Writing a satisfying ending to any story is difficult. But when your story is as popular as Breaking Bad was/still is? Many would consider that task impossible! I mean, just look at how shows like Lost or Game of Thrones ended up!
Yet they managed it all the same.
With Gus gone, nothing stands between Walt and his meth empire. But as he prepares to reenter the game, he starts to make business deals with the wrong people. All the while, Hank, now at the top of the DEA, hunts down the last strands of Fring’s operation. Every now and then, we’re treated to a hint at the future, with a run-down looking Walt making ominous preparations. How will the story of Heisenberg end?
This season is so incredibly intense, dude! The first half has this quiet intensity as Walt finally finishes the transformation he’s slowly been undergoing over the course of the entire series. Then in the second half, the gates of hell slowly begin to creep open. When we reach the final three episodes, all hell busts loose and everything goes to shit. It’s so incredibly gripping and hard to look away from!
We’re treated to some of the most powerful and iconic moments of the entire series this season. “Say my name”, Hank’s final scene, Walt’s machine gun, the breaking of the White family, Walt’s confession, and of course: the ending. This show keeps on hitting you with huge, powerhouse moments!
Some of them are genuinely horrifying. Jesse’s fate in the last three episodes genuinely made me super uncomfortable. Granted, it gets even more so after watching El Camino. But what we get in the show is still more than enough.
The ending is absolutely fantastic. We all knew this wasn’t going to be a happy ending, and it sure as hell wasn’t. But I’ll be damned if it wasn’t a satisfying one. The last hurrah of Walter White is one that I will likely never forget. Thank god I wasn’t spoiled on this!
There are some truly incredible visuals this season, too! Personally, my favorite is the shot of Skyler in the pool. She floats there, totally serene and at peace, willing to possibly die. It’s a beautiful moment of absolute serenity for a character surrounded by darkness and insanity.
And who should appear to disrupt it but Walter White?
Even the music is good this time around! Granted, I only have two examples of this. The first being the use of the main theme in the final scene of ‘Granite State’, which is awesome (I’m an anime fan, okay? I always love hearing the OP play during a scene). And I love the use of ‘Baby Blue’ in the final scene. It’s wonderful.
As much as I love this season, though, I do have my gripes. The biggest one being the villains. It would be hard for anyone to replace Gus Fring. But a bunch of neo-Nazis and an uptight business woman? That is one of the largest downgrades you could possibly have. They’re loathsome, yes, but they are far from interesting.
All in all, I found this finale to be fantastic. It’s not a flawless send-off, but it’s incredibly satisfying. This is how you end a story. It totally deserves the reputation it still has today, and likely will have for years to come.
Take that, every other show on American television.
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