the ending was perfect. as the episode was winding down i was thinking how they could end it reasonably and wrap it all up well. it was perfect.

-walt got to go out 'on top'. he got credit for the blue meth & killed hanks killers.
-walt saved jesse. the original plan was to open the trunk and save himself and do who knows what with jesse, but when he saw what jesse's fate had become he got to save him one last time. and then find out that jesse wouldn't kill him despite all he had done. it wasn't "all for nothing" like he thought just last episode
-walt, most importantly, got one last moment alone in the place that made him the most alive and happiest. like he said*, he did this all for himself. his pride couldnt handle what his life had become when the series started, being good at this made him feel something he never had. it was perfectly fitting for him to choose to die in this place alone.

*i absolutely loved this admission to skylar for a number of reasons. for one, it felt like a nod to the viewers who sympathized with walt and defended him by saying he did everything for his family. it also fully lets skylar off the hook- she knows that she never made him feel like being a meth king did.

You guys are forgetting a key moment in the night...

THE EPIC RETURN OF CHRIS

THE FORT IS STILL INTACT GUYS

Obligatory BB season ranking post

5b>3>2>4>5a>>1

With really 1 being the only season that is easy for me to rank

My favorite seasons were 4 and 3, in that order. After those I liked 5a the most, followed by 5b and 2, with 5b edging ahead of 2 thanks to episodes 15/16.

5b was prolly the greatest end to a show ever. Easy #1 for me.

5b/4/5a/3/2/1

These last 2 just felt strange, but were obviously amazing. I don't know if any episode is going to do for me what Ozymandias did until like s10e9 of Game of Thrones.

5b>4>3>5a>2>1

my thoughts exactly. Even the finale, pretty good all around but that shooting is really awful

Nah

ya'll really have some recency bias

We like Eastbound and Down though

I don't think so

Nah every episode this season was perfect.

The fact that it was the final season is what gives it that extra boost.

How many shows end with (arguably) their best season?

Angel is the only definitive example I can think of.

Shows usually decline over time. That's why BB is the GOAT.

5b was Vince'sbest work

these last few episodes were on another level

I mean at least show your work a bit instead of posting about recency bias which doesn't really bring anything to the table

Yep yep correct rankings

I think

5. S2
6. S1

are almost indisputable

I would go

1. S4
2. S5b
3. S3
4. S5a

Just didn't love 5a all that much and it felt like kind of a letdown with the season-long showdown between Gus and Walt finally being over.

5b>4>3>5a>2>1

Great ending and the last 8 episodes is probably the strongest "tv-season" of all time to me.

5b>4=3>2>5a>1

2nd greatest of all time behind the wire for me. Last night was the second best finale to a series ever behind the shield and was about as satisfying as it could get. Sad to see it go

Saw a couple complaints that the ending was a bit too neat and happy.

I understand the concern there but I think they earned it and think it was the right way to end the show. The past couple episodes were just so brutal to watch and tough on the audience and characters that it allowed them to end on a goodish note (for bb at least) compared to another hour of mass torture, while still staying true to the moral compass of the show. They managed to fully punish everyone involved for their "sins" and still leave you happy at the end after you see the show end and the main character die. Very difficult tightrope to pull all of that off and think it was pretty close to perfect.

Also saw a review where they said that it was almost like ozymandous was the true end of Walter white's story and the last two episodes were kind of like epilogues. Which I found interesting.

Watch The Shield.

I think 3>4 for sure. Season 4 really dragged in points week-to-week, and it was clearly because they were stretching things out for the Walt-Gus showdown. Odd that 2 and 4 were probably the most meticulously plotted in advance and yet probably suffered the most from it.

This show may be the best ever at not stalling its dramatic momentum or its cycle of actions and consequences.

Surprised at series rankings. 2 worst by a mile for me.

I changed my ranking like three times and had to edit the post to switch to 3=4. I agree with you for the most part, but Giancarlo Esposito's performance just pushes the entire season to S3 levels imo. From the silently slitting of Victor's throat to the pool scene in Mexico, it's absolutely ridiculous the guy didn't win the Emmy that year (no disrespect Aaron Paul)

I'm probably underrating season 3.

3 through 5a all super close for me.

Amazing economy in the final episode; they got a lot done effortlessly. Obv loved Badger and SP as the two deadliest hitmen west of the Mississippi.

5a was clearly the worst imo