Breaking Bad

WARNING: This review contains spoilers of the events in this episode.

If last week’s episode of “Breaking Bad” was a table-setting episode, then “To’hajiilee” is the feast that showrunner Vince Gilligan has been cooking up for over five years.

“To’hajiilee” joins the ranks of the very best hours of “Breaking Bad,” with many of the show’s long-running plot lines finally coming to a climactic head.

From the outset, I need to acknowledge director Michelle MacLaren, who had the near impossible task of directing the scene many people have been waiting to see for years. Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) inevitable downfall at the hand’s of Hank Schrader (Dean Norris).

MacLaren’s intense direction is accompanied by the beautiful outdoor backdrop of the Albuquerque, N.M., desert, which serves as the setting for the episode’s heart-racing final 20 minutes. The desert landscape has become one of the show’s strongest visual assets, providing an iconic location for Walt’s last stand.

Throughout the show’s almost 60 episodes, we’ve watched Walt escape the grasp of DEA agents and psychopathic drug dealers using his intellect and confident bravado to outmatch any opponent.

While it may have ultimately been Hank who handcuffs Walt in the episode’s final minutes, it’s actually Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) who is responsible for his takedown.

In an episode with multiple standout scenes, the real highlight comes far before the gun-toting finale.

It’s Jesse’s perfect plan to lure Walt that leaves you speechless. He captures Walt confessing to his crimes, while also leading Hank directly to where Walt buried his money in “Buried.”

As Walt races out to the desert in a panic, Jesse taunts him over the phone, reminding him of his crimes. For what appears to be the first time, Jesse refers to Walt by his first name, opting out of calling him “Mr. White” as he has the entire series. It’s a subtle writing touch that drives home just how disconnected these two have become.

No matter how “Breaking Bad” wraps up these final three episodes, it’s unlikely that anyone will ever question Cranston’s performance as Walter White. Television has never seen such a demanding and conflicted performance, and it’s reasonable to assume that “To’hajiilee” might just win Cranston his fourth Emmy for the role.

Walt’s final moments of acceptance before the arrest are among the most moving in the series, and Walt’s isolated desperation is a great callback to the show’s first episode.

Of course, this wouldn’t be “Breaking Bad” without a devastating twist to cap off a wild episode.

Thanks to a cruel cut to black, it’s unclear whether Hank, his DEA partner Steve Gomez, or Jesse survive the Nazi-led mercenary attack that concludes the episode. Either way, things aren’t looking good for Walter White. Oh, how the king has fallen.