I thought Granite State was just as good as Ozymandias, but for different reasons. I was glad for the break from the constant adrenaline pumping of... pretty much the entire season up until now. There needs to be a calm before the storm to make the finale really impactful, anyway, I expect.
If Vince and his writers kill Holly I will be very cross with them.
I think what disappointed me is the knowledge that the finale will be limited to a single episode in duration.
The gray matter interview should have also tipped Walter off that Jessie is still alive. Who else could be cooking blue? He already knows Todd was having trouble.
The Jesse arc was what I enjoyed (for lack of a better word) most in this episode. Prisoner, indentured meth cook ice cream for dinner, a great escape followed by being forced to watch your girlfriend shot.
I think it was important for Walt to hear what Flynn told him on the phone, it put him back into the Walter White state.
However when the co-founders at Greymatter described him as "sweet", Heisenberg stirred to the top, also compounded with the juxtaposition of going from an empire man down to a guy in a hut.
I don't know if it is better then Ozymandias but it made sense and it was required.
I don't think any good can happen to Jesse now. It would be good I guess for himto walk away with Brock? But really... I mean even Brock would probably want nothing to do with him now after being poisoned, having his mother shot, etc. It'd be easy to conclude even for a kid that it's because of Jesse being in his life.
Basically it's a crazy amount of storytelling when the best we hope for is for Jesse to suck-start an Uzi.
One thing I wondered was what did Walt do all that time in the cabin? I didn't see any books or anything really and he only had 1 dvd. Stewing in there alone for so long probably made him even more crazy. Even after he got newspapers he just seemed to spend all his time obsessing over what the news said about him. I don't know how they can really finish it all in the last episode. I can see him going after the Aryans with the M60 but I doubt thats going to happen right away, and is he going to do anything to the gray matter people? I just see him going out in a blaze of glory.
I imagine he took delivery of a few DVDs or something in the meantime.
I dunno why vacuum guy diddnt just ship him to like, say, the Czech Republic...
An American expat with a few million dollars could do well overseas. Maybe New Zealand or Australia or the Netherlands or Taiwan or parts of Russia that aren't frozen... Argentina might not be bad.
Yeah, and there are a few countries in South America that don't extradite worth considering. Pretty much anywhere but the US would be better for a millionare former meth kingpin on the run.
Phenomenal Ending. Wrapped up just enough. I'm immensely satisfied. Teared up a few times.
Absolutely. The journey was such a wild ride. I hope to have one with something of similar quality again someday. I liked how the finale was more quiet compared to how loud and "heart pounding out of your chest" suspenseful the preceding episodes were.
The more I read about it...god, this show just took me on an incredible journey the whole way through. It really put everything into perspective seeing it play out. Walter got what he wanted. We saw his honesty and ingenuity come out in full form. Just the little things connected what questions I wanted to see answered.
Thank you Vince Gilligan. Bryan Cranston. Aaron Paul. Everyone.
Now that the show is over, I think it is okay to ask this question. Name your favorite favorite episodes and why they are your favorites (any amount is fine)?
Fair warning, if you haven't seen the series, I highly suggest you skip past my entry because I will spoil things. You have been warned.
I have 5 that stand out to me. So, in no particular order, mine are...
1: "Peekaboo" : In addition to being a Jesse centered episode (he is my favorite character), I really love this episode because it is one of the very few to take a step back from all the goings on of the plot (the plot does progress, but it is not the focus) and takes a look at the world in which these characters live in. More specifically, it shows just how horrible meth is and how it can destroy the lives of anybody in every conceivable way (both children and adults), to the point they are unaware of that fact that it is ruined. That and it has a truly shocking and fucked up death at the end.
2: "Fly" : it's my understanding that this is a very divisive episode amongst fans; they either love it or they hate it. I'm one of the former. Also, this episode has the benefit of being directed by Rian Johnson (of Brick and Looper fame) and he is a fantastic director. I really love it because it provides very necessary character development to both Walt and Jesse in a short amount of time and it plays out more like a morality play than anything else. The best part is that all this is set around something so mundane and silly, and yet all of this nail biting and moving drama blossoms around it. It's also one of the few episodes to make me cry. When Jesses briefly brings up Jane and says "I miss her though. God I do..." , that just started the waterworks for me because there is so much emotion conveyed in one line.
3: "Ozymandias" : I don't think it is unfair to say that this is one of the best episodes of the entire show. Also, again, directed by Rian Johnson. This is the episode where the setup for the finale begins and Walt's life really goes to hell when Flynn finally learns the truth. The knife fight, the call to Skyler, Hank's death, there is not a single moment that isn't memorable. It twisted me into knots as I watched and I felt the need to scrunch something in my hands, because the tension was unbearable.
4: "...And The Bag Is In the River": This episode is very special to me because it is the episode where I realized the hype I kept hearing about this show was totally justified and that it was destined to be my favorite show of all time. It's also possibly one of the best episodes in Season 1, which is kinda hit and miss in retrospect. When Krazy 8 was chained up in the basement and he and Walt were talking, I was so taken by how well written and believable all the drama was. It almost seemed like Krazy 8 would show some leniency. But the moment where Walt realized a shard of the plate was gone was an utterly brilliant reveal. More than that, the moment where confronts Krazy 8 and he has no choice but to kill him (in self defense) is truly heartbreaking both because it is clear as to how much it eats him up inside and also because it sets him down the path to hell.
5: "ABQ": Not only is this episode one of the most satisfying season finales I have ever seen, it is also one of the few hours of television I've ever consumed where I could not sit still or keep quiet. I had to scream at the TV (luckily no one was home or around the neighborhood so I didn't disturb anybody). I thought it was sheer brilliance how they tied everything they had been teasing all season long in such an unexpected and plausible manner. It really says something about any movie or TV show if it is so involving and gets your blood going so easily that you are not able to sit still.
Peekaboo was really well done, but depressed the shit out of me. I'm not sure I could watch it again.
I'm just relieved that Vince didn't kill Holly. I'd have been pissed.
My favorite episode of all time is still "Fly". That episode was fucking genius.
Also, as an aside, wow... do people on /r/breakingbad get butthurt when you explain why Walt's not a hero nor did he "win" by any stretch of the imagination. Yow.
Walt only succeeded in stopping the bleeding in regards to the wounds he caused the family, along with exacting some revenge on the Nazis. He didn't cure anything or succeed in any original or worthwhile goal.
Nit-picky detail, but we are to assume he called the cops that came to the compound, correct?
Good insurance policy I suppose.
I found myself at the end wanting Walt to keep pushing, to try to find a way out at all costs. To try and fix his wound or whatever the case may be. I don't think he needed to succeed in doing so, but it would have been interesting to see him fight to the end.
But as-is, well it was better.
It seems in the finale as if there were a number of allusions to people Walt killed.
Anyone else get a vibe of the Tuco shootout with the hydraulics running after, from the M60 auto turret still running in the car? Or the pool table nazi choking similar to Jane?
And there was a moment when Jesse was pulling out that I thought he would run over Walt, just how walt ran over the two gangbangers.
Obviously the way Jesse kills Meth Damon parallels Krazy 8.
Its finally over? Great. Can the internet calm it's shit about it now?
Come on, it's only been a day. Let's have our moment, especially because it paid off and it spiked with a 10.3 Million Viewership. This is the opposite of how Dexter squirmed around and vomited on the ground when it ended, this went out in a glorious fashion.
Its finally over? Great. Can the internet calm it's shit about it now?
Maybe when people around here stop talking about ponies ;D
I have.
Come on, it's only been a day. Let's have our moment, especially because it paid off and it spiked with a 10.3 Million Viewership. This is the opposite of how Dexter squirmed around and vomited on the ground when it ended, this went out in a glorious fashion.
Very few shows ever come full circle and end when they are on top of the charts. Most shows become popular and are then dragged out too long after the viewership has faded.
Breaking Bad is one of the few shows that kept its A game running for the entire series.
Comments
If Vince and his writers kill Holly I will be very cross with them.
The gray matter interview should have also tipped Walter off that Jessie is still alive. Who else could be cooking blue? He already knows Todd was having trouble.
I think it was important for Walt to hear what Flynn told him on the phone, it put him back into the Walter White state.
However when the co-founders at Greymatter described him as "sweet", Heisenberg stirred to the top, also compounded with the juxtaposition of going from an empire man down to a guy in a hut.
I don't know if it is better then Ozymandias but it made sense and it was required.
Basically it's a crazy amount of storytelling when the best we hope for is for Jesse to suck-start an Uzi.
I dunno why vacuum guy diddnt just ship him to like, say, the Czech Republic...
An American expat with a few million dollars could do well overseas. Maybe New Zealand or Australia or the Netherlands or Taiwan or parts of Russia that aren't frozen... Argentina might not be bad.
The more I read about it...god, this show just took me on an incredible journey the whole way through. It really put everything into perspective seeing it play out. Walter got what he wanted. We saw his honesty and ingenuity come out in full form. Just the little things connected what questions I wanted to see answered.
Thank you Vince Gilligan. Bryan Cranston. Aaron Paul. Everyone.
Fair warning, if you haven't seen the series, I highly suggest you skip past my entry because I will spoil things. You have been warned.
I have 5 that stand out to me. So, in no particular order, mine are...
1: "Peekaboo" : In addition to being a Jesse centered episode (he is my favorite character), I really love this episode because it is one of the very few to take a step back from all the goings on of the plot (the plot does progress, but it is not the focus) and takes a look at the world in which these characters live in. More specifically, it shows just how horrible meth is and how it can destroy the lives of anybody in every conceivable way (both children and adults), to the point they are unaware of that fact that it is ruined. That and it has a truly shocking and fucked up death at the end.
2: "Fly" : it's my understanding that this is a very divisive episode amongst fans; they either love it or they hate it. I'm one of the former. Also, this episode has the benefit of being directed by Rian Johnson (of Brick and Looper fame) and he is a fantastic director. I really love it because it provides very necessary character development to both Walt and Jesse in a short amount of time and it plays out more like a morality play than anything else. The best part is that all this is set around something so mundane and silly, and yet all of this nail biting and moving drama blossoms around it. It's also one of the few episodes to make me cry. When Jesses briefly brings up Jane and says "I miss her though. God I do..." , that just started the waterworks for me because there is so much emotion conveyed in one line.
3: "Ozymandias" : I don't think it is unfair to say that this is one of the best episodes of the entire show. Also, again, directed by Rian Johnson. This is the episode where the setup for the finale begins and Walt's life really goes to hell when Flynn finally learns the truth. The knife fight, the call to Skyler, Hank's death, there is not a single moment that isn't memorable. It twisted me into knots as I watched and I felt the need to scrunch something in my hands, because the tension was unbearable.
4: "...And The Bag Is In the River": This episode is very special to me because it is the episode where I realized the hype I kept hearing about this show was totally justified and that it was destined to be my favorite show of all time. It's also possibly one of the best episodes in Season 1, which is kinda hit and miss in retrospect. When Krazy 8 was chained up in the basement and he and Walt were talking, I was so taken by how well written and believable all the drama was. It almost seemed like Krazy 8 would show some leniency. But the moment where Walt realized a shard of the plate was gone was an utterly brilliant reveal. More than that, the moment where confronts Krazy 8 and he has no choice but to kill him (in self defense) is truly heartbreaking both because it is clear as to how much it eats him up inside and also because it sets him down the path to hell.
5: "ABQ": Not only is this episode one of the most satisfying season finales I have ever seen, it is also one of the few hours of television I've ever consumed where I could not sit still or keep quiet. I had to scream at the TV (luckily no one was home or around the neighborhood so I didn't disturb anybody). I thought it was sheer brilliance how they tied everything they had been teasing all season long in such an unexpected and plausible manner. It really says something about any movie or TV show if it is so involving and gets your blood going so easily that you are not able to sit still.
So those are favorite episodes.
I'm just relieved that Vince didn't kill Holly. I'd have been pissed.
My favorite episode of all time is still "Fly". That episode was fucking genius.
Also, as an aside, wow... do people on /r/breakingbad get butthurt when you explain why Walt's not a hero nor did he "win" by any stretch of the imagination. Yow.
Nit-picky detail, but we are to assume he called the cops that came to the compound, correct?
Good insurance policy I suppose.
I found myself at the end wanting Walt to keep pushing, to try to find a way out at all costs. To try and fix his wound or whatever the case may be. I don't think he needed to succeed in doing so, but it would have been interesting to see him fight to the end.
But as-is, well it was better.
It seems in the finale as if there were a number of allusions to people Walt killed.
Anyone else get a vibe of the Tuco shootout with the hydraulics running after, from the M60 auto turret still running in the car? Or the pool table nazi choking similar to Jane?
And there was a moment when Jesse was pulling out that I thought he would run over Walt, just how walt ran over the two gangbangers.
Obviously the way Jesse kills Meth Damon parallels Krazy 8.
All we're missing is a box cutter throat slash...
Breaking Bad is one of the few shows that kept its A game running for the entire series.