What is there to say about Breaking Bad that I haven't already said a dozen or more times before? My favorite show on television, one of the best series I've ever watched, and just plain outstanding television,Breaking Bad is now officially over, closing with what may be their best season ever - and when you're comparing that to what this show is capable of, that's no small feat, is it? If the first half of season 5 found Walt trying to step away from his crimes, the final stretch of episodes proved that there's no eluding justice and karma, as Walt was forced to own up to the destruction he had caused - and, more importantly, his own culpability in all of it. Before we got there, of course, showrunner Vince Gilligan had to turn the screws just a little more, letting our jaws drop as Walt outmaneuvered his brother-in-law, threatened and bullied his way into safety...only to have it all come apart in an episode called "Ozymandias," an episode which may go down as the single most intense, draining, exciting, and just plain incredible TV episode I've ever seen. By the time "Ozymandias" was over, the reason for the poetic allusion in the title was obvious: to paraphrase the poet, nothing else remained of the once great Heisenberg and all he had built. For any other show, that would be enough, but not Breaking Bad, which followed up "Ozymandias" with the knockout "Granite State," an episode that followed Walter to the absolute rock bottom of his life (and, more interestingly, an episode that managed to truly find sympathy for the devil). And as if two all-time great episodes of TV weren't enough, Gilligan and crew delivered that rarest of things: a great, enjoyable finale that felt earned, satisfying, exciting, and just plain fulfilling. The end result? A show that never had a single bad episode; a show that transcended its pulp roots at times to become something far more beautifully tragic and thoughtful; a show that excelled at suspense, tension, and dramatic payoffs; and a show that featured some of the finest acting not only on television, but the finest acting of the year, period - and I'm not just talking about Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, but also Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt, Dean Norris, and RJ Mitte, all of whom brought their A-games to bear in this final season. So, yes, my favorite show on TV is over. But it ended so well, so strongly that I can't help but be satisfied with it all; while I will definitely miss it, I'm glad that it went out on its own terms, and went out so damn well.
- Josh Mauthe
- Josh Mauthe
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