I enjoyed the recent finale for what it was. I don't begrudge anyone who felt differently, and I can see why some would prefer that the series ended at 'Fun and Games' (much like some believe 'Ozymandias' is the true ending to
Breaking Bad, rather than 'Felina'). I just don't understand saying that it was horrible and on par with the finales for
Lost and
Game Of Thrones. Those shows' endings were such unmitigated trainwrecks that
everyone was talking about them and they irreparably damaged both the reputation of the series and the creators involved. Whatever quibbles one may have with the finale of
Better Call Saul, there hasn't been nearly the same amount of backlash towards it as those other shows.
Maybe I'm just soft, but to me, the ending made total sense when you look the series as a love story between Jimmy and Kim. They're two people who are trapped in a toxic co-dependent relationship but who nevertheless have a sincere and abiding affection for each other. The way I see it, Jimmy turned down the seven-year deal because he figured that he would never be able to live a truly satisfying life when he got out. He clearly hated living in exile as Gene the Cinnabon manager in Omaha, because that's not who he really is, and the final few episodes illustrated how he couldn't help himself getting roped into various criminal schemes as a means to liven up his dreadfully dull life and, in my opinion, he deep down wanted to get caught so that his self-imposed exile would be brought to an end. And if he got through the seven-year sentence like he originally planned, he may have gotten to live as a free man and found fame as Heisenberg's former lawyer, but he wouldn't have the respect of the person he cares about more than anything in the world. So by coming clean and going to prison for 86 years, even though it seems like the worse outcome on the face of it, allows him to come clean to the woman he loves and give him a chance to see her one last time. Is it irrational? Sure, but people do all sorts of irrational things for the sake of love.
Bob Odenkirk had an interesting take on the finale that I'm inclined to agree with. When asked about what happens in the future,
he said this:
I think she comes to see him! I think she comes to see him once a year — every other year at the least. And I think he helps a bunch of guys in prison to get out who are innocent, or he helps shorten their sentences. He gets treated really well. And I don't think he gets out early…-ish. I don't think he gets out. I don't know what kind of dispensation they have for an 80-year-old, but I believe they have some, once you get to be that age where you can do something else. But I think he's kind of the king of the prison because he's a really, really good lawyer and a great lawyer for the kind of people in there. And he puts that to good use, probably even does some good work, like, genuinely good work. And then I think they see each other and I think he thinks she should stay married to that guy and have a life. I don't know what she does, though. She doesn't seem very happy at the water place.
When it comes down to it, I think Jimmy would rather be in prison for life with a clean conscience and the respect of the woman he loves than be living free with a guilty conscience and never getting to see Kim again. He knows that he can't help but go back to his old Slippin' Jimmy ways, and at least in prison, he can be with people who think highly of him and he can put his lawyering skills to use helping them with their problems.
So yeah, it was a satisfying ending for me, and unless AMC decides to milk this series ever more (which I hope that they don't), a satisfying ending to the
Breaking Bad universe.
EDIT: I’m also surprised that so many here have criticized the finale for being “predictable”. Again, totally entitled to that opinion, but I thought you guys hated subverting expectations.