By Opinions Editor James Wendt
On Sunday night, 10.3 million viewers watched as Walter White tied up the loose ends that have been unraveling for 5 seasons, concluding AMC’s “Breaking Bad”.
Since 2008, Walter White ascended from high school chemistry teacher to merciless drug kingpin, terrorizing audiences and foes alike. Bryan Cranston starred alongside Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul to blur the lines of unjust and justified. They gained a following of devout fans: viewers who pledged allegiance to a monster called Heisenberg. In the series finale, “Felina” S5/Ep 16, the show concluded an empire.
The finale reached a phenomenal balance between resolution and freedom, ensuring its place as one of the best drama series of all time, or at the very least proving itself deserving of its 2013 Emmy for Outstanding Drama.
What I craved in the finale was an unrealistic reunion between Skyler and Walt, but their love was impossible to rekindle from the carnage. The final episode felt like a checklist – granted, a captivating checklist. Throughout the show, I clung to Walter as a White knight, despite his sins. But my emotional investmetn in Walt, and perhaps the show, died with Hank in the desert. In that moment, two episodes from the end, my blood ran cold for Walter White, and boiled with hatred for Heisenberg. Instead of my fantasy ending, the events that actually transpired brought the show to a brilliant close.
With his money miles away from his family, and the Neo-Nazis capitalizing on his signature blue meth, Walt had unfinished business. The only foreseeable ending for Walter is death, but his journey to the to the afterlife is riddled with stints as the reaper. His manipulation of Elliot and Gretchen Schwartz into passing his money onto his family was classic Walt. His pride kept them from tainting his money with their own: it was to be his money delivered to his family. What was unique and puzzling in this scenario is the compromise Walt seemingly made with himself in the delivery method. The money would appear to be coming from the Schwartz’ charity, not Walt. He later lies to Skyler that he has no money to give, so she would have every reason to believe it came from the Schwartz’ guilt, not from Walt’s drug-stained past. This is precisely what Walt wanted, his family to reap his wealth, but he wanted it to come from him.
The second manipulation came when Walt deceived Lydia and the Neo-Nazis. He fooled them into thinking they had the upper hand and into believing that he was desperate, but he was only desperate for their deaths. They played right into his unwinnable game. The much-anticipated Risin was ingeniously fed to Lydia through her scheduled and predictable thirst for money – and Stevia, chamomile, and soymilk. Her death beautifully paralleled Walt’s agonizing fight with cancer. In both cases, death was imminent, and escape was impossible. The termination of the Neo-Nazis was brilliant, and the writers’ choice to let Jesse kill Todd ensured everyone a sense of closure.
Many characters are also freed in this episode. Metaphorically, Walt sets Skyler free when he finally takes responsibility for his actions and stops justifying them as a misguided attempt to protect the family. Later, he literally lets Jesse free from the Neo-Nazis, but it is Jesse himself who breaks free from Walter’s manipulation. As he drops the gun, he also drops his role as a pawn in Walter White’s game.
In a way, Walt ended up exactly where he started. He said goodbye to the lab that led to his demise, and he ultimately could not let go of his insurmountable greed. As Walt lay face-up surrounded by the tools of his undoing, he died both a martyr and an evil man. It is that unreachable balance that has made Walter White a complex character for five years, and it is that same balance that will allow his legacy to live on as the greatest character in history.
