You’d really think $10,000 would buy you the two hours you asked for. Bullet points on the last “Breaking Bad” titled Felina…

SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT

• It opens on Walt getting into a snowed out car. Cold and coughing he needs to make his exodus from New Hampshire. He uncovers a cassette of Marty Robbins Biggest Hits and a screwdriver in the glove box. As he attempts to get the car started we see police lights reflect off his glasses. I’m totally in the tank for seeing things filmed off of a mirror; here Walt is looking at his rear view mirror and sees the police lights showing on his glasses through the ice on the car. It’s a little moment, but it was artfully done. He whispers to himself, “Just get me home. Just get me home and I’ll do the rest.” This is a person with unfinished business. Walt waits out the police lights which eventually dissipate. Walt pulls down the visor and the keys to the car drop in his hand. He grips the keys in determination, breaks ice off his driver side window and sets course for Albuquerque.

• As Walt drives away “El Paso” by Marty Robbins plays. The title of the episode, Felina, is the name of a character in the song “El Paso.” The song informs so much about this episode. Essentially the song is about a man who kills another man over a woman named Felina, flees El Paso and goes to New Mexico. The man has lost everything and has nothing left for him back in the city, but eventually returns for Felina and is met by cowboys trying to gun him down. As he rides back into town he feels “a deep burning pain in my side.” He is shot in the chest and dies with Felina by his side. There’s more to the song, but that’s the short version.

• Walt stops at a gas station on his way to Albuquerque. He opens the trunk and we see that he has brought the money from the barrel along for the ride. He walks over to a payphone and makes a call saying he is David Lind (sp?) from the New York Times. He is trying to set up an interview with Elliott and Gretchen Schwartz. He gets information from the person on the other end of the line including when Elliott and Gretchen will be in town and their address. Walt takes off his wrist watch, sets it on top of the payphone and walks away. Why does he leave the wrist watch? I’m honestly not sure.

• Gretchen and Elliott return home, at night, and Walt is waiting in the shadows for them. Their co-founder makes a quiet entrance into their house as classical music plays setting a doomed mood. Walt feels up and takes in their lavish living situation. My heart is really starting to pump at this point. More misery is sure to come in short order. There’s a great shot of Gretchen and Elliott in the kitchen as Walt snoops around and casually looks at the pictures on display. Gretchen and Elliott can’t see Walt and Walt can’t see them. Gretchen turns on the fireplace, turns around, and Walt is standing there. Gretchen screams out at the sight of Walt. This is a version of Walt who looks a lot like a bum; it sticks out even more given that he’s walking around in what effectively is a mansion. Walt tells the Schwartz’s that he’s there to give them something. Elliott has a knife with him and points it at Walt, who is rather unimpressed. Elliott is so intimidated by Walt that he drops the knife on the floor.

• The $9,720,000 from Walt’s trunk is emptied on an ottoman in the living room. Walt spent about $1.25 million since he vanished from Albuquerque. After some questioning about where the money came from Walt tells the Schwartz’s that the money will go to his family, specifically to his son, in the form of an irrevocable trust. You can see in this scene that Walt and Gretchen have a deeper history than Walt and Elliott; she’s more clued in and drives more of the interaction. Walt, the smart guy that he is, knows that the money can get to Walt Jr. if it comes from the owners of Gray Matter. He gives them further instructions including that they not spend a single dime of their own money when it comes to lawyer fees and taxes when transferring the money over to Walt Jr. “They use my money, never yours,” he puts it. Walt may be at an end, but dammit if he’s not as prideful as ever. Walt has them shake on it. It’s interesting to see how much handshakes have met in these final episodes. Walt goes limp when he has to shake Uncle Jack’s hand multiple times and here Gretchen reluctantly shakes Walt’s hand before pulling her hand away rapidly. Walt knows it would be foolhardy to rely on the handshake agreement. He looks outside and gives a hand signal. Suddenly a laser beam is trained on Gretchen and Elliott each. Holy crap! Walt tells them he has hired the two best hitmen west of the Mississippi to ensure they follow through on the deal. If they don’t the hitmen will kill them. Walt slowly walks out of the house and has sufficiently terrified his former business partners.

• Walt’s car parks on the side of the road. Two people run across the street and hop in. In all honesty, as they ran across the street I figured out who they were. It’s Badger (AKA Beaver) and Skinny Pete (AKA What’s His Name). Great touch using them here. They’re not feeling so great about what they just did. Walt cheers them up by giving each of them a “fat stack.” Walt asks them about the blue meth that is apparently still being circulated which they both think Walt is making. Walt knows that it’s Jesse who is making the blue crystal. He speeds off, hilariously with Badger and Skinny Pete still in the car.

• A woodworker is putting something together. It’s revealed that it’s Jesse crafting a box with tonally peaceful music playing and all. He looks like he’s in a relatively good place. But no, he’s basically just daydreaming while he’s tied to a rack, bearded, disheveled and still cooking for Uncle Jack and the gang.

• It was about this moment in the episode that I thought the pacing was much slower than anticipated particularly with it being the series finale.

• There are some quick cuts to the two flashforwards from the two season five premieres. There’s a moment when Walt pauses in what used to be his living room and what is now a darkened room in shambles when there is a flashback to the pilot episode of the series when Hank talks about taking Walt on a ride along. The line Hank has in that scene: “It’s easy money, until we catch you. Walt, just say the word and I’ll take you on a ride along. You can watch us knock down a meth lab. Get a little excitement in your life.” Well, if that doesn’t say everything (and it’s impressively back in the pilot). A somber look washes over Walt’s face as the scene is cut back to the present. He exits what used to be his house.

• Lydia is coming to a meeting at the usual coffee shop, orders a drink, and takes a packet of Stevia out from tray on the table. There’s a wide shot of the shop and with it the reveal that Walt is there. Todd, buttoned up again, walks in and takes a seat across from Lydia. He, of course, pays a compliment on her blouse. Walt gets up and takes a third seat at the table with Todd and Lydia. He has a business proposition for them. He knows they are running out of methylamine and offers a new method to cook. Walt could use the money he’d make from the deal. Here he plays on Todd’s admiration for him and Lydia’s business-first mind. Walt exits as Lydia’s drink comes. Lydia tells Todd there’s no way they are doing business with Walt. As she pours the Stevia into her tea the emphasis on the Stevia essentially tells us the ricin just went in her drink. How did Walt get the ricin into that packet? Yeah, I don’t know.

• Walt’s out in the middle of nowhere putting something together involving the machine gun. As he’s working on his contraption he’s singing “El Paso.” The wedding necklace falls from under his shirt.

• A phone rings. We pan across a room. It’s Skyler’s apartment. She’s sitting at the small kitchen table smoking. She picks up the phone after Marie, who is on the other end, says she has news on Walt. The news? Between the stolen Volvo with New Hampshire tags and the “Hello Carol” scene people know he is in town. Marie tells Skyler to be on the lookout and to be careful. Marie says there’s no way Walt is getting to Skyler. But…he’s already in the room with Skyler, being blocked from the audience by a post that sits between the dining area and the living room. Skyler gives him five minutes. Walt needs to say goodbye. There’s also a sense that he is trying to reassure her that he is going to try to protect his family before he’s gone. Skyler thinks Walt’s going to give her money, but he knows she won’t accept it. It doesn’t matter because he spent it all getting there as he puts it. Instead Walt takes out the lotto ticket with the coordinates to where his money was buried and where Hank and Gomez are buried. What I found interesting is that Walt is using the words “ours” and “us” in reference to the money. He really intended for the money to be for the family. Walt tells Skyler the truth about the circumstances surrounding Hank’s and Gomez’s deaths and tells her to use the location of their bodies as a trade to get relief in her trial. There’s a cut to a great shot of Skyler and Walt talking to each other in the dining area with the post standing between them. There’s something separating them. And then we get the moment that essentially told us what kind of finale this was going to be (Walt getting closure). Walt takes responsibility for his actions as Skyler looks back surprised. He did what he did for himself. He liked it. He was good at it. It made him feel alive. By the time Walt is done saying that he takes a long pause and closes his eyes. He knows the decisions he made ruined everything he had. It pains him to say it. Skyler nods in agreement. Before Walt leaves he wants to see his daughter. Walt looks over his sleeping daughter as the tears begin to flow. And they almost did for me too. Absolutely heartbreaking. Skyler looks on much more pleasantly at Walt than at any time in a while. Walt slowly walks out.

• Flynn gets off the school bus and heads home with agents watching over him. It’s not a big deal at all for me, but Walt maneuvered in close proximity (and even got in) to the apartment without being spotted somehow. Walt looks on from afar at his son. There’s no opportunity to say goodbye. He walks away, slowly again, as the shot through a window gives us a blurred look at him.

• Walt drives into Uncle Jack’s compound with Kenny riding shotgun. He parks in a rather strategic spot. He’s patted down and goes into their clubhouse. His keys and wallet are taken from him and placed on a pool table close by. Walt wants to talk business but Uncle Jack isn’t receptive. Kenny pulls a gun on Walt. Uncle Jack is going to have Walt killed. As Walt begins to plead he says that Uncle Jack still owes him. He was supposed to kill Jesse and he didn’t. Walt accuses Uncle Jack of partnering with Jesse which Uncle Jack views as an insult. Uncle Jack doesn’t like being called a liar and demands Jesse be brought in the room to show Walt just how much of a partner he really is. The tension is rising now. Before Jesse is brought into the room, Walt leans up against the pool table and grabs his keys. Walt looks at Jesse and it’s rather clear he’s been put through hell. Walt tackles Jesse and hits a button on his key chain as Todd tries to pry him off Jesse. The trunk to Walt’s car outside opens and the machine gun does its job. It takes out all the Nazis save Todd and a wounded Uncle Jack. Walt and Jesse are still alive, though Walt has been hit by a bullet in his side. The room is silent and bullet ridden. Todd gets up and peers out the window to see a smoking trunk. Jesse takes a look around and sees an opportunity. He gets up and strangles Todd with his chains until Todd dies. Walt stands by observing it with no real expression. Walt picks up a nearby gun and walks towards the wounded Uncle Jack. The gun is pointed at Uncle Jack who tries to stop Walt by saying he won’t find his money if he’s dead. Walt immediately pulls the trigger and blood splatters all over the camera.

• Jesse’s now out of his chains. He has a stare down with Walt. As they look at each other we can see that these are not the two guys we watched over the course of this series. Walt is skinny, bearded, and weak. Jesse is in rags and bearded. Walt places the gun on the ground, slides it across towards Jesse who picks it up and points it at Walt. Mr. White invites Jesse to shoot him feeling Jesse wants to do it. Jesse replies by saying he wants Walt to say he wants it. Jesse sees Walt’s wound drops the gun, tells him to do it himself and walks out. I had predicted long ago that Jesse would end up being the one to kill Walt. I’m so glad I was wrong while watching this scene. If Jesse would have killed Walt in this scene it wouldn’t have worked well. Jesse needed to walk away taking no more blood.

• The Lydia ringtone plays from Todd’s cellphone. Walt takes it out and answers. Lydia is showing flu-like symptoms when it cuts to her. She asks if it’s done to which Walt says, “Yeah, it’s done. He’s gone. They’re all gone.” Walt informs Lydia that he put the ricin in her tea and drops the phone, but not before saying, “Goodbye Lydia.”

• Jesse is about to get into a car and leave, but looks back at Mr. White standing in the shadows. They exchange nods. It’s almost as if they forgive each other for all the torment they put each other through. Jesse speeds off, crashes through the gate to the compound and all the emotions explode out of him. He’s been put in about the roughest of situations, but somehow made it out.

• There’s a cut back to Walt standing in silence. The bullet he took is taking more and more out of him. He walks over to the newest edition of the meth super lab and takes a look around, fondly. Sirens are heard in the background as the cops are on the way. He stops at one of the machines and puts his hand on it. We see him looking at it as we see a distorted view reflecting back off of it. Walt collapses as the blood on his hands is left on the machine. Walt is spread out on the concrete dead as the camera starts in close and gets farther away from his body. The cops are seen coming into the room as it cuts to black. It’s all over.

• I have a feeling there is going to be a segment of the audience that is not going to respond well to this finale. There always is, but I bet there will be a lot of people who will be disappointed this episode wasn’t as action packed as they expected/hoped. After Ozymandias a couple of weeks ago some were going to expect a crazy, tense finale where Walt goes full Heisenberg. This wasn’t that. There was no exclamation point at the end. I have to say I expected a lot more tension, but I’m certainly not disappointed with how everything went down.

• The finale, for me, was really a lot more positive than I expected. This was for the most part the best case scenario for Walt given the circumstances. Walt Jr. will get the money. Walt gets to clear the air with Skyler to an extent and make peace. Walt gets a moment with Holly. Marie will know once and for all where Hank is (it sounds incredibly sad and it is, but she’ll at least know). The Nazis and Lydia are dead. Jesse is free (unless the cops picked him up a mile down the road). This was the first time in who knows how long where things on this show got better for most people involved.

• As stated above, I’m not disappointed with the way things ended, but something did seem a little off during the episode and I think it was that lack of tension. The lack of build up. There was the scene with Gretchen and Elliott and the scene at the end with Walt, Jesse and the Nazis, but for the most part this episode took on a more peaceful tone.

• I discussed the finale briefly with the people I watch the show with every week and what was interesting was that this episode seemed to be somewhat forgettable to us as a group. There was kind of a feeling of, “Well, that was good,” but there was far less to dissect than I anticipated. As my brother pointed out everything kind of happened the way we expected it to and that Walt’s endgame in Albuquerque was executed without any major obstacles. On the former, I’d argue that’s not necessarily a bad thing and I’ve never felt “Breaking Bad” was a show that was about the surprises. I agree on the latter.

• I really liked the way Bryan Cranston played Walt at his end in this episode. The hunched back, the hushed tones, the slow walk. It all showed where the character was as the end neared.

• I think this finale was really satisfying from a story perspective. It was very fitting and everything I can really think of was wrapped up solidly. Walt knows he is done and does the best he can to redeem what he can which isn’t a whole lot. Story wise this really worked for me.

• I laughed
  • Badger and Skinny Pete…all of it.

• The quotes…
  • Walt: “Just get me home.”
  • Walt: “This should make one hell of a story.”
  • Walt: “Elliott, if we’re going to go that way, you’ll need a bigger knife.”
  • Walt: “Cheer up, beautiful people. This is where you get to make it right.”
  • Skyler: “So talk, why are you here?” Walt: “It’s over and I needed a proper goodbye.”
  • Skyler: “If I have to hear, one more time, that you did this for the family….” Walt: “I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really, I was alive.”
  • Walt: “Before I go, may I see her.”
  • Walt: “Do it. You want this.” Jesse: “Say the words! Say you want this! Nothing happens until I hear you say it!” Walt: “I want this.” Jesse: “Then do it yourself.”

• Overall – This was another strong episode in this final eight of the series. It was different from any other episode really, but it worked especially from a story standpoint. It probably ranks somewhere in the middle of this final eight, but was solid.

• Legacy – I know I shouldn’t do this what with the series just coming to a close, but here is my best attempt at an objective and safe view of how “Breaking Bad” will be remembered as a series. It’s already happened, but I feel this will be a show that others will try to pattern themselves after. It will be one of the most influential shows that comes out of this era and will be in the conversation with the top-tier of shows in recent history. I wouldn’t set it apart from the top tier, but I think it’s among the greats and will be remembered that way. It had the acting, the writing, the characters, the directing, a distinct style, the gorgeous scenery, and a strong vision. I’m going to miss it deeply, but dammit it was a tremendous ride. Thank you Vince Gilligan and company.