Breaking Bad is nearing an end, and what will happen is anyone's guess. With Jesse snapping and Hank becoming increasingly desperate, Walt's life is now beginning to spiral out of control.
With only six episodes left in the series, Vince Gilligan will spare no air time with sub-plots. However, the show's trademark complex intertwining of characters will almost certainly contribute to the final outcome of the story. It should be as explosive as ever -- literally speaking.
See also: Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan Reveals the Exact Moment Walter White "Broke Bad" Forever
But don't count on happy endings or standard Hollywood tropes. (Not that any fan of Breaking Bad's five seasons would.) Several foreshadowings and re-occurring themes have appeared throughout the series that, in our mind, build an indication of what will happen next. One such predictor of Walt's overall fate could be the painting that appears in the third episode of season two ("Bit by a Dead Bee") and once again in season five, episode eight ("Gliding Over All"). Don't think it means anything? Take a look for yourself.
We've had our eyes out for clues to the series' end since the second half of this season debuted. If we know this show as well as we think we do, here's what to expect.
(Could we just be overthinking things? Sure. But hey, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not coming for you. Just ask Walt.)
5. Walt Kills Todd
With Jesse flying off the handle, you can pretty much count on him being out of the meth business. Walt too. But the Neo-Nazis or Czechs still need someone to cook blue meth, so they enlist Todd, who is the only other person who knows Walt's formula. Todd cooks, against Walt's wishes. Walt confronts Todd and after a heated argument, Heisenberg emerges and kills Todd in order to protect his recipe. But this is simply the logical consequence of Todd's murder of Drew Sharp in "Dead Freight" (season 5, episode 5).
4. Skyler White is Murdered
Let's assume the above prediction comes true: Todd is now dead and the Neo-Nazis are none too happy. So they seek payback in the form of murdering Walt's wife, Skyler. Alternately, Todd's death enrages the Czechs, who have lost their cook. In "Dead Freight," Walt mistakenly admits to Lydia that he has a family. Perhaps Lydia passes this information to the Czechs, who eventually show up to Walt's house and assassinate Skyler. Or maybe it's Jesse who kills her, although this is unlikely.
Whatever the reason, Skyler's death seems inevitable. She has been an unwilling partner in Walt's scheme from day one. So much of the debate about the end of the show has centered on whether Walt will live or die, but Skyler's death would be unexpected, tragic, and the ultimate consequence of Walt's actions.
3. Walt Assumes a New Identity
This was foreshadowed in season four, episode 11 ("Crawl Space"), then again at the beginning of the first episode of season five ("Live Free or Die") as Walt is addressed as Mr. Lambert inside the Denny's restaurant. With Skyler dead (see above), his empire fallen, and his life now lived on the lam with several people gunning for him, Walt (Heisenberg?) has no choice but to use Saul's disappearing guy and vanishes.
2. Jesse Pinkman is Kidnapped, but Is Rescued by Walt (again)
Walt is gone, Todd is dead and there is no one left who knows how to cook the blue meth--except Jesse, who is still in trouble with the law. The Czechs, or the Nazis, nab him before the cops do, bring him to their superlab and force him to cook meth. Walt emerges from hiding to purchase a M60 machine gun and four cans of ammunition ("Live Free or Die"). With heavy weaponry like that, Walt goes in with guns blazing, kills several guys in the process, and rescues Jesse, who has been trapped in the superlab.
1. Walt Tries to Poison Jesse With Ricin
Walt has rescued Jesse for the last time, but don't let the heroism fool you. With Skyler, Todd and everyone else gone, Walt and Jesse are the only ones left who have knowledge of Walt's scheme (minus Saul Goodman, who also disappeared). Therefore Walt ultimately must kill Jesse to eliminate the final evidence of his intentions. Pretending to be his friend, Walt gives the emaciated Jesse another chance to disappear, along with a bottle of water laced with ricin. Walt re-vanishes. But once again Jesse's wits kick in to save his own ass. Thinking back to episode ten of season three ("Fly"), Jesse remembers how he spiked Walt's coffee with sleeping pills and passes on drinking the water (payback's a bitch, isn't it?). Jesse then disappears.
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