Breaking Bad 5.16
Oct. 1st, 2013 07:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakAnd I just managed to watch it unspoiled and can now safely go on the internet again! You know, I haven't even begun to process there won't be any more Breaking Bad. But this, this is how you end a show. This is a final season and a season finale worthy of all that has been. Vince Gilligan and everyone involved: THANK YOU for one of the best tv experiences ever.
You know, of all the things Walt would do re: Elliot and Gretchen, this is probably what no one has guessed, and yet, in retrospect, it makes perfect sense, far more than if he had killed them in a gigantic last fit of petty. Also from a Doylist pov: we've seen Walt killing out of hurt ego already (Mike), been there, done that. No need for repetition. He knows he's dying, he's just had his son reject in no uncertain terms his money before watching the Elliot and Gretchen interview on tv, he's at his lowest point, and the show established from the pilot onwards that when he's cornered in an absolutely hopeless situation, that's when you see Walter White actually prove his much prided on intelligence and talent for improvisation. All the same, this was genius. Also damm hilarious, emphasizing all over again how wonderfully well the show did interweave humour with suspenseful dark storylines. Walt getting Elliot and Gretchen to launder his remaining money and ensure it will go to a trust fund for Flynn and Holly by scaring the living daylights out of them (with the help of Skinny Pete and Badger, "the two most able hitman west of Missouri", no less) was priceless. At which point we also find out that they thought Jesse was in Alaska and the blue meth still in circulation was from Walt (well, given their state of knowledge, what else were they to think?), and the two comic relief characters that were with the show from the start, exit it unharmed and with some soon to be spend on drugs cash.
And then, we get both what I had wanted - a Skyler and Marie scene - and what I hadn't thought was still in the cards - a Skyler and Walt scene. I can't tell you how relieved I am that the sisters not only are on talking terms but apparantly on good talking terms, instead of having lost the last of their relationship over Hank's death. (Now give me some Marie fanfiction for Yuletide! Plus now that Skyler is able to reveal where Hank and Gomie are buried, Marie is going to have at least that bit of closure for Hank.) Skyler's increasing smoking and haggard appearance mirrors to some extent Walt's, and that last scene between them, the farewell Walt wanted so the phonecall wouldn't be the end of their marriage, was on an odd yet fitting note of grace without ever getting sentimental. Walt finally abandons his "I did it for the family" (and for once resists showing off, as he doesn't tell Skyler about Elliot and Gretchen), and we hear the "I felt alive" from the pilot again (back then it was "I feel alive") when saying why he did what he did. As the show lets him be this honest and self aware, it also showcases that the love he has for his family is real (without saying it justified anything). The stark honesty between Walt and Skyler is also mirrored in the gift he gives her - which has meaning the money Flynn rejected in the last episode has not, and will actually help those left of the family; but it is a burial place, Hank's burial place that was used for Walt's drug money first, and the symbolism here is all the condemnation of what Walther White did re: his family you need.
The ricin is finally used (for Lydia, which was the most popular guess) in another case of Walt using his powerlessness to get people to underestimate him, and then we get to the final showdown. What would happen re: Walt and Jesse was probably the biggest queston of the episode (not what would happen re: Walt and Jack's gang, because again, for storytelling purposes we needed to get back to the start there, with Walt using his smarts and a few homemade devices to take out the far more powerful drug lords) and key to whether or not the finale would work as an ending for the show. I can't speak for anyone else, but the solution Gilligan came up with worked for me. At this point, Walt making meaningful speeches or apologizing just wasn't going to cut it (also, on a Doylist level, no time), so we went with action above words (though some words were spoken). While Walt didn't return from New Hampshire for Jesse (he only knew for certain Jesse was still alive after Skinny Pete and Badger confirmed blue meth was indeed in circulation), the sight of Jesse in chains changed his showdown with Jack from something payback and ego driven (defeating Jack & Co. because they dared to take his money and killed Hank) to something less nihilistic and more constructive (freeing Jesse and ensuring he survived the shootout) as well. The show doesn't overplay this as redemption, but, as with the last meeting with Skyler, it's an odd note of grace. Mind you, Walt is still Walt: you can argue whether wanting to be shot by Jesse afterwards is about himself or about giving Jesse at least once the power in the relationship as it is ending. Either way, Jesse insisting that Walt uses the "I want" instead of the "You want" phrasing mirrors their desert conversation in Blood Money (back then Walt refused to admit it was about his own needs), and the show also keeps it believable that Jesse doesn't do it by letting him spot that it's not necessary, since Walt has already been hit by one of his own bullets. Jesse killing Todd earlier by strangling him with his chains is probably the most brutal we've seen Jesse in the show, and it's been build up to and narratively earned. I'm not exactly bursting with confidence that Jesse's momentary adrenaline high - free at last, not just from the meth production but of his co dependent relationship with Mr. White - while making his escape will last long, but it is a good note for the character to depart the screen on. What do I hope for Jesse? Getting Brock out of the social system and raising the kid somewhere anonymously (because I think Jesse needs some human incentive not to go back on a self destructive drug binge and do something with his life). He could do it; the police has no reason to suspect he's still alive, especially since they will find Walt's body in the meth lab (which will let them assume he was the source of the bluth meth during the last few months). Jesse has comitted his own share of crimes, both by aiding and abetting and in some case (AA meetings as customer recruiting) initiating, but as of Drew Sharpe he finally drew the consequences of quitting the meth producing life, and his gruesome imprisonment during the last few months was above and beyond any definition of "hard time", so I'm good with him having that shot at freedom. Again, given all that happened during this show, it's just as likely, if not more so, that he'll crash and burn instead of starting anew with Brock. But: he has a chance. It's a good way to go out on.
And then we're left with Walt and the meth lab, Walt and the meth. Which I thought were the perfect final images. Walt dying of his own bullet is a bit of an obvious symbolism but it works, and so does Walt's wandering through that lab where Jesse was kept prisoner, examining the perfectly produced meth. (That Jesse turned into his star pupil was the ironic redemption of the endlessly frustrated Walt-as-teacher from the start. The blood of his hands on the shiny surface (that also reflected back his own image) of the instruments, Walt at last dead on the ground staring up to the sky mirroring the opening s hot of the show where he gets his cancer diagnosis while the sound of sirens signal the arrival of the cops (again, echoes of the original teaser) and the ironic country song in the background - finale accomplished. Is it just? (As opposed to, say, Walt spending his last few days in custody, or Walt dying in the knowledge he failed in all his aims, because this way he dies convinced he actually managed to get that money to the kids (and accomplished some payback on Gretchen and Elliot while he was at it), beat his last enemy and was able to give his two main partners in life their freedom (from him as well as from anything else)? I don't know, but right now, it feels fitting. There is a lot of meta to be written on how and whether Vince Gilligan accomplished his stated goal at the start, to tell the story of someone who as opposed to most tv show central characters actually changes through the narrative, but I'm not capable of writing it now, half an hour after having watched the last of Walter White. I'm still in awe.
What a story. What a show.
You know, of all the things Walt would do re: Elliot and Gretchen, this is probably what no one has guessed, and yet, in retrospect, it makes perfect sense, far more than if he had killed them in a gigantic last fit of petty. Also from a Doylist pov: we've seen Walt killing out of hurt ego already (Mike), been there, done that. No need for repetition. He knows he's dying, he's just had his son reject in no uncertain terms his money before watching the Elliot and Gretchen interview on tv, he's at his lowest point, and the show established from the pilot onwards that when he's cornered in an absolutely hopeless situation, that's when you see Walter White actually prove his much prided on intelligence and talent for improvisation. All the same, this was genius. Also damm hilarious, emphasizing all over again how wonderfully well the show did interweave humour with suspenseful dark storylines. Walt getting Elliot and Gretchen to launder his remaining money and ensure it will go to a trust fund for Flynn and Holly by scaring the living daylights out of them (with the help of Skinny Pete and Badger, "the two most able hitman west of Missouri", no less) was priceless. At which point we also find out that they thought Jesse was in Alaska and the blue meth still in circulation was from Walt (well, given their state of knowledge, what else were they to think?), and the two comic relief characters that were with the show from the start, exit it unharmed and with some soon to be spend on drugs cash.
And then, we get both what I had wanted - a Skyler and Marie scene - and what I hadn't thought was still in the cards - a Skyler and Walt scene. I can't tell you how relieved I am that the sisters not only are on talking terms but apparantly on good talking terms, instead of having lost the last of their relationship over Hank's death. (Now give me some Marie fanfiction for Yuletide! Plus now that Skyler is able to reveal where Hank and Gomie are buried, Marie is going to have at least that bit of closure for Hank.) Skyler's increasing smoking and haggard appearance mirrors to some extent Walt's, and that last scene between them, the farewell Walt wanted so the phonecall wouldn't be the end of their marriage, was on an odd yet fitting note of grace without ever getting sentimental. Walt finally abandons his "I did it for the family" (and for once resists showing off, as he doesn't tell Skyler about Elliot and Gretchen), and we hear the "I felt alive" from the pilot again (back then it was "I feel alive") when saying why he did what he did. As the show lets him be this honest and self aware, it also showcases that the love he has for his family is real (without saying it justified anything). The stark honesty between Walt and Skyler is also mirrored in the gift he gives her - which has meaning the money Flynn rejected in the last episode has not, and will actually help those left of the family; but it is a burial place, Hank's burial place that was used for Walt's drug money first, and the symbolism here is all the condemnation of what Walther White did re: his family you need.
The ricin is finally used (for Lydia, which was the most popular guess) in another case of Walt using his powerlessness to get people to underestimate him, and then we get to the final showdown. What would happen re: Walt and Jesse was probably the biggest queston of the episode (not what would happen re: Walt and Jack's gang, because again, for storytelling purposes we needed to get back to the start there, with Walt using his smarts and a few homemade devices to take out the far more powerful drug lords) and key to whether or not the finale would work as an ending for the show. I can't speak for anyone else, but the solution Gilligan came up with worked for me. At this point, Walt making meaningful speeches or apologizing just wasn't going to cut it (also, on a Doylist level, no time), so we went with action above words (though some words were spoken). While Walt didn't return from New Hampshire for Jesse (he only knew for certain Jesse was still alive after Skinny Pete and Badger confirmed blue meth was indeed in circulation), the sight of Jesse in chains changed his showdown with Jack from something payback and ego driven (defeating Jack & Co. because they dared to take his money and killed Hank) to something less nihilistic and more constructive (freeing Jesse and ensuring he survived the shootout) as well. The show doesn't overplay this as redemption, but, as with the last meeting with Skyler, it's an odd note of grace. Mind you, Walt is still Walt: you can argue whether wanting to be shot by Jesse afterwards is about himself or about giving Jesse at least once the power in the relationship as it is ending. Either way, Jesse insisting that Walt uses the "I want" instead of the "You want" phrasing mirrors their desert conversation in Blood Money (back then Walt refused to admit it was about his own needs), and the show also keeps it believable that Jesse doesn't do it by letting him spot that it's not necessary, since Walt has already been hit by one of his own bullets. Jesse killing Todd earlier by strangling him with his chains is probably the most brutal we've seen Jesse in the show, and it's been build up to and narratively earned. I'm not exactly bursting with confidence that Jesse's momentary adrenaline high - free at last, not just from the meth production but of his co dependent relationship with Mr. White - while making his escape will last long, but it is a good note for the character to depart the screen on. What do I hope for Jesse? Getting Brock out of the social system and raising the kid somewhere anonymously (because I think Jesse needs some human incentive not to go back on a self destructive drug binge and do something with his life). He could do it; the police has no reason to suspect he's still alive, especially since they will find Walt's body in the meth lab (which will let them assume he was the source of the bluth meth during the last few months). Jesse has comitted his own share of crimes, both by aiding and abetting and in some case (AA meetings as customer recruiting) initiating, but as of Drew Sharpe he finally drew the consequences of quitting the meth producing life, and his gruesome imprisonment during the last few months was above and beyond any definition of "hard time", so I'm good with him having that shot at freedom. Again, given all that happened during this show, it's just as likely, if not more so, that he'll crash and burn instead of starting anew with Brock. But: he has a chance. It's a good way to go out on.
And then we're left with Walt and the meth lab, Walt and the meth. Which I thought were the perfect final images. Walt dying of his own bullet is a bit of an obvious symbolism but it works, and so does Walt's wandering through that lab where Jesse was kept prisoner, examining the perfectly produced meth. (That Jesse turned into his star pupil was the ironic redemption of the endlessly frustrated Walt-as-teacher from the start. The blood of his hands on the shiny surface (that also reflected back his own image) of the instruments, Walt at last dead on the ground staring up to the sky mirroring the opening s hot of the show where he gets his cancer diagnosis while the sound of sirens signal the arrival of the cops (again, echoes of the original teaser) and the ironic country song in the background - finale accomplished. Is it just? (As opposed to, say, Walt spending his last few days in custody, or Walt dying in the knowledge he failed in all his aims, because this way he dies convinced he actually managed to get that money to the kids (and accomplished some payback on Gretchen and Elliot while he was at it), beat his last enemy and was able to give his two main partners in life their freedom (from him as well as from anything else)? I don't know, but right now, it feels fitting. There is a lot of meta to be written on how and whether Vince Gilligan accomplished his stated goal at the start, to tell the story of someone who as opposed to most tv show central characters actually changes through the narrative, but I'm not capable of writing it now, half an hour after having watched the last of Walter White. I'm still in awe.
What a story. What a show.
no subject
Date: 2013-10-01 01:40 pm (UTC)Walt earned no sympathy points from me as he turned up the manipulation of everyone around him. But my god, he was a magnificent bastard. His competence was breathtaking. And I think I pumped the air and said Yessss! when he finally admitted he did it all because he liked it; because he was *good* at it. His ability was admirable. His motivations and moral actions were reprehensible.
There remains a lot to say about this show, but I'm with you. I've just got to process it all. Wasn't it fabulous?
no subject
Date: 2013-10-01 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-10-01 04:12 pm (UTC)Emily Nussbaum of the New Yorker suggested that the best ending would have been, after the final shot of Walt dead in the lab, to cut to a shot of Walt actually slumped over the dashboard of the frozen car. It wouldn't have made people happy, I think, but it would have been truer to the story of a man who ruined everything - fueled by self-delusion, over grievances that mostly existed in his own bitter psyche.
no subject
Date: 2013-10-01 04:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-10-01 10:47 pm (UTC)Walt dies by his own bullet, yes, but by his own self-stated goals, he dies a winner. And that's deeply unsatisfying to me, even if the other characters 'deserved' it. I didn't find it complex at all, I'm afraid.