The Breaking Bad finale has come and gone, and there were relatively few unanswered questions left in its wake, at least in terms of plot points. No one can say they were let down by this ending in terms of its finality. No Lost or Sopranos ambiguity here. At all. Bad was pretty much all tied up. WARNING: If you haven’t seen it, major spoilers below … Walt came home from the Granite State (Live Free or Die), ingeniously worked his way into Uncle Jack’s compound and rigged a machine gun to kill his crew. He ended up taking a bullet himself during that elaborate stunt, fittingly bleeding out by his own hand. But not before he found some level of redemption. Walt used the Ricin on Lydia, a substitute for her beloved sweetener. How, logistically, did he pull that off? We’re left guessing there. But it happened. He freed poor Jesse, who we saw in a flashback crafting and caressing the wooden box he once spoke of fondly in therapy, from slavery under Todd. He even, at least to a degree, made up with Skyler. The night’s emotional high point was their final exchange in the dingy place she now calls home, when Walt admitted that he did it all … for himself. The fallen kingpin had finally come to grips with the violent egomaniac he had become, and the toll his reckless ambition had taken on all he loved. No one who met Walter White was ever the same, nor did leave any better for it. Walt tacitly acknowledged this and did not even ask for forgiveness. After so many lies, to others and to himself, that admission was perhaps the most significant moment in an episode that lacked for any major twists. Walt was a narcissist, control freak, liar and manipulator who once hit nine of Mike’s guys in under two minutes. But he was not pure evil like Jack. The Neo-Nazi posse got what was coming to them, and it was hard not to root for the “good” guy Walt at that moment, especially as he took a bullet for Jesse. The look Walt exchanged with him as the two parted ways was wonderful, too, Walt resigned to his fate and bidding his former protege farewell. Has Walt been redeemed by his actions in the Breaking Bad finale ? That’s likely taking it too far, but for a man with his resume, he went out on a high note. Will Jesse get his life together? That remains an open question, and his prospects are not good, given his fragile state. But if nothing else … at least Walt is gone. And Todd. And Jack. Maybe he can at least go chill with hit men posers Badger and Skinny Pete for awhile and go back to the man he used to be. Speaking of gone, Walt appeared to be from the moment he got into the Volvo at the beginning. He was more ghost than man, a shell of his past self. Walt walked in and out of gas stations, restaurants, even homes as if invisible. Yet he was secure in the mission he came back to ABQ to finish. Never was this truer than when the finale circled back to Gretchen and Elliott Schwartz, whose Charlie Rose interview spurred Heisenberg’s last stand. Walt’s former partners at Gray Matter were terrified, and he relished in that, even as he laid out his plan to give Walt Jr. the money through their trust. Will they honor his wishes? We’ll never know, but the bigger unanswered question – perhaps the only one from a plot perspective – involves Walt’s past. The show never fully explained why Walt broke away from Gretchen and Elliott, and this seemed like the perfect place to do so. He was there for a WHILE. There were hints throughout the series, many of them conflicting. Did they screw Walt out of his share? Did he leave out of arrogance then regret it? Walt’s transformation from teacher to criminal mastermind made for the best show in TV history, but how he became a teacher instead of Elliott’s partner? That was perhaps the one big secret Vince Gilligan & Co. never truly spelled out in an otherwise air-tight finale bringing to a close this epic saga. Follow this link for TV Fanatic’s Breaking Bad finale review , then tell us: Did Walt redeem himself on the series finale? Yes! What a way to go out! No, but at least he made some things right. No, he’s still a meth lord and mass murderer. View Poll » Will Jesse get his life together? Yes. This was a turning point for him. No. He’ll be scarred for life! View Poll » Walt using the ricin on Lydia: Did you see that coming? Yes! It’s all about the Stevia! No. Never saw that coming at all! View Poll » Will Walt Jr. get the money in 10 months? Yes No View Poll » What was your favorite moment from the finale? Walt quietly threatening Gretchen and Elliott Walt telling Skyler that he did it for him Lydia getting poisoned The neo-Nazi massacre Jesse killing Todd! View Poll » Great the series finale overall: A B C D F View Poll » Best show of all time? Breaking Bad The Sopranos The Wire The Shield Mad Men Lost Other [Cite in Comments] View Poll »
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Breaking Bad Finale Recap: The Unanswered Questions
