Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Breaking Bad: The Final Season Blu-ray Movie Review

The end.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 28, 2013

It's Breaking Bad. It's the final eight episodes. If those facts alone aren't enough to get a fan fired up -- to see how it all plays out, to bask in the glory of the gripping drama, to make one last cook with Walter and Jesse, to take one final look at it all through the eyes of every character, to celebrate the end of an era -- then certainly no review will, but here's to the old college try, anyway. For six years, there hasn't been anything quite as consistently dynamic, captivating, or edge-of-the-seat intense as Creator Vince Gilligan's era-defining masterpiece. The story of a simple, everyday cancer-striken chemistry teacher-turned-meth cook-turned-king of a narcotics empire has been one of television's finest efforts, a crown jewel even amongst the finest of modern television royalty. It's been a show that's done everything right and rightly become a phenomenon, not simply a quality entertainment product. It's sad to see it depart, but the story had certainly run its course; the only question that remained, then, would be whether or not it could sustain that excellence right through to whatever its final shot had to say.

Family.

In many ways, these final eight episodes are much like any others throughout the series. Certainly the content has changed, but the direction has not. The series remains smartly written, expertly acted, and very much lived in and fantastically authentic right down to its final seconds. These last episodes embrace more than enough heart-wrenching happenings, incredible twists, and painfully real emotions as it goes towards where it always seemed destined. The show offers an interpretive final few moments, an ending that's anything but ambiguous in its finality but that does leave room for the audience to interpret the seconds leading up to it, to choose how to read a moment and a reaction in the context of both recent events and the show's entire arc. Whether an audience chooses to view the ending as something of a moment of mere contemplative reflection; of an admittance that a character has become skewed by actions unforeseen and, before the beginning, unimagined; or of a realization that the last two years have forever changed an outlook on life not only in the physical sense but through a journey with a dark craft and an unbreakable spiritual bond to it are all amongst a number of legitimate interpretations. Suffice it to say, the show ends as it had to end, as it always seemed like it should, as it would even from the beginning. The brilliance lies in the beautiful juxtaposition of the literal finality and the figurative openness; it's difficult to further analyze without breaking the illusion and spoiling what happens, but Creator Vince Gilligan has certainly given the audience the ending the series, and its fans, deserved.

Aside from its spectacular conclusion, these final eight episodes provide plenty of incredible moments, many of which come expectedly but still surprise and arouse a wide spectrum of emotional reaction. There are several wonderful cliffhangers and plenty of character progression elements that build on events specific to these episodes but also the larger whole of Breaking Bad history. More critical to the series' success, however, is how these episodes build on the emotional content and deeper, darker themes that have grown throughout the series. Walter's turn from understandable lawbreaker to dark antihero remains one of the finest transformations television has ever seen. Bryan Cranston's performance remains one of the best of his generation considering the way he so absolutely understands the character, the nuance of every word he speaks, the immediate and lasting repercussions of every action he takes, every thought he processes, every plan he executes, every batch he cooks. Though his progression takes him to darker places, the show does a fine job of building him as something of a negative protagonist, someone who's smarter than everyone else but whose deeds are therefore only all the more sinister, coming from some dark underbelly that's grown within him, calculated and carefully performed rather than merely acted upon in the moment. With his equal, Gus Fring, out of the picture for these final episodes, Walter's enemy again becomes himself, his own journey down the dark path, both inside and out. His enemies, beyond his brother-in-law, are but obstacles in the way towards whatever end he envisions and that evolves with every action he takes and the many reactions that are a result.

Breaking Bad: The Final Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Breaking Bad: The Final Season looks terrific on Blu-ray. It's perhaps a bit tighter than previous efforts, and it's a noticeable step up from earlier seasons. The image offers crisp, very well defined details, from facial close-ups to broad desert landscapes. Scars, wrinkles, clothing seams, rocky textures, brushed metal, and all variety of visuals feature accurate, lifelike replication in nearly every scene. Sony's transfer displays a consistent clarity, too, accentuating its details and never hindering them through any sort of murky, soft frame. Colors are vibrant and even throughout. Earthen colored desert exteriors particularly impress, but more vibrant clothing and support background shades also appear evenly defined and lifelike. Flesh tones never drift all that far from a natural appearance, and while black levels are mostly deep and true, there are a few scattered moments when the transfer pushes towards crush. Additionally, very sporadic banding, noise, and blockiness are visible. However, all of these warts come very few and far between. For the most part, this is an excellent transfer from Sony.

Breaking Bad: The Final Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sony has cooked up a prolific DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack for Breaking Bad: The Final Season. There are a lot of highs and no real lows throughout the season, a season with plenty of chaotic gunfire and no shortage of strong supportive sound elements to help push the track to unforgettable heights. That gunfire is undoubtedly the season's highlight. It comes in all varieties, including a burst of fire heard powerfully but with a slight muffle from inside a structure. It's surreal and terrifying but a pleasure in a pure sonic sense with the way it realistically explodes and envelopes the listening area. More pronounced, up-front and in-the-middle shootouts enjoy splendid accuracy, with shots exploding from every corner. The distinctive sound of shotguns, rifles, and pistols burst into an opera of violence and impacts on various surfaces all around the stage, making for a frightening symphony of hurt. Finally, there's the last "gun" moment in the series, and it doesn't disappoint considering its sonic power meshed with its heavy duty physical and emotional impact. Musical delivery is tight, precise, wide, and clear. The opening title music is particularly robust and effectively deep. Support elements are nicely defined throughout, whether desert wind ambience, background clatter in coffee shops, or a buzzing lawnmower running outside a home. The show is particularly adept in creating a very real sense of time and place. The overall experience is significantly greater because of it, and this track's ability to precisely recreate it all only benefits every scene. Rounded into shape by faultless dialogue reproduction, Breaking Bad: The Final Season makes for one of the best television listens out there.

Breaking Bad: The Final Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Breaking Bad: The Final Season contains a number of supplements across all three discs. A UV Digital Copy code is also included in the box.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: "Blood Money:" Creator Vince Gilligan; Actors Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, and RJ Mitte; Writer Peter Gould; Executive Producer Michelle MacLaren; and Co-Executive Producer Melissa Bernstein. "Buried:" Creator Vince Gilligan; Actors Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, and Laura Fraser; Executive Producer Michelle MacLaren; Director Thomas Schnauz; and Producer Stewart Lyons. "Confessions:" Creator Vince Gilligan; Actors Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, and RJ Mitte; Writer Gennifer Hutchison; Executive Producer Michelle MacLaren; and Co-Executive Producer Melissa Bernstein. "Rabid Dog:" Creator Vince Gilligan; Actors Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and RJ Mitte; Writer/Director Sam Catlin; Co-Executive Producer Melissa Bernstein; Producer Diane Mercer; and Supervising Sound Editor Nick Forshager. Available with optional Spanish subtitles.
• Inside Breaking Bad (HD): Short featurettes specific to each episode, accessible under the "Episode Selections" tab and, from there, the episode page. The supplements feature cast and crew recounting the story, episode emotional content and character motivations, the process of crafting specific scenes, and more. Disc one features include Inside 'Blood Money' (4:12), Making 'Blood Money' (2:37), Inside 'Buried' (5:02), Making 'Buried' (4:09), Inside 'Confessions' (3:32), Making 'Confessions' (3:20), Inside 'Rabid Dog' (3:26) and Making 'Rabid Dog' (4:06).
• Deleted Scenes (HD): "Buried:" You're Killing Me (0:32), This Better Be Good (0:36), and She's an Earner (0:39). "Confessions:" Time to Talk (1:25) and Goodbye (1:21). "Rabid Dog:" I'm In Your Hands (1:30) and Children Playing (1:09).
• Blood Money Table Read (HD, 41:28): The collected cast reads through the entire episode.
• Walt's Confession (HD, 6:13): An uncut, full-screen version of the video Walter creates at one point in the season.
• Jesse Pinkman Evidence Tapes (HD, 4:57): A video of Jesse Pinkman recounting stories from his life with Walter White.
• The Layers of a Sound Mix (HD, 5:39): Separate Production, Music, and Sound Effects stems from a critical scene. The piece ends with all three presented together.
• Ozymandias Trailer (HD, 1:10).
• Gag Reel (HD, 6:17).

Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: "To'Hajiilee:" Creator Vince Gilligan; Actors Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, and Laura Fraser; Writer George Mastras; Executive Producer/Director Michelle MacLaren; Composer Dave Porter; and Line Producer Stewart Lyons. "Ozymandias:" Creator Vince Gilligan; Actors Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and RJ Mitte; Writer Moira Walley-Beckett; and Executive Producer Michelle MacLaren. "Granite State:" Creator Vince Gilligan; Actors Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Bob Odenkrik, and Robert Forster; and Writer/Director Peter Gould. "Felina:" Creator Vince Gilligan, Actor Bryan Cranston, Producer Diane Mercer, and Sound Supervisor Nick Forshager. Available with optional Spanish subtitles.
• Inside Breaking Bad (HD): Inside 'To'Hajiilee' (3:24), Making of 'To'Hajiilee' (4:10), Inside 'Ozymandias' (4:14), Making 'Ozymandias' (3:18), Inside 'Granite State' (4:30), Making 'Granite State' (3:38), Inside 'Felina' (5:55), and Making 'Felina' (3:58).
• Extended Scenes (HD): "Granite State:" You Made it Happen (2:41). "Felina:" Spend it Wisely (in script form).
• The Main Event (HD, 14:24): A lengthy look at the specifics of making the key ending sequence from "To'Hajiilee" and the beginning sequence of "Ozymandias."
• The Final Showdown (HD, 10:01): A detailed examination of making a major scene from the final episode.
• Life of a Show Runner (HD, 9:36): A look at the many contributions of Creator Vince Gilligan throughout the creative process.
• Alternate Ending: Includes the "alternate ending" (HD, 3:39) and Behind the Scenes of the Alternate Ending (5:06).
• Fire in the Hole: M60 Test Footage (HD, 1:01): A collection of screens from a test run for one of the series' most important moments.

Disc Three:

Disc three only contains Mythbusters 'Breaking Bad' Special (HD, 42:37, Dolby Digital 5.1). The Mythbusters recreate several moments from the series and test their real-world validity. Spanish subtitles are optionally included.

Breaking Bad: The Final Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Breaking Bad seemed destined for greatness when it debuted, and it only improved from there, growing into a legendary television program and an era-defining cable experience. It's seen its characters through an incredible journey of growth, pain, uncertainty, mistrust, manipulation, pure evil, and uncontrollable joy. It's run the gamut of emotion but remained true to a core of incredible but believable human drama and storytelling personified in an individual determined to beat the odds and the dark downward spiral that would define his career through the series. Breaking Bad: The Final Season ends about as strongly as it began. Its finale may not be what everyone wanted, but the shows goes where it always felt destined to go, and it's executed flawlessly. Sony's Blu-ray release of Breaking Bad: The Final Season features stellar video and audio. As usual, a plethora of supplemental content is included. Breaking Bad: The Final Season earns my highest recommendation.