It's back. "Breaking Bad" has returned. Although fans are dismayed that these eight episodes will be the last, the first two have proven that the show's conclusion will be some of the most thrilling and bone chilling yet. Rhyming aside, the new dynamic between Walt, Hank and Skyler keeps fans on the brink of a perpetual heart attack. The suspense is overbearing. A week's time between episodes feels like an eternity spent in the clutches of Satan. It's torture. Luckily, creator Vince Gilligan helps ease the pain by providing fans with insight into his decision to end the show and how Walter has evolved over the past five seasons.
"I am sad that the show is over but I've not had a bad night's sleep worrying that we were ending at the wrong time," Gilligan said during an interview with The Guardian. Gilligan knows what's best. Despite fans dismay, it's his show and so far his decisions have helped the series achieve television royalty. "As much as anything it was realizing that Walter White had reached a high point and how long can anyone stay on the top? That is always a good question, in fiction and in real life."
In the first several seasons, Walter embodied the image of an unsung hero, compromising his morals to provide for family via unorthodox methods. Although he was breaking the law, his heart was in it for the right reasons. Overtime however, the warmhearted sentiments slowly faded.
"I have kind of lost sympathy for Walt along the way," Gilligan said. "I find it interesting, this sociological phenomenon, that people still root for Walt. Perhaps it says something about the nature of fiction that viewers have to identify on some level with the protagonist of the show, or maybe he's just interesting because he is good at what he does. Viewers respond to people who are good at their job, even when they are bad."
As for the approaching finale, Gilligan tells fans, "you need to really settle down on the couch and pay close attention because it's going to come at you fast and furious in the final eight episodes." He adds that there's "not much in the way of ambiguity with this ending ... I feel like this ending represents on some level, however small, something of a victory for Walter White. Read into that what you will."
There are only six episodes remaining. It's time to get serious. "Breaking Bad" airs Sunday nights on AMC.