Breaking Bad Season 5-B (Spoilers obviously)

[Matches]

I'm guessing you are not a Star Trek fan.

You guess correctly. Did I miss a line?

I miss lots of lines.

[Troublemaker]

Rewatching the episode last night, it struck me that Walt is leaving ABQ completely dejected and heartbroken over losing his family, and I can't picture the Walt that climbed into that minivan returning for any reason other than to protect his family (or to try to win them back, but the M60 / ricin doesn't jibe with trying to win them back). What I'm saying is, I don't think the Walt that climbed into that minivian really cares about the $70 million the Nazis stole, or whether someone else is cooking pure blue meth, or whether Jesse is alive or dead, or about Gray Matter. Now, maybe something happens later that triggers vengeance or triggers hubris or triggers heroism, but as of right now, I don't read the character as someone who would return for those reasons.

So, I guess my current theory (that is bound to be wrong) is, something is going to put the White family in danger and Walt will have to return to eliminate that danger. Perhaps Lydia regards Walt as a loose end (and the Czechs might feel the same if Heisenberg's story goes public) and tries to flush him out via threatening the White family. Heck, she might even regard Skyler as a loose end since Skyler has seen her face. Something along those lines.

[Faison1]

There appears to be this internet meme/theory out there that we aren't done with Gray Matter yet -- perhaps a Madrigal company? It's highly doubtful, but if true, I'll be rather impressed with those that have been hanging onto that thread.

Well, how about that....

I'm almost numb to it all now. I really wish Jesse had gotten in that hideaway car....I bet he wishes that too.

At this point, I fail to see why they want to end the series. It could go on forever.

I also don't see how they're going to wrap it all up in one more episode. There is so much going on.

[Billy Dat]

First off, I love Gretchen and Elliott Schwartz, the Gray Matter couple, on Charlie Rose. It really made the fake BB world seem even more real, even though I doubt any PR firm would allow their clients to go on 'Charlie Rose' to try and 'clear the air' in that manner.

Now that Walt Jr. has told his old man to kill himself, and basically confirmed one of Walt Sr.'s biggest insecurities, that Walt Jr. looked up more to Uncle Hank than his own father, Walt was at rock bottom - and then he saw the Schwartzes, and heard them disavowing Walt's role in the formation of the company, and then hearing that the blue meth is still being sold - which means, to him, that Jesse is probably alive. In one swoop, he heard his parental and professional (both legal and illegal) accomplishments being marginalized. He can't do anything about the parental, but he can sure do something about the professional, and he's headed back to ABQ to go out in a blaze of glory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Faison1]

The character that's impressing me most right now is Todd. That guy is CREEPY! He speaks so calmly, and seems to have a genuine concern for others....until he shoots you in the back of the head! Wow!

Skyler has to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. How can she sleep at night knowing those freaks can get into and out of her house undetected with the police sitting out front. Absolutely no security in her world.

Jesse is the guidebook for making poor choices in life.

[alteran]

I also don't see how they're going to wrap it all up in one more episode. There is so much going on.

I agree, and that's mostly why I found this episode a little disappointing.

Storywise, it worked for me. And I certainly expected a slowdown from last week.

But I now think that they left too much stuff hanging for the last episode. Gilligan and Breaking Bad have always risen to the occasion before, but they sure have a lot of ground to cover. Hanging threads:

- Lydia pressuring Todd to kill Skyler
- Feds holding Skyler hostage to capturing Walt
- Disposition of the White family
- Walt's revenge on Nazis for the money
- Walt's revenge on Jack specifically for Hank
- Jesse versus Nazis
- Jesse versus Todd specifically
- Resolution of Walt's cancer

- Disposition of Lydia
- Walt Jr. learning that Walt Sr. did NOT kill Hank
- Hank and Gomez' bodies being found
- Marie's threat to Walt
- Resolution with Czech gangsters
- Brock's resolution
- Revenge on Grey Matter

Now, each of these COULD be resolved. And many can be handled in one swoop, more or less. And MANY in the second group could be ignored in the desire to get other things done.

On the other hand, each of these could also be an episode by itself.

Breaking Bad has impressed before. Certainly, Ozymandias handled a large number of loose ends well. It was a great episode that ran like a rocket from beginning to end.

I expect that I'll be happier than not with the finale. But I'm kind of tempering my expectation with how much they have to get done in less than an hour.

[Dev11]

I agree, and that's mostly why I found this episode a little disappointing.

Storywise, it worked for me. And I certainly expected a slowdown from last week.

But I now think that they left too much stuff hanging for the last episode. Gilligan and Breaking Bad have always risen to the occasion before, but they sure have a lot of ground to cover. Hanging threads:

- Lydia pressuring Todd to kill Skyler
- Feds holding Skyler hostage to capturing Walt
- Disposition of the White family
- Walt's revenge on Nazis for the money
- Walt's revenge on Jack specifically for Hank
- Jesse versus Nazis
- Jesse versus Todd specifically
- Resolution of Walt's cancer

- Disposition of Lydia
- Walt Jr. learning that Walt Sr. did NOT kill Hank
- Hank and Gomez' bodies being found
- Marie's threat to Walt
- Resolution with Czech gangsters
- Brock's resolution
- Revenge on Grey Matter

Now, each of these COULD be resolved. And many can be handled in one swoop, more or less. And MANY in the second group could be ignored in the desire to get other things done.

On the other hand, each of these could also be an episode by itself.

Breaking Bad has impressed before. Certainly, Ozymandias handled a large number of loose ends well. It was a great episode that ran like a rocket from beginning to end.

I expect that I'll be happier than not with the finale. But I'm kind of tempering my expectation with how much they have to get done in less than an hour.

Picking nits, the episode will be a little over an hour, but I agree with your general premise. I don't know if they ever find Hank and Gomez.

One way they could tie things up nicely is for the Nazis to decide they have enough money and don't feel like cooking anymore, even if Todd has the hots for Lydia. This leads to a Todd vs family showdown that may tie up some loose ends on their own. Meanwhile, Jesse escapes, and takes Brock with him into a new life, while Walt dispatches the poor Schwartzes.

[A-Tex Devil]

I agree, and that's mostly why I found this episode a little disappointing.

Storywise, it worked for me. And I certainly expected a slowdown from last week.

But I now think that they left too much stuff hanging for the last episode. Gilligan and Breaking Bad have always risen to the occasion before, but they sure have a lot of ground to cover. Hanging threads:

- Lydia pressuring Todd to kill Skyler
- Feds holding Skyler hostage to capturing Walt
- Disposition of the White family
- Walt's revenge on Nazis for the money
- Walt's revenge on Jack specifically for Hank
- Jesse versus Nazis
- Jesse versus Todd specifically
- Resolution of Walt's cancer

- Disposition of Lydia
- Walt Jr. learning that Walt Sr. did NOT kill Hank
- Hank and Gomez' bodies being found
- Marie's threat to Walt
- Resolution with Czech gangsters
- Brock's resolution
- Revenge on Grey Matter

Now, each of these COULD be resolved. And many can be handled in one swoop, more or less. And MANY in the second group could be ignored in the desire to get other things done.

On the other hand, each of these could also be an episode by itself.

Breaking Bad has impressed before. Certainly, Ozymandias handled a large number of loose ends well. It was a great episode that ran like a rocket from beginning to end.

I expect that I'll be happier than not with the finale. But I'm kind of tempering my expectation with how much they have to get done in less than an hour.

Don't forget about Huell!! Is the poor guy still sitting in that room? And... um... are there Czech gangsters that we have been introduced to?

[Billy Dat]

I am not worried about having too little time to wrap things up. The show can cover a ton of ground in a little bit of time if they want to.

I sort of view the finale in terms of who gets to live. I see Marie winding up with Walt Jr. and Holly. I think everyone else dies - Walt, Jesse, Skyler, the Nazis, Lydia, Todd - see ya. Walt's money funds the DEA fun run until the end of time.

[77devil]

I agree, and that's mostly why I found this episode a little disappointing.

Storywise, it worked for me. And I certainly expected a slowdown from last week.

But I now think that they left too much stuff hanging for the last episode. Gilligan and Breaking Bad have always risen to the occasion before, but they sure have a lot of ground to cover. Hanging threads:

- Lydia pressuring Todd to kill Skyler
- Feds holding Skyler hostage to capturing Walt
- Disposition of the White family
- Walt's revenge on Nazis for the money
- Walt's revenge on Jack specifically for Hank
- Jesse versus Nazis
- Jesse versus Todd specifically
- Resolution of Walt's cancer

- Disposition of Lydia
- Walt Jr. learning that Walt Sr. did NOT kill Hank
- Hank and Gomez' bodies being found
- Marie's threat to Walt
- Resolution with Czech gangsters
- Brock's resolution
- Revenge on Grey Matter

Now, each of these COULD be resolved. And many can be handled in one swoop, more or less. And MANY in the second group could be ignored in the desire to get other things done.

On the other hand, each of these could also be an episode by itself.

Breaking Bad has impressed before. Certainly, Ozymandias handled a large number of loose ends well. It was a great episode that ran like a rocket from beginning to end.

I expect that I'll be happier than not with the finale. But I'm kind of tempering my expectation with how much they have to get done in less than an hour.

A two hour finale would be a deserving finish, but alas my cable guide shows another 75 minute show(including commercials). I believe much of the first list will be resolved in the big revenge scene and much of the second list are tangential and will not be addressed. In particular, I think the Schwartz interview and Gray Matter are a head fake. I believe that Walt is firmly focused on Jesse and the Aryans. The interview was simply the catalyst that reignited Walt's emotions of revenge after deciding to give up in the wake if his conversation with Walt Jr.

[gus]

You guess correctly. Did I miss a line?

I miss lots of lines.

Not at all. You just said you don't think you'd recognize Jane's father. He was played by John de Lancie, who also played a somewhat recurring character in the newer Star Trek shows. If you had even a passing interest in Star Trek, he's be immediately recognizable to you.

[TexHawk]

Meanwhile, Jesse escapes, and takes Brock with him into a new life, while Walt dispatches the poor Schwartzes.

I hope we get a scene in the ABG Child Services office in the finale, with someone listening to Jesse's request to adopt Brock. "Well, his mom was killed by these nazis who were forcing me to make that blue meth that's all over the news. I tried to escape, so they killed her. Oh yea, I have also dealt with numerous addiction issues of my own, to a laundry list of drugs and alcohol, and that's just over the last two years. I have been in the custody of the DEA at least 3 or 4 times. One of their chief investigators beat the crap out of me, and I ended up in the hospital. You could ask him about that, but, um, I heard he went out the desert and never came back.

Oh, don't forget, my former infamous partner Walter White attempted to kill Brock, just to get me on his side in a bloody drug war, which thankfully we won!"

[Billy Dat]

I hope we get a scene in the ABG Child Services office in the finale, with someone listening to Jesse's request to adopt Brock. "Well, his mom was killed by these nazis who were forcing me to make that blue meth that's all over the news. I tried to escape, so they killed her. Oh yea, I have also dealt with numerous addiction issues of my own, to a laundry list of drugs and alcohol, and that's just over the last two years. I have been in the custody of the DEA at least 3 or 4 times. One of their chief investigators beat the crap out of me, and I ended up in the hospital. You could ask him about that, but, um, I heard he went out the desert and never came back.

Oh, don't forget, my former infamous partner Walter White attempted to kill Brock, just to get me on his side in a bloody drug war, which thankfully we won!"

Exactly, and let's add, "Oh, yeah, Brock's maternal grandmother is still alive and very used to helping care for him. I know she wants to raise him, but I think you ought to give me a chance at the job. After all, I once refused to give my little brother back his joint that my parents blamed on me and considered a "last strike" in a long line of drug-related incidents that led them to kicking me out of my childhood home. I can't use them as any kind of reference because of that and the fact that my last contact with them was using drug money and blackmail to low-ball swindle them out of ownership of my Aunt's house."

[77devil]

Don't forget about Huell!! Is the poor guy still sitting in that room? And... um... are there Czech gangsters that we have been introduced to?

A loose end in my mind is how Walt manages to escape NH and find the guy who sells him the M60. You don't just look it up on the internet but then I did. Nevertheless, Saul is no longer around to help and the fixer said he would sever contact if Walt left the cabin. And Walt has no apparent means to contact or find him anyway.

Walt goes back to the cabin to retrieve at least some of the money because he has a big bag of it with him when he buys the gun and changes cars. But the authorities know his proximate location and will be using all means to find him. My best guess is that he pays someone with money from the box he was going to send to drive him back to the cabin and out of the state. But getting by the dragnet seems improbable as he is in the middle of nowhere with few roads easy enough for the authorities to roadblock.

[gus]

A loose end in my mind is how Walt manages to escape NH and find the guy who sells him the M60. You don't just look it up on the internet but then I did. Nevertheless, Saul is no longer around to help and the fixer said he would sever contact if Walt left the cabin. And Walt has no apparent means to contact or find him anyway.

Walt goes back to the cabin to retrieve at least some of the money because he has a big bag of it with him when he buys the gun and changes cars. But the authorities know his proximate location and will be using all means to find him. My best guess is that he pays someone with money from the box he was going to send to drive him back to the cabin and out of the state. But getting by the dragnet seems improbable as he is in the middle of nowhere with few roads easy enough for the authorities to roadblock.

Few roads, and lots of snow. And he doesn't know the area at all.

He's going to have to get help somehow.

[Dev11]

A loose end in my mind is how Walt manages to escape NH and find the guy who sells him the M60. You don't just look it up on the internet but then I did. Nevertheless, Saul is no longer around to help and the fixer said he would sever contact if Walt left the cabin. And Walt has no apparent means to contact or find him anyway.

Walt goes back to the cabin to retrieve at least some of the money because he has a big bag of it with him when he buys the gun and changes cars. But the authorities know his proximate location and will be using all means to find him. My best guess is that he pays someone with money from the box he was going to send to drive him back to the cabin and out of the state. But getting by the dragnet seems improbable as he is in the middle of nowhere with few roads easy enough for the authorities to roadblock.

I believe he buys the guns from the same gun dealer who sold him that little gun back in Season 3. You know, the fellow who was cool selling him a gun with the serial rubbed off. I don't think he cares.

[Duvall]

I believe he buys the guns from the same gun dealer who sold him that little gun back in Season 3. You know, the fellow who was cool selling him a gun with the serial rubbed off. I don't think he cares.

Yes, same guy.

[Dev11]

Yes, same guy.

Yeah, and just like Vacuum Guy, Gun Guy doesn't give a hoot what Walt has done or what he plans to do, as long as he is out of the picture and full of cash when it happens. You want to purchase an illegal assault weapon from me? Have fun, hoss.

[Faison1]

I just watched the first few episodes that AMC is running as part of its marathon, and it's amazing how far Walt and Jesse have come.

However, even from the beginning, Jesse has always been an idiot. Yes, Walt has become drunk with power, but Jesse has always made bad decisions, and then seemed confused as to why the outcomes have always been bad.

[TexHawk]

Exactly, and let's add, "Oh, yeah, Brock's maternal grandmother is still alive and very used to helping care for him. I know she wants to raise him, but I think you ought to give me a chance at the job. After all, I once refused to give my little brother back his joint that my parents blamed on me and considered a "last strike" in a long line of drug-related incidents that led them to kicking me out of my childhood home. I can't use them as any kind of reference because of that and the fact that my last contact with them was using drug money and blackmail to low-ball swindle them out of ownership of my Aunt's house."

Now with video.