As Breaking Bad draws to a close, one of the show's central questions has still not been completely answered: Was Walt doing all this — the meth, the murdering, etc. — for the good of his family, as he's claimed, or was he really doing it for his own misguided sense of pride? There may never be a satisfying answer, since the show's dual father figures Vince Gilligan and Bryan Cranston don't even agree on what it is. From the megaprofile of Cranston in this week's New Yorker:
In the second season, [Cranston] told Gilligan, "I really think Walt's doing it for his family," and Gilligan replied "No, I think he's actually kind of selfish." Gilligan says, "It dawned on me, slowly, that I was telling the actor he's mistaken about his own character — and that my stupidity was jeopardizing the whole show. You don't have to be Freud to know that Hitler thought of himself as a wonderful guy."
Smiling tightly, Cranston says, "I was able to keep that conversation at bay." The actor can't let himself know things that he knows. And so, for a long time, Cranston has been lying to himself that the monster he carries in his belly is a wonderful dad.
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We're only three episodes from the end of Vince Gilligan's beyond-brilliant Breaking Bad, but fans can take some solace in knowing that there are hours of new bonus features included on Sony's expansive Breaking Bad: The Complete Series DVD box set. Or perhaps I should say, "Barrel Set."
Encased in a familiar-looking container, and one that couldn't be more timely given last night's fiery episode, are 16 discs featuring all 62 episodes and more than 55 hours of bonus features.
The Complete Series set contains the following:
No Half Measures - Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad - An all-new, exclusive two hour documentary that chronicles the filming of the final eight episodes.
Bad Memories - Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul talk about the show ending and some of their favorite moments.
Bryan Cranston: Director– Go on set with Bryan Cranston as he directs the first episode of the season entitled Blood Money.
Scene Envy– The Cast tell us which scene they wish they could have been in.
Shocking Moments - The stars reveal the moments that shocked them most.
From Walt to Heisenberg– From high school teacher to deadly meth dealer, watch as Walter White quickly transforms into Heisenberg.
How Will It End?– At the beginning of the season, the cast was asked to give their thoughts on how they thought the show would end.
Avenging Agent: Dean Norris as Hank Schrader -- A look at the character Hank Schrader and the man who played him, Dean Norris.
Scene Stealer: Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader– A look at the character Marie Schrader and the woman who plays her, Betsy Brandt. [Bow to the Purple Queen]
A Criminal Attorney: Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman–A look at the character Saul Goodman and the man who played him, Bob Odenkirk.
Jesse’s Journey: Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman – A look at the character Jesse Pinkman and the man who played him, Aaron Paul.
Skyler Breaks Bad: Anna Gunn on Season Four– Actress Anna Gunn and series creator Vince Gilligan explore Skyler's character evolution through the fourth season.
Growing Up in the White House: RJ Mitte on Walter, Jr.– RJ Mitte, Anna Gunn, Bryan Cranston and series creator Vince Gilligan discuss the extraordinary dynamics of the White family, and Walter, Jr.'s unique role.
The Ultimate Chess Match– Members of the cast and crew discuss Walter White and Gus Fring's extraordinary and complicated battle of wits and their struggle for Jesse's allegiance.
Looking Back: A Season Four Retrospective - Season Four's most surprising and memorable moments.
Ted's Wipeout– In Episode 411, Crawl Space, Ted Beneke suffers a head injury while trying to escape from Saul’s goons. In this featurette, Christopher Cousins (Ted) explains how this shocking stunt was accomplished.
The Truck Attack Storyboard Comparison– A side-by-side comparison of the Los Pollos Hermanos truck attack and the brilliant shot-by-shot storyboards that were created for the episode Bullet Points.
Walt and the Challenger Storyboard Comparison – A side-by-side comparison of the sequence where Walt indulges in some crazy stunt driving in Walt Jr.'s Dodge Challenger and the storyboards that were created.
Cast and Crew Commentaries - On Every Episode
4 Featurettes - The Main Event, The Final Showdown, Life of a Show Runner and Behind-the-Scenes of the Alternate Ending
Alternate Ending – A 3-minute alternate version of how Breaking Bad could have ended.
Deleted & Extended Scenes
Gag Reel
Walt's Confession
The Layers of a Sound Mix
Over 15 Episodes of Inside Breaking Bad
Uncensored and Extended Episodes
Breaking Bad: The Complete Series and Breaking Bad: The Final Season both hit DVD and Blu-ray on November 26.