Shall we anticipate the FIFTH SEASON of the AMC series "Breaking Bad"? I think I may.

But the two arcs were completely different. The Gus Fring arc served more straightforward narrative purposes - they spent over two seasons building to the final showdown between Gus and Walt, and these also happened to have some of the highest octane, violent episodes. Obviously there was more to it than just that, I mean we did learn a considerable amount about Walt, and Jesse's character really flourished, but that was a 2.5 season payoff that eliminated one of the most interesting villainous characters on television.

The mowing down of Nazis with machine gun fire was more an ancillary thing, as Season 5 was more introspective, examining the depths to which Walt had plunged and the damage he had done to the people around him. The Aryans weren't as interesting a villain because they were just an opportunist group that lucked into the situation, and there was never going to be another Fring. So yeah, the machine gun fire murder wasn't as viscerally thrilling, but to me, the episode was no less engaging.

Taken as a whole, Season 5 was a dark piece of TV drama that needed to end the way it did, IMO.

People could've made an argument for the end of The Sopranos being a dream or something, given the precedence of dream sequences in that series. By extension, anyone making an argument that the end of BB was a dream (given the absense of prior dream sequences) doesn't understand how stories* work.

(*Note: there are also many people making filmed entertainment who don't understand how stories work.)

I mean, I would've at least been willing to entertain such a theory about The Sopranos. It's a stupid basis for a theory in either case.

well, you know, it's ultimately AMC's fault for cutting off the post-credit stinger with Hal rolling over to tell Lois about the insane dream he had

idk to me a lot of the people talking about the 'neat' ending and how it means it was obv a dream are the same people who were saying "Bruce Wayne actually died for real, Alfred was just dreaming" at the end of Dark Knight Rises, basing that on the fact that 'clearly' Batman hadn't flown 6 miles away from the blast radius, it would have been scientifically impossible for him to survive, and all of this other scientific mumbo jumbo, whereas they didn't seem to mind a movie where the Scarecrow turned people's minds into gelatin with some secret gas in the first film.

that's of course not to criticize any of the people who said 'it would have been neat if it was' or discussed the surreal nature of it, just baffled at the people who are convinced this was VG's actual vision because *evidence that actually already happened in other episodes as well*

well, you know, it's ultimately AMC's fault for cutting off the post-credit stinger with Hal rolling over to tell Lois about the insane dream he had

― JACK SQUAT about these Charlie Nobodies (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, October 4, 2013 12:53 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You, Norm MacDonald... I can't tell who's trolling for fun and who's serious anymore.

I have more sympathy for folks who believe the end of TDKR was Alfred's fantasy, in that the alternative is that Batman would retire to Europe with a sexy cat burglar he barely knows, leaving the keys to the batcave to a well-meaning young cop enjoying a lot of promotions lately

walt having one last wild ride is far less painful a concept to countenance

It had an appropriately dream-like quality, it's the writers' and long-time audience's reverie, still in progress. For instance, at first I thought it was too nice and neat--but, the more it kept replaying in my head---and as Mr. Croup and others have pointed out on this thread---Walt's final solution is not a done deal. Well the Nazis dead for sure (though what about the guy on the waterbed, mostly below the line of fire). But if the GPS co-ordinates are still on that Nazi's phnoe, the Authoritahs may not even need to bargain with Skyler, if she decides to try (didn't she shake her head when Walt gave her the suggestion and means?) Also, seems like the Nazis and/or Hank may have left stuff on hard drives and/or the cloud (seems like Hank would have uploaded Jesse's gutspill, and maybe a recording of the phonecall where Walt incriminates himself, even more than he deliberately did in the call to Skyler). Any of that might might influence the Jesse's and Skyler's plights.
I just now looked up ricin (on somebody else's computer) and seems like Lydia may possibly survive, longer than intended, anyway. Although it might be magic ricin, if he opened and re-sealed the stevia packet, like the writers say he did in their xpost Fresh Air interview.
But Walt may be aware of all this, and a lot more, on some level, so he's not all I WON re previous; he's just slogging along to the afterglow, having found a way, via practical solutions (incl the Gatling Gun-type set-up and other conveniences, like cops asleep while guarding Skyler, in the home and the apartment; maybe he slipped 'em some ricin, like he somehow did Lydia)to finally merge Walt and Heisenberg, saying goodbye to sleeping Holly and his chemical dream machine with the same gentleness.
Anyway, here's BB's chemistry consultant--lotta links in here, incl. the video at the end:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/blogs/09/27/2013/10-questions-for-donna-nelson-breaking-bad-s-science-muse.html?series=32

Of course, he may not be aware, he may be slogging along just cause he's tired and sick and fixin to die and he's totally bullshitted himself about being Mr. Fixit after all, but same effect, re his demeanor at end.

• Kenny is dead, that bastard. If he wasn't dead in that shot with him bobbing up and down, he bled out sooner than Walt.

• You think those coordinates are still on the phone six months later?

• Doubt Hank uploaded anything. You know how long it would've taken to put up that confession anyway?

OMG They killed Kenny! Oo bastids! That's a "fancy phone", according to Uncle Jack, so maybe? Anyway, those were just a few examples, added to what other people have already suggested on this thread, and elsewhere.

I agree this was fun in its all-round destruction and tragedy.

Agree there was no redemption, no nothing. Its p/much the best he could do, and given the hole he fell into it was considerable and put that in quotes.

Except I don't think the money question could've been solved in any significant way but I'd rather Walter talked convincingly -- and made-up with -- Gretchen (its all about those two) to wire the money to his kids. Scheming with lasers was funny yet lame.

The blank mini-Penckinpah-type gunning down was fair enough but because it wasn't as developed an arc as that between Walt and Gus it gave the feel of a fevered dream. Really if they'd had a different soundtrack choice and camera movements it could've recalled The Passenger.

Walt did it for muddled reasons, starting with family crossed with pride in not take the money from the Schwartzes for treatment, then muddled as he gained a feeling for his power (really Elliott pulling the knife in that meek way would've been Walter a year ago) - but I think he just said what he did to Sky because he couldn't convince them anymore that it was for them. That was a great illustration of the how far he'd failed, and the ep was worth it for that final scene with family and the looking out for Flynn at the end. I liked their relationship a lot and to see that...all he culd hope to give them was money, but that is nowhere near enough.

I just heard a convincing argument that the opening scene with Walt receiving the keys from God was not meant to make us think that this was fantasy or delusion, but that Walt was working the 12 steps throughout the episode--and that was the "recognizing a higher power that can give strength" step.

omg I saw Dean Norris in real life last night. He suddenly appeared in the midst of a cheering mob of hipsters in the smoking area of the club in Dublin I was in. Was too embarrassed to muscle my way in for a photo but it provided a great topic of conversation for the rest of the night

scheming with the lasers was great because you went from 'oh he's found a way to help his family i guess he still cares about things to' 'oh that's right he's just a horrible manipulative ball of resentment'

hehe, yup

Love how he demanded them back. Just like Saul said, scientists love lasers.

curious as to what episodes people would nominate for a BB hall of fame. like there are some obvious contenders already mentioned ITT, but always find it fascinating which people's favs are.

Start a poll!

Season 3 and 4 finales are amazing. Season 4 opener. Hank and twins ep is amazing. Walt blows up building ep. 5.14 pretty incredible from last season. I mostly remember amazing scenes not so much entire episodes.

xpost lol nah we got wayyyyy too many BB threads as is, plus more than 50 eps.

I really loved the episode from 5A where Skyler basically says she's going to wait for Walt's cancer to come back. That was ice cold.

Season 2 finale was really gripping too, the aforementioned "Salud". Really loved the penultimate season 4 episode, possibly even more than that season's finale. I like the fact that BB didn't resort to storing up all of its big moments for the last few episodes each season, too.

4 days out was amazing

whichever episode it was that ended with Walt laughing manically on his back in the crawl space under the house (oh - i think the ep might have been called "crawl space"); will always be my favourite.

totally, that's the one I was referring to upthread. the moment when Gus threatens Walter is epic.

ya - something about the way he says "infant daughter" is so chilling.

Gus's diction was probably the best part of his character overall, his overenunciation of every word.

I liked how Esposito made his accent more pronounced when he wanted to sound more menacing.

Many of my favourites mentioned there, "Crawlspace", "Ozymandias", "Fly". I tend not to have favourite individual eps as much as 2-4 episode mini-arcs.

yeah that's true - and when I watched Seasons 1-4, they had already aired, so I always watched them in little blocks like that. It was the main problem I had with watching BB in real time.

ep with meth-heads and the vending machine.

'i am the one who knocks'

fly (sorry, i liked it).

gus slitting the dude's throat.

ep where walt kills krazy-8.

jesse at the NA meeting.

ep where jane bonds with jesse.

the Krazy-8 episode seems even better in retrospect, the earlier side of criminal Walt, where he won't do whatever is necessary to protect himself because he still has a conscience. The moment where he's piecing the broken plate together and realizing there's a shard missing and his anguish at knowing he has to kill is great.

God, Norwich omnishambles

Wrong thread, again. Zing touch's fault!

in this post-BB world all I have to talk about is how I keep mistaking Philip Sherburne for Bryan Cranston on Twitter.

Def gonna be tempted to start over once 5.2 is on netflix

to think if Walt had never been distracted by boobs in the window, he might never have seen Jesse escape

Just got done watching tonight's. The dual funeral scenes were a little hamfisted, though I liked the shot of Jesse and Brock eating ice cream.

i was really pulling for walt jr, nice to see him get those college acceptance letters

Bogdan as Skyler's new love interest is an odd one, think she's trying to weasel her way back into the carwash game?

Huell's closing dance to Dire Strait's 'Walk of Life' was inspired

best scene by far was Marie killing Walt with the pillow after they revived him.

Anybody else tear up a little at seeing Holly dressed head to toe in blue?

I sure hope Badger's restaurant remains a subplot for awhile.

I think my problem with this episode is that it was just a little bit farfetched, even for Breaking Bad? Now I will admit that I don't practice medicine, but I would wager a guess that a comically large syringe labeled "Reanimation Goo" would not actually succeed in reviving a human being?

And then after all of that buildup, Marie just offs him anyway? I just feel so let down after last week. And don't even get me started on the extremely misguided cameo by Darrell Waltrip...or the decision to have him on skis for the entirety of his scene.

I will say though, the reveal that Walt actually killed a fake Ermentraut was expertly done.

so obvious. all you had to do was look at the ears!

put me in the "this one was def walt's dream" camp.

or the decision to have him on skis for the entirety of his scene.

Yeah, but ski pole-cam shot kinda redeemed it

Huell's closing dance to Dire Strait's 'Walk of Life' was inspired

This is beautiful.