What happens next: ‘Breaking Bad’ Season 5: Walter White’s Fate Revealed?
AMC announced the renewal of its acclaimed series Breaking Bad this weekend, adding that the 5th season would be its last. Throughout its run, the show has garnered critical and viewer acclaim, and has been instrumental in AMC’s rise in the original programming scene.
Breaking Bad‘s fifth season will consist of 16 episodes – three more than we saw in seasons 2 – 4 (season 1 was only 7 episodes) . The extended order should give the writers some extra room to wrap up the series. The final episodes will begin airing in mid-2012.
The show has been a critical hit, winning six Emmy awards in three years. Series lead Bryan Cranston (who plays mild-mannered-school-teacher-turned-ruthless-meth-maker Walter White) has won Outstanding Lead Actor for an incredible three years running. The Season 4 premiere on July 17th scored an impressive (by cable standards) 2.6 million total viewers.
Creator Vince Gilligan had this to say on ending the successful series:
It’s a funny irony — I’d hate to know the date of my own last day on earth, but I’m delighted to know what Walter White’s will be (episodically speaking). This is a great gift to me and to my wonderful writers. It’s knowledge which will allow us to properly build our story to a satisfying conclusion… I’m lucky to get to work with them on sixteen more episodes, and I will always be grateful to both AMC and Sony Television, who from the beginning, believed in our show and supported me creatively and professionally. We have been able to take risks with Breaking Bad which would not have been possible on other networks.
If the drama onscreen has been compelling, it’s been nothing next to the behind-the-scenes events at AMC as of late. Budget issues led to rumors of a network change for Breaking Bad earlier this month. This followed a protracted negotiation for AMC’s flagship series Mad Men and a scandalous shake-up for The Walking Dead‘s production team – both reportedly due to AMC’s wishes to lower costs.
Some may balk at ending such a well-received show after only five years, and it would certainly be possible to extend it for at least another few seasons. The decision probably sprung somewhere between AMC’s continually tightening purse-strings and Breaking Bad writer/producer/director Vince Gilligan’s desire to end the series on a high note.
As a fan of Breaking Bad and its characters, I must say I’m excited to see the series end on a definitive and intentional timetable. Too many excellent shows are drawn out long past their sell-by date, ending on a protracted and sour final season. In the case of Breaking Bad, at least, viewers will be treated to a complete (and hopefully satisfying) story.
Breaking Bad is five episodes into its fourth season at the moment. The season 4 finale should air in mid-October.
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Breaking Bad airs Sunday nights at 10PM on AMC.
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they should create an underwater spinoff called methlab 2020
hahah, how about a methlab on the moon?. Moonlab 2040
This show is excellent! I have watched it all in a few weeks. My kids have been watcheing for a long time. I think that Jesse needs to become more power hungry then he will be more of a competitor for Walt. He needs to plan and calculate. then the final conflict will be great!
This is by far the best show that has ever been produced. The writing and story telling make you feel it and the acting is so good you actually forget you are watching actors and feel more like you are watching real people’s life stories unfold on television, that is an amazing accomplishment by cast and crew of writers
I totally agree! I’ve watched seasons 1-3 in the past weekend (marathon) and am so hooked.
Say it isn’t so! No more Breaking Bad after Season 5? I’m so bummed out by this development. I cannot remember a better show – EVER!!
By far the best series ever in the world. Never heard of it til the day after xmas when I got Netflix. So since then Im about to finish up season 3 and cant wait til 4 then 5 the finale.. What will I do? I have grown to feel personally connected to all the charaters…..Life after Breaking Bad will never be the same.
100% agree with you! I feel a personal connection too, wierd huh? I am so not looking forward to the end of the show.
This series is truly addicting. By far, one of the BEST shows on television. What is AMC thinking only doing 5 seasons. I say there should be more! I personally think Walter will become the next big boss running the Southwest drug trade. Can’t wait until the next season.
I could see that.. perhaps meth domination on a national level.. perhaps branching out to other organized crime families. This is the direction that vince has been going.
Another possiblity is that WW could find another formulation to cook on a scale not thought of before. This seems logical to me seeing how there’s never enough.. Or simply WW overseeing multiple labs.
I could go on for hours..
What an excellent show!. Walt did poison Brock, exactly how, I don’t know. He is very intelligent, and plans well, and would know how much to give so he wouldn’t kill Brock. Could he have snuck back into the house and removed the poison tube from the cigarette? (After he got out of the desert where they had that bag over his head)? I would think that his experience in the desert is why he came up with his plan. Could he have given the poison to Brock then, if he snuck in? It might take a while to affect a person. I love that someone noticed that Walt stared at that plant after the gun pointed to it, I wonder what else I have missed. Walt will never live a straight and narrow life again, he likes the power he has from doing what he wants, and taking revenge on anyone who crosses him. He is very intelligent (and vain) he will want the money that he knows he can earn-he needs someone who was on the inside, I wonder if Gus kept any records? Maybe on his computer at Los Pollos Hermanos? I think that Walt thinks of Jesse as a son who he can do his illegal activities with-Walt likes the dark side, and his sweet son Walt jr would never agree to what Walt does, besides, he can manipulate Jesse. Can’t wait for season 6! I love that this show has such well thought out plots, and I just keep getting surprised-most shows are too easy to figure out what will happen. IO think that Hank will begin to suspect Walk, but Walk is smarter than Hank (but Walt is also a bit unstable).
Christa – Walt poisoned Brock with the Lily of the Valley plant… he couldn’t have given him what was in the cigarette – the tiniest drop of that would kill an adult, nevermind a child.
I do realize that Walt used Lily of the Valley to poison Brock, I did mention the scene where he stared at the plant for a long time. My point was that Walt would have stolen the tube of ricon so Jesse would think that it was used on Brock. If the tube was still there, he would not suspect ricon poisoning. Lily of the Valley is the poison that I meant when I said that he was poisoned, but I can see that it could be misunderstood. My question was how did Walt poison Brock? I think he must have done it while he was asleep, a concentrated amount of the poison sub-lingually? Or maybe he got the boy alone and offered him some poisoned candy, or a poisoned sticker that would administer the poison trans-dermally? I can never figure out what will happen on the show, so it wont be any of those scenarios.
I am so addicted to this show.. everything is so perfect!.. The acting is what really makes it for me. At the end of each episode my jaw drops because all the characters seem so real. This is the best show AMC has in my opinion. I am ok with vince ending the series on season five.
i love this show and i beg to amc to keep making new onec. once i sow lat episode of season 4 i wanted to cry
OMG!! I just watched the first 3 seasons this week. Only to find out there ending it!! Come on this show is freakin awesome please don’t end it!!! It is one of the best shows I’ve ever watched. It is so suspenseful, you really don’t know whats going to happened in the episode. Make like 15 seasons!!!! LOVE IT!!!!
i too have just this month got addicted to Breaking Bad and i’ve watched all 4 seasons and im a little bit depressed that theres no more till this final season starts again, as i need my fix and being that i was just diagnosed with diabetes about a year ago, and have been clinically depressed since, staying up nites watching this show has given me a new perspective and i feel after being numb for so long thx amc hope there are at least 2 more seasons this show is friggin awesome!!!! ! !!!
Great show made with love. The acting and writing are so good the creative powers that be are making every scene with pure love. Keep up the good work and I am ready and waiting for season 5!!!!!!!!!!!
This series just migh be more addictive than Meth – I watched all four seasons in just over a week.
The writing, story line, acting and camera work are the best I have seen – E-V-E-R (as Jesse would say).
Too bad it will end after five seasons, BUT all good things must come to an end, and a high-note ending is better than a “get it over with” one.
This show is thought provoking – makes you seriously wonder about human nature.
Hope to see more from the brilliant Vince Gilligan!
As a viewer of this show i must say that this is by far the best show i have ever seen. Beats the walking dead 100 to 1 i hope that the writers will continue not for the 5th season. But that they continue this story with pashion for there work of art. Im 16 and i dont have much to say but this show alone should be given its spot in a hall of fame. I personally love this show and right now am staying up until 1:30 in the morning just to whatch the final episode of season 4. A great ending indeed the incredible writing talents of every single worker that worked on this should be given a bonus salary for giving AMC a run for there money. Who would have thought that making meth would get the attention of so many people. Such a realistic feel for how this deadly drug is brought about our lives has actually given me the strength to say i will for one never try meth ever. I love this show with so far every bit of my self i would stay up for weeks on end to just get a peak at a taste of episode 1 of season 5. Please dont keep any of your viewers waiting because this is pure television gold. (no pun towards the most pure meth ever)The ending of gus was not only a seat clencher but a down right laughter it brought me in tears seeing a man with half a face clean him self up before falling to his death. A briliant way to end a genius ruthless man i for one will await the next season with the up most hope for nothing more then what you have given so far. You cant get any better or at least i hope because im already writing basically an essay about a show when i could be out doing some thing completly iresponsible and reckless. (aka fun for a 16 year old) This show is a gift from writing genius and i hope to all that is good that season 5 will not be the ending. Thank you for reading and please take this 16 year olds opinion into consideration when i say you all deserve AMC’s thanks to making this show there best work ever. Every thing AMC has ever done or that i have seen doesnt come close to Breaking Bad its just to amazing for logical words to explain. Have a fun time writing about meth no one could have gotten away with it besides AMC. And with that i pay my respects to the CEO all the writers the dicrector and all its actors. Jessie Pinkman/ Walter White/ Mike/ and Gustavo are the legs arms torso and head of it all. Keep gus in the story please some how some way because he is the answer to walters new lack of employment possible he takes over the Chicken Brothers. Or should i say the Meth Brothers of Mr Pinkman and Mr White.
They should kill Walt Junior. He’s the most stupid person in show.
how could you say that about Walter junior? He’s a great actor who has overcome alot of personal obstacles in order to fulfill his acting dreams. Not only did he fulfill those, but exceeded them! He has cerebral palsy in real life and on the show. Vince Gilligan (The creator of Breaking Bad) casted RJ Mitte (Walter junior) intentionally. He wanted to cast an actor that had Cerebral Palsy to raise awareness on the disease.One of Vince Gilligan’s best friends in college had CP and it really had an impact on Vince- Hence why they cast RJ Mitte for the role of Walter Jr. So really, he is not stupid at all. He’s amazing. He has overcome so many things that his disease wouldn’t allow most to achieve. So please think before you say terrible things about people.
Last week season 1 was broadcasted in the Netherlands. I couldn’t wait for the next seasons on the Dutch TV. Addicted as all of you above I watch all seasons online. Just finished the last episode of season 4. What a great serie. I was hoping to find a comment with any other series on USA television but I am ‘afraid’there ain’t any which comes close to Breaking Bad. Can’t wait for season 5
Maybe the Sopranos came close, ay other suggestions or tips will be welcome
The Shield. Another incredible series filled with great writing and an excellent cast of characters. Right alongside breaking bad as some of the best tv ever. imo.
‘Breaking Bad’ Season 4 Finale WOooooooooooooooooooooooooW big like
All Of My Love
WooW
Yeah!!!
Súper series. !!!!!!!! I finish today watching the last chapter and I feel like s*** !!!’ I don’t want it to finish …. Now I have to wait until middle of the year…. Crap ! As a personal opinion I found 1 of the best series ever… Together with 24 ,Lost,…and probably now coming Alcatraz …,
Geez….no it can’t end now. Best show ever. Days of Our Lives, General Hospital and all those stupid soap operas have been around for 50 years. Who likes that crap? Bug Breaking Bad is an awesome show….. Need to keep making this one and keep it around for years and years.
I wasn’t glad to see the photo in the article because it contains spoilers from my point of vieuw..
Great show. I really like the way the story is told, reminds me of how Lost was done, and the music/audio is Fn awesome. Just a great show all around. TV in general has really improved over the last few years, maybe that’s why most movies settle for sequels and remakes these days.
In season 6 they will move to ABC and add a laugh trak
This blows I can’t believe its going to end only after 5 seasons I love breaking bad its by far the best show on tv and I really don’t know if they can make a better show and get better actors its feels so real I wish they would atleast make 2 more seasons please make a couple more season vince
I love love love love this show! ♥
I just watched all 4 seasons back to back over the weekend, I wish so bad there was going to be just a couple more seasons! I agree, please Vince keep writing! This is one of the best shows to ever hit TV!
I ♥ Jesse & Walt!!
I personally am also very happy its ending on Season 5. I love this show so much but too many of shows and even movies I loved have been dragged out to a point of disappointment. This keeps the story a perfect length I feel. In my opinion Season 4 was kind of bland at times and lacked the multiple climatic plot turning points that the previous seasons had. Don’t get me wrong now, I feel this show is one of the best ever produced television series, and the writers are incredibly talented in telling a tale in such a magnificent way. My point is, 5 seasons is the perfect time frame to capture the essence of the journey in this chapter of our characters’ lives. Not to mention it is 16 episodes. They should make the final episode 3 hours long
Not sure they have to make season 5, I’m afraid it can spoil the show. The ending of season 4 was great.
I like Dexter, but Nreaking Bad is even better. Weeds & Californication (not nearly as good) are still going after many years. Why does Breaking Bad have to go out so soon?
Breaking bad is the very best, Should I really say more?
You’re lucky I’ll say something …
This series is addictive as drugs, in 5 days through, can you imagine.
The fifth day I felt bad that it was over. But I’m not whining, I certainly can. But I look forward to the new season!
I hope that next season could reach the level! Since I think Vince was planning to make only 4 seasons ..
Vince do your best! Make it more addictive as blue meth … LOL
Ow yeah Vince… yur a Genious Genious!!
Is Gus really dead!!?? He was able to straighten his tie just before he passed out, and his wounds were cauterized. I’m thinking he’ll be back like two-face in Batman, and super pissed off at WW.
What a FANTASTIC show….SO ADDICTED!!
That Brock poisoning thing is a mystery. Hopefully we’ll find out in season 5 about that, and what happened to Mike.
Watch “The Wire”, it is just as addicting as BrBa.