# Breaking Bad - S05E16 - "Felina" (series finale!)



## jkeegan

Watching completely live, so I needed something to do during commercials, so here's the thread.


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## jkeegan

Ha!! We DID get to see them again!


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## Jstkiddn

jkeegan said:


> Ha!! We DID get to see them again!


Loved that!!


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## betts4

Badger, Skinny Pete and some laser pointers! Awesome.


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## betts4

Who's was I kidding- I'll be checking in


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## PotentiallyCoherent

Don't ever bring a knife to a Walt fight.


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## jkeegan

Hehehe.

Like dominoes, the issues are all falling down one at a time.


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## MegaHertz67

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

Powerful moment.


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## jkeegan

My gut wanted Skyler and Walt to hug but my brain is happy that they kept it more realistic.


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## jamesl

so did he put ricin in the stevia before she got there ?


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## jkeegan

jamesl said:


> so did he put ricin in the stevia before she got there ?


Of course. Note there was only one left too.


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## betts4

jkeegan said:


> My gut wanted Skylar and Walt to hug but my brain is happy that they kept it more realistic.


Yeah. I was thinking at the last minute Skylar would grab him but, it was better that way.


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## jkeegan

MegaHertz67 said:


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


 So good.


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## betts4

MegaHertz67 said:


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


Perfect.


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## Jstkiddn

jamesl said:


> so did he put ricin in the stevia before she got there ?


Hopefully we will get a definitive answer, but I believe he did.


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## jamesl

did they put razor wire on top of the fence ? 

don't remember seeing that when jesse tried to escape


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## ellinj

Goodbye Lydia


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## ellinj

Goodbye Walt, Goodbye Breaking bad


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## jkeegan

So sad it's over.

What an amazing show.

Thank you to everyone that contributed to the show in any way.


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## Jstkiddn

jamesl said:


> did they put razor wire on top of the fence ? don't remember seeing that when jesse tried to escape


Yes, it was there before.


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## nyny523

I knew it would be a blood bath!!!

Satisfying ending to a great show.


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## betts4

So glad Jesse is free, Todd is dead and Walt is dead but was not killed by Jesse.


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## MegaHertz67

Wow! There is some measure of redemption and retribution that stayed true to Walter White's character. So good.


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## Jstkiddn

I'm happy with the ending. It ended as it should.


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## Rob Helmerichs

Works for me.

Nice how so many elements came back to roost.


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## betts4

Loved Jack taking one last puff


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## Bryanmc

jamesl said:


> did they put razor wire on top of the fence ? don't remember seeing that when jesse tried to escape


It was there.

Great ending, so much was covered but never felt rushed.

:up:


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## Carlucci

That ending scene was closely parallel to another TV show,


Spoiler



LOST


, was it not?

Spectacular. Not one thing was disappointing about that. What a treasure this whole series was!


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## Bierboy

Jstkiddn said:


> Hopefully we will get a definitive answer, but I believe he did.


We don't need a definitive answer....he did....absolutely no doubt....

What a great show...great ending...positively perfect in every way. A measure of redemption for Walt. Jesse escapes laughing hysterically. Skyler will get a deal with the the info Walt gave her. Even Marie will get some closure when the bodies are found. And the kids will be provided for....just awesome!!


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## squint

betts4 said:


> Loved Jack taking one last puff


I wanted to see some smoke come out of a hole in his chest...


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## jamesl

squint said:


> I wanted to see some smoke come out of a hole in his chest...


LOL

I wanted to see Jesse get a few million


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## betts4

Carlucci said:


> That ending scene was closely parallel to another TV show,
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> LOST
> 
> 
> , was it not?
> 
> Spectacular. Not one thing was disappointing about that. What a treasure this whole series was!


I had the same thought. I was waiting to see Vincent.


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## gossamer88

Why would the Nazi care what Walt thought of his "partnership" with Jesse?


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## GoPackGo

That was the most satisfying series finale I have ever seen.


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## Jstkiddn

gossamer88 said:


> Why would the Nazi care what Walt thought of his "partnership" with Jesse?


Ego.


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## Zevida

This episode and the previous had an epilogue feel to them. The real climax of the show was Ozymandias. 

I am a little disappointed they turned Walt into the hero at the end. He freed Jesse and no one killed him or got the better of him. I could tell that's where they were going once Jesse was taken prisoner, but I still hoped they'd go another way. 

All in all this was an incredible show. I'll miss it. 

And I loved seeing Badger and Skinny Pete again! And the scene with Skyler was incredible.


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## MegaHertz67

betts4 said:


> Loved Jack taking one last puff


I like that Jack was going to negotiate for his life with the location of the money. Too bad that Walt didn't care.


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## mostman

Just watched Vince explain the watch scene. Funny stuff. He couldn't be wearing the watch because they had already filmed the Denny's scene without a watch. Realizing this, they added the scene to get rid of the watch. Funny.


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## betts4

Fantastic ending episode.


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## mrdazzo7

Loved it... Walt's plan rivaled his epic execution of the Brock poisoning thing, lol. Only guy on TV who can walk into a place he's never been too and some how get his automated gun lined up perfectly to kill everyone there but only after he's able to get the person he's there to save lined up perfectly so they're out of harms way... And I would expect nothing less from Walt!!

Loved the finale for Todd's death alone. The second he knelt up and was looking out the window, I yelled at my TV for Jessie to strangle him. F'in psycho.

I love how they make you think he's gonna destroy Gretchen and Elliot and then take it in a completely different direction. Loved the scene with Skylar...fitting ending for a decidedly messed up relationship.

Glad they showed him dead at the end... When he put his hand on the metal thing and slid off and all we saw was the blood smear, I thought they were gonna cut it there and leave us wondering if he lived or not. That's what every other show probably would have done, but that's what I love about this show. They _know _what you think they're gonna do, and they do the opposite.

Although for a show that seems to pride itself on subverting cliches, they had no problem using the "keys in the visor" bit that's been done in every other movie/TV show ever, despite the fact that pretty much no one on earth leaves their keys there, hahaha. But we can digress on that.

Easily one of the best shows i"ve ever seen. Never a "bad season", barely even a bad episode, and an ending that makes sense for the show and brings just about everything to a conclusion. It'll be missed, but I'm glad they ended it on their terms instead of dragging it out


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## Beryl

MegaHertz67 said:


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


 I was thinking, "Finally, he tells the truth!" Excellent scene. Both actors played it so well.


jamesl said:


> so did he put ricin in the stevia before she got there ?


 Of course. He knew her routine and replaced any Stevia packages with the ONE laced package so that Lydia and only Lydia would get it. Brilliant and so perfect.


betts4 said:


> So glad Jesse is free, Todd is dead and Walt is dead but was not killed by Jesse.


 Yes!!! I even joined "Team Walt" (for a minute) when he saved Jesse and sacrificed himself. So glad Jesse got to take out Todd. He can not be a guardian angel to Brock.


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## Bryanmc

mrdazzo7 said:


> Although for a show that seems to pride itself on subverting cliches, they had no problem using the "keys in the visor" bit that's been done in every other movie/TV show ever, despite the fact that pretty much no one on earth leaves their keys there, hahaha. But we can digress on that.


At least they did it in a "there's no way the keys will actually be there" kind of moment with Walt, only to find that they were.

Cranston is a god.


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## whitson77

What a great ending. That show gets a 10 for me and ranks as one of the best ever.

The fly episode is the only one I could do without. Everything else was greatness.

I selfishly just longed to see what happened to Jesse, but that isn't realistic to hope for.

"Goodbye Lydia" was awesome and him desperately wanting to make amends with his son but being helpless to do so as he watched him go into the house was so powerful. He also finally admitted the truth that he did it all for him, and realized that the cost for all of his terrible choices fell on him and not on anyone else.

And Jesse refused to be manipulated one last time. And yet he was still in awe of what Walt was capable of. This time in a good way. :up::up:

ETA - Not sure if this was mentioned yet. But that Marty Robbin's tape and subsequent song that was played in the car he stole is about a suicide mission to go save someone "Felina". My wife knew it and I was glad for that extra insight.


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## scandia101

GoPackGo said:


> That was the most satisfying series finale I have ever seen.


Yes it most certainly was.


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## MegaHertz67

One thing I will miss about this show is every episode had some interesting camera angle that added so much to the feel of the show. When Skylar was on the phone with Marie, the post was hiding the fact that Walt was there the whole time. Then later as they were talking, the post separated them in the frame...telling you without a word that they were irreparably separated emotionally from each other.


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## BradJW

My only minor issue with this finale is why did Walt give Lydia the ricin? 

He had a reason to once he talked w/ Skylar, but he gave Lydia the ricin BEFORE he talked to Skylar, so there really was no reason for him to go after Lydia at that point.


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## MegaHertz67

BradJW said:


> My only minor issue with this finale is why did Walt give Lydia the ricin?
> 
> He had a reason to once he talked w/ Skylar, but he gave Lydia the ricin BEFORE he talked to Skylar, so there really was no reason for him to go after Lydia at that point.


He was getting rid of any connection that could haunt his family going forward. She was a big, scary part of his empire. I assume didn't forget that she tried to kill Mike, and after his plan to take out the AB was finished, he didn't want her out guerra pissed off.


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## nyny523

BradJW said:


> My only minor issue with this finale is why did Walt give Lydia the ricin?
> 
> He had a reason to once he talked w/ Skylar, but he gave Lydia the ricin BEFORE he talked to Skylar, so there really was no reason for him to go after Lydia at that point.


He knew how dangerous Lydia was, and he knew she had met Skylar at the car wash.


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## kaszeta

mrdazzo7 said:


> Llthough for a show that seems to pride itself on subverting cliches, they had no problem using the "keys in the visor" bit that's been done in every other movie/TV show ever, despite the fact that pretty much no one on earth leaves their keys there, hahaha.


You're not from Northern New Hampshire. Older Volvo, unlocked, and with the keys in the visor? Perfectly normal around here. Really. (Although some people I know use the cup holder)


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## gchance

AMAZING finale, I didn't mind the slowness of it at all. One last "heist", everything tied up nicely.

As Walt was walking back to the car at Gretchen & Elliott's place, I said out loud to my wife, "Now, watch the two 'hit men' be Badger & Skinny Pete." Sure enough...

There wasn't anything wonky going on with the gun and the car, he just gave it a wide berth and sprayed the entire house with bullets. I'm sure the gun spread beyond the house on both sides, the entire side of the house got covered.

Unlike most finales, I'm pleased with everything.

Greg


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## danterner

I'm sad that it's over, but I'm very glad that, like Walt, the show went out on its own terms. Best series ever. It was consistently great, start to finish. There were maybe a couple of mediocre episodes in season 4, around the time of the magnet caper, but even those episodes were better than the best that most other shows have to offer.

Every character got their own coda and closure (except poor Huell, still in the safehouse), and all loose ends were tied up. 

Ooh - just thought of one loose end - there are 6 barrels of money out there, somewhere, and now NOBODY living knows where they are.


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## ElJay

MegaHertz67 said:


> When Skylar was on the phone with Marie, the post was hiding the fact that Walt was there the whole time. Then later as they were talking, the post separated them in the frame...telling you without a word that they were irreparably separated emotionally from each other.


All I could think of was, "wow, they're emphasizing that crummy post a lot, and that looks like one crappy place..." Then of course Walt is hidden out of view behind it.

I'm still puzzled by this entire plan that was spawned by Charlie Rose. I mean he was to the point of wanting to turn himself in, but now it's time to visit Gretchen and Eliot, plus get rid of Lydia's crew? Don't get me wrong, I found the ending satisfying, I just wish they would've weaved the whole Gray Matter thing into the story a bit more instead of just suddenly plopping it in again one episode from the end.


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## MacThor

ElJay said:


> All I could think of was, "wow, they're emphasizing that crummy post a lot, and that looks like one crappy place..." Then of course Walt is hidden out of view behind it.
> 
> I'm still puzzled by this entire plan that was spawned by Charlie Rose. I mean he was to the point of wanting to turn himself in, but now it's time to visit Gretchen and Eliot, plus get rid of Lydia's crew? Don't get me wrong, I found the ending satisfying, I just wish they would've weaved the whole Gray Matter thing into the story a bit more instead of just suddenly plopping it in again one episode from the end.


He had given up because he couldn't figure out a way to get his money to his kids. When he saw Eliot and Gretchen on Charlie Rose, he figured out a way that actually came with a reasonable "cover" story.


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## jamesl

ElJay said:


> ...
> I'm still puzzled by this entire plan that was spawned by Charlie Rose. I mean he was to the point of wanting to turn himself in, but now it's time to visit Gretchen and Eliot, plus get rid of Lydia's crew? Don't get me wrong, I found the ending satisfying, I just wish they would've weaved the whole Gray Matter thing into the story a bit more instead of just suddenly plopping it in again one episode from the end.


didn't Charlie say that the blue meth still being made and there were reports that it made its way overseas

I think Walter knew the only person who capable of making blue meth was Jesse and he was angry that Jesse was still alive

he was angry that the nazis lied to him and didn't kill Jesse

he was angry HIS product was being made by someone else

so he wanted to kill Jesse and the nazis and he wanted to make sure nobody made his product except himself


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## disco

Why wouldn't Jack's gang search the trunk of Walt's car? They know what he's capable of (chemically speaking). Maybe they wouldn't have imagined a big ass gun, but perhaps they would fear him coming with a bomb. Just seemed odd to me... 

Otherwise, a great ending to a great series!


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## gweempose

Perfection!

Laundering the money through Gretchen and Elliot was genius. I also loved the fact that Walter made a conscious decision to save Jesse in the end. Just a brilliant show from start to finish!


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## betts4

I was sad when Walt took his watch off at the gas station. Gilligan explained why later in Talking Dead, but at that point it was one more break with Jesse.

I did notice when Walt didn't listen to the nazi guy in the car, and actually parked in a slightly different spot and when told to move, then in his own Walt way, he said 'what? oh" and the guy was like 'oh never mind'. That was Walt. Pure Walt manipulating where he wanted the car to be for his own purposes.


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## USAFSSO

Great ending. After all the other big show finale failures, I din't expect much. I'm glad Vince Gilligan knocked it out of the park.

Amazed there is no hate here. Well, I guess we will see after the West Coast feed.


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## jkeegan

I actually rather liked that while they set us up to believe that Walt was driven by anger/ego at seeing them on Charlie Rose, in fact he just saw a way to get money to his family. I'm actually a bit upset at us for not coming up with that last week.

(Although, there WAS anger there.. A combo of the blue meth, maybe some ego over Grey Matter, etc)

Also glad to see a good *storytelling* full justification for the lottery ticket - which acts like Skyler's get-out-of-jail-free card.


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## betts4

disco said:


> Why wouldn't Jack's gang search the trunk of Walt's car? They know what he's capable of (chemically speaking). Maybe they wouldn't have imagined a big ass gun, but perhaps they would fear him coming with a bomb. Just seemed odd to me...


I think they didn't search the trunk because it wasn't Jack out there, it was just some minion that is not exactly too smart.


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## betts4

jkeegan said:


> Also glad to see a good *storytelling* full justification for the lottery ticket - which acts like Skyler's get-out-of-jail-free card.


And even Marie gets some closure with Hank's body being found.


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## Hank

I'll be the first one to say it -- I think the Six Feet Under series finale was better, if we're just comparing finales. But overall, of course, BB was a better show overall. As mentioned above, Ozymandias was really the pinnacle of the series, and the last couple of episodes were just tyeing up all the lose ends.

It's also the attention to details that this crew really nails... like when the trunk gun was done firing, the garage door opener light turns on. 

Also, Jesse might not know exactly where the money is, but he does know the AB had possession of it, and I'd guess it's somewhere inside their compound. But no way he's going back there to get it.

Also, Walt had to take care of Lydia, because Skyler was still a liability to her, and especially now that the AB is gone, and if Skyler talks (as part of a plea deal), Lydia could/would be caught. So Walt had to take care of her first.


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## jkeegan

I also loved Walt giving the gun to Jesse, because Jesse "wanted this". And even more I loved Jesse deciding (after seeing that he was going to die anyway) to not do it.

That was quite the satisfying crazy laugh from Jesse while driving away. Perfect.


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## Kamakzie

Very satisfying series finale, liked it a lot.


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## Numb And Number2

> Why would the Nazi care what Walt thought of his "partnership" with Jesse?





Jstkiddn said:


> Ego.


Why would the Nazi's ego suffer by what Walt thought of his "partnership" with Jessie?


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## jsmeeker

Awesome


Jesse gets free. And gets to kill Todd


Walt dies, at his own hand basically. And gets one last look at his "precious".


Really thought he was gonna whack the GreyMatter people. But nope. He gets them to give Flynn some money. We see Skinny Pete and Badger again! Woo hop. Skylar will be able to tell the DEA where Hank and Gomie are buried. I just wonder where all the rest of the money is.


I hope Jesse is gonna be OK. Maybe he goes to look after Brock.

Will Saul get that management position with Cinnabon?


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## betts4

Numb And Number2 said:


> Why would the Nazi's ego suffer by what Walt thought of his "partnership" with Jessie?


I think it was when Walt said Jack was a liar or lying. That triggered something in Jack.

It was a good way for Walt to actually see what they had done to Jesse and to see that it wasn't a partnership but a master/slave thing.


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## gweempose

What I found so delightful about the Gretchen and Elliot thing was that not only did Walt figure out a way to use them to get the money to his kids, but he also got his revenge as well. They now have to live their lives in fear that the "hitmen" are out there.


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## danterner

After the (legitimate) complaining following Ozymandias about bulletproof cars, it was nice seeing the bullets of Walt's gun tear through the trunk, the wall, and everything in between.


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## astrohip

I posted this in last week's thread, but spoilerized. Here they are in their full glory...

*Marty Robbins "El Paso"*

Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl
Night-time would find me in Rosa's cantina
Music would play and Felina would whirl

Blacker than night were the eyes of Felina
Wicked and evil while casting a spell
My love was deep for this Mexican maiden
I was in love but in vain, I could tell

One night a wild young cowboy came in
Wild as the West Texas wind
Dashing and daring
A drink he was sharing
With wicked Felina
The girl that I loved

So in anger I
Challenged his right for the love of this maiden
Down went his hand for the gun that he wore
My challenge was answered in less than a heart-beat
The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor

Just for a moment I stood there in silence
Shocked by the foul evil deed I had done
Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there
I had but one chance and that was to run

Out through the back door of Rosa's I ran
Out where the horses were tied
I caught a good one
It looked like it could run
Up on its back
And away I did ride

Just as fast as I
Could from the West Texas town of El Paso
Out to the bad-lands of New Mexico

Back in El Paso my life would be worthless
Everything's gone in lifenothing is left
It's been so long since I've seen the young maiden
My love is stronger than my fear of death

I saddled up and away I did go
Riding alone in the dark
Maybe tomorrow
A bullet may find me
Tonight nothing's worse than this
Pain in my heart

And at last here I
Am on the hill overlooking El Paso
I can see Rosa's cantina below
My love is strong and it pushes me onward
Down off the hill to Felina I go

Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys
Off to my left ride a dozen or more
Shouting and shooting I can't let them catch me
I have to make it to Rosa's back door

Something is dreadfully wrong for I feel
A deep burning pain in my side
Though I am trying
To stay in the saddle
I'm getting weary
Unable to ride

But my love for
Felina is strong and I rise where I've fallen
Though I am weary I can't stop to rest
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle
I feel the bullet go deep in my chest

From out of nowhere Felina has found me
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side
Cradled by two loving arms that I'll die for
One little kiss and Felina, good-bye


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## JohnB1000

Solid ending and enjoyable but I agree the last two were more like a winding down epilogue. Definitely a satisfying ending but far from perfect, as a story ending it was OK but the episode had plenty of flaws. I started watching it with a nervous, tense stomach but as it went on it became pretty clear how it was going to end and the tension reduced.

I was slightly annoyed by the "TV" stuff, the multiple camera angles during the opening scene in the car just got annoying. The whole "will he reach his keys" thing was distracting and unnecessary. Even the wooden beam thing, it was great when they revealed Walt but annoying when they kept it between Walt and Skyler - symbolism anyone? The parking the car thing also. A lot of this stuff stretched believability for me.

I hadn't thought about the money but it has to be somewhere  I also forgot about Huell


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## MikeAndrews

GoPackGo said:


> That was the most satisfying series finale I have ever seen.





whitson77 said:


> What a great ending. That show gets a 10 for me and ranks as one of the best ever.
> ...





gchance said:


> AMAZING finale, I didn't mind the slowness of it at all. One last "heist", everything tied up nicely.
> ...
> Unlike most finales, I'm pleased with everything.


Ditto. Vince was batting 1000 on the finale as well as he's done the whole run. This has to be the best finale I can remember.



whitson77 said:


> ETA - Not sure if this was mentioned yet. But that Marty Robbin's tape and subsequent song that was played in the car he stole is about a suicide mission to go save someone "Felina". My wife knew it and I was glad for that extra insight.
> 
> [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrVhMXtguNw[/media]


Kinda. The guy in the song goes back to see his true love despite having to get though a gauntlet of lawmen running him down. He dies from the gunshots in his beloved Felina's arms.

I was waiting for one last twist as Jesse, laughing hysterically, drives right into a tree.

How cool and appropriate is "A Special Love I have for you, *my baby BLUE*..._I guess I got what I deserved_..."


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## Hank

Well, that didn't take long:

Breaking Bad Ends With Reveal That Whole Series Was Plot of Book Marie Shoplifted


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## astrohip

netringer said:


> How cool and appropriate is "A Special Love I have for you, *my baby BLUE*..._I guess I got what I deserve_..."


And that of course, is Baby Blue by Badfinger. Instantly recognizable by any child of the 70s.
*
BADFINGER
"Baby Blue"
*
Guess I got what I deserved
Kept you waiting there too long, my love
All that time without a word
Didn't know you'd think that I'd forget or I'd regret
The special love I had for you, my baby blue

All the days became so long
Did you really think, I'd do you wrong?
Dixie, when I let you go
Thought you'd realize that I would know
I would show the special love I have for you, my baby blue

What can I do, what can I say
Except I want you by my side
How can I show you, show me the way
Don't you know the times I've tried?

Guess that's all I have to say
Except the feeling just grows stronger every day
Just one thing before I go
Take good care, baby, let me know, let it grow
The special love you have for me, my Dixie, dear.


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## astrohip

netringer said:


> Kinda. The guy in the song goes back to see his true love despite having to get though a gauntlet of lawmen running him down. He dies from the gunshots in his beloved Rosita's arms.


Her name is Felina. Rosa's Cantina.


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## MikeAndrews

How about how we called a lot of it?

The Ricin in Lydia's Stevia.

Walt visiting Gretchen and Elliot, although Vince surprised the crap out us as to why.

Walt using the canon on the Nazis.

-----

"Lydia the tattooed lady..." I really doubt that Todd will know that one.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zRe_wvJw8[/media]


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## betts4

It's too bad that Jesse didn't have some money to pass to Brock. I mean, even if he goes to see Brock he really doesn't have a tie to him...Brock is probably at his grandmothers or something.


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## jamesl

Hank said:


> Well, that didn't take long:
> 
> Breaking Bad Ends With Reveal That Whole Series Was Plot of Book Marie Shoplifted


ha ha
that was great


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## betts4

It was also pretty cool how Walt jumped on Jesse when the gun went off and kind of covered him. Made me think of the old Walt/Jesse dynamic.


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## astrohip

Anyone else have a great big hole inside them where Breaking Bad used to be? Six years of these characters. The writing, the acting, every part of this show was just incredible.

The last time I felt this way, and the only other time I've *ever* felt this way, was the finale of LOST. The end of a series that made its way deep into the heart of me.
[aside--please don't digress into LOST and how it finished and whether you liked it or not and yada yada. My ONLY reason to mention it is the emotional impact it had, not a review/comparison of finales or series. Please don't go there]

It will be a long time before another Breaking Bad happens. 

*Thank You* to everyone involved in this series.


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## Tracy

I just want to point out that I suggested last week that Walt was going to get Gretchen and Elliot to pay money to his family. I just didn't figure out that it would be his own money.

Really enjoyed the finale. I like how everything feels all tied up.


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## Numb And Number2

danterner said:


> After the (legitimate) complaining following Ozymandias about bulletproof cars, it was nice seeing the bullets of Walt's gun tear through the trunk, the wall, and everything in between.


There wasn't much between the trunk of the car and the wall of the building


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## Hank

astrohip said:


> Anyone else have a great big hole inside them where Breaking Bad used to be? Six years of these characters. The writing, the acting, every part of this show was just incredible.
> The last time I felt this way, and the only other time I've *ever* felt this way, was the finale of LOST. The end of a series that made its way deep into the heart of me.


That's how I felt when Six Feet Under ended. I was really connected to those characters,and felt a big loss when it all ended. But I got a reprise a few years later when my new G/f had never seen it, and we watched the entire series together.

It is really sad to think our ride with Walter White is totally over.


----------



## betts4

Walt kept his pants on!


----------



## Jstkiddn

betts4 said:


> Walt kept his pants on!


Thank God!! Lol


----------



## Ereth

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Works for me.
> 
> Nice how so many elements came back to roost.


Best pun in the thread so far.


----------



## Beryl

Hank said:


> Also, Jesse might not know exactly where the money is, but he does know the AB had possession of it, and I'd guess it's somewhere inside their compound. But no way he's going back there to get it.


Who knows? He might want the money for Brock.


----------



## danielhart

netringer said:


> How about how we called a lot of it?
> 
> The Ricin in Lydia's Stevia.
> 
> Walt visiting Gretchen and Elliot, although Vince surprised the crap out us as to why.
> 
> Walt using the canon on the Nazis.
> 
> -----
> 
> *"Lydia the tattooed lady..." I really doubt that Todd will know that one.*
> 
> [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zRe_wvJw8[/media]


yeah but it was still awesome


----------



## uncdrew

So how did Walt know that was Lydia's table? Has she had that routine for years? I probably missed it in earlier seasons. 

Towards the end, I was hoping/thinking Walt would go out by ODing on his Baby Blue. 

Glad Grey matter was wrapped up in three minutes. I still wonder if Flynn will know the money was from his dad. G&E might convince him it's not. They probably put Walt's millions in hiding and never touch it. Hell, perhaps they burn it. I know they're scared and they'll gt the money to Flynn best they can, but just like anyone else they can't just drive millions to he bank and deposit it.


----------



## uncdrew

... And Jesse is alive, and broke, and with few prospects. Just like when we first met him.


----------



## Zevida

USAFSSO said:


> Great ending. After all the other big show finale failures, I din't expect much. I'm glad Vince Gilligan knocked it out of the park.
> 
> Amazed there is no hate here. Well, I guess we will see after the West Coast feed.


I hated on it a little bit.  I actually found it a little flat, which is why I called it an epilogue. There was little building of tension or excitement throughout the episode and the further along it got, the more obvious things became that they would end the way everyone had been predicting and we'd really known since the starts of this 8 episode run.

It was a good episode - a mid-pack Breaking Bad episode. But finales are darn hard. So I think in general, they did a good job with the finale season - built up to an incredible episode in Ozymandias and then let us down with two nice wrap-up episodes.

But I really wanted to see Walt get his comeuppance and he didn't. I don't know, maybe he did when he lost his family and his money, but he still got to end things on his terms.


----------



## SocratesJohnson

I sure hope Flynn ends up with his money. Must suck going from a Challenger to the bus.


----------



## Numb And Number2

USAFSSO said:


> I guess we will see after the West Coast feed.


 Lots of love in the Southwest :up:


----------



## Langree

astrohip said:


> Her name is Felina. Rosa's Cantina.


To be specific, it's Feleena.

Three songs tell the story:

El Paso 1959
Feleena 1966 (story from her POV)
El Paso City 1976 (Man recalling past life)


----------



## Langree

Zevida said:


> But I really wanted to see Walt get his comeuppance and he didn't. I don't know, maybe he did when he lost his family and his money, but he still got to end things on his terms.


It kind of had the same feel to me as the ending of The Shield.


----------



## getreal

JohnB1000 said:


> .... Definitely a satisfying ending but far from perfect, as a story ending it was OK but the episode had plenty of flaws. I started watching it with a nervous, tense stomach but as it went on it became pretty clear how it was going to end and the tension reduced.
> 
> I was slightly annoyed by the "TV" stuff, the multiple camera angles during the opening scene in the car just got annoying. The whole "will he reach his keys" thing was distracting and unnecessary. Even the wooden beam thing, it was great when they revealed Walt but annoying when they kept it between Walt and Skyler - symbolism anyone? The parking the car thing also. A lot of this stuff stretched believability for me.


Somebody open a window ... I totally predicted that this would be the first one to stink up this thread with a big steaming turd review. What impossible standard can impress this guy? 

This was the best writing and directing and acting and everything that anyone could hope for, and Gilligan's team delivered.


----------



## JETarpon

Shutting the car door didn't knock any snow off, but hitting the closed window with his fist cleared it completely? Come on!


----------



## Dan203

Wasn't the best episode, but a decent ending to a great show. Could have been worse they could have built up a ton of tension and then just cut to black.


----------



## smbaker

A few things:

1) I'm so glad that high-velocity large caliber rifle ammunition, the type of thing that's usually stopped by car doors and drywall in TV shows, blasted right through a building for a change. It was refreshing.

2) I think telling Lydia she was poisoned was a really bad idea. Rather than dying from "complications of the flu", she now knows Walt killed her, and has a little bit time remaining to spend her considerable fortune on hiring people to kill his wife and kids out of revenge.

3) Someone asked why Walt had to kill Lydia if he did not know Lydia sent goons to his house. I'm not sure if this was answered in the thread, but regardless of whether or not Walt knew about the goons, he knew that Skyler had seen Lydia and therefore would be a target after his death. Lydia doesn't like to leave witnesses. She had to go.

4) As I expected, he did not harm the Grey Matter folks. I was wrong though about the lack of credit given to Walt in the Grey Matter interview being what pushed him over the edge. Instead, it was seeing them give away the money that gave him the idea to use them as a conduit to funnel money to Flynne. We get to see the pragmatic side of Walt. Nice writing there. 

5) I bet the grey matter folks burn Walt's money and give Flynne their own money regardless of Walt's wishes. Walt's "hit men" would have no way to know that they used their own money, that couple seemed to really detest the drug money, and they had plenty of wealth of their own to give away. This would be rather ironic, as it would mean everything Walt did was for nothing. It was his pride that prevented him from asking them for money in the first place. 

Overall, I was happy with the finale. Compared to the letdowns that were the Dexter and Burn Notice finales, this was an absolute masterpiece.


----------



## wouldworker

Nice touch with the red police car lights reflecting in Walt's glasses making him look like the Terminator.


----------



## Gunnyman

Did anyone else watch the clock and think, "how is this going to resolve with 8 minutes to go"? Damn fine TV


----------



## Cearbhaill

ElJay said:


> I'm still puzzled by this entire plan that was spawned by Charlie Rose.


I think we were all so diverted by the idea that the continued existence of blue meth triggered Walt that we missed the simple fact that was his primary takeaway from the spot- that Gretchen and Elliot could write a check for 28 million to fund a charity and no one would blink an eye.
Finding a way to move money has always been an issue on this show, and the Charlie Rose spot provided Walt with a solution for how to move his.


jkeegan said:


> That was quite the satisfying crazy laugh from Jesse while driving away. Perfect.


Except I was waiting for his car to get t-boned as he drove away... [/TCF "trope"]



Zevida said:


> I hated on it a little bit.  I actually found it a little flat, which is why I called it an epilogue. There was little building of tension or excitement throughout the episode and the further along it got, the more obvious things became that they would end the way everyone had been predicting and we'd really known since the starts of this 8 episode run.


If I remember correctly, the penultimate episodes of each season have always been the high tension ones, and IMO rightly so. Audiences need closure and that can't always be done in the same ep as the slam bam action. We got to breathe, absorb the events, and then wind down with the fallout. It leaves a more satisfied feeling IMO.

"I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And, I was really... I was alive."
Great epitaph.
Well done.


----------



## Gunnyman

fantastic interview with Michael Slovis, cinematographer on BB since the start of Season 2.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/allenst...dtv-and-how-breaking-bad-stuck-the-landing/2/ .
I had no idea they shot the whole thing on 35 mm film.


----------



## Jstkiddn

Gunnyman said:


> Did anyone else watch the clock and think, "how is this going to resolve with 8 minutes to go"? Damn fine TV


Yes!! I did this at several points.


----------



## Bierboy

uncdrew said:


> So how did Walt know that was Lydia's table? Has she had that routine for years? I probably missed it in earlier seasons.....


Walt specifically stated that he had met with Lydia each Tuesday (I think) at the same time, so it's logical to assume it was the same table etc...she definitely was a person of routine.


----------



## MacThor

uncdrew said:


> So how did Walt know that was Lydia's table? Has she had that routine for years? I probably missed it in earlier seasons.
> 
> Towards the end, I was hoping/thinking Walt would go out by ODing on his Baby Blue.
> 
> Glad Grey matter was wrapped up in three minutes. I still wonder if Flynn will know the money was from his dad. G&E might convince him it's not. They probably put Walt's millions in hiding and never touch it. Hell, perhaps they burn it. I know they're scared and they'll gt the money to Flynn best they can, but just like anyone else they can't just drive millions to he bank and deposit it.


Walt mentioned that was the same table they met at every week. They were in business together for months (condensed into a montage) and Walt made ~$80 million with her over that time.

There was a great line during the scene with G&E (I will have to rewatch) - something about how this was their chance to make it right. My interpretation was that Walt was reminding them how they wronged him, and even set all of this in motion.


----------



## Bierboy

Langree said:


> To be specific, it's Feleena...


Um....no it's not. It's Felina. Check the lyrics to the original song online.


----------



## Cainebj

i gotta say that was the most satisfying series finale since Six Feet Under. SFU still wins the best - but this was pretty damned good.


----------



## mooseAndSquirrel

Loved it and, as others, "fully satisfied." For me, the best series ever.

But one minor question... how does knowing where Hank and Gomie's bodies are give Skylar any chance to "make a deal with the DEA"?

But I'm willing to let all of these little things go. Every moment of the show, things could have gone a different way. But, to steal a line from a show that was very unsatisfying, what happened, happened.


----------



## uncdrew

smbaker said:


> 2) I think telling Lydia she was poisoned was a really bad idea. Rather than dying from "complications of the flu", she now knows Walt killed her, and has a little bit time remaining to spend her considerable fortune on hiring people to kill his wife and kids out of revenge.
> 
> 4) As I expected, he did not harm the Grey Matter folks. I was wrong though about the lack of credit given to Walt in the Grey Matter interview being what pushed him over the edge. Instead, it was seeing them give away the money that gave him the idea to use them as a conduit to funnel money to Flynne. We get to see the pragmatic side of Walt. Nice writing there.
> 
> 5) I bet the grey matter folks burn Walt's money and give Flynne their own money regardless of Walt's wishes. Walt's "hit men" would have no way to know that they used their own money, that couple seemed to really detest the drug money, and they had plenty of wealth of their own to give away. This would be rather ironic, as it would mean everything Walt did was for nothing. It was his pride that prevented him from asking them for money in the first place.


Agree with all those.

Lydia only has "flu-like symptoms and a ton of cash" and will die. Skylar is really in jeopardy. He should have just let the phone ring, but his telling her was enjoyable.


----------



## Jstkiddn

I disagree about Lydia. Lydia is driven by fear and greed. Revenge really isn't her thing. Once she realizes there is nothing to be done, I can envision her literally rolling over and dying.


----------



## Carlucci

One other thing I loved: Walt, alone in his completely trashed house, flashes back to the moment that would eventually bring him to his lowly fate -- Hank's braggadocio and teasing Walt about going with him on a ride-along to get some "real excitement" in his life.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

Jstkiddn said:


> I disagree about Lydia. Lydia is driven by fear and greed. Revenge really isn't her thing. Once she realizes there is nothing to be done, I can envision her literally rolling over and dying.


Plus it had to happen this way, for our benefit.


----------



## purwater

My wife and I both loved the finale. Series finales are hard to get right because of the expectations of the viewers, but we were both satisfied with the ending. For all of Walt's flaws and evil deeds he managed to do what he wanted from the start. The journey wasn't quite what he expected.


----------



## Jstkiddn

So...in breaking bad world, does Skyler now get to tell the whole story? Does she get to tell what really happened to hank or does Walt jr go on thinking his dad killed him?


----------



## Turtleboy

My favorite part was the irrevocable trust.


----------



## cheesesteak

betts4 said:


> Loved Jack taking one last puff


And getting blasted in the head when he thought he had something to negotiate.

How do the Grey Matter people convert $9 million cash into Flynn's trust fund without alarm bells going off? Do they deposit $24,999 every Friday?

How did Walt know where Skyler and Flynn had moved to?

That machine gun scene was AWESOME!!!!

I did not like the song in the closing scene. Nothing against the song itself, I just would have preferred that scene to be music-less.

Great ending to a great show and a great character. Walter White may be the best tv character ever.


----------



## markp99

Turtleboy said:


> My favorite part was the irrevocable trust.


 Wouldn't the gov;t get suspicious of a $7M trust to Finn, no matter the supposed source? Couldn't they grab those funds??


----------



## wouldworker

mooseAndSquirrel said:


> But one minor question... how does knowing where Hank and Gomie's bodies are give Skylar any chance to "make a deal with the DEA"?


The DEA was after Heisenberg, not Skyler. They were holding her over a barrel to try to get her to give up any information that might lead them to him. Now they have Heisenberg. Skyler is still in trouble for laundering the money but she can try to use the location of the bodies as a bargaining chip. Cops are very big on giving their own proper burials.


----------



## cheesesteak

Hmm. Was Walt dead at the very end or just wounded?


----------



## Legion

See I saw "Felina" and being a recovering dyslexic I just read it as "Finale". But I wasn't a Robbins fan so......

Edit: I also tried breaking it into elements but couldn't make sense of Iron....Lithium....Sodium as part of the story.

What about the tape the AB have from Jesse's confessions to Hank. The local PD and DEA will surely go through all the evidence and eventually uncover that he was a big part of the Heisenberg operation and that he murdered Gale. So Jesse is on the run......for a while.

All in all a great finale though. Look forward to whatever Gilligan does next.


----------



## Bryanmc

uncdrew said:


> Agree with all those. Lydia only has "flu-like symptoms and a ton of cash" and will die. Skylar is really in jeopardy. He should have just let the phone ring, but his telling her was enjoyable.


I think she spends her remaining time in a mad scramble to take care of her daughter.


----------



## Marc

Legion said:


> See I saw "Felina" and being a recovering dyslexic I just read it as "Finale".


When I saw the title, I just presumed that it was being used as an anagram of "finale".


----------



## betts4

cheesesteak said:


> How do the Grey Matter people convert $9 million cash into Flynn's trust fund without alarm bells going off? Do they deposit $24,999 every Friday?
> 
> How did Walt know where Skyler and Flynn had moved to?


I think Walt figures they can do it as a 'gesture' or something like they donated that 28 million to a program for recovering Meth heads. How they move the money on the coffee table into a bank is a good question.

And yes, I wondered how Walt found Skyler's new house, but then he is crafty at learning stuff that way.


----------



## betts4

markp99 said:


> Wouldn't the gov;t get suspicious of a $7M trust to Finn, no matter the supposed source? Couldn't they grab those funds??


I think Walt would have been smarter to make it a smaller number. Less suspicious. A trust for 1.5 million each, Flynn and Holly.


----------



## DougF

Jesse's best *****es.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/09/29/breaking-bad-jesse-*****-aaron-paul-video/


----------



## Turtleboy

Legion said:


> See I saw "Felina" and being a recovering dyslexic I just read it as "Finale". But I wasn't a Robbins fan so......


I didn't realize what Felina was until your post. It's a fitting song, in which the singer rides back into town, faces down his enemies, and gets shot to death.


----------



## Jstkiddn

betts4 said:


> And yes, I wondered how Walt found Skyler's new house, but then he is crafty at learning stuff that way.


 I cannot remember the characters name, but the vacuum cleaner guy who was bringing him supplies has kept up with skyler and her location. They were discussing it during last weeks episode....even mentioned a street name.


----------



## Hank

betts4 said:


> And yes, I wondered how Walt found Skyler's new house, but then he is crafty at learning stuff that way.


The "cleaner" told him where she was living "that place on Eubank"


----------



## 3D

cheesesteak said:


> And getting blasted in the head when he thought he had something to negotiate.


Jack was too stupid to realize that Walt had already made up his mind ten minutes earlier.


----------



## wouldworker

cheesesteak said:


> Hmm. Was Walt dead at the very end or just wounded?


Dead. The cops checked his pulse. If he were alive they wouldn't have been so relaxed after checking his pulse.


----------



## wouldworker

betts4 said:


> I think Walt figures they can do it as a 'gesture' or something like they donated that 28 million to a program for recovering Meth heads. How they move the money on the coffee table into a bank is a good question.


I was thinking that calling attention to the fireplace might have been a hint to us that that's how they'll dispose of the money. There's no way for them to use it directly. They'll get rid of it and put their own money in the trust.


----------



## MonsterJoe

Good stuff. I was a little disappointed, but that's mostly just because I didn't want it it end.

WW wins. BOOYAH.


----------



## Jstkiddn

MonsterJoe said:


> WW wins. BOOYAH, *****!


FYP.


----------



## Hank

Apparently it's all Obama's fault:

Thanks, Obama!


----------



## astrohip

Couldn't sleep last night, got up around midnight and watched it again. Just keeps getting better.



cheesesteak said:


> How do the Grey Matter people convert $9 million cash into Flynn's trust fund without alarm bells going off? Do they deposit $24,999 every Friday?


Money is fungible. Walt gave E&G the money so in his mind, it would be HIS money that goes to Jr. The exact machinations are irrelevant. He even made it clear that any expenses & taxes come out of his money.



cheesesteak said:


> I did not like the song in the closing scene. Nothing against the song itself, I just would have preferred that scene to be music-less.


I thought the song Baby Blue was incredible. It brought tears to my eyes. As we say goodbye to one of TV's greatest characters, as we see him say goodbye to what made him feel alive for the first time in years (ever?), we get a song that brings home all the poignancy of that final scene. His Baby Blue.

It probably helps that I knew that song, and remember it well.

From The Live Feed:



> Breaking Bad has ended -- but not before giving fans one final song to rock out to.
> 
> As we saw Walter White (Bryan Cranston)  bleeding and near death  back in a lab one last time, he had just the song to send him off. "Baby Blue," from 'British rock band Badfinger, played over Walt's last minutes. The song is from the band's album Straight Up and was a Billboard top 20 hit in 1972. The song was reportedly written about Dixie Armstrong, a woman lead singer Pete Ham had dated while on tour in the U.S.
> 
> Badfinger's "Baby Blue" follows a string of memorable blue-themed musical numbers for Bad, including "Crystal Blue Persuasion," by Tommy James and the Shondells, which was used in last year's mid-season finale.
> 
> "Baby Blue's" lyrics are appropriate for the end of Walt's journey, with lines such as "I guess I got what I deserved" and "I would show the special love I have for you, my baby blue." On The Talking Bad, show creator Vince Gilligan said the scene in which the song is used illustrated Walt's love for his blue product.
> 
> I think in that last scene, he was with his Precious, Gilligan said, referencing The Lord of the Rings.
> 
> The band, which played together from 1968-1983, found worldwide fame in the early 1970s with a string of hits, including "Baby Blue." Other signature songs included the Paul McCartney-penned "Come and Get It," "No Matter What," and "Day After Day."





Legion said:


> What about the tape the AB have from Jesse's confessions to Hank. The local PD and DEA will surely go through all the evidence and eventually uncover that he was a big part of the Heisenberg operation and that he murdered Gale. So Jesse is on the run......for a while.


I'm not sure anyone knows Jesse is alive.



cheesesteak said:


> Great ending to a great show and a great character. Walter White may be the best tv character ever.


This. If ever there has been a _this_, it's this.


----------



## astrohip

One of the most touching scenes in a finale full of them...

At the end, standing outside the compound after Walt has just thrown down the phone from Lydia's call, he and Jesse are staring at each other. As they zoom in on Walt's face, he gives a slight, almost imperceptible nod, to Jesse. Jesse, staring back, with a range of emotions playing over his face, finally acknowledges it.

In that one scene, with not a word spoken, those two manage to convey two years of history (six years to us) between them. Every high, every low, the hate, the love, the achievements. All in one scene.


----------



## betts4

astrohip said:


> One of the most touching scenes in a finale full of them...
> 
> At the end, standing outside the compound after Walt has just thrown down the phone from Lydia's call, he and Jesse are staring at each other. As they zoom in on Walt's face, he gives a slight, almost imperceptible nod, to Jesse. Jesse, staring back, with a range of emotions playing over his face, finally acknowledges it.
> 
> In that one scene, with not a word spoken, those two manage to convey two years of history (six years to us) between them. Every high, every low, the hate, the love, the achievements. All in one scene.


Yes!

That one moment says it all. That was the perfect ending for the two of them.


----------



## markp99

astrohip said:


> At the end, standing outside the compound after Walt has just thrown down the phone from Lydia's call, he and Jesse are staring at each other. As they zoom in on Walt's face, he gives a slight, almost imperceptible nod, to Jesse. Jesse, staring back, with a range of emotions playing over his face, finally acknowledges it.


...but, then as Jesse backed up to drive off, I almost thought he would mow Walt down with the car!


----------



## disco

Only reason this finale is unsatisfying to me? NO ONE in my office watches _Breaking Bad_.

Time to get a new job??


----------



## GTuck

Who called the cops? Lydia, Jesse, Walt?


----------



## MonsterJoe

disco said:


> Only reason this finale is unsatisfying to me? NO ONE in my office watches _Breaking Bad_.
> 
> Time to get a new job??


:up: same here


----------



## Langree

Bierboy said:


> Um....no it's not. It's Felina. Check the lyrics to the original song online.


Umm yes it is, owned the 45.

Online is not always correct.

http://www.amazon.com/Feleena/dp/B0...e=UTF8&qid=1380550023&sr=8-2&keywords=feleena


----------



## cheesesteak

Did anyone benefit from Walt's foray into the meth business?


----------



## wouldworker

cheesesteak said:


> Did anyone benefit from Walt's foray into the meth business?


Meth users got a much better product.


----------



## TAsunder

Damon Lindelof's twitter feed is awesome.


----------



## betts4

disco said:


> Only reason this finale is unsatisfying to me? NO ONE in my office watches _Breaking Bad_.
> 
> Time to get a new job??


OMG yes. I have the same problem here. In fact I was just sitting here thinking about my family and who to talk to about it and none of them watch it either.



cheesesteak said:


> Did anyone benefit from Walt's foray into the meth business?


Badger and Skinny Pete?


----------



## Langree

cheesesteak said:


> Did anyone benefit from Walt's foray into the meth business?


Not really, any good that came of it was short lived. Jesse might end up coming out on top in some way, but that's about it.


----------



## TAsunder

Langree said:


> Not really, any good that came of it was short lived. Jesse might end up coming out on top in some way, but that's about it.


What about Skinny Pete and Badger? They seemed to wind up in the plus column.


----------



## jsmeeker

Hank said:


> Apparently it's all Obama's fault:
> 
> Thanks, Obama!


lol


----------



## dimented

Langree said:


> Not really, any good that came of it was short lived. Jesse might end up coming out on top in some way, but that's about it.


Well, his son is going to end up with about 8 million dollars. So there is that.


----------



## Anubys

I was very disappointed Skyler didn't give Walt a HJ for his birthday


----------



## VegasVic

markp99 said:


> ...but, then as Jesse backed up to drive off, I almost thought he would mow Walt down with the car!


Me too lol


----------



## VegasVic

disco said:


> Only reason this finale is unsatisfying to me? NO ONE in my office watches _Breaking Bad_.
> 
> Time to get a new job??


You work with some real dummies


----------



## whitson77

GTuck said:


> Who called the cops? Lydia, Jesse, Walt?


I just guessed somewhere nearby heard all that gunfire.


----------



## Cearbhaill

astrohip said:


> I'm not sure anyone knows Jesse is alive.


When they recover Hanks body they will also recover his phone- the one that has a photo of a "dead Jesse" on it.

As far as Jesse's confession, it also implicated Todd's killing Drew Sharpe, so maybe the AB destroyed it? Have we seen specific mention of how many copies were made?


----------



## dtle

smbaker said:


> A few things:
> 
> 2) I think telling Lydia she was poisoned was a really bad idea. Rather than dying from "complications of the flu", she now knows Walt killed her, and has a little bit time remaining to spend her considerable fortune on hiring people to kill his wife and kids out of revenge.


Also, can Lydia be saved by knowing she was poison by Ricin by going straight to the hospital?


----------



## jsmeeker

Langree said:


> Not really, any good that came of it was short lived. Jesse might end up coming out on top in some way, but that's about it.


What happened to the bags of money that Jesse had when he was tossing out cash like a newspaper boy? Do the cops have it? I don't think he ever got it back.

I am happy Jesse got away. But I wish he was able to make off with a bag of cash.


----------



## betts4

Great review here.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...-breaking-bad-finale-20130930,0,5734758.story



> Going into the finale, all eyes were on Jesse (Aaron Paul), the tweaker student Walter exploited and empowered, abused and adored. Made a meth slave by Todd (Jesse Plemons), Uncle Jack (Michael Bowen) and his gang of white supremacists, Jesse seemed Walt's only true path to redemption, and Walt did not disappoint. Science may be the study of transformation, but in this case, a working knowledge of robotics didn't hurt, and this time Butch and Sundance got to reverse the flight of bullets.


----------



## Jstkiddn

jsmeeker said:


> What happened to the bags of money that Jesse had when he was tossing out cash like a newspaper boy? Do the cops have it? I don't think he ever got it back.
> 
> I am happy Jesse got away. But I wish he was able to make off with a bag of cash.


To be honest, I don't think he wanted it. I also don't think he will go anywhere near Brock as he probably thinks he's caused enough pain in his life. I think Jesse goes far, far away and never comes back


----------



## uncdrew

Jstkiddn said:


> I disagree about Lydia. Lydia is driven by fear and greed. Revenge really isn't her thing. Once she realizes there is nothing to be done, I can envision her literally rolling over and dying.


In her slow death, there will be many moments of anger. She has no problem killing people or having them killed...

I dunno. I'm fine with it but just another moment like "Uncle Jack should have killed Walt in the desert". We all saw the result of that bad decision.


----------



## JETarpon

Turtleboy said:


> My favorite part was the irrevocable trust.


TB, this made me snort.


----------



## uncdrew

markp99 said:


> Wouldn't the gov;t get suspicious of a $7M trust to Finn, no matter the supposed source? Couldn't they grab those funds??


Yeah, it doesn't quite hold up IMHO.


----------



## jsmeeker

When I watched the scene with Walt asking for a trust to be setup, I wondered what Turtleboy would think of that arrangement. Giving Flynn ALL of it, no strings attached, when he turned 21.


----------



## uncdrew

cheesesteak said:


> Hmm. Was Walt dead at the very end or just wounded?


Gotta always leave open the possibility of another season. 

Walt would be a formidable force in a prison. I'd watch. :up:


----------



## uncdrew

Bryanmc said:


> I think she spends her remaining time in a mad scramble to take care of her daughter.


Totally agree, but arranging a hit takes a few calls and a pile of cash. Easy enough for someone in that world.


----------



## Bierboy

Langree said:


> Umm yes it is, owned the 45.
> 
> Online is not always correct.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Feleena/dp/B0...e=UTF8&qid=1380550023&sr=8-2&keywords=feleena


I'm not talking about the single Feleena; I'm talking about the song El Paso, and, in the written lyrics, the woman's name was spelled Felina. But whatever....not worth arguing about...


----------



## 702

betts4 said:


> I think Walt figures they can do it as a 'gesture' or something like they donated that 28 million to a program for recovering Meth heads. How they move the money on the coffee table into a bank is a good question.
> 
> And yes, I wondered how Walt found Skyler's new house, but then he is crafty at learning stuff that way.


Vacuum repair guy told him in the last episode.


----------



## JohnB1000

Having had a night to dwell on it I think ultimately this was simply not as good as the other episodes in this season. Too many conveniences for that ending, no searching his car, getting to park his car exactly where he wanted, knowing the clubhouse layout, having the whole gang in the clubhouse etc. etc.

It was a satisfying ending but, as mentioned, just a middle of the pack episode. I think Ozymandias was just too good (even Vince said that) and nothing could follow it.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

TAsunder said:


> Damon Lindelof's twitter feed is awesome.


"Oh, so THAT'S how it's done!"


----------



## uncdrew

GTuck said:


> Who called the cops? Lydia, Jesse, Walt?


They did get there quickly, to what I thought was a very remote location. Perhaps "gunshots were reported"...


----------



## betts4

JohnB1000 said:


> Having had a night to dwell on it I think ultimately this was simply not as good as the other episodes in this season. Too many conveniences for that ending, no searching his car, getting to park his car exactly where he wanted, knowing the clubhouse layout, having the whole gang in the clubhouse etc. etc.
> 
> It was a satisfying ending but, as mentioned, just a middle of the pack episode. I think Ozymandias was just too good (even Vince said that) and nothing could follow it.


It was a finale show. It was tying up the loose ends that we all wanted tied up and would go NUTS if they weren't. We would be here going - wait, what about Lydia and what about Saul....

It was not supposed to be a shocker imo, though it had some of those in it. It was just an end - and a damn fine one.


----------



## Bierboy

Anubys said:


> I was very disappointed Skyler didn't give Walt a HJ for his birthday


She did...but we didn't see it because it was behind the post in that scene...


----------



## GTuck

whitson77 said:


> I just guessed somewhere nearby heard all that gunfire.


I suppose, I assumed they were in the middle of nowhere though. They got to the spot in the desert where Walt had hidden his money in about 10 minutes, but I suppose they could have neighbors.


----------



## MonsterJoe

Walt did...he said it himself.


----------



## jr461

dtle said:


> Also, can Lydia be saved by knowing she was poison by Ricin by going straight to the hospital?


Maybe he put so much in that by the time of that call he knew it was too late. Didn't really think about it.

Great series and great finale. As mentioned on Talking Bad, very glad it wasn't one of those vague endings that leave it up to the viewers to interpret (hate those!). Nothing worse in a finale (IMO) that after investing years in a series, it is left wide open.

For crying out loud, even with all the closure provided, this thread is replete with further conjecture of what happens to Jesse, does Lydia survive, does she take revenge on Skylar, lol.

Well done with all major points addressed.


----------



## Langree

Bierboy said:


> I'm not talking about the single Feleena; I'm talking about the song El Paso, and, in the written lyrics, the woman's name was spelled Felina. But whatever....not worth arguing about...


You're right, it's not, because you are flat out wrong and you can't admit it, both songs were written by Marty Robbins, so I'll take his material over some lyrics site.


----------



## DancnDude

Excellent finale. Although I have to admit I'm a little bummed that Walt didn't really get it worse in the end. Sure, he died, but he was going to anyways...in the end his money will end up going to his family. He actually achieved that ultimate goal. 

I would have rather seen him living in the end with nothing to show for his turning to a life of crime except splitting his family apart.


----------



## SocratesJohnson

The one thing that struck me was how there were no apologies from Walt. He told Skylar the truth but apologized for none of it. No apology for Jessie either. Did he complete his transformation into Heisenberg and and no true remorse, or did Walt just realize that any apology from him would ring hollow at this point?


----------



## AeneaGames

Jstkiddn said:


> Hopefully we will get a definitive answer, but I believe he did.


Walt said to Lydia on the phone "I slipped it into that stevia crap that you're always putting in your tea"

I think that is a definitive answer...


----------



## SocratesJohnson

astrohip said:


> I'm not sure anyone knows Jesse is alive.


Well, if they do any kind of police work at the scene they'll find his fingerprints on a murder weapon.


----------



## cheesesteak

JohnB1000 said:


> Having had a night to dwell on it I think ultimately this was simply not as good as the other episodes in this season. Too many conveniences for that ending, no searching his car, getting to park his car exactly where he wanted, knowing the clubhouse layout, having the whole gang in the clubhouse etc. etc.


I don't see the Nazis not searching Walt's car as a big deal. What would they be looking for? Certainly not a souped up machine gun. Even if they thought it was bugged, they moved indoors. The rest of your quibbles, yeah they stretched the imagination a little bit.


----------



## Bierboy

Langree said:


> You're right, it's not, because you are flat out wrong and you can't admit it, both songs were written by Marty Robbins, so I'll take his material over some lyrics site.


hahahahaha....Felina is the Spanish spelling and it was used in the original lyrics of El Paso. It's the root for the English word "feline".


----------



## betts4

cheesesteak said:


> I don't see the Nazis not searching Walt's car as a big deal. What would they be looking for? Certainly not a souped up machine gun. Even if they thought it was bugged, they moved indoors. The rest of your quibbles, yeah they stretched the imagination a little bit.


They looked into the backseat, they searched him for weapons and even a wire. No need to open the trunk. Said it before, but thought it was very Walter White as to how he parked where he wanted and then was so blaise about it that the guy didn't tell him to move the car.


----------



## SocratesJohnson

"Becky is on the left, Carrol is on the right."

I also like how uncle Jack made a point to ask if Walt's hair was a wig. I thought it looked kind of fake compared to the scene in Denny's, which I assume was his real hair.


----------



## Hank

Cearbhaill said:


> As far as Jesse's confession, it also implicated Todd's killing Drew Sharpe, so maybe the AB destroyed it? Have we seen specific mention of how many copies were made?


I don't think any copies were made. As mentioned in a previous thread (and totally viewable on screen), the AB took the video camera from Hank's house, *and* was using it to replay Jesse's confession back in the "clubhouse". Also, if you recall, at Hank's house, he asked Gomie for "another SD card". So I'm going to guess that the only copies were the SD card in the camera, and maybe one or two others the AB also retrieved from Hank's house.


----------



## JohnB1000

I don't always agree with Mo Ryan's opinions (yet I don't call her names ) but I thought her review of this episode was spot on

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maureen-ryan/breaking-bad-finale-review_b_4015186.html

Reading that just now made me realize the two biggest issues with the finale (1) Jesse barely featured (2) basically it was about mopping up minor characters.

A few quotes



> I can't imagine many people will think of this as a classic hour of "Breaking Bad.
> 
> The last two episodes, for all their good moments and sturdy attributes, feel like mopping-up exercises, to some extent
> 
> a finale that was often concerned with logistical details and a plot to get rid of minor characters wasn't quite what I was expecting
> 
> it did not spend much time on Walt and Jesse's final moments. Jesse's absence was especially pronounced in the finale, and that may partly account for why the last hour felt kind of lopsided and off.
> 
> I wrestle with the fact that Walt got to call the shots, for the most part.
> 
> The last time these two people saw each other, Walt revealed Jesse's hiding spot to the Nazis and then told him how he'd let Jane die. There is some distance to cover between Walt's confession about Jane and those nods, and I'm not quite sure "Felina" quite had time to cover it.
> 
> Why, then, did Jesse get around the same amount of screen time as Lydia, Todd or Jack?


----------



## Hank

> The last time these two people saw each other, Walt revealed Jesse's hiding spot to the Nazis and then told him how he'd let Jane die. There is some distance to cover between Walt's confession about Jane and those nods, and I'm not quite sure "Felina" quite had time to cover it.


I think she's too short-sighted and selfish. Jesse did what he did because he finally realized that (1) Walt was going to die anyway, and (2) he wanted to get as far away as possible, as quickly as possible from that "life". There's a saying "don't engage"... while Jesse may have felt all those things, it was his one and only chance to escape. If he tried to engage Walt about any of those things, he'd lose his one and only change to get away from it all and not look back. He made the right choice.

eta: And mentioned above, everything they both felt was clearly and finally summed up in those last to looks they gave each other. Nothing more was needed.


----------



## betts4

JohnB1000 said:


> I don't always agree with Mo Ryan's opinions (yet I don't call her names ) but I thought her review of this episode was spot on
> 
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maureen-ryan/breaking-bad-finale-review_b_4015186.html
> 
> Reading that just now made me realize the two biggest issues with the finale (1) Jesse barely featured (2) basically it was about mopping up minor characters.
> 
> A few quotes


Good column, thanks for sharing.

And yes, not enough of Jesse and Walt. There just wasn't anything more that could be said, and yes, the look they share at the end said a LOT. Still, the fangirl in me says more Jesse is always better than any Lydia or Marie or anyone else.



> Walt may have been the great brain behind "Breaking Bad," but Jesse was its heart.


----------



## Jstkiddn

AeneaGames said:


> Walt said to Lydia on the phone "I slipped it into that stevia crap that you're always putting in your tea"
> 
> I think that is a definitive answer...


:up: Yep, that was the answer I was hoping we would get. I made my initial post before he made that statement. I was posting during the show.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

Bierboy said:


> hahahahaha....Felina is the Spanish spelling and it was used in the original lyrics of El Paso. It's the root for the English word "feline".


Oh man, you are SO WRONG.

The Spanish word Felina is NOT the root of the English word feline.

The LATIN word Felinus-Felina-Filinum is the root of the English word feline.

How can ANYBODY be SO WRONG?!?!?


----------



## 3D

I'm a little confused by those who insist that Walt did not pay much of a price. I don't know how anyone could watch the scenes of Walt looking over his daughter while she slept and of Walt Jr./Flynn going into the house (knowing that he'd never see either again and that one of them would never have any point of reference to remember him and the other would hate him for the rest of his life) and not feel that he both paid the ultimate price for his crimes and was well aware of it. Oh yeah, he also dies.


----------



## Bierboy

For the most part, Sepinwall liked the finale, but said it was almost too neat and tidy...


----------



## Bierboy

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Oh man, you are SO WRONG.
> 
> The Spanish word Felina is NOT the root of the English word feline.
> 
> The LATIN word Felinus-Felina-Filinum is the root of the English word feline.
> 
> How can ANYBODY be SO WRONG?!?!?


Well, I'm glad somebody here knows their Latin!


----------



## trnsfrguy

I just received a sample of "True Lemon" lemonade drink mix. The packaging state it's "naturally sweetened with Stevia".
Not sure if I'll drink this....


----------



## JohnB1000

Come on trnsfrguy, you don't know how much effort it took for me to send you that gift !!!!!


----------



## JohnB1000

3D said:


> I'm a little confused by those who insist that Walt did not pay much of a price. I don't know how anyone could watch the scenes of Walt looking over his daughter while she slept and of Walt Jr./Flynn going into the house (knowing that he'd never see either again and that one of them would never have any point of reference to remember him and the other would hate him for the rest of his life) and not feel that he both paid the ultimate price for his crimes and was well aware of it. Oh yeah, he also dies.


The point is that he mostly controlled his exit, hence he did not learn from the total loss of control he gave to most other people.


----------



## MonsterJoe

3D said:


> I'm a little confused by those who insist that Walt did not pay much of a price. I don't know how anyone could watch the scenes of Walt looking over his daughter while she slept and of Walt Jr./Flynn going into the house (knowing that he'd never see either again and that one of them would never have any point of reference to remember him and the other would hate him for the rest of his life) and not feel that he both paid the ultimate price for his crimes and was well aware of it. Oh yeah, he also dies.


He said it made him feel alive.

Think of his evolution - he basically started the series as a drone. Despite the obviously terrible consequences, he finally feels like he's lived. That's a pretty big win for anyone.


----------



## 702

When they file Better Call Saul, how far back in time will it be? Jesse knew what he really was during Breaking Bad. Mike also worked for him.


----------



## Beryl

uncdrew said:


> Agree with all those. Lydia only has "flu-like symptoms and a ton of cash" and will die. Skylar is really in jeopardy. He should have just let the phone ring, but his telling her was enjoyable.





Jstkiddn said:


> Lydia is driven by fear and greed. Revenge really isn't her thing.


This.

She would do two things in this order and wouldn't have time to put a hit on anyone:

1. Call the nanny to take care of her daughter
2. Call an ambulance to see if something could be done. She doesn't know for sure that it was ricin and she could not recover.

Both Jesse and Saul being left alive and the uncertainty of Lydia's fate provides more sequel opportunities.



Legion said:


> The local PD and DEA will surely go through all the evidence and eventually uncover that he was a big part of the Heisenberg operation and that he murdered Gale. So Jesse is on the run......for a while. All in all a great finale though. Look forward to whatever Gilligan does next.


This is why I was concerned about Jesse leaving his prints on that gun.



3D said:


> Jack was too stupid to realize that Walt had already made up his mind ten minutes earlier.


I thought the SAME thing when WW shot Jack. Loved that vengeance trumped greed.



wouldworker said:


> Meth users got a much better product.


I don't remember but did Walt's product cause "meth-mouth" and other bad methy things?


----------



## betts4

Bierboy said:


> For the most part, Sepinwall liked the finale, but said it was almost too neat and tidy...


Would they have been happier if it did leave some storylines not complete and which ones would have made this a better ending?


----------



## pdhenry

_This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper._

OK, there were some bangs, but this phrase was the first thing in my mind after the episode.


----------



## Bierboy

"Felina" was a 5.7 household rating/9 share in Nielsen&#8217;s metered-market overnight...not sure how that translates to total viewers....


----------



## betts4

Bierboy said:


> For the most part, Sepinwall liked the finale, but said it was almost too neat and tidy...


I read this again.

And I find I agree with his thought here --



> Walt is reckless.He doesn't think things through, and even when he does, his plans rarely go off without a hitch. He's always been scrambling, always improvising, always trying to deal with one unintended consequence in ways that lead to three or four more.


These are good points.

Walt's plans never work without some problems. That may have been what was missing in this finale.

The crazy bits.

The watching Walt struggle to get what he wants by something almost not working. A feeling of uncertainty whether it can actually happen. Then having it all come together for a moment.


----------



## pmyers

Of course I loved it but I did have some nitpicks/questions:

1. How exactly did Walt find somebody that could get that gun and sell it to him with no contacts?

2. Jesse is FAR from free. I'd assume he is wanted and has no money (at least that we know about). His life is probably harder than it was in captivity.

3. WHAT ABOUT POOR HUEL? LOL


----------



## Beryl

Bierboy said:


> For the most part, Sepinwall liked the finale, but said it was almost too neat and tidy...





> * I didn't put a clock on whether the episode actually had a bigger ad load than the last few, but by keeping ads out of the conclusion altogether, that meant that the opening acts had to start and stop very abruptly. Bills have to be paid, and I also appreciate Gilligan's desire to have the concluding moments uninterrupted, but it didn't play very smoothly -- and I imagine was maddening for the people who caught up via Netflix (with no ads at all) and were watching live for the first time this season.


I was annoyed with the ads while watching but appreciated the front-loading when scrubbing the recording for my Plex library. Well done.


----------



## 702

pmyers said:


> Of course I loved it but I did have some nitpicks/questions:
> 
> 1. How exactly did Walt find somebody that could get that gun and sell it to him with no contacts?
> 
> 2. Jesse is FAR from free. I'd assume he is wanted and has no money (at least that we know about). His life is probably harder than it was in captivity.
> 
> 3. WHAT ABOUT POOR HUEL? LOL


#1. He has dealt with the guy who sold him the gun before.


----------



## pmyers

702 said:


> #1. He has dealt with the guy who sold him the gun before.


Can you refresh my memory?


----------



## Bryanmc

pmyers said:


> Can you refresh my memory?


Remember when he bought the pistol without a serial number from a guy for "protection" from Gus (though he was going to use it on him)? They were at Walt's apartment (I think) and he tried out several to see which worked best for him.


----------



## betts4

pmyers said:


> Of course I loved it but I did have some nitpicks/questions:
> 
> 1. How exactly did Walt find somebody that could get that gun and sell it to him with no contacts?
> 
> 2. Jesse is FAR from free. I'd assume he is wanted and has no money (at least that we know about). His life is probably harder than it was in captivity.
> 
> 3. WHAT ABOUT POOR HUEL? LOL


Wonder if Jesse can hook up with the Vacuum cleaner guy and get out that way?


----------



## kaszeta

702 said:


> #1. He has dealt with the guy who sold him the gun before.


Yeah, that guy ("Lawson", I think), sold him the 38 Snubnose back in Season 4.


----------



## Hank

That's the guy who sold him that first gun when he wanted to kill Gus Fring. They met in a motel room, and the seller was laying out different gun options coaching Walt on which one is best for his objectives, and Walt was clumsily handling the gun(s). He was then seen practicing drawing the gun from a sitting position.

eta: what everyone else said while I was typing.


----------



## KenDC

I thought it was a great ending to a top notch TV series. As others have mentioned, I might put Six Feet Under above it as far as final episodes but from back to front I will take Breaking Bad. Excellent. Very well done. I am very happy...and sad.


----------



## kaszeta

betts4 said:


> Wonder if Jesse can hook up with the Vacuum cleaner guy and get out that way?


Vacuum cleaner guy probably wouldn't touch him:

1. Jesse flaked out once before.
2. And he's probably got to lay low after "Mr Lambert" screwed up that vanishing act.


----------



## astrohip

I recall reading an interview with Vince Gilligan, and he said something along the lines of wanting a conclusion that satisfies the viewers, and yet remains true to the story, to the characters.

I believe Felina achieves that. I wouldn't call it tidy, I would say that he faced every situation he (Gilligan) felt needed facing, and resolved them in a "Breaking Bad" way.

One of the things the writers of this show are most adept at is foreshadowing events, then turning the tables on us. But not in a red herring way, just in a "geez, I didn't see that coming" way. A perfect example is the final scene with Elliott & Gretchen. We all saw the newscast, we all saw Walt's emotions change when he saw the newscast, and we all saw the showdown coming. There was talk of how Walt would get his revenge. Some talked about a machine-gun hoedown. Others some sort of revenge via Walt exposing their company Gray Matters.

And then what they show us is a 180. Walt's emotions didn't change because he wanted revenge, but because he saw a way to provide for Jr. So instead of bringing back what had been fairly minor characters for a Scarface showdown, they played a minor but critical role in the conclusion of the series, and the wrapup that Walt is bringing to his life.

My point: Some call this tidy. I call it smart storytelling, surprising us one last time. Once again, Vince Gilligan, thru Walter White, has kept us hooked for another hour (ok, 1:15).

I felt satisfied. I'm sad, I'm happy, I'm gonna miss these characters something bad. Cast & crew, every actor, the writers, all of them did their job beyond what we had any reason to expect.

What more could I ask?


----------



## Hank

I was somewhat surprised that Walt went back to his cabin to grab his barrel of cash. I thought that was pretty risky as the police were on hot his trail, and they may have started searching all the local residences (yes, I know it's 8 miles away, but it's not like it's a very dense area). I had just assumed at the end of the last episode that he stole the Volvo and drove back to ABQ with just the $100,000 in cash in the box.


----------



## astrohip

Nice review, says a few things in a different way:

http://www.chicagonow.com/couple-critics/2013/09/breaking-bad-finale-review/



> From about season four on I have vowed that no ending would satisfy me unless it included Walt dead and Jesse alive. But just last week I admitted Jesse would be better off dead. After all hes seen and all hes done there was not enough therapy in the world to make him whole again.
> 
> So I have mixed feelings about his escape. Yes, I love that he got to kill Todd. I love that he finally stood up to Walt and refused to do something just because he told him to. But its hard to read his escape as a happy ending.
> 
> There were many theories floating around the Internet about how Breaking Bad would end and a lot of them included Jesse and Skyler dead. Obviously they are not physically dead, but take a look at Skyers defeated posture and Jesses wracked body. They have both suffered emotional deaths at the hands of Heisenberg.
> 
> None of my predictions proved accurate except that one. No one was whole at the end of this story. By the end every single character had endured great pain. Every single characters life had been irrevocably changed for the worse. This wasnt a movie and there were no happy endings.
> 
> And we loved every minute of it.


----------



## DevdogAZ

Hank said:


> I was somewhat surprised that Walt went back to his cabin to grab his barrel of cash. I thought that was pretty risky as the police were on hot his trail, and they may have started searching all the local residences (yes, I know it's 8 miles away, but it's not like it's a very dense area). I had just assumed at the end of the last episode that he stole the Volvo and drove back to ABQ with just the $100,000 in cash in the box.


My issue with that scene was that there was fresh snow on the car, so wouldn't there be fresh footprints going into the car? Are we to assume that car was in the parking lot of the bar or somewhere else?


----------



## astrohip

James Poniewozik's review:

http://entertainment.time.com/2013/09/30/breaking-bad-watch-say-hello-to-my-little-friend/


> But were probably past the point where Walter White could have catharsis through an encounter with another person. There are no moving last words, no epiphanic speech for Walt, who instead leaves the world after telling Lydia that she is going to die a painful death of poison for threatening his family. He ends in silence, and alone.
> 
> In a way, this ending is sort of idealand maybe more complex than the relatively straightforward finale seems. Weve been talking for weeks about the different camps fans have been in awaiting the ending. Do you want Walt to live or die? Do you want him to triumph or be punished? And you could say, on the surface that this is an ending that plays out ideally for Team Walt, those who wanted to see him win spectacularly. His plans are a success. He watches his enemies defeated, his voice the last they hear. He ends things on his terms. It is over when Heisenberg says its over.
> 
> But you could see this ending another way, not as an endorsement of Walt and Heisenberg but as simply a clear reflection of him. In the Talking Bad interview after the finale, Vince Gilligan alludes to Walt at the end as being like Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, in the meth lab, reunited with his Precious.
> 
> Its an interesting comparison: Smeagol/Gollum was a dual character like Walt/Heisenberg, and he too ended The Lord of the Rings not redeemedindeed, villainousyet instrumental in defeating a larger evil nonetheless. Here, likewise, Walt is alone at the end of all things with a beloved, cold thing. He takes a moment to himself, considers his lifes work, and the last things he sees are himself, his machine, and a smear of blood. One more time, he is caressing his baby. Hes alone with what he loves, and what he deserves.
> 
> I cant say that I loved you in the end, Walter White. But I did love watching your story, in all its cold and hard and bloody beauty.


----------



## danterner

Why did Walt give Holly the shaft? His instructions with regard to the irrevocable trust were that the money should be made available to Flynn on his 18th birthday, right? It seemed like he was leaving Holly out of the equation or, at least, subjecting Holly's share to Flynn's whims. It's possible I could have misheard his instructions - did he mention Holly in them?


----------



## DevdogAZ

danterner said:


> Why did Walt give Holly the shaft? His instructions with regard to the irrevocable trust were that the money should be made available to Flynn on his 18th birthday, right? It seemed like he was leaving Holly out of the equation or, at least, subjecting Holly's share to Flynn's whims. It's possible I could have misheard his instructions - did he mention Holly in them?


No, he wanted the money to go to Flynn and he hoped that Flynn would recognize his responsibility as the man of the family to take care of his mother and his sister.


----------



## nyny523

DevdogAZ said:


> No, he wanted the money to go to Flynn and he hoped that Flynn would recognize his responsibility as the man of the family to take care of his mother and his sister.


This is correct.

Although he did keep saying that he wanted the money to go to "his children".

I think he trusted that Flynn would take care of his mother and sister.

Based on what we know about Flynn, I think that was a pretty good bet.


----------



## Shaunnick

Legion said:


> See I saw "Felina" and being a recovering dyslexic I just read it as "Finale". But I wasn't a Robbins fan so......
> 
> Edit: I also tried breaking it into elements but couldn't make sense of Iron....Lithium....Sodium as part of the story.


I forget where but before the episode had aired someone said that it was another way of saying Blood (Fe), Power (Li), and Tears (Na).

Iron is found in red blood cells, Lithium batteries would mean power, and tears are salty.


----------



## Bierboy

nyny523 said:


> This is correct.
> 
> Although he did keep saying that he wanted the money to go to "his children".
> 
> I think he trusted that Flynn would take care of his mother and sister.
> 
> Based on what we know about Flynn, I think that was a pretty good bet.


I think he spends it all on breakfast...


----------



## danterner

nyny523 said:


> This is correct. Although he did keep saying that he wanted the money to go to "his children". I think he trusted that Flynn would take care of his mother and sister. Based on what we know about Flynn, I think that was a pretty good bet.


He could have specified that Flynn should serve as the trustee of Holly's share, then. By giving it all to Flynn, he's subjecting Holly to Flynn's whims, risks, and creditors.

Not to mention that he didn't include any sort of third party special needs planning for Flynn.

Sheesh.


----------



## JohnB1000

nyny523 said:


> Based on what we know about Flynn, I think that was a pretty good bet.


I bet people used to say that about Walt


----------



## JohnB1000

betts4 said:


> Wonder if Jesse can hook up with the Vacuum cleaner guy and get out that way?


He has no money.


----------



## astrohip

Another review. Sorry for posting so many, but I love reading all the different POVs. The reviews are like us, ranging from adoration to understanding to acceptance. But they all, to a one, share a love for the story of Breaking Bad.

AV Club, Donna Bowman. She was their BB reviewer from S1E1 thru last night! One of the better of the umpteen reviews I've read.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/felina,102961/

She starts with:


> _Buy the RV; we start tomorrow._
> 
> When the A.V. Club collected the first three seasons worth of these writeups in a Kindle book, thats the quotation that was chosen for the title. Here we are, almost six years after those words were first uttered onscreen, in the pilot episode. And I can think of no better summary, no more appropriate monument, for this staggering work of televised drama that has played out in front of us, an hour at a time and cratered with agonizing pauses, than this phrase.


And ends with... [the bold is mine]



> Weve all been asking ourselves what we want from this show. Ive tried not to commit myself in writing to wanting anything, beyond Jesses getting out alive, because more than anything I wanted to let Vince Gilligan take us where he wanted us to go. But now I can say what I wanted. I wanted the special thrill that comes when the forces of luck and the forces of human will coincide to make miracles happen. And on this show, that has happened to Walt again and again in the service of his own ego. *The end has been dreadful, but the means have been intoxicating.* When Walt pounded the window of that stolen car with his fist, causing the snow to fall away, it was like the Fonz thumping the jukebox: a moment of supreme efficacy, endorsed by the universe. Thats what I wanted, one last time. And there it is. Im grateful. Now I can say goodbye.


----------



## MikeAndrews

JETarpon said:


> Shutting the car door didn't knock any snow off, but hitting the closed window with his fist cleared it completely? Come on!


What was with all of the blue and red lights going by the car? We assume that was the cops looking for Walt?

At the gas station, I was almost screaming thinking that a Volvo 240D is a diesel! I guess just the Mercedes 240D is a diesel. 



smbaker said:


> I'm so glad that high-velocity large caliber rifle ammunition, the type of thing that's usually stopped by car doors and drywall in TV shows, blasted right through a building for a change. It was refreshing.


Yeahbut, would any meat popsicle still be breathing after being hit by that canon? I would think that the only flesh wounds would be if the bullet only grazed the body.

They blew it on the gun mechanism. Walt only needed a 12volt motor to drive the pivot. He uses a _110 volt garage door opener_ - and then not even with that remote?

It looked like he used a remote car starter, and some Craftsman hand tools.

If it was me when I hit the button, the battery would not be charged. 

There was no reason for the trunk lid to open if it was going to shoot right through. How about the flames?

Vince got his Scarface last scene.

Another thing we(I!) predicted was Walt rescuing Jesse, although he may not have intended that when he drove in.

If not, Walt was just going to get revenge on the ABs. Oh. To keep his family safe.

Lydia: "Is it done? Is he gone?" She ordered them to take out Walt.



cheesesteak said:


> And getting blasted in the head when he thought he had something to negotiate.


Isn't that _the first time_ we've seen Walt shoot a guy directly?



smbaker said:


> 4) As I expected, he did not harm the Grey Matter folks. I was wrong though about the lack of credit given to Walt in the Grey Matter interview being what pushed him over the edge. Instead, it was seeing them give away the money that gave him the idea to use them as a conduit to funnel money to Flynne. We get to see the pragmatic side of Walt. Nice writing there.
> 
> 5) I bet the grey matter folks burn Walt's money and give Flynne their own money regardless of Walt's wishes. Walt's "hit men" would have no way to know that they used their own money, that couple seemed to really detest the drug money, and they had plenty of wealth of their own to give away. This would be rather ironic, as it would mean everything Walt did was for nothing. It was his pride that prevented him from asking them for money in the first place.





> How do the Grey Matter people convert $9 million cash into Flynn's trust fund without alarm bells going off? Do they deposit $24,999 every Friday?





betts4 said:


> I think Walt figures they can do it as a 'gesture' or something like they donated that 28 million to a program for recovering Meth heads. How they move the money on the coffee table into a bank is a good question.


Yeah. Was gonna say. Even billionaires are going to get reported when they deposit over $10,000 in cash. They have to have a reasonable explanation as where it came from. Mere mortals like you and I get checked pout when we move funds for stuff like buying house or a car, even when it';s not in cash. The feds see where the money came from.



mooseAndSquirrel said:


> But one minor question... how does knowing where Hank and Gomie's bodies are give Skylar any chance to "make a deal with the DEA"?


Walt didn't have to give Skyler the lottery ticket. He couldda just have written the numbers down



mooseAndSquirrel said:


> But I'm willing to let all of these little things go. Every moment of the show, things could have gone a different way. But, to steal a line from a show that was very unsatisfying, what happened, happened.


Yep. Absolutely. As TV plots go this one is most satisfactory, without an overload of Hollywood incredulity (well, the TV just happened to have Charlie Rose with Grechen and Elliot live for Walt to see in the bar).

As I said, the Felina Finale exceeds what I could have hoped for.


----------



## 3D

JohnB1000 said:


> The point is that he mostly controlled his exit, hence he did not learn from the total loss of control he gave to most other people.





MonsterJoe said:


> He said it made him feel alive.
> 
> Think of his evolution - he basically started the series as a drone. Despite the obviously terrible consequences, he finally feels like he's lived. That's a pretty big win for anyone.


I know Walt said that he did it for himself, and on a certain level, I take that at face value. But I can't ignore the pain on his face when looking at his children for the last time. He might have gone out on his own terms and gotten a greater thrill out of life the past two years than he would have by remaining a meek teacher fighting cancer, but he definitely paid a hefty price and I think he recognized as much. I just think it's a little bit dismissive to say that Walt got off scott free given what I stated above regarding his children and the fact that he ultimately died before his time (however much time that may have been). Was his punishment equal to all of the hurt suffered by others as a result of his decisions? No, but given the fact that he was already dying, I'm not sure that he could ever suffer enough to balance out those scales.



danterner said:


> He could have specified that Flynn should serve as the trustee of Holly's share, then. By giving it all to Flynn, he's subjecting Holly to Flynn's whims, risks, and creditors.
> 
> Not to mention that he didn't include any sort of third party special needs planning for Flynn.
> 
> Sheesh.


If only Turtleboy were the mastermind behind BB instead of that hack Vince Gilligan.


----------



## betts4

JohnB1000 said:


> He has no money.


Well, he already paid him once.


----------



## uncdrew

jr461 said:


> Great series and great finale. As mentioned on Talking Bad, very glad it wasn't one of those vague endings that leave it up to the viewers to interpret (hate those!). Nothing worse in a finale (IMO) that after investing years in a series, it is left wide open.
> 
> For crying out loud, even with all the closure provided, this thread is replete with further conjecture of what happens to Jesse, does Lydia survive, does she take revenge on Skylar, lol.


Completely agree. I hate, hate, hate the vague, what happens endings. Yuck.

They did a great job wrapping it up. Awesome finale.


----------



## MikeAndrews

uncdrew said:


> Completely agree. I hate, hate, hate the vague, what happens endings. Yuck.
> 
> They did a great job wrapping it up. Awesome finale.


So....is Walt dead?


----------



## JohnB1000

Reading a Vince G interview I was reminded of two things.

1. We seem to almost have completely overlooked that Jesse killed Todd

2. The reason for the Lydia death was partly because they filmed Walt retrieving the ricin without a clear plan of what he would do with it. They had to come up with something. Ultimately, with that prequel seeming so key, it wasn't the best use but they had to do something.


----------



## uncdrew

Hank said:


> I think she's too short-sighted and selfish. Jesse did what he did because he finally realized that (1) Walt was going to die anyway, and (2) he wanted to get as far away as possible, as quickly as possible from that "life". There's a saying "don't engage"... while Jesse may have felt all those things, it was his one and only chance to escape. If he tried to engage Walt about any of those things, he'd lose his one and only change to get away from it all and not look back. He made the right choice.
> 
> eta: And mentioned above, everything they both felt was clearly and finally summed up in those last to looks they gave each other. Nothing more was needed.


Did Jesse know Walt was going to die? Of cancer or the bullet wound?

I personally thought Walt was just nicked. Didn't seem like much blood, he was walking around just fine, he talked just fine, he didn't appear in pain.

Hell, even I thought he was going to grab a car and drive out. Well, until he died that is.


----------



## JohnB1000

betts4 said:


> Well, he already paid him once.


I'm not sure that's accurate, didn't Walt pay him when he got in the car or got to the Vacuum place. Ultimately it's all irrelevant of course.


----------



## Fahtrim

dtle said:


> Also, can Lydia be saved by knowing she was poison by Ricin by going straight to the hospital?


no


----------



## nyny523

JohnB1000 said:


> Reading a Vince G interview I was reminded of two things.
> 
> 1. We seem to almost have completely overlooked that Jesse killed Todd
> 
> 2. The reason for the Lydia death was partly because they filmed Walt retrieving the ricin without a clear plan of what he would do with it. They had to come up with something. Ultimately, with that prequel seeming so key, it wasn't the best use but they had to do something.


Are you kidding? Jesse killing Todd might have been the single highlight of the whole episode for me. I was literally screaming at my TV. It was spectacular!

And I am certain that they planned Lydia's death with the ricin a long time ago. Something that specific is not done by chance. Gilligan is much too detailed for something that large to be coincidence. I have a feeling they planned Lydia's death from the first time she ordered her tea. It was set up a LONG time ago.


----------



## uncdrew

netringer said:


> So....is Walt dead?


I'm going with yes.

Based on a ton of TV shows and movies, when the cops quickly secure an area they only skip over the dead people.

Though I think Hannibal Lecter pulled one over on them once. Jason Bourne might have too.


----------



## Jstkiddn

DevdogAZ said:


> My issue with that scene was that there was fresh snow on the car, so wouldn't there be fresh footprints going into the car? Are we to assume that car was in the parking lot of the bar or somewhere else?


I assumed it was at the bar, but the police sure didn't stay very long to search.


----------



## Johnny Dancing

Weird Coincidence. 

I was at the Lions v. Bears game with a buddy yesterday afternoon. We were talking about taking another trip to NYC next summer. Out of the blue he says "remember our trip over Memorial weekend 1984 when we were walking through Greenwich Village and we heard Badfinger playing from one of the hole in the wall clubs?". We talked about how obscure they were and that we should have paid the $5 or $10 cover and so we could say we say we saw them.... I said at least we can say we heard them...

Then about 7 hours later, Breaking Bad ends with the song "Baby Blue" by Badfinger and I get a text from my buddy that just says "Badfinger".

Maybe Breaking Bad final / Blue Meth jarred the memory loose from his brain.


----------



## Hank

nyny523 said:


> This is correct.
> Although he did keep saying that he wanted the money to go to "his children".
> I think he trusted that Flynn would take care of his mother and sister.
> Based on what we know about Flynn, I think that was a pretty good bet.





danterner said:


> He could have specified that Flynn should serve as the trustee of Holly's share, then. By giving it all to Flynn, he's subjecting Holly to Flynn's whims, risks, and creditors.
> Not to mention that he didn't include any sort of third party special needs planning for Flynn.
> Sheesh.


I think Walt's objective was that Flynn's 18th birthday was within the year (9 months?) away, so E+G could set up the trust, and Flynn (and family) could benefit from the money pretty quickly. I don't think Walt trusted them enough to set up a similar trust for Holly which would be 16+ years out before she could access the money, even if they did set it up. Also, the "hit men" wouldn't be likely around in 16 years to see through his threat.


----------



## Numb And Number2

Its All Over Now, Baby Blue
~Bob Dylan

You must leave now, take what you need, you think will last
But whatever you wish to keep, you better grab it fast
Yonder stands your orphan with his gun
Crying like a fire in the sun
Look out the saints are comin through
And its all over now, Baby Blue

The highway is for gamblers, better use your sense
Take what you have gathered from coincidence
The empty-handed painter from your streets
Is drawing crazy patterns on your sheets
This sky, too, is folding under you
And its all over now, Baby Blue

All your seasick sailors, they are rowing home
All your reindeer armies, are all going home
The lover who just walked out your door
Has taken all his blankets from the floor
The carpet, too, is moving under you
And its all over now, Baby Blue

Leave your stepping stones behind, something calls for you
Forget the dead youve left, they will not follow you
The vagabond whos rapping at your door
Is standing in the clothes that you once wore
Strike another match, go start anew
And its all over now, Baby Blue


----------



## Carlucci

betts4 said:


> Wonder if Jesse can hook up with the Vacuum cleaner guy and get out that way?


Jesse moves to Alaska as he previously intended. He goes off to buy some wood to start his woodworking career. There, he befriends a logger who just happens to discover his murderous past.


----------



## gweempose

Has anyone commented yet on the fact that Lydia and Todd sat down face to face at the same table? Are we to assume from this that their relationship had moved beyond just being professional?


----------



## nyny523

gweempose said:


> Has anyone commented yet on the fact that Lydia and Todd sat down face to face at the same table? Are we to assume from this that their relationship had moved beyond just being professional?


Nah.

He couldn't even say the word "blouse" when he was trying to compliment her.

Stone cold killer, but not a clue how to speak to a woman. It was almost funny...


----------



## Hank

uncdrew said:


> I personally thought Walt was just nicked. Didn't seem like much blood, he was walking around just fine, he talked just fine, he didn't appear in pain.


I kinda a agree with you on this point. I see A LOT of "belly shots" on TV when people are shot once in the belly area, and then die pretty quickly, without a lot of blood loss. I'm not a doctor, but I don't think that's so realistic. From what I could tell, he was hit in the lower, right side of his abdomen. Maybe it got his liver or intestine, which I guess could be fatal, but not in a few minutes like Walt (again, not a doctor). Now if it were higher up, where it could hit a lung, heart, or major artery, sure, I'd believe it. But in that case, I doubt he'd be walking around.


----------



## MikeAndrews

uncdrew said:


> Did Jesse know Walt was going to die? Of cancer or the bullet wound?
> 
> I personally thought Walt was just nicked. Didn't seem like much blood, he was walking around just fine, he talked just fine, he didn't appear in pain.
> 
> Hell, even I thought he was going to grab a car and drive out. Well, until he died that is.


About 3 episodes ago, before Jesse turned on Walt and worked with Hank, Walt told Jesse the cancer was back.

It was Hollywood writing that our key characters, Walt, Jack and Todd survived the barrage, while all of the other guys bought it.

Why would Walt get hit when Jesse didn't? He didn't get low enough? Neither did the guy in the motorized Lay-Z-Boy.

BTW, at the end you can hear liquid dripping, as in blood. Wow.


----------



## nyny523

Hank said:


> I kinda a agree with you on this point. I see A LOT of "belly shots" on TV when people are shot once in the belly area, and then die pretty quickly, without a lot of blood loss. I'm not a doctor, but I don't think that's so realistic. From what I could tell, he was hit in the lower, right side of his abdomen. Maybe it got his liver or intestine, which I guess could be fatal, but not in a few minutes like Walt (again, not a doctor). Now if it were higher up, where it could hit a lung, heart, or major artery, sure, I'd believe it. But in that case, I doubt he'd be walking around.


It looked to me like he was shot in the chest.

Right in the lung where the cancer had started.

I thought it was kind of poetic, actually.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

netringer said:


> So....is Walt dead?


He looked pretty gaunt to me...


----------



## Hank

netringer said:


> Why would Walt get hit when Jesse didn't? He didn't get low enough? Neither did the guy in the motorized Lay-Z-Boy.


IMHO, Walt got hit by a ricochet. The guy in the chair could be seen standing up as soon as Walt attacked Jesse and before the gunfire started.


----------



## Hank

nyny523 said:


> It looked to me like he was shot in the chest.
> 
> Right in the lung where the cancer had started.
> 
> I thought it was kind of poetic, actually.


Definitely not the chest.. he opened his jacket and you could see the wound just above his belt line.


----------



## MikeAndrews

Johnny Dancing said:


> Weird Coincidence.
> 
> I was at the Lions v. Bears game with a buddy yesterday afternoon. We were talking about taking another trip to NYC next summer. Out of the blue he says "remember our trip over Memorial weekend 1984 when we were walking through Greenwich Village and we heard Badfinger playing from one of the hole in the wall clubs?". We talked about how obscure they were and that we should have paid the $5 or $10 cover and so we could say we say we saw them.... I said at least we can say we heard them...


Badfinger was introduced as an Apple (records, Beatles) band when they backed up George Harrison in the Concert for Bangladesh. I always assumed that they got picked up because they sounded like The Beatles: The New Generation.


----------



## nyny523

Hank said:


> Definitely not the chest.. he opened his jacket and you could see the wound just above his belt line.


Not just above - I think it was several inches above and the blood pooled out.

Anyone else want to weigh in here? I think it was a chest wound.


----------



## uncdrew

nyny523 said:


> Nah.
> 
> He couldn't even say the word "blouse" when he was trying to compliment her.
> 
> Stone cold killer, but *not a clue how to speak to a woman*. It was almost funny...


Lots of us are good at that second piece.


----------



## uncdrew

Hank said:


> Definitely not the chest.. he opened his jacket and you could see the wound just above his belt line.


Walt was getting kind of old. Perhaps he had his pants up to his armpits like grandpa.

But yeah, it was not chest. Definitely lower.

I couldn't find an image, but did find this one. How funny was that?


----------



## thebigmo

My main small quibble with this episode? Marie calling Skyler to tell her that Walt is back in town and they are looking everywhere for him. Everywhere, I guess, except his wife's apartment as he is able to wander around outside with no problems while waiting for Flynn to get home from school.


----------



## nyny523

thebigmo said:


> My main small quibble with this episode? Marie calling Skyler to tell her that Walt is back in town and they are looking everywhere for him. Everywhere, I guess, except his wife's apartment as he is able to wander around outside with no problems while waiting for Flynn to get home from school.


I almost felt like this scene was added just to give Marie a "last scene".

I agree it was unnecessary.


----------



## MonsterJoe

nyny523 said:


> Not just above - I think it was several inches above and the blood pooled out.
> 
> Anyone else want to weigh in here? I think it was a chest wound.


I agree with the others who said it was just above the belt line...definitely not in the chest.


----------



## Bierboy

nyny523 said:


> Are you kidding? Jesse killing Todd might have been the single highlight of the whole episode for me. I was literally screaming at my TV. It was spectacular!...


*THIS*! I was yelling, too...the only time I yelled during the entire episode.


----------



## Bierboy

Rob Helmerichs said:


> He looked pretty gaunt to me...


...and Jane was goth....


----------



## Fahtrim

uncdrew said:


> Gotta always leave open the possibility of another season.
> 
> Walt would be a formidable force in a prison. I'd watch. :up:


It was announced multiple times that "Walt died" so that'd be a switch up


----------



## MikeAndrews

thebigmo said:


> My main small quibble with this episode? Marie calling Skyler to tell her that Walt is back in town and they are looking everywhere for him. Everywhere, I guess, except his wife's apartment as he is able to wander around outside with no problems while waiting for Flynn to get home from school.


And Marie is protected by a guy armed with an automatic weapon outside of her window. She was wearing purple slacks.

Walt waited until the school bus blocked the view of the cops.


----------



## Bierboy

Holy crap....the series finale pulled in over 10 million viewers according to EW.


----------



## getreal

DancnDude said:


> ... I would have rather seen him living in the end with nothing to show for his turning to a life of crime except splitting his family apart.


THAT would have been an UNsatisfying finale. Glad they had the writing team they had.

I'm confident that this show will become a course in colleges about writing screenplays and great storytelling.


----------



## betts4

nyny523 said:


> Are you kidding? Jesse killing Todd might have been the single highlight of the whole episode for me. I was literally screaming at my TV. It was spectacular!


Absolutely. I was yelling too. I think that was the best moment in the whole episode. Well, that and Walt and Jesse at the very end.



Hank said:


> IMHO, Walt got hit by a ricochet. The guy in the chair could be seen standing up as soon as Walt attacked Jesse and before the gunfire started.


I wondered about the guy in the chair, thought he may be getting up after all of the bullets stopped. And I did think Walt had gotten hit by a ricochet also. It was a bit lower than his chest. Maybe a kidney/liver thing.



uncdrew said:


> I couldn't find an image, but did find this one. How funny was that?


Is that the same actor from Suits - the english guy that tormented Louis?


----------



## getreal

Bierboy said:


> Well, I'm glad somebody here knows their Latin!


The proper word, I believe, is "Atin-Lay".


----------



## dwells

Apologies if this has been discussed before- did anyone know that Michael Bowen (Uncle Jack) was Tommy in the Valley Girl movie from 1983??

Wow- that is seriously blowing my mind.......

Good article on Bowen here: (with a pic from Valley Girl)

http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/b...jack---i-nearly-killed-myself--150629521.html


----------



## uncdrew

netringer said:


> And Marie is protected by a guy armed with an automatic weapon outside of her window. She was wearing purple slacks.
> 
> Walt waited until the school bus blocked the view of the cops.


Walt strolling around the apartment complex with the detectives in their car did seem odd (to me). Walt obviously was aware of them (I'm guessing), but didn't seem to show that he was (IMHO).


----------



## 3D

3D said:


> I know Walt said that he did it for himself, and on a certain level, I take that at face value. But I can't ignore the pain on his face when looking at his children for the last time. He might have gone out on his own terms and gotten a greater thrill out of life the past two years than he would have by remaining a meek teacher fighting cancer, but he definitely paid a hefty price and I think he recognized as much. I just think it's a little bit dismissive to say that Walt got off scott free given what I stated above regarding his children and the fact that he ultimately died before his time (however much time that may have been). Was his punishment equal to all of the hurt suffered by others as a result of his decisions? No, but given the fact that he was already dying, I'm not sure that he could ever suffer enough to balance out those scales.


At the risk of obnoxiously quoting myself, I think alot of what I said is better expressed in this snippet from Vince Gilligan's interview with Entertainment Weekly:



> We didnt feel an absolute need for Walt to expire at the end of the show. Our gut told us it was right. As the writers and I worked through all these different possibilities, it felt right, but I dont think it was a necessity for us. There was a version we kicked around where Walt is the only one who survives, and hes standing among the wreckage and his whole family is destroyed. That would be a very powerful ending but very much a kick-in-the-teeth kind of ending for the viewers. We talked about a version where Jesse kills Walt. We talked about a version where Walt more or less gets away with it. Theres no right or wrong way to do this job  its just a matter of: You get as many smart people around you as possible in the writers room, and I was very lucky to have that. And when our gut told us we had it, we wrote it, and I guess our gut told us that it would feel satisfying for Walt to at least begin to make amends for his life and for all the sadness and misery wrought upon his family and his friends. Walt is never going to redeem himself. Hes just too far down the road to damnation. But at least he takes a few steps along that path. And I think more importantly for him than that is the fact that he accomplishes what he set out to accomplish way back in the first episode: He leaves his family just a ton of money. Of course, Walt for years now has been looking through the wrong end of the telescope.  For years now, he thought if he makes his family financially sound  thats really all he has to do as a man, as a provider, and as a father. Theyre going to walk away with just shy of 10 million in cash, because of Walts machinations with Gretchen (Jessica Hecht) and Elliott (Adam Godley).* But on the other hand, the family emotionally is scarred forever. So its a real mixed message at the end.* Walt has failed on so many levels, but he has managed to do the one thing he set out to do, which is a victory. He has managed to make his family financially sound in his absence, and that was really the only thing he set out to do in that first episode. So, mission accomplished.


----------



## JohnB1000

nyny523 said:


> Are you kidding? Jesse killing Todd might have been the single highlight of the whole episode for me. I was literally screaming at my TV. It was spectacular!
> 
> And I am certain that they planned Lydia's death with the ricin a long time ago. Something that specific is not done by chance. Gilligan is much too detailed for something that large to be coincidence. I have a feeling they planned Lydia's death from the first time she ordered her tea. It was set up a LONG time ago.


I was not saying it was not spectacular, I am saying it hasn't been discussed here much.

Gilligan specifically said few times on this seasons podcast that they did not know what to do with the ricin and kind of backed themselves into a corner. He's also said there was never a fixed long term plan but there was a conscious effort to stay consistent to and resolve what had been laid out before.


----------



## gigaguy

I also thought it was Hollywood magic that Walt could show up in Skylar's appt while there was an active manhunt for him.
Another scene a few shows back was when the 3 nazis threatened Skylar in her house at the baby's crib. the house was surrounded by cops. how did 3 guys sneak in.

loved the show. watched all shows in 2 weeks. kinda fast. I will rewatch at a slower pace sometime later but I wanted to sync up to the live finale. series was well done. not ground breaking, but great characters, acting, and story.
Jesse was my favorite character, tho Mike and Saul were great too.

also- someone posted Bob Dylan's lyrics to his song, Baby Blue. that's not the song in the finale. it was a Badfinger song. the group on the Beatles label, Apple, whose lead singer Pete Ham, committed suicide some years ago, and I see Todd Rundgren produced the song for the album. wow, the new BB reference is already on the Wikipedia page for this song, fast..


----------



## Bierboy

gigaguy said:


> ...Another scene a few shows back was when the 3 nazis threatened Skylar in her house at the baby's crib. the house was surrounded by cops. how did 3 guys sneak in...


Because they're REALLY good bad guys...


----------



## squint

Hank said:


> I kinda a agree with you on this point. I see A LOT of "belly shots" on TV when people are shot once in the belly area, and then die pretty quickly, without a lot of blood loss. I'm not a doctor, but I don't think that's so realistic. From what I could tell, he was hit in the lower, right side of his abdomen. Maybe it got his liver or intestine, which I guess could be fatal, but not in a few minutes like Walt (again, not a doctor). Now if it were higher up, where it could hit a lung, heart, or major artery, sure, I'd believe it. But in that case, I doubt he'd be walking around.


Gunshot wounds to the liver can be rapidly fatal. The liver doesn't snap back as well as other tissues, resulting in more damage. It also has a large blood supply. Also, the the M60 fires a moderately powerful round very similar to a common hunting rifle round and would do a lot more damage than a handgun.


----------



## mrdbdigital

jr461 said:


> Nothing worse in a finale (IMO) that after investing years in a series, it is left wide open.


Yeah, like the Magnum P.I. finale. They implied for 5 or 6 previous seasons that Higgins was Robin Masters, with Magnum figuring out all the tiny clues to this revelation. And then in the finale, Higgins admits that he is Robin Masters.

The closing scene, Higgins turns to Magnum and says (paraphrased), "About my being Robin Masters? I lied." [fade to black]

ARRRRGGGGHHH! The first time I wanted to throw something at the TV!


----------



## astrohip

JohnB1000 said:


> Gilligan specifically said few times on this seasons podcast that they did not know what to do with the ricin and kind of backed themselves into a corner.


You're saying that he discussed _before _this finale that he didn't know what to do with the ricin?

Could you point to a podcast, I'm not familiar with this comment.


----------



## astrohip

Bierboy said:


> Holy crap....the series finale pulled in over 10 million viewers according to EW.


10.3 million viewers, with a 5.2 rating among adults 18-49!

Beat every other show on TV last night except football!

A few blurbs from the article...



> Breaking Bad will not only be remembered as a TV drama that went out on top  creatively, and in terms of popularity  but possibly as a game-changer for underdog TV shows. The second half of the fifth season premiered last month to a stunningly large audience for the long-struggling cult-favorite series, delivering a record 5.9 million viewers. A couple weeks ago, ratings notably rose to 6.4 million viewers. Then last weeks penultimate hour crept up to 6.6 million.
> 
> For the grand series finale Sunday night, Breaking Bad hit 10.3 million viewers, with a 5.2 rating among adults 18-49.
> 
> Let me explain how crazy that is. Do you know what the fourth season finale of Breaking Bad delivered a mere two years ago? That was the gripping Face Off episode that capped Walter vs. Gus deadly season-long chess game. Go on, guess
> 
> The fourth season finale delivered only 1.9 million viewers. And at the time, that rating was actually considered good news. Because that was up 23 percent from season three. So two years and only 16 episodes later (since the fifth season was split into two runs of eight episodes each), Breaking Bad viewership has skyrocketed an astounding 442 percent.


I think the absolute sheer fanaticism of Breaking Bad viewers brought in a few visiting eyeballs. My wife, who is familiar with the basic story but has never watched the series, sat and watched the entire finale with me. I guess a week of watching me run around crazy-eyed and drooling about Sunday night got to her.


----------



## 3D

astrohip said:


> You're saying that he discussed _before _this finale that he didn't know what to do with the ricin?
> 
> Could you point to a podcast, I'm not familiar with this comment.


In the Entertainment Weekly interview with Gilligan (and presumably on other occasions), he said that they originally didn't know what to do with the ricin being left in the wall, and eventually decided that rather than ignore that it had been left there, they came up with giving Walt a reason to go back and retrieve it. At the same time, they desperately wanted to kill Lydia, but knew that it wouldn't have made sense for her to be at the compound. They eventually realized that Lydia was the perfect excuse for them to bring back the ricin (killing two birds with one stone in the process).


----------



## pdhenry

dwells said:


> Apologies if this has been discussed before- did anyone know that Michael Bowen (Uncle Jack) was Tommy in the Valley Girl movie from 1983??
> 
> Wow- that is seriously blowing my mind.......
> 
> Good article on Bowen here: (with a pic from Valley Girl)
> 
> http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/b...jack---i-nearly-killed-myself--150629521.html


Yes.


----------



## getreal

uncdrew said:


> Walt was getting kind of old. Perhaps he had his pants up to his armpits like grandpa...


LOL! :up:



uncdrew said:


> I couldn't find an image, but did find this one. How funny was that?


Wasn't that actor in "Jurassic Park"? 












thebigmo said:


> My main small quibble with this episode? Marie calling Skyler to tell her that Walt is back in town and they are looking everywhere for him. Everywhere, I guess, except his wife's apartment as he is able to wander around outside with no problems while waiting for Flynn to get home from school.


It seems that the cops never "surrounded" Skyler's home(s) ... a couple of officers just parked out front, like when the balaclava-ed Aryans broke into (and out of) Holly's room without detection.


----------



## Fahtrim

"Elliot, if we're gonna go in that direction you're gonna need a bigger knife."

awesome


----------



## Dawghows

astrohip said:


> You're saying that he discussed _before _this finale that he didn't know what to do with the ricin?
> 
> Could you point to a podcast, I'm not familiar with this comment.





3D said:


> In the Entertainment Weekly interview with Gilligan (and presumably on other occasions), he said that they originally didn't know what to do with the ricin being left in the wall, and eventually decided that rather than ignore that it had been left there, they came up with giving Walt a reason go go back and retrieve it. At the same time, they desperately wanted to kill Lydia, but knew that it wouldn't have made sense for her to be at the compound. They eventually realized that Lydia was the perfect excuse to use bring back the ricin (killing two birds with one stone in the process).


He talked about it on the Breaking Bad Insider Podcast as well. (I believe it was podcast #509, the first of this "5B" season.) He said they had the idea that the White House was deserted, with the skateboarders in the pool and such, but they needed some reason for Walt to go to the house. So, they decided he would go in and retrieve the poison. Up until that time they had no plans for the poison at all, but once they made it a point for him to retrieve it they knew they would have to figure out something for him to do with it.


----------



## Philosofy

I swear to God that last week I was going to post that Walt was going to use the Schwartz' to get money to his family. But I didn't post it.


----------



## Marc

betts4 said:


> Is that the same actor from Suits - the english guy that tormented Louis?


Yes, it is. I didn't remember him from Breaking Bad when I saw him in Suits, but I did recognize him when seeing him in last week's episode. He's Adam Godley, who did also play Nigel Nesbitt in Suits.


----------



## Tracy

dwells said:


> Apologies if this has been discussed before- did anyone know that Michael Bowen (Uncle Jack) was Tommy in the Valley Girl movie from 1983??
> 
> Wow- that is seriously blowing my mind.......
> 
> Good article on Bowen here: (with a pic from Valley Girl)
> 
> http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/b...jack---i-nearly-killed-myself--150629521.html


Holy frick! I have seen Valley Girl a bunch of times but never put that together.


----------



## Numb And Number2

gigaguy said:


> that's not the song in the finale


I know, it was not represented to be. Just a Baby Blue song. TY!


----------



## betts4

Marc said:


> Yes, it is. I didn't remember him from Breaking Bad when I saw him in Suits, but I did recognize him when seeing him in last week's episode. He's Adam Godley, who did also play Nigel Nesbitt in Suits.


That's what it was. I didn't recognize him as being from Breaking Bad when he was Nigel, but those ears tipped me off to it last night.


----------



## pmyers

gigaguy said:


> ...Another scene a few shows back was when the 3 nazis threatened Skylar in her house at the baby's crib. the house was surrounded by cops. how did 3 guys sneak in...


Well 2 low level scrubs in 1 car is hardly surrounded


----------



## jsmeeker

JohnB1000 said:


> I was not saying it was not spectacular, I am saying it hasn't been discussed here much.


I mentioned it in my initial post after the episode aired.


----------



## JETarpon

Marc said:


> Yes, it is. I didn't remember him from Breaking Bad when I saw him in Suits, but I did recognize him when seeing him in last week's episode. He's Adam Godley, who did also play Nigel Nesbitt in Suits.


And the teacher in the pageant at the end of Love Actually.


----------



## stellie93

Numb And Number2 said:


> Why would the Nazi's ego suffer by what Walt thought of his "partnership" with Jessie?


Nazi guy thinks he's an honest man. He's fair and trustworthy. Why else would he have given Walt part of his money?



MacThor said:


> There was a great line during the scene with G&E (I will have to rewatch) - something about how this was their chance to make it right. My interpretation was that Walt was reminding them how they wronged him, and even set all of this in motion.


And although they didn't admit that they had wronged him, they didn't deny it or act all insulted either. 



Jstkiddn said:


> So...in breaking bad world, does Skyler now get to tell the whole story? Does she get to tell what really happened to hank or does Walt jr go on thinking his dad killed him?


Did she even believe Walt when he said he didn't kill him?



betts4 said:


> OMG yes. I have the same problem here. In fact I was just sitting here thinking about my family and who to talk to about it and none of them watch it either.


Now that I think about it, I don't really know anyone who watches it either. A lot of my friends are going to start finally, although I've been telling them they should since season 1.



DevdogAZ said:


> My issue with that scene was that there was fresh snow on the car, so wouldn't there be fresh footprints going into the car? Are we to assume that car was in the parking lot of the bar or somewhere else?


If it was still snowing, Walt's footprints would be covered up pretty quickly.



netringer said:


> Badfinger was introduced as an Apple (records, Beatles) band when they backed up George Harrison in the Concert for Bangladesh. I always assumed that they got picked up because they sounded like The Beatles: The New Generation.


I wasn't familiar with the song--at first I thought it sounded like Paul McCartney.



thebigmo said:


> My main small quibble with this episode? Marie calling Skyler to tell her that Walt is back in town and they are looking everywhere for him. Everywhere, I guess, except his wife's apartment as he is able to wander around outside with no problems while waiting for Flynn to get home from school.


We discussed last week whether Marie and Skyler were on good terms. I assumed not since Marie didn't seem to be helping her financially, and it seems I was right. Poor Marie--you know she wants to get her hands on that baby.


----------



## MacThor

stellie93 said:


> Nazi guy thinks he's an honest man. He's fair and trustworthy. Why else would he have given Walt part of his money?
> 
> Did she even believe Walt when he said he didn't kill him?


Jack always "shook on it" for every deal he made with Walt. Might seem silly for an Aryan Brother but they were consistent about this trait. A deal is a deal.

I think Skylar believed him. My wife yelled out "TRUTH" when he said "I did it for me." Everything he said from that point, she believed.


----------



## DevdogAZ

astrohip said:


> You're saying that he discussed _before _this finale that he didn't know what to do with the ricin?
> 
> Could you point to a podcast, I'm not familiar with this comment.





Dawghows said:


> He talked about it on the Breaking Bad Insider Podcast as well. (I believe it was podcast #509, the first of this "5B" season.) He said they had the idea that the White House was deserted, with the skateboarders in the pool and such, but they needed some reason for Walt to go to the house. So, they decided he would go in and retrieve the poison. Up until that time they had no plans for the poison at all, but once they made it a point for him to retrieve it they knew they would have to figure out something for him to do with it.


Vince definitely mentioned it in the 509 podcast, and I think a couple other times in subsequent podcasts as well. And since the podcast goes through the scenes of each episode chronologically, that discussion should be near the beginning of the 509 podcast.


----------



## stellie93

One thing I didn't get--at some point they showed a nicely groomed Jesse making a box out of wood? That was Jesse, wasn't it? I assumed he was day dreaming, but I didn't get the point.


----------



## DreadPirateRob

JETarpon said:


> And the teacher in the pageant at the end of Love Actually.


That's where I recognize him from.


----------



## danterner

stellie93 said:


> One thing I didn't get--at some point they showed a nicely groomed Jesse making a box out of wood? That was Jesse, wasn't it? I assumed he was day dreaming, but I didn't get the point.


He was daydreaming while chained on Todd's methlab dogrun. It harkened back to a story he told a few seasons ago (while in rehab?) about his pride in a box he had built in shop class, but that he traded it for some weed.


----------



## jsmeeker

stellie93 said:


> One thing I didn't get--at some point they showed a nicely groomed Jesse making a box out of wood? That was Jesse, wasn't it? I assumed he was day dreaming, but I didn't get the point.


Yes. It was. Yes, he was dreaming.

It was a call back to a story he told in a meeting for addicts in recovery.


----------



## JohnB1000

jsmeeker said:


> I mentioned it in my initial post after the episode aired.


Either I have you on ignore or one or two posts does not a discussion make


----------



## DougF

Philosofy said:


> I swear to God that last week I was going to post that Walt was going to use the Schwartz' to get money to his family. But I didn't post it.


May da Schwartz be wit ya!


----------



## jsmeeker

JohnB1000 said:


> Either I have you on ignore or one or two posts does not a discussion make


I did my part!


----------



## Bierboy

Philosofy said:


> I swear to God that last week I was going to post that Walt was going to use the Schwartz' to get money to his family. But I didn't post it.


uh....huh....


----------



## Bierboy

stellie93 said:


> ...If it was still snowing, Walt's footprints would be covered up pretty quickly....


Good grief, man, he was only in the car a minute or two before the cops came nearby...no way fresh footprints would be completely covered in that amount of time even in a blizzard...


----------



## Hank

I'll agree with you that it's doubtful that footprints would be totally covered up, but at the same time, I got the feeling that there were some subtle cuts in that scene to make it feel like quite a bit of time elapsed with the cops circling before Walt finally actually left.


----------



## The Flush

netringer said:


> BTW, at the end you can hear liquid dripping, as in blood. Wow.


Beer keg in the background, probably not blood.


----------



## Jstkiddn

http://www.tmz.com/2013/09/30/breaking-bad-stevia-tampering-equal-sweet-n-low-ricin-splenda-sugar

TMZ asked stevia, etc about product tampering.


----------



## MikeAndrews

Jstkiddn said:


> http://www.tmz.com/2013/09/30/breaking-bad-stevia-tampering-equal-sweet-n-low-ricin-splenda-sugar
> 
> TMZ asked stevia, etc about product tampering.


They should have had a plan. Nurse Jackie put crushed pills into her "Sweet & All" packets fro her coffee and reglued them shut.


----------



## smak

Back to the scene with Lydia, and may have been mentioned here, but I am assuming that Walt "stole" all packs of the Stevia so there would be only one pick to give to Lydia. And I think the waiter mentioned that there weren't any left.

I think most people were expecting most of the scenes to play out somewhat like they did, but they just were done so well.

I think my favorite scene, outside of the mowing down of the nazi's, was during the scene with Elliott and Gretchen.

After we realized that WW was using them to get money to junior, I think we were all pretty much waiting for the stick. He wasn't going to just take their word for it was he.

And snap, the "hit men"

Really cool scene.

-smak-


----------



## jamesl

getreal said:


> The proper word, I believe, is "Atin-Lay".


HA !
:up:


----------



## Hank

uncdrew said:


>





Fahtrim said:


> "Elliot, if we're gonna go in that direction you're gonna need a bigger knife."


My g/f thinks that that was a little homage to JAWS:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gciFoEbOA8[/media]

Alternatively, I thought this would have been just as good:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLS3RGesIFQ[/media]


----------



## MacThor

netringer said:


> Isn't that _the first time_ we've seen Walt shoot a guy directly?


Third, I think. Gus's drug dealer (after he ran over him) and Mike.


----------



## Hank

308 Negra Arroyo Lane for sale on Craigslist:

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/reb/4098553645.html

(yes, I know it's a joke)


----------



## jsmeeker

Hank said:


> 308 Negra Arroyo Lane for sale on Craigslist:
> 
> http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/reb/4098553645.html
> 
> (yes, I know it's a joke)


LOL



> 3BR/2BA Albuquerque ranch is fit for a king. In-ground pool with lovely patio, perfect for grilling with family. Two-car garage for a Pontiac Aztek, Chrysler 300 or both. Water heater replaced in 2009. Secret crawl space great fun for kids. Near airport. Great local schools with dedicated teachers who take an interest in students. World-class local hospitals. Perfect for outdoorsmen, with first-rate area camping and RV spots. MOTIVATED SELLER. MUST BE OUT BY SUNDAY, 10:15 PM. MAKE AN OFFER TODAY.


----------



## betts4

Nice homage -


----------



## betts4

Saw this in the comments section of Breaking Bad Facebook page. Gave me goosebumps. You could drive some trucks thru the logic/feasiblity, but it was cool.










16 years later a young blonde girl walks into her woodworking class late. The teacher shoots her a glare.

"Late again?"

"Sorry Mr. Pinkman, just had to go over some stuff with my Chemistry teacher."

Jesse smiles.

"It's alright. Take a seat, Holly."


----------



## pdhenry

What I learned today:

In addition to being the name of a plant, Stevia is the name of a company that processes the plant.


----------



## Jstkiddn

betts4 said:


> Saw this in the comments section of Breaking Bad Facebook page. Gave me goosebumps. You could drive some trucks thru the logic/feasiblity, but it was cool. 16 years later a young blonde girl walks into her woodworking class late. The teacher shoots her a glare. "Late again?" "Sorry Mr. Pinkman, just had to go over some stuff with my Chemistry teacher." Jesse smiles. "It's alright. Take a seat, Holly."


Cool!

This brought to mind a question that I had forgotten about until now. When Flynn was called from class to take the phone call from "Aunt Marie", was that Walt's old classroom?


----------



## JohnB1000

Two observations from the, always excellent, Den of Geek review

1. There were quite a lot of similarities to Unforgiven as the anti-hero rides back into town to right wrongs

2. They did a great job of talking about how the show changed things for people and TV. To take my interpretation, they said audiences need to strive for 97% and not accept 60% (a la Walt's meth). I liked the comparison and also the fact that they placed it as 97%, not perfect but close.


----------



## Jon J

I've never heard of setting up a trust with a box of cash so they've got to get that mound of money in the financial system somehow. It would be interesting to see the Anti Money Laundering paperwork it would generate when they try to deposit it in their local branch bank. Or, they could try 900 deposits just under the $10K trigger.


----------



## Bierboy

I'm about two-thirds of the way thru Talking Bad from Sunday night, and, while I've been one of the more vocal critics of that show, so far it's been excellent. I would highly recommend watching it...almost every major character (sans Cranston who was in flight at the time of the live airing) was on the show. RJ Mitte was particularly good; he's been overlooked in many interviews, and I found his perspective enlightening.


----------



## jsmeeker

betts4 said:


> Nice homage -


Nice

Beady eyes. Cold Heart. Couldn't win.

Bravo.

Bravo.


----------



## Bierboy

betts4 said:


> Nice homage -


Wow...left me speechless and with a tear in my eye...


----------



## bsnelson

> "Elliot, if we're gonna go in that direction you're gonna need a bigger knife."


I instantly saw this as a throwback to Mike, as it was absolutely something he'd say in every way: content, cadence, style, everything. Viva Mike!

Brad


----------



## betts4

jsmeeker said:


> Nice
> 
> *Beady eyes. Cold Heart. Couldn't win.
> *


That line made me smile.


----------



## betts4

bsnelson said:


> I instantly saw this as a throwback to Mike, as it was absolutely something he'd say in every way: content, cadence, style, everything. Viva Mike!
> 
> Brad


That's a good catch. You're right.


----------



## DevdogAZ

betts4 said:


> Nice homage -


Very well done. Definitely worth the watch. Thanks for posting.


----------



## JohnB1000

Mo Ryan really was unsatisfied with the finale !!!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maureen-ryan/breaking-bad-ending_b_4022685.html

I agree with some of the comments but others go overboard. I agree with this.



> No time was spent on Marie's grief, and there was only a brief scene of Skyler's utter resignation. The last episodes didn't linger on Flynn's adjustment to being the fatherless lynchpin of a broken household; he didn't even speak in the finale. Mike, gone. Saul, gone. Jesse appeared -- briefly -- to absolve Walt of his sins, which seems incredible, given what Jesse learned of Walt's role in Jane's death, not to mention everything else Walt had inflicted on him.


It's also interesting that she also brought up Lydia's daughter who was completely forgotten.

Also a good comparison to The Shield, which I thought was a better show and ended in a better way.


----------



## uncdrew

JohnB1000 said:


> Two observations from the, always excellent, Den of Geek review
> 
> 1. There were quite a lot of similarities to Unforgiven as the anti-hero rides back into town to right wrongs


There are only so many themes and plots out there. Seems like almost everything is similar to something that came before.

So is the show still over? What's next? What's the great show that comes after this one?

We had The Wire, LOST, Shield, Breaking Bad. There have been many other awesome shows. I'm ready for the next one.


----------



## pdhenry

Jon J said:


> Or, they could try 900 deposits just under the $10K trigger.


There's another thread about that somewhere. Doesn't work.


----------



## gchance

uncdrew said:


> So is the show still over? What's next? What's the great show that comes after this one?
> 
> We had The Wire, LOST, Shield, Breaking Bad. There have been many other awesome shows. I'm ready for the next one.


You know, I think about that a lot. I love to say that shows like this only come around every 5 or 10 years, but I have to say, there have been a LOT of great series recently.

Another thing I've noticed, at least with myself, is I don't start thinking of a series as being one of the greats until 3 or 4 seasons in. There are rare occasions (Lost being one of them for me) where I was gripped early on, but mostly it just slowly penetrates into my psyche.

I'm starting to think of Homeland that way, but it has many flaws and falls down a lot. I love The Walking Dead, but it's just not in the same league. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

Greg


----------



## TAsunder

Homeland has no chance of belonging on a list like that.

Game of Thrones has a chance, but it's going to run into problems as it covers looser, more convoluted material in the next book(s) it will cover. If it gets through the next season or two still remaining in top form, it will belong on the list.


----------



## JohnB1000

Game of Thrones is up there for me, the NEXT great show has either only just started airing or will in the future.

I think the Walking Dead deserves a chance.

Nothing else currently on cable or network seems like a candidate.


----------



## jsmeeker

House of Cards, maybe?


----------



## TAsunder

jsmeeker said:


> House of Cards, maybe?


Too soon to tell. A lot of shows were incredible for one season.


----------



## Hank

Walking Dead is crap compared to BrBa. 

House of Cards is really excellent TV, but doesn't have the same tension that BB had. 

Homeland started out with potential to be really excellent TV, but it's devolved into just entertainment.


----------



## jsmeeker

TAsunder said:


> Too soon to tell. A lot of shows were incredible for one season.


Sure. But if the challenge is to pick the next "Breaking Bad", you should have to do it earlier rather than many seasons into it.


----------



## type_g

So there are to many pages for me to go through (to lazy that is). Not sure if this link has been mentioned or posted but it shows 18 different callbacks to episodes throughout the season that was mentioned in the finale. Check it out pretty cool!!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/18-fun-easter-eggs-in-the-breaking-bad-series-finale


----------



## Jon J

pdhenry said:


> There's another thread about that _(900+ deposits)_ somewhere. Doesn't work.


Hence my smiley. And, my certificates for annual completion of Anti Money Laundering class.


----------



## 3D

Thought this was pretty great.


----------



## astrohip

Bierboy said:


> I'm about two-thirds of the way thru Talking Bad from Sunday night, and, while I've been one of the more vocal critics of that show, so far it's been excellent. I would highly recommend watching it...almost every major character (sans Cranston who was in flight at the time of the live airing) was on the show. RJ Mitte was particularly good; he's been overlooked in many interviews, and I found his perspective enlightening.


I've never watched a Talking Bad until this one, which I watched last night. Agree, very enjoyable hour. [Aside: WTH was Jimmy K doing there?]

Anna Gunn had a box of Kleenex with her. And they needed it!

It was a nice sendoff to see & hear so many of these actors once last time.



JohnB1000 said:


> Mo Ryan really was unsatisfied with the finale !!!!
> 
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maureen-ryan/breaking-bad-ending_b_4022685.html


I understand what she says, but don't agree. I want to be left _satisfied _by a series. Had the finale been as bleak as she wants/expected, would we be as satisfied? I don't think so.

I'm not sure we would be better served had more time been spent on Marie or Flynn or Jesse or whoever (one of her complaints--not enough time on the others). We knew where they were, and while an hour with those characters is one of the best hours of TV, I don't think it's the best hour for a finale. I want to see where Walter White goes, how the _story _ends.

She complains that we don't see Lydia's daughter, and then complains because the ending was too tidy. I say those are contradictions--we either can't see how everyone ends up (helloooo Huell) or we can leave it all tidy. Finding that balance is tough, and I thought the finale handled it well. Perfect? Who knows. Life is not a 100% target.

She also comments on how the show went from "detached observations of Walt" to a desire to burnish and redeem him in the end. Especially in how all his plans worked out. I understand her point, but unlike Mo, I don't find that a negative. We'd spent six years with Walt & Co; I have no desire to see it all end in a miasma of depression. It's tough enough watching pretty much every character's world fall apart, with little to no hope for the future. But to also have a bleak finale that only paints a darker picture? No thanks. I'm more than thrilled with what we got.

And what did we get? Resolution to most questions. The chance to take one last look at these people's lives. Some slight hope that the future may not be a total hell for everyone. The joy of killing the bad guys with a typical WW plan. Walt & Jesse acknowledging their relationship, even with all the storms it's been thru. Walt dying with some inner peace, surrounded by his baby blue.

Yeah, I'll take it. :up:


----------



## MonsterJoe

astrohip said:


> <snip>


:up: Well said.


----------



## JETarpon

type_g said:


> So there are to many pages for me to go through (to lazy that is). Not sure if this link has been mentioned or posted but it shows 18 different callbacks to episodes throughout the season that was mentioned in the finale. Check it out pretty cool!!
> 
> http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/18-fun-easter-eggs-in-the-breaking-bad-series-finale


Some of those are a stretch. And we know the watch wasn't about wait being out of time. It was about him having to take it off before the already-filmed dinner scene.


----------



## Bierboy

MonsterJoe said:


> :up: Well said.


Yes, VERY well articulated...


----------



## MonsterJoe

JETarpon said:


> Some of those are a stretch. And we know the watch wasn't about wait being out of time. It was about him having to take it off before the already-filmed dinner scene.


Fun to read, but a big stretch on most of them, probably.


----------



## Hank

type_g said:


> So there are to many pages for me to go through (to lazy that is). Not sure if this link has been mentioned or posted but it shows 18 different callbacks to episodes throughout the season that was mentioned in the finale. Check it out pretty cool!!
> 
> http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/18-fun-easter-eggs-in-the-breaking-bad-series-finale


Oh god, here we go again with people finding meaning where there was NONE intended.



> 17. So, this one is a MASSIVE stretch, but its definitely neat.


Dude, they're all "massive stretches" except for #13 ("woodworking") which VG even talked about.

The rest? Come on.


----------



## JohnB1000

I think Mo's opinions comes from trying to find a reason she was dissatisfied by the finale. I just can't see it as one of the best TV episodes ever so I understand. It wrapped the story up nicely but that episode wasn't a batch on any of the first 6 this season.


----------



## DevdogAZ

astrohip said:


> I've never watched a Talking Bad until this one, which I watched last night. Agree, very enjoyable hour. [Aside: WTH was Jimmy K doing there?


Aaron Paul was hosting a big finale viewing party and then there was a Q&A with the cast afterward. Jimmy Kimmel was hosting the Q&A portion. I'm not sure why they included him on Talking Bad other than that he was a celebrity and he was already there for the other event and all the other episodes of Talking Bad had included unrelated celebrities, so I guess they wanted to continue that trend. I liked that he mostly kept quiet and let the cast and Vince talk.


----------



## Fahtrim

uncdrew said:


> There are only so many themes and plots out there. Seems like almost everything is similar to something that came before.
> 
> So is the show still over? What's next? What's the great show that comes after this one?
> 
> We had The Wire, LOST, Shield, Breaking Bad. There have been many other awesome shows. I'm ready for the next one.


I personally don't hold Lost and The Shield near as high as The Wire and BB, they were fun tho....


----------



## Langree

The Shield, yes. Lost..ehh.


----------



## WhiskeyTango

Awesome finale. I deleted the episode and brought it back several times to rewatch the last 10 minutes again and again. I was rooting for Walt so I loved that ending. Seeing him content, almost happy, in his element with the cooking gear around him. I thought that was a great way for him to go out.


----------



## MikeAndrews

IT'S NOT OVER!

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-co...tember-30-2013/sign-off---more--breaking-bad-


----------



## nyny523

I think Mad Men can be added to that list. 

Excellent TV.


----------



## Fahtrim

Mad men, no. not consistent enough


----------



## Hank

Just watched the finale again over lunch. I really get choked up at the end.. more-so now than the first time.


----------



## cheesesteak

Hank said:


> Just watched the finale again over lunch. I really get choked up at the end.. more-so now than the first time.


Aren't you buried in the desert somewhere?


----------



## NoCalME

nyny523 said:


> I think Mad Men can be added to that list.


I certainly think so. Yes it's had its ups and downs, but overall 'Mad Men' has been really great.


----------



## Ereth

uncdrew said:


> We had The Wire, LOST, Shield, Breaking Bad. There have been many other awesome shows. I'm ready for the next one.


You aren't watching Game of Thrones?


----------



## TonyTheTiger

Looking forward to a re-watch on my big screen at home, probably on Thursday night. Streamed it on UK Netflix (the ONLY way to watch it here in the UK) on a 12" Ultrabook, so at least we got to see it last night!

...and why polute the thread with talk of that 60's based soap opera that's Mad Men? It's not even in the same league!


----------



## Bierboy

netringer said:


> IT'S NOT OVER!
> 
> http://www.colbertnation.com/the-co...tember-30-2013/sign-off---more--breaking-bad-


Oh that is a real hoot!!


----------



## nyny523

Mad Men had spectacular writing, great performances, universal themes, unbelievable sets and costumes and is as good of a character written drama as any of the others on that list - maybe even better than some.

Mad Men is truly excellent TV.


----------



## uncdrew

gchance said:


> You know, I think about that a lot. I love to say that shows like this only come around every 5 or 10 years, but I have to say, there have been a LOT of great series recently.
> 
> Another thing I've noticed, at least with myself, is I don't start thinking of a series as being one of the greats until 3 or 4 seasons in. There are rare occasions (Lost being one of them for me) where I was gripped early on, but mostly it just slowly penetrates into my psyche.
> 
> I'm starting to think of Homeland that way, but it has many flaws and falls down a lot. I love The Walking Dead, but it's just not in the same league. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.
> 
> Greg


Something about Raylan Givens, and something about the back-woods bumble-dumps he deals with.

I look forward to Justified more than I do Breaking Bad. I hope that doesn't ban me from this thread.

But yeah, I think any given year there are 2-3 shows that are excellent. They all might be on HBO or Showtime and I don't get to see them, however. Heck, House of Cards on NetFlix was phenomenal (to me).


----------



## uncdrew

Langree said:


> The Shield, yes. Lost..ehh.


The first season or two of LOST had me counting the days. We had parties to watch together.

It totally fell apart for me and got ridiculous to the point I was almost done with it. But for a period of time it was gripping.


----------



## uncdrew

Ereth said:


> You aren't watching Game of Thrones?




Want to. Love the genre. Don't want to pay for HBO. Trying to figure out a legal way to watch it free.


----------



## betts4

netringer said:


> IT'S NOT OVER!
> 
> http://www.colbertnation.com/the-co...tember-30-2013/sign-off---more--breaking-bad-


That was funny. Laugh out loud funny!


Spoiler



"Keep typing beeitch!"


----------



## cherry ghost

Tim Goodman puts Breaking Bad at #2

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/breaking-bad-legacy-does-stand-639177


----------



## JohnB1000

What he says now isn't that important, it's what people say in 5 years that matters.


----------



## brianric

Fahtrim said:


> Mad men, no. not consistent enough


I disagree. It is the best time piece series I have ever seen.


----------



## brianric

nyny523 said:


> Mad Men had spectacular writing, great performances, universal themes, unbelievable sets and costumes and is as good of a character written drama as any of the others on that list - maybe even better than some.
> 
> Mad Men is truly excellent TV.


:up::up::up:


----------



## jsmeeker

uncdrew said:


> Want to. Love the genre. Don't want to pay for HBO. Trying to figure out a legal way to watch it free.


Make friends with someone who has HBO.


----------



## Ereth

nyny523 said:


> Mad Men had spectacular writing, great performances, universal themes, unbelievable sets and costumes and is as good of a character written drama as any of the others on that list - maybe even better than some.
> 
> Mad Men is truly excellent TV.


It's anti-semitic, misogynistic and racist. By episode 5 I realized I hated every single character on the show and was only watching because the sets were interesting. That's when I gave up.

Which, admittedly, is interesting in a thread about a chemistry teacher who turns into a drug dealer, but somehow, there remained parts of Walter White which were not despicable, and while everybody was complex, they (almost) all had things about them you could like and relate to.

Sure, I get that the characters on Mad Men were products of their times and their hateful attitudes are just "part of day-to-day life", but it doesn't make me nostalgic for the 1950s, it makes me cringe to watch it.

There's a scene in Boardwalk Empire where a devout christian takes his jewish co-worker and literally drowns him while trying to get him to convert to christianity, and that scene is distasteful and difficult to watch. But Mad Men felt like that every week. I kept thinking to myself "who is the everyman here? Who is the character I'm supposed to relate to? Or failing that, who am I supposed to like and/or root for?" and there wasn't anybody. Nobody has any redeeming qualities that I could see.

Perhaps that changed in later seasons?


----------



## jsmeeker

it's set in the 1960s, not the 1950s.

Not that it really changes your argument. But it's a really good representation of what life was like then. I think. I wasn't alive then.


----------



## Ereth

uncdrew said:


> Want to. Love the genre. Don't want to pay for HBO. Trying to figure out a legal way to watch it free.


Sign up for HBO for one month. Stream the entire previous seasons through HBO Go. Turn HBO off until next year.

$15 it'll cost you for 3 seasons of some of the best TV I've ever seen in my life. Maybe less if you catch it on one of those "get HBO free for one month" promos.


----------



## Bierboy

jsmeeker said:


> it's set in the 1960s, not the 1950s.
> 
> Not that it really changes your argument. But it's a really good representation of what life was like then. I think. I wasn't alive then.


I was, and it is.

That said, I think BB has the edge over MM...however, they are VERY different animals. So comparing them is somewhat an exercise in futility...


----------



## astrohip

*'Breaking Bad' finale song 'Baby Blue' posts huge 3,000% sales increase*

http://www.hitfix.com/news/breaking-bad-finale-song-baby-blue-posts-huge-3000-sales-increase



> British rock group Badfinger is experiencing a mini-resurgence thanks to Sunday night's explosive "Breaking Bad" finale.
> 
> The now-defunct rock band's 1972 single "Baby Blue" is set for a nearly 3,000% sales increase after being featured in the final frames of AMC's popular crime-drama series, according to Billboard, with the song logging 5,000 downloads on Sunday night alone. That would be the biggest digital sales week ever for the track, which was taken from the group's 1971 album "Straight Up." The song also briefly rose into the Top 25 on iTunes' top songs list, though it appears to have fallen off the chart since. Billboard predicts the track will place on this week's Rock Digital Songs chart (it hit a peak of No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released); final sales figures are set to be released on Wednesday.
> 
> In addition to increased sales, "Baby Blue" was up 9,000% in Spotify streams in the 11 hours following the finale.
> 
> Badfinger (originally known as The Iveys) first formed in Swansea, Wales in the early 1960s. The band - made up of Pete Ham, Mike Gibbins, Tom Evans and Joey Molland at their height - were signed to the Beatles' Apple record label in 1968 and released a total of ten studio albums, the last of which was delayed for 19 years before finally hitting stores in 2000. Marred by tragedy, the group lost two members to suicide over an eight-year period, with Ham taking his own life in 1975 and Evans following in 1983.


I will confess I've listened to it about 20 times in my car since Sunday. I have a USB drive I play in my car with about 6,000 songs on it, and a search turned up four Badfinger songs, including Baby Blue.


----------



## uncdrew

Ereth said:


> Sign up for HBO for one month. Stream the entire previous seasons through HBO Go. Turn HBO off until next year.
> 
> $15 it'll cost you for 3 seasons of some of the best TV I've ever seen in my life. Maybe less if you catch it on one of those "get HBO free for one month" promos.


That is quite similar to my free plan, where my wife makes her yearly call to Comcast to get us back on the promotional pricing but I'm asking her to get some free HBO added.

Or else we walk to U-verse.


----------



## uncdrew

astrohip said:


> *'Breaking Bad' finale song 'Baby Blue' posts huge 3,000% sales increase*
> 
> http://www.hitfix.com/news/breaking-bad-finale-song-baby-blue-posts-huge-3000-sales-increase
> 
> I will confess I've listened to it about 20 times in my car since Sunday. I have a USB drive I play in my car with about 6,000 songs on it, and a search turned up four Badfinger songs, including Baby Blue.


The Devil with a blue dress on guys were seen sulking in the corner.


----------



## mr.unnatural

Just watched this last night. One of the things that sets this finale head and shoulders above so many others is that it offered closure to a well-told story. After seeing the POS that ended Dexter, this was more than a welcome relief. I second the sentiment about Six Feet Under in that it also provided closure to a great series. Too many finales just leave you guessing and disappointed.

Sure, there were some holes in the plot, but what script doesn't have a few? In order to make good TV you have to stretch the boundaries of reality a bit to make things work. The bit about the watch just showed how much attention they paid to details. My wife and I usually make a game out of spotting flaws in shows that have no concept of continuity or staging (the magic glass that mysteriously changes fluid levels with the camera angle is the most common and easiest to spot). Anyway, here's my take on the finale.

When Walt talked to his son in the previous episode he finally realized how badly he had screwed up his life and everyone around him, especially those he cared for the most. I'm pretty sure he was already aware of this to some extent, but when his son read him the riot act it finally hit home. Seeing Elliott and Gretchen on TV gave him a way to start making amends by setting up the trust for his kids. The money no longer held any meaning for him as he had already lost everything that really mattered.

When he got back in the car with Badger and Skinny Pete and found out that the blue meth was still being manufactured, he realized that Jesse was still alive. This was one more chance for him to make things right. First, he had the opportunity to take revenge for Hank's death as well as save Jesse. Killing Lydia was the way to break the chain so that no more meth would get distributed or produced. Having Jesse kill Todd was just a bonus.

In the end, I saw Walt as both a hero and a villain, albeit a badly broken one (or would that be Broken Badly?  ). He lived his life to the fullest, but paid dearly for it. The one question that remains is whether or not Walt's cancer had actually gone back into remission. Having a full head of hair just meant that he stopped the chemotherapy. The telltale cough indicates to me that he still had cancer and that he was resigned to it being terminal. He basically had nothing left to lose, hence the suicide mission to save Jesse and take out the bad guys.

This show will be hard to top as one of the best ever. I really hope that Vince Gilligan takes another shot at a TV series because this was simply brilliant.

FYI - Walt's first kill was when he strangled the gang member that tried to rob and kill him and Jesse in the first season. He didn't succomb to the toxic fumes Walt released in the RV in the 1st episode so they shackled him to a pole in Jesse's basement with a bike lock. I think he did the deed in the 2nd episode, but I'd have to go back and check.


----------



## Hank

Good points. 

One thing though -- when Walt found out that Jesse was still cooking, he assumed he was in partnership with Jack, and not being held as a slave. (Jesse already flipped to the DEA, so why wouldn't Walt think he flipped again to work with the AB?). So I think Walt went there to primarily assassinate the entire AB crew, and "deal" with Jesse one way or another. It wasn't until he learned that Jesse was being held against his will that he decided to rescue/shield him from the gunfire. Either he had planned to kill Jesse, or let Jesse kill him (as he offered). But I don't think he went there expecting to "save" Jesse.


----------



## jkeegan

Can I ask a favor? I've ignored the few times it's happened because I don't want to nag during the final thread, but can people please stop spoiling the end of other shows? I can almost see St a Elsewhere and Six Feet Under because the were a while ago, but Dexter JUST ended, and now I'm reading left and right here whether it's finale was good or not. Please don't spoil stuff for those of us a few seasons back. We even have rules about this here.

Sorry/thanks.


----------



## ct1

Crossover from the "federal government shutting down" thread: Colbert's Breaking Gov


----------



## TAsunder

I don't see how Breaking Bad will ever be better than the Wire in my own mind. If anything, Breaking Bad might fall below some of my other all-time favorites like Deadwood. I am not saying it WILL happen, but that's the only direction I can see it going. The Wire has permeated my very being and changed how I view the world. Breaking Bad was just a really, really good story.


----------



## Bierboy

jkeegan said:


> Can I ask a favor? I've ignored the few times it's happened because I don't want to nag during the final thread, but can people please stop spoiling the end of other shows? I can almost see St a Elsewhere and Six Feet Under because the were a while ago, but Dexter JUST ended, and now I'm reading left and right here whether it's finale was good or not. Please don't spoil stuff for those of us a few seasons back. We even have rules about this here.
> 
> Sorry/thanks.


Yeah...the comments you allude to have been creeping closer and closer to spoiler territory. I, for one, have not yet caught up the end of Dexter (I have four eps left), and there have been some comments here about


Spoiler



how bad the series finale is...


----------



## betts4

Hank said:


> Good points.
> 
> One thing though -- when Walt found out that Jesse was still cooking, he assumed he was in partnership with Jack, and not being held as a slave. (Jesse already flipped to the DEA, so why wouldn't Walt think he flipped again to work with the AB?). So I think Walt went there to primarily assassinate the entire AB crew, and "deal" with Jesse one way or another. It wasn't until he learned that Jesse was being held against his will that he decided to rescue/shield him from the gunfire. Either he had planned to kill Jesse, or let Jesse kill him (as he offered). But I don't think he went there expecting to "save" Jesse.


This was pretty much my take on it also.

I am glad he rescued Jesse by killing all the AB's but he was going to kill them that whether Jesse was there or not. Jesse getting his final revenge on Todd was just perfect.


----------



## Cearbhaill

mr.unnatural said:


> The one question that remains is whether or not Walt's cancer had actually gone back into remission. Having a full head of hair just meant that he stopped the chemotherapy. The telltale cough indicates to me that he still had cancer and that he was resigned to it being terminal.


I don't think there's a question about whether or not his cancer had come back- you could pretty much look at the man in both Granite State and Felina and know he was dying. It's the wasting away that tells the tale.


----------



## Bierboy

It was interesting in Talking Bad (at least I think it was in TB) how they (possibly VG) mentioned


Spoiler



dressing Skyler in larger clothes to make her appear to be thinner, lending to the impression of how stressed she was...


 Maybe they did the same to Walt...


----------



## TAsunder

Bierboy said:


> It was interesting in Talking Bad (at least I think it was in TB) how they (possibly VG) mentioned
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> dressing Skyler in larger clothes to make her appear to be thinner, lending to the impression of how stressed she was...
> 
> 
> Maybe they did the same to Walt...


They did - it was mentioned at the same time they discussed that.


----------



## astrohip

When a series as prominent as this ends, the TV-verse tends to go wild. Lists of "top series ever", "top finales ever", "top songs featuring the word 'blue' ever", yada. I read one yesterday, apologize for not having the link, of Top Series. And the writer made an interesting point.

It has to do with the length a series runs, and the quality of the various seasons. He posited that it is very difficult to have a 5-7 year run and have every season be A+ quality. He specifically mentioned Deadwood, oft considered an A+ series (it is in my eyes), but says with only a 3 year run, it's hard to judge. Then he mentions The Sopranos, another oft-considered A+ show. Yet it's universally acknowledged that while as a whole it is top-notch, there were years that were less superb than others.

His point being... Breaking Bad is a rare show that ran for five years (really six), and had no weak seasons. In fact, the show got better as it ran. And that's part of why so many people were drawn to it, it just wouldn't let us go.

I'll see if I can dig up his post, it was fun reading.


----------



## uncdrew

With Walt being so smart and so precise, I wonder if it bugged him a bit that the gun didn't lift high enough to not shoot through the body of the car.

Obviously he knew the bullets would go through the car, the building, etc. but still I bet it bugged him the gun didn't lift up and clear the trunk wall.



It would have bugged me.


----------



## mr.unnatural

Hank said:


> Good points.
> 
> One thing though -- when Walt found out that Jesse was still cooking, he assumed he was in partnership with Jack, and not being held as a slave. (Jesse already flipped to the DEA, so why wouldn't Walt think he flipped again to work with the AB?). So I think Walt went there to primarily assassinate the entire AB crew, and "deal" with Jesse one way or another. It wasn't until he learned that Jesse was being held against his will that he decided to rescue/shield him from the gunfire. Either he had planned to kill Jesse, or let Jesse kill him (as he offered). But I don't think he went there expecting to "save" Jesse.


Good point. But if you recall, the AB was going to kill Jesse so the likelihood of him teaming up with them to cook meth isn't very realistic, IMHO. OTOH, Walt may have jumped to conclusions when he realized that Jesse was cooking the blue meth and thought Jesse offered to cook in exchange for staying alive. That's essentially what happened, but not by his choice. I guess only Vince Gilligan knows the real motive behind Walt's actions.


----------



## Jstkiddn

I think it was pretty clear that when Walt found out about the purity of the product he knew immediately that Jesse was cooking it. I don't think in a 1,000 years he would have dreamed they were holding him hostage and beating him in order to make him cook the stuff. I'm sure he just assumed they had partnered up. He was pissed!

I think he was truly shocked to see just what had become of Jesse and in that moment made the decision to save him.


----------



## Cearbhaill

TAsunder said:


> They did - it was mentioned at the same time they discussed that.


Yes, and I read that he wore facial prosthetics as well.


----------



## gweempose

cherry ghost said:


> Tim Goodman puts Breaking Bad at #2
> 
> http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/breaking-bad-legacy-does-stand-639177


Can someone tell me if this article contains any spoilers about other shows. I really want to read it, but I'm afraid it might reveal stuff about other shows that I haven't seen yet.


----------



## DevdogAZ

Bierboy said:


> It was interesting in Talking Bad (at least I think it was in TB) how they (possibly VG) mentioned
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> dressing Skyler in larger clothes to make her appear to be thinner, lending to the impression of how stressed she was...
> 
> 
> Maybe they did the same to Walt...


I think Vince was saying that they thought about doing that with Skyler, since they had done the same with Walt. I don't think they actually did that with Skyler, though. Also, as cearbhaill mentioned, they did some make up work on Walt's face to make him seem more gaunt (goth?) as well.



mr.unnatural said:


> Good point. But if you recall, the AB was going to kill Jesse so the likelihood of him teaming up with them to cook meth isn't very realistic, IMHO. OTOH, Walt may have jumped to conclusions when he realized that Jesse was cooking the blue meth and thought Jesse offered to cook in exchange for staying alive. That's essentially what happened, but not by his choice. I guess only Vince Gilligan knows the real motive behind Walt's actions.


Vince pretty much laid out Walt's thought process during his interview with Stephen Colbert on Monday night.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/429397/september-30-2013/vince-gilligan-pt--2


----------



## peitsche

DevdogAZ said:


> I think Vince was saying that they thought about doing that with Skyler, since they had done the same with Walt. I don't think they actually did that with Skyler, though. Also, as cearbhaill mentioned, they did some make up work on Walt's face to make him seem more gaunt (goth?) as well.
> 
> Vince pretty much laid out Walt's thought process during his interview with Stephen Colbert on Monday night.
> 
> http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/429397/september-30-2013/vince-gilligan-pt--2


Thanks for posting that video clip. Turns out Walt did not intent to "save" Jesse at all.


----------



## mr.unnatural

Jstkiddn said:


> I think it was pretty clear that when Walt found out about the purity of the product he knew immediately that Jesse was cooking it. I don't think in a 1,000 years he would have dreamed they were holding him hostage and beating him in order to make him cook the stuff. I'm sure he just assumed they had partnered up. He was pissed!
> 
> I think he was truly shocked to see just what had become of Jesse and in that moment made the decision to save him.


Except for the fact that Walt knew Jesse was out of the business and wanted nothing more to do with cooking meth, especially with Walt. Walt realized immediately that Jesse was cooking the blue meth and was obviously pissed when he had that revelation. I'm pretty sure Walt was smart enough to know that even though Jesse was doing the cooking, he wouldn't be doing it voluntarily. He put 2 and 2 together and figured he could take care of two birds with one stone.

This is just my interpretation of how things went. I can see how others may have seen it differently. It's all good. In any case, once Walt saw Jesse in chains he made up his mind that he had to save him. Whether he decided that beforehand is simply conjecture on my part.

I just saw the link to the Colbert interview so it would appear that you are correct. Unfortunately, I can't link to the video from work so I'll have to check it out when I get home.


----------



## JohnB1000

peitsche said:


> Thanks for posting that video clip. Turns out Walt did not intent to "save" Jesse at all.


I think that's a misinterpretation. Vince says he was coming back for his own reasons (because he thought Jesse had yet again turned on him) but once he finds that Jesse is a slave he changed his mind and he decided save him.


----------



## gweempose

JohnB1000 said:


> I think that's a misinterpretation. Vince says he was coming back for his own reasons (because he thought Jesse had yet again turned on him) but once he finds that Jesse is a slave he changed his mind and he decided save him.


Correct, but the point was that saving Jesse was not his original motivation for returning to the AB's HQ.


----------



## DevdogAZ

gweempose said:


> Correct, but the point was that saving Jesse was not his original motivation for returning to the AB's HQ.


And even more so Walt went to the AB compound with the intent of killing all the Nazis and killing Jesse as well. It wasn't until Walt found out Jesse had been a slave for nearly six months, and that Walt was the reason for this, that Walt decided to protect Jesse rather than killing him.


----------



## The Flush

Is Jesse the only one who killed someone who is still alive?


----------



## MonsterJoe

The Flush said:


> Is Jesse the only one who killed someone who is still alive?


----------



## jsmeeker

The Flush said:


> Is Jesse the only one who killed someone who is still alive?


Hmm... He might be.


----------



## betts4

gweempose said:


> Correct, but the point was that saving Jesse was not his original motivation for returning to the AB's HQ.


But we knew that.


----------



## DougF

MonsterJoe said:


>


He probably meant to say something like "Is Jesse the only one still alive who killed someone else?".


----------



## astrohip

cherry ghost said:


> Tim Goodman puts Breaking Bad at #2
> 
> http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/breaking-bad-legacy-does-stand-639177
> 
> 
> gweempose said:
> 
> 
> 
> Can someone tell me if this article contains any spoilers about other shows. I really want to read it, but I'm afraid it might reveal stuff about other shows that I haven't seen yet.
Click to expand...

Not really, only in the very broadest sense. No specific spoilers. I haven't seen some of them (The Wire, for example), and didn't feel spoiled by what I read.

This link, BTW, is the one I was referring to a few posts up, about the list of all-time greatest shows. Very worthwhile read.


----------



## gweempose

astrohip said:


> Not really, only in the very broadest sense. No specific spoilers. I haven't seen some of them (The Wire, for example), and didn't feel spoiled by what I read.


Thanks! I just read the article, and it's a very interesting analysis of the shows. I then randomly stumbled across this article by Damon Lindelof. It was supposed to be about the Breaking Bad finale, but he ends up talking more about the Lost finale instead ...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/damon-lindelof-breaking-bad-finale-639484


----------



## MonsterJoe

DougF said:


> He probably meant to say something like "Is Jesse the only one still alive who killed someone else?".


Oh duh - oops.


----------



## stellie93

jkeegan said:


> Can I ask a favor? I've ignored the few times it's happened because I don't want to nag during the final thread, but can people please stop spoiling the end of other shows? I can almost see St a Elsewhere and Six Feet Under because the were a while ago, but Dexter JUST ended, and now I'm reading left and right here whether it's finale was good or not. Please don't spoil stuff for those of us a few seasons back. We even have rules about this here.
> 
> Sorry/thanks.


I have never watched the last few episodes of Battlestar Galactica because I was behind in finishing it and heard so many places that the ending stunk. I wasn't even spoiled by anything specific, but I just somehow never got around to watching it, even tho I have it recorded. Maybe I should go and do that.....


----------



## tivoboyjr

astrohip said:


> *'Breaking Bad' finale song 'Baby Blue' posts huge 3,000% sales increase*
> 
> I will confess I've listened to it about 20 times in my car since Sunday. I have a USB drive I play in my car with about 6,000 songs on it, and a search turned up four Badfinger songs, including Baby Blue.


Besides loving this show and being sad that it's over, I had a bit of a connection to the music in the finale.

My parents had that Marty Robbins album when I was a kid, and for some reason I liked "El Paso" and listened to it over and over. Haven't heard it in 40 years, and there it was. And the story in the song does kinda sorta fit with Walt in BB. Though maybe Jesse is "Filena." I also think it's possible that Walt went in to the AB compound with the intent to save Jesse. Calling out Uncle Jack on not killing Jesse could have been a way to get him to produce Jesse. Not saying it's probable, but possible. A lot of things had to fall into place, but a lot of things had to fall in place in general in this episode.

I've always loved "Baby Blue" and if you like the song, there is an impossible-to-find cover version by a guy named Phil Keaggy that is incredible. Phil is a guitar guy so the song is more guitar heavy, but not overboard. The album is called "Blue." I bought it on ebay years ago because I couldn't find it online.

As for what to watch now, if you haven't seen Orphan Black, I recommend it. It's between seasons - season one is over and season two starts next year. It's similar to Breaking Bad in that the lead is incredibly talented and it draws you in right away (there's no "just wait until episode four and stuff starts to happen" with this show), but other than that it's pretty different.


----------



## DevdogAZ

tivoboyjr said:


> Besides loving this show and being sad that it's over, I had a bit of a connection to the music in the finale.
> 
> My parents had that Marty Robbins album when I was a kid, and for some reason I liked "El Paso" and listened to it over and over. Haven't heard it in 40 years, and there it was. And the story in the song does kinda sorta fit with Walt in BB. Though maybe Jesse is "Filena." I also think it's possible that Walt went in to the AB compound with the intent to save Jesse. Calling out Uncle Jack on not killing Jesse could have been a way to get him to produce Jesse. Not saying it's probable, but possible. A lot of things had to fall into place, but a lot of things had to fall in place in general in this episode.


VG said in the Colbert interview posted above that Walt's "Precious" is the blue meth and the lab he created. That's his "Felina" that he's coming back for.


----------



## Bierboy

tivoboyjr said:


> ...I've always loved "Baby Blue" and if you like the song, there is an impossible-to-find cover version by a guy named _*Phil Keaggy*_ that is incredible. Phil is a guitar guy so the song is more guitar heavy, but not overboard. The album is called "Blue." I bought it on ebay years ago because I couldn't find it online....


I am VERY familiar with Phil Keaggy's music. He is one of the greatest acoustic guitar players in the world (IMHO), and even plays missing half the middle finger on his right hand.


----------



## Bierboy

DevdogAZ said:


> VG said in the Colbert interview posted above that Walt's "Precious" is the blue meth and the lab he created. _*That's his "Felina" that he's coming back for.*_


Maybe.....maybe not....


----------



## Langree

Saw Phil in concert once at my college, amazing guitar player.


----------



## gweempose

Bierboy said:


> Maybe.....maybe not....


Since VG said that it is, and it's his show, I don't think it's open to interpretation. Then again, half the people still disagree with Lindelof's explanation of what went down on Lost ...


----------



## danterner

"Baby Blue" is now at 9000%

That's Heisenberg level...


----------



## MikeAndrews

danterner said:


> "Baby Blue" is now at 9000%
> 
> That's Heisenberg level...


We just know that the clueless record company made AMC pay huge bucks for clearance so AMC could promote the song and sell lotsa copies for the record company.


----------



## JohnB1000

netringer said:


> We just know that the clueless record company made AMC pay huge bucks for clearance so AMC could promote the song and sell lots a copies for the record company.


So they made money twice, wish I was that clueless.


----------



## MikeAndrews

JohnB1000 said:


> So they made money twice, wish I was that clueless.


Eventually the world will be right and such as AMC will charge a promotional fee.

Note that among the advertisers for this last episode were *Mercedes-Benz*.


----------



## JohnB1000

Listening to the Talking TV Podcast and man were they negative about the finale. The biggest complaint was basically that Walt got what he wanted which was quite a shift for the shows tone (In EP1 he wanted money for his family because he was going to die, he got that).

They made a point about how few minutes Jesse got in the final 8 episodes (compared to earlier) and since he was many people's favorite character it seemed off.

My conclusion now. I would have ended at Ozymandias, Walt going with the relocator but defeated, Jesse dead or chained cooking. Earlier I was not a big Hank fan but the show lost it's power when he (and Marie) were gone.


----------



## mr.unnatural

netringer said:


> We just know that the clueless record company made AMC pay huge bucks for clearance so AMC could promote the song and sell lotsa copies for the record company.


I'm not entirely sure, but I think there's a statute of limitations that puts music in the public domain after 20 years unless the rights are renewed. It automatically enters public domain 70 years after the author's death. It's possible, but not likely, that AMC probably may not have had to pay any royalties to use it.


----------



## maltese

I am assuming spoilers from any part of the series is allowed in this thread?

Anyways, I had one thought that keeps coming up. The final episode of S4 where Gus dies, the famous Faceoff scene. Loved it, as it was a major jaw dropping moment in the story. He walks out and then you clearly see half his head missing. When I saw that scene, I felt like the story suddenly took a turn toward the suspension of disbelief route. Almost supernatural.

And yes, we can debate all sorts of aspects of the show that are hard to believe, but for the most part, almost all other events were based in the possibility of reality. Do people agree that the faceoff scene was the only scene that pushed the limit of non supernatural belief? 

I only thought about this because, prior to Felina, I wondered if the grand finale would include another such impossible to believe scene. But obviously they kept it grounded in reality. So what's the deal, in hindsight, you either say that the faceoff scene was out of place in an otherwise non-supernatural story. Or, you can try to explain the scene by saying people can stand up and walk for 10 seconds with half their face blown off.

Thoughts?


----------



## nyny523

I thought the head on the tortoise was pretty crazy.

Loved it, but crazy.


----------



## danterner

maltese said:


> I am assuming spoilers from any part of the series is allowed in this thread? Anyways, I had one thought that keeps coming up. The final episode of S4 where Gus dies, the famous Faceoff scene. Loved it, as it was a major jaw dropping moment in the story. He walks out and then you clearly see half his head missing. When I saw that scene, I felt like the story suddenly took a turn toward the suspension of disbelief route. Almost supernatural. And yes, we can debate all sorts of aspects of the show that are hard to believe, but for the most part, almost all other events were based in the possibility of reality. Do people agree that the faceoff scene was the only scene that pushed the limit of non supernatural belief? I only thought about this because, prior to Felina, I wondered if the grand finale would include another such impossible to believe scene. But obviously they kept it grounded in reality. So what's the deal, in hindsight, you either say that the faceoff scene was out of place in an otherwise non-supernatural story. Or, you can try to explain the scene by saying people can stand up and walk for 10 seconds with half their face blown off. Thoughts?


 I'd say it was hyper-real, done in the service of good story-telling, but didn't cross the line over to surreal/sci-fi/supernatural to me. There were other moments that I'd categorize similarly - the planes colliding directly over Walt's house being a main one. Or the electromagnet police station caper.


----------



## gweempose

maltese said:


> I am assuming spoilers from any part of the series is allowed in this thread?
> 
> Anyways, I had one thought that keeps coming up. The final episode of S4 where Gus dies, the famous Faceoff scene. Loved it, as it was a major jaw dropping moment in the story. He walks out and then you clearly see half his head missing. When I saw that scene, I felt like the story suddenly took a turn toward the suspension of disbelief route. Almost supernatural.
> 
> And yes, we can debate all sorts of aspects of the show that are hard to believe, but for the most part, almost all other events were based in the possibility of reality. Do people agree that the faceoff scene was the only scene that pushed the limit of non supernatural belief?
> 
> I only thought about this because, prior to Felina, I wondered if the grand finale would include another such impossible to believe scene. But obviously they kept it grounded in reality. So what's the deal, in hindsight, you either say that the faceoff scene was out of place in an otherwise non-supernatural story. Or, you can try to explain the scene by saying people can stand up and walk for 10 seconds with half their face blown off.
> 
> Thoughts?


The thing with Gus was obviously completely over the top, but I didn't have a problem with it. If they had done stuff like that regularly, it would have been annoying. In this particular instance, however, I found it to be an effective artistic choice. It took a crazy, intense scene and flipped the script. I thought it was brilliant.


----------



## JohnB1000

I agree with gweempose, the point of that scene was that Gus is dead, they used dramatic license to make it exciting and shocking. I had more problems with unrealistic scenes of convenience in the finale than I do with that.


----------



## astrohip

JohnB1000 said:


> Listening to the Talking TV Podcast and man were they negative about the finale. The biggest complaint was basically that Walt got what he wanted which was quite a shift for the shows tone (In EP1 he wanted money for his family because he was going to die, he got that).
> 
> They made a point about how few minutes Jesse got in the final 8 episodes (compared to earlier) and since he was many people's favorite character it seemed off.
> 
> My conclusion now. I would have ended at Ozymandias, Walt going with the relocator but defeated, Jesse dead or chained cooking. Earlier I was not a big Hank fan but the show lost it's power when he (and Marie) were gone.


I disagree. Everyone in this story has a bleak future, or is dead. Yes, Walt did get money to his family, but other than that, he lost everything he ever had--family, reputation, love. His kids will forever be known as Heisenberg's kids, not Walter White's. Walt did not get off easy, did not get everything he wanted.

Ozymandias was the most powerful, intense episode of the series. But as a finale, it wouldn't work. It wasn't _satisfying_. I've used that word until I've almost worn it out. Felina left us satisfied. We have resolution. To end it with Walt on the run and Jesse in chains... jeez, this would have left such a different taste in our collective mouths that we would be having a very very different conversation this week.

Breaking Bad as we knew it ended with Ozymandias. The story was over, all exposed, money gone, Hank dead. The final two episodes were the epilogue that we needed for closure.

I guess we can debate for years whether Breaking Bad ended properly, whether Vince Gilligan changed it up, whether Walt truly got his just deserts. I know that personally, I was at peace with the series and how it ended.


----------



## betts4

danterner said:


> I'd say it was hyper-real, done in the service of good story-telling, but didn't cross the line over to surreal/sci-fi/supernatural to me. There were other moments that I'd categorize similarly - the planes colliding directly over Walt's house being a main one. Or the electromagnet police station caper.


Yo, the magnets was SCIENCE!



astrohip said:


> I disagree. Everyone in this story has a bleak future, or is dead. Yes, Walt did get money to his family, but other than that, he lost everything he ever had--family, reputation, love. His kids will forever be known as Heisenberg's kids, not Walter White's. Walt did not get off easy, did not get everything he wanted.


Holly? she may be able to get past that. Heisenberg may be forgotten by her generation or not known to be Walter White, just Heisenberg.


----------



## astrohip

Here is the review in the New York Times. Spoilerized for space only. Not sure if this link works if you're not a subscriber.

http://tv.nytimes.com/2013/10/01/arts/television/breaking-bad-finale.html
*
A Clear Ending to a Mysterious Beginning
By ALESSANDRA STANLEY
*


Spoiler



*A Clear Ending to a Mysterious Beginning
By ALESSANDRA STANLEY*

After so many lugubrious turns, Breaking Bad came to an end on Sunday on an almost uplifting note.

Walter White died, of course, but first he ran the table of revenge, settling score after score with mathematical precision. He went out with a big finish: his ingeniously rigged machine gun mowed down the entire Aryan Brotherhood gang in a fantastical killing spree that was almost like a scene from a Quentin Tarantino movie. (As bad guys go, the next best thing to a Nazi is a neo-Nazi.)

It was a fitting ending, and predictable in only some ways. Crime didnt pay and Walter lost just about everything, including his life. But it was also, by the shows bleak, almost Calvinist standards, a relatively happy ending. It wasnt, as he so often feared, all for nothing  he found a way to get his money to his children. He also saved Jesse, actually taking a bullet for him by throwing himself on top of the younger man to protect him from the machine gun fire. He even made up with his wife, Skyler.

It was way too late for contrition, but there was a confession and even a kind of deathbed conciliation. Walter for the first time told Skyler the truth about his reason for cooking meth and becoming a drug lord. I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it, he said. And I was really, I was alive.

After so many layers of lies, that blunt admission won him at long last the shadow of a loving smile. And that was almost the same look that Walt exchanged with Jesse as the two parted for good, a glint of recognition and farewell.

Then again, the episode began with Walter still alive but already a ghost, walking in and out of secured mansions, public diners and even Skylers house undetected, almost as if invisible.

Perhaps the best thing about the finale of Breaking Bad is that it actually ended. So many shows, notably The Sopranos and Lost, have gone dark without anything approaching finality. Here, the writers were so determined to not leave unfinished business that the last episode was called Felina, an anagram of finale. And almost every loose end was tied. In some cases, a little too tightly, and in others, not quite as much.

The all-important ricin, like Chekhovs gun, had to actually be put to use at long last. And it was almost comical that Lydia, so prissy and exacting, was poisoned with a packet of her beloved Stevia sweetener.

In a later scene, the writers underscored the point, showing Lydia in bed, pale and sickly as Walter explains to her over the telephone that he poisoned her drink at the diner. But that was almost overkill: when Lydia tapped the sweetener into her camomile tea, the camera zoomed in on her mug of tea as it clouded up  as ominous as a glass of milk in a Hitchcock movie.

Even the dreamy scene where Jesse, still in shackles in a meth lab, fantasizes that he is in a woodworking shop sanding a beautiful box had a precise antecedent: in an episode when Jesse was in group therapy, he reminisced about the satisfaction he felt in high school of making a perfect box from Peruvian walnut with inlaid zebrawood.

When Walt died, it was to the tune of Baby Blue by Badfinger, which begins with the words, Guess I got what I deserve.

The ending was clear enough; it was the beginning that was left ambiguous.

The finale circled back to Gretchen and Elliott Schwartz, Walts former partners at Gray Matter. Walt broke into their mansion and cleverly blackmailed the couple into providing his children with the millions he couldnt give them directly. And it was a delicious scene: When Elliott fearfully brandished a small blade, Walt said gently, Elliott if were going to go that way, youll need a bigger knife.

But the show never fully spelled out why Walt broke away from Gretchen and Elliott in the first place.

There were hints throughout the series. On several occasions, Walt accused them of cheating him out of his share; that bitterness seemingly helped steer him into his life of crime. But it wasnt clear that his version was correct  in an episode where they confront each other at a restaurant, Gretchen said that Walt left her without any explanation. And the true story never came out.

Breaking Bad brilliantly tracked Walts transformation from teacher to criminal mastermind. But its still a mystery why that talented chemist turned his back on fame and fortune and became a humble high school chemistry teacher.

That is one secret Walter White took to the grave.


----------



## JohnB1000

Astrohip, I think what bothered them was we had 5 seasons -1 episode where Walt slipped into nothing but overall failure and the message was that bad guys don't get what they want. However the last episode ( and most of the last season ) changed from observing a story about a set of characters to the story of Walt, and ultimately him going out on his own terms (while disposing of a set of disposable characters).

I'd love to see the stats on Jesse's average minutes per episode by season.


----------



## JohnB1000

I'll also add that in principle I agree with their overall point.

This was one of the better series finale's that I can remember...but it was only a middling episode of Breaking Bad. Perhaps only the 7th best episode out of the last 8 (IMHO). I just don't see it as a perfect episode, though it may be the best we could hope for as a finale.


----------



## betts4

JohnB1000 said:


> Astrohip, I think what bothered them was we had 5 seasons -1 episode where Walt slipped into nothing but overall failure and the message was that bad guys don't get what they want. However the last episode ( and most of the last season ) changed from observing a story about a set of characters to the story of Walt, and ultimately him going out on his own terms (while disposing of a set of disposable characters).
> 
> I'd love to see the stats on Jesse's average minutes per episode by season.


I think once they started down the road of Jesse and Walt splitting up and Jesse tossing money all over, there was no easy way to get Jesse back into it. It did become Walt's story. But, it started out to be HIS story with Jesse only around for one season. I wonder if it would have gone on for so long without the chemistry that those two had. it was sorely missed this last season.


----------



## TonyTheTiger

I loved VG's reasoning for Walt leaving his watch on the payphone!



Spoiler



In the flash forward in 501, he wasn't wearing a watch so it was done for continuity!


----------



## DevdogAZ

JohnB1000 said:


> Listening to the Talking TV Podcast and man were they negative about the finale. The biggest complaint was basically that Walt got what he wanted which was quite a shift for the shows tone (In EP1 he wanted money for his family because he was going to die, he got that).
> 
> They made a point about how few minutes Jesse got in the final 8 episodes (compared to earlier) and since he was many people's favorite character it seemed off.
> 
> My conclusion now. I would have ended at Ozymandias, Walt going with the relocator but defeated, Jesse dead or chained cooking. Earlier I was not a big Hank fan but the show lost it's power when he (and Marie) were gone.





JohnB1000 said:


> Astrohip, I think what bothered them was we had 5 seasons -1 episode where Walt slipped into nothing but overall failure and the message was that bad guys don't get what they want. However the last episode ( and most of the last season ) changed from observing a story about a set of characters to the story of Walt, and ultimately him going out on his own terms (while disposing of a set of disposable characters).
> 
> I'd love to see the stats on Jesse's average minutes per episode by season.





JohnB1000 said:


> I'll also add that in principle I agree with their overall point.
> 
> This was one of the better series finale's that I can remember...but it was only a middling episode of Breaking Bad. Perhaps only the 7th best episode out of the last 8 (IMHO). I just don't see it as a perfect episode, though it may be the best we could hope for as a finale.


I listened to that on Tuesday and I just felt like the two of them were watching and expecting a completely different show than I was. First, as much as I liked the finale, I felt like it was pretty mechanical in moving through the things that we knew had to happen. Because of the two flash forwards, we knew Walt had to be trying to take someone out with the M-60, and we knew that he was going to serve the ricin to someone. Everyone pretty much already knew who those things were for, so there wasn't much surprising about how that all went down. About the only surprising things about the finale were the way Walt didn't hurt Gretchen and Elliot, but instead used them, and how he admitted to Skyler that he did it all for him.

So for Mo and Ryan to feel like the finale was somehow a let down or didn't go where they expected is just bizarre, since we pretty much already knew what was going to happen. It's like they expected Walt to get his comeuppance and since that didn't happen, they were disappointed. But given the way the story had progressed, who was left to give Walt his comeuppance? It would have been profoundly unsatisfying if Walt had come back to ABQ and then been caught by some nameless, faceless DEA agent that we'd never met before. It would have been even worse if he'd gone to the AB compound to kill them and instead his plan failed and he was killed but they survived.

Maybe they had a different idea of how the series should progress way back in S3 or S4. But by the time we got into late S5 and we'd already seen the flash forwards, I don't feel like there was much else we could have expected from the finale. Especially after Hank was killed and there really wasn't anyone else that could catch Walt in a satisfying way. So I really don't understand what they were getting at.

Also, this show was always about Walt. It was Walt and those around him, so that's how we got to know Jesse, Hank, Skyler, Marie, Gus, Mike, Saul, etc. But ultimately it was a show about Walt, so when most of those characters were dead or disappeared, and Walt had alienated himself from the other characters, I don't really know how we were supposed to focus on what was happening with them. What good would it have done to have a scene with Marie where we saw how she was dealing with Hank's death six months later? Or what more could Flynn have said in this episode after what he said at the end of Granite State? I really don't know what Mo and Ryan were smoking, because the opinions they expressed just seemed so out of touch with the show I watched.


----------



## tivoboyjr

TonyTheTiger said:


> I loved VG's reasoning for Walt leaving his watch on the payphone! * SPOILER *


That didn't make sense to me. People don't take their watches off now and then? I don't see how it would have been a continuity error. A continuity error is him having a watch in the diner, then not having it, then having it again, all in the same scene.


----------



## TAsunder

Things did not always go horribly wrong for Walt. There were periods of time where things were going quite well. And his plans often worked out in his favor. What often got him into trouble was not being satisfied with what he had or where he was in life. He killed the AB leader who was offering him $70mil more. I think "old Walt" would have fallen for that. "New Walt" did not fall into the same trap. And, so, his plan worked out well and he never felt compelled to do more.


----------



## MikeAndrews

mr.unnatural said:


> I'm not entirely sure, but I think there's a statute of limitations that puts music in the public domain after 20 years unless the rights are renewed. It automatically enters public domain 70 years after the author's death. It's possible, but not likely, that AMC probably may not have had to pay any royalties to use it.


You're cute. Every time that the original Mickey Mouse is threatened with being in the public domain Disney just buys a new bill from congress to extend the term. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act

There have been teams of lawyers who claim that no work should ever be public domain. Vis: "It's a Wonderful Life" is no longer in the public domain.

The recording industry is worse than the movie industry. That's why the CD soundtrack for a movie can cost twice as much as the entire movie on DVD.


----------



## DevdogAZ

mr.unnatural said:


> I'm not entirely sure, but I think there's a statute of limitations that puts music in the public domain after 20 years unless the rights are renewed. It automatically enters public domain 70 years after the author's death. It's possible, but not likely, that AMC probably may not have had to pay any royalties to use it.


In addition to what netringer said, people have found their way around the 70 year thing by then having corporations own the copyright. Since corporations are perpetual and do not die, the copyright can continue to be renewed in perpetuity.


----------



## Numb And Number2

TonyTheTiger said:


> I loved VG's reasoning for Walt leaving his watch on the payphone!
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> In the flash forward in 501, he wasn't wearing a watch so it was done for continuity!


I figured Walt bought information and assistance from the barmaid with the watch. She preferred a story about how she "found" it to one where she abetted a criminal.


----------



## nyny523

Numb And Number2 said:


> I figured Walt bought information and assistance from the barmaid with the watch. She preferred a story about how she "found" it to one where she abetted a criminal.


Why would you think that?

He left the watch on a payphone near home (South West)

The barmaid was in New Hampshire. She never had the watch. He got rid of it long after he left the bar...


----------



## Numb And Number2

nyny523 said:


> Why would you think that?


I must have blinked LOL!


----------



## MikeAndrews

JohnB1000 said:


> I agree with gweempose, the point of that scene was that Gus is dead, they used dramatic license to make it exciting and shocking. I had more problems with unrealistic scenes of convenience in the finale than I do with that.


Like: In Hollywood pretty much anybody who gets shot doesn't seem to feel pain. I fell and dislocated my shoulder and could be heard for a half mile. These guys get shot and grimace while maybe, they quietly spew their dying words, otherwise they just fall quietly.

See on Cops. People that really get shot scream in pain. Taking a bullet kinda smarts.


----------



## Turtleboy

Sorry if smeek.

SNL alum Norm MacDonald thinks that police surrounded Walt's car in NH. Everything else wasn't a "dream" per se, but the plan / imaginings of a sick mind.

And he'll argue with you about it on twitter.

https://twitter.com/normmacdonald


----------



## markymark_ctown

Turtleboy said:


> Sorry if smeek.
> 
> SNL alum Norm MacDonald thinks that police surrounded Walt's car in NH. Everything else wasn't a "dream" per se, but the plan / imaginings of a sick mind.
> 
> And he'll argue with you about it on twitter.
> 
> https://twitter.com/normmacdonald


somewhat along those lines about a "dream", just read this interesting review:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blo...r&utm_content=buffer34c35&utm_medium=facebook


----------



## JohnB1000

DevdogAZ, my feeling is that Mo and Ryan were disappointed by the finale and just struggled to find reasons, and then ended up going overboard. I found the last two more flat than the previous 6 and can't necessarily express the reasons (though it all being mechanical is one way of putting OR it just wasn't as good as 1-6).


----------



## MonsterJoe

JohnB1000 said:


> ...and just struggled to find reasons, and then ended up going overboard...


Sounds like my GF every time we argue about something!


----------



## wouldworker

Turtleboy said:


> Sorry if smeek.
> 
> SNL alum Norm MacDonald thinks that police surrounded Walt's car in NH. Everything else wasn't a "dream" per se, but the plan / imaginings of a sick mind.
> 
> And he'll argue with you about it on twitter.
> 
> https://twitter.com/normmacdonald


It actually works pretty well that way but I don't think that's what they intended since the "it was a dream" thing makes you a laughingstock (even if it's not the entire series but just the majority of one episode) and Vince Gilligan has said a ton about the finale and clarified several key points but he never pointed out that everyone missed the "it was a dream" part.


----------



## MegaHertz67

betts4 said:


> Yo, the magnets was SCIENCE!


That was one of my favorite moments of the show because it made me laugh out loud so surprisingly. There was such a sense of pride in Jesse reaction that he was the one that figured out that a big magnet would work when Mike and Walt were arguing about the laptop in the police evidence locker.

It also might have been the last time we saw Jesse truly happy.


----------



## astrohip

markymark_ctown said:


> somewhat along those lines about a "dream", just read this interesting review:
> 
> http://www.newyorker.com/online/blo...r&utm_content=buffer34c35&utm_medium=facebook


Makes for an interesting read. I don't agree, and even she admits she doesn't think it's true. But it was well-written and compelling. Kudos for that. Better than Mo and her struggling to justify her unhappiness.


----------



## JohnB1000

markymark_ctown said:


> somewhat along those lines about a "dream", just read this interesting review:
> 
> http://www.newyorker.com/online/blo...r&utm_content=buffer34c35&utm_medium=facebook


Yes I like that review, outside of the "dream" theory, which it isn't, I agree with her actual criticism of the episode.


----------



## gchance

From this morning's ABQ Journal.










Greg


----------



## Marc

Today's episode of Fresh Air is an interview with a couple of the Breaking Bad writers/producers. It's pretty interesting to hear how they worked to create the magic that is Breaking Bad.


----------



## markymark_ctown

gchance said:


> From this morning's ABQ Journal.
> 
> Greg


i love that. is that real or a joke?

and borrowed for facebook!


----------



## TonyTheTiger

markymark_ctown said:


> i love that. * is that real or a joke?*
> 
> and borrowed for facebook!


Seriously??????


----------



## nyc13

TonyTheTiger said:


> Seriously??????


I think he's asking if it was really in the paper or just a photoshop job. Looks pretty good to me if it's a fake.

AP is saying it's real, placed by a fan. It was a paid ad rather than an actual obit.


----------



## markymark_ctown

nyc13 said:


> I think he's asking if it was really in the paper or just a photoshop job. Looks pretty good to me if it's a fake.
> 
> AP is saying it's real, placed by a fan. It was a paid ad rather than an actual obit.


thanks!

glad someone is bright enough to understand my question.


----------



## TonyTheTiger

Sorry I'm too dim for you.


----------



## markymark_ctown

astrohip said:


> Makes for an interesting read. I don't agree, and even she admits she doesn't think it's true. But it was well-written and compelling. Kudos for that. Better than Mo and her struggling to justify her unhappiness.


same here. don't agree with it, but enjoyed the read and angle.


----------



## Bierboy

It was a real obituary for a fake person...


----------



## JohnB1000

Bierboy said:


> It was a real obituary for a fake person...


I thought it was an ad written to look like an obituary for a fake person.


----------



## gchance

It was really in the ABQ Journal. The guy who posted it scanned it himself (he's a member of a podcast group there). Someone ELSE sent it to Gawker later in the day.

http://gawker.com/breaking-bad-fans-sneak-major-spoiler-into-albuquerque-1441130049

Full page









ABQ Journal article about it.

I told someone on Facebook, it would have been better if they had used the picture from "Flynn's" original Save Walter White website.










Greg


----------



## Worf

That's the thing with Breaking Bad I found - they use real URLs and real phone numbers - no fake URLs that won't work, nor 555 phone numbers.

Did people actually try to call those phone numbers to see what would happen? I would guess it would lead to a studio-run message or something...


----------



## DevdogAZ

Worf said:


> That's the thing with Breaking Bad I found - they use real URLs and real phone numbers - no fake URLs that won't work, nor 555 phone numbers. Did people actually try to call those phone numbers to see what would happen? I would guess it would lead to a studio-run message or something...


They've talked about that on the podcast. Actors or crew would often answer when people called those numbers.


----------



## xyz

Worf said:


> That's the thing with Breaking Bad I found - they use real URLs and real phone numbers - no fake URLs that won't work, nor 555 phone numbers.
> 
> Did people actually try to call those phone numbers to see what would happen? I would guess it would lead to a studio-run message or something...


They used to do this with 24. They would put a real phone number on the caller ID and people would call and talk to cast and crew members.


----------



## nyny523

I like when they use real numbers.

Not that I would call one, but as soon as they say "555" I know it's fake and it takes me out of the world they are creating - you know what I mean?


----------



## betts4

gchance said:


> From this morning's ABQ Journal.


Loved it.

"He will be greatly missed"

:up:


----------



## danterner

nyny523 said:


> I like when they use real numbers. Not that I would call one, but as soon as they say "555" I know it's fake and it takes me out of the world they are creating - you know what I mean?


 In the movie Contact, there's a scene where Palmer Joss gives Jodi Foster's character a phone number that's written on a scrap of paper, or maybe it was a bar napkin. I remember being so surprised when we saw that scene - it was our phone number at the time.

Also: in the first season of Supernatural, Sam and Dean are looking for their father and in one episode his phone number is mentioned. Calling the number was actually the start of a whole Alternate Reality Game.


----------



## Worf

danterner said:


> In the movie Contact, there's a scene where Palmer Joss gives Jodi Foster's character a phone number that's written on a scrap of paper, or maybe it was a bar napkin. I remember being so surprised when we saw that scene - it was our phone number at the time.
> 
> Also: in the first season of Supernatural, Sam and Dean are looking for their father and in one episode his phone number is mentioned. Calling the number was actually the start of a whole Alternate Reality Game.


Did you get any phone calls?

Anyone who has 567-8309 gets a lot from the song...

So, did anyone actually call those Breaking Bad numbers? I've always wondered how long those things stay up before they're canceled...


----------



## danterner

Worf said:


> Did you get any phone calls? Anyone who has 567-8309 gets a lot from the song... So, did anyone actually call those Breaking Bad numbers? I've always wondered how long those things stay up before they're canceled...


No, no calls.


----------



## Jstkiddn

Worf said:


> Anyone who has 567-8309 gets a lot from the song.....


Did you mean 867-5309?

Great.....now the song is stuck in my head.


----------



## MikeAndrews

gchance said:


> It was really in the ABQ Journal. The guy who posted it scanned it himself (he's a member of a podcast group there). Someone ELSE sent it to Gawker later in the day.


How often do obituaries give the cause of death, much less as a gunshot wound? It should have said, "Passed suddenly, after a long illness."


----------



## Jstkiddn

netringer said:


> How often do obituaries give the cause of death, much less as a gunshot wound? It should have said, "Passed suddenly, after a long illness."


I've seen several recently that gave cause of death. The ones that are specific is usually cancer.


----------



## JETarpon

Worf said:


> Anyone who has 567-8309 gets a lot from the song...


No.


----------



## Numb And Number2

I'm kinda forgetting.. why is there a Sunday?


----------



## jkeegan




----------



## Numb And Number2

nyny523 said:


> I like when they use real numbers.
> 
> Not that I would call one, but as soon as they say "555" I know it's fake and it takes me out of the world they are creating - you know what I mean?


The Tuesday train to Toulouse is in the station from two to two to two two.


----------



## jsmeeker

What am I supposed to do tonight?


----------



## betts4

Numb And Number2 said:


> I'm kinda forgetting.. why is there a Sunday?





jkeegan said:


>


Yeah, I remembered at dinner that there was no BB tonight.  Time to catch up on some other shows. I have a season of Criminal Minds to watch.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

Well, if it's any consolation, tonight we get TWO hours of Low Winter Sun!

OK, it's no consolation to me, either.

Next week is Walking Dead, so that's _something_, at least...


----------



## betts4

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Well, if it's any consolation, tonight we get TWO hours of Low Winter Sun!
> 
> OK, it's no consolation to me, either.
> 
> *Next week is Walking Dead,* so that's _something_, at least...


Thank god! Walking Dead coming will help. Low Winter Sun not so much.

Okay, I can not watch AMC Sunday night for one week.


----------



## bsnelson

Breaking Sad 

Brad


----------



## MikeAndrews

Numb And Number2 said:


> I'm kinda forgetting.. why is there a Sunday?





jsmeeker said:


> What am I supposed to do tonight?





betts4 said:


> Yeah, I remembered at dinner that there was no BB tonight.


Ditto. I checked scheduled recordings and there is only Boardwalk Empire and Homeland and Low Winter Sun. 

Time to pick up again on binge watching from VoD and/or Netflix.


----------



## Hank

Just counting the days..hours..minutes until there's more House of Cards.

But HOMELAND will do in the interim.


----------



## uncdrew

Numb And Number2 said:


> I'm kinda forgetting.. why is there a Sunday?


Church and football.


----------



## gchance

I keep getting the feeling that Low Winter Sun will be remembered simply as the show that's "not Breaking Bad". 

Greg


----------



## betts4

gchance said:


> I keep getting the feeling that Low Winter Sun will be remembered simply as the show that's "not Breaking Bad".
> 
> Greg


and the show that's "not very good".


----------



## getreal

Here's a nice little tribute to Laura Fraser, the Scottish actress who played Lydia:




We never really got a chance to see her lovely smile in Breaking Bad, so this is a refreshing perspective.


----------



## betts4

Pretty cool recap of the show - it takes us right up to season five part two. The guy narrating is funny in his story telling and descriptions. I especially liked his words about Lydia and Todd. And the end where Mike is shot - "What? Mike dies but the car wash guy with the eyebrows gets to live? Come on Vince!"


----------



## nyny523

So I have all the episodes of Low Winter Sun, yet unwatched, on my Tivo.

Should I go for it or delete? Worth the time?


----------



## kaszeta

nyny523 said:


> So I have all the episodes of Low Winter Sun, yet unwatched, on my Tivo.
> 
> Should I go for it or delete? Worth the time?


I actually like it, but it's definitely no breaking bad.


----------



## nyny523

kaszeta said:


> I actually like it, but it's definitely no breaking bad.


I did not expect that level of quality, but if it is not a waste of time I will give it a shot.

Thanks!


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

It's a very different kind of show...the people on Low Winter Sun are as nasty and evil as the people on Breaking Bad, but we're not supposed to like or sympathize with them anywhere near as much. The leads are just terrible people, and the token "good cop" so far is just that...a token. The most interesting characters are the criminal bar owner with terrible taste in men, and her junkie ex-cop ex-husband.

So (and I can't believe I'm saying this) it's not as uplifting as Breaking Bad was. And you have to be willing to go with that. It's broken people trying, mostly in vain, to cope with life in a broken city (Detroit, if you didn't know).


----------



## Hank

This was also pretty good:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkTDilC-860&list=RD02niy4XNFUAXg[/media]


----------



## gweempose

getreal said:


> Here's a nice little tribute to Laura Fraser, the Scottish actress who played Lydia:


Wow! I had no idea she was Scottish. It's amazing how some actors can do such a convincing American accent that you don't even doubt it for a second. I love the song that was playing in that video as well. Scouting for Girls is one of my favorite bands.


----------



## Bierboy

kaszeta said:


> _*I actually like it*_, but it's definitely no breaking bad.


As do I....it's a VERY dark, gritty show, and I imagine the Detroit Chamber of Commerce isn't wild about it. But I think it's well-acted.


----------



## getreal

betts4 said:


> Pretty cool recap of the show - it takes us right up to season five part two. The guy narrating is funny in his story telling and descriptions. I especially liked his words about Lydia and Todd. And the end where Mike is shot - "What? Mike dies but the car wash guy with the eyebrows gets to live? Come on Vince!"


"Shanknado!!"


----------



## betts4

Hank said:


> This was also pretty good:
> 
> [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkTDilC-860&list=RD02niy4XNFUAXg[/media]


It's been fun to cruise through the various youtube vids about Breaking Bad.

There is a fun one from The Simpsons with Marge making blue meth cupcakes, but this one had me laughing out loud. "I ain't no skank"


----------



## JETarpon

betts4 said:


> Pretty cool recap of the show - it takes us right up to season five part two. The guy narrating is funny in his story telling and descriptions. I especially liked his words about Lydia and Todd. And the end where Mike is shot - "What? Mike dies but the car wash guy with the eyebrows gets to live? Come on Vince!"


I like that guy.

<-----


----------



## Mr. Soze

Lucky for me I don't work with anyone who watches BB (I think I need to check our hiring practices), so I avoided all spoilers and we watched all of Season 5 Friday to Sunday, except for the finale. We were going to save it for this weekend when the boy comes home from college and all watch it together, but he said he was way behind in his watching, so I said eff him, let's go.

My favorite series ever? I am not sure, but Ozymandias was the most emotional I have ever gotten watching fictional TV. I thought calling the finale "Felina" with the anagram and the imagery that it called up was just another example of what made this show so brilliant. (I also own a "Los Pollos Hermanos" T-shirt )


----------



## betts4

JETarpon said:


> I like that guy.
> 
> <-----


 I forgot about your avatar! :up:

I just try to imagine the actor walking around and having people recognize him from his eyebrows.


----------



## betts4

I think we should bring this thread over the top of 500 posts. Just in honor of a great show.


----------



## MikeAndrews

betts4 said:


> I forgot about your avatar! :up:
> 
> I just try to imagine the actor walking around and having people recognize him from his eyebrows.


Heh. All this time I was thinking that was really him.

"You made an obscene gesture at me!'


----------



## Bierboy

betts4 said:


> I think we should bring this thread over the top of 500 posts. Just in honor of a great show.


Allow me to be #500...


----------



## gchance

It needs to be higher than the number of posts for the Lost finale (1464).

Greg


----------



## stellie93

But 1000 of those were complaints--we don't have any of those here.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

Are you kidding? The complaining here has been non-stop!

"Why did it have to end? Whine whine whine."

"Man, it sucks that it's over. Moan moan moan."


----------



## jkeegan

I for one thought the Lost finale was awesome.

There, that oughta rack up a few posts.


----------



## betts4

jkeegan said:


> I for one thought the Lost finale was awesome.
> 
> There, that oughta rack up a few posts.


We should get together for a beer and a talk sometime. We seem to have similar tv viewing tastes.


----------



## betts4

gchance said:


> It needs to be higher than the number of posts for the Lost finale (1464).
> 
> Greg


That was also over 3 years!


----------



## gchance

betts4 said:


> That was also over 3 years!


Yeah, I hope we're still talking about Breaking Bad's finale in 3 years. I think we will but you never know.

Greg


----------



## jkeegan

betts4 said:


> We should get together for a beer and a talk sometime. We seem to have similar tv viewing tastes.


I agree, you too have excellent taste in TV! 

Beer good.

Ugh, now I have to go into work where there's no beer.


----------



## betts4

gchance said:


> Yeah, I hope we're still talking about Breaking Bad's finale in 3 years. I think we will but you never know.
> 
> Greg


I am sure it will be brought up upon occasion. In comparisons and such. Just as LOST is now.

Ten years from now we will have a thread "Remember that show you couldn't stop watching" and LOST, BB, The Wire and others will be mentioned.


----------



## Bierboy

jkeegan said:


> I agree, you too have excellent taste in TV!
> 
> Beer good.
> 
> Ugh, now I have to go into work where there's no beer.


I thought you ran a bar?


----------



## jkeegan

Bierboy said:


> I thought you ran a bar?


(squinting eyes looking for some pun or something... nope. zoom).

Nope. As my exhibit poster for Makerfaire NY 2013 said:










I am a software engineer, RepRap/3D-printing hobbyist, best-selling author ("Hacking TiVo: The Expansion, Enhancement and Development Starter Kit"), movie star ("BBS: The Documentary"), husband, and dad.

..but not bartender.


----------



## gchance

jkeegan said:


> (squinting eyes looking for some pun or something... nope. zoom).
> 
> Nope. As my exhibit poster for Makerfaire NY 2013 said:
> 
> I am a software engineer, RepRap/3D-printing hobbyist, best-selling author ("Hacking TiVo: The Expansion, Enhancement and Development Starter Kit"), movie star ("BBS: The Documentary"), husband, and dad.
> 
> ..but not bartender.


You're in the BBS documentary? I can't believe I missed you, now I have to watch again. Are you in the opening with all the users reminiscing about the BBS scene, or one of the developers later in the piece?

Greg


----------



## jkeegan

gchance said:


> You're in the BBS documentary? I can't believe I missed you, now I have to watch again. Are you in the opening with all the users reminiscing about the BBS scene, or one of the developers later in the piece?
> 
> Greg


Mostly on the first disc, in the opening. I'm the guy with two pinball machines behind him - the 3rd person on-screen at 1:05. But I have appearances throughout at least the first disc.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRap7uw9iWI&t=1m5s[/media]


----------



## betts4

jkeegan said:


> Mostly on the first disc, in the opening. I'm the guy with two pinball machines behind him - the 3rd person on-screen at 1:05. But I have appearances throughout at least the first disc.
> 
> [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRap7uw9iWI&t=1m5s[/media]


That was way cool!!!!! :up:


----------



## gchance

jkeegan said:


> Mostly on the first disc, in the opening. I'm the guy with two pinball machines behind him - the 3rd person on-screen at 1:05. But I have appearances throughout at least the first disc.
> 
> [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRap7uw9iWI&t=1m5s[/media]


I remember the segment well, but your lack of facial hair made it tough to key in on. 

That first disc is worth its weight in gold. The rest is interesting historically, but the first disc is like the old BBS BBQ's we used to have. Thanks for taking part, it's one of my favorite documentaries.

That and GET LAMP. 

Greg


----------



## astrohip




----------



## 702

Question about the clubhouse. There was shot of a timeclock. What was their "legit" business? I'm sure they used it to launder their drug money.


----------



## MikeAndrews

_*Cough* _ I know Ward Christensen and Randy Suess personally. Phear me.


----------



## Hank

702 said:


> Question about the clubhouse. There was shot of a timeclock. What was their "legit" business? I'm sure they used it to launder their drug money.


My guess is that was just set dressing for whatever that compound was before the AB took it over. I doubt there was any legit business going on at that compound, even a money laundering one.


----------



## jkeegan

Felina

[media]http://vimeo.com/76287333[/media]


----------



## jkeegan

URL works on mobile: vimeo.com/76287333


----------



## ct1

Nice..


----------



## Hank

Wow.. gives me chills how close that song matches the entire story arc.


----------



## Mr. Soze

jkeegan said:


> Felina
> 
> [media]http://vimeo.com/76287333[/media]


Brilliant!!!!


----------



## Bierboy

jkeegan said:


> Felina
> 
> [media]http://vimeo.com/76287333[/media]


Wow Wow Wow.....that literally gave me goosebumps!! Excellent editing....AWESOME.


----------



## betts4

Bierboy said:


> Wow Wow Wow.....that literally gave me goosebumps!! Excellent editing....AWESOME.


Oh my. That was fantastic and yes. Goosebumps. Great editing and continuity between show and song.


----------



## Cearbhaill

That was an amazing piece of work!


----------



## DavidJL

Dear Mister Cranston. I wanted to write you this email - so I am contacting you through Jeremy Barber - I take it we are both represented by UTA . Great agency.
I've just finished a marathon of watching "BREAKING BAD" - from episode one of the First Season - to the last eight episodes of the Sixth Season. (I downloaded the last season on AMAZON) A total of two weeks (addictive) viewing.
I have never watched anything like it. Brilliant!
Your performance as Walter White was the best acting I have seen - ever.
I know there is so much smoke blowing and sickening ******** in this business, and I've sort of lost belief in anything really.
But this work of yours is spectacular - absolutely stunning. What is extraordinary, is the sheer power of everyone in the entire production. What was it? Five or six years in the making? How the producers (yourself being one of them), the writers, directors, cinematographers.... every department - casting etc. managed to keep the discipline and control from beginning to the end is (that over used word) awesome.
From what started as a black comedy, descended into a labyrinth of blood, destruction and hell. It was like a great Jacobean, Shakespearean or Greek Tragedy.
If you ever get a chance to - would you pass on my admiration to everyone - Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, R.J. Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Steven Michael Quezada - everyone - everyone gave master classes of performance ... The list is endless.
Thank you. That kind of work/artistry is rare, and when, once in a while, it occurs, as in this epic work, it restores confidence.
You and all the cast are the best actors I've ever seen. That may sound like a good lung full of smoke blowing. But it is not. It's almost midnight out here in Malibu, and I felt compelled to write this email.
Congratulations and my deepest respect. You are truly a great, great actor.
Best regards
Tony Hopkins.


----------



## getreal

DavidJL said:


> Dear Mister Cranston. I wanted to write you this email - so I am contacting you through Jeremy Barber - I take it we are both represented by UTA . Great agency.
> I've just finished a marathon of watching "BREAKING BAD" - from episode one of the First Season - to the last eight episodes of the Sixth Season. (I downloaded the last season on AMAZON) A total of two weeks (addictive) viewing.
> <SNIP>
> Congratulations and my deepest respect. You are truly a great, great actor.
> Best regards
> Tony Hopkins.


Tony "Hannibal Lector" Hopkins?


----------



## DavidJL

getreal said:


> Tony "Hannibal Lector" Hopkins?


no, my butcher Tony, jk Yes, Anthony Hopkins


----------



## canonelan2

At first I was confused too, then I saw the story on The Verge.


----------



## gweempose

DavidJL said:


> If you ever get a chance to - would you pass on my admiration to everyone - Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, R.J. Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Steven Michael Quezada - everyone - everyone gave master classes of performance ... The list is endless.


What, no love for Giancarlo Esposito?


----------



## Cearbhaill

gweempose said:


> What, no love for Giancarlo Esposito?


Stop doing dental exams on a bonus equine


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

Esposito: "Wow, I'm so good it goes without saying!"


----------



## jkeegan

Looks like Tony didn't expect it to go viral and they took it down after a bit, but later confirmed it was indeed him.


----------



## TonyTheTiger

I'd like to know where this mythical 'sixth season' came from!!


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

TonyTheTiger said:


> I'd like to know where this mythical 'sixth season' came from!!


It came from the idiotic and criminally* misleading marketing scheme for the DVD set of the first half of Season Five, which gave no hint that it wasn't the entire season, leading many people to the obvious but wrong conclusion that the second half of Season Five was actually Season Six.

*Not literally, of course. Civil liability at best...class-action lawsuit, anyone?


----------



## DevdogAZ

Actually, by all traditional industry standards, it should have been called season six. Usually, if they split a season up and air it in two separate chunks, they're still produced all together as one chunk, and then the network just chooses to air the show with a break in the middle. But with BrBa, they wrote and produced the 8 episodes for S5, and then went on hiatus, and then wrote and produced the second 8 episodes of S5. Any other show, that would have been S6, but because S6 would have required new contracts for some of the actors, they somehow figured out a way to legally still call it S5, even though it really wasn't.


----------



## dswallow

The BESTEST thing about Sundays now that #BreakingBad is gone... is that #LowWinterSun is finally gone too.


----------



## MikeAndrews

dswallow said:


> The BESTEST thing about Sundays now that #BreakingBad is gone... is that #LowWinterSun is finally gone too.


 I just deleted my unplayed last 5 episodes and the season pass of Low Winter Sun. I decided I had better things to do with my precious TV viewing time then slog through that murk.


----------



## MikeAndrews

jkeegan said:


> Looks like Tony didn't expect it to go viral and they took it down after a bit, but later confirmed it was indeed him.


What I found interesting was finally seeing how celebs manage to contact other. They go through their agents.


----------



## betts4

dswallow said:


> The BESTEST thing about Sundays now that #BreakingBad is gone... is that #LowWinterSun is finally gone too.


:up: :up: :up:


----------



## CraigK




----------



## MikeAndrews

CraigK said:


>


*Heisenbull!*


----------



## danterner

He is the one who barks.


----------



## stellie93

That is creepy.


----------



## mooseAndSquirrel

lol at the bacon age.


----------



## tiellv

I just watched the entire series of Breaking Bad in a little over a week. From the first episode I was hooked. The only other time I was immediately hooked on a series was The Sopranos. 
But now I want to watch something else just as good. Some friends have recommended Drop Dead Diva and Sons of Anarchy. I tried both of those on Netflix and although I'll continue to watch them they're not as good as Breaking Bad, IMO.
Can anyone recommend something? I'm planning on trying Mad Men and House of Cards. Anything else?
I record several shows weekly but I'm looking for something really special with excellent writing and superb acting such as BB and Sopranos.


----------



## getreal

tiellv said:


> I just watched the entire series of Breaking Bad in a little over a week. From the first episode I was hooked. The only other time I was immediately hooked on a series was The Sopranos.
> But now I want to watch something else just as good. Some friends have recommended Drop Dead Diva and Sons of Anarchy. I tried both of those on Netflix and although I'll continue to watch them they're not as good as Breaking Bad, IMO.
> Can anyone recommend something? I'm planning on trying Mad Men and House of Cards. Anything else?
> I record several shows weekly but I'm looking for something really special with excellent writing and superb acting such as BB and Sopranos.


"Boss" is/was quite good.


----------



## kimsan

netringer said:


> *Heisenbull!*


"It's Rover. I won."


----------



## Hank

netringer said:


> *Heisenbull!*


"You're dog-gone right!"


----------



## JETarpon

netringer said:


> *Heisenbull!*


You're goddamn right.


----------



## jkeegan

The Wire, Lost


----------



## Zevida

tiellv said:


> I just watched the entire series of Breaking Bad in a little over a week. From the first episode I was hooked. The only other time I was immediately hooked on a series was The Sopranos.
> But now I want to watch something else just as good. Some friends have recommended Drop Dead Diva and Sons of Anarchy. I tried both of those on Netflix and although I'll continue to watch them they're not as good as Breaking Bad, IMO.
> Can anyone recommend something? I'm planning on trying Mad Men and House of Cards. Anything else?
> I record several shows weekly but I'm looking for something really special with excellent writing and superb acting such as BB and Sopranos.


You should watch Justified. Not on Netflix, but is on Amazon Prime Streaming.


----------



## TonyTheTiger

tiellv said:


> I just watched the entire series of Breaking Bad in a little over a week. From the first episode I was hooked. The only other time I was immediately hooked on a series was The Sopranos.
> But now I want to watch something else just as good. Some friends have recommended Drop Dead Diva and Sons of Anarchy. I tried both of those on Netflix and although I'll continue to watch them they're not as good as Breaking Bad, IMO.
> Can anyone recommend something? I'm planning on trying Mad Men and House of Cards. Anything else?
> I record several shows weekly but I'm looking for something really special with excellent writing and superb acting such as BB and Sopranos.


Quite simply, no!

BB is one of the best shows ever and trying to find something as good will more than likely be fruitless.

Having watched the finale on a laptop screen in a hotel room in England, we watched it 'properly' last night. Second time around, it was just as good, if not better, than the first time. We saw some nuances that were missed first time, like when Walt got hit when he was protecting Jesse.


----------



## Bierboy

TonyTheTiger said:


> Quite simply, no!
> 
> BB is one of the best shows ever and trying to find something as good will more than likely be fruitless.
> 
> Having watched the finale on a laptop screen in a hotel room in England, we watched it 'properly' last night. Second time around, it was just as good, if not better, than the first time. We saw some nuances that were missed first time, _*like when Walt got hit when he was protecting Jesse.*_


You really missed that?


----------



## TonyTheTiger

Bierboy said:


> You really missed that?


...on an 11" screen in a hotel room, yes!

(I'm talking about when he got hit - not later when we saw the blood).


----------



## Hank

TonyTheTiger said:


> ...on an 11" screen in a hotel room, yes!


It's actually pretty subtle and mostly sound effects when Walt is hit.


----------



## Bierboy

TonyTheTiger said:


> ...on an 11" screen in a hotel room, yes!
> 
> (I'm talking about when he got hit - not later when we saw the blood).


I gotcha....


----------



## DavidJL

tiellv said:


> I just watched the entire series of Breaking Bad in a little over a week. From the first episode I was hooked. The only other time I was immediately hooked on a series was The Sopranos.
> But now I want to watch something else just as good. Some friends have recommended Drop Dead Diva and Sons of Anarchy. I tried both of those on Netflix and although I'll continue to watch them they're not as good as Breaking Bad, IMO.
> Can anyone recommend something? I'm planning on trying Mad Men and House of Cards. Anything else?
> I record several shows weekly but I'm looking for something really special with excellent writing and superb acting such as BB and Sopranos.


Don't know whether you have easy access to them, but I'd recommend:

Game of Thrones
The Shield
Justified
Deadwood
Firefly
Terrriers
Battlestar Galactica (new)
Stargate Universe

Hard to compete with Breaking Bad for consistent excellence throughout the series, but these had their moments.


----------



## betts4

DavidJL said:


> Don't know whether you have easy access to them, but I'd recommend:
> 
> Game of Thrones
> The Shield
> Justified
> Deadwood
> Firefly
> Terrriers
> Battlestar Galactica (new)
> Stargate Universe
> 
> Hard to compete with Breaking Bad for consistent excellence throughout the series, but these had their moments.


I would add LIFE to that list.


----------



## nyny523

My coworker carved this last night - AMAZING!!!










Heisenpumkin!!! :up:


----------



## gchance

nyny523 said:


> Heisenpumkin!!! :up:


If the official AMC Breaking Bad Tumblr is still active, you should have your friend upload it.

Edit: looks like it is. For a time, they were sharing the photos onto the AMC FB page.

Greg


----------



## DavidJL

nyny523 said:


> My coworker carved this last night - AMAZING!!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Heisenpumkin!!! :up:


I am the one who tricks or treats!!!!


----------



## DaveMN

Found this on reddit, but this person has created some outstanding fan art from the final season.


----------



## TonyTheTiger

DaveMN said:


> Found this on reddit, but this person has created some outstanding fan art from the final season.


Wow! Stunning.


----------



## gweempose

tiellv said:


> I just watched the entire series of Breaking Bad in a little over a week. From the first episode I was hooked ... But now I want to watch something else just as good ... Can anyone recommend something?


I don't know if you're into sci-fi, but Farscape is a phenomenal show. I'd also highly recommend the first couple seasons of Veronica Mars.


----------



## 702

Zevida said:


> You should watch Justified. Not on Netflix, but is on Amazon Prime Streaming.


WHy on Amazon and not Netflix?


----------



## DavidJL

702 said:


> WHy on Amazon and not Netflix?


probably:

Justified is unavailable to stream on Netflix
This title is available on Netflix DVD only

Does stream on Amazon though


----------



## Hcour

Zevida said:


> I am a little disappointed they turned Walt into the hero at the end.


Haven't read thru the entire thread, apologize if this has already been addressed.

Walt wasn't a hero at the end, he was the same he had been throughout, an _anti_-hero. Big difference. The finale was the perfect completion to both the story arc and the character arc, because Walt _was_ the story - who he was originally, who he became and why and how it affected everyone around him, and how, in the end, he somewhat came back to himself, or at least tried as best he knew how.

After being diagnosed with cancer, as wrong-headed as his solution may have been, Walt started out with a noble intention - to protect his family after he was gone. Unfortunately he chose to do so by the most despicable means - manufacturing one of the most horribly destructive drugs out there. That he would choose to do something so abhorrent with seemingly little moral or ethical regard for the destruction he would cause to the users of his product demonstrates a serious lack of empathy, the hallmark of a pyschopath. Walt very quickly lost his grasp on that original intent because of ego and greed, and his selfish megalomania completely took over his life. He became a monster. And by doing so he destroyed countless lives, including his own and those of everyone he loved.

Walt admitted his selfishness to Skyler in the end, finally, because he had been forced to face what he'd done and what he'd become after he'd been brought to the depths - Hank's murder, Jesse's "betrayal", his failure to provide for his family, his wife and son's physically and emotionally violent rejection, being a fugitive - it all brought it home. Alone in that cabin in the frigid wilderness, with only his beloved and useless barrel of cash to keep him company, dying, he was the epitome of failure.

Walt's final acts were not heroic, actually they weren't even unselfish. I think he pretty much admits that at one point. Throughout the entire series a common theme - a catalyst for much of what happens, in fact - is that Walter White, who has been a milquetoast his entire life, has to prove himself smarter and better than everyone else - the oh-so-righteous cops, the big bully bad guys, his own family; it's almost like a game and he has to - _has to_ - WIN. At any cost. So, yes, while his actions produce some really desirable results in the end, and, yes, while part of him is truly motivated by his love for his family, he is ultimately driven by his same old selfishness and ego. The only difference is this time everything he does is justified from a moral, if not legal, pov. This is made clear when Saul explains to him how everything would work out for his family if he simply turned himself in. Walt considers this but rejects it, even though this is before he knows that his family has been threatened. Instead he concocts a plan to get over on _everybody_. And he does.

In the end, at death, Walt is smiling not just because he's back in his cherished lab, as some have suggested, but because he is back in _his_ lab because HE WON.


----------



## danterner




----------



## Jstkiddn

Explanation?


----------



## danterner

Jstkiddn said:


> Explanation?


Bryan Cranston is fabulous.


----------



## Jstkiddn




----------



## getreal

Hcour said:


> ... Walt wasn't a hero at the end, he was the same he had been throughout, an _anti_-hero. Big difference. The finale was the perfect completion to both the story arc and the character arc, because Walt _was_ the story - who he was originally, who he became and why and how it affected everyone around him, and how, in the end, he somewhat came back to himself, or at least tried as best he knew how.
> 
> After being diagnosed with cancer, as wrong-headed as his solution may have been, Walt started out with a noble intention - to protect his family after he was gone. Unfortunately he chose to do so by the most despicable means - manufacturing one of the most horribly destructive drugs out there. That he would choose to do something so abhorrent with seemingly little moral or ethical regard for the destruction he would cause to the users of his product demonstrates a serious lack of empathy, the hallmark of a pyschopath. Walt very quickly lost his grasp on that original intent because of ego and greed, and his selfish megalomania completely took over his life. He became a monster. And by doing so he destroyed countless lives, including his own and those of everyone he loved.
> 
> Walt admitted his selfishness to Skyler in the end, finally, because he had been forced to face what he'd done and what he'd become after he'd been brought to the depths - Hank's murder, Jesse's "betrayal", his failure to provide for his family, his wife and son's physically and emotionally violent rejection, being a fugitive - it all brought it home. Alone in that cabin in the frigid wilderness, with only his beloved and useless barrel of cash to keep him company, dying, he was the epitome of failure.
> 
> Walt's final acts were not heroic, actually they weren't even unselfish. I think he pretty much admits that at one point. Throughout the entire series a common theme - a catalyst for much of what happens, in fact - is that Walter White, who has been a milquetoast his entire life, has to prove himself smarter and better than everyone else - the oh-so-righteous cops, the big bully bad guys, his own family; it's almost like a game and he has to - _has to_ - WIN. At any cost. So, yes, while his actions produce some really desirable results in the end, and, yes, while part of him is truly motivated by his love for his family, he is ultimately driven by his same old selfishness and ego. The only difference is this time everything he does is justified from a moral, if not legal, pov. This is made clear when Saul explains to him how everything would work out for his family if he simply turned himself in. Walt considers this but rejects it, even though this is before he knows that his family has been threatened. Instead he concocts a plan to get over on _everybody_. And he does.
> 
> In the end, at death, Walt is smiling not just because he's back in his cherished lab, as some have suggested, but because he is back in _his_ lab because HE WON.


Great analysis of Walt's character! :up::up:


----------



## Bierboy

danterner said:


> Bryan Cranston is fabulous.


'nuff said....

...or...maybe he stole Marie's purple ****....


----------



## Zevida

Hcour said:


> Walt wasn't a hero at the end, he was the same he had been throughout, an _anti_-hero. Big difference.


I disagree. Walt was an anti-hero up until the final episode when he became the righteous one, killing the bad guys and saving the day and dying a heroic death by saving his partner. That was his perfect ending.


----------



## Jstkiddn

Is that the same pink bear as the one from the airplane?


----------



## Hank

Eh, despite his 11th hour "redemption", he's still an anti-hero. He caused so much death and destruction of so many lives... just because he killed the "bad guys" at the end and saved Jesse (whom he was determined to kill moments earlier), does not make him a hero in the end.


----------



## Bierboy

Jstkiddn said:


> Is that the same pink bear as the one from the airplane?


No...it's the purple one from the airplane....


----------



## CraigK

Jstkiddn said:


> Is that the same pink bear as the one from the airplane?


----------



## jkeegan

Hank said:


> Eh, despite his 11th hour "redemption", he's still an anti-hero. He caused so much death and destruction of so many lives... just because he killed the "bad guys" at the end and saved Jesse (whom he was determined to kill moments earlier), does not make him a hero in the end.


Not to reopen a long discussion but I didn't get the feeling that he was actually determined to kill Jesse moments earlier. He only started complaining to Jack about Jesse not being dead when they put the gun to his head and were about to kill him (yet he still didn't have the car keys in his hand). He needed to buy a few seconds worth of time. That worked. And when he saw Jesse in his slave-like state, he decided to save him.


----------



## Hank

ugh, Walt already contracted Jack to kill Jesse for flipping on him to the DEA -- that didn't change. He wanted Jesse dead in the desert.... and then when he heard Jesse was still cooking the Blue meth, he definitely wanted Jesse dead as well... until he saw Jesse in chains and being held as a slave is what changed his mind.


----------



## jkeegan

Hank said:


> ugh, Walt already contracted Jack to kill Jesse for flipping on him to the DEA -- that didn't change. He wanted Jesse dead in the desert.... and then when he heard Jesse was still cooking the Blue meth, he definitely wanted Jesse dead as well... until he saw Jesse in chains and being held as a slave is what changed his mind.


Eh, he's had months to sit out in the woods, not thinking about Jesse at all (except possibly regretting that he had to kill him, maybe). Up until he heard about the blue meth, he wasn't thinking about him. After hearing about the blue meth, it's not clear what he was thinking.. We can guess he was mad that Jesse teamed up with Jack, but that's only if he really believed that. He could be mad at Jack for using Jesse to sell more of HIS blue meth. I think there's a chance that he was indifferent to Jesse at this point, and only mentioned him to stall for time so he could reach those keys.


----------



## DevdogAZ

I'm thinking of trying to be Walter White for Halloween. Don't know where I'd find the right hat and jacket, or yellow hazmat suit. But I was looking through pictures to see if I could find the right look and came across this. Thought you all might enjoy it.










You can buy a print of this graphic in various sizes here.


----------



## Mr. Soze

DevdogAZ said:


> I'm thinking of trying to be Walter White for Halloween.


Just go in your undies.


----------



## DevdogAZ

Mr. Soze said:


> Just go in your undies.


I knew that would be the first response.


----------



## MikeAndrews

danterner said:


> Bryan Cranston is fabulous.


It's the wrong bear. That one has both eyes.


----------



## Zevida

Hank said:


> Eh, despite his 11th hour "redemption", he's still an anti-hero. He caused so much death and destruction of so many lives... just because he killed the "bad guys" at the end and saved Jesse (whom he was determined to kill moments earlier), does not make him a hero in the end.


Well in the whole context of the series, yes, he's the anti-hero. But if the finale was a standalone movie, he'd be the hero. That's just what I don't like about the finale. The show is still absolutely phenomenal.


----------



## Cearbhaill

danterner said:


>


GLAAD sponsored a "wear purple" day last week- maybe this is related?

My husband dressed as Walter for an event last week- please excuse the hasty shadow removal.


----------



## Jstkiddn

This isn't the first time this subject has come up in my life, so I think I may have issues seeing pinks and purples.

Are all you guys saying Cranston was wearing purple in those pictures?

I see hot pink.


----------



## bsnelson

Wow, Toni, that's pretty good! :up:

Brad


----------



## Mr. Soze

DevdogAZ said:


> I knew that would be the first response.


You're welcome.


----------



## nyny523

Jstkiddn said:


> This isn't the first time this subject has come up in my life, so I think I may have issues seeing pinks and purples.
> 
> Are all you guys saying Cranston was wearing purple in those pictures?
> 
> I see hot pink.


It's fuschia.


----------



## Hank

Looks more magenta to me.


----------



## TonyTheTiger

I thought it was salmon.


----------



## nyny523

Hank said:


> Looks more magenta to me.


Close, but I think Magenta is more purpley red. I still say Fuchsia, which is more a purpley pink.



TonyTheTiger said:


> I thought it was salmon.


You are color blind!!!


----------



## Bierboy

TonyTheTiger said:


> I thought it was salmon.


meh...I saw trout...


----------



## MikeAndrews

I wanna know if he was pink for gay rights or pink for breast cancer awareness.
From the one pose, I'd say #1.


----------



## Worf

Heck, who remembers when Cranston got a latex mask made up of Walt and put it on during Comic-Con and went around the floor as Walter White?

(That mask was later sold on eBay, but there's YouTube footage of Cranston walking around in the mask dressed as Walt. I'm sure most of the people visiting didn't even realize it.

anyhow, it should be fairly easy to find a yellow tyvek suit if you want to dress up - it's a standard color. Just find out where the contractors shop for construction supplies (think slightly more "pro" than Home Depot, though even HD may have some)


----------



## getreal

Bierboy said:


> meh...I saw trout...


... as in "erman-trout"?


----------



## pdhenry

getreal said:


> ... as in "erman-trout"?


It's spelled "ermine-trout"


----------



## Craigbob

I never watched the show during its normal run, but recorded the entire series the week of the finale. 

Holy Crap! That was a hell of a series and an awesome ending. Granted the final two eps were more an epilogue, but what way to end. 

The acting was top notch all the way around. 

It's funny, but I kept seeing Jerry Doyle as Hank. I think that would've been an interesting alternate casting.

I loved Walt's downward spiral to darkness. You could see flashes of Walt in Heisenberg, but I think Heisenberg was his true personality.

I kind of missed the sciencey aspect as the series went along, but I can't think of a bad episode in the whole series.

I'll miss the show, but I've got Netflix if I get too lonely. I'm also considering the series Blu ray set in the barrel.


----------



## Craigbob

DavidJL said:


> Don't know whether you have easy access to them, but I'd recommend:
> 
> Game of Thrones
> The Shield
> Justified
> Deadwood
> Firefly
> Terrriers
> Battlestar Galactica (new)
> Stargate Universe
> 
> Hard to compete with Breaking Bad for consistent excellence throughout the series, but these had their moments.


I'd add Babylon 5 to this list. And Justified is also great.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

Craigbob said:


> I'd add Babylon 5 to this list.


DON'T DO IT!!!

Ahem.

Babylon 5 is, in my opinion, one of the most significant shows in television history. But it is deeply flawed in many ways, and one's enjoyment of it will depend entirely on one's priorities. E.g., if you value above all Big Picture storytelling and intricate long-term plotting, this will be one of the greatest shows ever. If you love great acting and realistic character writing...not so much.


----------



## kaszeta

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Babylon 5 is, in my opinion, one of the most significant shows in television history. But it is deeply flawed in many ways, and one's enjoyment of it will depend entirely on one's priorities. E.g., if you value above all Big Picture storytelling and intricate long-term plotting, this will be one of the greatest shows ever. If you love great acting and realistic character writing...not so much.


Yeah, that's my overall impression of Babylon 5. A really good concept and overall story construction. Several great episode plots as well. Often poorly executed, unfortunately.


----------



## DancnDude

I think it's strangely interesting that Walt made it through the entire series without once sampling his own product.


----------



## TonyTheTiger

DancnDude said:


> I think it's strangely interesting that Walt made it through the entire series without once sampling his own product.


I don't. It was always a way to make money, originally to pay for his medical expenses and provide for his family. He had absolutely no interest in the product (apart from making it the best he could!).


----------



## Worf

I think a lot of people go through life not sampling the products they make. Heck, they may not even have an interest in the product to begin with, either, it's just a way to make money...


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

Worf said:


> I think a lot of people go through life not sampling the products they make. Heck, they may not even have an interest in the product to begin with, either, it's just a way to make money...


I'm a landlord, and I don't live in an apartment.

I'm sure there's a meth joke in there somewhere...


----------



## Bierboy

Rob Helmerichs said:


> I'm a landlord, and I don't live in an apartment.
> 
> I'm sure there's a meth joke in there somewhere...


I think it's in room 3B....


----------



## betts4

DancnDude said:


> I think it's strangely interesting that Walt made it through the entire series without once sampling his own product.


I think Jesse sampled enough of it for both of them.


----------



## Mr. Soze

I won't do an FYP, but what seems to be a dwindling thread, I propose as a "last word" on BB

I think Jesse sampled enough of it for both of them. *****!


----------



## Hunter Green




----------



## Worf

Hunter Green said:


>


Blocked for copyright violation. See http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=511347

It was removed because it's an extra on the DVD set and was leaked early.


----------



## Hunter Green

You can see it here instead:
http://www.avclub.com/article/watch-this-in-embreaking-badems-alternate-ending-b-105727


----------



## DevdogAZ

Hunter Green said:


> You can see it here instead:
> http://www.avclub.com/article/watch-this-in-embreaking-badems-alternate-ending-b-105727


That's great. Thanks for the link.


----------



## tivoboyjr

That was funny. Nice to see them having some fun with it and nice to see Lois.


----------



## tiellv

I just put the Complete Series on Amazon into my cart then moved it to Save for later. I really want this but not for $200. I'll wait until it goes down in price or buy it used later on. I definitely want to watch the series again, maybe more than once. I've seen a LOT of TV shows over the years and this is at the top of my list of all time favorites.


----------



## sushikitten

I just finished the whole series in 53 days. (But I see someone finished in two weeks--they must not have small kids.)  I heard/saw/read everyone talking about the show and loving it...so I decided to finally start watching the night of the series Finale (S01E01, not the finale). 

Wow. Just...wow. I was hooked from the first episode and it all flew by way too fast. This was the best television I've ever watched. 

I just can't imagine watching it in real time over five years--1.5 months was tough!


----------



## Worf

Yeah, I can't imagine having to watch it over 5 years - there are times I'm certain if I caught it in real time I would stop watching. But when you binge it, oh, wow, the brilliance of it comes out clearly.


----------



## DaveMN

Here's Vince Gilligan unboxing the new Blu-Ray set. I wish I had $200 laying around.


----------



## Bierboy

The BD set apparently has a video clip of Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston as they first read through the final scenes and apparently their reactions were very interesting.


----------



## GoPackGo

Bierboy said:


> The BD set apparently has a video clip of Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston as they first read through the final scenes and apparently their reactions were very interesting.


Interesting. A bunch of clips from the BD set were uploaded to the various magic sites yesterday, but I don't see that.


----------



## Cearbhaill

GoPackGo said:


> Interesting. A bunch of clips from the BD set were uploaded to the various magic sites yesterday, but I don't see that.


Try this- http://io9.com/watch-bryan-cranston-and-aaron-paul-read-the-breaking-b-1470247368


----------



## Hank

Cearbhaill said:


> Try this- http://io9.com/watch-bryan-cranston-and-aaron-paul-read-the-breaking-b-1470247368


Eh, they skipped over the best part of Walt finding and walking proudly through the lab (as well as the Lydia phone call).


----------



## astrohip

"'Breaking Bad' team shares regrets, final season love and a documentary"
What does Vince Gilligan wish he could change?

http://www.hitfix.com/the-fien-prin...s-regrets-final-season-love-and-a-documentary


----------



## Cearbhaill

astrohip said:


> "'Breaking Bad' team shares regrets, final season love and a documentary"
> What does Vince Gilligan wish he could change?
> 
> http://www.hitfix.com/the-fien-prin...s-regrets-final-season-love-and-a-documentary


The three things Gilligan wishes he could change were interesting- such small, yet significant errors that still bug him.

_"I really think, all joking aside, I made Aaron Paul's teeth stayed too pearly white and pristine for the entire six years and your teeth don't look that good if you smoke that much meth or if you get your ass kicked that many times," Gilligan said. "So what else? And Dean [Norris], we had your character say 'DMV' one time and then we found out later that in New Mexico it's 'MVD,' Motor Vehicle Department. We f***ed that up. What else? And then the one I really hate, we had Giancarlo's character, Gus, refer to Hector Salamanca as 'Don Salamanca' instead of 'Don Hector.' So sorry for that all you Spanish-speaking folks out there. That was a screw-up, too. But that's about it, so that's not too bad."
_


----------



## MikeAndrews

Cearbhaill said:


> The three things Gilligan wishes he could change were interesting- such small, yet significant errors that still bug him.
> 
> _"I really think, all joking aside, I made Aaron Paul's teeth stayed too pearly white and pristine for the entire six years and your teeth don't look that good if you smoke that much meth or if you get your ass kicked that many times," Gilligan said. "So what else? And Dean [Norris], we had your character say 'DMV' one time and then we found out later that in New Mexico it's 'MVD,' Motor Vehicle Department. We f***ed that up. What else? And then the one I really hate, we had Giancarlo's character, Gus, refer to Hector Salamanca as 'Don Salamanca' instead of 'Don Hector.' So sorry for that all you Spanish-speaking folks out there. That was a screw-up, too. But that's about it, so that's not too bad."
> _


OMG, that's it. Now BB goes down three notches on the best ever lists. 

Vince is anal. That must be why the show was so damned good.


----------



## crowfan

Bierboy said:


> The BD set apparently has a video clip of Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston as they first read through the final scenes and apparently their reactions were very interesting.


http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/11/18/breaking-bad-final-script/


----------



## Hank

astrohip said:


> "'Breaking Bad' team shares regrets, final season love and a documentary"
> What does Vince Gilligan wish he could change?
> 
> http://www.hitfix.com/the-fien-prin...s-regrets-final-season-love-and-a-documentary


I skimmed that article and it looks like it has spoilers for the documentary. Can someone confirm/deny that has spoilers of the documentary itself?

thanks.


----------



## gchance

Another spinoff!

Huell's Rules

Greg


----------



## Kamakzie

gchance said:


> Another spinoff!
> 
> Huell's Rules
> 
> Greg


lol


----------



## betts4

gchance said:


> Another spinoff!
> 
> Huell's Rules
> 
> Greg


I think I saw Huell (the actor) on the Robin Williams show last week.


----------



## Kamakzie

betts4 said:


> I think I saw Huell (the actor) on the Robin Williams show last week.


You did, guarding the Victoria's Secret bra  "We're going to have a problem!"


----------



## Hank

DaveMN said:


> Here's Vince Gilligan unboxing the new Blu-Ray set. I wish I had $200 laying around.


Did anyone buy this? My g/f and I were going to get it, but now it's totally sold out, and only profiteers are selling it for $350 and up on Ebay and Amazon.

Now we're screwed. I never expected AMC to severely limit the production of these things.. I thought they'd be available for more than just one month. I don't recall it being marketed as a limited edition collectors' item only type deal.

Not sure I want to pony up $350 for the thing.

They do have amazon warehouse deals for $305 for scratch and dent returns (missing activation codes).. not sure I want someone's opened up rejected and returned box set to save $50.


----------



## Hank

well, found it on the official BB store website for $300 (still a $100 premium over the original $200 price). Grrrrr....

http://www.breakingbadstore.com/breaking-bad-the-complete-series/details/29103363


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

Hank said:


> Now we're screwed. I never expected AMC to severely limit the production of these things.. I thought they'd be available for more than just one month. I don't recall it being marketed as a limited edition collectors' item only type deal.


I suspect there will be a standard edition (i.e., regular packaging) sooner rather than later...


----------



## Hank

sure, but who wants that? The barrel is the best part!


----------



## Worf

Interestingly, there's a ton up here in Canada - at Best Buy and Future Shop. I don't know if your Best Buys down there still have them in-store, but I know over here most have at least one.May be worth taking a trip north. Or checking out the local B&M store first - I guess most people assumed it would be online only or something.


----------



## Hank

Worf said:


> Interestingly, there's a ton up here in Canada - at Best Buy and Future Shop. I don't know if your Best Buys down there still have them in-store, but I know over here most have at least one.May be worth taking a trip north. Or checking out the local B&M store first - I guess most people assumed it would be online only or something.


I had checked earlier because some people said they had thm, in stock, but none within as far as I could check (or drive). Some people said Costco also has them, I might check tomorrow, but that comment was weeks ago.


----------



## leeherman

Hank said:


> Did anyone buy this? My g/f and I were going to get it, but now it's totally sold out, and only profiteers are selling it for $350 and up on Ebay and Amazon.
> 
> Now we're screwed. I never expected AMC to severely limit the production of these things.. I thought they'd be available for more than just one month. I don't recall it being marketed as a limited edition collectors' item only type deal.
> 
> Not sure I want to pony up $350 for the thing.
> 
> They do have amazon warehouse deals for $305 for scratch and dent returns (missing activation codes).. not sure I want someone's opened up rejected and returned box set to save $50.


I pre-ordered from Amazon for $200 and got it on release date.

I haven't started watching the discs yet but the packaging is something!

LH


----------



## gweempose

Hank said:


> well, found it on the official BB store website for $300 (still a $100 premium over the original $200 price). Grrrrr....
> 
> http://www.breakingbadstore.com/breaking-bad-the-complete-series/details/29103363


I'm kind of pissed off at the Breaking Bad store. Right after the finale aired, I went to the store because they were offering 10% off. I ended up purchasing four "limited edition" prints for $50 each. I was under the impression at the time that they were truly limited, but this was clearly not the case, as they are still for sale. They are now technically on their "second edition", and they have removed the word "limited" from the description, but they are still the exact same prints. I think it's total BS! I never would have payed that much for them if I knew they would be making so many of them.


----------



## GoPackGo

Are yours numbered in anyway? Could be that the ones they are selling now aren't numbered.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

My policy for buying "limited collector item classics" is if I think the object itself is worth the price, I'll buy it; otherwise, I won't. I never trust that it will never become less limited.

I recently bought an extremely expensive extremely limited collected edition of the Zenith comics, which were first published in a British weekly magazine in the 90s and haven't been seen since because of rights issues, despite being by a "hot" writer. It sold out within hours of being offered for sale (months before publication). Now they're doing a four-volume unlimited edition which will cost altogether about half what I paid. But I figured it was worth it at the time, and I'm not going to cry over it now.


----------



## Worf

The secret of "limited" or "collector's" stuff is you don't get them to make a profit - just to appreciate them. Especially since if an item is particularly popular, there's no reason why an "unlimited" edition comes out.

Of course, for some things, it's difficult to do since they may have dozens of little parts that have limited runs and doing other runs makes it uneconomical.

But you buy it to enjoy it. Usually the "unlimited" editions are also printed on more standard paper rather than special higher quality paper.


----------



## getreal

Hank said:


> well, found it on the official BB store website for $300 (still a $100 premium over the original $200 price). Grrrrr....
> 
> http://www.breakingbadstore.com/breaking-bad-the-complete-series/details/29103363


I'll bet that in 5 years you'll be able to get that very same set for $5 in a garage sale.

ETA: Bryan Cranston in "Little Miss Sunshine":


----------



## gweempose

GoPackGo said:


> Are yours numbered in any way? Could be that the ones they are selling now aren't numbered.


All four of mine are signed and numbered, but according to the website, the ones that they are currently selling are signed and numbered as well. To me, it's nothing more than pure greed. Once they realized how popular the prints were, they decided to milk them for all they could. At least I'm really happy with the prints themselves. I got them framed, and they look great!


----------



## gchance

gweempose said:


> All four of mine are signed and numbered, but according to the website, the ones that they are currently selling are signed and numbered as well.


I had the same thing with my numbered Army of Darkness DVD, but then I noticed something...

Mine is # of 7000. I don't want to dig it out to see the specifics, but it's something like 3428 of 7000. Not the lowest, but not the highest either. Later, they realized it was more popular, so they did more numbered sets, this time, # of 10,000. Two runs, one of 7000, the other of 10,000.

Therefore, the rarity stands, in fact it's "worth more", because it's the first run.
Add to that the fact that I had Bruce Campbell sign it. He's one of the easiest autographs to obtain, but still. I'm more than ok with it.

Greg


----------



## spartanstew

Craigbob said:


> I never watched the show during its normal run, but recorded the entire series the week of the finale.


Ditto. Watched the final season this weekend, and just finished reading this thread. Just a fabulous show. I don't think I liked it quite as much as some of you (thought the first two seasons were a bit slow), but really enjoyed it, especially the last season - although a part of my wanted the whole family to ride off into the sunset loaded with cash. 

I didn't see this comment addressed in the thread:



MikeAndrews said:


> It looked like he used a remote car starter, and some Craftsman hand tools.
> 
> There was no reason for the trunk lid to open if it was going to shoot right through. How about the flames?


IMO, the opening of the trunk is what triggered it. He wasn't using a remote starter, just the trunk release. The "gatlin gun" was already running, it just couldn't turn (or anything else) because the trunk lid was creating resistance. Once he popped the trunk, it took off.


----------



## Hank

Not to start a big'ol TCF flame war, but I'm pretty sure (1) the car was a 1977 Cadillac Sedan de Ville, which I'm sure didn't have a remote key fob or remote trunk release, and (2) the key fob he used was for the garage door opener that was mounted upside down and what was drove the machine gun to sweep back and forth. I'm guessing he rigged an actuator to open the trunk. (You can see the box for the actuator when he's assembling the unit in the desert (yes, he would have needed another to actuate the trigger as well).


----------



## spartanstew

Not sure why you think there's some type of flame war going on, but I'll play.

Yes, they did take some liberties (regarding the fact that that car wouldn't have had a key fob), but the key fob shown on the show was clearly to a car and not a garage door opener (which of course he was using to operate the gun and was clearly shown during prep).








.

I'll add that they took additional liberties, seeing as that particular key fob doesn't even have a trunk release.

Either way, the opening of the trunk was the key to getting everything started.


----------



## MikeAndrews

spartanstew said:


> Not sure why you think there's some type of flame war going on, but I'll play.
> 
> Yes, they did take some liberties (regarding the fact that that car wouldn't have had a key fob), but the key fob shown on the show was clearly to a car and not a garage door opener (which of course he was using to operate the gun and was clearly shown during prep).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .
> 
> I'll add that they took additional liberties, seeing as that particular key fob doesn't even have a trunk release.
> 
> Either way, the opening of the trunk was the key to getting everything started.


The trunk didn't need to open. The gun shot through the side.

What was a stretch was using a 110volt garage door opener in a 12VDC car.
(I know. He had an inverter offstage.)


----------



## Hank

spartanstew said:


> Not sure why you think there's some type of flame war going on, but I'll play.


I was just being facetious, about how the most trivial of discussions can erupt into a good ole' TCF flame war. (see: That Escalated Quickly)



spartanstew said:


> Either way, the opening of the trunk was the key to getting everything started.


I would say the trunk opening was just the first step in the sequence, and not that the following events were dependent on the trunk opening. IOW, if for some reason the trunk didn't open, the rest of the sequence still would have still triggered. It would have been a really, really, bad design to make the sequences dependent on each other. In order to open the trunk, all he needed was a wire, rope, or chain attached from the trunk latch to the rotating arm to pull the latch when the arm started rotating. No need for a sophisticated remotely fired mechanism to open the trunk, then trigger everything else off.

At a minimum, you want the device triggering to work in this order of importance:
1. Pull trigger, guns fires
2. Rotate the gun sweeping back and forth
3. open trunk (for dramatic effect or possible cooling)

If #2 and #3 failed, at least you have #1 working. #2 is better. #3 is best.

If it operated in reverse, if for some reason the trunk opening failed, the rest of the plan is killed. Seems like a backwards design strategy to me.


----------



## DevdogAZ

The only reason the trunk opened was for our benefit as viewers. We got to see the glorious results of Walt's machine strafing bullets through the Aryan Brotherhood's compound. But the machine would have worked just fine without the trunk opening. It just wouldn't have looked as cool to the viewer.


----------



## spartanstew

MikeAndrews said:


> The trunk didn't need to open. The gun shot through the side.


It didn't need to open in terms of stopping bullets, but it's possible it did need to open to "trigger" the events.



Hank said:


> I would say the trunk opening was just the first step in the sequence, and not that the following events were dependent on the trunk opening. IOW, if for some reason the trunk didn't open, the rest of the sequence still would have still triggered. It would have been a really, really, bad design to make the sequences dependent on each other. In order to open the trunk, all he needed was a wire, rope, or chain attached from the trunk latch to the rotating arm to pull the latch when the arm started rotating. No need for a sophisticated remotely fired mechanism to open the trunk, then trigger everything else off.
> 
> At a minimum, you want the device triggering to work in this order of importance:
> 1. Pull trigger, guns fires
> 2. Rotate the gun sweeping back and forth
> 3. open trunk (for dramatic effect or possible cooling)
> 
> If #2 and #3 failed, at least you have #1 working. #2 is better. #3 is best.
> 
> If it operated in reverse, if for some reason the trunk opening failed, the rest of the plan is killed. Seems like a backwards design strategy to me.


While all that is true, why did he need the key fob (to a vehicle) in the first place? Isn't it possible it was like a Jack in the Box? The trunk lid was holding something in place that once removed, started the whole process, perhaps?



DevdogAZ said:


> The only reason the trunk opened was for our benefit as viewers. We got to see the glorious results of Walt's machine strafing bullets through the Aryan Brotherhood's compound. But the machine would have worked just fine without the trunk opening. It just wouldn't have looked as cool to the viewer.


Sure, part of it is visual, but we have no idea if it would have worked without the trunk opening (the way Walt set it up).

And the reality is that we'll probably never know. He could have done it a myriad of ways, but for whatever reason, he chose to use a car key fob and once one button was pressed, the trunk opened and all hell broke loose.


----------



## Hank

spartanstew said:


> While all that is true, why did he need the key fob (to a vehicle) in the first place? Isn't it possible it was like a Jack in the Box? The trunk lid was holding something in place that once removed, started the whole process, perhaps?


Sure, it's possible, but it's still a dependency, a weak link in the chain. If, for whatever reason the trunk didn't open (suppose they threw a dead body on top of the trunk, or the latch jammed, or the trunk springs broke??)... you don't want the rest of the machine to depend on just the trunk opening. You want the main part to work, which, IMHO clearly would have worked without the trunk opening.

Now if he was driving a later model car that already had a factory key fob and a remote trunk open feature, then I would agree with you, that that is a part of the system that's already built-in and quite dependable, and he could trigger the rest of the system off of that. But to build it that way from scratch? I don't think so.


----------



## spartanstew

Right, but you still haven't made a suggestion as to what the key fob did. He clearly needed it. He pushed one button on it once. Which button? What did it do?

I surmise, it popped the trunk and that activated everything else. What's your supposition?

I'm not saying that's how I (or you) would do it, but it seems like that's how Walter set it up based on the information that we have.


----------



## Hank

spartanstew said:


> Right, but you still haven't made a suggestion as to what the key fob did. He clearly needed it. He pushed one button on it once. Which button? What did it do?
> 
> I surmise, it popped the trunk and that activated everything else. What's your supposition?
> 
> I'm not saying that's how I (or you) would do it, but it seems like that's how Walter set it up based on the information that we have.


I surmise that he rigged two (or three) actuators/servos all to trigger (in parallel) from the one remote.. one to pop the trunk, and then a second servo to activate the garage door opener after a short delay (trivial to do at 12v), and then possibly a third servo to trigger the gun to fire. The gun trigger could be mechanically tied to the moving arm mechanism, I suppose, which wouldn't need a third servo. It seems odd to me to create a serial-based system where any link in the chain could fail the entire system, as opposed to a parallel system there each event is triggered independently.


----------



## Hank

Cast of BB on Conan on right now. All BB themed everything.

oops. ETA: It's a re-run. Sorry. I hadn't seen it before.


----------



## Worf

The keyfob - it's an aftermarket unit. You know, like how you can buy aftermarket car starters and all that? it's an aftermarket door unlocker (with possible trunk release). They usually are just solenoids or something and this one pulled the trunk release open. 

Perhaps a stronger spring was mounted so when the release was pulled, the trunk opens automatically - given how if you unlatch the trunk, unless there's electric assistance, the trunk doesn't open. So unlatching the trunk forces it open. The trunk opening turns on the trunk light, which powers the inverter that drives the garage door opener and pulls the trigger. Both of those happen simultaneously and the trigger remains pulled while the system is on.


----------



## betts4

Hank said:


> Cast of BB on Conan on right now. All BB themed everything.
> 
> oops. ETA: It's a re-run. Sorry. I hadn't seen it before.


I was watching it and thinking "cool" and went to check it's show date and saw it as a rr also. It was fun to see the gang though.


----------



## Anubys

MikeAndrews said:


> The trunk didn't need to open. The gun shot through the side.
> 
> What was a stretch was using a 110volt garage door opener in a 12VDC car.
> (I know. He had an inverter offstage.)


On the podcast discussing the final show, Vince stated that it was a 12 volt garage door opener and he also said that the props department actually built the thing exactly as you saw it...the only difference was that they used blanks in the gun.

IOW, if you know what you're doing, that contraption can be put together and would work exactly as shown.


----------



## Worf

Perhaps one reason the trunk lid opened was well, ventilation? A gun like that could overheat quite easily in the enclosed trunk - opening the lid would ensure reliable operation for the entire magazine as it's no longer enclosed but partially ventilated.


----------



## Hank

"Breaking Fiction". Woah.


















Mind. Blown.


----------



## pdhenry

*Jonathan Banks joins Breaking Bad spin-off*

http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/better-...-joins-breaking-bad-spin-off-better-call-saul

With Mike Ehrmantraut, can Gus Fring be far behind? Vince Gilligan isn't ruling it out...


----------



## Bierboy

pdhenry said:


> *Jonathan Banks joins Breaking Bad spin-off*
> 
> http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/better-...-joins-breaking-bad-spin-off-better-call-saul
> 
> With Mike Ehrmantraut, can Gus Fring be far behind? Vince Gilligan isn't ruling it out...


NOW they're getting it together....


----------



## danterner

I love it when a plan comes together.


----------



## TonyTheTiger

I thought this was old news. I certainly knew this a while ago, but it's good, nonetheless.

I also wouldn't expect to see casting news for a spinoff show in the thread about the series finale!


----------



## Bierboy

TonyTheTiger said:


> ...I also wouldn't expect to see casting news for a spinoff show in the thread about the series finale!


Yes....it has its own thread...or even this one...


----------



## Bierboy

...and Betts even mentioned how nice it would be if Mike (Banks) showed up...


----------



## pdhenry

TonyTheTiger said:


> I also wouldn't expect to see casting news for a spinoff show in the thread about the series finale!





Bierboy said:


> Yes....it has its own thread...or even this one...


Isn't _this _supposed to be *the *BB thread that would not die? 

See Post #498 and #501.


----------



## gchance

pdhenry said:


> Isn't _this _supposed to be *the *BB thread that would not die?


The Lost finale still wins that one. We still have posts in it once in a while.

Greg


----------



## danterner

gchance said:


> The Lost finale still wins that one. We still have posts in it once in a while. Greg


We have to go back!


----------



## pj1016

danterner said:


> We have to go back!


LOL! 

I even read that in the doc's voice...

pj


----------



## TonyTheTiger

pj1016 said:


> LOL!
> 
> I even read that in the doc's voice...
> 
> pj


I think you got your wires crossed. It's a Lost reference, not a BTTF one!


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

TonyTheTiger said:


> I think you got your wires crossed. It's a Lost reference, not a BTTF one!


Right, Lost.

Where the Doc said, "We have to go back!"


----------



## Hank

TonyTheTiger said:


> I think you got your wires crossed. It's a Lost reference, not a BTTF one!


Yeah, it confused me too!!


----------



## astrohip

And to think we almost went a month without a post... 
*
Man running meth lab gets arrested while wearing "Los Pollos Hermanos" t-shirt.
*
http://happyplace.someecards.com/29583/meth-cook-arrested-while-wearing-los-pollos-hermanos-t-shirt


----------



## kaszeta

Hey, I own that shirt!


----------



## astrohip

kaszeta said:


> Hey, I own that shirt!


I have a coffee mug at work with that logo. Every once in a while, I'll have a visitor/guest who goes, "Hey, isn't that...".

Always a good conversation starter.

I had one guest recognize it, and tell me they had only watched on NetFlix, so they were eight eps shy of closure. I just called them now to tell them the last eight were now up on NF, and they said they saw it advertised, and were planning a binge-watch this weekend.

Oh, to be an Ozymandias virgin...


----------



## kaszeta

astrohip said:


> I have a coffee mug at work with that logo. Every once in a while, I'll have a visitor/guest who goes, "Hey, isn't that...".
> 
> Always a good conversation starter.


As is my "Weyland-Yutani Corporation" shirt.

I should see if I can find a Madrigal Electromotive GmbH polo shirt.


----------



## danterner

Barely Legal Pawn, starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul (and Julia Louise Dreyfus) -


----------



## betts4

Nice!!!


----------



## danterner

betts4 said:


> Nice!!!


There are lots of Easter eggs in it, too:



Spoiler



Here's the statue that Hank gets as a parting gift:



















Pink bear:










Los Pollos:










There are probably others.


----------



## betts4

Pink bear! I love easter eggs but never really notice them till they are pointed out. Heck this probably had too many to count!


----------



## DancnDude

Not really an Easter egg but I liked Aaron agreeing that supporting actor awards could even be better than lead ones


----------



## DevdogAZ

DancnDude said:


> Not really an Easter egg but I liked Aaron agreeing that supporting actor awards could even be better than lead ones


Yeah, that whole conversation about how it would be more valuable if it were for leading, and then that drama is harder than comedy, etc. was very well done.

I'm a little confused about the fact that at the end it appears to be an Audi ad.


----------



## moedaman

DevdogAZ said:


> Yeah, that whole conversation about how it would be more valuable if it were for leading, and then that drama is harder than comedy, etc. was very well done.
> 
> I'm a little confused about the fact that at the end it appears to be an Audi ad.


Someone had to pay to make it.


----------



## pdhenry

I did notice early on that JLD was driving a very nice car...


----------



## DavidJL

DancnDude said:


> Not really an Easter egg but I liked Aaron agreeing that supporting actor awards could even be better than lead ones


Not really an Easter egg either, but I like how they snuck in Aaron Paul's BB catch phrase at the end.


----------



## DevdogAZ

pdhenry said:


> I did notice early on that JLD was driving a very nice car...


Yes, she was driving an Audi, but then when they did a couple of outdoor interviews with her in front of her car, they didn't even have the car framed in a way you could see the brand. Just didn't seem like it had any connection to Audi.


----------



## Hank

DavidJL said:


> Not really an Easter egg either, but I like how they snuck in Aaron Paul's BB catch phrase at the end.


They didn't "sneak it in", that was the punch line!


----------



## Hank

DevdogAZ said:


> Yes, she was driving an Audi, but then when they did a couple of outdoor interviews with her in front of her car, they didn't even have the car framed in a way you could see the brand. Just didn't seem like it had any connection to Audi.


The last interview at the end had the front Auto Union emblem conveniently and clearly located in middle of the frame.


----------



## betts4

DavidJL said:


> Not really an Easter egg either, but I like how they snuck in Aaron Paul's BB catch phrase at the end.


I do wish they hadn't had him chewing the tobacco or snuff or whatever that was that made him a bit hard to understand through it (well, except for at the end).

And yes, the best was when he made the comment about "best supporting actor" since both he and JLD had gotten that.


----------



## scandia101

DevdogAZ said:


> Yes, she was driving an Audi, but then when they did a couple of outdoor interviews with her in front of her car, they didn't even have the car framed in a way you could see the brand. Just didn't seem like it had any connection to Audi.


----------



## DevdogAZ

scandia101 said:


>


What am I supposed to get from this screenshot? That's exactly what my post was referring to.


----------



## Hank

DevdogAZ said:


> What am I supposed to get from this screenshot? That's exactly what my post was referring to.


You said:



> _*I'm a little confused *_about the fact that at the end it appears to be an Audi ad.


And I think scandia101 was just confirming your confusion/suspicion.

To me, there was no confusion at all that it was an Audi ad, even during the video... they spent just a little too much time on the car, and it was just produced a little better than most Buzzfeed or Funny or Die spoofs. Meaning there was real $$$$ behind the thing.


----------



## astrohip

One year ago...


----------



## Kamakzie

astrohip said:


> One year ago...


Should've said, "One year ago...*****!"


----------



## MonsterJoe

reported


----------



## Hank

What did we miss?


----------



## Kamakzie

MonsterJoe said:


> reported


Sorry if my internet sarcasm alarm is faulty but I was just trying to channel my inner Jesse Pinkman,


----------



## Anubys

Hank said:


> What did we miss?


Hank dies.


----------



## Hank

Wow.. that one post was reported? really? :roilleyes:

How many times have we used that word in talking about BB before?


----------



## Anubys

I thought monsterjoe was making a joke...it wasn't really reported, was it?


----------



## MonsterJoe

no lol - sorry. i was joking. I would be the last person to report _anything_


----------



## Kamakzie

MonsterJoe said:


> no lol - sorry. i was joking


That darned internet sarcasm bite me in the butt again.


----------



## MonsterJoe

My aversion to emoticons has got me in plenty of trouble.  <~just for you!!


----------



## Kamakzie

It's all good I edited my post back to its original format. hah


----------



## MonsterJoe

rereported


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

Can we report Joe's report?


----------



## MonsterJoe




----------



## Bierboy

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Can we report Joe's report?


Only if it originally was THOUGHT to have been reported but really WASN'T reportedly reported...


----------



## MonsterJoe

Look who called Saul!


----------



## Hank

Kamakzie said:


> It's all good I edited my post back to its original format. hah*******


FYP.


----------



## ACoolDude

Reported


----------



## MonsterJoe

****


----------



## DougF

Redact it!!!!


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

I'm reporting all of you!

And me, too!!!


----------



## MikeAndrews

Meet professor Bogdan Wolynetz










> "Breaking Bad" fans know him as Bogdan Wolynetz, the fuzzy eyebrowed, heartless car wash owner and former boss of Walter White.
> 
> He's actually Dr. Marius Stan, a senior computational energy scientist at Argonne National Lab near Lemont.


http://entertainment.suntimes.com/t...owner-argonne-scientist-nov-18-event-chicago/


----------



## 2004raptor

I'm a little late but I finally watched this whole series from spring 2014 to last night. In all the time it aired I had literally almost* never heard a word about it.

I watched the first 2 or maybe 3 episodes around April 2014. I liked it but didn't love it. Then around late Sept or early Oct I decided to continue. Took a little longer than I would have liked but with two small kids I had to to my watching late. 

Just finished the last episode last night. 

I certainly agree with most that this was an epic show. There were a few small things that just seemed too coincidental or maybe far fetched but all in all, this show is among the best ever.

The hardest part was after I'd watch one or two shows I would find the threads here on the forum and that would open up a whole new way of enjoying the show (and occasionally would annoy the hell out of me, but I let that slide). Never once did I go into future show threads nor click spoilers. It was tough at times. 

One thing I didn't quite understand is why Saul was on the run? What exactly did he do besides just involve himself with WW/Heisenberg? Were todd and company going to go after him?

As far as the finale goes, the sugar (or whatever you call it) packet that Lydia used was a bit far fetched. How did he put the ricin in a sealed packet? If it wasn't sealed, I would think she would have noticed it. 

And, it's been mentioned but parking the car so close to the house and them just being right inside the closest room was a bit of a stretch also. But it didn't really bother me. 

I really enjoyed watching the show when it was "over". then there was no waiting week to week or between seasons. 

Anyway, just wanted to comment and subscribe. 



*I did hear on a radio show one time that Hank died. At that time I had no idea who Hank was but assumed he was the lead. Knowing that going in (plus I have a bad memory on stuff like this) didn't affect my enjoyment.


----------



## zalusky

I just finished it last night as well. I agree that it was epic and in my opinion much better than Sopranos.

As far as Saul goes he helped out a lot. A couple of examples

money laundering
setting up the Fring relationship


----------



## replaytv

Breaking Bad is my favorite series of all time. I really didn't have trouble with believability. Sure there were times things didn't quite make sense, but not so bad that it bothered me. I grew to love all the characters because they seemed so believable. Their personality progression was interesting to watch, and seemed to make sense under the circumstances. 

6 Feet Under and the Sopranos were also great too.

Dexter and Walking Dead were OK, but not great. Or I should say 'Walking Dead' is OK so far. I am only in the 3 season. I have been told it gets better. I have been disappointed they don't explain a lot. And how many bitters can you watch getting killed and still think it is kinda neat? I guess I should look for a thread on it.


----------



## stellie93

replaytv said:


> And how many bitters can you watch getting killed and still think it is kinda neat?


Millions! 

It's the squishy sound their heads make. Plus there are sooooo many ways to do it. :up:


----------



## Jstkiddn

stellie93 said:


> Millions!  It's the squishy sound their heads make. Plus there are sooooo many ways to do it. :up:


Ha ha! :up:


----------



## heySkippy

stellie93 said:


> Millions!
> 
> It's the squishy sound their heads make. Plus there are sooooo many ways to do it. :up:


I have this picture in my head of some dude operating a modified laugh track machine to put in all the snarls, drools, smacks, and squishes for TWD.


----------



## 2004raptor

zalusky said:


> I just finished it last night as well. I agree that it was epic and in my opinion much better than Sopranos.
> 
> As far as Saul goes he helped out a lot. A couple of examples
> 
> money laundering
> setting up the Fring relationship


Yeah, I get that but he's probably always been laundering money and his relationship with Gus isn't exactly new.

Best I can guess is it was when he knew Skylar was talking to the police, etc. Of course he didn't know she wasn't really talking to them about his involvement, etc. but he probably figured he was on the list.

Anyway, it was a tremendous show.

Now, I'll look for some other show to fill the late night void but it's going to be tough.


----------



## Hank

heySkippy said:


> I have this picture in my head of some dude operating a modified laugh track machine to put in all the snarls, drools, smacks, and squishes for TWD.


Chuck Lorre?


----------



## Zevida

2004raptor said:


> The hardest part was after I'd watch one or two shows I would find the threads here on the forum and that would open up a whole new way of enjoying the show (and occasionally would annoy the hell out of me, but I let that slide).


Ha! That's one of the hardest things for me as well. When I'm catching up on a series late I love coming here to read the threads after each episode, but darn it is hard to keep my mouth shut and not reply to some of them! I'm pretty sure some of the BB threads drove me batty.


----------



## heySkippy

Hank said:


> Chuck Lorre?


Don't know who that is. I was thinking of this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laugh_track


----------



## Hank

heySkippy said:


> Don't know who that is. I was thinking of this.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laugh_track


It's a long running Big Bang Theory joke on TCF.


----------



## replaytv

I really think watching Breaking Bad has ruined me for any other series. It was just so good that while I am watching Walking Dead I am thinking 'Is this all there is?" 

In the same way, Seinfeld and Two and Half Men has ruined me for any new shows. I really like Big Bang Theory, but it is no way as funny and well written as Seinfeld. I am really getting tired of the characters arguing. It is too close to reality. If I wanted to listen to arguing I would get married.


----------



## astrohip

replaytv said:


> I really think watching Breaking Bad has ruined me for any other series. It was just so good that while I am watching Walking Dead I am thinking 'Is this all there is?"


That's what The Wire is doing to me.

I'm currently in a binge of The Wire. I've watched 40 of 60 episodes in a week, of what is clearly one of the best shows ever made. And then I watch one of my CBS procedurals, like Blue Bloods or Scorpion, and think what a joke they are.

What's that old cliche... "Don't cry because I ruined TV for you, smile because I showed you how great it can be."


----------



## Bierboy

replaytv said:


> I really think watching Breaking Bad has ruined me for any other series. It was just so good that while I am watching Walking Dead I am thinking 'Is this all there is?"
> 
> In the same way, Seinfeld and Two and Half Men has ruined me for any new shows. I really like Big Bang Theory, but it is no way as funny and well written as Seinfeld. I am really getting tired of the characters arguing. It is too close to reality. If I wanted to listen to arguing I would get married.


Seriously?! Two and a Half Men? UGH....and BBT is head and shoulders above that and close to Seinfeld IMO...


----------



## Hank

"BBT, I served with Seinfeld. I knew Seinfeld. Seinfeld was a friend of mine. BBT, you're no Seinfeld."


----------



## Hank

replaytv said:


> I really think watching Breaking Bad has ruined me for any other series. It was just so good that while I am watching Walking Dead I am thinking 'Is this all there is?"


I *totally* agree with this. I watch, but really do not like TWD. I'm not sure why I still watch it. I think it's just to find out what they do with the story line (i.e. will it ever improve??). I don't get why it's so popular.. BrBa is in an entirely different league that TWD.

Is "The Wire" really that good?


----------



## deli99

Hank said:


> I *totally* agree with this. I watch, but really do not like TWD. I'm not sure why I still watch it. I think it's just to find out what they do with the story line (i.e. will it ever improve??). I don't get why it's so popular.. BrBa is in an entirely different league that TWD.
> 
> Is "The Wire" really that good?


Yeah, "The Wire" ruined most TV for me. It takes a really great show to stand out. Breaking Bad did that. There are others (in 2014: Fargo, The Americans, True Detective), but most TV falls flat for me now.


----------



## astrohip

Hank said:


> Is "The Wire" really that good?


Can't answer, I just started Season Four (of five). Until I finish, my answer remains WIP.

But I can tell you the first three seasons are some of the BEST TV I've ever seen. Easily stands with The Sopranos and Breaking Bad.

One thing that made BB so good is that each season got better. And the final season was off the charts. As versus The Sopranos, which had some incredible seasons, and some just very good ones. And a final season that was good, but not historic good.


----------



## johnh123

Hank said:


> Is "The Wire" really that good?


Best show evah.


----------



## replaytv

I tried watching the Wire years ago, but couldn't get into it. Guess I will have to give it another try.

Saw today that Walking Dead in on antenna TV! Too bad they are showing season 3, the season I just got finished watching from the library! http://www.ktvd.com/schedule.html


----------



## replaytv

Hank said:


> "BBT, I served with Seinfeld. I knew Seinfeld. Seinfeld was a friend of mine. BBT, you're no Seinfeld."


I had kinda forgot how good Seinfeld was, but by accident tuned into a show just after watching Big Bang Theory. I was was really shocked how they managed to have 4 excellent story lines that all stood alone for that show, but also tied into the ongoing story lines for all four characters. I can see how a every second has to be managed to get all that into 20 minutes! Each Seinfeld character is a masterpiece of craft so easy to love. Even occasional or single episode characters have a life of their own. A friend of mine and I relate every day events to particular Seinfeld episodes, and we immediately understand what the other person is talking about.

I really do like BBT references to nerdy things like comic books and space movies and TV series, and technical info like string theory. And the different costoms that they have worn over the years have been great.

Something that was special for me with Breaking Bad was the references to the desert south west including the stark desert, border areas and the related drug lord homes in Mexico.


----------



## DavidJL

replaytv said:


> Something that was special for me with Breaking Bad was the references to the desert south west including the stark desert, border areas and the related drug lord homes in Mexico.


The location was a character in itself by the end, and from what I've heard it was serendipitous as it was supposed to be based in So Cal, but high costs and taxes necessitated the move.

For those planning to watch The Wire based on recommendations on this site, I'd take the hyperbole with a grain of salt. Go in thinking it will be good, not the greatest show ever. I was disappointed in it even though I liked it because of the anticipation of overwhelming greatness. I can think of 20+ shows I liked better, but it may very well make your top ten. i just think it's better to be pleasantly surprised that it surpasses expectations than not living up to too lofty expectations.


----------



## Jstkiddn

Vince Gilligan is asking people to stop throwing pizzas on the roof of the house used in Breaking Bad.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/vince-gilligan-urges-breaking-bad-780683?facebook_20150311


----------



## kaszeta

Jstkiddn said:


> Vince Gilligan is asking people to stop throwing pizzas on the roof of the house used in Breaking Bad. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/vince-gilligan-urges-breaking-bad-780683?facebook_20150311


I just find something about that to be awesome


----------



## scandia101

Jstkiddn said:


> Vince Gilligan is asking people to stop throwing pizzas on the roof of the house used in Breaking Bad.
> 
> http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/vince-gilligan-urges-breaking-bad-780683?facebook_20150311


And now even more people have the idea to throw a pizza on the roof of that house bouncing around inside their under developed brains because now they know it's a thing.


----------



## MikeAndrews

Jstkiddn said:


> Vince Gilligan is asking people to stop throwing pizzas on the roof of the house used in Breaking Bad.
> 
> http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/vince-gilligan-urges-breaking-bad-780683?facebook_20150311


It would be nice if local pizza joints warn any stranger buying a _huge_ pizza to not try the stunt.


----------



## astrohip

Two years ago... *****!


----------



## Bierboy

astrohip said:


> Two years ago... *****!


...and I STILL miss it...


----------



## ct1




----------



## astrohip

Three years ago today. Time has only deepened my appreciation for what a great series this way. Start to finish.


----------



## jkeegan

Now I've got Felina going through my head..


----------



## wouldworker

astrohip said:


> One year ago...





astrohip said:


> Two years ago... *****!





astrohip said:


> Three years ago today. Time has only deepened my appreciation for what a great series this way. Start to finish.


Do you have a reminder in your calendar?


----------



## andyw715

I just finished watching the series for the first time, this past August.

On to "Better Call Saul"


----------



## astrohip

wouldworker said:


> Do you have a reminder in your calendar?


Yep. There are two series that had such an impact, that I mark their anniversaries. And this is one...


----------



## astrohip

andyw715 said:


> I just finished watching the series for the first time, this past August.


What did you think?


----------



## heySkippy

andyw715 said:


> On to "Better Call Saul"


You're in for a treat. BCS is a worthy spinoff.


----------



## loubob57

I recently watched the Mythbusters episode where they did the M-60 machine gun mounted in the trunk. That was awesome.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

astrohip said:


> Yep. There are two series that had such an impact, that I mark their anniversaries. And this is one...


I can't imagine what the other would be. Help me out here, I'm lost...


----------



## ej42137

Rob Helmerichs said:


> I can't imagine what the other would be. Help me out here, I'm lost...


I see what you did there.


----------



## astrohip

Four years ago today...

I've noticed as time goes by, more and more people are putting this on their Best Ever type lists. The rare series that went from very good to exceptional over its run, with each season becoming even more addictive. And went out on top.


----------



## Hank

I've spoken to a lot of people about the show, and often I get a "meh, I watch the first few episodes, and I just couldn't get into it." I'm like WTAF?  We were hooked in the first 10 minutes. I just don't get it.

I think it's a fundamental change in how people watch TV now. I think a lot of people now watch TV with a notebook open in front of them or a phone/tablet, etc. And the TV program becomes secondary to chatter online or snapchat, facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. (It's even worse at concerts now). So with a show like BB, you can't watch it in the background, you have to be an active participant. It's not like reality shows that replay the same clips 12 times so you're going to get the entire content of an hour long show in about a total of 7 minutes of TV viewing. 

It's sad, really.


----------



## andyw715

Hank said:


> I've spoken to a lot of people about the show, and often I get a "meh, I watch the first few episodes, and I just couldn't get into it." I'm like WTAF?  We were hooked in the first 10 minutes. I just don't get it.
> 
> I think it's a fundamental change in how people watch TV now. I think a lot of people now watch TV with a notebook open in front of them or a phone/tablet, etc. And the TV program becomes secondary to chatter online or snapchat, facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. (It's even worse at concerts now).  So with a show like BB, you can't watch it in the background, you have to be an active participant. It's not like reality shows that replay the same clips 12 times so you're going to get the entire content of an hour long show in about a total of 7 minutes of TV viewing.
> 
> It's sad, really.


i agree 100% there have been a few shows that I've gone and rewatched because the first viewing was while playing on my phone. Double screen time is a killer for true viewing comprehension.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs

Hank said:


> I've spoken to a lot of people about the show, and often I get a "meh, I watch the first few episodes, and I just couldn't get into it." I'm like WTAF?  We were hooked in the first 10 minutes. I just don't get it.


That was me. I watched maybe 4-5 episodes, got bored, and stopped. It wasn't until the gap between the last two seasons that the buzz just got to be too much, and I started over.

Not sure why it didn't grab me the first time. The same thing happened with Halt and Catch Fire (not in the same league as BB, but much better than I thought my first try). And I'm not the watch TV while doing other stuff type, so that's no excuse.


----------



## gweempose

Hank said:


> I think it's a fundamental change in how people watch TV now. I think a lot of people now watch TV with a notebook open in front of them or a phone/tablet, etc. And the TV program becomes secondary to chatter online or snapchat, facebook, twitter, instagram, etc.


My teenagers are always double screening and it bugs the crap out of me. We'll be watching a movie, and I will pause it and ask them what the main character just said. Half the time, they have no clue. It's like they are only getting half the experience.


----------



## Hank

My wife does that too, and it drives me nuts! Like I'll laugh at something funny, and a moment later she'll laugh, but I know it's only because I laughed and she had ZERO idea what happened on the TV. I'll say, 'did you see that' or 'did you get that' and then she'll say 'uh, can you replay it??'. Not enough of these:


----------



## heySkippy

Rob Helmerichs said:


> That was me. I watched maybe 4-5 episodes, got bored, and stopped. It wasn't until the gap between the last two seasons that the buzz just got to be too much, and I started over.


Pretty much the same for me. The first season didn't impress me very much.


----------



## tivotvaddict

It took me four tries to watch this show. The first few episodes were just too depressing to me. I didn't like the overall "look" of the show from a visual cinematic perspective. The Walter and Skyler White house felt like it was from the 1970s and there was a strong disconnect between that visual and the supposed time frame of the show for me. The Skyler character was highly irritating and a major part of the show in the first few episodes.

Everyone kept talking about how great the show was, people who shared my general taste in tv. So I'd try again, starting from the beginning, but couldn't get through it. FINALLY the last time I tried it again, I decided not to start at the beginning again, and just start where I left off. That happened to be the episode where Walter's "bad guy" hat first appears, with the explosion. Finally I was hooked. 

It's in my top 3 tv series of all time. 

tta


----------



## stormtech

Add me to the watched a couple episodes and quit. Then when I noticed on Netflix some time later I started again and loved it. I never watch movies or shows more than once but Breakng Bad changed that. I just got done watchng the entire show (one episode at a time) a second time.

I think I enjoyed it even more the second time.


----------



## tiellv

I never watched the show until it was over. I think I may have heard of it but I didn’t take the time to check it out. When I heard the series was ending and that it was a terrific show I decided to DVR Felina but as soon as I started watching it I was lost, of course. So I went to Netflix and started watching it and was immediately hooked. I’ve watched it multiple times since then. One of my favorite tv shows of all time.


----------



## teknikel

Count me as one who couldn't get through the first episode four times over the years. i also kept hearing how good it was. But I always watched it late and would fall asleep. Like tiellv, when the show ended, I forced myself to watch season 1 and finally got hooked. I try to watch tv shows like this without distraction and am mostly successful.


----------



## astrohip

Today is the 5th anniversary of "Felina", the Breaking Bad finale. A show that makes more Top Ten lists as time goes by. And that rarity, a great series where the finale is almost universally considered to be superb. As hard as it is to make a great series, it's that much harder to go out on top.

Coincidentally, I happen to be in Albuquerque for a few days. While walking around Old Town yesterday (ABQ's 300+ year old cultural and historic district), I spotted this poster in the window of a shop...


----------



## hummingbird_206

There's been so much BB discussion in the BCS threads that I had to go back and watch season 5 again this past week. They really did a great job with the whole final season and I loved the finale. I'd done a rewatch of the full series in the last year, but, well, with CRS, I've still forgotten a lot. I'm always surprised at how on the first viewing of the show that I hated Skylar, and now on every viewing after that first, I really feel bad for her. I still don't like her, but I sure don't hate her.


----------



## JohnB1000

I thought a lot of people had a problem with the finale? It was better than most but there was a lot of very convenient things falling into place.


----------



## heySkippy

JohnB1000 said:


> I thought a lot of people had a problem with the finale? It was better than most but there was a lot of very convenient things falling into place.


That was before Mythbusters proved it totally feasible.


----------



## astrohip

JohnB1000 said:


> I thought a lot of people had a problem with the finale? It was better than most but there was a lot of very convenient things falling into place.


There were a couple of crazy scenes, but the general tone, and the way the story concluded were well liked by most. Especially compared to the discussions after Sopranos or Seinfeld or Lost. So many other series that were great TV, but didn't end as well as hoped.


----------



## astrohip

Back to Old Town today for more shopping, and came across the (supposedly) actual RV used in BB. Bullet holes and all.


----------



## Howie

I could see you going inside and cooking up some meth. Shave your head and you'd look like WW.


----------



## astrohip

Howie said:


> I could see you going inside and cooking up some meth. Shave your head and you'd look like WW.


Thanks. I think.


----------



## GoPackGo

Hmm, it may be one of the RVs used for the show, but I don’t think it’s the actual “hero” RV used for close up shots etc. That was in the Sony lot when I was there a few years ago.


----------



## astrohip

As we get closer to the release of the Breaking Bad movie "El Camino" on October 11, let's take a moment to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the finale. Sept 29 2013.


----------



## photoshopgrl

astrohip said:


> As we get closer to the release of the Breaking Bad movie "El Camino" on October 11, let's take a moment to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the finale. Sept 29 2013.


Wow. Six years. That's crazy. It does not feel like that long.


----------



## Bettamojo5

I'm re-watching the series getting ready for El Camino. Just as good the second time through. Hope the sequel is as good.


----------



## astrohip

Today marks the seventh anniversary of "Felina", the Breaking Bad finale.

2013. Seems like a lifetime ago. Anyone rewatched the series in this last year?


----------



## NorthAlabama

astrohip said:


> Today marks the seventh anniversary of "Felina", the Breaking Bad finale.
> 
> 2013. Seems like a lifetime ago. Anyone rewatched the series in this last year?


yes, finished watching after the onset of covid, recorded from amc's most recent airing of the series, whenever that was - probably my last stroll through the series.


----------



## jkeegan

Yeah, watched this with my daughter Alicia this year. So good.


----------



## TheBar1

astrohip said:


> Anyone rewatched the series in this last year?


My wife and I watched the whole series for the first time earlier this year - after biting the COVID shelter-in-place bullet and signing up for a Netflix subscription. We really enjoyed it and the "El Camino" movie. I thought the series finale and El Camino were handled very seamlessly. Not at all obvious how far apart they were produced from one another, other than the extra weight actor Jesse Plemons had gained since Breaking Bad had wrapped.

We've got "Better Call Saul" in our Netflix Wishlist to start binging soon.


----------



## GoPackGo

I rewatched in anticipation of El Camino’s release. It was a pleasure to revisit. 

I’m looking forward to watching again, this time with the 12 year old when she’s a bit older.


----------



## efilippi

I was late to this series, just finishing it a week or so ago. I enjoyed as much as most here in this thread. I am one of those who hoped for Walt's comeuppance, didn't get it so a bit disappointed. His death was not enough punishment. My opinion, of course.

I am intrigued about the problems of laundering all the cash and do have some understanding of how it is done, in broad terms. But I have no idea how all the stacks of hundreds are amassed, even more so than how they are used. Early days of production and sale in RV quantities resulted in rolls of money and I assumed it was just all that was grabbed, in various denominations. But with Gus and forward, all the incoming cash was in neat stacks of hundreds, one hundred per bundle. How does that happen?

Somewhere the Fed and our banking system is distributing stacks of hundreds into normal circulation. There must be places in this distribution that sees official, legal entities passing on stacks of crisp, new hundreds in exchange for larger stacks of dirty, crinkled 10's and 20's, whatever the meth heads used to buy the stuff. How does that transaction happen? I can't imagine the local porn and peep show outlet is asking Chase for 25 hundreds in exchange for last week's take. It would seem pretty simple to trace the outflow to 'shady' businesses but apparently not. Any idea how it happens?


----------



## astrohip

Nice try, Mr. IRS Agent masquerading as @efilippi. No way are we giving you our secrets.


----------



## pdhenry

efilippi said:


> I can't imagine the local porn and peep show outlet is asking Chase for 25 hundreds in exchange for last week's take. It would seem pretty simple to trace the outflow to 'shady' businesses but apparently not. Any idea how it happens?


Car washes, obviously.


----------



## mooseAndSquirrel

There was a cash only dry cleaner in Maryland that had such low prices and were so jam packed with customers that I was sure it must be a money laundering operation.

One of the sillier explanations on Ozark was actually laundering the money in a washing machine. Making it look used is hardly the top priority.


----------



## Tony_T

I see a few no-name fast food restaurants in my area that _never_ have any customers, yet they've been in business for so many years that they have to be laundering money.


----------



## mattyro7878

I went to a chicken place today that has been around for quite awhile. I got a good steak and cheese but all I could think was "how do they stay in business?"


----------



## efilippi

But all the examples above speak to the laundering of the stacks of hundreds. My question is about how all the tens and twenties gets changed into hundreds. I don't see a chicken joint bringing ten thousand dollars of receipts, all in small bills, and asking the bank for change in hundreds. Wouldn't the bank be curious?


----------



## Tony_T

The tens and twenties aren’t changed into stacks of hundreds. 
Laundering washes dirty tens and twenties into, taxable bank deposits.


----------



## efilippi

Walter had a half dozen barrels full of hundreds. Where did they come from?


----------



## Hank

All the cash from the car wash Skyler couldn't yet launder. 
We don't know for sure they were ALL 100s.


----------



## snerd

A local strip mall has a business called "Coin Laundry".

I always thought it was silly to do money laundering on such a small scale.


----------



## Tony_T

efilippi said:


> Walter had a half dozen barrels full of hundreds. Where did they come from?


That's how Gus paid him.
Then the question becomes, how does Gus and Mandrigal get bundles of hundreds? Being a worldwide conglomerate may be how.


----------



## Worf

It's not hard. A business that size might easily take out petty cash in the form of hundreds. For a reasonable sized business, having a petty cash of $1000 or more isn't unusual. 

Also, fast food joints dealing with hundreds isn't unusual - a meal for 4 can easily be $30-40 and you can expect to see $100 bills. Granted you probably will see twenties, but having several hundred dollar bills at the end of the day wouldn't be too unusual. 

Maybe a convenience store that mostly deals with $1 items might not get many hundreds, but they certainly would if they sold gas. 

Heck, even a retail store dealing with payroll often involves paying hundreds of dollars to employees (and yes, a lot of smaller mom and pop businesses will pay you in cash rather than to continually cut cheques). A couple of weeks of full shifts can easily be a few hundred dollars.


----------



## Hank

As I asserted, we didn't know for sure the barrels of money were all 100s.. so here's a little evidence.

You can definitely see 10s, 50s, and 100s. I think there are 20s in there as well.
The strap colors generally denote different denominations. 
But also remember this isn't real currency, it's fake hollywood currency, so it won't match exactly under scrutiny.
It just shows that the money pile which ended up in the black barrels wasn't all 100s.

(Side note: The actor on the left is Bill Barr who played Mayfeld in The Mandelorian.)


----------



## pdhenry

Hank said:


> But also remember this isn't real currency, it's fake hollywood currency, so it won't match exactly under scrutiny.


C'mon, man! This is BB! 

The show has a history of avoiding shortcuts on seemingly minor details that could possibly be picked up in an HD freeze frame. I wouldn't put it past them to put a single authentic bill on the top of each bundle...


----------



## Hank

The other thing that occured to me is that (in BCS mostly) when Tuco and Nacho would collect cash from the street dealers/collectors, they looked like rolls of 100s. So if they distributed the conversion of the lower denominations to higher denominations down to the lowest level (dealers could only submit 100s to the bosses), each street dealer could deposit their cash into a bank ATM or teller, and then withdraw a dozen or more 100s from another ATM or teller the next day. Going into a bank and taking out say $2000 to $5000 (that's only 20 to 50 bills in $100 denomination) isn't a big deal on the individual level (I've done that several times when buying/selling cars in cash). Banks are only really concerned of cash transactions over $10k. A drug dealer could spread that over three or four banks and not really raise any flags. This way, only 100s get sent up the chain and the conversion is widely distributed.


----------



## Hank

pdhenry said:


> The show has a history of avoiding shortcuts on seemingly minor details that could possibly be picked up in an HD freeze frame. I wouldn't put it past them to put a single authentic bill on the top of each bundle...


There are actually laws in place that dictate what fake U.S. currency can be used on screen. V.G. et al wouldn't be able to circumvent that and I doubt the studio would let them.

Just look at the portraits -- they are not the real portraits.

Blank Filler Prop Money

edit: From: The Business of Fake Hollywood Money



> Even with its altered appearance, ISS's movie money has appeared in "tens of thousands of commercials, films, and TV shows" -- _24, CSI, The Dark Knight, Dexter, _and _The Hangover_ included. In a now-iconic _Breaking Bad _scene, characters sprawl out on massive stacks of the company's bills.


ISS: Props - ISS Props


----------



## pdhenry

From your link:



> To re-enter the fake currency market, Bilson had to drastically change his product. Today, he manufactures stacks of blank paper, then tops them with one real hundred-dollar bill -- a practice that is permitted legally. "There's a wive's tale out there that you can't use real money on camera," he says, referring to laws from the early 20th century, "but that's no longer true." His stacks are glued together so they can't be separated and "used to buy Slurpees at 7-11" by movie assistants and interns


.


----------



## Hank

Yes, they can do that.. but in the BB scene, they didn't.


----------



## pdhenry

You just said they couldn't, though.


----------



## Hank

That’s not what I said. I didn’t say they couldn’t do that, only that there are specific rules about FAKE CURRENCY that can be used on screen.


----------



## pdhenry

Apologies.


----------



## Hank

Thanks. 

All I was trying to say was that the money pile wasn't all 100s as originally presented in the money laundering question.


----------



## Worf

Actually, there aren't rules on fake currency. The only rule is that you cannot show real currency in a way that it can be counterfeited. (From the department of treasury)

Now, Hollywood use money props to simulate the money because with all the angles and all that, there may be an angle you accidentally film that would make the currency counterfeit-able and thus against the law. But I'm sure that's not the real reason.

Though, the more practical reason is - fake money is cheap. If you want to show a million dollars on screen, if you use real money (and you can), it would cost you a million dollars. But if you use prop money, it will cost you probably a couple hundred bucks. Of course, the movie audience worldwide is generally familiar with the look of US currency, so your fake cash needs to look like that on screen. You cannot reproduce real currency for obvious reasons, but you can alter it so it's fake - changing the President photo is a common way, as is changing the "United States of America" text. It looks real, but fails even the most cursory inspection so it cannot be used in place of real money.

Fake money is also used because you can leave it on set without guarding it, very important for set dressing and set continuity. Real money you don't want to leave around for obvious reasons, and that would mean you would spend an hour cleaning up after shooting and another hour putting the bills back prior to shooting. Plus, you won't have to worry about a briefcase full of money and security and all that. If you have stacks of fake cash laying around, you can leave them laying around. If you use real cash, you have to have security stand around guarding it. Plus, if you want to burn it or set it alight, that may or may not be illegal to do on real currency, but no such problems on fake currency, and you're also not burning up thousands of dollars at the same time.


----------



## Hank

Worf said:


> Actually, there aren't rules on fake currency. The only rule is that you cannot show real currency in a way that it can be counterfeited. (From the department of treasury)


Yes, there are specific rules about creating/replicating U.S. currency from the Treasury Department (Secret Service).



> Over the decades the laws regarding currency reproduction have changed, and today we abide by the Counterfeit Detection Act of 1992. According to the law, filmmakers can reproduce full-color U.S. currency, provided that they adhere to the following restrictions on each bill:
> 
> the illustration is of a size less than three-fourths or more than one and one-half, in linear dimension, of each part of the item illustrated;
> the illustration is one-sided; and
> all negatives, plates, positives, digitized storage medium, graphic files, magnetic medium, optical storage devices, and any other thing used in the making of the illustration that contain an image of the illustration or any part thereof are destroyed and/or deleted or erased after their final use.


If the filmmakers can't follow these rules, they have to create prop currency that can be the same size and double-sided, etc. If they create prop currency that looks too much like real currency (as per the Secret Service) they will get cease-and-desist orders. So yes, there are rules about creating fake currency that are enforced by the SS.

I maintain a database of thousands of instances of real currency being used in TV, films, ads, commercials, etc -- all clear images of real currency.
Here's probably the most notable example from season 4 of The Sopranos.


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## astrohip

Felina: Eight years ago today. 

As other series come and go, one begins to realize how hard it is to truly "stick the landing". I think the number of really great series that also had superb finales can be counted on one hand.

This coming Spring (2022), we'll be getting the final season of Better Call Saul, the last 13 episodes. We can only hope it goes out as well as Breaking Bad did.

PS: No BCS discussion here. I only mentioned it since they share showrunners.


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## astrohip

astrohip said:


> Felina: Eight years ago today.
> 
> As other series come and go, one begins to realize how hard it is to truly "stick the landing". I think the number of really great series that also had superb finales can be counted on one hand.
> 
> This coming Spring (2022), we'll be getting the final season of Better Call Saul, the last 13 episodes. We can only hope it goes out as well as Breaking Bad did.
> 
> PS: No BCS discussion here. I only mentioned it since they share showrunners.


Nine years today. And as good as the Better Call Saul finale was, it was no Breaking Bad. I think the BB finale ranks in the top five all time best, BCS was very good, but not world class. One of these days I'm going to do a BB rewatch.

Reminder, no BCS spoilers in this thread.


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## Hank

Totally agree. The only series finales I would even rank at a "top" are:

1. Breaking Bad
2. Six Feet Under
3. M*A*S*H

There are lots of other great endings, but don't warrant getting onto the list, IMHO.


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## Craigbob

Hank said:


> Totally agree. The only series finales I would even rank at a "top" are:
> 
> 1. Breaking Bad
> 2. Six Feet Under
> 3. M*A*S*H
> 
> There are lots of other great endings, but don't warrant getting onto the list, IMHO.


I'd add the following:
Newhart
Mary Tyler Moore Show
Sopranos (I know I know a very controversial choice)
BCS


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## tivotvaddict

I'd add 
The Good Place
The Americans


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## Craigbob

tivotvaddict said:


> I'd add
> The Good Place
> The Americans


Yes to the Americans.


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## Hank

Yes The Americans was a very close runner-up to my list.

The Good Place was very good, but not list-worthy.


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## Hcour

The Fugitive.


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