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"Cheer up, beautiful people. This is where you get to make it right." -- Waltwritten & directed by Vince Gilligan
One strength of Breaking Bad has always been its smart logic. There haven't been too many occasions where you feel the writers' hand steering everyone around. That's one of the reasons its world and characters have always felt so real to viewers, beyond the career-best acting from all involved. However, this does mean clever viewers can occasionally predict what's going to happen next. The series finale of Breaking Bad didn't surprise me, for the most part, which is perhaps the only reason I can't give awards it full-marks. That said, it was a supremely satisfying hour, bringing the crazy story of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) to an emotional ending I have few qualms about.
"You really don't want us coming back here." – Todd to Skylerwritten & directed by Peter Gould
Last week's "Ozymandias" deservedly registered with most people as a gold-standard classic, and one of the best episodes of television I've seen in years. It was always going to be hard to top that, and "Granite State" didn't manage to. But that's fine, because this episode had completely different intentions. "Ozymandias" detonated a narrative bomb we've been waiting to see go off for five seasons, so "Granite State" was about seeing where the wreckage fell.
"My name is ASAC Schrader and you can go fuck yourself" – Hank Schraderwritten by Moira Walley-Beckett | directed by Rian Johnson
The title refers to the Shelley poem of the the same name, about a proud king's crumbling legacy, so it was fitting that "Ozymandias" marked the moment Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) self-made empire came crashing down all around him; leaving death, disillusionment, and despair in its wake. After last week's thrilling climax, it was inevitable this hour would contain a devastating aftermath, but writer Moira Walley-Beckett really blew the whole show wide open, leaving a gaping wound bleeding everywhere. If you're still sympathetic towards Walt, you need your head examining.
I have a constant feeling of sickness in my stomach whenever I watch Breaking Bad now, and it's getting worse as we approach The End. This ache is something to be grateful for, because I'm so conflicted about what's happening to all the characters. Should I follow my head or heart when it comes to deciding whose side I'm on? Is there even a "side"? Obviously Walt (Bryan Cranston) is the villain of the piece, and yet I find it difficult to hate him because he's the lead character whose downward spiral we've witnessed. I understand Walt, even if his actions are sometimes hard to sympathise with. Jesse (Aaron Paul) is established as the flawed hero with a stronger moral compass, and yet seeing him take delight in helping bring Walt down leaves a bad taste in my mouth. He would likely be dead if it wasn't for the fact Walt's morals have always been malleable. Theirs is an acrimonious split worthy of Jesse James and Robert Ford, and I keep praying for a reconciliation of some kind. More fool me? Hank (Dean Norris) is the hero, but because the show's told the majority of its story from the perspective of "the villains", it's not always easy to find catharsis in moments when Hank Schrader outsmarts Walter White.
The quietest episode in awhile, and yet still bristling with intensity and surprises. Knowing there are only five episodes left of Breaking Bad, you can't help but predict when certain dominoes will be toppled. It's long been expected Jesse (Aaron Paul) will unite with Hank (Dean Norris) in bringing his former partner-in-crime Walt (Bryan Cranston) to justice, or kill him in the process, and yet I was pleased with how "Rabid Dog" adjusted the battle lines without appearing too predictable.
I loved how this episode's title, "Confessions", led you to believe it would be Jesse (Aaron Paul) squealing to Hank (Dean Norris) about his role in Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) drug empire, but the truth of the matter was more complicated. The great thing about this final batch of episodes has been how the story twists and turns, finding unexpected ways to deliver what in retrospect seems inevitable. However, the one thing I simply didn't see coming was Walt's master-stroke in keeping Hank and Marie (Betsy Brandt) at a safe distance and unable to act, after a face-to-face meeting on neutral ground at a restaurant didn't do the trick: with Walt handing Hank a video confession, which turned out to pin the blame entirely on Hank. If Hank makes a move on Walt, this DVD will undoubtedly find its way to the DEA—and, at face-value, given how everyone still perceives Walt as a milquetoast chemistry teacher and lung cancer survivor, it's hard to see people refusing to believe Walt's account of the year's events.
