Katie Davis: I’ll
start off by saying I’ve never watched one episode of “Breaking Bad” until this
assignment. I took a weekend to watch the first two seasons and I have to say
now I know what all this buzz and hype was about; it’s an addicting show. The
first season seemed pretty predictable to me and then you get to season two and
it becomes a game changer. All of these new characters are introduced and you
start to actually get engrossed into Walter White’s life; I started developing
empathy for him and his situation. My favorite part about this series had to be
seeing Walt develop into this badass. In the pilot I never would have guessed
that this push over husband would turn drug dealer and killer.
This show to me has become such a phenomenon because it was
so well written and the actors couldn’t have been better. Each episode just
leaves you wanting more and then each season leaves you hanging; the suspense
was overwhelming. I wanted to see more but there just weren’t enough hours in
the day, but then I was able to catch about fifteen minutes of the final
episode. And of course we all knew it had to come to an end but the way they
had Walter White die was perfect. I want to watch seasons three, four, and five
now!
Lindsay Crook:
Breaking Bad reached new heights and records with 10.3 million views to the
finale of season five and the conclusion of the show. This isn’t just any
ordinary show. In 2012, according to Neilson, Breaking Bad was the highest time
shifted show beating out renowned shows like Sons of Anarchy and Mad Men. The
increase in numbers and ratings have been astounding for Breaking Bad as it
only had 1.4 million viewers. In the episode prior to the finale, there were
6.7 million viewers, which is a significant drop down from the finale episode
‘Felina’. Unfortunately, statistics have shown that over 500,000 people viewed
the series finale through an illicit source or through illegal downloads which
18 percent of those downloads originated in Australia.
Eddy Cordek: The series finale to Breaking Bad was an
entirely satisfying finale to me that answered many of the questions viewers
had going in and put an end to the series rather than a cliffhanger. Unlike
some other shows, there was no vagueness about Walter's ending that he died. He
died right there in the meth lab
that Jack's crew built, even if we never saw
anyone take his pulse or heard him draw one last breath. It was perfect in the
sense that it concluded all the main threads we were concerned about, and now
we can all move forward with the feeling that Breaking Bad is over. The
finale never had to redeem Walter White, and it didn't. Breaking Bad never
defended Walter's actions, and even Walter admitted the truth that he did
everything for himself. But Walter did make efforts to clean up as much of his
mess as he could and take care of his family as much as possible, further
exploring the idea that within every good person, there's bad, and within every
bad person, there's good. However, in the end, even when he was dying, he chose
to be where he felt he belonged, and that was among the instruments that made
him his greatest. There have been talks about adding on more to the series to
have an "epilogue" of three new episodes on top of the spin off
already in production. The link to the article goes more in depth with more
plans for the show.
Evan Dulaney: I
have been an avid Breaking Bad fan for quite some time. I was emotionally
invested into the show and truly loved it. For the finale, I actually attended
a Breaking Bad themed party complete with thematic food, drinks, and wagers (on
who would kill who and who would die).
I found the episode itself to be perfection. It was nearly
flawless. All of the questions were answered and loose ends tied. The writing
was genius. The soundtrack fit perfectly. The cinematography was like artwork.
One of the visually wondrous scenes occurred when Skylar was on the phone with
Marie talking about Walt returning to town. When Skylar hung up, the camera
moved to reveal Walt behind a support column in her house. The scene was almost
awe-inspiring.
The acting in the episode was also perfect. Aaron Paul, who
plays Jesse, performed particularly well. There is already speculation that
Bryan Cranston (Walt) and Aaron Paul will win Emmy awards for this season’s
performance. The two actors' "farewell" scene was quite memorable (seen below)
The ending could not have been any better. Walt died with
the love of his life, a meth lab, at his side as Badfinger’s “Baby Blue”
played. Jesse escaped from Uncle Jack and the Nazis, a pleasing sight for fans.
There were no serious looming questions as the screen faded to black.
Everything came together and ended perfectly. In all honesty, I almost shed a
tear.
Austin Cox: The last chapter saw Walt cash in all his chips and exit the drug-dealing business in a blaze of glory by killing the nasty Aryan gang and setting his erstwhile meth-making partner Jesse free by using the massive gun we saw briefly last season. Say hello to my little friend.
Walt’s visit to his former partners was exceptionally suspenseful. Walt waiting in the shadows sent a shiver down my spine. I eased slightly as Walt instructed the pair on how to handle his money, but as Walt’s voice strengthened and lasers shone through the windows, I was back clutching the pillow. Fortunately the world-class hitmen turned out to be only Badger and Skinny Pete, and I was able to laugh. A great reminder that no matter how heavy this show could get, it never lost a sense of humor or failed to provide some comedic relief.
After a stop at Denny’s and the acquisition of a really big gun, Walt goes to give a proper goodbye to Skylar. Anna Gunn proves why she’s an Emmy winner by clearly showcasing with her facial expressions the inner conflictions her character faced. You could tell that even after everything, Skylar still cared for Walt in some capacity. His tears were trumped by the gaze he gave his son from a distance, watching his boy walk away from him, now a man, for the last time.
I loved the way that Walt stumbled upon Todd and Lydia in the café. Looking homeless and raving like a lunatic, Walt pitches a doomed business proposal and sandbags the villains with a pathetic cough. The whole meeting is a rouse to set-up a final showdown with Uncle Jack and for Walt to finally use the long-prepared ricin. Using Lydia’s predictability and fondness for artificial sugar, Walt delivers what I think is the most agonizing kill of the night, a slow decomposition that only becomes worse when Walt alerts her of the finality of the situation over the phone.
The final showdown was quick and to the point. Walt’s trunk turret gun effectively wipes out New Mexico’s Nazi population in only a few rounds. I envisioned Walt’s decimation of the Nazis being a little bit bigger, but I wasn’t at all dissatisfied by the choice. It pains me to admit, but Uncle Jack went out like a badass, dragging his cig one last time and calmly playing his last card amongst coughs of blood. The blood splatter on the lens was a nice way to drive the kill home. The fan favorite moment had to be Jesse straggling Todd. Jesse howls and wrestles Todd with the endless reservoir of pain and hatred inside of him, not stopping till we hear Todd’s neck snap.
WALT KILLS UNCLE JACK AND THE NAZIS (excuse the poor quality)
That left only two men standing. Walt and Jesse stared each other down for what felt like an eternity before Walt slid over the gun. When Jesse screams, “tell me you want this,” it almost seems as if Walt will go out in his blaze of glory, but that wouldn’t be this show. Instead, Jesse uses the leverage to prove that he is finally free, that he never has to listen to Walt again. Jesse refuses to let Walt use him one last time, and leaves him alone to die. Before he departs, the two men share a slight nod of recognition. No matter the feelings they have about each other, the two men shared something that no other living souls would understand or ever be able to take away from him.
In the last scene, Walt decides to inspect the Nazi lab. Walt turns to his one true love before he dies, the science. As he inspects the lab, his smile might reflect a man just happy to die amongst what he truly adored, or his smile could mean something more. Walt began this show as a teacher, and no matter how many times they cooked, he always pushed Jesse to apply himself more, to master his craft. Walt never lost the desire to teach, and as he inspected Jesse’s lab, I think he finally appreciated Jesse’s mastering of the craft. To me, that smile was the smile of a proud teacher watching his student finally graduate.
Austin Cox: The last chapter saw Walt cash in all his chips and exit the drug-dealing business in a blaze of glory by killing the nasty Aryan gang and setting his erstwhile meth-making partner Jesse free by using the massive gun we saw briefly last season. Say hello to my little friend.
Walt’s visit to his former partners was exceptionally suspenseful. Walt waiting in the shadows sent a shiver down my spine. I eased slightly as Walt instructed the pair on how to handle his money, but as Walt’s voice strengthened and lasers shone through the windows, I was back clutching the pillow. Fortunately the world-class hitmen turned out to be only Badger and Skinny Pete, and I was able to laugh. A great reminder that no matter how heavy this show could get, it never lost a sense of humor or failed to provide some comedic relief.
After a stop at Denny’s and the acquisition of a really big gun, Walt goes to give a proper goodbye to Skylar. Anna Gunn proves why she’s an Emmy winner by clearly showcasing with her facial expressions the inner conflictions her character faced. You could tell that even after everything, Skylar still cared for Walt in some capacity. His tears were trumped by the gaze he gave his son from a distance, watching his boy walk away from him, now a man, for the last time.
I loved the way that Walt stumbled upon Todd and Lydia in the café. Looking homeless and raving like a lunatic, Walt pitches a doomed business proposal and sandbags the villains with a pathetic cough. The whole meeting is a rouse to set-up a final showdown with Uncle Jack and for Walt to finally use the long-prepared ricin. Using Lydia’s predictability and fondness for artificial sugar, Walt delivers what I think is the most agonizing kill of the night, a slow decomposition that only becomes worse when Walt alerts her of the finality of the situation over the phone.
The final showdown was quick and to the point. Walt’s trunk turret gun effectively wipes out New Mexico’s Nazi population in only a few rounds. I envisioned Walt’s decimation of the Nazis being a little bit bigger, but I wasn’t at all dissatisfied by the choice. It pains me to admit, but Uncle Jack went out like a badass, dragging his cig one last time and calmly playing his last card amongst coughs of blood. The blood splatter on the lens was a nice way to drive the kill home. The fan favorite moment had to be Jesse straggling Todd. Jesse howls and wrestles Todd with the endless reservoir of pain and hatred inside of him, not stopping till we hear Todd’s neck snap.
That left only two men standing. Walt and Jesse stared each other down for what felt like an eternity before Walt slid over the gun. When Jesse screams, “tell me you want this,” it almost seems as if Walt will go out in his blaze of glory, but that wouldn’t be this show. Instead, Jesse uses the leverage to prove that he is finally free, that he never has to listen to Walt again. Jesse refuses to let Walt use him one last time, and leaves him alone to die. Before he departs, the two men share a slight nod of recognition. No matter the feelings they have about each other, the two men shared something that no other living souls would understand or ever be able to take away from him.
In the last scene, Walt decides to inspect the Nazi lab. Walt turns to his one true love before he dies, the science. As he inspects the lab, his smile might reflect a man just happy to die amongst what he truly adored, or his smile could mean something more. Walt began this show as a teacher, and no matter how many times they cooked, he always pushed Jesse to apply himself more, to master his craft. Walt never lost the desire to teach, and as he inspected Jesse’s lab, I think he finally appreciated Jesse’s mastering of the craft. To me, that smile was the smile of a proud teacher watching his student finally graduate.
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