"...and have an A-1 day."

[JayzusB.Christ]

I was torn between wanting to see the wages of sin paid out, and wanting Walt to have at least some solace as he checked out.  On reflection, I am more than happy that the old bastard got something right.

Me too.  Even though Hank is a far better man than Walt, I found myself rooting for the miserable, greedy old bully all the way. 
Think it was Vince Gilligan who described Walt's journey as a transformation from [spoiler]Mr Chips to Scarface[/spoiler] - and the ending was up there with that of the latter.  Poor old Jesse, though - [spoiler]scarred physically and mentally forever; and he was blackmailed into doing it in the first place[/spoiler].   

[radiator]

I like to think that [spoiler]Jesse was able to move on. The exhilarating race away was quite powerfully symbolic I thought - he was leaving everything behind him.[/spoiler]

Also, the [spoiler]carpentry scene was very interesting. On first watching I interpreted it as a daydream - and the wooden box was perhaps symbolising him laying to rest all those he had lost. Though I've read others speculating that it could have either been a flashback (apparently there was a scene in an earlier season where he described lovingly making a wooden box in shop class and being so proud of it, then later trading it for some weed) or potentially a flash-forward to what he will go on to do after. Either way, I feel like it represented Jesse's potential.

I like the ambiguity - there's enough there to believe he went on to find some kind of happiness or peace.[/spoiler]

[TordelBack]

Aye, the box sequence [spoiler]was an idealised flashback to the one thing he was proud of in his life: a job of work well done[/spoiler]: which is of course what Walt's final words to Skylar dwell on too.  Note that even in his appalling circumstances [spoiler]Jesse manages to perfect, possibly even improve on, Walt's recipe[/spoiler], if Todd Damon is to be believed.  Jesse has the potential to truly apply himself, to be creative and focused and precise, and [spoiler]I think we all hope that that is what he goes on to do[/spoiler].

Even though Hank is a far better man than Walt, I found myself rooting for the miserable, greedy old bully all the way. 

Hank is a fascinating character.  Under all the bravado and crudeness, a genuinely intuitive and meticulous cop, and a supportive family man in trying circumstances: along with Gomez probably the most decent adult in the show, and [spoiler]he deserved better[/spoiler].  I was also amazed that we got through 5 seasons with no hint of corruption in the DEA - at several points I was sure that Gus was paying off Hank's boss, or that Gomez was passing information to the syndicate.

[Link Prime]

RE: The carpentry scene

[spoiler]Though I've read others speculating that it could have either been a flashback (apparently there was a scene in an earlier season where he described lovingly making a wooden box in shop class and being so proud of it, then later trading it for some weed) [/spoiler]

I was convinced it was a flashback reference to that comment he previously made.
Also, I don't think he had the facial scars in the carpentry scene, strengthening the flashback theory.

[JayzusB.Christ]

RE: The carpentry scene

[spoiler]Though I've read others speculating that it could have either been a flashback (apparently there was a scene in an earlier season where he described lovingly making a wooden box in shop class and being so proud of it, then later trading it for some weed) [/spoiler]

I was convinced it was a flashback reference to that comment he previously made.
Also, I don't think he had the facial scars in the carpentry scene, strengthening the flashback theory.

I'm about 98% sure you're right.  It was an idealised memory, yes, but a memory nevertheless:  It happened exactly as he described in rehab a few seasons ago.  (I watched every episode within a month - things are still fresh in my mind)

[GrinningChimera]

The carpentry scene is definitely a flashback, confirmed by the commentary track on the dvd.

I heard people had mixed reactions on the ending, but I struggle to see how it could have ended any other way. I was worried we were going to end up with another Sopranos (biggest disappointment ever) so I was more than happy to see all the loose ends tied up. At the end of the day,[spoiler] Walt had to die. He had done too many bad things[/spoiler]. The best scene for me was when he was in the house with Skyler near the end and he [spoiler]admits to doing it for himself that that he enjoyed it[/spoiler]. That made it a happy ending. Best t.v series ever.

[TordelBack]

The best scene for me was when he was in the house with Skyler near the end and he [spoiler]admits to doing it for himself that that he enjoyed it[/spoiler].

Yeah that was great, maybe one of the few scenes since the very beginning where we see the real Walt, stripped of all the roles he plays.  And I loved how that played into Jessie and [spoiler]the box flashback[/spoiler] - the exact same emotion, but for a different reason. 

[DaveGYNWA]

I held off on Breaking Bad for a few years as my wife didn't get on with the pilot episode, and we had loads of other things to watch at the time. When the end was nigh, I held off until the series had finished and piled on to Netflix to watch them all....was on at least 3 episodes a night, sometimes 4 or 5.

Finished it on Friday night - and so glad I waited and overdosed on them. Some of the twists and turns that happened were fantastic - it's not often I am surprised by something in a show, but this just blew me away....the best of which was the end of "One Minute" in Season 3 where [spoiler]Walt drives into the 2 dealers, then gets out of the car and shoots on in the head and tells Jesse to run.[/spoiler] Took my breath away. Actually, Season 3 had loads of bits like that.

Just brilliant stuff.....and by the end of Season 5, my wife had become hooked in to it too. We're going to watch it all the way through at a leisurely pace again soon, so she can enjoy it fully.

[Mikey]

There's a thread for this? Huh. I was yapping about it on the 'box set' thread, I could've targetted my frustration here if I'd known.

That 'One minute' episode was probably he highlight of the whole thing for me.

M.

[DaveGYNWA]

Just realised that the episode I referred to as "One Minute" is actually "Half Measures" - man, reading over the episodes in season 3 and there are so many highlights.

[Buttonman]

Mike's 'No half measures' speech is a series highlight - "there was so much blood you could taste the metal in the air" - or something like that.