Breaking Bad‘s tremendously satisfying season finale made both Bryan Cranston’s Walter and Aaron Paul’s Jesse pay for some of their sins, which in turn rewarded us as viewers. Only Breaking Bad could make last week’s scene of Walter allowing druggy Jane to die choking on her own vomit into an occasion to feel sorry for Walter, trapped as he was in his knowledge that, by letting Jane die, he rid himself of someone who could ruin his (and his family’s) life. But this week, the karma of realism bit Walter, as he inadvertantly (while under sedation) gave wife Skyler the info and ammo she needed, in sorrow and in anger, to later kick Walter out of the house for his lies — for the truths he cannot bring himself to tell her.
The subplot about Walt, Jr., his website to raise money for his dad, and the resulting media attention was poignant and funny (Walter’s tight grin of chagrin while the family picture was taken)… and kind of real: Go to savewalterwhite.com and check it out. Proceeds go to the (for real) National Cancer Coalition.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to Jonathan Banks (any old Wiseguy fans out there?) as the bluntly realistic clean-up guy who took care of Jane’s body in a chilling, black-humored scene.
And the season’s final episode paid off on the image that began the season: that pink-red stuffed animal floating in the pool, one eye disconnected and adrift. It was a bit of debris from the airline accident caused, we’re led to believe, by a distracted air-traffic controller… the father of dead Jane.
At this point in the series, creator Vince Gilligan is forcing us to face a hard question, for him and for us: How much longer does Walt’s original justification for cooking and selling meth — to provide for his family in the event of his cancer-death — remain an even remotely decent, moral reason to continue such lawlessness? His activities have brought about a lot of violence and suffering. This will be the great question hanging over next season, and I can’t wait to see how Breaking Bad addresses it.
In conclusion: fantastic season, Emmys for everybody all around, can we agree?
Did you watch the Breaking Bad finale? What did you think?
Was that stuffed bear Walter’s baby’s toy? If it was, that would mean Walter’s wife and baby died in the plane crash.
No, his wife and child are fine. They were in a car driving away.
I do believe that Walters wife and baby were on board that airplane and died in the crash. This will bring the point full circle that Walter was responsible for thier death by standing idle and watching the druggie girl die. If she lived, her father would not have been distraut allowing him to make the error at his job. His mistake in letting her die caused the death of a wife and daughter, and in turn caused the death of his own wife and daughter. As for the drug business I think the motivation will change drastically. Instead of him being the driving force to make Meth, he will now be FORCED to do it by the Chicken Dude by means of blackmale. He has lost total control of his fate in the business and has now become a pawn in a much larger “game”. I also think his son is going to get dragged into the business some how. Thoughts?
Finally the introduction makes sense. I was so confused each week. I think Aaron Paul was excellent in this episode, as usual. I wasn’t sure how it turn out. Great episode. Now, just to figure out if one of the bodies is Walt. This episode didn’t happen like I thought it would but I’m not dissappointed. I thought Jane’s dad would have got more involved and what a surprise by bringing the chicken man/dealer into the DEA office. Absolutely loved this series and can’t wait till next.
Love the Jonathan Banks shout out!!
That pink one-eyed toy was shown painted in the mural in Jane’s flat–up in the corner. What does that mean?
What I keep seeing in the series is the further Walt falls from grace, you see glimmers that Jesse is growing into a good man. And Walt finally realizing that he cares about Jesse. But what will be interesting is that the chicken guy and what he will do and how will Jesse be changed after the rehab and how he will feel about the business. I do think for a while next season, Walt might be the careless and reckless criminal that Jesse kind of was in the first season.
I don’t think his family died in the plane crash, but I think there is a good possibility that some of the debris might’ve hit the car driving away and hurt/killed them.
I don’t understand why people posting here think Skyler and the baby and/or “Flynn” were on a plane. Were you watching the show?
Walt’s wife and baby were going to spend the weekend at her sister’s house. It’s in the same city, so there wouldn’t be any reason for them to be on a plane.
I don’t know if it was Walt’s wife and baby, but regardless I am sure Walt will be feeling guilty about indirectly ‘causing’ the plane crash.
Even though I was made aware of this show well after the first season debuted, I’v been captivated episode after episode. There’s only a small handful of shows that end each episode with an almost drug-like craving for more. There’s too many scene’s to count where, just when you think you can predict whats gonna happen next, your blindsided by something that questions your own self morals. I cant say enough about how great of a show this is. AND STILL I can’t get over how unrecognizable Walt is even now, totally transforming himself, completely opposite his role, as the father from Malcolm In The Middle. HE’S THAT GOOD in Breaking Bad
Anybody else think the the stuffed toy shown in the beginning and landing in the pool at the end was very similar to the stuffed animal shown on the mural painted by Jane in her bedroom?
Walter’s family was not on the airplane. Walter will not feel responsible for the plane crash, because he never knew that jane’s father was in air traffic control. It was amazing to see how Walter transformed this season. I’m wondering next season if he even cooks at all, since he really doesn’t need the money, or what Skyler does with the money that Junior raised. I think for a good part of next season, it’ll revolve around Skyler and Walter getting back together, Jesse’s redemption, and I think Sull becomes more involved.
And I have this weird feeling that Dean may be a little crooked.
If you look at the episode titles for all the episodes that began with the black and white foreshadowing, it says: “Seven-Thirty Seven, Down, Over, ABQ.” This show’s writers are awesome.