I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really … I was alive." That's Walter White, telling the full truth and nothing but the truth for the first time in maybe a long time on the series finale of Breaking Bad, a show that even before its final hour was already a monumental achievement in television and certainly one of the three or four best dramas in the history of the medium. Taken by itself, "Felina" was not one of Breaking Bad's all-time best episodes, but it did exactly what it needed to by closing out Walt's story with class and style, using many of the same tools that made the series so great in the first place. Or to say it another way: Vince Gilligan stuck the landing, cementing a legacy for his wonderful and thrilling show that should last for as long as people watch and talk about TV.
Similar to last week's episode, "Felina" (for the most part) lacked that propulsive, non-stop, "oh my god what will happen next" energy that has largely defined Breaking Bad. Some of that came rushing back during the final assault on Jack and Todd's HQ, but for most of the episode's run time, showrunner Vince Gilligan, who wrote and directed, went back to the basics. For example, we got to see Walt employing two of his most defining characteristics. One, he's very, very smart, which he proves for the millionth time by concocting a way to secretly get his money to his children via the Schwartzes. And, two, he's extremely good with the science, which he demonstrates by using his MacGyver-esque skills to build the machine-gun gizmo that pops out of his trunk and lays waste to Uncle Jack's gang of Nazis. These are the things that have been a part of Walt every step of the way — pre-Heisenberg, when he was Heisenberg, and even now at the end — and Gilligan was wise to highlight them during Walt's last hurrah.
Proper closure was provided on nearly all fronts. Walt and Skyler had one final scene together, allowing Walt to finally drop all pretenses and tell his wife the straight truth — that he was Heisenberg not for her or their kids, but for himself. As they have been since the beginning, Bryan Cranston and Anna Gunn were nothing short of brilliant. Meanwhile, if I can toot my own horn for a moment, this is what I wrote last week about the strong possibility that Walt would rescue Jesse: "My guess is he'll end up freeing Jesse from his hellish captivity. That likely wouldn't be enough to earn Jesse's full forgiveness … but it might be enough to allow some understanding to pass between Walt and Jesse, a modicum of compassion." Nailed it! That's exactly what occurred, as surrogate father and son nodded silently at each other following the Nazi bloodbath. Jesse had seen the blood seeping through Walt's shirt and knew the end was near for him. Maybe that's why he refused to pull the trigger and finish Walt off himself. Or maybe he didn't shoot because he didn't want the last thing he ever did for Walt to be exactly what Walt wanted. But even though Jesse didn't forgive Walt, he did make his peace with him.
The last we see of young Pinkman, he's tearing down the highway, screaming at the top of his lungs. Technically, we don't know what will become of him, but I think Gilligan planted a strong clue with that quick daydreaming sequence where Jesse is imagining himself alone, happy and building a impressive wooden box with his own hands. Regardless of whether he actually goes into woodworking or not, it shows that Jesse's not completely broken. He still has dreams. He still has things he wants to accomplish. He still hopes for a quiet normal life. I believe that someday Jesse will find one.
As for everyone else: We can assume Walt Jr. and Holly will be taken care of per Walt's deal with the Schwartzes. Poor Marie will at least be able to properly bury her husband. Lydia wins the "Who gets the ricin?" jackpot. And that fucking asshole Todd gets horribly and viscerally strangled by Jesse. (Seriously, I may have screamed out, "Tear his damn head off, Jesse!" during that scene.)
For its entire run, Breaking Bad was known as one of television's best-directed series, and "Felina" was no different. Gilligan used a number of creative setups to great effect: That wide shot inside the Schwartz home where we see Elliott and Gretchen making casual conversation in one room while Walt checks out their framed photographs in the next. The slow zoom in Skyler's apartment after her phone call with Marie where it's gradually revealed that Walt is there in the room with her. The blood splatter on the camera lens when Walt shoots Jack in the head. All examples of assured and invigorating filmmaking.
Add to that list Walt's reflection in the metal tank during the episode's closing minutes, as he collapses to the floor leaving only a blood-smeared hand print behind. We can argue where this episode ranks in terms of television finales, but it's hard to deny that this last scene proved to be the ideal ending to the Heisenberg saga. It was always highly unlikely that Walt would get out of this whole mess alive. He certainly had no grand "happy ending" coming his way. But seeing him in a meth lab one last time — back in his element — gave his final moments an almost uplifting vibe. (The up-tempo Badfinger song on the soundtrack didn't hurt either.) As he ran his hands over the equipment, no doubt reflecting on everything he had done to arrive at this moment, Walt seemed calmly accepting of the fact that his life would come to an end right here, right now. He might even have been comfortable with the choices he made that led him to this point. If given the opportunity, perhaps he would have taken it all back. But probably not. Being Heisenberg is what he was good at, and, for the last two years of his life, it made him feel alive. Dying was just the natural conclusion to all that had come before — Walt finally getting his comeuppance for the havoc he wreaked on everyone in his orbit. Him understanding that and being okay with it was as happy an ending as Walt deserved.
A few more thoughts on "Felina" …
– I had figured it was Skinny Pete and Badger outside the Schwartzes even before they were revealed, but I didn't guess that they'd only be wielding laser pointers. It's good that Gilligan found a place to fit a comic moment into the episode because, on top of everything else, Breaking Bad could be darkly funny.
– Subtly ironic opening scene with Walt, a man of science if there ever was one, coming pretty damn close to praying while inside the snow-covered car he was stealing. "Just get me home."
– When I heard Todd's ring tone, I was hoping that he could somehow be revived and then violently murdered again.
– "Cheer up, beautiful people. This is where you get to make it right."
– I got teary one time during the episode, when Walt gently rubs baby Holly's head. Trust me, having kids makes you such an easy mark for scenes like that.
– Off the top of my head, here's a short list of shows that I'd argue had a stronger series finale: Six Feet Under (still the gold standard), The Sopranos, Angel, The Shield. Not that they were better shows overall, mind you (though, for me, it's very close between Breaking Bad and The Shield), but that they had more powerful final episodes.
– There will be plenty of good television to watch next Sunday. But none of it will be anywhere near as good as Breaking Bad. Even though Gilligan and AMC chose to end it at the right time, Walt and company will be sorely missed.
