Breaking Bad Finale (SPOILERS LURK HERE)

[homer]

Thoughts?

 

I felt it was a good way to wrap up the series although unlike most episodes there really were no surprises for me. Everything sort of happened how I expected it to happen (except maybe asking Elliot and Gretchen to launder his drug money for him).

[Patrick425]

I thought it was brilliant. I'm not one that is normally critical of series finales anyways (never understood why everyone hated the Seinfeld final...not sure what they expected), but I thought The Breaking Bad finale was exceptionally good. Loved the ending song and scene.

[jjkoestler]

The ending didn't do a whole lot for me. I'm not used to watching series on a weekly basis (I usually watch a season in a few days on DVD or streaming) so I think I might be biased. I also don't like when they split a season into two parts. I'll probably dig it more when I watch the entire final season in a weekend.

[thebruce44]

I loved it. And I totally agree with not understanding why people get so upset with endings. Since I probably had somewhat tempered expectations I thought it was exceptional. It tied up all the loose ends while leaving a few things still up to the viewer to decide.

[homer]

I agree about the final scene. Absolutely loved the song and final shot - although I think they could have cut to black after his hand slid off the blood smeared chrome.

[jhart05]

My thoughts are pretty much the same I had for the entire series.

 

Extremely well done, excellent acting, excellent writing, excellent camera work.

 

The entire series was/is a gem. Althou the $200 Blue-Ray box set is a bit much for me.

 

 

"I think they could have cut to black after his hand slid off the blood smeared chrome."

 

I think the wide angle shot from above with the police running around a dead Walt, was a prefect ending. Even thou I was rooting for Walt right up to the end.

 

I liked how he saved Jessie in the end. Went there with the intention of killing him for helping the Nazi's, but when he saw Jessie was a prisoner because of what Walt did to him, he changed his mind. He still loved Jessie as a son right up to the end, even thou Jessie hated him.

[homer]

I read somewhere that the final song was downloaded 5,000 times on iTunes Sunday night. The most times it had ever been downloaded in one week prior to that was 1,000.

[Patrick425]

I'll never listen to that song the same way again.

 

Also, who would have ever thought that Tim Whatley/Hal could be such a bad dude?

[Patrick425]

I'll never listen to that song the same way again.

 

Also, who would have ever thought that Tim Whatley/Hal could be such a bad dude?

[thebruce44]

My thoughts are pretty much the same I had for the entire series.

 

Extremely well done, excellent acting, excellent writing, excellent camera work.

 

The entire series was/is a gem. Althou the $200 Blue-Ray box set is a bit much for me.

 

 

"I think they could have cut to black after his hand slid off the blood smeared chrome."

 

I think the wide angle shot from above with the police running around a dead Walt, was a prefect ending. Even thou I was rooting for Walt right up to the end.

 

I liked how he saved Jessie in the end. Went there with the intention of killing him for helping the Nazi's, but when he saw Jessie was a prisoner because of what Walt did to him, he changed his mind. He still loved Jessie as a son right up to the end, even thou Jessie hated him.

 

Huh, I had a different take. I don't think he was planning to kill Jesse. He was making amends for his mistakes like telling Skyler it was for him and not about making money for the family. I saw his goal of rescuing Jesse as an extension of that. He knew he was alive, and Walt is smart enough to know there was no way Jesse was just working for them out of kindness or to make money. The whole "partner" thing was him expertly playing uncle Jack's sense of pride to give him time to get the remote and find out where Jesse was being kept prisoner.

 

At least, thats my interpretation.

[FVBrewerFan]

Final episode was mostly predictable, which was fine with me. They stayed true to the characters, plot, etc. right to the end. Writing, casting, acting, directing...just fantastic.

 

Optional final scene could have been Marie killing Walt, or at least be there to see him die. That would have worked, but I'm sure it was discussed. At least it wasn't something crazy like Walt Jr. killing his dad, or Walt killing his his family, etc. Any of that would have beena surprise, but wouldn't be true to the show.

[Patrick425]

My thoughts are pretty much the same I had for the entire series.

 

Extremely well done, excellent acting, excellent writing, excellent camera work.

 

The entire series was/is a gem. Althou the $200 Blue-Ray box set is a bit much for me.

 

 

"I think they could have cut to black after his hand slid off the blood smeared chrome."

 

I think the wide angle shot from above with the police running around a dead Walt, was a prefect ending. Even thou I was rooting for Walt right up to the end.

 

I liked how he saved Jessie in the end. Went there with the intention of killing him for helping the Nazi's, but when he saw Jessie was a prisoner because of what Walt did to him, he changed his mind. He still loved Jessie as a son right up to the end, even thou Jessie hated him.

 

Huh, I had a different take. I don't think he was planning to kill Jesse. He was making amends for his mistakes like telling Skyler it was for him and not about making money for the family. I saw his goal of rescuing Jesse as an extension of that. He knew he was alive, and Walt is smart enough to know there was no way Jesse was just working for them out of kindness or to make money. The whole "partner" thing was him expertly playing uncle Jack's sense of pride to give him time to get the remote and find out where Jesse was being kept prisoner.

 

At least, thats my interpretation.

 

On "Talking Bad" it may have been someone else but I think it was Vince Gilligan that pretty much summed up that scene as Walt having a change of heart about killing Jesse. It may have been someone else that threw that out there but, if so, Gilligan did not "correct" that interpretation of that scene.

 

Edit: Found this - http://www.vulture.com/2013/09/breaking-bad-finale-facts-learned-on-talking-bad.html

 

Gilligan explained that The Searchers heavily influenced the final standoff between Walt and Jesse. Gilligan believes that Walt was intending to kill Jesse, but when he saw the state his former partner was in, Walt couldn’t do it. He still cared about Jesse.

[Patrick425]

The one part about the Jesse/Walt final scene that I have not seen discussed anywhere (other than Aaron Paul talking about it in the link I just posted above), is when Walt basically tells Jesse to go ahead and shoot him, they cut to Walt's bullet wound and that's when Jesse drops the gun. So, my thought was that Jesse saw that and thought that he would much rather have Walt die a slower, more painful death from the shot he already took than to help speed up the process with an additional gun shot(s). Anyone else interpret that scene that way?

[Outlander]

I think it was more Jesse indicating in the past he would never follow Walt's orders again so when Walt told him to shoot him there was no chance it would happen. Jesse had his fit of rage with Todd, he didn't want or need to kill Walt.

[homer]

I think it was more Jesse indicating in the past he would never follow Walt's orders again so when Walt told him to shoot him there was no chance it would happen. Jesse had his fit of rage with Todd, he didn't want or need to kill Walt.

 

I think NOT killing Walt provided Jesse with further separation from him. As if he was saying "I'm a better man than you."

[TracyThom]

"I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really... I was alive."

 

That was the best part of the episode for me. I think Skyler finally forgave Walt a little bit after that. I also got a little misty eyed watching the scene with Walt and baby Holly and then later Walt watching Walt Jr. walk inside the house knowing it would be the last time he ever saw his son.

[Patrick425]

I think it was more Jesse indicating in the past he would never follow Walt's orders again so when Walt told him to shoot him there was no chance it would happen. Jesse had his fit of rage with Todd, he didn't want or need to kill Walt.

 

I understand that, but if you watch the scene, Jesse is standing there with the gun pointed at Walt. Then they cut to a close up of Walt's gun shot wound (as if Jesse just notices that Walt took a shot). After that, Jesse drops the gun.

[jhart05]

Huh, I had a different take. I don't think he was planning to kill Jesse. He was making amends for his mistakes like telling Skyler it was for him and not about making money for the family. I saw his goal of rescuing Jesse as an extension of that. He knew he was alive, and Walt is smart enough to know there was no way Jesse was just working for them out of kindness or to make money. The whole "partner" thing was him expertly playing uncle Jack's sense of pride to give him time to get the remote and find out where Jesse was being kept prisoner.

 

At least, thats my interpretation.

 

 

I don't think he left New Hampshire with the intent on killing Jessie. He probably assumed Jessie was already dead. I think he only decided on killing him once he heard from Badger and Skinny Pete that "someone" was still cooking his product/formula.

 

I think that's when Jessie got added to the list. Assuming Jessie was probably cooking for them to save his own life. Not knowing at that point yet, Jessie was being tortured into making the blue.

[thebruce44]

I don't think any of us are wrong. That sort of open endedness is what makes it such a good finish.

[FVBrewerFan]

I don't think any of us are wrong. That sort of open endedness is what makes it such a good finish.

 

Exactly. That's why they ended it so well. Everything is tied up, yet there are a few things left to debate. WIll Walt Jr. accept the $ when he's old enough? Will Skyler go back to Ted? Does Jesse go to take care of Brock?, etc.

[Patrick425]

Well actually, not to repeat myself, but if you just follow the link in my previous post (post #12), the producer and main writer of the show (Vince Gilligan) pretty much explains Walts original intentions about killing Jesse. Pretty sure he would know

[thebruce44]

Well actually, not to repeat myself, but if you just follow the link in my previous post (post #12), the producer and main writer of the show (Vince Gilligan) pretty much explains Walts original intentions about killing Jesse. Pretty sure he would know

 

I had actually read this more in depth interview with Gilligan the day after the Finale aired:

 

On the story inspiration for Walt, who was hellbent on killing Jesse, saving his ex-partner out of sudden instinct

“A lot of astute viewers who know their film history are going to say, ‘It’s the ending to The Searchers.’ And indeed it is. The wonderful western The Searchers has John Wayne looking for Natalie Wood for the entire three-hour length of the movie. She’s been kidnapped by Indians and raised as one of their own, and throughout the whole movie, John Wayne says, ‘I need to put her out of her misery. As soon as I find her, I’m going to kill her.’ The whole movie Jeffrey Hunter is saying, ‘No, we’re not — she’s my blood kin, we’re saving her,’ and he says, ‘We’re killing her.’ And you’re like, ‘Oh my god, John Wayne is a monster and he’s going to do it. You know for the whole movie that this is the major drama between these two characters looking for Natalie Wood. And then at the end of the movie, on impulse, you think he’s riding toward her to shoot her, and instead he sweeps her up off her feet and he carries her away and he says, ‘Let’s go home.’ It just gets me every time — the ending of that movie just chokes you up, it’s wonderful. In the writers room, we said, ‘Hey, what about the Searchers ending?’ So, it’s always a matter of stealing from the best. [Laughs]“

 

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/09/30/breaking-bad-finale-vince-gilligan/

 

Now, its been about 10 years since I've seen The Searchers, and we actually went pretty in depth on it in a film class I took as an elective (I'm an engineer so it was a very welcome class). I saw John Wayne as very conflicted in the film. He didn't want to kill her, but he was preparing himself for the worst, where he would have to kill her in order to do the best thing for her. I saw a similar thing with Walt, not sure what state Jesse would be in, but knowing he was ultimately responsible since he put him there. Walt was smart enough to know that Jesse wasn't partnering with the Nazi's, it had to have been forced on him. I think his goal was to save him, but barring that he might have to kill him. I think the Searchers connection was in the ambiguity of Walt's intentions towards the viewer. I think their motivations were different though, Walt knowing that Jesse wasn't "assimilated" like Wayne though the girl was.

 

Again, just my take and I still think its open to interpretation despite Gilligan's discussion of the Searchers.

[thebruce44]

This is amazing:

 

[Patrick425]

This is amazing:

 

 

That's awesome...thanks for posting that!

[TURBO]

That is more than awesome! Who has this kind of time? lol