“Felina”
**Spoiler Alert**
It’s been one wild ride and while I hate to see it conclude, I appreciate a show that can end with its integrity intact. Despite the popularity of Breaking Bad it wasn’t strung out for ratings like so many others that have come before it – it went out on top. There wasn’t a moment when I felt cheated, the finale was handled expertly and avoided letting the audience down.
True to his character, Walt was unapologetic, and for the first time honest. The lying finally stopped, there must have been a certain amount of relief to come clean like that both to himself and to Skyler. For the first time he admitted he did it all, not for his family as he’d previously purported, but for himself. Being Heisenberg was the one thing he was good at. Walt wasn’t looking for redemption, instead the finale brought him closer to peace than he’s been in a very long time.
A few loose ends, all of which, were surprisingly tied up in just this last episode without rushing the pace. It was the episode of necessity Walt accomplished many tasks in a terribly short amount of time considering: he put the Ricin to good use and Lydia wasn’t the wiser, he bid Skyler a final goodbye and gave her bargaining power with the feds, he finally figured out how to get his dirty money into his family hands, he freed Jesse and got his revenge on Uncle Jack and his crew.
Heisenberg went out with a bang. Walt never excelled at being a traditional drug lord, he excelled at thinking, strategizing, seeing a move three steps ahead etc. Walt was a master chess player, that was his strength. The world of Walt had been lost to him and there was nothing he could do to recover that. All he could do was come clean, this is the version of Walt post Heisenberg. His family would never love or trust him again. There was no forgiveness, no apologies, just an acceptance of what things had become.
Walt’s original mission was to make sure his family was financially set before he kicked the bucket and that is exactly what he did. It all came full circle. Both Walt and Jesse met a fitting end. Walt died alone surrounded by meth making instruments, it may have been the only place he felt he still belonged. Jesse is now free with nothing to bind him and a lot of emotional baggage he may finally kick the drug habit for good. I’d like to think Jesse will find a new lease on life and come out better on the other side.
And so ends one of the best television series out there. This series has propelled television beyond feature films in terms of storytelling, its moved television to a new place. All thanks to consistently good writers and strategic standards of quality not to mention incredible luck.
Shows like this are few and far between. Goodbye Breaking Bad.
Aurora Snow Says:
Episode Rating:
[Rating:5/5]
The first time Walt met Gus, Gus warned him that he could “never trust an addict”. Although they were discussing Jesse and his drug addiction, I think that statement applies even more to Walt and his addiction to power which ultimately destroyed him.
Excellent point! With the show’s crafty, insightful and layered writing it’s easy to find double meanings.