The Villigan has been quoted as saying the series finale of Breaking Bad would not please all the fans. While I agree that it’s impossible to please everyone, this is one fan who was certainly pleased.
I can’t imagine a more fitting end for Walter White. He finally admitted that his reasons for doing the things he has done were selfish. In doing so, he gave Skyler and Jesse the smallest amount of closure, which is more than they expected. He makes the people who are even more evil than he is pay for their sins with their lives and he goes out scarface-style, in a hail of gunfire, surrounded by the things he loved more than his security and more than his family – cooking meth.
And it’s not just the act of cooking meth. Walt doesn’t really care about the meth. It’s the competence with which he does it and the desire to build something substantial with his own hands. After all, he’s in the empire business.
Gilligan has also said that all loose ends would be wrapped up and they certainly are. Thanks to the death of Hank, Gomez and all the Nazis, Jesse is off scott free, with only his scars (emotional and physical) tying him back to his life as the country’s second best meth cook. Marie is able to give Hank a proper burial and Skyler gets an apology. And of course, thanks to the first of Walt’s brilliant plans, Jr. is going to get the money that he would otherwise refuse. The end might even seem positive if the journey weren’t so damned sad.
After the first viewing I’m thoroughly pleased with the episode and the series as a whole. There are plenty more details to cover and we’ll do so in our Tuesday podcast so join us then!