

Mononoke

Banned
There was only one packet of Stevia in the sweetener holder among the other sweeteners. The implication is that Walt assumed she would sit at the same table they had met at previously, and he put the ricin in that packet and removed all the other Stevia so she would use that one packet.

Yeah, I mean I got that. He knew she sits there, and knows she uses that specific sweetener. I just thought there was more than one of them there in the packets. But I guess all of this is a moot point. Because even if there was more than one, surely Walt would have just put the ricin in there, and then just take the other packets out and just leave one.

Oh well. Wish I wouldn't have posted those two things, because they didn't even bother me. Really. I was just listing the ONLY two things that I didn't know if I liked how the scenes played out. But they didn't actually bother me. lol
 
So to those that generally hated Walt and think he is a scum bag - what did you think of the ending. I'm curious. Were you okay that Walt went out on top (at least in his mind) before dying? Did Walt accepting he's evil, make it this ending more okay? Or did you loathe it, and believe Walt should have paid the consequences more heavily?

I'm wondering that posers like maharg think.

I think Walt is a scumbag, but I liked the ending. I liked him coming to grips with who he actually was and realizing that he was a terrible person who had hurt so many people.

Could have done without him managing get his money to Flynn though.
 

Courage

Member
Eh, it's a win/lose for me

Does he absolutely know his money is going to his kids? No. Does he get to fully enjoy the revenge on the Nazis? No. Not to mention the fact he's still down 75m dollars or so that he did make for his children, and only sought that revenge after his brother in law was killed in front of him and he spent months wasting away in a hell.

It was never about Walt winning, and he didn't win really, when you separate Walt's ego from the rest of the world. He went out in control. But everything else around him goes on, still fucked up. He admitted he was a fuck, he didn't die with his wife, or his children, or his partner. He died in a steel, metal meth lab. Heisenberg won, yeah. I'm not necessarily sure Walt did.

The point of the episode was that Walt was Heisenberg all along. He finally realizes it. And he embraces that. He doesn't die with his family, he dies in a cold, bloody meth lab. It's the ultimate piece of his downfall. And he loves it.
 

andycapps

Member
What a finale. Ended perfectly for me.

My theory about the remaining money is that the Nazis blabbed about it to Jesse because they planned on killing him and he's getting it all and heading to Alaska. That's what I'm going to hope his character would do. Buy a lifetime supply of Funyons and chill in a cabin full of weed.
 

TOYCOFFIN

Banned
Wow, this is the first series where I have never missed a SINGLE EPISODE.


I've watched every single episode on its original air date.

Same here. A vast majority of shows I've jumped on early season 1 or season 2. I remember hearing about the premise of the show before it even aired and was there on day 1. Was a great ride.
 

Blader

Member
Walter won in the sense that he accomplished his mission with the hand he was dealt. He set out to pay his family what he earned. He would have lost if he was not able to give money to his family and died a broken, runaway criminal in a hut in new hampshire. With this episode he made Schwartz his bitches, made sure all his money got to his family, killed the Nazis, got squared with Jesse and end his life on his terms, not on cancer's or anyone else.

lol, ok, that's a hell of a qualifier though. The "hand he was dealt" involved already losing basically everything.

Did he die as a complete failure with nothing to show for it? No. There was obviously some victory to his end, but he lost a ton along the way.
 

Maxim726X

Member
lol, ok, that's a hell of a qualifier though. The "hand he was dealt" involved already losing basically everything.

Did he die as a complete failure with nothing to show for it? No. There was obviously some victory to his end, but he lost a ton along the way.

He went out on his terms... Moving the chess pieces one last time.

Made the best out of a shitty hand.
 

bonesquad

Member
Great last episode to what is easily my favorite show ever. The episode maybe was "safe" and didn't really have any shocking 'twists', but at this point in the show I think such shifts would come off as forced and insincere.

The scene in Elliott and Gretchen's house was amazing, and was his conversation with Skylar. As has been said, the 'end' was really in Ozymandias when Walt called Skylar. This was just cleaning up the loose ends.
 

Wilbur

Banned
The point of the episode was that Walt was Heisenberg all along. He finally realizes it. And he embraces that. He doesn't die with his family, he dies in a cold, bloody meth lab. It's the ultimate piece of his downfall. And he loves it.

Oh yeah, I kind of realise that. They did a good job of marrying the two in this episode. Walt went around stroking his kid's head and showing compassion to Jesse while shooting people in the face and having 'snipers' on Evilore and Gretchen.

I think as much as some people will complain that it was a victory for Walt and that doesn't sit right with them, imagine the uproar if it had ended any differently. In fact, can any of the posters that complain it was too predictable and/or a Walt win wasn't befitting of the show come up with a better ending? There just... wasn't one. That's the way it had to end.
 

Blader

Member
Great finale. I kinda wish they didn't do the flash forwards though.

edit: Earlier in the season I mean.

eh, I can see why other people wouldn't like them, personally I think they were pretty necessary. If it weren't for the flashforwards (and the year of speculation that followed), I think the last two episodes would have felt really rushed and even contrived. Knowing about the time jump ahead of time makes the events of the last two eps easier to accept as an organic ending to the show, imo.
 
Great finale, I had to hold back tears when Walt was saying bye to Holly...

Just a quick question, I remember that Jesse's wooden box was brought up around his AA meeting days, but what was the significance in it again?
 
From the beginning of the series, Walt had three options:

1. Continue his emasculating imprisonment of a life for another year or so until he withers away and dies before his family, leaving them in a pool of debt.

2. Accept Gretchen's money, sacrificing his pride, but giving his family their father for that short time without being crippled by debt. Continues his unhappy life.

3. Break bad. Get to live out his power fantasy, sacrificing his family's view of him, and a lot of their happiness, but leaving them set financially.

It was a selfish option, but it was the one that Walt wanted. Really the only thing Walt completely loses is Hank, and Hank was kind of a tool anyway.
 

Maxim726X

Member
Great last episode to what is easily my favorite show ever. The episode maybe was "safe" and didn't really have any shocking 'twists', but at this point in the show I think such shifts would come off as forced and insincere.

The scene in Elliott and Gretchen's house was amazing, and was his conversation with Skylar. As has been said, the 'end' was really in Ozymandias when Walt called Skylar. This was just cleaning up the loose ends.

Agreed. I don't want twists for the sake of twists... I'm glad that Gilligan didn't get caught up in the hype of the show and make something convoluted for the purpose of making something convoluted.

Everyone thinks he took the easy way out- I completely disagree. There is beauty in simplicity.
 

rekameohs

Banned
I feel like way too many shows rush headfirst into their ends and stumble along the way. Breaking Bad rose to an incredible climax in "Ozymandias" and then wrapped things up in a wonderful resolution through the next two episodes.
 
I loved the fact that this was the first time everything walt did went according to plan and that was only as a result of him accepting his persona as Heisenberg and letting go of Mr nice guy Walt whose persona would make him hesitate and the plan would get complicated
 

Dorrin

Member
Great ending, but I have two issues with it.

Why didn't the Nazis check the trunk of the car? You'd think they would check every inch of Walt and his ride for weapons. This is a glaring oversight.

The final scenes between Jesse and Walt were a bit lacking imo. They weren't bad, but I'd liked it if there were more dialog between them given how both knew this would be their last moments together.

Regarding #1 The Nazis underestimated Walt as have many others throughout the series. They saw him as a has-been guy by himself. You are right though, one look in that location and it was over.
 
I will forever believe that walter was revived by medics, then arrested by the police.. but then eventually broken out by Jesse and his gang of misfits!

I love you Breaking Bad.
 

rubius01

Member
I haven't read the whole thread but here a few of my thoughts:

Loved it. But I wish that Walt lived to get arrested. We have seen many many times where the criminal dies in the end but few (that I can think off the top of my head) where the criminal mastermind is arrested. It still would have provided closure, as Walt would not be free, and he would have died soon anyway, because of the cancer and all.

I also believe that Ozymandius was the true finale and the past two episodes were the epilogue. But I was wondering: What if they decided to end the series with Ozymandius and made a 2 1/2 hour movie that was the last two episodes? Do you think that it could have worked?
 

Mononoke

Banned
Saw this on twitter

"Why the Breaking Bad ending was perfect for everyone"
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I don't think it was perfect for some fans. If you really thought Walt was an evil person that should face a downfall, this certainly wasn't for them. Yeah, Jesse got some peace. Yeah Walt ended up dead (and in the larger sense, in a pathetic way).

But Walt still mentally went out on top, feeling he did something great - and believing he took care of business. He was at peace before he died. This was a show where it seemed like they were really going to commit to the main character actually facing the consequences in the harshest way possible (which is what the ending of Granite State was) - but this ending was actually kind of a celebratory for Heisenberg. SO I could see where some fans would find the ending a cop out, where the writers decided to pull back on the reins, and give people a "happy ending" - in its sick kind of way.

For the record, I don't feel that way. But I can understand why some fans would. Especially when that ending was more in line with the tone of the last 7 episodes this season.
 
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