With the series finale of “Breaking Bad” airing tomorrow night, it seems to have become almost obligatory for every website and writer on the Internet to offer some comment, analysis, or speculation about the show. That said, here’s my two cents. The only thing I want is for Jesse Pinkman get away alive and free to start a new life somewhere else. That’s it. That’s all. Not likely, but that’s what I want.
“Every bad thing that’s happened to Jesse Pinkman”
(Spoiler alert: Don’t watch unless you’ve seen every episode to date.)
Oh good grief PT. I’m gonna bookmark this because I’ve been holding off watching last Sunday’s episode to watch just ahead of the finale. I do agree with your wishes for Jesse though, and I kinda feel the same about Walter too… 😕
Glad you read the warning!
Walt? Nah, I stopped caring about him a while back. But I suppose he could still do something noble at the end and gain a tad bit of redemption.
I know it’s weird, but I can’t help having a grudging respect for a guy with that kind of perseverance. I’m not trying to justify all the violence, but I know I’d have benefited from being a bit more ruthless when it came to pursuing my goals…
This is fantastic, Pied. Thanks for posting. I must tell you that my wife, Mollie, totally shares your sympathy for Jesse and on seeing this reprise I can now understand it better. As for Walter, I can’t help but admire his pluck despite his crimes. As one reviewer said ever so truly, Walter White’s great mistake was his hubris, that is to think that he could commit criminal acts without becoming a criminal.
Last night, Mollie and I re-watched BB episode #1 and were mesmerized by it. We had forgotten so many little details, and I was struck by the consistency and sustained power of the plot right from the beginning. So many series start off shakily, but not this one. I think it worthy of a modern Shakespearian tragedy.
We have been speculating between ourselves on how it will end. Mollie thinks it would be satisfying if the whole thing were one long, bad dream had by Walter White during a successful operation for lung cancer, kind of like the ending of the Bob Newhart show. I would be very disappointed by that and would like to see Walter and Jesse return to die while wiping out Todd and the Neo-Nazi clan. The suspense is so thick we can hardly stand it.
The biggest thing I overlooked, I think, were all the color cues and clues, which I’ve only recently read about.
I think a dream sequence is a colossal cop-out in any story. It doesn’t require the author to resolve anything and it negates everything we’ve invested in up to that point. I don’t think Vince Gilligan would resort to that. However, I’m trying — without much success — to lower my expectations. As great as the series has been, I don’t see how anyone could write a conclusion that will leave everyone satisfied!
After everything Walt has done to Jesse and his loved ones, not to mention hiring the Neo-Nazis to kill him, I don’t see them reconciling. But I can easily see a scene where they are pointing guns at each other …
Yes, the suspense is stifling.
I agree with everything you and Jim said PT, except the part about what Walt did to Jesse and his loved ones. At almost every turn, Walt has bent over backwards to protect Jesse, even to the point of putting his own life and that of his family in jeopardy. He may be a manipulative A-hole who watched a woman that was dragging Jesse down die rather than act to save her and made it “look like” their enemies tried to kill that little boy, but he was forced by circumstances to do those things because of Jesse’s own failures. And hiring the Neo-Nazis to kill Jesse came only after Jesse made it clear he was going after Walt!
BTW, went ahead and watched that 2nd to last episode and your video. Both were better than I could’ve hoped. I agree that there’s no conclusion that will satisfy everyone…
I’d have to disagree. You don’t hire hitmen to off someone you care about.