<p>Marie had no idea of the desert showdown. She was operating from the truth from her perspective, what she knew was happening, that Hank had Walt in custody. In her mind, the time to tell Junior was now. In arming him with the truth, it allowed him to man up and defend his mom when the time came. To him, it was a simple matter of right and wrong, good and bad, regardless if the people at odds were his own parents whom he loves. His defense of Skyler and calling the police and reporting Walt was one of my favorite scenes in the whole series.</p>
<p>As katiamom says, BB shows the evolution and change of characters, and Junior goes thru change the same as everyone else.</p>
<p>Tonight’s episode, the penultimate one of the series, is called “Granite States”. Internet theories seem to think it has something to do with Walt returning to New Hampshire, known as the granite state, and this is where Walt’s ID says he is from. Of course, we know there are probably numerous other things it refers to as well.</p>
<p>The final episode is called Felina. Possible meaning: Fe-iron Li-Lithium Na-Salt, so in other words, blood, meth and tears. Numerous other meanings, you can look them up if you want. It’s also the letters in the word “Finale”.</p>
<p>Both episodes with be 75 minutes long with commercials, so plan accordingly if you’re taping it!</p>
<p>I’m not taping a thing, Miller514 - I’d watch this live even if George Clooney knocked on my door at 8:59 PM and asked if he could watch the Emmys on my set.</p>
<p>I have been wondering just what the writers are getting at with “Felina.” Many people have pointed out a possible connection to the Marty Robbins song “El Paso,” but I’m darned if I can really see how the lyrics might relate closely enough. This show’s brilliant use of music is one of its great strengths, so if that’s it, I’m sure it will work. How brilliant was “Times Are Getting Hard” last week?</p>
<p>I’ve read some really creative and intriguing speculation online this week about where the story can go from here. It’s just speculation, but some of these online commentators could probably hold their own in the BB writers’ room. I have to say again how amazed I am at the high quality of the shows in this last half-season. Just two episodes to go, but even if the last ones flag a bit, I’ll still be thrilled with what Vince Gilligan and company have given us. And if they stick the landing, even more so.</p>
<p>Ha, ha, for sure about the George Clooney fantasy! He better bring popcorn, right?</p>
<p>From what I gather, there are two Marty Robbins songs about El Paso. Yes, one is El Paso, but there is a sequel to that particular song called “Feleena (from El Paso)”.</p>
<p>According to Wikipedia, the story line goes: Her lover returns to El Paso and as Feleena goes to run to him, the cowboy motions to her to stay out of the line of fire and is shot; immediately after his dying kiss, Feleena shoots herself with his gun. Their ghosts are heard to this day in the wind blowing around El Paso: “It’s only the young cowboy showing Feleena the town”.</p>
<p>Hm. Is this foreshadowing the death of Skyler? I for one hope not, but all bets are off!</p>
<p>Anna Gunn claims the last three episodes are breathtaking. She’s right so far.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tip about the “El Paso” sequel, Miller514. I am holding out hope for Skyler, but it doesn’t really look so good.</p>
<p>Just to demonstrate the amount of time I have spent reading about this (and enjoying every minute), here are two more articles about the BB finale - this time, how Shakespeare might have handled it:</p>
<p>Both of which make a lot of sense and offer some intriguing suggestions. One commenter who might really have something suggested that the ricin could be like the poison Claudius intends for Hamlet at the end of the play. Walt plans to use it against someone - the awful Lydia, ideally - but the wrong person gets it in the end.</p>
<p>Fun fact: Michael Bowen, who is so outstanding as Uncle Jack, is the half-brother of David and Keith Carradine.</p>
<p>Ooo, thanks for the Shakespeare links, I will definitely read them! Never thought about it from that angle, and will share with my son as well. Oh, no wonder “Uncle Jack” had a ring of familiarity about him! And OMG, the ricin possibly going to the unintended??? We might all be screaming at our TV’s: "Don’t drink it!!! Don’t drink it!!!
Signed, slightly obsessed as well</p>
<p>Miller514 - thanks for doing the homework (bet you were a very good student) and sharing it with us. I’m on the fence about watching tonight live or DVR the first half and then skip the commercials. Decisions, decisions. </p>
<p>BTW, if George Clooney knocks on anyone’s door, it will be mine. I love him more
And no, he’d never want to watch the Emmys over BB. This man has class & taste. ;)</p>
<p>Breaking Bad fans: If this question doesn’t belong here, feel free to tell me to start my own thread. But I have tried to get into watching this show several times and get stuck on the whole premise of Walt as a good guy to start with. </p>
<p>Am I wrong that we the viewers are initially supposed to be sympathetic to Walt’s meth dealing because of his illness, his financial problems, his son’s disability, and his wife’s pregnancy? That we are supposed to think that if we were in a similar situation we might be tempted to do the same thing?</p>
<p>If so, I guess I do but only to a very small extent - because unlike some people who really do lack good alternatives for income, I cannot imagine that Walt does not have life insurance. So why would he choose to spend his remaining time engaged in an activity that could send him to prison for the rest of his (short) life? I don’t get it.</p>
<p>Yes, we are supposed to feel empathy for Walt during the first few episodes, at least. Would we be tempted to do the same thing? Not at all, but given his circumstances, we (or at least I) can understand his actions. Until we see that it’s not possible to do evil without becoming evil. But going in, we want Walt somehow to leave his family secure. Another reason we (or again, at least I) felt empathy for Walt at first is because he received so little respect from the people around him - students, brother-in-law, boss at the second job, former colleagues, even his wife. </p>
<p>True, if he’d had a better financial adviser and bought sufficient life insurance, he might not have felt so desperate - but then we wouldn’t have had 5 seasons of simply great television.</p>
<p>@Amesie, I never had much sympathy for Walt beyond the first episode. His manipulative, angry nature was pretty clear from the get-go. Initially I had a hard time getting into the show. I went back because there was so much conversation about it I felt left out LOL. Gradually it pulled me in because it got so darn interesting.</p>
<p>My one annoyance with the show is the way they treat Walt’s cancer. It’s the ostensible reason for his felonious deeds, but frankly he is too damn healthy, it’s not believable. My mother had lung cancer, you don’t just go bopping around cooking - anything - on your feet for 6-8 hours a day for a year after diagnosis (18+ months if we are to believe Holly’s stated age), bouncing back from a lung operation and taking a few pills here and there while your gas mask goes on and off. But you know what, the writers can write it any way they want.</p>
<p>Whether George Clooney shows up at my door or not, I’m planning to watch the Emmys at 8:00 for an hour, then return to them at 10:15 once the Breaking Bad episode is over. Maybe the supporting actor/actress categories will be announced before BB comes on. I don’t think there’s an actor on television giving a better performance than Aaron Paul as Jesse, BUT … I would be thrilled to see Johnathan Banks win for his performance as Mike, because he’s an actor who has paid years of dues and was so great in a role that could have been just a stereotype. And I hope Anna Gunn wins this year and gives a kickass (albeit classy) speech for all the Skyler haters out there.</p>
<p>The series was three seasons in before my husband started watching it on Netflix, starting with season 1. I watched on and off, sometimes it was too dark for me. At some point I got hooked.</p>
<p>Amesie, I always viewed it as a story about this guy, what he’s going through and why he broke bad. It’s very over the top and who would ever think to take this road to take care of their family? It’s simply entertainment to me. </p>
<p>There are plenty of shows that others are/were obsessed by that have never appealed to me, like The Sopranos, The Amazing Race or CSI. It’s okay if you don’t care for Breaking Bad. Some shows click with a person and some don’t.</p>
<p>This is one time it is nice to be on the west coast. We get to see it at 6:00 before the Emmys air here. I love that next week the whole country will be watching the finale at the same time.</p>
<p>I actually was a little bit disappointed in this episode. Good, but not breathtaking. It just didn’t have the momentum that the previous ones did. It was somewhat slow in some parts and not a whole lot happened. I’d have liked to have seen more of Marie. Obviously stuff will happen next week and maybe tonight laid the groundwork.</p>
