And so it goes for Breaking Bad as a whole, which ended about as perfectly, to my mind, as it possibly could have. This was a reflexive episode for a reflexive series, a story about a man who, from the very first episode, wanted to forge his legacy on his own terms, cooking crystal meth and committing increasingly unspeakable crimes in an effort to be the arbiter of his own fate. In the end, Walter White ultimately got what he wanted – an ending he dictated himself – and yet as “Felina” makes clear, through its own reflexive structure and beautifully comic ending, the image Walt built for himself, and the story he tried so hard to construct, was never as grand as the one he had in his head.
This show could have ended in so many ways, and at so many points – including this season – but I am overjoyed it ended here, on a complex note that encapsulates, to me, everything that Breaking Bad was about: The mixture of darkness and absurdity in everyday life; the distance between self-perception and outward image; the self-fulfilling drive of criminal actions; the weight of consequence, and how we react when we feel it settle in; and perhaps most interestingly to me, the nature of storytelling as something we all engage in to justify our own failings and transgressions, and how the narrative webs we weave for ourselves (and all the characters, not just Walt, try weaving for themselves at one point or another over the life of the series) are as delusional and destructive as they are inescapable.
And on a production level, “Felina” was a fabulous tribute to the amazing performances and craftsmanship that built this wonderful show. Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, and Aaron Paul each delivered some of their very best work to date. Dave Porter’s original music was hauntingly beautiful throughout. Michael Slovis’ cinematography was, as always, immaculate. Vince Gilligan’s direction was precise, controlled, tense, and effective, his writing sparse and powerful.
In short, Breaking Bad left the television landscape reminding us why it left such a big impression in the first place. This was bold, zany, audacious, intelligent, emotional, and exhilarating television, one of the finest programs ever to air on TV, and one of the great pieces of modern American fiction. “Felina” did not need to be as good as it was to ensure that legacy. But Breaking Bad nearly always went the extra mile, and here, at the very end, I might even say that legacy was heightened for me. For in making me laugh, unexpectedly and uncontrollably, “Felina” reinforced what an endlessly rich piece of fiction this was, putting Walter White’s story in perspective even as it guaranteed this tale as one I will never forget.
Be sure to check out our companion piece to this review: 6 Outstanding Moments From The Breaking Bad Finale. And thanks to JoBlo for creating the excellent tribute video shown above.