Now this may sound like a nitpicky BS criticism to make of any entertainment product (“Ok sure, but don’t you think it was just a little….too perfect?”), but it deserves at least a little consideration. After all, Breaking Bad became a show that dove headfirst into chaos and seemed to spin off more out of control mayhem every time Walt thought he had brought an end to things. It was a show primarily concerned with actions and consequences mixed together with unforeseeable chance occurrences: a recipe that results in endless repercussions and makes closure nearly impossible.
But because this was a television series with a limited run, closure was necessary, and the framing around Walter White’s death as not the end of the consequences of his actions but of all actions he could take seemed fitting. His final act, while dramatic and spectacular, was very much in keeping with the actions he took when he was faced with a combination of indignation and mortality from the ongoing creep of his cancer. What’s more, this is not really that much different than the end of “Face Off,” where his plan is executed to perfection and he offs Gus’ face. He’s always been a character who operates best when his back is against the wall. It’s just that in his death, there are no more loose ends the show is interested in pursuing anymore. I’m a fan of the end of The Sopranos, but a conclusion that feels conclusive isn’t anathema just because David Chase didn’t do it that way.
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Published: Oct 18, 2013 08:30 am