In “Ozymandias” Walt told Skyler, and us, “I’ve still got things left to do.” This episode shows us some of the things he may have had in mind, but it wasn’t until last episode that Elliot and Gretchen were re-introduced into the story, and we knew they would factor into the finale somehow. Walt’s impotent rage towards them is both absurd and evil, and also a little bit understandable. They’re annoying as hell, right? Their entire conversation when they get home in this episode, on top of their pretentious tones on Charlie Rose, is pretty insufferable, and seeing them get threatened is not unwelcome. I think I’ve been playing too much Grand Theft Auto lately.
The moment the lasers hit their bodies is the first big shock of the episode. For a few minutes we think Heisenberg is back with a vengeance, organized more than ever and with a team of assassins at his back. The punchline that it’s Badger and Skinny Pete, then, exposes the makeshift operation Walter really has going for him. But it’s also fascinating that in his quest for some kind of redemption, he’s still a little bit in love with his Heisenberg persona and happy to use it to his advantage if it means exerting power over his former friends, as if that translates into some kind of victory for him.
