The Fatal Flaw of Breaking Bad’s Finale

[@pinto9779]

Walt wrote the pink letter before dying

[@armorpiercing3277]

About time, someone finally had a good ASOIAF theory.

[@a.p.2019]

Come see.

[@tk423b]

It is known.

[@a.p.2019]

@tk423b it is known.

[@_Trippycat]

That interview with Elliot and Gretchen in Granite State is like the pink letter equivalent lol

[@WheatthinCraft]

0/10 video, not enough JonCon

[@IntermissionForBunny]

GoT movie is Robert's Rebellion and Bryan Cranston cameos as JonCon

[@bujoodoo1]

I just turned the video on, I believe in you Quinn, JonCon will get a shout-out

[@armorpiercing3277]

Bro is spitting facts! No JonCon mention, no Stannis mention, 0/10, Instant dislike!

[@a.p.2019]

One true king(pin)!!!

[@dunbass7149]

He mentioned gus fring that’s like a half point

[@paulchristensen7]

I can’t agree. Walt’s death isn’t his comeuppance. It’s the total destruction of his relationship with his family, especially with Walt Jr, and the guilt of knowing that he caused Hank’s death. He gains a modicum of redemption in Felina, but not enough - which is fitting.

[@mkwsoxfan]

This, plus his family is officially (physically/mentally/emotionally/financially) worse off than they were when he started breaking bad. Really puts into perspective how his addiction to greed/power cost him everything

[@fairshareofdrownedsouls]

The utter destruction of his family was definitely comeuppance enough. A destroyed relationship with your wife is bad enough, but severed from his children too? Brutal. And the loss of his life, of course, knowing he is really about to be gone. He lost everything. It is very telling that Quinn the GM couldn't think of a better ending despite his criticisms. That should say it all, really. Nonetheless, I appreciate hearing anyone's opinions on Breaking Bad, possibly the best series of the Century thus far, and if not, top 3.

[@Snakie747]

If the comeuppance is the destruction of his relationship with his family (and I agree that it was) then the show should have ended with Ozymandias. Giving him a badass finale just muddies the waters.

[@mkwsoxfan]

@@Snakie747 the writers teased the machine gun purchase to open the season, so they felt it needed to be payed off. Sure it was badass but it wasn't really a good ending for him, he basically won a bunch of battles for a cause that had poisoned his whole life

[@TheRealCreepyKid]

This, exactly. I don't know how so many youtubers miss this obvious point.

[@CornG4397]

I feel like your criticism is isolating the final episode too much and not taking into account how ozymandias and granite state were affecting walters' view of himself

[@nickgates4259]

I saw this final episode not as Heisenberg completing his legacy but as Walt’s one last little bit of redemption. He can never undo what he’s done but he can at least stop lying to his wife, save Jesse, get justice for Hank, and ensure his kids do at least get the money like he initially intended. Its still not a happy ending for him, everyone he ever cared about despises him, but he did use his last day to try an undo some of the damage

[@mocha5742]

Well said. I think this finale was amazing, a great end to a great season of a perfect show.

[@justacrittic1578]

To me that falls flat, the one thing Walter always want to do is to boost his ego, sorta getting his last word in, which is exactly what he does in this episode. He gives his family the money, saves Jessie, and gets revenge. If he truly wanted to make things right he'd swallow his pride, and turn himself in, that's all that his family is wishing of him. Personally my prefered ending would have been to end the show at the second to last episode, Granite State.

[@Wrc1919]

@@justacrittic1578But he has to save Jesse first. In his mind, his greed and corruption caused Jesse to be captured his life’s work stolen. I know Walt dies rather neatly but I don’t think it’s explicitly shown that it was suicidal. Is it possible Walt accepts a life in prison if doesn’t get shot?

[@errwhattheflip]

@@justacrittic1578 That is completely wrong, and I'd even say that to claim it's just to boost his ego is borderline objectively wrong. Walter did it because he realized that there's still things left unfinished and that the Walter White he's playing as simply never existed and can never be reimagined by him, so he might as well go out as his true, authentic self. Walter wasn't doing all these things to boost his ego, but simply because they were the things he left unfinished, out of love for his family and for himself. He did all that he didn't finish before, and then died happily. Walt turning himself in was exactly what he was going to do, but simply wouldn't have worked. It would have simply been him going back to being Walter White which is simply NOT what Breaking Bad is about. Breaking Bad is about becoming your true authentic self without relying solely on how others view you. This is exactly what Walter has been doing throughout the show and he was doing this yet again in Granite State despite there being nobody there to view him differently, and ironically it's through seeing what his bitter "enemies" think of him that he manages to actually strive towards reaching his true self

[@justacrittic1578]

​@@errwhattheflip Heisenberg is literally an ego, built from his pride, that he chooses in the last episode. The show isn't about becoming your true authentic self, but rather about the inner battle of who you want to be. The difference is that the choice isn't always right. Inaction, in walts case, is often shown to have better consequences, but Walt is a man who's guided by his pride. Walt is good at it, he likes it, but is it someone he should be? Probably not, it hurts the people around him, and ruin lives, both actively and passively. And by going back, if we put the results of the final episode aside, he diregards those people again for himself. On the matter of love for his family at the end, I don't buy it. I'll hold myself from calling your reading of it objectively wrong, but I find it a bit naive. I don't think he loves his family as much as he claims, which isn't really a deep interpretation, and in the scene with Skyler in Felina he states it's mostly for himself. I do think he cares about his family, but it's mostly about himself. What he views as unfinished business, his family just wants to move on from. To me, while he does love them, he views them as something he needs to fix, as that is the ego he wants to play into.

[@crw1367]

Skylar white gold of hair... flynn black of hair... walt lack of hair....

[@chyawanprash]

@@crw1367 lack of air

[@ryanorielly5617]

This killed me😂

[@sheagaming]

Vince Gilligan has stated that walt is only a good person through inaction, every time he takes action in the pilot, he’s usually angry or hurts someone

[@_Trippycat]

Hard disagree on this one. You mention that Walt doesn't get the comeuppance he deserves, yet he lost the one thing he cared about more than anything: his family. He was willing to give all of his money, his empire, everything he'd worked for away just to let Hank live, but it isn't enough. Hank is dead. Skyler, Walter Jr. and Marie despise him. Jesse despises him. This is not the perfect ending for Walt that you're describing, he's destroyed the whole reason he started cooking meth in the first place. Walt's comeuppance isn't his death, it's the loss of his family. Granted, this happens in Ozymandias, not Felina, but the point still stands. Everything surrounding Walt has been burned to the ground by the end, doesn't sound like any "perfect" ending I've ever seen. I do agree that Walt's plans (particularly with Jack's gang) do work out a little too easily, but from a thematic standpoint I think the episode is fantastic, and a perfect sendoff to Walt's character. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course, just my two cents.

[@havewissmart9602]

He cares more about himself that his family tho..."I did it for me" and him refusing Gretchen and Elliot's offer proves this. Did we watch the same show???

[@_Trippycat]

He was willing to give away the 80 million dollars, his legacy, everything he had worked for since the start of the show, away to Jack's gang just so they would spare Hank. Yes, we watched the same show.

[@amysteriousviewer3772]

I feel like Ozymandias is the true climax of the series (it's arguably one of the best episodes of TV ever) and Granite State and Felina are more of an epilogue.

[@Luckdraw88]

​@@amysteriousviewer3772 because they are. Climaxes are not endings.

[@amysteriousviewer3772]

@@Luckdraw88 Point being that the "ending" of Breaking Bad is not just Felina, it's the entire latter half of Season 5 and Walt most definitely faces consequences for his actions.

[@azekeprofit]

"This sucks!" -- coolest thing ever

[@queerapocalypse7155]

This is an interesting perspective but I don't agree, as it seems to be hinged on the idea that *everything* turned out as Walt planned, but that's simply not true. There is one part of his plan that he didn't end up doing: killing Jesse. And it's very important thematically, imo, that this is the only thing that turned out differently than he envisioned. A thing that a lot of people seem to overlook when it comes to Breaking Bad is that the relationship between Walt and Jesse is the cornerstone of the whole show. Analyzing the show thematically without mentioning Walt's relationship with Jesse doesn't work, imo. The thing with Walt is that he *cannot* let Jesse go. He wants Jesse to be dependent on him, he isolates him (like when he made him break up with Andrea) and is VERY desperate to keep him by his side. So in the finale, when he finds out that Blue Sky is still being manufactured and he decides to kill him, it's not just because they're using his formula (though ofc that's also a part of it), it's also because he thinks Jesse PARTNERED UP with Jack and his gang. He can't stand the idea that Jesse could be someone elses partner but his (he yells at Jack: "You parnered up with him! You're his *partner* now!) BUT THEN Walt sees Jesse: chained and kept and enslaved. An exaggerated image of what he's been doing to him before. And that's when he has a change of heart and understands: he has to let Jesse go. *Actually* let him go. And just as with Skyler, he's finally honest with him too, when he asks him to shoot him because "I want it". Their codependent relationship was the heart of the show. It started with blackmail, so I think it's neat that it ended with letting go. It's a very emotionally resonant ending for me.

[@ambience273]

I see people say he made Jesse break up with Andrea but it is not the way I think. I even watched the scene now but he is talking from experience with Skyler. How lying to her created a distance between the two and is not a good idea to do the same with Andrea. And Jesse deserved to do it even if it risked Walt's safety. Like, Andrea deserves the truth too, no? Maybe because later he cared more about the money than Jesse's personal life you think that. And while the advice lead to the breakup, it was about Andrea being fully onboard with being a criminal's wife.

[@justacrittic1578]

I see what you mean, but, by all accounts, Jessie being a prisoner and therefore allowing Walt to save him, is like more of a "better than expected" scenario, rather than a things not going as planned type of deal. Sorta like failing upwards.

[@JB-jt6oq]

​@@justacrittic1578Is it really? Both had to deal with the hatred they had for each other, leave it behind and part ways, this was definitely not an easy thing. Not so "good" as to be considered a positive thing. The whole situation is simply messed up, because Walter is a dead man and Jesse is a dead man walking (completely meaningless life from that moment on)

[@justacrittic1578]

@@JB-jt6oq I see what you mean, but this is a relatively better situation. Sorta like "lose a leg or your life" situation. On the other hand, one could claim it lead to a more interesting series of events.

[@HNfilms]

Thankfully Better Call Saul confirmed that Huell went back to his home town of Coushatta. Thank god!

[@jossecoupe446]

I worry you might be analysing the final episode in a bit of a vacuum, Walt dying isnt the ultimate repercussion of cosmological justice for his actions, that would be the permanent traumatisation and destruction of his family and the fact that perhaps his greatest fear has come true in that his son will always remember him as a truly terrible person and father (a fear he expresses throughout the show). Sure his family will get the money but none of his loved ones will know that it came from him and therefore they shall equally never know that his actions ever amounted to anything (a double wammy to his oh so toxic pride).

[@ns7495]

Hmm i always thoght walts biggest fear, was to be forever defined by his mistake to sell gray matter (what made him such misarable failiure unworthy of respect or self respect in first few episode) and his crime career remindead him of what he used to be, leading to his motive to save Jesse in finale as he was similarly defined as failiure by single mistake (selling that grandfather Clock for weed), so he could change his life thus proving that neither of them had to be defined by single mistake.

[@toxictony1423]

The idea that things went perfectly for walt is absurd. Yes his grand plan for taking down jacks gang works, but so what? Hed already lost everything he ever cared about. He died as well. What about this ending to his life is walt satisfied with? His legacy being that of a selfish, lying, greedy, murderous degenerate? His entire family wanting him dead? I see felina as the last hurrah of an intelligent man. There's nothing for him to be proud of himself for, and i think that's reflected well in his dead stare into the ceiling as he lays there dying.

[@ellie6091]

Walter did what he did because he was good at it and to take care of his family. By successfully saving Jessie and helping Skyler he did both. He died knowing he was the man who could take care of his family, just like he always wanted.

[@MistyWarden]

@@ellie6091it also circles back to Gus telling him that a man provides even when he is unappreciated and unwanted and unloved. At that point in his life, Walt had nothing else except trying one last time to provide and even then he had to threaten and intimidate and kill to do it.

[@toxictony1423]

@ he completely destroyed both of their lives. He didn't take care of them at all. Small gestures at the end doesn't absolve him

[@Al-ji4gd]

@@ellie6091 Ridiculous. He takes care of his family by destroying his family? What great logic.

[@ellie6091]

@@Al-ji4gd have you seen the show?

[@MC-CFC]

Couldn’t disagree more. His plan to kill Jacks gang and free Jessie works. Outside of that he loses everything he worked for, including to die alone and hated by his family with the weight of all his mistakes and guilt as he stares emptily up to the ceiling.

[@ns7495]

Nah think he died whit slight hope left; as from the start of the searies hes a misserable mistake unworthy of respect or self respect, due to his defining mistake to sell gray matter, even tho being on top of the drug world remindead him of his skill and to respect himself and Jesse based on his story of selling that granfather Clock for weed was the same, sold his place in the world in a moment of mistake that defined him as failiure from than on. Saving Jesse had nothing to do whit writing mistakes or anything moral like that, it was selfish, since walt was dead his life would be forever defined by his mistake, but Jesse has hope to change and that means walt could have done it too, so to walt Jesse had to survive.

[@Al-ji4gd]

He already lost all of that well before the finale, though, so that doesn't mean much for the finale.

[@amcc666]

Disagree man, but I appreciate you expressing your views. Walt’s “death” is his suffering in exile in New Hampshire away from his family, and the death+destruction he visits on his family. He redeems himself and is reborn through his death, admission of self serving guilt to Skyler, and the acts of justice he bestows on the jack’s gang.

[@thepunisher6674]

To be fair Walt did finally have to let go of his pride and let others take the credit for his work it’s not as bad as what happens to him in the previous episodes but it’s something

[@justacrittic1578]

He still gets to say, to himself, that this was through his manipulation. It still preserves his ego, allowing him the final word over all the victims.

[@toneriggz]

Karma is him losing his family, what brought him into the game to begin with. And despite him earning so much money, he lost most of it and had to figure out a clever way to get the remaining bit to his family, who wanted nothing from him.

[@Tristyn_Waterman]

I don't think you're quite right here. He didn't get into this for his family. He did it for himself. He could have accepted Elliott's offer way back at the start, but chose not to. It's always been about his pride. Karma is indeed losing hos family, but I think this finale is his "reward" for putting aside that pride and finally admitting the real reason he did all this. Only when he stops lying to himself can he truly do something for his family

[@toneriggz]

@ Pride and stubbornness kept him from taking the money from his ex partner. But his initial reason for selling meth was that he desperately needed money. He kept going even after reaching his initial financial goal because he was doing it for himself at that point but that wasn’t the initial reason for why he started selling meth.

[@troger147]

In the early episodes,Walt was only "good" through inaction. Once he got brave enough the monster started showing.

[@fairshareofdrownedsouls]

Bravery, maturity, and self-control can shine through inaction. Depending on context.

[@kangarooMonkee]

I think the reason Walt is allowed to be a badass is because his goals aren’t entirely selfish and not out of ego. The closest thing you could get to that is seeking vengeance on the edgy cosplayers, which he initially does because “grr” but switches gears and saves Jessie, which is altruistic, and because he initially set things up for revenge it goes poorly and kills him, although you’re right that death for him isn’t the worst thing in the world. Overall, it shows less who Walter is, and more a glimpse of what Walter *could* have been if he wasn’t such a snivelling weasel. Good video, it gave me something to think about.

[@RollMeAFat1]

“Good episode, bad conclusion” almost perfectly sums up my thoughts on the last two episodes of HOTD season 2

[@justacrittic1578]

Aye, it's very clear that it's missing a final episode. I don't know if they ran out of money or time or what, but it's very clearly a behind the scenes issue.

[@GreyWasteTim]

Where is Huell? Is he safe? Is he alright? It seems, in your anger, you killed him.

[@SnarkKnight1]

okay but can we agree that a cabin in NH with a DVD collection is the best possible retirement.

[@TapestryMild]

Mr. Magoriums wonder emporium -- two copies.

[@SnarkKnight1]

@@TapestryMild Look it takes time to develop a dvd collection. Probably a long ass walk to the nearest FYE.

[@TheNotoriousLARGE]

Walt had already lost everything after ruining the lives of everyone around him. The closest he got to redemption is giving his family his money and a way back to a normal life, freeing Jesse from slavery, and wiping out Jack's gang, the last distributers of Sky Blue. After five seasons of making everything worse, he let go of his ego and died doing as much good as he possibly could

[@amysteriousviewer3772]

and it still wasn't enough to make things right which is the point I think

[@TheNotoriousLARGE]

@amysteriousviewer3772 Of course it wasn't, he did too much to be redeemed. But he was satisfied with himself that he could tie his loose ends before going out

[@rupert7772]

I really like that the last time we see Walt on screen is not his finale in breaking bad but instead his appearance in Better Call Saul flashback, the one where Saul asks him about the time machine. It best describes what really drove that man - yes, Walt is brilliant and resourceful, but the biggest thing about him is that he is a petulent, ego-driven manchild, it is the cause of his downfall and the reason why he left so many people dead in his wake. So I really like that when we last see him on screen he is just incredibly pathetic and annoying to the point of absurdity

[@QuinnTheGM]

I absolutely adore his final appearance in BCS, especially in how it echoes Chuck’s final flashback. Just a prick to the bitter end.

[@ZomgyLand]

I think there's a point to be made that he succeeds as much as he does in this episode because his motivations changed, but then the scene with Gretschen and Elliot makes it clear it's still very much about his ego. Even accepting his own death is something that's been present since episode 1 as you correctly point out. There should have been something fundamentaly different about Walt this episode, and yeah he's pretty much the same guy he's always been. The point of revealing this monster slowly implies Walt is at his most monstrous in the finale, which I think is a fitting description. He feels like a horror movie monster at points (again, the Gretschen and Elliot scene comes to mind), so why does the monster win heroically? "I did it for me" can function either as a turning point, or the point of no return, but not as both, which is weirdly what Vince is going for. By "turning point" I mean explicitly contrasting his past attitude with his future motivation. If his assaupt on the Nazis was purely a self sacrifice for Jesse, framed as a fatherly act even, then his success would be a better reward. I know it makes Walt a bigger Mary Sue, but that would at least make this episode more coherent.

[@Lost-Carcosa]

Two points. One, I think there was an interview with Vince Gilligan where, safely after BCS had wrapped up and popular consensus for those who watched both shows had turned into Walt not being a "badass anti-hero" and instead a kind of pathetic delusional man who fucked over everyone he came into contact with, that he said he never understood how people could treat Walt as a hero. One the one hand, there's a point there. Even before the first season is over, Walt refuses his former business partner's payment of his treatment out of nothing but pride. He's already someone who prefers to do evil shit because it gets his jollies off over the right thing for his family, really early on in the show. But on the other, all the marketing during Breaking Bad was about this "Mr Chips to Scarface" and a lot of the discussion was about how badass walt was. So yeah, it's muddled, and Vince definitely waited quite some time and until it was uncontroversial to say that Walt was always evil. Secondly, as to the main thrust of the video, I broadly agree with you, with the caveats of what others have said about how Walt did at least have to give away that money knowing he'd never get credit for it. But the problem there is Walt comes to this acceptance basically off-screen. He's both driven by, like you said, selfish vengeance and his willingness to let go of it. I think you could fix a lot of the finale by either not showing the scene where he hands over the money until perhaps the absolute end of the episode, perhaps in a flashback, or make him far more obviously torn up over whether or not he could stand to let his family be supported without them knowing he did it. Perhaps him writing a note to Flynn explaining what was actually going on, realising how much he's destroyed his relationship with his family, and burning it instead, far more begrudgingly choosing supporting his family over his pride.

[@caseyhart4999]

I will agree that Walt has never been a hero and I think most people understand that believe it or not. However Walt most definitely is a badass no doubt and that is where the appeal of his character comes from and why so many people love him.

[@torinfarrow662]

Have to disagree. Walt’s punishment wasn’t simply his death, it his is legacy. He told the story to Junior about how all he remembers of his father is the horrible sound of his breathing, and his only wish in life is how when he is, gone he wants to be remembered by his kids and family fondly. But he doesn’t get that. His punishment is having to be forever remembered by his family and friends as a monster. His last day isn’t simply about getting all that he wants it’s just about trying to do the right thing one last time even though he knows it will barely make a difference.

[@DistortedHaze]

Everyone knows that Breaking Bad would have been 100% better without Carmela in it: she was so annoying.

[@dandavis8300]

Carmela Soprano? Yeah, Breaking Bad was well rid of her. But she and Skyler discussing their husbands could be a great comedy skit.

[@nicholasvalverde1122]

I agree, I had always felt like this, and actually thought that a final scene where it's shown the money never reached them, or making it so Walt actually beats cancer by a miracle, but sees that he ruined his and his family's life already, and dies anyway without being able to be with them, would be a better conclusion.

[@miairis6138]

Alright, I'll let you cook. But it better be gourmet! Edit: You cooked, but I still disagree, respectfully. I think it works in a sharp, ironic way, in that yes, everything goes perfectly for him in the end... and yet, what does it amount to? He's loathed by his family, maligned by polite society, an icon to the kind of people who disgust him, and the best he could manage, even when everything went just right, was a few dead Nazis and the financial security of his family. You could argue the latter implies a Pyrrhic victory, at least, until you realize that it writes the Schwartz family as their saviours, the selfsame scenario that lead him to refuse their offers of aid in season one. His trail of suffering ended with him alone, bleeding out amidst lone and level sands while his family cursed his name and his business partners, threatened or no, positioned themselves to become the salvific influence that his pride demanded he fulfill. His 'best case scenario' was still a crushing loss, when taken in full.

[@adamantiiispencespence4012]

Walt blackmailed them into giving them a share of the company as a money laundering front. They grant it with acknowledgement that they got rich off of his ideas.

[@blondefisk]

Needs a sequel exploring The Sins of the Father as we see Walt Jr, Kaylee, and especially focused on Holly, reckon with the actions of Walt n Mike

[@TapestryMild]

I thought Felina was a perfect ending to one of the greatest series of all time. He lost the only thing that was ever really important to him in Ozymandias being his family and he was never able to repair that. Taking out all of his enemies was just an awesome way for the character to go out and like you said he would have died anyway.

[@Daveblunts1fan]

Breaking bad is currently better than asoiaf because it actually has an ending.

[@QuinnTheGM]

You've got me there

[@vigilantvigilante2582]

lmao at the Mrs. Landry comment at 3:40. Also I personally feel the series as a whole has writing flaws throughout that's worth discussing as well, and I think you should do it! It's so rare to find videos covering a BB flaw, much less one video covering all the ones throughout the series. You've already given yourself a title as a Breaking Bad hater, Quinn my boy. And that's likely going to be skewed even more, you should go even further with it!

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

You can be critical of something without being a hater. BB is one of my favourite series ever, and I agree with this take 100%.

[@noamias4897]

I think things materialistically working out perfectly for Walt makes sense given how much time he had to plan things out. Yet it emotionally goes far from ideally for him, which to me makes sense for his character and the show

[@kilroyvisuals2576]

i havent start the video, this better be a prank

[@HOTD108_]

The only prank here is you.

[@mkwsoxfan]

Everything turns out perfectly?!? His family is in a worse financial state, his extended family and relationships are severed, he can't get any money to his family (maybe Gretchen/Elliots money eventually gets to walter jr who knows). His cancer is back and killing him, and his family will never forgive him. Everything he wanted is ruined. Now sure you can say, he dodged the police, read jack/Lydia/todd perfectly and "won" those small battles, but winning small battles when he lost the war with significant irredeemable fallout is the punishment for his actions.

[@mkwsoxfan]

This is a bittersweet finale, he was about to turn himself in and likely save his family from the legal repercussions of his actions. Instead he chooses the money hungry, greed filled revenge tour to save his meth empire, and best those who crossed Heisenberg. It's bittersweet because if he choose the alternative his family would have benefitted but instead he chooses a blaze of glory to feed his desire for power

[@stephenchambers5659]

11:48 bro that's obviously bc telling us would spoil the next show - better fuel huell

[@RandyDanger]

Skinny Pete wrote the pink letter.

[@nicduda5955]

100% said pretty much the same thing after watching the finale to my girlfriend and her mom at the time. I had seen an interview on a late night show with RJ Mitte (Walt jr) during the final season where he claimed something along the lines of “it’s called ‘breaking bad’, there’s not going to be a happy ending” and then being disappointed that pretty much every character (including Walt) got just about the happiest ending they could hope for given the circumstances. Still one of the best shows ever and the ending is still a fine wrap-up, but I’ve always said it left me a bit disappointed

[@amysteriousviewer3772]

How is it a happy ending for a man to be completely hated by his family due to what he has done?

[@nicduda5955]

@ I’m not saying it’s perfect, but he dies with a smile on his face believing himself to be the good guy because he provided for his kids, put Skyler at ease, revealed the location of Hank’s body, and freeing Jessie. It’s like Quinn says, he literally gets everything he wants

[@MistyWarden]

@@nicduda5955he does…but *we* all know he didn’t actually fix anything. Money from Gretchen and Eliot can’t fix their father being a monster, Jesse is still traumatized, and everyone who died is still dead. Walt is still doing it for his own ego to say he provided

[@pyroAdapt]

I dont think I've ever heard a single person Argue that walt was doing it for his family the entire time. Everyone understands that he was finally having a moment of self awareness in that final scene with Skyler.

[@nedalsoned9940]

it's funny that you like saul gone because i love felina & don't really care for saul's ending, precisely because the neat moral & commeupance feels a little fanciful & trite to me. walter becomes more evil throughout the show, but he also self-actualises, and i really love how sort of messy the morals of the finale feel. walter is never absolved & he wins completely. it's disheartening but i think if you buy into "mr chips to scarface" hook it really works. walter "wins" in a sports-movie fashion but you as a viewer aren't happy with that fact, even as you're whooping & hollering. it kind of reminds me of whiplash: another story where people tend to defend the ending by reading it as a defeat for nieman or fletcher, when what's really effective about it is that you experience this thrilling revelatory closeness to the characters even as they go down a rotten path.

[@paulchristensen7]

Agreed. Saul Gone isn’t terrible necessarily, but Jimmy taking accountability for his actions felt like whiplash. The entire series he had been shown to dodge responsibility and deny his role. Kim facing possible prosecution and lawsuits didn’t seem a strong enough impetus.

[@Al-ji4gd]

Yeah, most of us aren't satisfied with that complete moral absence.

[@socksome]

I disagree. The reason Walter does get to die there is because he does redeem himself. He admits his fault, he ensures his family is taken care of, and he rescues Jesse. This is his reward, to die, in his own mind at least, a hero. The only point with some credit is that everything goes off as planned, but this is often true in Breaking Bad. Things do go off as planned, often with one issue, which, in this case is the bullet hitting him. Now, as I say, he does get to die something of a hero due to this, but he still DIES! BCS is different. Saul actually gets to redeem himself. Walt's redemption is only a personal one, in his own eyes. Jimmy redeems himself in the eyes of us, and Kim. Walt was at heart a bad man, who does bad things, and only makes up for it a bit at the end. Jimmy is at heart a good man who does bas things, and actually has redemption.

[@edstevens2772]

But his plan did fail. He was outsmarted and outwitted by Hank and Jesse, two people he considered below him. And because of this 70 mill of his 80 mill disappeared, Hank died and Jesse hated him. His family lives in a shitty apartment. Yes, his family get the money- but it’s not ‘his’ money. It’s his former business partners money. Everything Walt did was for his ego and legacy, and at the end his ‘legacy’ as the history books will show it was that he was a failure and his successful partners bailed the family out. Him killing the Nazis is not a victory, it was never really about that

[@williamcharnley2208]

Could have been a good writing move to have Walter tell people his cancer was back, but infanct he's lying. That way he would come across more despicable and selfish in contrast with his previous self when he wasnt faking it. Also his death would be more of a sacrifice.

[@durianthesleepy]

I assumed Walt was lying to Hank when he said his cancer came back. I was shocked when the Disappearer actually was getting Walt chemo. Anyway I get your reservations about Felina. I respect the points you bring up. But I can't tell where your hyperbole ends. If you have much praise for it I can, on an intellectual level, imagine how deep viscerally your hatred of the thematic turn can go spoiling it past the quality. But my knee-jerk reaction is "If you praise it this much, and this is in your bottom 5: then you've watched up to 10 TV shows". That said I have probably watched way too much television. I tend to dislike most finales, and I'm confident in saying I have only ever been fully satisfied by 2 series finales. Which are Star Trek TNG and Six Feet Under.

[@GODHAND42]

Highly disagree. I understand that people wanted Walt to receive more comeuppance for his actions, but Felina isn't just the climax of the show but of his character arc. Breaking Bad's character writing is heavily influenced by Jungian psychology, and Walt epitomizes the conflict between man and his shadow self (Heisenberg). The fact that fans often discuss the two as different characters enforces this dichotomy, however Jung proposed that self actualization is only possible once one accepts and integrates his shadow, which is what we see in the finale. Walter fully embraces his Heisenberg side, but this time its not to weasel his way out of danger, rather to confront the consequences he created for himself and everyone around him. Walt originally refused to accept help from Gretchen and Elliott, but now by his own choice the money he leaves for his family will be coming from them, and he'll receive no recognition for it. Walt spends the entire show forestalling his own death, yet now he meets it head on, avenging Hank and freeing Jesse. When he speaks to Skyler, he finally drops the lies and acknowledges the darkness and selfishness within himself, reconciling the Heisenberg dichotomy within himself. He's not suddenly a good character, but he has accepted his whole, complete, and true self, for better and worse. His death isn't glorious or tragic, but it is cathartic. It's Walt accepting himself and the consequences of his actions. From a moral standpoint he probably deserves more punishment, but from a character standpoint, he fulfilled his arc and the only thing left to do was to close it, permanently.

[@Arkanyte]

Okay, now my main issue with the episode lies not in the fact that Walter White "won," but in how he won. The ending, with its almost heroic, Western-inspired tone, feels inconsistent with the themes that the series had so carefully developed up to that point. The show was a study of Walter's moral decay and how his actions eroded his relationships with everyone around him, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Yet in this finale, the narrative seemingly grants him a sense of agency and redemption that undermines the very premise of his downfall. I believe a more thematically consistent and emotionally resonant conclusion would have been for Walt to die of his cancer in New Hampshire. The cancer, which served as both his initial motivator and a symbol of his mortality throughout the series, should have ultimately claimed him. This would not only reinforce the inevitability of his demise but also strip him of any semblance of triumph or control that he so desperately wanted throughout the show. In this alternate ending, Walt would die alone, completely alienated and despised by everyone who once cared for him-both as Heisenberg and as Walter White. Such a conclusion would amplify the tragedy, hammering home the cost of his choices and forcing the audience to confront the true consequences of his actions. Walt's legacy would be one of unrelenting isolation and ruin, a fitting end for a character who built his empire on lies and manipulation. Basically, his death from cancer, rather than a dramatic final stand, would have been a gut-wrenching, thematically fulfilling resolution to the story. So yeah, that's my take. Great video btw

[@deez7476]

This video focuses way too much on felina in isolation and not its relationship with the show as a whole. The entire show is about Walt and as such his conclusion doesnt come as one poetic moment. His 'comeuppance' so to speak has been in motion for a long time. The irony of him losing his family despite claiming he was doing this all for them is the justice he faces, not dying. This is a very superficial take in my opinion. I also think saying Walt's moment of clarity runs the risk of leading viewers to believe hes been like this the whole time and hes actually just misunderstood is a comprehension issue more than anything. If you truly believe that after watching the whole show that is very telling.

[@Jane-qh2yd]

This video is rage bait.

[@Al-ji4gd]

How can one Quinn be so brave and so correct? I've had misgivings about this episode since it aired, pretty much. It was well-made and satisfying, but almost too satisfying in a way. I don't think Walt deserved an ending like this. In fact, it almost seems like a dream because of how well it all turns out with regards to him making his way back home, his scene with Skyler (and Holly) where he finally explains himself, getting revenge on Jack and the gang, and even freeing Jesse. Thematically, I think it misses the mark.

[@TZD11111]

How do you feel about the better call Saul ending? It's the exact opposite but many found it unsatisfying. I love both.

[@Al-ji4gd]

@@TZD11111 I honestly haven't watched Better Call Saul yet.

[@ruhrgebietflair5444]

2:00 i thought he wanted to give up because his son hates him and wishes that he dies

[@QuinnTheGM]

That’s been the case since like season 1 lol

[@Jane-qh2yd]

@@QuinnTheGM What? No the fuck it's not. This has to be actual rage bait. Hell, for half the show we see Walt Manipulating his son into liking him and hating Skyler.

[@j-rey-]

The logistics of the mounted machine gun plan are absolutely idiotic. Walt really counted on being able to park **right** outside where all the gang members would be, in the exact orientation, for the plan to work. Have to walk a bit to meet the gang after parking? F*cked. There is something in the way of where he needs to park, like another car? F*cked. Gang insists on Walt parking somewhere in particular? F*cked. Parking in the proper place requires several three point turns or some other complex maneuvers, when there is another spot that is easily parked in a few feet away? Would Walt expect them to watch him painstakingly position the car perfectly in the much more difficult parking space rather than just take the other space that is much easier to park in? I have a really hard time getting over that. The entire crux of Walt outsmarting Jack's gang and saving Jesse is one of the dumbest plans I can think of. It really ruins the episode for me.

[@joshkellemen5931]

Agreed, and it puts every other overcomplicated plan in the show in a bad aftertaste. If all the time skips/flashforward/flashbacks were removed from the show and the narrative had to stand on its own...it doesn't. All starts from the fulminated mercury with tuco one idiotic unbelievable plan after another. The viewer keeps thinking "well, it is tv and 45 minutes I'll overlook it this time" for the entire show and then...it just...pees right in your face to end the show with the worst of these "genius plans"

[@Jane-qh2yd]

This video is pretty bad. It isolates Felina, completely ignoring all the events that happened just a few episodes ago. Saying that he got everything he wanted, when literally the last 6 episodes consisted solely of EVERYTHING in his life falling apart as Walt was powerless to do anything, is ignorant at best and a lie at the very worst. Your claim that Walt's justice was his death is simply put; incredibly stupid. You say that Felina would be a fitting end if Walt managed to redeem himself. Like, how does one arrive at such an objectively bad opinion? You claim how this episode may cause fans to see the series with rose tinted glasses, ignoring the context behind it, but that is exactly what you do when making your main criticisms. Sorry, but I have to put it bluntly. This video is not very well thought out, and suffers from the awful habit that the Breaking Bad community has, which is looking at events without proper context. It's one thing to have different interpretations about what happens in the show. It is a completely different one to ignore everything that happens in the show.

[@Al-ji4gd]

This comment is worse.

[@SuperCrow02]

If Felina is a bad finale then a good finale doesn't exist

[@bajorekjon]

I didn't like how they telegraphed things that should have been surprises. Like they made it obvious that Lydia put the ricin in her tea, and they show Walter building the gun so we know he's gonna use it on Jack

[@codymoran7815]

Walt seeing Flynn protect Skylar and realizing he destroyed everyone’s life is his comeuppance

[@ilovemesomme]

Sopranos Theory: Tony did have the makings of a varsity athlete.

[@Tasmosunt]

He dies alone having destroyed his loved ones. Yes achieves what he set out to do but that to me is his characters theme. He succeeds but at the cost of everything he should've held dear.

[@JB-jt6oq]

I disagree. His plans were actually very good, to the point where I don't mind that almost everything went as he planned... Obviously, considering that this is *fiction* and things sometimes have some help from the script to happen, but this is a thing in any piece. And come on, Walter didn't simply "die", he lost every single thing he cared about and *only then* he died. The point is he's already a frustrated "ghost" dying of cancer, his family hates him, he can no longer work with what he loves, the people who threatened his wife and children are alive along with his old partner cooking meth (in his pov)... I honestly don't see a problem with him having some W's at this point, because they don't magically make all problems go away; *His son is traumatized for the rest of his life. *His wife is also traumatized. *His daughter will grow up as the daughter of the greatest meth emperor in history. No money in the world will ever cure that. Sure, if you just look at this episode, things might seem off, but there's 5 seasons of context behind it...

[@KickInTheDoor36]

Appreciate the critique and new perspective on a timeless classic!

[@patrickalves7312]

I do agree with most of your points, but the crux for Walt's ending for me is the sense that karmic justice was somewhat applied due to his last actions after ozzymandias. The breaking point of Walt was never to spend time in prison, but his somewhat paradoxal love for his family, as he did not just use them for his justifications of commiting crimes, but they were the honest anchor for him. He is not outright evil, as pretty much no one in the show is (except the cartel and nazis), as he has that human side that we can relate to. He excuses his evil with his family, but he did not want to lose them in his quest for power. You can even see it in ozzymandias, as he surrendered to his fate to be thrown in jail or losing all his money just to save Hank. What happens in the end? He lost his family in ozzymandias and he is driven only by revenge, as nothing is left. Prison wouldn't matter, torture wouldn't matter, he already met the worst possible fate for him, losing his empire yes, but also losing his family. Hank is dead, Skyler would be living in danger, Jr. and Marie hate him and Hollie would live without her dad. It's over. What happens is, in the last moments of his life, he actually acts in a way not just to get revenge, but to try to make their lives a little better with what's left. He plots his revenge but also does it in a way to save Jessie. Honestly, when I first saw it, I believed the same, as just a badass moment for this character to go and take his revenge. But, since I saw the entire series recently, I see it mostly in a mostly christian-like morality of salvation, even the very end. As due he ruined the lives of so many people, the karma and poetic vengeance should act, and it did act, but did not take his life. Now, as a karma-neutral person with nothing else to lose, he does some good and gets the least worst closing he could have. Sure, his family still hates and will hate him to the very end, but he at least could be contempt with a little more good, instead of just suffering alone, because of his final choices.

[@volosguidetomonsters3440]

The first video Quinn has ever released without JonCon

[@dogman6687]

Interesting video, I can’t say I fully disagree. But to counter a few points, I think you could argue that Walt did face consequences, in the form of his son forever hating him and remembering him as a monster. And i think you could also argue that saving Jesse in the end was a partial redemption for Walt

[@neofluxmachina]

Thank you for voicing what I have felt for a decade but didnt know how to articulate

[@andrewfoster8100]

A lot of people have voiced counters to your perspective that I totally agree with, but one other I haven’t seen come up yet: part of Walter’s comeuppance is the total destruction of his ego. As we know by the finale, Walt’s goal wasn’t just to provide for his family, but for his family to know that he had been the ones to save them. By having the “source” of the money they receive be Gretchen and Elliot, he completely lost on that front. I think there’s beautiful poetic justice in the fact that he was able to provide for his family, but all it cost was his family

[@imtellu7656]

Ozymandias, the 14th episode of the season is basically the finale. It is the conclusion to the heisenberg story. Last two episodes serve as an epilogue of sorts. Not unheard of, there are tv shows, books, even video games that do this, but it can kind of leave a bad taste if youre not realising you are watching an epilogue, and the finale already happened.

[@patm407]

I’ve always thought that the reason everything works out in this episode for Walt is because he finally lets go of pride and hubris. He no longer cares about being given credit for everything or claiming what’s his, he just cares about getting it done. And by letting go of that he gains the effectiveness he strove for the whole series. The overarching theme of this show is that pride kills. It kills Hank, Gus, and even Jack. By releasing that pride Walt finally is self realized. It is ironic that he dies selflessly protecting Jesse, but I think that’s intended as the final stroke showing that he learned his lesson

[@vojtechkorhon4159]

I like it, but I prefer Saul Gone for a similar reason.

[@spoonhouseinc.1124]

You make a very good argument, and put words to a feeling I couldnt quite describe about Felina. Agreed!

[@hamman1082]

Mfs will literally complain about anything if it gets clicks.

[@Gleebful]

I always thought that the ending was a bit "off", I just never really was able to put my finger on it. But Walt not facing any consequences for his actions when practically everyone else on the show did, it really sticks out. He was right, it was all about him...

[@ericgarner6001]

The karmic justice for Walter was not that he died in a blaze of glory on his own terms, it’s that he died on a cold lab floor, alone, with everyone (including his family) hating him…

[@aabbccdd4710]

Rare to see someone else with this opinion 😂

[@graysonsojka1392]

Yessss we love seeing breaking bad and better call Saul videos. Great upload!

[@drewburke6371]

Bro let that Sopranos theory rip. There can never be enough discussion on The Sopranos.

[@EllisThings]

Fully agree. I am an enjoyer of the head cannon that Walt died slowly in his car in the cold after the penultimate episode, and the finale is merely a fever dream of his wish fulfillment to wrap everything up neatly and have everything go perfectly to his plan

[@eren__morwen5947]

Usually I get your recommended immediately, but this time I got it after deep scrolling and almost 24 hours. Damn ffs youtube actually sabotaging people uploading amt different than their usual content

[@einerjeti]

Haven't even watched the video yet, but having recently finished Better Call Saul, the complete disparity in the thematic quality of the shows' finales is something I've been thinking about a lot recently.

[@SeanORaigh]

I always had a vague sense that there was something off about Walt's story arc in the finale but you've really given an interesting perspective to look at this episode through. I kinda knew that Walt was a bad guy going in to the show but it wasn't until my first re-watch that I realised that he didn't slowly become a bad guy. The biggest sticking point in my mind is Walt's ego. He was offered an extremely easy solution to his cancer in season one but his ego wouldn't let him take it. The ending having Walt's plan go off without a hitch undermines the idea that his ego is his major flaw. That Walt and Skylar scene is *chef kiss* perfect

[@John-kd2tc]

Please make more videos about things that aren't ASOIAF.

[@zacharyrihner4825]

I gotta disagree, and my reason why is it’s a TV SHOW. The ending wasn’t just the final episode. Walt got his fall, it was brutal, and it’s the entire latter half of the final season. Hanks death, losing his family, most of his money, Jessi betrayal/horrible torture. I think it is appropriately bittersweet. Love your vids bro

[@amysteriousviewer3772]

Exactly, there are like 3-4 episodes where everything that could go wrong for Walt goes wrong and then some. His entire life and family is destroyed. The last 2 episodes are an epilogue and a final attempt to undo some of the harm he caused.

[@giovannidejoie8618]

How is Felina a happy ending lol ? Sure he is able to give his family the money but if you really understand Walt’s motives it was never about the money it was being remembered as a provider once he’s gone besides his pride what Walt cares about is the love , respect & admiration of his family…which is why in the beginning of the show he’s jealous of the fact that Walt jr looks up to Hank more than him…Walt does get the recognition of being Heisenberg but he had to trade that with losing the love , respect & admiration of his family he pretty much destroyed his family mentally & emotionally…Marie , Skylar & Walt Jr….& even if Holly isn’t gonna remember what happened she’s gonna hear about her infamous father she’s gonna have a negative image of him which is the complete opposite of what he wanted…Walt Jr despises him which almost led Walt to turn himself in so that definitely hit him emotionally..and Walt jr is gonna think elliot & gretchen gave him the money so Walt won’t have this image of this provider he wanted…yes he does finally have the recognition of being the infamous heisenberg but it cost him pretty much everything…in granite state he was left alone with his thoughts and he had to pay the vacuum guy because he couldn’t live with his thoughts & the guilt he felt… by his appearance ( his beard & his hair) which is physical representation of his mental state we can clearly tell he had a mental decline he wasn’t well mentally….& sure he does save jessie but he’s the one that got jessie kidnapped in the first place ….yes he does tell skylar the truth but the look she gives i think she’s just surprised he’s finally telling the truth & for a split second she could see walt in there despite him becoming heisenberg but she’s brought right back to how she felt about him (Heisenberg) when he gives her the location of where hank is buried which reminds her of everything that happened …he broke skylar emotionally….he destroyed his family just to “feel alive” as he said….so the justice isn’t him dying but him having to live with his actions for almost a year in Granite State…it happens so fast but people forget Walt became 51 in early season 5 & becomes 52 in flash forwards in the beginning of the season story wise happen in between Granite State & Felina so that means the events of granite state take place in almost a year so him being alone with his thoughts of guilt is the consequence for his actions & in Felina he finally accepts who he’s become & takes responsibility for his actions knowing he most likely won’t make it past that night but that doesn’t mean the emotions of guilt are gone he just accepts the consequences of his actions….he gets revenge on those guys & he’s able to give the money to Walt Je but he loses Hank…the love , respect & admiration of his family which he can never get back …everything Walt gains there’s a negative side to it or there’s an asterisk next to it so how is this a happy ending for Walt…it’s quite bittersweet because sure it could be looked at as “victory” because he goes out in blaze of glory but the reason why things are the way they are in Felina is all his fault…so how is this a victory…sure he saves Jessie & he gets revenge on those guys but it won’t bring back hank and the reason all of this happened is because Walt wanted to put a hit on Jessie…he would’ve just went to prison if he didn’t call those guys…despite Hank wanting to arrest him Walt was willing to give all his money to save him so that means Walt would rather go to prison then lose Hank so losing Hank is a big deal Walt never gets over that…which is why he doesn’t care about getting all his money back he just wants revenge on those guys….and another thing i want to discuss is Walt saving Jessie (which is something he decided last minute in my opinion i don’t think he went there planning on saving Jessie he went there to get revenge) when he asks Jessie to shoot him he does that because of the guilt he feels so he feels like Jessie deserves to shoot him but Jessie refuses because he knows it’s not really about him it’s about appeasing Walt’s guilt…that’s why Walt saves him it’s not an act of redemption it’s about his own guilt….not saying Felina is perfect or anything because i do feel like the guilt Walt feels is mostly implied & not directly shown to us but i feel like that was an artistic choice more than a flaw in the writing…but maybe if that was more clear people would stop making videos like this claiming Walt won because he did not win at all…he did get some things he wanted & he does go out in a glaze of glory but he lost everything he cared about…only thing he has left is his pride knowing he was able to become Heisenberg the greatest cook & kingpin of Albuquerque how is that not thematically resonant…it’s a show about pride…in the end Walt is left with only his pride…he lost everything else…most of the wins he gets in Felina were consequences of his past actions like i explained those guys stole his money & did that to hank because Walt called them….he saved Jessie but Walt is the one that put the hit on Jessie which is why he ends up in the hands of those guys in the first place…to me i don’t see how you could write a more bittersweet ending….everything he gains he had to trade something he cared about to get it…& even if he gets small victories in Felina in the grand scheme of things he lost way more than he gained…i don’t think he regrets things because to him nothing is worth becoming Heisenberg but i do think he didn’t realize how much becoming Heisenberg would cost him & i do think he feels guilty about the fact that to gain what he wanted he had to destroy everything else around him including his family…& becoming Heisenberg tainted this image they had of him…i don’t he realizes any of that until Ozymandiaz which is why Granite State is important because it’s the aftermath of that episode…& Felina is Walt’s bittersweet ending…sure you could say he “won” but at what cost ?

[@cedricpierre7826]

Nobody reading all that 😂

[@giovannidejoie8618]

@ it takes less than a minute

[@swoo5062]

I’ve always thought the pilot left to much off the table. I thank you Quinn the finale gets too much praise to often

[@3malinkies]

Here's a couple changes to the finale that I've liked the idea of- 1. Walt beats his cancer, but decides to righteously return to Albuquerque, basically going through the whole finale as it stands, but with the removal of the ticking clock of his cancer killing him, meaning what he's doing is much more selfless. 2. Walt goes through the entire finale as is, but something has changed with the plot that makes him have to sacrifice the money, or some other factor prevents the money from getting to his family. The money aspect is something people bring up a lot when they talk about this, because Mike was never able to ultimately get his money to his family in the end, so it's seen as unfair that Walt is able to. 3. Take everything in the opposite direction, and have Walt's vengeful return to Albuquerque create further consequences for his family, Jesse, and everyone else. His blaze of glory is instead a raging inferno that consumes everyone, probably ending with Jesse killing Walt.

[@WillRock07]

I think within the context of the episode itself, you're right, about how everything ends perfectly, but in the context of the show, it's very much not a perfect ending for him. Effectively, he had already failed in EVERYTHING he set out to do and he's just trying to tie up any loose ends he could. He spent 2-3 months in isolation knowing he'd abandoned his family until he felt compelled to act. If you look at what his goals were he had 3 i'd say and I'd say they are in this order. 1: Build a meth Empire 2: Provide safety and security for his family. 3: Have his family remember him fondly By the finale, he's achieved the first goal, but he's utterly failed at the next 2. He has 11 million in cash that his family won't accept, Hank is dead and his family has been completely ripped apart by his actions, and I don't think there's a person left in his life who doesn't hate him. In fact, he's going to be remembered by the WORLD as a ruthless drug kingpin, which I'm sure he didn't want. He succeeded in building his empire, but in the process, his family was utterly ruined, when providing for them was the whole point. Yes, he kills Jack's gang, and ties up loose ends with Lydia but that's all he's able to do for sure. He's forced to threaten Elliot and Gretchen to give his family his money, which there is no guarantee they'll do, and he has to live with the fact his family is fucked, basically. Yeah he gives Skyler Hank's burial coordinates, but that's not going to make everything go away. Skyler's life is utterly ruined. I think the reason the finale comes off this way to you is that the best possible end result that could have happened by that point does happen. However, I think if you were to ask Walt on his deathbed if he was happy with how things turned out, I bet you he'd tell you no.

[@errwhattheflip]

Walt's journey isn't about getting comeuppance. Walt already lost his entire family which was one of the core parts that made up Walt's entire identity. He's essentially lost one of the biggest parts of who he is which defined many of his actions in the past, but anyway the biggest part of Felina and the thematic end to Walter's character is that Walter ended up dying as he wanted. He died without regrets surrounded by his own perfect coffin after having achieved all the things he wanted/needed to achieve, letting his withered husk of an existence break up into nothingness. Walter affirmed who he was and took control of his fate and ironically did this by accepting his inevitable death, accepting everything with a smile on his face. It isn't a criminal that he wasn't punished more harshly because that's literally the point. "He got away"

[@thefilmwatcher1216]

I think it makes sense that Walt's plan goes well. It doesn't go perfectly, because I'm quite sure he didn't intend to get shot by his own gun or die right then and there.

[@desperadotales]

Amazing vid Q 🙏 always nice to see you shift from asoiaf content

[@b.b.6673]

Can you please do a video explaining the symbolism of the cars throughout the BB/BCS universe? His car gets shot, and he gets shot. Jesse's move is el Camino. The cars represent their character and tell so much of the story, but no one talks about it.

[@tgovani]

Great video love your analysis I’d love to see you branch out more! Cover some more Better Call Saul

[@dittoelectrode6064]

I think it is interesting how, from the perspective of Flynn and Holly, literally nothing would have changed if Walt just took the Schwartz's money in the first place. Walt didn't want to look weak or accept charity and yet that's how he'll be remembered by his kids, a bum criminal dad who's just the reason they get to go to college. He sacrifices his life and none of his family will really care. A small change could have been good to see how Walt's kids and Skyler remember him in some kind of epilogue. Flynn explains to Holly why his old driver's licence has Walter written on it, how their dad never really cared for them but it's nice he was friends with some rich people. That would be a small change that could make this ending for Walt much more fitting.

[@ewetwentythree]

I don't agree, but I totally understand. I think the points you make are valid and we'll thought-out, something I really did appreciate was the idea of having his cancer never coming back. That was a good idea and it would've been interesting to see that aspect of the story dropped Edit: What are some shows that have great finales? That's one of the things that I look for when I want to start a TV show. No spoilers or anything, just names. If you happen to see this

[@freddymeisner]

Dude I have felt this way for years, we are left without thematic resolution but the story itself is complete. 10/10 show tho

[@DweezyBreezey]

I totally agree. I don't think the finale is a total failure, but I think it isn't as effective as it could have been. Yes, Walt loses everything he cared about, but he also gets to make some sort of amends, whether they are fully reciprocated or not. He gets closure when he hasn't done anything to deserve it. He gets to be a badass, gets to strut around as Heisenberg, gets to evade the cops, gets to one up Elliot and Gretchen, gets revenge on Lydia and Jack's gang, and gets to settle his affairs in a nice, clean wrap up. The finale would work if Walt went through some reflective arc,where we see him truly wallow and recognize his faults, but he doesn't really. It makes his character in the end feel unearned, and feels fairly fan servicey. It's like they wanted Walt to be punished, but not too punished, so they pulled their punches and glorified Walt too much.

[@Finzombie]

I don’t think Walt gets off easy at all, because there are more stakes than life and death. You mention the scene with him and Skyler and talk about his familial motivations, but I think you miss that the illusion slipping, him being forced to recognize his own selfishness, is a total destruction of his world. For five seasons he has, at least consciously, done it all for his family, and the burning down of every relationship he has is his greatest, most fitting punishment.

[@Cologero]

I agree with what you said Walt got off way to easy. Would love to see more vids like this!

[@jocas94]

I absolutely agree that Walt got a perfect ending and that, to quote Jessy, “he kept getting away with it”. Somewhere, I feel like Walt’s charisma got to the writers

[@andrewgoss9013]

What the Hell? I just started re-watching this and you go and make this video. It's bad enough I've got Google, Facebook, and my phone tracking me,... now I've got you on my trail? 😆😆 I actually enjoyed the ending but will now watch it with this in mind. You also made me realize Sons of Anarchy had that "perfection" kind of ending as well.

[@jamessymon7892]

I've finally finished BB and have to agree. Walt gets everything he ultimately wanted once he was terminal again and doesn't even have to face proper justice like learning truly about the pain his actions directly inflicted on Jesse (and his loved ones). He gets to have absolutely everything and goes out on his own terms unlike essentially every other character in the show

[@tincano-beans2114]

They completely forgot about the iron fleet tbh. Also I assume that things finally go right because Walt finally does something to help someone else instead of doing it for himself.