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The Götterdämmerung Will Be Televised — The Breaking Bad-Felina Theory of Everything

Kay Gardella Memorial TV Review Blog, , , , , , , , , ,

(Spoilers ahead for anyone who isn’t up-to-date on their Bad episodes.)

Trying to outsmart Vince Gilligan and his writers, who may be the smartest writers in the world, is a loser’s game. There are a lot of reasonable theories out there, almost a collective speculative wisdom. Jesse is likely to blow up the lab. Walt is likely to die. Another White may die as well.  But whatever we think is going to happen, whatever we want to see happen, we are going to be surprised.  Plenty of people knew Hank was a goner when Uncle Jack and his crew showed up. No one thought Walt would try to bargain for his life with money.

Back in Ozymandias, when Walt tried to talk his way out of Hank’s execution, when he gave up Jesse to the nazis, and then told him about watching Jane die — these were events that no audience member imagined. But when they happened, they seemed inevitable. That’s what separates Breaking Bad from the pack.

In addition to characterization, there is masterful foreshadowing. The audience can always see some of it coming, but it’s like a magic trick where it turns out we weren’t even looking in the right place. We all saw Draw Sharpe riding a bicycle, we may even have known Continue reading The Götterdämmerung Will Be Televised — The Breaking Bad-Felina Theory of Everything →

Breaking Bad — Did Aaron Paul Give Us An “Explosive” Series Finale Spoiler?

Kay Gardella Memorial TV Review Blog, , , , ,

(Warning — Possible Breaking Bad finale spoiler ahead, with reference to recent episodes!)

Did Aaron Paul inadvertently give us the ultimate Breaking Bad finale spoiler? Watch the clip below and see the look in his eyes when he talks about the “explosive” finale.

Does this mean that Jesse takes out Todd, the meth lab, and Heisenberg’s secret recipe in an “explosive” finale wherein he uses whatever Mr. White taught him about chemistry to blow up the lab real good (referencing the RV pseudo-flashback scene that opened Ozymandias)? He wants Todd dead and all this to be over far more than he wants anything else. He was at peace and ready to die when Uncle Jack was holding the pistol to the back of his head after Walt had ratted him out. Back then he’d given up, and after hearing about Jane, truly had nothing left. After watching Andrea get killed, he now has something — the need for vengeance and martyrdom. He wants to take as many of the bastards down with him as he can — especially Todd.

With any luck maybe Lydia will show up to watch the cook. (Wouldn’t it be great if Todd sort of suspected that Jesse’s instruction couldn’t be right, but Jesse said something like “Ok don’t do it bitch, but you’re not gonna get up to 96%.” And Lydia said, “Do it!”? And then, boomsies?)

Of course, I am hoping, but wouldn’t bet a dollar, that Walter will show up right about the time the labs goes ptttuey, armed to the teeth to take out Uncle Jack. Walter brought the ricin for himself, figuring that after his final mission there’d be nothing else left for him to do, but then right after he’s mowed down Jack and his crew, the lab explodes, and maybe Walter will drag Jessie from the wreckage, mortally injuring himself in the process. Walter will die in Jessie’s arms asking for forgiveness, and asking him to take the money to Skylar’s lawyer to see if they can use it to barter for her freedom with the DEA, and begging him to let Marie know where Hank is buried.

Then again, I’m sure that can’t be it. Every time you think you know where they’re going, they go somewhere else. Besides, that’s way too upbeat.

(Hey, if you like dark, transgressive tales, why not check out this novel, inspired by a crime so grotesque it became the stuff of neighborhood legend?)