YMMV / Breaking Bad S5 E16 "Felina"

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Did Walt always intend to rescue Jesse from the neo-Nazis after hearing that his Blue Sky was still on the market, or did Walt go to Jack's compound with the intent of killing everyone there, including Jesse, only changing his mind and saving him when he saw how broken and beaten he looked? Even though it's written in the script that it was always Walt's intent to kill Jesse with the gang until the last second, some still insist that he intended to save Jesse all along. Better Call Saul muddies this further when the episode "Saul Gone" vaguely implies that Walt's biggest regret was selling Jesse out to the neo-Nazis.
  • If the latter is true, why did Walt want to kill Jesse? Did he still view Jesse as partially responsible for Hank's death and wanted revenge? Did he genuinely believe that Jesse partnered with Jack, or was it a lie he made up on the spot to stave off his summary execution so he could have a chance to grab his keys? Was Walt insulted that Jesse was cooking Blue Sky on par with his own? Did Walt figure that Jack was forcing Jesse to cook but didn't care and wanted him dead anyway? Was Walt prioritizing the gang and simply thought Jesse might also get killed in the process?
• Catharsis Factor: Basically the entirety of the episode. Walt finally admits to Skyler that he did all of those bad things as Heisenberg for himself rather than to provide for his family, Skyler gets to give Hank and Gomez a proper funeral and a plea deal for herself, Gretchen and Elliot will give the rest of Walt's money to Flynn on his 18th birthday, Hank and Andrea's deaths are avenged when Todd and Jack are killed, Lydia will most definitely die from ricin poisoning, and Jesse is finally free from both Jack's prison and Walt's manipulation.
• Fan-Preferred Cut Content: Vince Gilligan has described an unfilmed scene where Walt has an encounter with a former student. Many people wish the scene had remained and think it could have been one of the better Heartwarming Moments in a fairly grim episode. It also would have showed Walt that the time he spent as a school teacher, a phase of his life that he looked down upon, did have some value.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Jesse drives away at top speed in a car at the end. Guess what Aaron Paul's next major role was in? Need for Speed. May also double as an Actor Allusion, and triples as a pun in that Breaking Bad is about a different kind of speed.

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