Editor’s note: This column contains spoilers.
It’s an understatement to say the ending to the first half of television phenomenon “Breaking Bad’s” final season is a cliffhanger. Sunday’s episode “Gliding Over All” revisited what has happened over the last four-and-a-half seasons – We’ve seen Walt as a desperate family man, a chemical genius and a maniacal tyrant. It’s only in the final minutes that we see the first truly redeeming moment from Walt this season, as he seemingly retires from his “crystal blue” dominion. But the show stays true to form, and the last second is a game changer as the moment Walt has narrowly dodged quietly unfolds on a “throne” of a different kind. His secret is out. Now, anything can happen, and there are new questions to ask, while old ones are still brewing. Here’s some of the biggest questions I hope to see resolved when the season continues:
1. How will Hank handle his discovery? A nifty flashback assured us that Hank has finally caught a whiff of what’s been under his nose for a long time. We’ve seen many sides of Hank’s character – a gentler, more rational investigator and a heated, irrational reactor. It will be interesting to see how Hank will pin his beloved brother-in-law, or if he even will at all.
2. Is Walt’s cancer back? The iciest Season 5 moment so far has come from Walt’s distant wife Skyler when she reminded Walt that his cancer could come back. In the finale, we see a montage not so different from the first episode when Walt initially learned of his illness. His odd moment with Jesse and his sudden willingness to quit the business suggests there’s still something about Walt we don’t know.
3. What about that Denny’s in the first episode? The cold open of this season’s first episode was one the series’ best. We know three things: it’s about a year later from the season’s current events, Walt has hair and assault rifles are necessary. If anything, that scene was assurance that the writers know much more than they’re willing to tell us.
4. Who will survive? We saw one major character die this season, and there’s no doubt the toll will quickly rise over the final sprint. The saddest to see go would be one of the best characters in TV history, Jesse Pinkman, or either of Walt’s children. A simple Google search of “‘Breaking Bad’ theories” is enough to overwhelm, but the fate of Heisenberg is unpredictable.
5. What about that goddamned ricin? The white poison has been around since the first season, a constant reminder of Walt’s prowess and depravity. The appearance of the infamous ricin in Sunday’s episode suggests we haven’t seen the last of Walt’s weapon of choice.
____ Contact Brian Sibille at [email protected]; Twitter: @TDR_news