Of all the things it delivered that people were expecting, Jesse killing Todd, Walt getting even with Jack/Lydia, etc... The one thing that I don't think anyone expected this episode to be was... so sad. That's not a complaint. In fact. it's one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen done. We all knew there would be bad-assedness, but how could we have imagined bittersweet heartbreak, right alongside one final comedic moment with Badger & Skinny Pete? They didn't just hit all the marks they needed to, they also managed to masterfully meld (As usual) all the tragedy, comedy, action & intensity that almost no one on tv has ever been able to offer Proving once again, that it doesn't matter what happened, or that people might have predicted some of it. All that mattered is how it happened. That's great drama.
Walt won in the end, basically. He died, sure, but he was already dying (a fact that's been hanging over the final season and severely limits the degree of karma he could ever have received); and, for that matter, he took the bullet while protecting Jesse. He even found a way around the one substantive piece of karma built into the season, namely, that his family rejected and did not want his money. Admittedly, they'll get his money without knowing it, but they'll be provided for, which was what he wanted. The springing automatic machine gun was a pretty awesome gadget. There were many predictions of a nihilistic bloodbath, but only the 'bad' characters died. The show got its fill of innocents in the leadup, I suppose.
So much closure! So satisfying. Some of the scenes were as I'd imagined, others quite surprising. Overall, Walt was a lot calmer than I expected, somehow I thought he'd be going out with a bang while freaking out, etc. and I forgot how battered his body is from cancer. Did anyone else think of Princess Leia strangling Jabba the Hutt with a chain? One last sci-fi reference?
Great moment. I'm guessing that someone's gun went off and shot him? He was already on the ground when the M-60 started firing. Also, whenever Walt reached for the keys on the pool table, they played an eerie sound. I thought that was a nice touch, then I realized that the sound was actually coming from the mechanical recliner that one of the guys was sitting on. Pretty neat that they managed to incorporate that as part of the eerie feel of Walt reaching for the keys.
Pretty damn good, all things considered. It's hard to judge how well it all worked given how many of the events were predicted ahead of time by fans. The only real surprise was how Gretchen and Elliot played into things, plus the return of Badger and Skinny Pete. I thought that entire sequence was brilliant. I also got a huge kick out of the very last scene in the lab, when Badfinger's "Baby Blue" kicked in. It's been fairly commonly discussed that the episode's title, "Felina" is an anagram of "Finale," possibly three elements from the periodic table linked together (Iron, Lithium, and Sodium – Blood, Meth, Tears), and also a play on the title of the song "Feelena" about a man returning to the New Mexico desert to rescue his lost love (and which I gather they played in the episode, though I must have missed that part). Naturally, Reddit spent a lot of time spinning theories about who the "love" would be that he'd be rescuing – Skyler, Jesse, or maybe the money – so I laughed out loud when I realized his one true love all along was not his wife, or his son, or even his money, but the meth. He went out as though ready for one last cook. Beautiful.
Not that I noticed, however they DID play Marty Robbins' "El Paso" (in which the narrator tells of the girl he loves named "Felina") and that song's appearance was also predicted. What wasn't entirely predicted was the true relevance of the lyrics to the episode's plot.
Sounds like those are one and the same, then? The lyrics page I linked says it's by Marty Robbins, titled "Feelena (from El Paso)." Was it the song that played in the car at the beginning of the episode?
Same. My exposure was basically via Reddit and reading the lyrics online. Clearly need to pay YouTube a visit... But, anyway, I thought it was great how it ended up playing out. It was a nice bookend of sorts to the pilot, when he was got so entranced by the idea of meth cooking, something that always seemed a bit above and beyond just a way to make quick money. Combined with his admission to Skyler that he did it all for him, he and we had to finally admit that it was always about the meth. (Not that a lot of fans weren't aware of that anyway, but it was nice to see Walt finally admit it. This may have been the first episode of the series where he wasn't spewing defensive bullshit.) One thing I do wish we had gotten: a flash-forward to see who the characters end up faring. It felt a bit disappointing that the last we saw of Flynn )for example) was him hobbling inside the crappy condo. Maybe that was the point; I dunno. Still, it seemed like it needed just a little...more.
Absolutely. As soon as I heard it at the beginning (in the snow-covered car), I knew how the episode would end. In fact, it was a play-by-play of "El Paso". Bravo to Breaking Bad.
I'd been predicting all week long that Jesse would blow Walt's brains out. I just got done watching online. I was so sure of it that I bet my mother five bucks on it. However...seeing it play out...it rings true to the character that he didn't. I'm glad VG was savvy enough not to script some bull shit sentimental moment between the two men afterwards. Walter knocking Jesse down out of the path of the bullets was as sentimental as the twisted, abusive "bromance" warranted. The finale was simple, yet I liked it. It fit. Once Hank was dead, it was all over. Walt knew it. Heisenberg was beaten. The truth of his hubris couldn't be denied. Walt admitted he did it for himself. He admitted he enjoyed it. He engineered that some money would be left to his son that couldn't be traced to drugs; he apologized to Sklyer, said goodbye to his daughter, and he saved Jesse though I'm not certain that was his original intention going out there. Once Walt saw him, though, the dye was cast. He owed him one. Sweet Jesus, did Walt ever owe him one. I'm glad there were no flash forwards with anyone's future tied up in a bow. Flynn may or may not get over it and be able to live a normal life. Skyler and Marie may or may not make up. Jesse might use again or he might rise above it all and make a life for himself in Alaska away from the nightmare of his former life. No bows. Walter acknowledged his guilt and left this life. The end. It worked. Thumbs up.
So who else went straight out and looked up this song? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkA7xQb6uPk Loved the ep, but I still feel kinda sad for Jesse, and coulda done with more closure for him and where's he gonna go next. Also I presume I'm not wrong in assuming Walt's reflection right at the end was meant to look like Heisenberg?
I just finished watching the finale about an hour ago. I feel like it ended well. It wasn't as good as "face Off", but it was spot on as to what should have happened. There were several cool moments. It was really creepy to see Walt sneak into Gretchen and Elliot's place. It reminded me of a horror movie. Then, it turned out he just wanted to make sure Jr. got the money was awesome. Then, the way he threatened him was genius. When I saw Skinny Pete and Badger, I thought, "laser pointers." Walt's style has always been like that. Jesse killing Todd was great and Walt just let it happen. I like that Jesse just let Walt die, rather than shoot him. That was great too. Walt being cool and calm was reminiscent of Gus. Walt executed his plan perfectly.He tied up all loose ends and went out how he wanted. Overall, I believe it was a victory for Walt. It didn't end with him and his family on their own private island, but still it was a victory. I'm very familiar with "El Paso", it's one of my favorite songs and I figured the lyrics would follow the plot, but I didn't put together Felina being the episode title and the girl in the song. Flew right over mt head. Great ending to a great show. I'm going to miss it. Edit: I'm so glad I didn't spoil myself.