(Spoiler alert: Don’t read this if you haven’t seen the “Breaking Bad” finale, which hasn’t yet aired on the West Coast.)
How tight is the writing on “Breaking Bad”? So tight its loose ends are barely loose.
Creator Vince Gilligan promised the finale would wrap everything up, and it did — to a shocking degree. The payoff came in completely unexpected ways, but a few people we thought might come up one last time never did.
Also read: Breaking Bad’ Finale: Just Perfect
The biggest unanswered question may be unanswerable: What happened, years ago, between Walt and the Schwartzes? Obviously, he thinks they wronged him. Skyler even suggested in the first season that Walt might have gotten lung cancer by being exposed to dangerous chemicals, apparently when he was working with them. In a way, they may be responsible for every bad thing that’s happened since.
But they would obviously disagree. So that question may be endlessly in the eye of the beholder, along with the matter of whether cooking meth is an acceptable coping strategy.
Here are five sort-of loose ends, and why we shouldn’t worry too much about them.
Also read: Could ‘Breaking Bad’ Spinoff Bring Back Gus Fring? Actor Who Played Him Is Willing
Chile: What on earth happened with Gus in Chile? Why was he so un-killable before he met Walt? The Bald Move Breaking Good podcast had me convinced for a minute that Gus’ friends south of the border might show up to take down the Neo Nazis. But that didn’t happen. The good news is, we might get another chance to hear about Gus’ Chilean connections. AMC is working in “Better Call Saul,” a prequel about Saul Goodman’s early days. Giancarlo Esposito, who played Gus, has said he would reprise the role. “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan would love to work with Esposito again. So.
Brock: We can probably guess what happens here: Jesse makes sure this poor kid never suffers again. “Talking Bad,” the “Breaking Bad” post show, suggested Jesse is indeed on his way to help him. Bald Move had a good point though: Brock has a grandmother. Maybe she would be a better guardian than Jesse. Maybe he should just throw some money at her house?
Lydia’s kid: Lydia’s plea for her daughter helped save her from getting shot early in Season 5. If only Mike weren’t such a softie he might have been around for the finale. “Breaking Bad” was kind enough not to show the little girl’s response to her mom almost certainly dying of ricin. Now the little girl will suffer two tragedies: Growing up motherless, and going through life with the name “Kiira Rodarte-Quayle.”
Also read: ‘Breaking Bad’: Can Walter White Be Saved?
Ted Beneke: Skyler’s old boss promised never to talk about the source of his injuries — and he never did. Apparently, not even when Walt’s name was all over the news. Okay.
Jane’s Dad: After their moment talking about daughters in Season 2, I was sure Donald Margolis would somehow figure out Walt’s role in his daughter’s death. Maybe a guy with a recovering heroin addict child might keep hidden cameras around. But no: Mr. Margolis turned out not to be snoopy. But really: Could he have done worse than causing a creepy bear eye to land in Walt’s pool? The final shot of the show could have featured a strange cylindrical object slipping from Walt’s hand. We’re glad the show passed on that grace note. (Update: A commenter below points out that Walt heard a report that Margolis attempted suicide. I don’t think his death was ever confirmed. But, that would take care of that, wouldn’t it? Thanks for the comment.)