My thoughts on the Breaking Bad finale

Spoilers for Breaking Bad's final episode, "Felina", coming. 

Boy, I'm not sure about this one. It was good, no mistake, but somehow Walter White's redemption seemed too perfect for me to be true. Not that dying on the floor of a filthy neo-nazi methlab was that positive an ending, but, look, we're talking about Walter White's here. I get it: if you're a fan of Heisenberg, you just got cream all over you. It's the first time ever a Heisenberg plan went exactly as planned from start to finish. Of course it was cool to see the MG60 blast through Jack's whole fucking gang. Heartbreaking how Walt said goodbyes. Somehow satisfying that Lydia died in the end. But on the other hand, I would have wished for another finale.

Not that one, granted.

I would have wished for Lydia walking away from it. I didn't want Walt to rescue Jesse. And I certainly didn't want him to make a perfect peace like that with his family, even getting them full access to what's left of his drug money. It somehow feels too good, and in some way, it's relativizing what Walt is. Only two episodes ago, he wanted Jesse killed. He abducted his own girl. He brought death and destruction about. One episode ago, he was old and dying out in New Hampshire, exiled and without any hope, a pitiful creature. And then, a complete rebirth of Heisenwalt, combining the best of both personalities in his last selfless act?

Somehow I was put off by one of the strongest scenes in the episode, when Walt finally admits his egomany to Skyler. We as viewers already know that, or should know, if we think at least a littlebit while watching. But here he stands, admitting it, and the universe grants him universal victory for it? I don't know. 

Again, it's okay. Not a bad end, by any means. There have been worse ones by far (Lost comes to mind), and some series don't even have an ending. But it somehow seemed not...right...for Breaking Bad. He was Breaking Good in the end, totally. And at some points, there had to be a whole lot suspension of disbelief. 

Especially the treatment of Lydia is questionable. First, Walter didn't know whether she would take his offer or not. She didn't exactly do him any wrong before. Of course, she works with the Neonazis, but so did Walt himself. And she wasn't involved in Hank's killing, nor in Jesse's abduction, although of course she profitted from it. But Walt taking revenge on her left a bad taste in my mouth somehow. And the poisoning also was too perfect. While she comes to this restaurant all the time and might also sit down at that table, there's no guarantee that someone else doesn't sit down and die from the Ricin. Walt must have put it there before she came, or else he would have been spotted. Stuff like that. Too smooth. 

I have no problem with the MG60. The fumbling with the keys felt like old times, and the device itself was Walt-ish enough. I'm glad they refrained from going after a recreation of Scarface. 

And Jesse, poor boy. He had the single best scene of the episode, calling home his box. It was heartbreaking. And he got as much redemption as possible out of it as well. Strangling Todd, not shooting Walt, escaping the police. The only thing missing was riding in the sunset with Brock. 

But enough already. The episode concluded the season well enough. There's no ambiguity left. Walter White is dead, brought down by the demons he summoned at last, and in his final rampage, he dismantled as much of the meth empire he built and lost as possible. There will be no further blue meth in the world, and the whole organisation is gone. There's a new life ahead of everyone left standing.