Perfect is how I’d describe the ending of this series. I haven’t seen a finale in so long that was able to wrap up so many elements and hanging strings in such a satisfying way. But was it a little too perfect? Or are we so spoiled rotten when it comes to the high production value of TV these days that nothing will satisfy us? In some ways I want to be surprised by the unpredictability of events, in other ways I want to enjoy my meal. while I didn’t know what was going to happen I felt like the last episode of the series gave us everything we could have wanted. There won’t be any regrets or a big huh?! with this series finale. *Cough, Sopranos, cough Battlestar Galatica’s Kara disappearing cough* .
I’m more spoiled than most as I only had started watching Breaking Bad last year after been told by a friend that “you NEED to be watching this”. I wasn’t overly impressed by the first few episodes but I stuck with it and was pretty much blown away by it later, particularly by the ending of episode 6 when Walt blows up a drug dealers hideout with himself inside followed by Walt sitting in his car afterwards screaming wildly at his success showing us the first glimpse of the man he was going to be followed by the song ‘Catch yer own train’ by Silver Seas over the credits. Lighting in a bottle. By the end of season 4 I thought it was among the best TV series I had ever seen. I was binging on it after work each day and finished up with the most incredible mid season cliff hanger when Hank found that Walt Whitman Book. Anticipation of this final half of series 5 was turned up to 11.
The story of a dying man wanting to give his family a good future is pretty touching. In the recent economic times who can’t related to a person who wants to provide for their family and loved ones as best he could. The path taken by Walter White though is seemingly a quick one to success and money for his but as he gets deeper into it he can’t help but be overwhelmed by the logistics of the business and the evil running behind it. He tears a piece of himself off bit by bit to survive and justify what he is doing but the only path he is taking is the one down through the levels of hell.
But is Walter White evil? He has done evil actions but he is in the end still just a man who came from a decent life. I can’t say he is evil because there is a bit of Walter White in each of us. We all have our own pasts and evils and we have all done something wrong even if our best intentions had not been to do anything wrong. As Walter says, things just got out of hand. As much as we want to control the situation we can’t predict how one action can have such a butterfly effect like we saw at the end of season 2 when a passenger plane drops of out the sky due to something seemingly unrelated. No, Walt isn’t evil, but he was suffering and he was trying to hide that side of himself too. The actions he took were for the better in his mind and right and justifiably right is a fine line that everyone walks. At times it can go either way. Even Batman must deal with this on a nightly basis.
It was an interesting character study to see him go from a man who couldn’t bring himself to killing another human being to one who does it nonchalantly by the end. He really went from normal guy to Scarface over 5 series. Breaking Bad wasn’t just about the characters, it was as much about the story too and that balance is why it was so successful. That and the soundtrack and the A-Team like ideas that Walt and Jessie came up with made it hellishly entertaining.
So with a final that wraps up everything so well I don’t have any criticisms or questions. Everyone working on the show absolutely frigging nailed it.
Favorite Quote: “I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really… I was alive” – Walter White
All of this has happened before 