Warning: Potential spoilers - tread lightly...
The answer is, at least for the moment, yes.
In much the same way that LOST totally captivated its audience with polar bears and trap doors while it was on, especially as it neared its fairytale-like final episodes, Breaking Bad has had that same effect on those who don't even know their Walter White's from their tighty whities. But what is it that makes the show force you so close to the edge of your seat that you may as well invest in a giant bean bag?
It's been about as addictive as its subject matter and comes across about as intricate as a TV show is capable. It's almost as though someone wrote a most incredible book, complete with brain-shatteringly deep characterisation, character development and unfathomably fascinating plot twists, then waved magic wand and made it become a TV show. Just like that. It's always been a show applauded for its ability to let you know, roughly, what a character is thinking or feeling simply by the way it is shot. Compare this, for example, to 'skin deep' stuff like Misfits or True Blood and, while there's certainly a time and place for 'trashy telly', it's also definitely a wake up call too. You may now catch yourself more often, sitting on your arse, stuffing your face with Doritos and watching Sharon Osbourne point and laugh at some poor sod who thinks he can sing and then realise - "Hey... This is shit television! And it's making me shit while it's at it!"
That's not to say that The X Factor is making you defecate your jumbo-sized family bag of Doritos prematurely - not by any measure - what it means is that Breaking Bad, and shows of a similarly 'challenging' variety, make YOU think - they make you better. As the show evolves, so do you. You learn, along with the characters. Breaking Bad gives you everything you need in the most entertaining, intense or upsetting ways possible so that you can cross the bridges yourself. Vince Gilligan, the unfalteringly brilliant head-writer behind the show, repeatedly gave us 2 + 2 throughout the series, but then let us figure out the answer was 4. Which meant, we were along for the ride. We went on an unforgettable journey. What we've all spent five years watching, living and breathing through Breaking Bad has been without a doubt - art. It's been inclusive of you, as an individual, and of everyone who's watched. It's been ambiguous enough for each member of its audience to develop their own opinions regarding every step of Walt's complicated journey from simple chemistry teacher to Mr 'I am the danger!' - but also fact-filled enough for it to never look like it was making it up as it went along. As a result, it will continue to be talked about for decades and should forever be remembered as one of the bravest television shows that ever existed.
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| Jesse could have sworn things were a little less 'sepia tone' a few seasons ago... |
'Fenila', the show's final episode, is very 'Breaking Bad'. It leaves us on its own terms, just as Walt (sort of) manages to do himself. It doesn't feel the need to chuck us the most 'dramatic' episode to finish off, nor the most 'explosive'. No, instead, that came two episodes before in the heart-pounding, non-stop stomach-twisting romp that was 'Ozymandias'. 'Fenila', however, expertly delivers an end to the story. The role we play in the characters' lives is now over. Netflix has served us well and Vince Gilligan stuck to his guns, unswayed by the demands of his fans. It is very rare to see a show finish the way it is supposed to, as intended by its creator, and at exactly the right moment too. So let's remind ourselves how lucky we have been to witness it from start to finish - or, you might say, from Mr Chips to Scarface.
★★★★★
Roo