Renzatic on 30/9/2013 at 07:34
I think Jesse gets off scot free. Anyone who had even the barest connections to Walt's meth empire, from the DEA on down, is now dead and gone. He's the sole survivor of the entire enterprise.
I'm almost definite the nazis destroyed the disc the moment after they were done having fun with it, since it incriminates Todd as much as anyone else. Bastards though they may be, they're portrayed as being a rather diligent, no loose ends bunch of guys. They don't strike me as being sloppy enough, nor sentimental enough to keep it lying around.
The only thing the DEA would have on Jesse is the physical evidence he might've left behind at the compound. Fingerprints, DNA, and whatnot. But with them finally apprehending the big prized fish, would they even bother going that far with an investigation?
edit: I can't help but wonder how the BB guys manage to find all these eerily appropriate songs to fit into the show. The closing scene is filmed and scored so perfectly, I can't help but watch it over and over again.
Sulphur on 30/9/2013 at 07:55
Those songs are absolutely fucking spot on, better than most times the Sopranos did it. Vince even managed to comfortably put in a Sopranos nod as well - 'Live Free or Die', I had a big smile on my face seeing that. Oh, New Hampshire, you wonderfully idyllic place.
It's a perfect ending. All the thematic hooks from season one get the appropriate send-off: the bad guys get dispatched by Heisenberg ingenuity for one last time, the Ricin bullet for Lydia, Walt frees Jesse from a prison yet again that he had a hand in making (Gus, the drug addiction, etc.), Walt takes care of his family in the end through masterful manipulation, and the final scene with Walt touring the lab evokes that love of chemistry that sent him down this path in the first place. That final image of a bloody handprint on the tank as Walt slumps down brings a lump to my throat.
It's hard to see a show of this quality end. I don't think there's many series that have been as consistently brilliant for their entire run, or managed to have as perfect a send-off.
Goodbye, Breaking Bad.
Renzatic on 30/9/2013 at 08:18
The one thing I find most amazing about it is...
that they took a character I thought was so nearly irredeemable, the only truly satisfying ending would be one that ends up with his utter damnation. It surprised me to see that not only did he earn himself a small measure of redemption, but he still ended up getting just about everything he truly wanted after the dust settled.
...and it doesn't feel at all contrived.
Sulphur on 30/9/2013 at 08:23
That's a hallmark of good writing. While some of the setups in the series have seemed contrived, they still manage to - and this one as well - pack an emotional wallop because the characters are written with that below the surface complexity of real, actual people, not lazy cardboard cut-outs or ciphers. It's something to be learnt from and inspired by for future series and writers.
Renzatic on 30/9/2013 at 08:34
Yup. Walt's always been a little more lucky than anyone has a right to be, but it's always been for the sake of tension and drama. A way to put the characters in terrible situations to see how their reactions, rather than using it as a convenient way to drag everyone from Plot Point A to Plot Point B.
I'd talk more about it, but...damn. It's 4:30. I need to get to bed. :P
demagogue on 30/9/2013 at 09:17
You guys have said what I wanted to say...
The show was about letting go more than anything else.
Especially with Jessie. There was nothing left for either worth even getting worked up about; just let it all go & (for Jessie) get the hell out of Dodge.
The scene with Skyler was moving.
He told her probably the most truthful thing he's ever said in the whole show to say what it was all for in the end. And it was moving that he only saw Flynn through the window at a distance, not able to say a thing. And he did take care of them in the end, so it wasn't for nothing.
I feel kind of down now; going to take a walk & sulk.
It was a truly good run. I think it beat even Sopranos and The Wire for the plot consistency, I mean lots of moving parts but everything working together, sometimes unexpectedly, & having its place ratcheting up the drama but keeping a strong thread running throughout.
Thirith on 30/9/2013 at 09:45
I've just started rewatching the series - probably won't see the final episodes until they're out on DVD.
Gotta say, I think they shouldn't have had Walt kill someone three episodes into the series, even if it's partly in self-defense. As far as the character development they do especially from "Grey Matter" going forward, I think it would have been better to delay that scene until later. I'm okay with the toxic gas defense in episode 1, but Crazy-Eight's death comes somewhat too early in the series and doesn't carry enough weight in how Walt develops afterwards, at least IMO.
Volitions Advocate on 30/9/2013 at 11:14
There is one thing that I never understood, so if somebody else caught it please fill me in.
I think we were left behind with Gus. Don Elaidio told him during the flashback that he was only alive because of who he was. Hank even had him a bit nervous talking about how he ceased to exist if you went back as far as Chile. We never did find out what made Gus so special.
demagogue on 30/9/2013 at 11:21
It's not really a spoiler. I took that quote to mean there was a family or old friend connection between Don Elaidio & Gus. The only thing really special about Gus IMO was building a successful business & moving it into the US, which was legitimately built by good business sense, & then using its distribution infrastructure for moving meth. Then he used the money he made later to erase his history in Chile that tied him to a criminal past or drug-related family. I didn't think that was a big secret or anything. There could have been more to it that they left ambiguous to tease the audience--I mean I think they phrased things like that on purpose to do just that--but I also think a simple explanation like that is enough by itself too.
Scots Taffer on 30/9/2013 at 13:08
Goodbye, Best Show on TV. (Not just RIGHT NOW)
