BREAKING BAD

[KK 3,307]

Maybe it's a cat carrying Iron, Lithium and Sodium! That'd be brilliant!

[crocodile 8,020]

Maybe it turns out that the whole things was just a cat's dream.

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

Poster for the series finale...

Ooo, is that a clue?

[Jay 37,386]

Vince Gilligan doesn't do clues

[Quintus 5,399]

He likes to make you think he does, though.

[Jay 37,386]

The closest he's come is burying "747 Down Over ABQ" in the Season 2 episode titles.

[Quintus 5,399]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/allenstjohn/2013/09/19/walter-whites-phone-call-on-breaking-bad-514-what-you-caught-and-the-critics-missed%E2%80%A8including-me/

Read FLA4Good's comment after the article. Might be wrong, but still insightful all the same.

Such is the vast expanse of this show.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Well I just spent every free moment over the past few weeks catching up with this show. All I can say is... damn.

[Wycket 36]

Since the RV was destroyed I don't see how that will play a role in the finale. I think the fact that the title is composed of three elemental symbols is probably the biggest clue we've got, and at this point I doubt anyone can connect that to anything.

[Wojo 2,453]

Lithium is prescribed for mental issues, so maybe Marie goes into shock over Hank's death. Iron is either in reference to Walt's M60 or somebody needed to do laundry. Sodium is in the tortillas at tableside guacamole, or is fun to throw in water and make explosions.

Q.E.D.

[Jay 37,386]

It's likely just a coincidence that there are 3 elements in the name

[Jay 37,386]

Breaking Bad 5x15 Granite State

Wow, what an extremely interesting episode! After the tour-de-force of the last few episodes, we all knew going in this would be a bit of a breather episode, but boy, was it no less compelling! It was an interesting study of what all the characters (that are still alive) have gotten up to in the months since Hank's death and the exposure of Walt.

Saul - relocated - I think never to be seen again

Junior - Still going by White interestingly, but more mad at his father than ever before. I don't think he'll ever be right, that boy is messed up for life now. In the coming years he'll get tattoos, piercings, and a growing chip on his shoulder

Skyler - Run out of her home, dead-end job dispatching taxis, probably broke as all hell

Lydia - Happy to be on the track to being a millionaire again

Todd - Dead inside to everything except the fool's hope of a requited love for Lydia

Uncle Jack - Happy to keep Jesse alive for a while if it makes Todd happy - I can't imagine, however, that he'd realistically care about it all that much. Just last episode he was happy to only take 70 million instead of 80, and pondered why everyone was being so greedy. Now he lets Todd talk him into keeping a liability around just to make more than the "all the money in the world" he already has... I kinda felt this was a cop out to keep Jesse around for a final confrontation with Walt, which had to happen months later due to the flashforward corner they worked themselves into in the season 5 premiere. Oh well.

Jesse - Cooking meth in conditions worse than a prison cell just so Jack's gang doesn't kill Brock. I knew nothing good would come of his escaping from his cell - Jack's place is in the middle of nowhere, how would he get away? Would have made more sense if he tried to kill some of the men instead of just plain escaping. And how could someone who has likely been malnourished for months hold himself up using his upper body strength for so long, especially when he lead such an unhealthy lifestyle anyway? Meh, minor quibbles. It was sad to see Andrea go out like that. Everyone Jesse has come in contact with has had their lives changed for the worse, I think. I'm almost surprised Jack's gang isn't threatening Jesse's parents too.

Marie - Not sure what is really up with her actually, just being a grieving widow I suppose.

Walt - Wow. Given the choice between life in the spotlight and in prison or no life at all in isolation in upstate New Hampshire, he chose the latter. But why? What does he do day to day with no internet, phone, tv, or companionship of any kind? It was sad when he had to bribe Robert Forster just to stay for an hour. I can't imagine what it must be like to get all your news one month at a time. I think the only reason he wouldn't hang himself or try to get back to civilization earlier would be if he was forming some kind of master revenge plan, but if he was it wasn't really shown. I think the time stretch was again simply because they had to have it be months per the already aired flashforward.

The phone call to Junior was heartbreaking, as Walt's last hope that everything he'd done would mean anything was completely shattered permanently. We all knew after he "turned himself in" by calling the DEA that it wouldn't actually end like that - even if we hadn't seen the flashforward, and the Grey Matter tv interview was an interesting way to do it. I don't remember all the fine details of that particular early subplot - I know he was one of the founding members with the couple, had some kind of affair with the wife, and then sold his share for peanuts - so I'm not quite sure what from the interview spurred Walt to finally head back to Albuquerque with - I'd guess - the box of $10,000 in tow and not much else. I guess we'll find out next week!

All in all, an absolutely fantastic episode of Breaking Bad, one of my favorites.

Was a huge surprise to see Robert Forster - love him!

[crocodile 8,020]

Excellent episode.

Best line?

Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Two copies.

Karol

[A24 4,349]

BB won Emmy for Best Drama.

[Wojo 2,453]

I can't help but think Gray Matter is a red herring. Is Heisenberg really that pissed off at his former partners that he will plan revenge against them? We saw his utter devastation at his family's final rejection and how that defeated him, but did the Charlie Rose show inspire him to bring back the sweet Walter with an M60?

[Jay 37,386]

Well, in this:

Bryan Cranston says "and that gets up my ire [...] and it's like nope, maybe the best thing is to not give up quietly, maybe the best thing is to go out loudly"

So I think he returns to Albuquerque to make a splash, not necessarily to privately talk to anyone. His entire career as Heisenberg was defined by him leaving Grey Matter Technologies (being forced to leave, possibly) just before it became a multi-billion dollar corporation. He finally got back on top as Heisenberg through Lydia and became a multi-multi-millionaire as he felt he was deserved....but now he is paying the price for the method he went to get there.

So anyway, he doesn't want to slink away in the shadows, downplayed like Gretchen did to him on TV, he wants to be known, someway, somehow. Heck if I can figure out how Vince Gilligan works, he has continuously surprised me the entire run of the series and especially the final season.

~

BTW, also on AMC's youtube channel is this 1 minute teaser for the series finale which you can safely watch, as it features NO video or audio from it, it's like a recap of the entire series instead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ykYNdS6dAE

[Wojo 2,453]

Watch him take the Ricin himself and then turn himself in, smug to the end, knowing he won't live long enough to serve time.

[Jay 37,386]

That doesn't fill out 75 minutes of television, though.

[Wojo 2,453]

I don't think 75 minutes are enough for him to find Jack's stronghold, rescue/murder Jesse, and take down Lydia. He has no support group in Albuquerque, but he might be able to trace the blue meth on the street. With the blue meth existing, he knows Jesse is still likely alive, which means the posse reneged.

Death by cop is hardly a noble exit, but a final showdown to recover his money is ill advised. His family won't want his money, and he can't go anywhere to spend it without being paranoid. But that seems to be his motivation: go out guns blazing to recover some of his good name. I hope he leads the DEA to Hank's body.

[nightscape94 965]

I can't help but think Gray Matter is a red herring. Is Heisenberg really that pissed off at his former partners that he will plan revenge against them? We saw his utter devastation at his family's final rejection and how that defeated him, but did the Charlie Rose show inspire him to bring back the sweet Walter with an M60?

I see that bit more about Walt getting his second wind; a motivator. I doubt he would go after Gretchen and Elliott, that would not quite fit in with what the show has been building toward this season, it would seem extraneous. I think seeing that clip has reawakened his drive. Now he has a mission to complete. Everything else has been taken away from him (because of his own actions). His empire dashed, his family destroyed, his image as a brilliant or relevant scientist completely gutted, his existence knotted up in isolation.

It's just a matter of determining what his plan is, and that's the beauty of the show. You never quite understanding what's in his head. He can be very articulate in his planning, but also very spontaneous. He's become a very capricious man, and we're along for the ride.

[Jay 37,386]

I agree that he has no reason to go after Elliot and Gretchen - though finally explaining EXACTLY what happened that lead to him leaving the company would be nice (I think it's basically implied that he had an affair with Gretchen, but it would be nice if it was more complicated than that)

I just realized he also learned from the Charlie Rose interview that the blue meth was still on the streets - something he might not have known before (unless Robert Forster told him, or it made the Albuquerque papers). So maybe it is, in fact, Jesse that he is returning to Albuquerque for. And I would assume it's to kill him and not to rescue him, but I don't really know. I'm sure they will at least have some kind of final heart to heart.... Jane will get mentioned again, I'd think.

[nightscape94 965]

Yeah, when Walt heard about the blue meth still on the streets, he knows now that Jack and his gang did not kill Jesse. This, I'm sure, infuriated him more.

[Jay 37,386]

I'm glad I have just plain NO idea what to expect from the finale. Most shows I watch I can never say that.

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

Great episode! I was pleasently surprised at how laid-back it was compared to the roller coaster Ozymandias was.

I really liked the vacum-cleaner guy's character (does he even have a name?). And Walt living in isolation was definetly great too.

Also, Junior really deserves a nomination of his own next year. Last episode combined with this, the kid's got some great talent going on right there. Can't wait to see how his carreer continues, if he chooses to continue on acting of course.

Jesse trying to escape was quite dumb on his part, although I can't lie: A part of me was really rooting for him escaping, but of course, I knew he was gonna get caught. What was his plan after that? Would have had a better shot at escaping maybe if he had hit Todd when he had the chance, but maybe not, who knows...

Next episode is going to fucking intense.

[Jay 37,386]

I was not surprised at all by how laid-back this episode was compared to last week's, but as you say it was pleasant that it was. An awesome calm before the final storm

Apparently Robert Forster's "vacuum cleaner guy" character's name is Ed, though I dunno if it was ever mentioned on screen or not.

Yea, RJ Mitte has been GREAT as Junior in season 5B here, especially since all he did for 4 1/2 seasons was eat breakfast and complain

Yea, Jesse trying to escape was kinda dumb, it would have made more sense to try to attack his captors. But who knows what we would all do in that circumstance.

[nightscape94 965]

Oddly enough, after last weeks episode, I felt that two more epiodes remaining was too much. I initially thought that "Ozymandias" set up the finale pretty well. They could have jump cut and survived on the implication of how Walt was living with his appearance and spent the finale watching his planning and execution of that plan.

After watching last night's episode, however, I changed my tune. It was a nice reprieve before all of the proverbial hell breaks loose (or breaks bad, for that matter )

[Wycket 36]

I agree that he has no reason to go after Elliot and Gretchen - though finally explaining EXACTLY what happened that lead to him leaving the company would be nice (I think it's basically implied that he had an affair with Gretchen, but it would be nice if it was more complicated than that)

I just realized he also learned from the Charlie Rose interview that the blue meth was still on the streets - something he might not have known before (unless Robert Forster told him, or it made the Albuquerque papers). So maybe it is, in fact, Jesse that he is returning to Albuquerque for. And I would assume it's to kill him and not to rescue him, but I don't really know. I'm sure they will at least have some kind of final heart to heart.... Jane will get mentioned again, I'd think.

Walt and Gretchen were the couple, not Elliot and her. Something happened that caused Walt to leave her, and she went with Elliot. As much as I'd like to see Walt kill them in some misguided attempt to sooth his ego, they've done nothing wrong that we've been shown so to have him take them out would be too much. Unless whatever caused him to leave was something completely vile, I think that interview was just so Walt knew that Blue was still on the streets.

As for the Ricin, I'm guessing he'll substitute some of Lydia's stevia for it and take her out that way. She's caused so much problems that she deserves a bullet to the head, but to see her essentially kill herself would be a nice sight I guess.

[Jay 37,386]

How would Walt possibly know she even uses stevia

What problems has Lydia caused, exactly? She helped them get the methlamene that led to him being a kingpin

[Wycket 36]

Lydia is a rat plain and simple.

She tried to have Mike killed, along with his men, and took out Declan and replaced them with Uncle Jack's gang, necessitating the need for a new cook and Jesse being held captive to cook in the process. She has wormed her way out of danger since her first appearance and deserves to die as much as anyone.

[Jay 37,386]

Right, but in WALT's eyes, what had she done to him? She made him a multi, multie millionaire.

[Quintus 5,399]

I KNEW Gretchin and Elliot would be back!

Beautiful episode, even quite moving. The phone call was heartbreaking. This episode was the calm before the storm, and then THAT ending, with the music...

Breaking Bad is now my favorite show ever.

[Jay 37,386]

The entire cast of Emmy-winning "Breaking Bad" is on CONAN tonight @ 11/10c on TBS. Photos & videos of Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, & more @ http://teamcoco.com/content/photos-breaking-bad-on-conan

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=582427298482823&set=a.109915929067298.5766.108905269168364&type=1&theater

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

and then THAT ending, with the music...

I had the same thought. I wondered if anyone who isn't specifically interested in film/tv music would pick up on it being the first in-show use of the theme, and as it turns out I've actually seen quite a few mentions of it around the internet. And like Jason said, I have absolutely no idea where things are going to end up next week. I'm so glad I got caught up in time for this.

[Jay 37,386]

Man, me too! I saw the first few episodes around when it premiered, but then never had time to keep watching and it fell to the back burner. Sometime in between seasons 4 and 5 we watched everything, and it's been super fun watching seasons 5a and 5b "live"

Shows like this are so much better when you ponder on them for a week between each episode rather than plowing through them in a marathon. Discussing each episode with coworkers and Internet friends has been great.

And yeah, I loved the use of the theme music to end the episode!

[Wojo 2,453]

Fe iron blood

Li lithium methamphetamine

Na sodium tears

[Jay 37,386]

Aha!

[Quintus 5,399]

Am I the only avoiding all the theorising going on it the thread? I fear one of you guys might correctly predict the outcome which would be a terrible shame to spoil the surprise that way! Going in blind, so to speak, is bound to pack a really emotional punch, which I'd hate to unwittingly lessen some of the swing of.

[Wojo 2,453]

I hope none of us is right and Vince surprises with something unexpected. If we happen to guess correctly,then we're either very astute or it's been telegraphed. And nothing so far really has been.

[SF1_freeze 131]

What can i say, after the in my opinion disappointing last episode Breaking Bad delivered this week! What a great episode... i loved almost everything:

Fantastic character moments

Calm before the storm

Good new character in the form of the vacuum cleaner man

Great change of scenery.. snow after 5 seasons of desert (!)

And the thing that almost makes me forgive killing Hank and the unbelievable character transformation of Walt in the last episode:

The return of Gretchen and Elliot Schwartz!!!

I always waited for them to reappear to continue the important subplot about Grey Matter Technology. I said to myself if i wrote the finale they would play a substantial role. The events that happened caused the biggest bump on Walts ego and pride ever. Walt never managed to really forget or forgive them and himself. And as i lost all hope to see this plot resolved the showrunner gives us at least one scene with them which make Walt channel his anger and desperation and that puts him back into the game.

I would love to get a complete resolution of this subplot in the finale and to learn what really happened between Elliot, Gretchen and Walt. But clearly Walt has to take out Jack and the gang first and i don't know if there is any time left for the Grey Matter storyline. I still hope they wouldn't let them appear in the final scene of the second to last episode ever of BB just for a short cameo and that they will play a role in the finale.

[Jay 37,386]

Am I the only avoiding all the theorising going on it the thread? I fear one of you guys might correctly predict the outcome which would be a terrible shame to spoil the surprise that way! Going in blind, so to speak, is bound to pack a really emotional punch, which I'd hate to unwittingly lessen some of the swing of.

Honestly, I don't think anyone here or anywhere else can possibly predict what's goign to happen in the finale. Vince Gilligan has continually surprised everyone season after season, week after week. Guessing what will happen is fun, and it's especially safe to read in this circumstance for 3 reasons: AMC has released no footage from the final ep or put anything remotely spoilery in the episode description; AMC isn't sending the episode to critics ahead of time so there's no chance it will leak or a critic will spoil anything before it airs; and finally as mentioned Vince Gilligan is so far ahead of all of we can't possibly predict what he's got up his sleeve. Heck, we don't even know who the guest stars will be - Robert Forster was even kept a complete secret until it aired!

[crocodile 8,020]

Am I the only avoiding all the theorising going on it the thread? I fear one of you guys might correctly predict the outcome which would be a terrible shame to spoil the surprise that way! Going in blind, so to speak, is bound to pack a really emotional punch, which I'd hate to unwittingly lessen some of the swing of.

I generally don't like guessing the outcome.

"What happens" doesn't matter as much as "how it is handled".

Karol

[Jay 37,386]

SF1_freeze, I completely agree about Grey Matter, I think that subplot is the fundamentally most important thing to the development of Walt to where he is now.

I predict the final episode will have a cold open explaining what really happened with Grey Matter, and then after the opening credits the show will resume with Walt's return to Albuquerque, maybe quickly recapping what we learned in the two flashforwards.

I definitely don't think Walt plans on killing Gretchen and Elliot, or even confronting them at all

[Wojo 2,453]

That's why Grey Matter may have been the red herring. They caught Walt's interest long enough for him to keep watching, until Charlie Rose dropped the bombshell. Blue meth means Pinkman's alive. Unfinished business in Albuquerque.

[KK 3,307]

Finally watched the episode. I KNEW Grey Matter would be brought back in some way or another! It's great to see this show hitting a full circle and revisiting unfinished subplots. But I think that's the last we'll see of the Grey Matter stuff.

It would be rather naive to presume that Walt is going to go confront Gretchen and Elliot, especially in a violent way. At best, it may be as Jason suggested, with a cold open in the past revealing something.

I'm also glad this episode disproved the popular theory that the phone call to Skyler in the previous episode was full-out Heisenberg with genuine hatred. It helped spell it out for the doubtful that Walt did not take a crazy character change, but was continuously thinking of his family.

Jesse escaping may have been dumb, but lets think about. This is a desperate man who has been imprisoned for a month. Under those conditions, you lose your sense of wit and logic and turn to desperation. Jesse didn't think, he just knew he had to try and get out. Was it stupid? Yes, but you do stupid things when you're desperate.

Skyler was beautifully portrayed. Looking back, she truly is one of the most fascinating characters in the show. Her character has taken so much and has evolved through so many different stages of joy, rage, desperation, futility. And now, we see her completely broken. She took all that suffering for so long, and now there's nothing left. Just an empty shell of a human being. Kudos to Anna Gunn for pulling it off.

There's really nothing to say about Walt that hasn't already been said. He was exceptional as always. He too, is broken and desperate but his thirst for blood is reawakened by his old rage. That doesn't mean Grey Matter is his target, it just means he's no longer going to just sit around, he is going to go out with a bang and just let out his rage for the mess that he's made for himself and his family.

I also thought the "disapperer" was a cool character.

And I loved the ending. Great to finally hear the full theme music in context, giving rise to Walt's final act!

I'm to going to bother predicting next episode's plot points. It's a futile exercise, and frankly no fun either. But I can't wait.

[Wojo 2,453]

The music at the close was fantastic, I agree. I've thought for months it would make a great ring tone.

[Quintus 5,399]

The last four notes are my sms tone.

[Jay 37,386]

Awesome! The Breaking Bad writers wrote the part of "The Disappearer" FOR Robert Forster, and even referred to the character as "Robert Forster" when discussing him

http://www.miramax.com/subscript/what-breaking-bad-and-jackie-brown-have-in-common

If anyone here hasn't seen Jackie Brown, I highly recommend it!

[crocodile 8,020]

Has anybody notice how Skyler's "interrogation" scene mirrors Walter's diagnosis scene from the pilot? Very similar moment.

Karol

[Jay 37,386]

Ha! So you know how in the bar scene, Charlie Rose refers to an article from the New York Times? Here's that fictional article

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/09/23/breaking-bad-the-gray-matter-of-charity/?_r=1&

Also, the hockey game on the TV in that scene was from 1998:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-breaking-bad-easter-egg-hunt-continues-with-th,103248/

And does the Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium reference foreshadow the end of Breaking Bad? This is a funny article because of the Magorium director's comments at the end

http://www.avclub.com/articles/mr-magoriums-wonder-emporium-may-foreshadow-the-en,103335/

~

Oh, and this is a must-read! It's a short interview with Peter Gould, who wrote and directed Granite State. Has some awesome little insights into the writing and production of the episode! No spoilers whatsoever for the finale either. Read it!

http://www.vulture.com/2013/09/breaking-bad-peter-gould-granite-state-interview.html

[Jay 37,386]

Ha! Stephen Colbert talks about Americone Dream being featured on Breaking Bad

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/429350/september-26-2013/americone-dream-product-placement

Funny stuff!

~~

Less funny is this fictional spinoff about Huell still living in that safe house

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/5f24c5785e/huell-s-rules

~~~

Also funny:

http://www.funnyordie.com/articles/45d3256b2d/how-landry-from-friday-night-lights-grew-up-to-be-todd-in-breaking-bad