Actual spoilers and potential spoilers below
By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor
As of Sunday, September 8, we’re officially entering the final three episodes of Breaking Bad (BrBa). While the show will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest shows ever made, regardless of how it ends, it still needs to end. While we can only speculate, I have a few theories on how things will potentially go down over the next three weeks.
What we already know
In the intros to the first- and second-halves of season five, we’re given brief glimpses into the life of Walter White one year after his 51st birthday. To offer some timeline, Walt began his metamorphosis into Heisenberg on his 50th birthday in the first episode of BrBa back in 2008; most of season five thus far takes place in 2009; the flash forwards take place in 2010.
In 2010, we know Walt isn’t in prison, although he’s likely on the run as he’s currently using a fake ID. He left Albuquerque at some point, but has returned to pick up a heavy-duty piece of artillery and to collect the ricin vial from his now abandoned house—clearly, some people are going to die. The abandoned house lets us know that Skyler, Walt Jr., and Holly have likely packed their bags since; we also see “Heisenberg” spray painted on their living room wall, so everyone knows who Walter really is at this point. Finally, we know Walter isn’t dead from his cancer, so he’s either in remission or will die soon after he takes care of business. His hair has also grown back, so we know he isn’t getting chemo anymore. Most importantly though, Walter has already lost everything he was initially fighting for, so whoever he’s after is about to receive the full wrath of Heisenberg.
Last Sunday’s episode ended with a hair-pulling barrage of bullets between the semi-armed team of Hank and Gomez, and (Creepy) Todd’s Aryan uncles. Walt is handcuffed in the backseat of Hank’s car, while Jesse is hiding behind Gomez’s car. From there (and keep in mind I’m sticking to basic plot points):
Possible outcome No. 1
The Aryans kill Jesse, Hank, and Gomez, with the intention that Walt will no longer have to fear anyone and can keep cooking. Walt will turn down the offer to cook again, which will result in the Aryan’s finding a way to reveal his identity publicly, thus ruining what’s left of Walt’s life. The second-last episode will show us the outcome of all this, where Skyler, Marie, and the kids leave for good. The final episode will be Walt acting out his revenge on the Aryan’s one year later, eliminating them before killing himself with the ricin.
Possible outcome No. 2
Hank and Gomez will die while, in true BrBa magic, Walt and Jesse remain alive. Walt manages to talk the Aryan’s down from finishing off Jesse, and will then work out a cooking schedule to temporarily appease them. In the second-last episode, Walt and Jesse attempt to put their current relationship strain aside so that they can finish off the Aryan’s together and then hopefully part ways. Somehow this doesn’t work out; even with the Aryan’s gone, Jesse and Walt’s trust in each other has been destroyed. Skyler, Marie, and the kids will leave, and a now bitter, not-dead-from-cancer Walt will become even angrier towards life than before. Petty Walt exacts revenge on Jesse, either via ricin or via reign of gunfire—Walt gives himself both options because Jesse will either piss Walt off further (gunfire) or hit Walt’s ‘sympathy’ buttons (ricin).
Possible outcome No. 3
Jesse, Hank, and Gomez die, with the Aryan’s assuming Walt will now be more comfortable cooking. The Aryan’s leave Walt to get himself back to Albuquerque, positive they will work out a schedule. Walt calls in a favour from Saul, who sets up Walt with a way to eliminate the Aryan’s. This elimination is bigger than when Walt bombed the nursing home in season four; this time, when Walt’s antics make the news, so does Walt himself, revealing his own identity through sloppiness. The outcome is explored in the second last episode, with Skyler, Marie, and the kids leaving, and a bitter Walt spending the next year on the run and miserable. Finally insane, Walt comes back to where this all started; he takes his gun to murder Elliott and Gretchen Schwartz, and kills himself with the ricin in the mansion that should have been his.
What I’m 99 per cent sure will happen regardless
If Walter White has taught us anything, it’s that one margin of error in a percentage might as well be a complete failure. But, as someone who obsesses over pop culture mythos, there are some things in the next three episodes that are (likely) bound to happen.
Hank will die, because like Walt’s failed empire, Hank just had to fly too close to the sun. Hank’s unwillingness to let the Heisenberg case go is no different than Walt putting his rationality aside for his money; they both let their egos get in the way. Gomez will also die, because like Jesse to Walter, Gomez’s loyalty to Hank will be his undoing. Walter and his family won’t leave Albuquerque together; Skyler will find out about Walt poisoning Brock and/or killing and melting down Drew Sharp. Since Skyler has faced many near-instances of risking her children’s safety because of Walt, Skyler is done, and is going to leave with her children and widowed sister. Finally, Walt is not going to win anything; whether he kills himself or sets up a life of misery, all of Walt’s evils are going to come back on him, and that will be that.
