Breaking Bad 5.15, Granite State Review

Breaking Bad Granite State Spoilers for those who have not seen the episode yet. The penultimate episode of Breaking Bad may not be as intense as the groundbreaking Ozymandias, but it takes its time building towards the finale while examining the devastation Walter White has left behind him. He's in a very precarious state, wanting revenge against Jack and his gang but being in a very powerless position for him to do anything about it. For the first time in a long time, we saw shades of Walter White rather than Heisenberg. It's interesting though the full scope of what he's done and the ramifications for his family still haven't hit him yet. He thinks the phone call from the end of last week's episode will be enough for Skyler to escape the justice system, but Saul rightfully tells him sooner or later the government will go after her. He even suggests perhaps the best course of action to protect his family is to turn himself in, something Walt doesn't even wish to consider. His ego is still letting him believe he's at the top of the game and can come back from everything that's happened. It was a bit surprising to see the lack of any other characters. Marie only appeared in one scene and had no lines, Skyler appeared in two very quick scenes, the second of which showed she may be in a worse place than we originally thought and Walt Jr., or Flynn, appeared towards the end. This episode heavily focused on the seclusion and separation Walt faced up in the empty wilderness. I think it is also very telling how Walt ventured out of his cabin, intent on going into the world, only to stop at the end of his driveway. Perhaps the fear of getting caught and how much of a wanted man he is was finally hitting him. Jesse just can't seem to get any luck either. At first I was worried he was going to hang himself out of desperation, but he was just as intent on escape as Walter is. It was a very short lived escape though and paid a very dear price. I first believed Todd was going to kidnap Andrea and/or Brock, but I should have known better. Jack's gang have made it clear they only give warnings once and the photograph was apparently warning enough. Andrea's murder was a shocking and brutal reminder of what kind of men Jack and Todd are. Speaking of Todd, how creepy was he when threatening Skyler and the fact that he dressed up very nicely to see Lydia, treating their meeting as a date, even going so far as to remove a fluff or hair from her back? Walt's connection with his family, especially Walt Jr., has been tenuous at best, but 'Granite State' went a long way to show how lost Walt is without his family. He's totally convinced what he did has always been for them even though there is plenty of evidence suggesting he was making meth and murdering people out of wounded pride and a sense of entitlement. It is clear though Walt loves his family, but the realization of what he's lost finally hit him when Walt Jr. let loose most of his resentment. I was initially surprised Walt seemed content to wait for the police to arrest him as he finally chose to accept his fate, but this didn't last for long as he caught Elliot and Gretchen on television, discrediting his contribution to Gray Matters while also learning his blue meth is still making it to the streets. Walt's ego and wounded pride comes back into play as he resolves to tie up all his unfinished business, setting in motion next week's end game. It's going to be one hell of a finale.
Contributor
Contributor

Richard Church has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a diploma in Television Writing and Producing. He is an aspiring writer for short stories, novels and screenplays. He is also an avid fan of comic books and graphic novels.