The show finds its footing. The stakes become life-or-death, and the cartel element is introduced.

If you track the show's ratings on a graph, it creates a distinct "upward staircase" pattern, culminating in one of the highest-rated finales in TV history.

The final eight episodes are often cited as the greatest run of television ever produced.

Walt "wins." The show shifts from survival to hubris.

The perfect ending. Walt admits, "I did it for me." The machine gun in the trunk, the laser pointer, the final walk through the meth lab. It doesn't give you a happy ending; it gives you a right ending.