Pre-confession (scene analysis from Ep 511)
Ep 511 (21:11) – Hank and Marie watch Walt’s confession
As Walt and Skyler and Hank and Marie enter the Mexican restaurant for their summit meeting, the contrasts are stark. The restaurant is filled with color, upbeat music, and happy people chatting over their meals. But there’s a dark cloud over each of our four major characters. The intensity of the scene is at times awkward and even unbearable, especially after the multiple visits from the overly cheerful waiter.
You could almost watch the scene on mute, and still figure out its meaning. Walt and Skyler are dressed in white, crème, and other light colors, suggesting their claims of innocence. Just looking at Walt’s relaxed, smug face, the viewer can tell that he’s confident that he’s woven a perfect web of lies and manipulation that will prevent anyone from learning the truth. Hank and Marie’s dark clothing–black and dark purple-seems to foreshadow the blackmail that is coming for them. This is one of the few scenes where Marie is dressed in some color other than purple. There’s clearly something extra-ordinary going on. Near the end of the scene, Marie’s color choice becomes significant again when she suggests that Walt just kill himself. It’s almost as if Marie is dressed for a funeral.
Skyler is flushed with what looks like a combination of guilt and fear. She unrolls her napkin as if it’s just another normal family dinner. But in reality, no one is there to eat. Skyler in this scene continues down the path she’s been on recently–defending Walt and pretending like they can live life as normal without any repercussions. Right after Skyler grabs her napkin, Marie says “how can you sit there and listen to this?” and questions if she is really worried about her kids being safe. At this moment, Skyler seems to have lost her sense of reality. Her face shows fear, but she still claims that she and her children are safe.
This scene represents the sum total of Walt’s manipulation. He plays the cancer card, and notes that he’s recently told Walter Jr that he has cancer again saying. Knowing how much Hank and Skyler care for Walter Jr, he asks them to think about how he’ll handle the news that his father is a drug lord who’s going to jail. Watching Hank’s face, you can see that Walt’s manipulation of his son’s emotions is just more fuel for the fire.
Finally, as the scene in the restaurant approaches the end, Walt slides recorded “confession” on a DVD across the table to Hank. Fittingly, it’s blue like Walt’s meth. — Zoe N.
Jesse’s realization (scene analysis from Ep 511)
Ep 511 (40:44) – Jesse’s realization
Throughout season 5, the viewer is left questioning whether or not Jesse will uncover the mystery behind the ricin cigarette and the poisoning of Brock. By episode 511, it seems that Jesse is finally ready to make his break from Walter White and create a new (and hopefully happier) life for himself. Of course, this is the very moment that Jesse that pieces everything together.
The camera shows Jesse as a tiny spec on the sidewalk across the highway. The background is a beautiful bright blue sky with large ugly blocks of concrete along with sand and dead trees in the foreground. Jesse is made to look small and insignificant as several cars pass by while waits for his ride to freedom. He nervously bites his finger nails and paces the sidewalk. Eventually, Jesse tries to find his bag of marijuana in his pocket, but can’t find it. Frantic now, he begins patting himself down searching for the bag, finding nothing until he pulls out his pack of cigarettes. The camera cuts around and circles Jesse, giving the impression that Jesse’s head is spinning. The light bulb goes off in Jesse’s head–Either Saul or Huell took his weed. The camera focuses solely on Jesse’s hand holding the box of cigarettes, and then flashes to his face filled with fear and anger. This clip, in conjunction with the music chosen for the scene, gives the viewer the idea that Jesse has had an epiphany. Though Jesse says nothing, the viewer can infer that Jesse’s thought–If Huell took the marijuana, he must also be the one who stole the ricin cigarette.
At this moment of realization, the man fetching Jesse to help him disappear drives up to the curb and parks a few feet from him. He’s driving a late model minivan with dark windows, only allowing Jesse to see his silhouette. Again the camera flashes between the cigarettes in Jesse’s hand to his determined and enraged face. He breathes heavily as he debates whether to make his escape or to go after Saul, Huell, and inevitably Walt for poisoning Brock. As Jesse angrily picks his bags up off of the dusty ground, the camera rapidly zooms out as in the beginning of the scene. Jesse stomps off toward vengeance.
In part because there’s no dialogue in the scene, cinematography is crucial. Early in the scene, the camera makes it appear that Jesse and his decisions are insignificant in the scheme of everything around him. But when he discovers the cruelty of Saul and Huell (and ultimately Walter), the camera zooms in on Jesse, showing him as a newly dominant and determined figure.
The music too adds emotional power. Even when the camera isn’t focused on Jesse’s face, the viewer can sense his anger just by listening to Dave Porter’s intense composition “Almost Alaska.”
This scene is fairly short and simple, but it’s one of the most important scenes in the episode and even the season. The viewer has known for a while that Walter used Saul and Huell to assist him in poisoning Brock. However, once Jesse comes to this realization, it’s a turning point for his feelings toward Walter and their meth empire. — Rachel G.
One last flash-back (scene analysis from Ep 514)
Ep 514 (4:32) – Teaser image – Walt, Jesse, & the RV disappearing in the desert
Episode 514 (Ozymandias) opens with a teaser, the 25th and last time this time-bending device is used in the series. In the first shot, we see a close-up a flask of water quickly reaching the boiling point back from the time of Walt and Jesse’s first cook. Throughout the scene, viewers are reminded about how far characters have come (or fallen) since the beginning of the series.
By season 5, we may have forgotten how Walt and Jesse interacted back in season 1. But in the teaser, we see once again Walt as the innocent (at least somewhat), caring, and sympathetic figure because of his cancer diagnosis. He’s again the earnest (if sometimes overbearing) teacher describing to Jesse the various chemical processes involved in making meth, sometimes lecturing in his legendary tighty- whities.
This flash-back brings us back to when most everyone liked Walt because he was just trying to save some money to leave for his family after he dies. His love for his family is seen in his telephone conversation with Skyler. He talks with her with such sincerity and love that for a moment he forgets why he called and begins talking with Skyler about the baby daughter they’re expecting and about picking up his family pizza for dinner. Walt’s face lights up at the mention of his daughter in a way that shows a father’s genuine love.
The Walt of season 1 is willing to admit his ignorance or shortcomings in some areas. Talking to Skyler on the phone, he acknowledges that she knows more about art than he does. It’s very different from the Walt by season 5, who must be in a position of superiority at all times. Even Walt’s lie to Skyler (about his whereabouts) is done in a fumbling, amateurish way. Before calling, he practices by reciting multiple lies trying to find the most believable version. However, when Skyler answers her phone, he completely forgets his “master” lie and coughs up a less detailed version. He even talks with Skyler about taking a short vacation together that leads them reminisce.
Throughout her conversation with Walter, Skyler is shown as the more dominant person in the relationship. Though in a very subtle way, Skyler is the one suggesting baby names and that Walt take pity on his pregnant wife and pick them up a pizza for dinner on his way home. As we now know, Skyler ends up getting the baby name she wanted. Despite her advanced pregnancy, Skyler continues to take pride in reselling art works on the internet. All of this shows that she is a strong and independent woman. It also leads viewers to view Walt’s original intentions for cooking meth as based on love for and desire to provide for family.
Jesse’s character in the flash-back teaser is the reckless, befuddled teenager, the child who constantly asks questions but disregards his elder/father. Cooking meth with Walt reminded Jesse of being back in high school chemistry class with Mr. White as his teacher. He still doesn’t like Walt’s condescending teacherly tone of voice. Jesse isn’t interested in listening to anything Walt has to say. He doesn’t care about learning the process Walt is trying to teach him. More than that, he’s downright careless–not wearing protective clothing and smoking near the RV.
The Jesse of season 1 shows another kind of innocence compared with Walt’s. He tries to talk and act tough especially in front of Walt, but his true character comes through in his play sword fighting as Walt is talking on the phone with Skyler. Because viewers at this point have 5 seasons of context, they know that Jesse’s innocence, like Walt’s earlier characteristics, will quickly fade and decay.
The teaser ends powerfully. As the camera has objects fade in and out, we realize that we’re back in the present, and are struck by how much the series’ major characters have changed. Especially by the end of episode 514, we realize that Walt is no longer the family man we once took him to be. Similarly, Jesse and Skyler are no longer the innocent figures they were at the beginning of the series. Their connection with Walt and the meth business has nearly destroyed everything and everyone they love. – Ethan J.
Hank’s last moments (scene analysis from Ep 514)
Ep 514 (10:31) – Hank reads the situation
Episode 514 (Ozymandias) is widely and rightly regarded as one of the finest hours of television ever produced. Much of this reputation is owed the heartbreaking scene showing Hank Schrader’s death. It’s difficult to move or even breathe during Hank’s last moments.
Ozymandias is the only episode to not begin with a short introduction followed by opening credits. Almost half the episode has run by the time the customary title screen appears. This adds to the building tension that permeates every moment of the scene, the sense that at any moment the world of Breaking Bad is going to implode. Walt’s desperation is evident as he struggles to convince Jack to spare Hank, a swift departure from the terrifying, calculated actions that have come to define Heisenberg for much of season 5. Instead, we see only Walter White, invoking the word “family” in one final attempt to save Hank. Of course, family has been Walt’s excuse from the start, his way of condoning all that he’s done. It’s only fitting that Walt would try and use family as a way to reverse his actions, now that they’ve spiraled out of his control.
One of the things that builds the power of Hank’s death is silence. After the gunshot–which rings out and seems to echo off the canyon walls as the camera pans towards them–we’re given almost 15 seconds of silence. All we hear is the faint wind, barely a murmur, as the focus zooms in on Walter’s face. Few actors are capable of conveying a plethora of emotions silently. Cranston truly shines here. With each passing second, Walt’s expression shifts from disbelief to horror to a pure, unadulterated grief that is genuinely painful to behold. Despite his recent tough actions and talk (“tread lightly” and the rest), it’s clear that Walt has truly loved Hank. He’s willing to lose his fruits of his “work”– $80 million that has cost him so much — to save Hank. But despite all the money and power he wields as Heisenberg, he cannot save Hank.
As Walt falls to the ground sobbing, glasses askew, his face parallels Gus Fring’s in the flashback to his partner’s death at the hands of Hector Salamanca in episode 408 (Hermanos). Gus also lies parallel, sobbing openly into the camera, over the loss of someone he counted as close as a brother. Gus has said that he and Walt aren’t similar, but the comparison of episodes 408 and 514 shows significant similarities. In order to amass their wealth and prospective empires, both Gus and Walt have had to sacrifice something deeply close to them.
It’s impossible to discuss this scene without giving due credit to Dean Norris. Hank starts the series as a simple, hyper-masculine, gun-toting foil to pre-Heisenberg Walter White. But his character grows through the series and becomes just as nuanced and fascinating a character as a Walt, through his struggles with PTSD and his determination to catch the elusive Heisenberg. By season 5, Hank is arguably the hero of the story.
Norris brilliantly and heartbreakingly conveys the affection that remains hidden within Hank for Walt during his final moments. Walt truly is the smartest man Hank’s ever known, and he’s bragged about his brilliance on more than one occasion throughout the series. Yet Walt can also be the most stupid or blind man. Hank dies courageously and unapologetically, Norris conveying his character’s bravery perfectly with only a few lines.
Hank’s death begins the slowly growing mountain of tension that permeates the final three episodes, a stomach-turning sense of impending something, whether it be doom or justice or grace or vengeance. Although viewers might debate these themes, nonetheless Hank’s death drastically changes the course of the show. The silence immediately following the gunshot that kills Hank encapsulates this. The loss of brave, brash, good Hank has changed everything. — Casey D.
“It’s over” (scene analysis from Ep 515)
In the dingy basement of a vacuum cleaner repair shop, Walter White and Saul Goodman have their last conversation. After a string of deals, capers, and crimes, it’s finally time for them to part ways and to take on new identities in new places. However, Walt is not ready to let go. Pridefully, he still believes that he can fix things–at least for his family. Saul is more realistic. He knows that life as he knows it will never be the same. He got himself into increasingly trouble once he agreed to work with Walter White, and now he has to run. For the first time in their working relationship, Saul puts his foot down. He says no to Walter White and to Heisenberg, the identities so intertwined that it is hard to differentiate between them.
By season 5, we’re accustomed to Walt insisting on being in control at all times. So in some ways, we’re not surprised that he arrogantly assumes that Saul will again drop everything to help him. Walt continues to fight for control to the end. He knows that Jack’s gang poses a threat to his family. In Walt’s twisted mind, they have to die in order to ensure his family’s safety. Walt has become so mixed up with his ruthless Heisenberg identity that he can only see violence as the answer.
Saul tries to reason with Walt, encouraging him to turn himself in for the sake of his family, but Walt is unable to consider giving up because of his overweening pride. He notes that he tried to give Skyler cover with his phone call in which he accepted all responsibility for the meth business and money laundering. Walt is an extremely intelligent man. He knows what is going to happen to Skyler because of his disappearance, but instead of protecting her by turning himself in, he tries to convince himself that the police will see her as a “blameless victim.” Once again, Walt’s pride is causing him to do more damage to his family, though he claims he is still looking out for them.
But this scene also shows Walt’s rapid decline and the change in power relations. Saul has seen lives destroyed and businesses crumble because of Walt. He’s done unthinkable things to ensure Walt’s safety. He’s had several near-death experiences–all because of his business with the meth kingpin of the Southwest, the great and mighty Heisenberg. Saul has done all these things in part because of Walt’s growing power over him. But now things have changed. Walt gets in Saul’s face, and viewers are prepared for what he is about to say: It’s not over until I say it’s over (as in episode 501). But that isn’t what Walt says. He gets halfway through the phrase, but then falls into a coughing fit. This illustrates Walt’s growing weakness and impending death. Viewers know that Walt has to die at the end of the series. Even so, his inability to get through a sentence he once said with such malicious power shows that the end is truly near now for Walter White. He still has business to take care of, but slowly but surely, time is running out for Walter White. – Jordan D.
Story in a song: How “Dimple Pinch Neat” packages Breaking Bad’s major themes (scene analysis from Ep 515)
Ep 515 (52:38) – Walt leaves his drink at the bar (over Dave Porter’s Dimple Pinch Neat)
It’s no secret that the second part of season 5 of Breaking Bad, considered in some ways a mini-season in itself, revives many aspects of the series as a whole. Settings, character roles, decisions and even dialogue are all re-used effectively to bring the whole show to a coherent close. Perhaps most importantly, the events of the show’s conclusion revisit many themes that have been ubiquitous in the series. Many of these themes, including Walt’s personality duality, are particularly evident in the final scene of the penultimate episode, “Granite State.”
What may be the most crucial element to revealing key themes in this scene is the music. As Walt watches the Schwartzes on television, a slow rumble begins in the background. This music culminates in a scene of faceless police officers entering the bar to the tune of Dave Porter’s“Dimple Pinch Neat.” The song soon becomes recognizable as the show’s main theme, partially played during the title sequence of each episode. Until this point in the series, this music has been used exclusively for this purpose. After 62 episodes of such use, viewers are effectively conditioned to listen for the iconic riff, associating it with Breaking Bad and with Walter White in particular. Tactfully placed after a brief “teaser” in each episode, the theme music indicates that the scene just played is just a taste of what is to come. In whatever follows, we’re fully confident that Walter White will feature front and center.
Suppose this conditioning is meant to be applied to the final moments of “Granite State,” as well. Considering the typical use of the theme music, it’s possible to read the entire show up to this point as a teaser to the finale. This isn’t to say that the rest of the show can be discarded as a simple prelude. Instead, this view would render the final episode as the “real” show for which audiences have been waiting. In one sense, this panders to the audience that Vince Gilligan has in the palm of his hand. We anticipate watching the final episode after viewing the complete series in the same way that we anticipate watching any given episode after viewing the teaser. However, the music reflects far more than just the audience’s excitement. Gilligan has made numerous statements regarding his desire to create a story whose characters face real consequences. Indeed, the theme of consequence has been a major focus of the last several episodes. Walt’s life (and his empire) finally crumbles around him with the deaths of Hank and Steve, the loss of his riches, his alienation from his family, and his exile to New Hampshire. If the music discussed earlier is used to indicate the true heart of the show, then it indicates in the final scene of this episode the centrality of consequences to the overall series given the focus of the series finale. In other words, the music implicitly says: “This is whatBreaking Bad is all about.” Through this interpretation, the final episodes are critical to understanding the impact the show is meant to have.
If the finale is in this way the “real” Breaking Bad, then the person depicted in the final episode is the “real” Walter White. Much of the show, especially in earlier seasons, portrays Walt split between his personalities of Mr. White and Heisenberg. At times, he’s able to alternate between the two men as easily as donning a mask. However, as his the show progresses, Walt finds it much harder to separate Mr. White from Heisenberg. Many viewers thus reasonably ask: Which persona is the true one? The theme music helps us to answer this question. The gradual musical introduction as Walt sits in the bar mimics pent-up energy, building up to a powerful release represented by a harsh guitar and reverberating bass drum. For Walt, this stifled energy is a lifetime of disappointment, and his release, lining up perfectly with the song’s climax, becomes apparent in the shot of the empty barstool. The final episode, “Felina,” reveals that this release was accomplished by fully discarding Mr. White in favor of the volatile Heisenberg.
Diegetic elements support this conclusion. Gretchen can be heard during this tense moment declaring that “whatever he became, the . . . man that we once knew . . . he’s gone.” This supports the conclusion that Heisenberg fully supplanted Mr. White. However, Gretchen may have missed the mark in assuming that Heisenberg has consumed the “sweet” Walter White like a virus consumes a body. If Porter’s music indicates that the portrayal of Walt is now more real, or perhaps more truthful, than those before, then Walt’s transformation is less like a man altering his identity than a man dispensing with a false identity to allow his true self to become apparent.
These are not the only key themes embodied in this scene. Nor is the music the only element that reveals them. Rather, the music acts as a sort of wrapping paper for many other elements. The show’s western undertones are reflected quite clearly in these moments. The rustic bar at which Walt orders his Dimple Pinch Scotch Whisky resembles a classic wild west saloon you might see in a movie. The wailing guitar in Porter’s composition also recalls country soundtracks, though with an admittedly darker mood. Walt himself fills in the role of the lone-wolf style outlaw, sans hat and holster. Several other themes, present from season one, resurface through the interview with the Schwartzes. One such theme is Walt’s early life failures, referenced through Eliot and Gretchen’s discussion of Gray Matter’s inception and Walt’s role therein. Another is Walt’s pride in his methamphetamine empire. The interviewer, Charlie Rose, revives this theme when he notes that Walt’s signature blue meth is still being produced. Even Walt’s struggle to provide for his family was recently revisited through his phone call to Flynn. The convergence of all of these themes is incredibly well-orchestrated. Through music, setting, dialogue, and other elements, this closing scene provides a brilliant summary of Breaking Bad as a whole, setting the stage for the series’ conclusion. – Jacob E.
Walt–from unhinged to action hero (scene analysis from Ep 516)
Ep 516 (14:25) – Walt instructs Elliott and Gretchen
The series finale of Breaking Bad, “Felina,” is a wonderfully written and acted ending to a show that has achieved excellence in both of those categories over the course of its five seasons. The creative team behind “Felina” works together to create a fitting ending that brought logical and satisfying conclusions to the story and tied up any loose ends. One such loose end was Gretchen and Elliot Schwartz–Walt’s old friends and business partners and the billionaire owners of Gray Matter Technologies.
Up until the finale, the last time Walter had interacted with the Schwartzes was in episode 206 when he met with Gretchen to explain to her why he’d been lying to his family about the where the money for his cancer treatment was coming from. At that point in the series, we saw Walt’s alter ego of Heisenberg emerge more powerfully, with terrifying results. After trying to talk with Walt and realizing how much he has changed from the mild-mannered man she once knew, Gretchen tells Walt with deep sincerity and concern, “I feel sorry for you.” At this point, Walt’s countenance quickly becomes hardened, and with a quiet, concentrated rage he spews a hate-filled, “F*** you,” at Gretchen.
The scene in season 2 raised the question about why Walt is no longer involved with Gray Matter. According to Gretchen, Walt walked out on her and Elliot. In contrast, Walt feels that Gretchen and Elliot cut him out of this rightful part in Gray Matter. Overall, it is difficult to conclude who is more to blame in the situation, but one thing becomes abundantly clear during their conversation in episode 206–Walt is coming unhinged. His anger and discontent with his life has become more exacerbated as he gives over control to his prideful, hateful alter ego. Overall, the Walt portrayed in this scene is one without control, meant to be viewed with shock and fear.
Now, fast forward to Walt’s latest and last interaction with Gretchen and Elliot in “Felina.” The scene begins with Gretchen and Elliot getting out of their car, some time after their interview with Charlie Rose in which they called Walt a monster and denied him having any involvement in the creation of Gray Matter. They’re engaging in light banter about food, and don’t even notice Walt sitting in the shadows as they walk through the courtyard of their multi-million dollar home. As Walt follows them in, he does so with a casual stroll, marveling at the size and beauty of the house with a kind of blasé amusement. Gretchen and Elliot continue their congenial conversation in the kitchen as Walt examines family photos of them nearby. The couple does not even notice Walt until Gretchen goes to turn on the fireplace, turns around, and lets out a shrill cry when she sees him, looking worn and tattered. Elliot runs over to her side as Walt calmly greets them, and with that soothing, sadistic tone that only he can achieve, says, “I saw you on Charlie Rose. You looked great. You both did.” Elliot holds up a cheese knife for defense, and Walt matter-of-factly states, “Elliot, if you want to go that way you’re going to need a bigger knife.”
The scene illustrates the disdain and anger that Walt feels toward Gretchen and Elliot. These emotions drove Walt in his meeting with Gretchen in season 2. The same emotions are here in season 5, but they’re presented in a different light. Instead of being nearly unhinged with rage, Walt maintains a controlled intensity, allowing him to offer up witty one-liners such as “You’re going to need a bigger knife.” This calm, cool, and collected Walt seems more like a character from a James Bond movie than the Walt who last interacted with Gretchen. Even from this early part of the scene, the viewer can’t help but cheer for Walt. With the way the dialogue is written and Cranston acts it out, Walt appears simultaneously apathetic and intense, giving him a quirky likeability reserved only for crooked action heroes like John Wayne or Han Solo.
As the scene continues, Walt maintains his cool, forceful demeanor, explaining to Gretchen and Elliot how they will give his $9.72 million to Walter, Jr. in the form of an irrevocable trust and quieting any of their objections along the way. This is the only point in the scene where Walt even remotely resembles the version of himself that last met with Gretchen, barely snarling as he commands the two of them to use his money and his money alone to pay for any costs or lawyer fees. Then, Walt’s action hero status in the scene is solidified when he gives a signal and the red lasers of two hired assassins appear through the window. He threatens that if Gretchen and Elliot fail to get the money to his family, the assassins will kill them when they least expect it. In a heist-like fashion befitting an Ocean’s movie, the viewer later comes to find that the “assassins” are really Jesse’s dopey friends, Skinny Pete and Badger.
Finally, Walt gives one last one-liner as he leaves Gretchen and Elliot standing in fear in shock: “Don’t worry, beautiful people, this is where you get to make it right.” Clearly, Walt still feels just as slighted as when he last talked with Gretchen, but this time around he handles it with such control and style, the viewer cannot help but cheer. Regardless of whether the viewer wants to cheer for Walt or even thinks that he should be portrayed in this manner, one thing cannot be denied–Walt gets his revenge on Gretchen and Elliot in true action hero fashion. — Brady M.
Walt and Jesse’s farewell (scene analysis from Ep 516)
Ep 516 (50:45)
I did not ever think that my favorite character in Breaking Bad would be as pathetic as Jesse was for much of the series. Jesse and Walt may have created a surprisingly strong relationship, but they were never on an equal plane. Although this dramatic difference in power caused many hardships between the two, it did not undermine how invested the two characters were for each other.
For example, whenever ones’ life was in jeopardy, the other one would go through any means to ensure the other’s survival; usually through the act of murder. They lied to each other, abused each other, and constantly operated behind each other’s backs. Yet paradoxically this seemed to sprout long-term loyalty towards each other. This was a relationship I had never observed before; it was something special.
The scene at the end of “Felina” after the two kill all the members of Jack’s gang and before Jesse drives off to a new life was the proverbial explanation mark–or perhaps a more mundane ellipsis–in the series, marking the end of their intimate yet horrific relationship. More important, this scene demonstrates that the power shift that developed through seasons 4 and 5 has reached its conclusion. Jesse can now indefinitely leave Walt behind.
It must have been difficult for the film makers to write the last scene between two complex characters with such a long and twisting emotional bond shared between them. Walt and Jesse came to know each other through the good, the bad, and the ugly. At first, they had a teacher-student relationship, then a partnership (“fifty-fifty”), and eventually an almost father-son relationship. Despite these changing forms a constant remained. No matter the stage, Walt was always in a position of power.
In Walt and Jesse’s last scene together at the end of “Felina,” Jesse is brought before Walt abused, defeated, and enslaved. But Walt seems to view Jesse differently. Perhaps for the first time in the series, Walt shows remorse as he’s unable to look at Jesse at all. By comparison, Jesse appears strong and intensely stares at Walt with clear distain. Even though chained, Jesse here for the first time is seen as having power over Walt. The tables are turned; now Walt is portrayed as helpless and pathetic.
What follows is the single most significant event symbolizing Jesse’s maturation. He once and for all resists Walt’s manipulation by sparing his life. Walt was defeated and dying. Yet in his cowardice, he tried to use distorted logic to manipulate Jesse one final time. This time, though, Jesse resists. He knows Walt is a coward and can’t face the humiliation of being caught to face his crimes. So in sparing Walt’s life, and forcing him to “do it himself,” Jesse demonstrates his understanding that strength is not measured in controlling others as Walt had done but rather it is the capacity to govern oneself. By withholding all emotion and sparing his life, Jesse caused far greater harm to Walt than killing him ever would. This was Walt’s final and greatest defeat. Throughout everything, thick and thin, Walt could rely upon Jesse’s compliance. However when he was facing a dead end, depending on Jesse one last time, he found himself completely alone.
There was no need for any discussion the last time these two interacted because nothing new needed to be said. Walt now could do nothing else but stare, give a slight nod, and watch Jesse leave him behind. Perhaps even proud or respectful of Jesse, Walt understood Jesse could no longer be influenced, and that he himself was powerless. This silent exchange provided more emotion and closure than any dialogue ever could. It’s a finale that’s bittersweet and anticlimactic but also fitting for these two characters.
There’s one last thing to note about this scene. It serves as a fascinating bookend to the first time Walt and Jesse interacted back in the Pilot episode. In both the first and the last episode of Breaking Bad, Walt is surrounded by police officers while Jesse hurriedly flees the scene. That much is the same. But the depiction of both Walt and Jesse changes dramatically from the beginning to the end of the series.
In the Pilot, Walt appears as the upstanding and more powerful figure who goes on a ride-along with Hank and other DEA agents to bust a home where meth is being produced on a small scale. Jesse is on the second floor as the bust goes down, and is just barely able to flee the scene. Walt and Jesse’s portrayal in Felina demonstrates just how the choices made by each character has left them accountable for their actions. Jesse, who began to operate on a more selfless level, exits the scene literally screaming for joy at being given another shot at life. Walt, who had fallen from his prior self, is left alone and in silence, until the police sirens approach and he falls down dead.
Walt cared for nothing, was left with nothing, and effectively was nothing from the wickedness of his past. – Jon B.
Studying Breaking Bad 