Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Breaking Bad's "Ozymandias" (*spoilers*)

I have never ever ever written a post about an episode of TV.  Until now.  Granted, I wasn't a blogger when Lost was on the air, and you can bet your britches (what? who says that?!) I would have blogged about each and every episode.  Especially ESPECIALLY the season finale of season 3.  Best episode of TV EVER.  You know, the one where you realize it's not a flashback but a flashFORWARD. 

 What?  It's a FLASH FORWARD?!?!  Mind exploding. 

But I digress.

My husband is a long time fan of Breaking Bad and he tried to get me to watch it a few years ago.  I made it until they started disintegrating bodies in bathtubs (so probably only 3 episodes!) and called it quits.  Just not my cup of tea.

But flashforward a few years and a ton of time on our hands spent watching a newborn sleep (especially during the first two weeks home when JMan was also home) and I decided to give it another shot.  I was hooked, and we flew through all 5 seasons and impatiently awaited the return of the second half of Season 5 and the last remaining episodes. 


Let's be clear, I'm not a fan of Walt.  While he was a nice-ish guy in the beginning it's clear he's just plain EVIL nowadays, which became blatantly obvious to me when he killed my favorite character Mike.  JUST. PLAIN. EVIL.

But his evilness came to a head during Sunday nights episode. 

First - the knife wrestling scene.  I seriously and literally COULD-NOT-WATCH.  I had my hands over my eyes and was yelling I CAN'T WATCH I CAN'T WATCH I CAN'T WATCH.  I was 100% certain someone, likely Skyler, Walter Junior, or maybe even possibly Baby Holly, was about to get stabbed.  AND I COULD NOT WATCH THIS HAPPEN. 

 

Second, stealing Baby Holly.  What the heck Walt?  That was just plain stupid.  Why would you do this?  If you had just left and run, the police would have looked for you for like 5 seconds.  Just another domestic dispute.  But taking a BABY?!  Hello crazy Amber Alert and everyone in the world looking for you.  JUST. PLAIN. STUPID.  And so terrible.  Talk about the worst possible thing he ever could have done to Skyler. 

Seriously, my heart breaks just looking at poor Holly in the firetruck.

Third, sentencing Jesse to death.  Walt's supposedly on death row anyway.  Why does it matter if Jesse lives?  He's protected Hank all this time "because he's family" but he sentences Jesse to die even know he's pretty much family too?  Why can't Walt just let it go, run away, kill himself, or turn himself in?  Hasn't he done enough bad things to last a lifetime?  Isn't time running short anyway?  Why? 

 
He tried to save Hank but couldn't care less about Jesse.

Fourth, what's with berating Skyler on the phone?  Do you think he a) meant all of those things he said, or b) do you think he said those things to absolve in her in the eyes of the police?  At first I thought it was a, but then the fact that he was crying at the end of the conversation made me think b.  Or maybe it's a combination of both? 

 

Fifth, what do you think he "still has left to do"?  Who did he buy that gun for?  What could there possibly be left to do?  Everyone is dead.  What loose ends are left?  It seems unbelievable that he'd have a change of heart about Jesse, given that two seconds ago he basically spit in his face telling him about Jane when he could have saved him.  Does he need revenge on the Nazi guys for killing Hank?   And how does his house get destroyed?

 

Sixth, what the heck does "Ozymandias" mean?  Thanks to a Google search, it is apparently a famous 1818 poem and means "ruler of air" or "ruler of nothing".  "The mighty one has literally fallen, and so has everything he accomplished."  Fitting, I guess.  

Finally, how do you think it will end?   Will Walt die?  If so, will he succumb to his cancer or be killed off by someone / something?  What will happen to his family? 

What do YOU think?  I want to watch the episode again to gain some clarity.  But after it felt like nothing was happening in Season 5 (boorrinnggg) it was sure nice to be on the edge of my seat the whole episode!