Was Breaking Bad's Season Finale TV's Darkest Hour Ever?
For the past three seasons, Breaking Bad's protagonist Walt White has led viewers down a rabbit hole of greed, destruction and moral decay. Each season the character, who won Bryan Cranston back-to-back Emmys, found increasingly flimsy ways to rationalize his dangerous behavior. His career choice -- manufacturing crystal meth -- made him isolate his friends, endanger his family and kill his spirit in ways that smoking crystal meth could have never done. And in last night's third-season finale, Walt burrowed deeper than viewers thought possible, making it clear that he will never find his way out. Click through for video, analysis of Walt's descent and spoilers.
Unlike Tony Soprano, Breaking Bad's lead character Walt White never suffocated his own nephew, shot his own cousin or murdered a man by slamming his head against a linoleum floor. But still, Bryan Cranston's chemistry teacher from Albuquerque is responsible for crimes that seem and feel much worse than anything on the Sopranos or premium cable for that matter. Because Walt White is no longer an antihero. He has become a villain.
Part of this is creator Vince Gilligan's doing. Unlike the Sopranos, which intercut tremendously violent scenes with humorously relatable situations between a mobster and his unappreciative children, Walt has isolated his family. In one family scene last night, Walt sits dazed, cradling his baby while Skyler sets the table and Walt Jr. works on homework in the background. He might as well have been invisible.
Last night's finale, "Full Measure," opened with an interesting flashback that shed light on the earlier stages of Walt's inner yearning. As he and Skyler tour the house that they would later move into and start a family, younger Walt is underwhelmed. Skyler questions why he does not think that the home is enough for their starter and Walt responds, "Where else can we go but up?"
Flash forward to present day, where Walt is trapped by that very pursuit of "more" that manifested itself years ago when searching for the perfect first home. But unlike the younger Walt, who was surprisingly cheery and hopeful, Walt is dead inside. His body may have outlived the doctor's "three year" prognosis from the series premiere, but his heart has not. He conceded earlier this season that he would be better off dead, but even so, begs Mike for his life and orders a kill on an innocent person.
It no longer feels like Walt has much trouble issuing these orders, but Jesse has difficulty fulfilling them because unlike Walt, he still feels and thinks logically -- at one point even pleading with an uncooperative Walt to join the witness protection program.
Breaking Bad has become an epic tale of teacher-failing-student, father-failing-family and character-failing-himself -- and maybe that realization is what made last night's finale so dark. What do you think?
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The season finale was unreal.
I hope this is the year Emmy voters realize "Breaking Bad" is a better show than "Mad Men".
I agree with most of this, but diagree that Jesse is thinking logically and Walt is not. If anything, Walt is VERY logical. He tries to keep emotion out of the equation. Jesse is a ball of emotion and has been Walt's downfall on numerous occasions. At the same time, Walt is very principled. I diagree that he's no longer the antihero. Antiheroes are people who, at some point, start doing what they do because they enjoy it. I don't think Walk WANTS to do anything he's doing. He just doesn't have a choice anymore (in his mind).
I agree with most of your comments. All except the part about Walt ordering a hit on an "innocent" person. The person in question is a meth cook. He knowingly and willingly produces a recreational drug that has no other purpose, and is always going to have destructive, if not catastrophic, consequences for the user. AS do Walt and Jesse. They, at leat, have exhibited guilt over their role in the shattering of lives. The person upon whom Walt put the hit has no such reservations.
I daresay that Breaking Bad was the best show of the last year and better win the emmy. It was better than Lost (my #2) and Mad Men (#3). I never thought it would top Mad Men as the best show on TV but after this season, I am floored by the overall and consistent quality of this show.
Thought the second-last ep was brilliant; sadly, got thrown out of the moment for the finale.
Spoilers for finale ep ahead (and above, I guess):
I got the distinct impression the show was talking very fast to convince me that:
(a) there wasn't a single other chemist/worker in the country that Gus can call on or train up,
(b) despite that, the (long-interrupted) training that Gayle has received is adequate to make him a replacement,
(c) Walt thinks he's used up his last chance and will be offed at any moment,
(d) the ONLY possible solution that Walt can see is to kill someone else with whom he has a reasonably respectful (if not cordial) relationship.
Hey, I know Walt's killed before. And I totally bought that he would shoot those guys to save Jesse. But if he thought he was absolutely dead meat as a result, why did he walk out into the paddock to meet Gus? Right, because he thought he was invulnerable and those conversations with the reinstated Gayle later made him realise that he was under threat (in other words, the walk into the open field didn't constitute an immediate threat to his life, but now that Gayle's asking about how to purge the catalytic bed...), and he thinks Gus is such a "pragmatic" businessman that... he'll tolerate a staffer who holds him to ransom by killing other, comparatively innocent staffers? Walt has never been so off-the-wall on such hastily-introduced motivation, with such a weak follow-through plan (what's he gonna do, kill the next assistant and the one after that? Why doesn't he kill Jesse as well, just in case?) And on the basis of that phone-call, Jesse was persuaded to go and kill Gayle because "they've got me at the laundry and they're gonna kill me" is enough to override his reservations not only about Walt killing Gayle but about HIM doing it.
Felt very thin. Melodrama-thin. And then to have Gayle boiling his kettle just at the moment of the warning call... yeah. Not a great ep for suspension of disbelief. (And that camera movement in the last shot was an odd misstep: I had to rewatch it to be sure that Jesse hadn't shifted his aim.)
I guess I'm disappointed too because the previous ep felt like it was right on the verge of going in a wild new direction, and then this ep had to backpedal on most of that, set out its own stall and try to generate momentum on it - I felt like it was too big an ask.
But hey, it was way better than True Blood.
the way i see it, walt has completely embraced his dark side, even relishes it. he used to be able to look back at who he used to be, but he cannot see that person anymore. its a fascinating study of a dead man still walking.
Interesting and valid observations, Cantank. I must say that I'm willing to trust my "Inner Gilligan" for now, especially since I just received Season 1 on DVD today. Compared to 99% of the TV programming which seems marinated in a warm crap slurry, BAD is just a shining exception of staggeringly high quality writing, acting, cinematography, editing, music, etc. Even the automobiles are distinct characters in this show, for crying out loud! Yeah, there were some skitchy assumptions made in this finale, but let's see what Vince has in store for us next year. I'm afraid the bigger risk is the possibility that they'll squeeze in another season before the ultimate denouement. So far, they've avoided any sense of 'filler' material. Hopefully that wont change if they go 5 instead of 4 seasons.... Im gonna go watch Season 1 now.
Totally disagree that Walt's crimes are worse than Tony Soprano's. He's had very little choice with most of his decisions. He wants to keep his family together and has been exceedingly loyal to Jesse. Walt certainly doesn't relish anything he's done.
Agree with the abover regarding Jesse's aim. It looked like he shifted it, still not sure.
i loved this season. but i do have questions regarding the finale. are we to assume that pollo would pick up walt from his home and take him to the lab to have him executed? this seems risky since there may be witnesses. if i were gus i would assume that walt had dirt on me and said dirt would be delivered to the feds upon death. and to have the operation run in the same location? and wouldn't pinkman most likely call the feds after hearing walt had disappeared (concerned for his own life now) and have said feds shoul up at the lab.
and what about walts' family? gus must have assumed that walt told the wife...i have many questions. but still a great series!!
There are no "villains" here. They are all just people of varying shades of grey trying to survive and find their role in a free (but fucked-up) society. They make bad choices. VERY bad choices. But ultimately, Walt is an anti-hero and not a villain. As is Jesse.
Who thinks they might be more heroic than Walt? To run over drug dealers? Heroic. To attempt to kill drug dealers because they went to far and executed a child? Heroic. What is heroism?
If this show doesn't make you think, you're brain dead.
But for the grace of God, go you and I.
Does anyone watching this show commenting here truly understand it? Why, for instance, the lame comparisons to "The Sopranos?" Why do we always have to search for comparisons? Cannot this show stand and fall on it's own? If anything, it is well written and acted and always a challenge to watch. These are the hallmarks of a great tv show.
I disagree with a few people who posted on here and I hope that I am correct in saying that they know exactly where they are going with this. I didn't think it was "thin" at all. I think the shocking season end/ finale was the week before. this episode was more or less setting us up the next season. I think Walt has become a different person but the show has always been leading up to him breaking completely from this and a man who is being tired of being taken advantage of and walked over by the people in his life. He knows his product if the best and he knows he's being used by Gus and he also knows that while gus presents an intimidating demeanor he does as well. I think we are leading up to a season 4 centering around a power struggle between these two men for control of this empire. And no doubt, if they go in that direction, it will continue to be gripping and the best show ever put on television. Ever.
Yes, iKitty, I'm increasingly sure that's the direction they're going in - I just think it's decreasingly plausible, given the amount of luck it's taken Walt and Jesse to squeeze *this* far up the chain - and the extra amount of luck it took them over the last fortnight to avoid being dispatched by a syndicate of a much, much larger scale than anything they've ever attempted to manage before. And for sure, Heisenberg, Vince Gilligan gets a pass on it - geez, if anyone's done enough to earn a pass over the last three years it's BB! - it's just a bit of a shame, is all. Totally agree with you re. the importance of pulling the show up at the right time - was a little disquieted to see the interview on this site with Gilligan where he seemed to be implying that it'll run as long as the network wants it to run. Um, Vince, that'll be "until after it's lost the plot and is shedding viewers".
@Facade: Vince G has already said in interviews that, while he doesn't like to dictate interpretations, he never for a moment meant the camera shift to indicate that Jesse shifted his aim. He didn't even think of it being interpreted that way until some folks in the editing room queried it. I think we can safely assume Gayle's a goner.
@Rom1Net: yes, being blackmailed like this, wouldn't Gus' next option be to use Skylar as a counter-blackmail? Couldn't Gus take Skylar and say "right, now Walt, kill Jesse and work for me for the rest of your life for nothing or I'll kill her"? Walt's plan seems uncharacteristically short-sighted; it's hard to see how they plausibly get another season's worth of action out of it. Still, they've surprised before.
love...this..show.... no no no....you have no idea. eeeeasily the best on tv.
ugh. frickn brilliant.
We are totally into watching Braking Bad and are looking forward to the next chapter in Walt and Jesse's life. I just hope the writer can keep up his creative writting on the story line.
This show has become one of our favorites and comparing Braking Bad with the Sapronos, is like comparing apples to oranges.
I personally didnt care for the Sapronos but my husband did and we have all the dvd's.
I don't think Walt is a villain. I think he is just doing what he can to protect his family, extended family and Jesse...whom he considers a son. He hasn't shown much in the way of greed yet. he hasn't been flaunting his money or buying himself fancy toys. He's taking care of everyone.
I think that Breaking Bad is its own...NO COMPARISONS should be made. Walt is taking care of his family and he is no villain. Survival is key in the show. He did however get more assertive or aggressive in standing up for himself and Jesse. I also think he feels bad about Jane so he feels he needs to take care of Jesse. Jesse is funny, yo! I love this show and I can't wait until it comes back!
YOU.