Breaking Bad

[irishjayhawk]

Anyone watching this magnificent show?

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

I took that question to me more rhetorical than literal. If I'm stuck with all story decisions through the penultimate episode then (because I don't want to spend the time to write a whole new ending) I'll go with New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum's suggestion that Walt should have frozen to death in that car he gets into in the finale; that the episode could play out entirely as it did but as the camera is zooming out of Walt's corpse in the superlab there's a fade to Walt in that car, suggesting that this last redemptive act was just him thinking happy thoughts to himself as he was dying, trapped, unable to do anything about the choices he made.

I can't think of a worse ending than that.

[Chiefspants]

I feel as though the writers eased up on the intensity for Breaking Bad's finale. In the past, the show had an almost brutal diligence to delivering moral consequences for the actions of every character. Vince Gilligan talked about how he originally planned to have Skyler commit suicide in the penultimate episode of the series. He was eventually convinced that this would be too "dark" of a conclusion, even for Breaking Bad. However, I disagree.

Walt and Skyler both got off relatively easily for the decisions they made throughout the series. Vince's original ending would have provided a direct consequence to both Walt and Skyler and would have cast a harrowing pall over Walt's conclusion. Walt Jr. and Holly could have ended up with Marie (who always hinted that she wanted children), while both Walt and Skyler would have faced the moral consequences that the show had been meticulous on delivering in the past.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

I took that question to me more rhetorical than literal. If I'm stuck with all story decisions through the penultimate episode then (because I don't want to spend the time to write a whole new ending) I'll go with New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum's suggestion that Walt should have frozen to death in that car he gets into in the finale; that the episode could play out entirely as it did but as the camera is zooming out of Walt's corpse in the superlab there's a fade to Walt in that car, suggesting that this last redemptive act was just him thinking happy thoughts to himself as he was dying, trapped, unable to do anything about the choices he made.

As for your second sentence (which I will assume is literal as well), the answer is clearly no, if even just for the ways in which I was very positive towards this show in this thread. A good 90% or more of my posts in this thread were praising the show or defending it from the criticisms of others.

Similar to An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge? Interestingly, the showrunners of Dexter originally envisioned a similar ending for The Bay Harbor Butcher.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Similar to An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge? Interestingly, the showrunners of Dexter originally envisioned a similar ending for The Bay Harbor Butcher.

Walt should have become a lumberjack...

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Walt should have become a lumberjack...

Yeah... that previous ending would have been much more fitting for Dexter.

[Third Eye]

Originally Posted by -King-

I can't think of a worse ending than that.

Whereas I can't imagine a more perfect ending than that. Walt, the power-mad megalomaniac, i.e. the one who knocks, dies alone and impotent with all his grand plans laid to waste while hallucinating his greatness. To go even one step further, I wish they could have written in a way for the blue to continue while Walt disappeared into obscurity, hence further drawing the parallel with Ozymandias that they tried to hit us over the head with.

[Reaper16]

Another thing: yes, the show was always moving towards sheer pulp (the oft-quoted intention of Vince Gilligan's to turn Mr. Chips into Scarface, etc.). But, like, Tony Montana doesn't get redemption in the end. I still cheer for him because, yes, it IS fun to root for the bad guy. It's ultimately less...powerful(?) if the bad guy practically gets away with it though.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

I feel as though the writers eased up on the intensity for Breaking Bad's finale. In the past, the show had an almost brutal diligence to delivering moral consequences for the actions of every character. Vince Gilligan talked about how he originally planned to have Skyler commit suicide in the penultimate episode of the series. He was eventually convinced that this would be too "dark" of a conclusion, even for Breaking Bad, however, I disagree.

Walt and Skyler both got off relatively easily for the decisions they made throughout the series. Vince's original ending would have provided a direct consequence to both Walt and Skyler and would have cast a harrowing pall over Walt's conclusion. Walt Jr. and Holly could have ended up with Marie (who always hinted that she wanted children), while both Walt and Skyler would have faced the moral consequences that the show had been meticulous on delivering in the past.

Yeah, that's my problem with the ending. Feels to me like the show eased up on its own moral stances right at the last minute.

[Gonzo]

You know, I just started re-watching this show again recently and I just completed the episode, "Better Call Saul" where Badger got busted.

IMHO that is by far the best episode. It gets my vote for the best acting, best moments and quite possibly the funniest moments in the series.

There's badger, pointing out the flower van and the other construction van saying that they were obviously cops. He does the deal anyway and sure as shit, those two vans pull up.

Then the scene where Walt and Jessie have Saul by the open grave.
Just ****ing perfect acting.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

I would not have his money going to his family. That's what he wanted all along and he does not deserve to get what he wanted. Basically, I wish the show was more decisive about its morals. Instead it tries to have its cake & eat it too with respect to showing Walt to be a terrible person but also give him the most redemption allowable by the story corners they wrote themselves into.

I suppose and I read your other post about him dying in the car but I don't like that idea.

Also I don't know if it has been discussed here or not but do we know for a fact Walt is actually dead? I mean he got a gut shot which isn't fatal and he falls down and a minute later the police show up. Just think 5 years from now there could a Breaking Bad movie because all the main characters could be alive.

[Cmd'r&Chief]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I suppose and I read your other post about him dying in the car but I don't like that idea.

Also I don't know if it has been discussed here or not but do we know for a fact Walt is actually dead? I mean he got a gut shot which isn't fatal and he falls down and a minute later the police show up. Just think 5 years from now there could a Breaking Bad movie because all the main characters could be alive.

I love you

[Gonzo]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I suppose and I read your other post about him dying in the car but I don't like that idea.

Also I don't know if it has been discussed here or not but do we know for a fact Walt is actually dead? I mean he got a gut shot which isn't fatal and he falls down and a minute later the police show up. Just think 5 years from now there could a Breaking Bad movie because all the main characters could be alive.

I think this was addressed somewhere by the creator of the show. Not sure though.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I suppose and I read your other post about him dying in the car but I don't like that idea.

Also I don't know if it has been discussed here or not but do we know for a fact Walt is actually dead? I mean he got a gut shot which isn't fatal and he falls down and a minute later the police show up. Just think 5 years from now there could a Breaking Bad movie because all the main characters could be alive.

Here's a picture of the last page of the script for the finale:


This confirms two things: 1. Yes, Vince Gilligan did write Walt's death into the script. 2. the "He Got Away" also shows a particular warmth that Gilligan felt for Walt, intending rhetorically that he did want to give Walt some redemption.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Here's a picture of the last page of the script for the finale:


This confirms two things: . 2. the "He Got Away" also shows a particular warmth that Gilligan felt for Walt, intending rhetorically that he did want to give Walt some redemption.

That is not definitive.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

That is not definitive.

About Walt's death? You'd have to be a junior English major reaching to meet a word count to find sufficient ambiguity in "final expression" and "lifeless." There's no other cogent reading of "He got away" that isn't "the cops can't administer justice to Walt because he's dead."