It’s been months since the excellent conclusion of Season 4 of AMC’s Breaking Bad, and at this point, my mind’s more on the thought of waiting eagerly for the show to return. It hasn’t actually set in yet that when it does return, the series will be marching toward its end. How will Breaking Bad end? Are we in for a happy ending? Or something utterly devastating? It could really go either way. A show like this never really felt set up for a happily ever after, but the writers may find one. Or Walter White will go out in a blaze of glory. We have plenty of time to speculate, and from what Bryan Cranston says, it sounds like we won’t see the ending of the series until next year.
It’s not really news that Season 5 of Breaking Bad might be split into two seasons, and while that isn’t officially confirmed yet, Entertainment Weekly says the series is close to an official verdict on the matter. The site also quotes series star Bryan Cranston as saying the final season, which will consist of sixteen episodes, will be split into two parts.
“We’re going to shoot the first eight, then take a four-month production break, then the rest will air next year.”
The series is currently shooting Season 5, and while there’s no official premiere date for the series' return, word is, the aim is to get it going in July. EW reports that AMC says the four month hiatus is just “one scenario.” So despite what Cranston says, it sounds like the final decision hasn't been made yet.
There’s a part of me that likes the idea of a split-season, as it’ll extend the run of the show. Plus, if they are planning on splitting it, it wouldn’t be surprising if Episode 8 ended with a big cliffhanger. But on the other hand, splitting the season between two sets of episodes feels almost like one for the price of two, in terms of what we’ll be getting. I’m leaning toward the former point of view, however. If the series gets a good send-off, the wait will be worth it.
As for where things pick up in Season 5, it sounds like the aftermath of Gus' demise will play a part in where things pick up:
We’re cleaning up the pieces from last season’s huge ordeal where Gus Fring was forced to meet his maker. It’s not as easy as Walter thought.
Is anything easy for Walter? He's a resourceful guy. Something tells me he'll figure it all out. But as always, there may be a price to pay. Crossing lines is something he should be used to at this point. Cranston also discussed the darkness of the character and the issues Walter White has, which affects his family...
There’s physical danger to himself and his family, plus there’s the emotional danger due to his anger and hubris. It’s about the evil that men do and where that takes him
This brings us back to what I said earlier about how it’s all going to end. Is there any going back for Walter? Or has he passed the point of no return as a man? It’s possible that there is some happy-ending scenario that allows room for the compromises Walter White has made as a man, but a part of me thinks this was always a story about the end of a man’s life and how he chose to live what was left of it. A good ending isn’t always a happy one. We’ll have to see how it all works out!
Read EW's full report here.
