Reviews, Television
Oct 1, 2013

BREAKING BAD: FADE TO BLUE

“Felina” Everyone has something to say about the series finale ofBreaking Bad. Sure, maybe it seemed to come together a little too quickly for some, but in my opinion, it never felt forced. The arc of the episode flowed seamlessly and loose ends were tied. It was dramatic, intense, and made the viewer lose complete track of time.

Maybe this episode wasn’t as gut-wrenching as a few back—the standoff with Walter and Hank—but it held the air of finality and was enough to leave you on the edge of your seat. Unlike other series, which leave you wondering what actually becomes of the cast, creator Vince Gilligan was nice enough to end things artistically without teasing or tricking us. Aside from a few characters, we were able to get full closure.

Skyler and Walt have one last encounter, Walt rigs up a complicated machine gun up in the trunk of his car to take out Jack and his “thugs”, and Jesse gets revenge on his scumbag kidnapper, Todd, by choking him out with a chain after surviving the gunshots. Jesse pulls a gun on Walt, who obviously tells him to do it. Jesse responds “Do it yourself”. The two walk away, nod, and we see Walt has been hit by a stray bullet. He falls to the floor in the heart of his operation, while sirens scream and police swarm. The fadeout is paired with Badfinger’s “Baby Blue”—fitting.

The color blue was prevalent throughout the series, but it was a constant presence, subtly enough, throughout the finale—the clothing worn by many of the characters, the inside of Walt’s car lit up with the blue lights of the police. Additionally, Gilligan admits his intentional symbolic use of color: Marie’s obsession with purple—her clothes, most of the décor in her home—symbolize her being kept in the dark. The use of white is meant to represent purity, especially in contrast to black. The use of red was seen primarily in Jesse’s character—he was an erratic and angry kid, which explains why many of his clothes were of this heavy color.

Walt’s transition from high school chemistry teacher to meth kingpin is finally fully realized in his admission to Skyler that he is no longer doing it for the family. He acknowledges and accepts that it became something for him; it made him feel “alive”. The sense of power he feels is chillingly executed when Walt sneaks into the home of the wealthy couple who screwed him out of a very profitable business endeavor years ago. With Flynn and Skyler’s refusal to accept Walt’s drug money, he finds a way to kill two birds with one stone: he blackmails the couple into giving the money to Flynn as an irreversible gift, simultaneously getting revenge where he was wronged and making certain his family is provided for, whether they want it or not.

With all of the bad guys taken care of (including Lydia, who meets her end via ricin spiked chamomile tea), we are left with the feeling that Walt’s family can finally lead some semblance of a normal life (or a safer, at the least) after he is gone. Though it may be the end for this brilliant series, followers fear not: Saul’s spinoff series, Better Call Saul will serve as a black comedy prequel to Breaking Bad. Air date TBD.