Breaking Bad on AMC (2 Viewers)

[Sarnoff]

I love how Walt takes great care to cough away from Krazy-8's sandwich right after he debates the pros and cons of killing him.

It's like when they sterilize the needle for a lethal injection

 

[Wyld Stallyns]

I'm almost more interested in Jesse's story arc than Walt's. Have to assume he snaps at this point. Wouldn't be surprised if he goes on a huge killing spree, paints his face, and burns everything to the ground Joker-style. Series ends with him in a straight jacket laughing maniacally.

 

[Daywalker]

The trailer for the finale does not get old. Great song/edit.

 

[identikit]

Rewatching the Pilot: Was the first appearance of Heisenberg when he told Jesse to cook with him or when he went nuts with the bully in the clothing store? Jesse was first and Walt had a very serious look in his eyes

I think when he went crazy at the Car wash and quit, that was still Walt.

That was still Walt.

Now when he bought the carwash and took Bogdon's 1st dollar earned to buy a Coke, that was Heisenberg.

 

[Peyton Marino]

Just think, if they hadn't wasted all this time developing the characters in the first couple seasons then we wouldn't have to rush everything at the end.

I'm so glad they "wasted all this time"

 

[Peyton Marino]

I just have a feeling Gretchen and Grey Matter is a big part of the ending. Could be way off here, I don't know. It was already revealed in 5a that a big reason (the biggest IMO) for Walt's continued cooking after his cancer remits is because of his fallout at GM.

The whole reason that the series didn't end with this past episode is that they refused to give him any credit for Gray Matter. Then we know that he goes to get the ricin in the finale so it's not a stretch to think he's going to kill Elliott and Gretchen.

I'm sure this has been covered before, but what's he going to do? Stroll up to the front lobby and ask for Elliott?

I'm not so sure he kills them... I feel like it will be something more poetic than that if he actually seeks revenge on the Schwartzes.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I just have a feeling Gretchen and Grey Matter is a big part of the ending. Could be way off here, I don't know. It was already revealed in 5a that a big reason (the biggest IMO) for Walt's continued cooking after his cancer remits is because of his fallout at GM.

The whole reason that the series didn't end with this past episode is that they refused to give him any credit for Gray Matter. Then we know that he goes to get the ricin in the finale so it's not a stretch to think he's going to kill Elliott and Gretchen.

I'm sure this has been covered before, but what's he going to do? Stroll up to the front lobby and ask for Elliott?

I'm not so sure he kills them... I feel like it will be something more poetic than that if he actually seeks revenge on the Schwartzes.

Revenge for what? Walt voluntarily accepted a buy-out from Grey Matter. When the Schwartzes said that he didn't have much to do with the firm's success, they were telling the truth, and Walt is bitterly aware of it. He has absolutely nothing to take revenge for when it comes to these two.

 

[Apple Jack]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

 

[Abraham]

1. I watched four episodes last night and enjoyed the experience immensely now that it's almost over. Walt and Gretchen discussing if the soul is part of the body's chemistry. Walt flipping out when he realized the plate was missing a piece. Crazy 8 playing Walt. Wendy showing up so early.

2. I don't think he's going for revenge at grey matter. I think his plAn is to leverage something (his money, his chemistry) to help turn things around there in exchange for then taking care if his family. The stock price gas been tumbling and they just started a charity to combat drug addiction. Walt is going to do something "good" just in time to die. Get money from basis, donate to charity to open the Hank sgrader rehabilitation center and buy a million shares of stock. Stock goes through the roof. Family is set up.

 

[bentley]

So at the birthday party Walt and Elliott are pretty chummy right up to the point where Elliott offers to take care of him. So did Walt snap there and the bitterness came after the fact? Or was he faking it with Elliott? Because if that's the case then he's pretty convincing at faking it.

 

[Abraham]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

Pretty sure he says a few times their success was based on his research.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

What episode is that? I'll go back and rewatch it, but I would be very surprised if they go this direction in the finale without setting it up a little more during the last season.

 

[Abraham]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

What episode is that? I'll go back and rewatch it, but I would be very surprised if they go this direction in the finale without setting it up a little more during the last season.

During the lunch with Gretchen.

 

[Sabertooth]

Jesse can't live right? I mean what is living for him anyway except pain and anguish? Dying would be a mercy for him.

 

[Peyton Marino]

I just have a feeling Gretchen and Grey Matter is a big part of the ending. Could be way off here, I don't know. It was already revealed in 5a that a big reason (the biggest IMO) for Walt's continued cooking after his cancer remits is because of his fallout at GM.

The whole reason that the series didn't end with this past episode is that they refused to give him any credit for Gray Matter. Then we know that he goes to get the ricin in the finale so it's not a stretch to think he's going to kill Elliott and Gretchen.

I'm sure this has been covered before, but what's he going to do? Stroll up to the front lobby and ask for Elliott?

I'm not so sure he kills them... I feel like it will be something more poetic than that if he actually seeks revenge on the Schwartzes.

Revenge for what? Walt voluntarily accepted a buy-out from Grey Matter. When the Schwartzes said that he didn't have much to do with the firm's success, they were telling the truth, and Walt is bitterly aware of it. He has absolutely nothing to take revenge for when it comes to these two.

As mentioned already, it's pretty clear that Walt was responsible for the majority of the research at GM. I think there's a chance we get a flashback in the last episode that confirms this... I don't think it's likely due to time constraints. But in any event, this was a pretty large part of the series and it's kind of astounding to me that so many people missed this.

 

[Slapdash]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

 

[[icon]]

I don't want it to end :(

 

[Bigboy10182000]

I don't want it to end :(

This.

 

[eoMMan]

Can someone give me a review of the whole series? Dude is a science teacher with inoperable lung cancer who turns meth dealer, right? What else?

After 5 fascinating seasons of chasing his pet DEA criminal (Heisenberg), Walt's brother in law Hank finds out it's really his family member and then gets shot in the head by an accomplice of Walt while Walt watches. The buildup to it all was brilliant television over the years and the final season and the payoff was amazing but you'll never get to experience that because I just told you what happened (per your request).

Was Walt rocking the tightie whities when this Hank fellow gets capped?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

Looking it up, that was back in Season Two. What steps has Walt taken to "take revenge" on the Schwartzes in the meantime?

I have very little doubt that they'll do a good job wrapping up the series, and I'll go along with just about however things play out. It just seems unlikely to me that they would introduce a new storyline (Walt going on a vendetta against Grey Matter) in the very last episode based on a throwaway line from 3-4 years ago. The "I'm not going to walk away from my meth empire the same way I walked away from Grey Matter" angle just makes more sense to me.

 

[Abraham]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

Looking it up, that was back in Season Two. What steps has Walt taken to "take revenge" on the Schwartzes in the meantime?

I have very little doubt that they'll do a good job wrapping up the series, and I'll go along with just about however things play out. It just seems unlikely to me that they would introduce a new storyline (Walt going on a vendetta against Grey Matter) in the very last episode based on a throwaway line from 3-4 years ago. The "I'm not going to walk away from my meth empire the same way I walked away from Grey Matter" angle just makes more sense to me.

I disagree. I think that the "best" ending would not be one where he handles the Nazis, who are relatively new to the show, but rather an ending where everything comes full circle for his life and his life's work. NONE of this happens if he stays with Gray Matter. Walt says his motivation was to take care of his family but his true desire was to be in charge, in control, and have power. He wanted to be celebrated for his genius. He would have had all of that had he stayed with GM. Aren't you at least a little curious why he didn't and how he ended up on this path that almost immediately became about diverting destruction and death from himself and on to others?

 

[Jaysus]

Love rewatching the show, to see things I forgot.

Like Walt and Crazy 8 talking about Crazy 8's dad furniture store

and then the name of the furniture store being branded on Holly's crib in the next episode

 

[Jojo the circus boy]

Jesse is so skinny he slips into a pair of pants that have a belt on them that is already buckled.

 

[Peyton Marino]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

Looking it up, that was back in Season Two. What steps has Walt taken to "take revenge" on the Schwartzes in the meantime?

Everything he's done to build this empire was not so much 'revenge' but rather a means of redemption, making up for the missed opportunity he had with GM. Make no mistake, the GM conflict has been there this whole time. It's not mentioned a lot, but it's there and it's a huge force behind the entire series.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I disagree. I think that the "best" ending would not be one where he handles the Nazis, who are relatively new to the show, but rather an ending where everything comes full circle for his life and his life's work. NONE of this happens if he stays with Gray Matter. Walt says his motivation was to take care of his family but his true desire was to be in charge, in control, and have power. He wanted to be celebrated for his genius. He would have had all of that had he stayed with GM. Aren't you at least a little curious why he didn't and how he ended up on this path that almost immediately became about diverting destruction and death from himself and on to others?

I agree strongly with the bolded part. No problems there.

No, I'm not curious about why he didn't stay with Grey Matter. We know he had a personal falling out and he accepted a small buy-out rather than stay with the firm. That's all we need to know. The details have never been important and don't affect any of the bolded part. The main thing is that Walt knows he made a huge mistake, and it's not one that he's going to make again.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

Looking it up, that was back in Season Two. What steps has Walt taken to "take revenge" on the Schwartzes in the meantime?

Everything he's done to build this empire was not so much 'revenge' but rather a means of redemption, making up for the missed opportunity he had with GM. Make no mistake, the GM conflict has been there this whole time. It's not mentioned a lot, but it's there and it's a huge force behind the entire series.

I agree with all of this. That's why I think it's kind of odd to suddenly turn this into a revenge story-line.

 

[Michael Brown]

This show is now in Goodfellas/Godfather territory. You have to watch it when it's on, no matter how many times you've seen it.

Funny you mentioned this, whenever people ask me my opinion of BB vs The Wire, I say that Breaking Bad is more Goodfellas (just a bunch of insane, intense entertainment that is also extremely well made) and The Wire is more Godfather (which is less breakneck paced but maybe more artfully crafted in reality).

 

[comfortably numb]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

Looking it up, that was back in Season Two. What steps has Walt taken to "take revenge" on the Schwartzes in the meantime?

I have very little doubt that they'll do a good job wrapping up the series, and I'll go along with just about however things play out. It just seems unlikely to me that they would introduce a new storyline (Walt going on a vendetta against Grey Matter) in the very last episode based on a throwaway line from 3-4 years ago. The "I'm not going to walk away from my meth empire the same way I walked away from Grey Matter" angle just makes more sense to me.

He hasn't taken any steps in the meantime.

He also did not know that GM was on national TV disrespecting his work and contribution to millions of people, whereas Walt thinks he was the brains behind the GM success.

He obsessively checks their stock rates every day. He was too proud to take a MUCH needed handout when it was offered.

Instead he built his own empire and while that has crumbled along with everything else in his life, now on TV as death is upon him, he is being discredited for honest hard work he put into a company that is worth billions?

I would say he has nothing to lose at this point and could very well see him wanting to get revenge on GM.

Not sure we go that route but I do think them bashing him on TV could be enough of a revenge plot that has been simmering since day 1.

 

[Michael Brown]

So at the birthday party Walt and Elliott are pretty chummy right up to the point where Elliott offers to take care of him. So did Walt snap there and the bitterness came after the fact? Or was he faking it with Elliott? Because if that's the case then he's pretty convincing at faking it.

I might be mis-reading what you are asking, but I don't think he was faking anything with Elliott. Elliott offered him a job, and Walt was genuinely grateful and intrigued. But when he brought up "personal issues", Elliott immediately referenced the health care plan. Walt hadn't told him about being sick yet, so he realized the job offer was a pity offer which only served to make him feel even worse about his lot in life. Here he was, an obvious ### #### genius, being offered a pity job by a many he was very clearly BETTER than (all in his mind, at least). I think once he realized that Elliott didn't respect him, he just felt bad for him, is when he snapped.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

So at the birthday party Walt and Elliott are pretty chummy right up to the point where Elliott offers to take care of him. So did Walt snap there and the bitterness came after the fact? Or was he faking it with Elliott? Because if that's the case then he's pretty convincing at faking it.

I might be mis-reading what you are asking, but I don't think he was faking anything with Elliott. Elliott offered him a job, and Walt was genuinely grateful and intrigued. But when he brought up "personal issues", Elliott immediately referenced the health care plan. Walt hadn't told him about being sick yet, so he realized the job offer was a pity offer which only served to make him feel even worse about his lot in life. Here he was, an obvious ### #### genius, being offered a pity job by a many he was very clearly BETTER than (all in his mind, at least). I think once he realized that Elliott didn't respect him, he just felt bad for him, is when he snapped.

That's my reading too. Walt's pride was damaged when Elliott offered him (in essence) a handout.

 

[comfortably numb]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

Looking it up, that was back in Season Two. What steps has Walt taken to "take revenge" on the Schwartzes in the meantime?

Everything he's done to build this empire was not so much 'revenge' but rather a means of redemption, making up for the missed opportunity he had with GM. Make no mistake, the GM conflict has been there this whole time. It's not mentioned a lot, but it's there and it's a huge force behind the entire series.

I agree with all of this. That's why I think it's kind of odd to suddenly turn this into a revenge story-line.

Again, they were on national TV saying the ONLY thing he contributed to Grey Matter was the name.

That is a total slap in the face to Walter White, the man before Heinseberg.

It would be like Todd taking credit and telling entire meth world that the only thing Heinsenberg contributed to the purest meth on the planet was adding chili pepper to get a blue color.

Not sure how it goes, but I could see a F everyone, I have nothing to lose and I am taking everyone with me attitude.

 

[Bigboy10182000]

I disagree. I think that the "best" ending would not be one where he handles the Nazis, who are relatively new to the show, but rather an ending where everything comes full circle for his life and his life's work. NONE of this happens if he stays with Gray Matter. Walt says his motivation was to take care of his family but his true desire was to be in charge, in control, and have power. He wanted to be celebrated for his genius. He would have had all of that had he stayed with GM. Aren't you at least a little curious why he didn't and how he ended up on this path that almost immediately became about diverting destruction and death from himself and on to others?

I agree strongly with the bolded part. No problems there.

No, I'm not curious about why he didn't stay with Grey Matter. We know he had a personal falling out and he accepted a small buy-out rather than stay with the firm. That's all we need to know. The details have never been important and don't affect any of the bolded part. The main thing is that Walt knows he made a huge mistake, and it's not one that he's going to make again.

FWIW I took the GM departure (even though they didnt show it) much like his departure from the meth business. Walt is a cancer and can not be pleased...even with money. If he stays with GM he finds a way to make a rift and ends up leaving anyway IMO

 

[Psychopav]

New Theory:

The entire series is actually a Next Gen subplot, an alternate reality created by Q ostensibly to see how Picard and crew will react to being thrust into a runaway freight train of a life. Picard becomes Walt the first time that Walt shaves his head.

Picard's one chance at escape is if he had only befriended Q when they had drinks together at the end of Season 3, because what Q is really looking for is friendship and a worthy companion.

But of course it's too late. After going through the horror of watching Jane (Dianna Troi) die, Picard's psyche has snapped and it's all he can do to put one foot in front of the other. He knows that Jesse (Riker) is going to be crushed and misses his opportunity to pull away the veil with Q in the bar. It's all downhill from there, and this becomes the end of the crew in the continuum.

Naturally, Wesley Crusher is Flynn. Never knew quite how much he liked bacon. And once the charade is complete, Q wipes Walt's memory and thrusts him into a suburban life with a frustrated mom and 3 unruly kids, the middle one named...Malcolm.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

I disagree. I think that the "best" ending would not be one where he handles the Nazis, who are relatively new to the show, but rather an ending where everything comes full circle for his life and his life's work. NONE of this happens if he stays with Gray Matter. Walt says his motivation was to take care of his family but his true desire was to be in charge, in control, and have power. He wanted to be celebrated for his genius. He would have had all of that had he stayed with GM. Aren't you at least a little curious why he didn't and how he ended up on this path that almost immediately became about diverting destruction and death from himself and on to others?

I agree strongly with the bolded part. No problems there.

No, I'm not curious about why he didn't stay with Grey Matter. We know he had a personal falling out and he accepted a small buy-out rather than stay with the firm. That's all we need to know. The details have never been important and don't affect any of the bolded part. The main thing is that Walt knows he made a huge mistake, and it's not one that he's going to make again.

FWIW I took the GM departure (even though they didnt show it) much like his departure from the meth business. Walt is a cancer and can not be pleased...even with money. If he stays with GM he finds a way to make a rift and ends up leaving anyway IMO

His departure from the meth business was without incident until Hank found the book and Jesse ratted him out. Walt made $80M with Todd, trained him, and for all intents and purposes was out of the game as he was ready to die peacefully and leave all that cash to his family to use (and launder) forever. I mean, maybe Walt gets roped into cooking again by Lydia/Todd, but really, if Hank doesn't find that book, the series was over.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

The pivotal moment in last Sunday’s penultimate “Breaking Bad” episode came when Walt saw his two ex-colleagues on TV, denouncing his contributions to their company’s research. We saw our protagonist transform from willing surrender to the egomaniacal Heisenberg alter ego, bent on revenge.

That twist came thanks to one of the show’s biggest fans, 16-year-old Kevin Cordasco, who died this spring after a six-year battle with cancer. The “Breaking Bad” cast and the creator, Vince Gilligan, visited the boy toward the end of his battle with neuroblastoma and dedicated the first of the final eight episodes to him.

Gilligan offered to disclose how the show ends, but Cordasco refused, hoping to stick it out to the end. Sadly, he didn’t make it. But his contribution to the plot did, Gilligan explained in the “Breaking Bad Insider” podcast.

“Kevin, who was our wonderful, No. 1 fan … he told me that first day I spent with him, visiting him, he told me what he liked about the show and I said, ‘Is there something you feel is missing from the show? He said, ‘You know what, I want to know more about Gretchen and Elliott. I want to know more about Walt’s backstory with them. I want to know what happened.’”

Gilligan obliged and had his writers weave into that pivotal final scene during the “Granite State” episode, when Walt sits at a New Hampshire bar, ready to turn himself in, but sees his former business partners being interviewed by Charlie Rose (a bit of a stretch, but oh well). They tell Rose that Walt contributed next to nothing to their success, when in fact his research helped them make millions. Being slighted so infuriates Walt that he decides to head back to Albuquerque for a revenge involving an M60 and a vial of ricin. And that’s where they presumably will pick up in Sunday’s much-awaited final episode (9 p.m., AMC).

Too bad the kid didn't tell Gilligan to have Junior whacked...

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

Just finished Season 5...anywhere I can get Season 6 started?

That would be pretty difficult.

 

[Ghost Rider]

"What is wrong with you? Why are you blue?"

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

GB Walt walking 8 miles in the snow for some booze and hockey on tv

Cancer? Pfft.

 

[jamny]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

Looking it up, that was back in Season Two. What steps has Walt taken to "take revenge" on the Schwartzes in the meantime?

Everything he's done to build this empire was not so much 'revenge' but rather a means of redemption, making up for the missed opportunity he had with GM. Make no mistake, the GM conflict has been there this whole time. It's not mentioned a lot, but it's there and it's a huge force behind the entire series.

I agree with all of this. That's why I think it's kind of odd to suddenly turn this into a revenge story-line.

Again, they were on national TV saying the ONLY thing he contributed to Grey Matter was the name.

That is a total slap in the face to Walter White, the man before Heinseberg.

It would be like Todd taking credit and telling entire meth world that the only thing Heinsenberg contributed to the purest meth on the planet was adding chili pepper to get a blue color.

Not sure how it goes, but I could see a F everyone, I have nothing to lose and I am taking everyone with me attitude.

It's not chili powder that makes it blue. That was Jesse's invention that Walt did away with.

Tuco: “Blue, yellow, pink, whatever man! Just keep bringing me that!”

 

[Bigboy10182000]

FWIW I took the GM departure (even though they didnt show it) much like his departure from the meth business. Walt is a cancer and can not be pleased...even with money. If he stays with GM he finds a way to make a rift and ends up leaving anyway IMO

His departure from the meth business was without incident until Hank found the book and Jesse ratted him out. Walt made $80M with Todd, trained him, and for all intents and purposes was out of the game as he was ready to die peacefully and leave all that cash to his family to use (and launder) forever. I mean, maybe Walt gets roped into cooking again by Lydia/Todd, but really, if Hank doesn't find that book, the series was over.

I wouldnt say it was without incident. He burnt every bridge he could for the most part which is pretty much how I took his departure from GM. I'm sure when he left there it was without incident as well but more then likely burnt a lot of bridges to where he's essentially forced out...like a resigned coach that was basically fired but allowed to leave on his own terms. JMO, anyway.

 

[Slapdash]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

Looking it up, that was back in Season Two. What steps has Walt taken to "take revenge" on the Schwartzes in the meantime?

Everything he's done to build this empire was not so much 'revenge' but rather a means of redemption, making up for the missed opportunity he had with GM. Make no mistake, the GM conflict has been there this whole time. It's not mentioned a lot, but it's there and it's a huge force behind the entire series.

I agree with all of this. That's why I think it's kind of odd to suddenly turn this into a revenge story-line.

I agree that it is not likely, but it think you are downplaying a bit how his feelings may have changed to revenge after that interview.

It would be pretty awesome if they did wrap it up though.

 

[Apple Jack]

I think Walt's bitterness implies that he did have something to do with the firm's success. He might have lost his mind, but I don't recall him ever taking credit for something that he didn't have a significant hand in creating or ever demonstrating anything close to that kind of behavior.

The whole Grey Matter thing was explained several seasons ago. Walt doesn't claim that he had a lot to do with the company. He just knows that he made a huge, life-altering mistake by accepting a buy-out. He gives a little speech in one episode about how he sold his son's birthright for a few months of house payments or something like that. There is not a single time that I know of anywhere in the entire series where Walt claims credit for Grey Matter's success. For him, this was just gigantic ####-up and serves as a motivation for why he wants to build a meth empire to replace the legitimate empire that he foolishly sold away.

""It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it."

Looking it up, that was back in Season Two. What steps has Walt taken to "take revenge" on the Schwartzes in the meantime?

I have very little doubt that they'll do a good job wrapping up the series, and I'll go along with just about however things play out. It just seems unlikely to me that they would introduce a new storyline (Walt going on a vendetta against Grey Matter) in the very last episode based on a throwaway line from 3-4 years ago. The "I'm not going to walk away from my meth empire the same way I walked away from Grey Matter" angle just makes more sense to me.

I disagree. I think that the "best" ending would not be one where he handles the Nazis, who are relatively new to the show, but rather an ending where everything comes full circle for his life and his life's work. NONE of this happens if he stays with Gray Matter. Walt says his motivation was to take care of his family but his true desire was to be in charge, in control, and have power. He wanted to be celebrated for his genius. He would have had all of that had he stayed with GM. Aren't you at least a little curious why he didn't and how he ended up on this path that almost immediately became about diverting destruction and death from himself and on to others?

Cosign.

 

[Witz]

Surprised nothing in particular was said about this:

Spoiler

Andrea's death. Was shocking to say the least - figured something bad was going to happen - just wasn't expecting it.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

The pivotal moment in last Sunday’s penultimate “Breaking Bad” episode came when Walt saw his two ex-colleagues on TV, denouncing his contributions to their company’s research. We saw our protagonist transform from willing surrender to the egomaniacal Heisenberg alter ego, bent on revenge.

That twist came thanks to one of the show’s biggest fans, 16-year-old Kevin Cordasco, who died this spring after a six-year battle with cancer. The “Breaking Bad” cast and the creator, Vince Gilligan, visited the boy toward the end of his battle with neuroblastoma and dedicated the first of the final eight episodes to him.

in the podcast, they seemed to hint that the Gray Matter stuff wouldn't really play a big role in the finale. Vince mentioned that they added it into this past episode because of what Kevin said so it doesn't seem like it will be a big plot point.

It seemed to me that Walt hearing them talk about him on tv was the impetus to get him off his ### and do something. Before that, he was just going to sit in the bar and let the cops catch him. Maybe it gave him an idea as well, but I agree with many in here that I don't think he'll be out to get them all of a sudden.

 

[In The Zone]

After re-watching some of these episodes during the marathon I think that I might enjoy it more watching the entire series from start to finish the second time.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Seems like these cancer-addled former methamphetamine producers are up to something.

 

[bostonfred]

I haven't posted in this thread and didn't go back and re-read it, so my apologies if I start talking about things that have been covered to death already, but there's a lot of cool stuff going on in this show.

1) All of the main characters changed names. Walt obviously has the Heisenberg persona. Jesse was Captain Cook. Walter Jr. was Flynn. Marie changed names when she went to the open houses and pretended to be different people. Skyler changed her name after Walt left, going back to her maiden name. Even Hank changed his name - in the desert, lying on the ground, he defiantly corrected them and said my name is ATAG Schroeder. People start out as one person, but find power in becoming someone else.

Each character had totally different motivations for it, too. Hank became the super agent, the guy who he had defined himself as. Walter Jr. wanted to carve out his own name. He didn't want to be his father's son. He wanted to be his own man, and that name gave him a certain coolness that Walter Jr. didn't. Marie wanted to be something more than she was - she didn't want to be the boring x ray tech wife of a cop. She invented these crazy personas with incredible accomplishments and told everyone about them at the open houses. Skyler wanted the opposite - she changed her name to hide from who she actually was, because she was ashamed of her involvement, and of her husband, and of everything she had become since she got married. Changing to her maiden name showed just how much she wished she could go back to that earlier time.

Walt named himself after a rare scientist whose name you actually know. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle - that something can be in two states at once - applies in a huge way to Walt, who was simultaneously the victimized protagonist and the budding evil mastermind throughout the show. When he put on the hat, and became Heisenberg, the strong side. He made his drug connection say his name. He told Hank that Heisenberg was too smart to have been caught. Heisenberg was his greatest invention, the empire he had built after Gray Matter - also named after an uncertainty, neither black nor white. Walter White was his weak side. He didn't want cancer treatment, because as he said during his intervention, he felt like he never had control of any of the decisions in his life. He took off his clothes during his first cook, because Walt, the guy in the pale green button down shirt, couldn't cook meth. It had to be Heisenberg. And in the end, it was his initials - W.W. for Walter White - that let Hank find him. Gail loved Walter White because he saw a kindred spirit - a weak man but a brilliant chemist. Heisenberg hated that weakness - he stepped on Gail like an ant, kicking him out of the lab for Jesse, and then later having Jesse kill him - just like he eventually stomped out any remnants of Walter White from his own persona. It wasn't until he moved to New Hampsire and became Mr. Lambert that Heisenberg's power was weakened - even stomping around the safe house, plotting to kill the Nazis and asking Saul for connections. But with Heisenberg's black hat - the cliched costume of the bad guy in storytelling - he left his life as Mr. Lambert and left New Hampshire for whatever out series finale will show.

But while Heisenberg is the most obvious example of the power of names in this show, Jesse Pinkman might have been the most interesting case. He started out as Captain Cook. He even made it his license plate. But he only did that because he wanted to be someone who people loved. Guys like Badger and Skinny Pete loved him for his meth, so that's who he became. But with his little brother, he wanted to be the big brother who still had a few things to teach him. With Walt, he wanted to be his partner, not a loser student meth head. With Mike and Gus, he wanted to be the guy who Gus said he saw something in. With his parents, he wanted to be their son - and when that didn't work, he used anonymity, having Saul Goodman buy his aunt's house back on behalf of a client who had no name at all. He went to alcoholics anonymous - again with the anonymity - and pretended to be in recovery, when he actually went there to find customers to sell drugs to. The only person Jesse ever truly let himself be free with was Jane, and even then, he started out hiding who he was, and only slowly let down his barriers with her. And he started to show her all the different names he'd hidden behind - the comic book characters in his sketch book. And the event that changed this from a hookup with a neighbor to the one true love of his life is when she did the same, leaving a sketch under his door with a picture of herself entitled Apology Girl.

Just one of the many themese I find fascinating in this show.

 

[TheIronSheik]

I just have a feeling Gretchen and Grey Matter is a big part of the ending. Could be way off here, I don't know. It was already revealed in 5a that a big reason (the biggest IMO) for Walt's continued cooking after his cancer remits is because of his fallout at GM.

The whole reason that the series didn't end with this past episode is that they refused to give him any credit for Gray Matter. Then we know that he goes to get the ricin in the finale so it's not a stretch to think he's going to kill Elliott and Gretchen.

I'm sure this has been covered before, but what's he going to do? Stroll up to the front lobby and ask for Elliott?

I'm not so sure he kills them... I feel like it will be something more poetic than that if he actually seeks revenge on the Schwartzes.

Revenge for what? Walt voluntarily accepted a buy-out from Grey Matter. When the Schwartzes said that he didn't have much to do with the firm's success, they were telling the truth, and Walt is bitterly aware of it. He has absolutely nothing to take revenge for when it comes to these two.

The GF and I were talking about this the other day and we couldn't remember how him leaving went down. Why did he leave? It's been so long since I've watched that season.