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

It's not inherently bad. I just appreciate it when a show subverts my expectations, provided it's done in a way that's plausible by the shows own standards.

It's a perfectly adequate finale. But it's not one that strikes me as being exceptional or ambitious. And in that respect, it's a mild letdown, yeah.

Ironically, by being so straight and aiming for the expected, the show actually ended up being exceptional and ambitious, because I really can't think of many shows that tried to tie up everything and end with a sense of closure. Most shows try to go for the "oh, you didn't see this coming" thing, and Breaking Bad didn't, which is OK.
 

The Real Abed

Perma-Junior
That's what I figured.

I guess he knew what table she always sits at and took all but one of the packets, then put the ricin in that last one?

Fucking plot hole!!!!!
There is never Stevia at the table. She goes to that shop all the time and always has to ask because they never put any in the batch of sugar substitutes. So this time she didn't have to ask because he put it there for her. She didn't suspect anything because she's an idiot anyway.

I just wonder how he got it into the packet and somehow kept it sealed.
 

Wilbur

Banned
Also, Cranston. Cranston. Cranston.

That was insane. Just stunningly good for the entire hour (and entire season, and entire series).
 

inm8num2

Member
That and his sorry, was giving the chance of killing him. I still think that scene was about Walt giving Jesse that opportunity, because he was going to die anyways. I'm not sure Walt was TRULY sorry - to be clear. So before people jump on me, and explain how Walt never really truly sorry, not saying that.

But I definitely think Walt was sorry that things played out t he way they did between him and Jesse. And I think Jesse felt the same way (I interpreted his final look at Walt, as one with both love and hate).

I'm glad Jesse didn't kill him.

And I do think Walt was genuinely sorry. That doesn't exonerate him, but this was all about Walt making amends the best he could. I still think he was a goddamn bastard, but he manned up and took responsibility for the mess he created.
 

smr00

Banned
Very satisfied with the ending.

Some complaints i am hearing about from my friends seems like they way over-hyped it thinking it was going to be some balls to the wall finale. It wrapped up almost everything and i really dug it. I just wish they did a little bit more with jessie but compared to 99.99% of other tv series finales this was fantastic.

I guess if i overhyped it i would be a bit disappointed as well but i didn't because i have reasonable expectations.
 

Angry Fork

Member
TEAM WALT FOREVER

TEARS

.

Can't believe it's over. I feel the same way when Lost ended and I realized I wouldn't be able to see anything like it again. But I'm so glad it ended on it's own terms and the quality stayed consistent throughout the whole thing.

Now what's left for me is Mad Men, Boardwalk empire, Game of thrones and Homeland. Mad Men started slipping at S5 although it's still great I've started to lose my enthusiasm for it, Boardwalk is entertaining but nowhere near this caliber, Game of thrones is fun but not amazing, and Homeland jumped the shark.

And Gilligan is moving on to a gross low number channel after this. Is the golden age of TV winding down? =(
 
I'm dreading listening to The One Who Knocks podcast because David is just going to spend half the episode trashing on the flashforwards again.
 
My one complaint is I wish we saw more of the Heisenberg aftermath. I know this is Walt's (and Jesse's) story but I would have loved to see more with Marie, Hank and Steve, just more aftermath. Even a little montage would have been nice. That's my favorite part of any story. The effect the main characters have in the world.
 
Walt had never been to their compound before right?

It seemed awful lucky that he parked in front of the right building, at just the right angle, and that everyone in the compound was in the firing line.
 

squidyj

Member
there IS going to be a podcast for this episode, right?

Walt had never been to their compound before right?

It seemed awful lucky that he parked in front of the right building, at just the right angle, and that everyone in the compound was in the firing line.

he'd been in that building before. when he wanted to put the hit on jesse.
 

inm8num2

Member
There is never Stevia at the table. She goes to that shop all the time and always has to ask because they never put any in the batch of sugar substitutes. So this time she didn't have to ask because he put it there for her. She didn't suspect anything because she's an idiot anyway.

I just wonder how he got it into the packet and somehow kept it sealed.

My comment about plot holes was tongue in cheek. I simply had to rewatch to see if there were any other subtle details I missed.

As for inserting the ricin into the packet, now THAT'S a plot hole. ;)
 
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cbox

Member
Great finale, I can't wait to start up and watch the whole series again.

From crazy 8 to tuco to that scene where hank found Walt and Jesse in the RV, this show has been brilliant. To name a few...

I wanna know what happened to Brock! I like that kid.
 

iammeiam

Member
I liked it quite a bit. It got me a few times (Walt heading off to see Elliot and Gretchen, Walt revealed after Skyler hangs up with Marie), but the internet had predicted some of the 'big' things far enough in advance that a lot of the ending felt somewhat expected.

But it got all the big things right. Walt goes out having admitted that his justification of many years was BS. He goes after the Nazis out of general rage, not with the goal of saving Jesse in mind, and only decides to save him when confronted with the broken and beaten wreck of his former partner. He gets to be smart with science one last time. He finally manages a way to probably take care of his children. He provides Marie with closure. Walt spent this episode finishing off his life; he knew the end was coming just as much as the audience, and he decided how it all went from that point on.

The Shield's finale still edges it out, for me, but BB's finale was extremely solid.

Also, I love love love that Todd's reaction to Walt rigging up a gun to shoot and kill everyone, Todd included, isn't anger. Whatever he was going to say was calm and collected. Todd confirmed as dark-horse winner of most interesting antagonist in the series.
 

Mononoke

Banned
Reading Alan's review, and just in general others opinions on the finale - I just feel like in the end, this was really a pulpy show. And it went out in that style. For some, this just adds on to why people loved it. But for those that really thought Breaking Bad was trying to tell a deeper more realist story, they are going to be let down by what the show ultimately was. This is going to validate those that didn't think that Breaking Bad was of the same "class" as the Wire or Mad Men.
 

Wilbur

Banned
Walt had never been to their compound before right?

It seemed awful lucky that he parked in front of the right building, at just the right angle, and that everyone in the compound was in the firing line.

He's been there before, to talk to them about the prison killings and killing Jesse. Same room they were in tonight. He was also told they were going into the clubhouse, and that's why he parked where he parked instead of parking where Kenny told him to park.

After that... another fateful coincidence that happens time and time again on this show.
 

The Real Abed

Perma-Junior
Major turf war. Without spoiling too much for those that didn't see, "Barney Google"
I cannot wait to rewatch the series in a few months.. or weeks... or days.

I watched 1 and 2 slowly with my dad. Then we stopped for a while because schedules changed. A few weeks ago both of us started watching again separately. I marathonned 3, 4 and 5 up to the episode before Ozymandias.

So glad I did. I never watched this when it was originally on. Always thought it looked interesting from the start, but never really clicked to check it out. My brother got us into it. Now it's all over. My god. So satisfying and sad. What now?

(Still never watched Mad Men though.)
 

inm8num2

Member
He says in that scene she always met him there on tues, same time. There's also at least 2 scenes from earlier eps of her asking for stevia. Twist was brilliant imo.

Yes I realize that and caught his line just fine. I've posted multiple times, especially from last week, about how they focused on Lydia and her Stevia. It's been a big focus of discussion all season.

My only curiosity was just to confirm with myself that Walt put the packet at that table before Lydia arrived, since he knew she'd sit there.
 

Memles

Member
Is A the highest possible or do they also have an A+ rating?

In case no one else has answered this question: although an A+ exists in the system, and has occasionally been used, writers are instructed to treat A as the highest possible rating.
 
Ironically, by being so straight and expected, the show ended up being exceptional and ambitious, because I really can't think of many shows that actually tried to tie up everything and end with a sense of closure. Most shows try to go for the "oh, you didn't see this coming" thing, and Breaking Bad didn't, which is OK.

A lot of shows with bad endings, most notably Lost and BSG, were inevitably going to have bad endings because they borked so much shit long before the end was even in sight. When you completely screw up the approach, you're almost certainly going to crash during the landing.

I think Breaking Bad, on the other hand, was well-positioned to really pull off something challenging and exceptional, quite similar to The Sopranos. But I think Vince held himself back quite a bit.

Again, not necessarily a bad thing. Just a bit disappointing.
 
My comment about plot holes was tongue in cheek. I simply had to rewatch to see if there were any other subtle details I missed.

As for inserting the ricin into the packet, now THAT'S a plot hole. ;)
Not really. It's not that hard to make a tiny incision on the packet, dispose the contents and add tiny powdery stuff back in and seal it. A real plot hole would be Lydia drinking the coffee/whatever the fuck she drinks till the last sip and not realizing that it tasted funny.

But then, Walt probably did mix some stevia with ricin to not raise any suspicion.
 

matt05891

Member
That's what I figured.

I guess he knew what table she always sits at and took all but one of the packets, then put the ricin in that last one?

Fucking plot hole!!!!!

I think he knew that she always sits by the window and took out all of them from around it and only placed one there. Therefore no matter where she sat by the window she would most likely take the packet nearest her or the waiter would at least. That's how I interpreted it at least.
 
he didn't hold back. he taught you to hate a man and then made you realize why you liked him in the first place. the story doesn't end any other way.
 
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