Paul Levinson's Blog: Levinson at Large, page 333

The Bridge Season 1 Finale: Marco Joins Mackey and Agnew

Hey, The Bridge has been renewed for another season and I'm glad - not only because I like the series but because the last few minutes of the season 1 finale opened up a whole new can of dark possibilities.

That can would be Marco asking Mexican mob boss Fausto - well played by both Demian Bichir and Ramon Franco - if Fausto would take care of a little something for Marco: killing Hastings/Tate in prison. Marco is of course entirely justified in doing this, seeing as how the sociopath Tate killed Marco's boy Gus - but the request and Fausto's agreement still make Marco an entirely different character for next season.

Marco has now joined the ranks of iconic anti-hero cop Vic Mackey of The Shield and, more recently, Frank Agnew of Low Winter Sun.  Mackey is one of the most compelling characters ever to have been seen on the television screen - right up there with Walter White and Tony Soprano - and though Agnew is a long way from that, the territory of a cop killing another cop is rich with dramatic possibilities.

Marco, of course, is asking Fausto to kill a special kind of cop.   Not someone investigating his corruption, as was the case with Mackey, or someone who might have killed the woman that he loves, as is the case with Agnew.   Neither of those two motivations are as powerful and justified as the grievance Marco has against Tate - his former partner, who goes on to kill Marco's son.

Further, what's noteworthy about this turn of events in The Bridge is that we've come to know Marco as an honest cop - we've seen him working honestly and courageously at his job all season.  In contrast, Mackey and Agnew killed their respective cop in the very first episodes of their series.  This means we never got to know them as honest cops, before they went over to the dark side, and we can only guess what they were like before they took their plunge into the abyss.

Marco has been a great character to watch all season - as has Sonya and Hank - and I'm looking forward to more in 2014.

See also The Bridge Opens Brooding and Valent ... The Bridge 1.2: A Tale of Two Beds ... The Bridge 1.6: Revelations ... The Bridge 1.7: A Killer and a Reluctant Professor ... The Bridge 1.8: Some Dark Poetic Justice ... The Bridge 1.9: Trade-Off ... The Bridge 1.10: Charlotte's Evolution ... The Bridge 1.11: Put to the Test





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Revolution 2.2: Reanimation

Revolution 2.2 continued its mix of smart-alec humor and science fiction blood and guts, but there was much less humor this week than last.  And the humor comes early, as the town sheriff who was captured last week with Mile tells Miles what inspired him to become a sheriff: tales his father told him about a Texas ranger.  Not, not the Lone Ranger, but a ranger the sheriff thought was real: Walker, whom Miles and we know was a television character, when electricity still coursed through the world, and jokes were getting rife about Chuck Norris.

That's the last joke we'll hear from Miles, who gets his hand hammered, and soon gets led into a room of horrors run by the creepy guy played by Matt Ross, last seen to good effect on Big Love and Magic City.  Maybe the nanotech that brought back Aaron from 2+ hours and no beating heart will help heal Miles' hand.

Nanotech as astonishing healer has been a staple of science fiction and speculation about the future for more than decade.  The logic is that tiny devices, smaller than a blood cell, could be programmed and inserted into the body to repair damaged organs, wipe out cancer cells, anything and everything bad our bodies are prone to generate or contract.   There's yet to be a television show, though, in which such nanites play a central continuing role - we did see them from time to time on Fringe - and it would nice to see them move into center stage on Revolution.   What we do know about the nanotech healing so far is that it doesn't work on all living organisms.  We know it doesn't work on a dead mouse, in a scene which had a faint echo of "Flowers for Algernon," and we don't even know what effect it could have humans other than Aaron.

Meanwhile, the single best twist in episode 2.2 takes place with Major Tom, when he suckers a true patriot into an assassination plot against the visiting Secretary of State - only to shoot the patriot in the head, right in front of the Secretary, so he can get into her good graces.   Tom continues as the most knowledgable character on the show, repeating the point he made last week that the people who claim to be our surviving national government can't be just that, have to be something else or more, because otherwise they would never have destroyed Atlanta and Philadelphia.

Neville's now in a good position to learn more about these "Americans," and I'm looking forward to seeing what that is.

See also Revolution 2.1: "The Last Surviving Friend"

And see also Revolution: Preview Review  ... Revolution 1.2: Fast Changes ... Revolution 1.14: Nanites and Jack Bauer ... Revolution 1.15: Major Tom and More 24 ... Revolution 1.16: Feeling a Little Like the Hatch in Lost ... Revolution 1.17: Even Better Nanites ... Revolution 1.18: Whodunnit? ... Revolution 1.19: Cheney's Bunker ... Revolution Season 1 Finale: Good Pivot




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Boardwalk Empire Sneak Preview 4.5: The Gift of Rage

Continuing with my sneak preview reviews of Boardwalk Empire - this one of 4.5 - courtesy of screeners from Starpulse, guaranteed to be specific spoiler free, and to be followed this Sunday with a proper recap/review right after the episode has aired in New York City, just up the road from A.C.

There were two deaths in this episode - one of them heartbreaking.

Rage was the theme.  Nucky talks to Willie, prepping him about what to say when the authorities look into his role in Henry's death.   Willie tells Nucky how angry he was at Henry.  Nucky tells him his rage is a gift, and if he's able to control and focus it, the rage in his blood - which Nucky has too - can wield great accomplishments in life.

Al Capone in Chicago has rage in his blood, too.  But all too often it's uncontrolled, and spews out on all around him.  His brother Frank tries to control the demons in Al.   But in 4.5 Al's rage cannot be contained, and the consequences are disastrous.

And then there's Eddie.  He's been the epitome of control, and in 4.5 we learn his back story - why he left Prussia - courtesy of the Feds who are interrogating and in effect torturing him.  His arrest was a stunner last week.  This week there'll be a one-two punch in the stomach that will leave you gasping.

Meanwhile, Gillian's having a tough time of it, Van Alden gets his old self back for just a moment, and there's still no sign of a major character listed on the credits.

And I'll be back with more  in my review after this episode airs on Sunday.

See also Boardwalk Empire 4.1: Sneak Preview Review ... Boardwalk Empire 4.2: Sneak Preview Review ... Boardwalk Empire 4.2: J. Edgar ...Boardwalk Empire Sneak Preview Review 4.3: Honey, Sunny ...Boardwalk Empire 4.3: Nucky, Sunshine, and Heroin ... Boardwalk Empire Sneak Preview Review 4.4: Downfalls ... Boardwalk Empire 4.4: Bullies and Betrayals

And see also Boardwalk Empire 3.1: Happy News Year 1923  ... Boardwalk Empire 3.2: Gasoline and the White Rock Girl ... Boardwalk Empire 3.3: The Showgirl and The Psycho ... Boardwalk Empire 3.5: "10 L'Chaim" ... Boardwalk Empire 3.7: Deadly Gillian ... Boardwalk Empire 3.8: Andrew Mellon ... Boardwalk Empire 3.9: Impaired Nucky


And see also Boardwalk Empire 2.1: Politics in an Age Before YouTube  ... Boardwalk Empire 2.2: The Woman Behind the Throne ... Boardwalk Empire 2.3: Frankenstein and Victrola ... Boardwalk Empire 2.4: Nearly Flagrante Delicto ... Boardwalk Empire 2.5: Richard's Story ... Boardwalk Empire 2.6: Owen and Other Bad News for Nucky ... Boardwalk Empire 2.7: Shot in the Hand  ...Boardwalk Empire 2.8: Pups with Fangs ... Boardwalk Empire 2.9: Ireland, Radio, Polio ...Boardwalk Empire 2.10: Double Shot ... Boardwalk Empire 2.11: Gillian and Jimmy  ... Boardwalk Empire Season 2 Finale: Stunner!

And see also Boardwalk Emipre on HBO ... Boardwalk Empire 1.2: Lines and Centers Power ...Boardwalk Empire 1.10: Arnold Rothstein, Media Theorist  ... Season One Finale of Boardwalk Empire






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The Good Wife 5.1: Capital Punishment and Politicians' Daughters

A superb start to the new season 5 of The Good Wife on Sunday night, with an episode that was both as serious as it gets and laughing out loud funny.

First the funniest part, about a web site featuring politicians' hot daughters, with photos - primarily head shots and captions - including Gracie Florrick. Also up on the site are Abby Huntsman (good publicity for The Cycle), Bristol Palin, and Meghan McCain.   Abby is appropriately at the top of this list, and the whole bit typifies the mixture of real and fictional which The Good Wife does so well.

This gets us to the serious part, and the brutal capital punishment case that Diane, Will, and Alicia are contesting.   Few if any television shows do this as well as The Good Wife, and the roller-coaster of developments keeps your heart in your throat until the very end.

The case also plays into Alicia's decision to leave the firm, which she doesn't want to do now until the capital punishment case has been resolved one way or the other.  This in turn leads to the Young Turks deciding to wait a few weeks - because they want to collect a bonus - and Alicia forced to lie to Will and Diane about what's going on in this regard.  Again, great moral dilemma, another kind of story that The Good Wife excels in.

Back to funny - there's a smartphone on some kind of peripatetic stalk which allows someone not in the office to take part in some of the discussions and drives everyone else a little crazy.  And Melissa George, of In Treatment fame, shows up in Peter's office ... forget about politicians' daughters, 'nuff said.

See also The Good Wife 4.1 Meets Occupy Wall Street ...  The Good Wife 4.2: Reunited ... The Good Wife 4.3: "Template-Based Link Analysis Algorithm" ... The Good Wife 4.5 Meets The Sopranos ... The Good Wife 4.20: Anonymous ... The Good Wife Season 4 Finale: Good Twist!
And see also The Good Wife 3.1: Recusal and Rosh Hashanah ... The Good Wife: 3.2: Periwigs and Skype ... The Good Wife 3.7: Peter v. Will ...  Dexter's Sister on The Good Wife 3.10  ... The Good Wife 3.12: Two Suits  ... The Good Wife 3.13 Meets Murder on the Orient Express ... The Good Wife 3.15: Will and Baseball

And see also  The Good Wife Starts Second Season on CBS ... The Good Wife 2.2: Lou Dobbs, Joe Trippi, and Obama Girl ... The Good Wife 2.4: Surprise Candidate, Intimate Interpsonal Distance ... The Good Wife 2.9 Takes on Capital Punishment ... The Good Wife 2.16: Information Wars 



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Bones 9.3 and NCIS 11.2: Sweets and Ziva

What do Lance Sweets and Ziva David have in common, you might ask?  Certainly Ziva has never made an appearance on Bones - she's not even on the same network.  But Sweets and Ziva both took leaves from their respective shows this week - Sweets from Bones, Ziva from NCIS - and both series will likely be poorer for it.

The exits of both were handled very well.   Sweets wants to work in a precinct of psychology that doesn't entail shooting guns and grilling suspects.   Ziva is put in touch with how every bad person she kills - however justified - leaves innocent loved ones grieving.  In both stories, the departing character could have decided to stay, after all, but instead insisted on leaving.

It's a measure of how far television has evolved that neither character was killed.   Leaving a show by way of the morgue was the time-honored mode of exit on television.   In this more humane age of television, either character can return, if only for a brief appearance.

This is not the first time a major character has left these shows.  Zack Addy's departure from Bones is still being felt.  Although I enjoy the rotating interns, none has so far been as compelling as Addy. Kaitlin was cruelly killed on NCIS - by Ziva's brother Ari, which had a role in Ziva's departure last night.   Ziva became Caitlin's replacement, and although Caitlin was good, Ziva was much better.

But I doubt that the replacements for Sweets and Ziva will be as memorable as these two characters.   Sweet had a unique - well, sweetness and humanity - and Ziva had a refreshing toughness.

Why are characters taken off shows?  Sometimes it's a decision the producers, other times the actor wants to go someplace else.   In the case of Sweets and Ziva, the departures were apparently their decision.

Farewell, you two.  I hope to see you somewhere on the screen before too long.

See also Bones 9.1: The Sweet Misery of Love ... Bones 9.2: Bobcat, Identity Theft, and Sweets

And see also Bones 8.1: Walk Like an Egyptian ... Bones 8.2 of Contention ... Bones 8.3: Not Rotting Behind a Desk  ... Bones 8.4: Slashing Tiger and Donald Trump ... Bones 8.5: Applesauce on Election Eve ... Bones 8.6: Election Day ... Bones 8.7: Dollops in the Sky with Diamonds ...Bones 8.8: The Talking Remains ... Bones 8.9: I Am A Camera ... Bones 8.10-11: Double Bones ...Bones 8.12: Face of Enigmatic Evil ... Bones 8.13: Two for the Price of One ... Bones 8.14: Real Life ... Bones 8.15: The Magic Bullet and the Be-Spontaneous Paradox ... Bones 8.16: Bitter-Sweet Sweets and Honest Finn ... Bones 8.17: "Not Time Share, Time Travel" ... Bones 8.18: Couples ... Bones 8.19: The Head in the Toilet ... Bones 8.20: On Camera ... Bones 8.21: Christine, Hot Sauce, and the Judge ... Bones 8.22: Musical-Chair Parents ... Bones 8.23: The Bluff ... Bones Season 8 Finale: Can't Buy the Last Few Minutes

And see also Bones 7.1: Almost Home Sweet Home ... Bones 7.2: The New Kid and the Fluke ...Bones 7.3: Lance Bond and Prince Charmington ... Bones 7.4: The Tush on the Xerox ... Bones 7.5: Sexy Vehicle ... Bones 7.6: The Reassembler ... Bones 7.7: Baby! ... Bones 7.8: Parents ...Bones 7.9: Tabitha's Salon ... Bones 7.10: Mobile ... Bones 7.11: Truffles and Max ... Bones 7.12: The Corpse is Hanson ... Bones Season 7 Finale: Suspect Bones

And see also Bones 6.1: The Linchpin ... Bones 6.2: Hannah and her Prospects ... Bones 6.3 at the Jersey Shore, Yo, and Plymouth Rock ... Bones 6.4 Sans Hannah ... Bones 6.5: Shot and Pretty ... Bones 6.6: Accidental Relations ... Bones 6.7:  Newman and "Death by Chocolate" ...Bones 6.8: Melted Bones ... Bones 6.9: Adelbert Ames, Jr. ... Bones 6.10: Reflections ... Bones 6.11: The End and the Beginning of a Mystery ... Bones 6.12 Meets Big Love ... Bones 6.13: The Marrying Kind ... Bones 6.14: Bones' Acting Ability ... Bones 6.15: "Lunch for the Palin Family" ...Bones 6.16: Stuck in an Elevator, Stuck in Times ... Bones 6.17: The 8th Pair of Feet ... Bones 6.18: The Wile E. Chupacabra ... Bones 6.19 Test Runs The Finder ... Bones 6.20: This Very Statement is a Lie ... Bones 6.21: Sensitive Bones ... Bones 6.22: Phoenix Love ... Bones Season 6 Finale: Beautiful

And see also Bones: Hilarity and Crime and Bones is Back For Season 5: What Is Love? and 5.2: Anonymous Donors and Pipes and 5.3: Bones in Amish Country and 5.4: Bones Meets Peyton Place and Desperate Housewives and Ancient Bones 5.5 and Bones 5.6: A Chicken in Every Viewer's Pot and Psychological Bones 5.7 and Bones 5.8: Booth's "Pops" and Bones 5.9 Meets Avatar and Videogamers ... Bad Santa, Heart-Warming Bones 5.10 ... Bones 5.11: Of UFOs, Bloggers, and Triangles ... Bones 5.12: A Famous Skeleton and Angela's Baby ... Love with Teeth on Bones 5.13 ... Faith vs. Science vs. Psychology in Bones 5.14 ... Page 187 in Bones 5.15 ...Bones 100: Two Deep Kisses and One Wild Relationship ... Bones 5.17: The Deadly Stars ...Bones Under Water in 5.18 ... Bones 5.19: Ergo Together ...  Bones 5.20: Ergo Together ... Bones 5.21: The Rarity of Happy Endings ... Bones Season 5 Finale: Eye and Evolution

See also NCIS 10.11: Family and Bullets

And see also NCIS 9.1: Unpacking Partial Amnesia ... NCIS 9.2: Lying to Yourself ... NCIS 9.3: McGee's Grandmother ... NCIS 9.4: Turkey Vulture as Explained by DiNozzo ... NCIS 9.5: Behrooz's Mother ... NCIS 9.6: Too Good to be True ... NCIS 9.7: "You Were My Shannon, Leroy"... NCIS 9.8: Intersections with Reality ... NCIS 9.9: Twists and History ... NCIS 9.10: Almost One Agent Short ... NCIS 200 ... NCIS 9.15: DiNozzo and the Word Slinger

And see also NCIS Back in Season 8 Action ... NCIS 8.2: Interns! ... NCIS 8.3: Tiff! ... NCIS 8.4: Gary Cooper not John Wayne ... NCIS 8.5: Dead DJ, DiNozzo Hoarse, and Baseball ... NCIS 8.6: The Written Woman ... NCIS 8.7: "James Bond Movie Directed by Fellini" ... NCIS 8.8: Ziva's Father ... NCIS 8.9: Leon's Story ... NCIS 8.10: DiNozzo In and Out ... NCIS 8.11: "The Sister Went Viral" ... Bob Newhart on NCIS 8.12 ... NCIS 8.13: The Wife or the Girlfriend ... NCIS 8.14: Kate ... NCIS 8.15: McGee and DiNozzo's Badges ... NCIS 8.16: Computer Games ... NCIS 8.17: Budget Cuts ... NCIS 8.18: Gibbs vs. the Kid ... NCIS 8.19: The Deadly Book ... NCIS 8.20: CIRay ... NCIS 8.21: Mask and Eye ... NCIS 8.22: "I'd Rather Have a Lead" ... NCIS 8.23: Answers and Questions ... NCIS Season 8 Finale

And see also NCIS  ... NCIS 7.16: Gibbs' Mother-in-Law Dilemma ... NCIS 7.17: Ducky's Ties ...NCIS 7.18: Bogus Treasure and Real Locker ... NCIS 7.21: NCIS Meets Laura ... NCIS Season 7 Finale: Retribution

 


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Bringing McLuhan into the 21st Century

I was interviewed in July 2012 about the relevance of Marshall McLuhan's thinking to our current age of YouTube and social media.  The interview was conducted by J. Charles Sterin for the second edition of his Mass Media Revolution, a multi-media book published in July 2013.  The 3 and 1/2 minute video contains clips of McLuhan from 1967, juxtaposed with my observations.

And more of my analysis if the great relevance of McLuhan's thinking at the end of the 20th century in my Digital McLuhan.



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The Blacklist 1.2: Mysteries

The Blacklist continues to intrigue, with a second episode that features action in Montreal and New York City, and brings us a little closer to confirming the relationship between Elizabeth and Reddington.

As I indicated last week, it seems pretty clear that Reddington is Elizabeth's father.  The scene at the end of 1.2, in which we learn that Elizabeth has been adopted, all but confirms Reddington's fatherhood.   On the other hand, in a show in which twists excel, there's still a good chance that something else is going on.

Elizabeth's husband also presents an interesting mystery.   Elizabeth suspects that Reddington inserted all the passports, etc.,  but that's not confirmed.  Elizabeth asks her husband what's really going on - but since he's unconscious, his lack of response doesn't tell us much.  And when she takes him home from the hospital - his rapid recovery being another surprise - she's all smiles and doesn't question him at all.

It's fun to see Reddington constantly get the better of our FBI and other governmental officials - including the tough lady played by Jane Alexander - a good adversary for James Spader  - but it will also be interesting to see how far this goes, and where Elizabeth's ultimate loyalties reside.

As long as Reddington keeps helping the FBI nab the nasty criminals, he's likely to get whatever he wants from the Feds.  But sooner or later he'll do something the FBI really doesn't like, or understand, and I'm hoping that happens sooner.

See also The Blacklist Debuts: Alias Meets Jay Z




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Homeland 3.2: Sneak Preview Review

Just saw Homeland 3.2, to be aired this Sunday, courtesy of a screener provided by Showtime. Herewith a review, with some spoilers.

The main theme, as far as the central story goes, is Saul's continuing lack of support aka betrayal of Carrie. Saul insists to everyone who questions him about this - Carrie's family and Quinn - that he has something bigger in mind, and he's doing this to protect Carrie.

But it's hard to see how that would work.  Carrie's being locked up against her will, prevented from pursuing her drug-free approach which seemed to be working, doesn't ring true as a way of helping her. What does ring true is that Carrie missed the bombing of the CIA - something she feels terribly guilty about - because she was only "half there," as she says, due to the lithium.

Homeland being the complex show that it is, I'm inclined to give Saul the benefit of the doubt, but not for long.  And if it turns out that he's really throwing Carrie to the wolves, we'll have witnessed a remarkable transformation of a good man, without sufficient motive.

Meanwhile, Dana continues to carry the story of the Brody family, with Brody himself still off the screen.   The flirtation we saw in 3.1 with the boy in the mental institution Dana has been released from turns out to be much more, as Dana comes to him, they sleep together, and Dana professes her love of him to her mother.   Dana's venting about her father and his lying is one of the best scenes in this episode, and one of the best moments from Dana on camera in the series.  She continues to be one of the compelling centerpieces of this story.

With Carrie in mental custody, and Brody nowhere to be seen, Homeland has a lot of territory to cover to get these together.   I'm looking forward to it.

See also Homeland 3.1: Sneak Preview Review
And see Homeland 2.1-2: Sneak Preview Review ... Homeland 2.3-5: Sneak Preview Review ... Homeland 2.6: What Brody Knows ... Homeland 2.7: Love Me Tinder ... Homeland 2.8: The Personal and the Professional ...Homeland Season 2 Finale: The Shocker and the Reality
And see also  Homeland on Showtime ... Homeland 1.8: Surprises ... Homeland Concludes First Season: Exceptional





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Low Winter Sun: Penultimate Review

Low Winter Sun has been struggling.  AMC's positioning of the series right after Breaking Bad hasn't worked so well, because, well, after Breaking Bad, no one's much in the mood for a noir cop drama in Detroit.

But I've been watching the series - on DVR - a day or two after its airing, and I think it's pretty good. The two-hour finale will be on next week, so here are some thoughts about what has been happening since episode 1.3, which was the last episode I had a chance to review.

The set-up - of two detectives investigating the killing of a detective whom they themselves killed - has held up well and works.   Frank Agnew, in particular, is one of the more interesting anti-hero cops to come down the pike on television.  Not as vicious as Vic Mackey on The Shield, Frank has a keen intelligence and persuasiveness.   You almost believe that he is really trying to find the killer as he goes through the complex charade of an investigation into who killed McCann.   His goal, of course, is to pin the killing on a plausible suspect other than him and his partner Joe Geddes.

But it's not easy, not least because the other detectives are watching his every move.  Dani is the most difficult in this regard.  She trusts Frank implicitly, but she's bright and is beginning to suspect Joe.  She sees that Frank is not conducting the investigation up to his usual standards, but chalks this up to Frank's turmoil over losing Katia (for more of whom, see below).  Frank, likely sensing that Dani is getting too close to what actually happened to McCann, sleeps with Dani.  The result is she tells him her suspicions about Joe, and likely she's a little less likely now to suspect Frank.   But how long that will last - especially with Internal Affairs pressing its investigation - remains to be seen.

Frank is indeed obsessed with Katia, and in one of the best sequences of the series last night, Joe gets to Katia before Frank arrives, and Joe kills her.   Katia's death will help Frank and Joe keep their secret. But if Frank realizes that Joe killed Katia, there's no telling what he'll do.

I'm thinking that in two-hour finale next week, Frank will implicate and kill Joe - in a way that will keep Dani and the IA agent in the dark.

At least, for this season.  And I'm hoping they'll be a second season in which this crafty story can further play out.

See also Low Winter Sun 1.1-2: High Hopes ... Low Winter Sun 1.3: Katia and the Bridge




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Breaking Bad Finale: "I Did It for Me"

Breaking Bad ended with an honesty that rippled through all things, including the soul.

Honesty from Walt to Skylar, who tells her, in the end, that he did this not for the family, but because he "liked it".   Being Heisenberg made him feel "alive" - and, stricken with deadly cancer, who can begrudge Walter his wanting this feeling, his wanting to feel alive.   He did indeed it do it for his family too, but more than that, Walt was supremely honest when he said, "I did it for me."  (Yah, and he did for us, the viewers.)

But that doesn't mean Walt didn't care intensely about his family - they were certainly Walt's main goal when he started down this road.  And Walt takes care of his family tonight, in a brilliant manipulation of the Greymatter couple.

The dispatching of Todd and his uncle was a masterpiece, too - Walt's last masterpiece.  And then it's Walt vs. Jesse.  Walt saved Jesse's life, that's one reason why Jesse won't kill Walt as Walt requested. But Jesse knows he can never truly be free of Walt if Jesse's last act with Walt is to follow Walt's request to kill him.

I was sorry to see Walt die, but I'm glad he didn't die of the cancer.  It was more appropriate that Walt died with his boots on, from the very bullets that he helped bring down on Todd's uncle's gang.   We see that Jesse sees that Walt has been wounded, which is likely another reason that Jesse doesn't kill Walt.

Jesse does kill Todd, in one of the most satisfying scenes of the finale.  Todd epitomizes all that's wrong with the depraved world that Jesse and Walt walked into - in his own way, even more of a psycho than Gus, certainly more soulless.

And so Breaking Bad ends, with Walt talking care of almost all loose ends, including that stevia-consuming drug-queen Lydia.  I would have liked to see Walt also tell Flynn the truth about Hank - that Walt didn't kill his uncle - but take solace in the expectation that Skylar will do that.  I still would have liked to see Walt and his indomitable spirit live on, but I'll settle instead for the recollections of this extraordinary, one-of-a-kind series.

See also Breaking Bad Final Episodes #1: Walt vs. Hank ... Breaking Bad Final Episodes #2: Skylar and Jesse ... Breaking Bad Final Episodes #3: The Ultimate Lie ... Breaking Bad Final Episodes #4: Old Yeller ... Breaking Bad Final Episode #5: Coordinates ... Breaking Bad Final Episode #6: The Knife and the Phone ...  Breaking Bad Penultimate: $10,000 for 2 Hours ... Talking about Walter White and Breaking Bad

And see also Breaking Bad Season 5 Premiere: Riveting Entropy ... Breaking Bad 5.3: Deal with the Devil ... Breaking Bad 5.7: Exit Mike ... Breaking Bad Final Half-Season Finale

And see also My Prediction about Breaking Bad ... Breaking Bad Season 4 Debuts ... Breaking Bad 4.2: Gun and Question ... Breaking Bad 4.11: Tightening Vice ... Breaking Bad 4.12: King vs. King ... Breaking Bad Season 4 Finale: Deceptive Flowers




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