Breaking Bad

Totally agree on that. And yet they just threw it in like it was an aside. Which makes me think something's up and we'll see it all in those last eight episodes. The lack of information was quite telling.

Also, I rewatched it yesterday, and when he turns off the faucet as Skyler's doing dishes to tell her he's out, the look on his face makes me wonder what's up. He seems genuine -- he even looks poignant and a bit sad. So, could he have initially meant it at that point? Could the season have ended with him thinking he'd really gotten out? Will the Hank knowledge now change that somehow? Will it simply be that, despite being out, it's too little too late now that Hank is onto him? And he'll end up on the lam as we saw in the beginning of the season?

And yet, they really didn't show us much of a change in Walt's attitude to get us to the point of him wanting out. After all, when Jesse asks him if he's in the money business, he says no, that he's in the EMPIRE business. And we believe it because it's been leading to this point for a long time.

So, how would a simple pile of money in a storage locker and yet another request from Skyler get him to change his mind? That's why I asked about the nostalgia bit. That scene with Jesse HAD to mean SOMETHING. Was that all we're supposed to need in order to think Walt's not having any fun in the empire business anymore?

And yet, during that montage over "Crystal Blue Persuasion" (great song choice, BTW, from my childhood), we don't see anything but smooth operations and money rolling in....

I think there are just enough questions to keep us curious till the last eight episodes air, without it being totally frustrating and angering. The ending is not clear, by any stretch. But I'm still sure it won't be good. Or at least, not good for Walt. I have a little more hope that Hank might live through the series. Gosh, I hope so. I had too many feelings of "Unbreakable" good-vs-evil heroes over the past few episodes... and Hank is the good guy, of course. To hear him wistfully talking about one of his early jobs marking trees made me feel so bad for him and the burdens he carries.... Would hate to see him not triumph completely.

Totally agree on that. And yet they just threw it in like it was an aside. Which makes me think something's up and we'll see it all in those last eight episodes. The lack of information was quite telling.

Also, I rewatched it yesterday, and when he turns off the faucet as Skyler's doing dishes to tell her he's out, the look on his face makes me wonder what's up. He seems genuine -- he even looks poignant and a bit sad. So, could he have initially meant it at that point? Could the season have ended with him thinking he'd really gotten out? Will the Hank knowledge now change that somehow? Will it simply be that, despite being out, it's too little too late now that Hank is onto him? And he'll end up on the lam as we saw in the beginning of the season?

And yet, they really didn't show us much of a change in Walt's attitude to get us to the point of him wanting out. After all, when Jesse asks him if he's in the money business, he says no, that he's in the EMPIRE business. And we believe it because it's been leading to this point for a long time.

So, how would a simple pile of money in a storage locker and yet another request from Skyler get him to change his mind? That's why I asked about the nostalgia bit. That scene with Jesse HAD to mean SOMETHING. Was that all we're supposed to need in order to think Walt's not having any fun in the empire business anymore?

And yet, during that montage over "Crystal Blue Persuasion" (great song choice, BTW, from my childhood), we don't see anything but smooth operations and money rolling in....

I think there are just enough questions to keep us curious till the last eight episodes air, without it being totally frustrating and angering. The ending is not clear, by any stretch. But I'm still sure it won't be good. Or at least, not good for Walt. I have a little more hope that Hank might live through the series. Gosh, I hope so. I had too many feelings of "Unbreakable" good-vs-evil heroes over the past few episodes... and Hank is the good guy, of course. To hear him wistfully talking about one of his early jobs marking trees made me feel so bad for him and the burdens he carries.... Would hate to see him not triumph completely.

And yet, I keep thinking all those little scenes in that last episode tie things together for us...

That MRI. His wanting out. The big pile of money. Are we coming around to where the series started? Walt's got lung cancer, it looks bad, and he wants a certain amount of money in order to keep his family afloat when he's gone? Did that pile of money trigger those initial reasons all over again because he has heard the test results but we don't know them yet?

It would somehow give the writers a way to semi-redeem Walt in the end, even if he dies or goes to prison: His focus could go back to his family and making money for them even if he dies of cancer. Perhaps that first scene in the diner with the full head of hair means he's on the lam and can't seek medical treatment for the cancer, but knows the family has a pile of money no matter what. And purchasing the automatic weapon could simply be a way of protecting himself from all eventualities... or a showdown with Todd or whoever took over for him....

Ehhh... thinking out loud. But just KNOWING that no scenes in that last episode were extraneous... MRI scene, Jesse/nostalgia scene, money pile scene, "I'm out" scene, etc. All are pointing us somewhere, but subtly...

And yet, I keep thinking all those little scenes in that last episode tie things together for us...

That MRI. His wanting out. The big pile of money. Are we coming around to where the series started? Walt's got lung cancer, it looks bad, and he wants a certain amount of money in order to keep his family afloat when he's gone? Did that pile of money trigger those initial reasons all over again because he has heard the test results but we don't know them yet?

It would somehow give the writers a way to semi-redeem Walt in the end, even if he dies or goes to prison: His focus could go back to his family and making money for them even if he dies of cancer. Perhaps that first scene in the diner with the full head of hair means he's on the lam and can't seek medical treatment for the cancer, but knows the family has a pile of money no matter what. And purchasing the automatic weapon could simply be a way of protecting himself from all eventualities... or a showdown with Todd or whoever took over for him....

Ehhh... thinking out loud. But just KNOWING that no scenes in that last episode were extraneous... MRI scene, Jesse/nostalgia scene, money pile scene, "I'm out" scene, etc. All are pointing us somewhere, but subtly...