In just a few short weeks, Breaking Bad will kick off its final half season as the triumph and tragedy of Walter White finally comes to an end.
The critically acclaimed AMC drama has received a lion share of awards, but more importantly has built a fevered fan base over the last several seasons, and creator Vince Gilligan knew as he planned the final episodes the stakes were very high.
In a culture where a show can almost be defined by its final episode (see The Sopranos or Lost), Gilligan admitted during a recently meeting with the press that the heat was turned up pretty high for him to get this finale right.
“I was really nervous about coming up to an end for this thing. For a year. Hell, for six years,” Gilligan stated.
Once the writers settled into the room and started putting the story down on paper, they all had to stop thinking about what reaction the fans would have and just create the best possible ending they could give to the characters on Breaking Bad.
Gilligan obviously can’t predict how everyone will react, but he’s confident that most fans and viewers should be satisfied with how the tale of Walter White ends.
“I think most folks are going to dig the ending,” Gilligan said.
While Breaking Bad may be coming to an end in just a few short episodes (sadly), there is still hope for a spin-off series after this one closes. A focus on attorney Saul Goodman (portrayed by Bob Odenkirk) in the spin-off is in the works, but Gilligan says there are still obstacles they have to overcome before the series could become a reality.
“I really hope it happens,” Gilligan said. “It’s for powers bigger than me to figure out if it can come to fruition.”
For Odenkirk’s part he said he’s in if the show gets picked up by AMC.
The final season of Breaking Bad will kick off on Sunday night, August 11 at 9pm ET/PT on AMC.
(Credit to The Hollywood Reporter for the quotes)
Here is the final season mashup of Breaking Bad as shown at San Diego Comic Con last weekend:
