Perhaps, but it would deviate from the “real” feel of the show, not that it hasn’t done this before. A white guy running a Mexican operation just seems like a stretch to me, particularly with a wife who is dead set against his involvement. The more realistic scenario for me would involve Walt and family in a witness relocation program when it’s all done, because right now his wife is implicated in an aiding and abetting situation and could go to prison, with the kids being taken by the state. It would be anathema for Walt for that to happen. So either he or she will likely do the whistle blowing.
I could see Hank figuring out Walt’s involvement and offering him (and Jesse) a spot in the witness protection program for giving up the cartel. Or Walt, alone, running the cartel himself. Those are the only 2 vaguely positive outcomes possible, IMO.
Contrarian view 
The potency of the show, at least to me, the novelty of its dramatic resolution lies exactly in finding a different solution than “how things look on paper”. The authenticity is then drawn from totally unexpected but fully understood action that takes place.
Most recent example (that in fact led to last episode’s last scene in Season 3) is Walt running over those two drug dealers after watching crime report on TV news. I mean that action shows the “good guys” impulse that is deep seated in him, the sense of justice rather than calculation and the fact that Walt (and to some extent, Jesse) have a capacity to be sincerely shocked. I actually don’t expect them to fall beyond the line of total character disaster; you know, common criminal.
So, I don’t think that Gale will be killed – it just wouldn’t be Breaking Bad; you could call it simply “Bad”. A solution will be constructed with an additional variable so any speculation is hard to figure out as I’m sure additional dramatic variable will be around through at least couple of episodes.
Sort of semi-spoilery for those who have seen the whole series and are anticipating something major coming down around something major that already WENT down is referred to in a terrific article about BB in Newsweek called TV’s Most Dangerous Show.
Actually, he hasn’t. He’s been very clear: Jesse killed him. BUT… as the Newsweek article goes into in detail, because of fan reaction they did end up having a very long discussion about whether they should change that.
No member of Walt’s family can be killed, because Skylar would instantly lose all tolerance for any of it and turn him in. Plus, the audience would probably find it intolerable. As bad as Walt is becoming, he’s supposed to maintain some shred of decency and anyone in his family dying would just be so hideous that it would undermine any possibility of continuing. ESPECIALLY Walt Jr. or Marie! My god, Skylar’s sister and son? She’d go batshit instantly.
Because Walt Jr. is really the only thing standing between Walt and incarceration, their son is the only reason Skylar hasn’t sunk him and won’t. If their son dies because of anything, but especially because of Walt’s actions, Skylar will personally see to it that Walt goes down.
Sorry, you have it backwards. If they cheesed out on Gale, that wouldn’t be Breaking Bad. Gale can replace Walt. Walt has to be irreplaceable to stay alive. If there’s anything this show has, it’s balls and integrity.
As for all the “How much longer?” questions, Gilligan has made it clear they are going for AT LEAST five years. Whether there will be a sixth is the only question, and there will NOT be a seventh. So we can count on 26 more episodes before we go into total withdrawal and grief.
Certainly would be juicy. One thing I’m sure we all must agree on: Walt will die at the end, either from violence or cancer.
Who the hell is watching this show that thinks that wasn’t a natural and logical way for the series to go? Is this supposed to turn into Full House where everyone lives happily ever after? Makes me wonder wtf they’ve been watching for the last 3 seasons.
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Is this supposed to turn into Full House where everyone lives happily ever after? Makes me wonder wtf they’ve been watching for the last 3 seasons.
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“Michelle… I know you miss Uncle Joey, but he was going to snitch on me and Uncle Jesse, and we’ve talked about snitching haven’t we? Now let’s go over it again, what are you gonna say to the cops?”
I’ve been burning through the show on DVR in anticipation of its return. Just finished season 2 - Phoenix andABQ are some of the most intense things I have ever seen on TV. I’m greedily looking forward to replaying season 3 up to when season 4 begins.
My own totally wild ass, completely spoiler-free speculation on the last episode: there is an escalation of violence and deaths, and Hank ends up catching Heisenberg. Meaningful glances exchanged. Fade to black.
And I would be satisfied with that.
Vik Mackey shows up and starts smashing faces and breaking skulls, people end up dead, someone ends up walking off with a pile of cash and pounds of meth.
Good article in the NYTimes Magazine. I skimmed over the beginning because it looked like there might be slight spoilers.
Love the picture of Cranston giving the biggest squint possible.
Great article.
Just a week to go. I’m excited. July 2011 was so far away when season 3 ended…
Two more eps in our season 3 catch-up. Waiting impatiently for the new season.
Mind gonna be blown.
Unless they kill Skylar :). Could be the final step to hardening Walt for good. This show has been just unpredictable enough that I’m not assuming anyone is safe* ( which speaks to the quality of the show ).
- Except Walt. And probably Jesse.
Seen it before: this is just a refresher.
Here’s a question for those of you who’ve been re-watching the first three seasons:
Do we ever receive an explanation for why Walt abandons his venture with Elliot and so suddenly breaks off his relationship with whats-her-face, the woman who’s now Elliot’s wife?
There’s been a couple things that the show’s brought up and then dropped – Marie’s addiction to shoplifting being the most obvious – but Walt’s former life was something that was hinted at all throughout seasons 1 and 2, and then season 3 completely drops it as a subject. In the first season, the writers made Walt’s past-self a confident, bad-ass chemist who worked on a project that, I think, won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. And then, somewhere in the middle of season 2, he has a big blow-out with his former girlfriend about him using her and Elliot as a front for laundering money to pay for his chemo treatments. He complains about being cut out of Elliot’s venture, and she’s legitimately shocked that he feels that way. Then she says something to the effect of: “One weekend, you left without warning, packing all your stuff and leaving without so much as a goodbye.”
So what’s the deal there?
I think it’s just a device to give some vague idea as to why Walt ends up in a low-paying teaching job, but has friends who are rich enough to ostensibly give him money for chemo. Otherwise, the storyline doesn’t work.