"Ozymandias" was the greatest episode of Breaking Bad so far, but "Granite State" solidified Breaking Bad, for me, as the greatest work of episodic cinema ever.
Most TV shows miss the concept of pacing (the one's with continuity). They tend to sprint towards the finish in an effort to keep the audience as pleased as possible. They see a final season as, perhaps, the grand finale of a fireworks display. Breaking Bad doesn't do this. Vince and the writers take their time. They know how to pace a proper story.
"Ozymandias" is the total destruction of the protagonist as all he cares about is gone, his enemies seize the upper hand, and he's forced to sanctuary. "Granite State" is the calm before the storm, the protagonist nurses their wounds, they grieve their defeat, they plan their retaliation, they go to the brink of surrender. Then something happens to them. They hear something, they see and then they think something. Something deep within their character, something which drives everything they've done so far, emerges from what was broken and takes it's place. For Walter White it is a legacy, an empire. "Felina" will be the final act prepared perfectly by "Granite State."
This episode used the Jesse scenes to continue the spirit of "Ozymandias" while setting up Walter's scenes (or should I say Heisenberg's) for the finale. They delivered expertly crafted build mixed with shock, disgust, and excitement while maintaining status as the most maturely plotted show ever.
10/10. If you expected an explosive episode topping "Ozymandias" going into "Felina" you got it. Sometimes an explosion can be more subtle than you'd expect.
Most TV shows miss the concept of pacing (the one's with continuity). They tend to sprint towards the finish in an effort to keep the audience as pleased as possible. They see a final season as, perhaps, the grand finale of a fireworks display. Breaking Bad doesn't do this. Vince and the writers take their time. They know how to pace a proper story.
"Ozymandias" is the total destruction of the protagonist as all he cares about is gone, his enemies seize the upper hand, and he's forced to sanctuary. "Granite State" is the calm before the storm, the protagonist nurses their wounds, they grieve their defeat, they plan their retaliation, they go to the brink of surrender. Then something happens to them. They hear something, they see and then they think something. Something deep within their character, something which drives everything they've done so far, emerges from what was broken and takes it's place. For Walter White it is a legacy, an empire. "Felina" will be the final act prepared perfectly by "Granite State."
This episode used the Jesse scenes to continue the spirit of "Ozymandias" while setting up Walter's scenes (or should I say Heisenberg's) for the finale. They delivered expertly crafted build mixed with shock, disgust, and excitement while maintaining status as the most maturely plotted show ever.
10/10. If you expected an explosive episode topping "Ozymandias" going into "Felina" you got it. Sometimes an explosion can be more subtle than you'd expect.