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Breaking Bad: Gliding Over All (2012)
Holy sh*t.
When I first heard they were doing a fifth and final season to conclude this show I was overjoyed. Not because I want the show to end but because if the journey getting there is this damn good, then the ending is going to completely melt my mind. But after watching this episode, my emotions about this show ending have dramatically changed. I now extremely loath the idea of this show ending because there is not a doubt in my mind that there is never going to be another television show that can come close to the greatness and perfection that is Breaking Bad. At least not in my lifetime. And even if you don't agree with me 100% about the show being so phenomenal, you can't deny that this mid-season finale kept you on the edge of your seat and then falling off it during the last minute of the episode. And then you were probably as angry as I was when you remembered that we have to wait until next year for the next episode.
Breaking Bad: Say My Name (2012)
The sheer brilliance of this show is absolutely astounding.
I think I am writing this review because I am still in shock over what I just saw in this episode and writing it out might help me absorb it. What is even more shocking is that after 4 seasons of the most shocking and thrilling television I've ever seen, the show still surprises. The episode begins with Walter explaining his plan to keep the methylamine, pay both Mike and Jesse their money, and keep the methylamine buyers from starting a bloodbath. Walt offers them 35 percent of the operation if they handle the distribution and buy out the retiring Mike for $5 million. After he lets them ponder his offer for a minute he tells them that he was the one that killed Gus and asks the man to "Say my name." The man says Heisenberg and Walter replies with "You're goddamn right." Of course this immediately sends chills down your spine.
After it seems that the negotiations have concluded, Jesse reminds Walter that he is leaving the business and wants his share. Walt basically shrugs off the request by telling Jesse they will talk about it later and asks him to help get things up and running during the transition. Back at Vamonos Mike tells the guys that the DEA will be doing a sweep of Hank's office at some point and they need to get the bug out of there "sooner rather than later."
So Walt and Jesse go pick up the methylamine, which was hidden at the car wash, where they run into Skyler. She starts asking questions about the liquid when Walt demands her to go into the office and let them handle it.
Switch over to a bank where we find a man, who later we are told is Mike's lawyer, making deposits to the families who Mike is helping. He also deposits some money into a large container filled with cash for Mike's granddaughter (that is one badass grandpa). Later we see Mike overhearing on a bug that Hank is going to search Mike's place and bust him so Mike gets the incriminating evidence together and dumps it down into a familiar storage hole in the desert. He also leaves his car at the airport. Hank and the DEA find nothing at the house.
Later Walter tries to convince Jesse to continue to cook and to double their production. Jesse says nothing has changed and that he still wants out. Walt says that the $5 million that Jesse wants is bloodmoney and that if he would accept it then why not make more. Jesse then tells him to keep the money and storms out with Walter shouting behind him that if he leaves he gets nothing.
Back at the DEA office Hank is told by his superior to stop obsessing over the Fring case and to stop following Mike. Hank of course finds away around this and decides to follow Mike's lawyer.
Walt proceeds to cook with assistance of the child killer Todd who wants nothing more than to impress the great Heisenberg.
Switch back over to the bank where Dan, Mike's lawyer, is making another deposit when the DEA comes in and busts him. Later at the DEA office Walt pulls the crying act with Hank to get the bug when he overhears Gomez telling Hank about Dan willing to flip on Mike.
Switch over to Mike in the park with his granddaughter. While watching her on the swing, he gets a call from his lawyer who tricks Mike into giving him his exact location. Moments after hanging up Walter calls him telling him that the cops are coming for him and that he needs to vanish. After the call we get to see something I did not expect to see... a completely vulnerable and destroyed Mike watching his granddaughter from behind a tree before leaving.
Walt and Jesse seek out Saul for advice on what to do about Mike and the nine people who could flip on them. While discussing the situation Saul gets a call from Mike who asks him to go to his car at the airport which contains passports, cash and a gun for a quick departure. Walt volunteers to get it for him.
Walt meets Mike at a remote meeting point. He wants Mike to tell him the name of the nine people he's been paying off. Mike says no and two argue over who is to blame for everything getting messy. Mike gets into his car preparing to leave. We see Walt go back to his car then moments later come back into view heading towards Mike. In the car Mike opens his bag to find that his gun is missing and then Walter appears next to the driver window and shoots Mike. This is the moment I believe my mind ceased to process what was happening. Even Walter himself seemed completely taken aback by what he had just done, Mike drives away but quickly crashes. Walt finds Mike down a ravine sitting on a rock. He has a gun in his hand but is too gravely wounded to use it. Walt says that he just realized that Lydia has the names and this whole thing could have been avoided. Mike asks to him "Shut the f*ck up and let me die in peace....."
If you saw this episode than you know that this review nowhere near encompasses the emotion and pure brilliance that this episode delivered but I just had to share my thoughts on it. So I guess I just wanna say that I never thought that a story, let alone a television show, could be so goddamn engrossing, thrilling, emotional, awe-inspiring and in my mind just flat-out PERFECT.... Breaking Bad pulls that off and then some.