It’s been a whole year but Breaking Bad finally returns tonight for its final 8 episodes. There has been a lot written about the upcoming final hours and Breaking Bad’s place in the top tier of shows in TV history. I’ve read pretty much all of it so all that’s left to do is watch the final 8 episodes.

For the next two months, Breaking Bad will be the talk of the TV world and there will be plenty to talk about. The series has moved along at a faster than normal speed and I expect Season 5, Part 2 to keep pace. Where other series might have strung out certain storylines for entire seasons, Gilligan often resolved them in 1-2 episodes. The tremendous acting and writing we have come to expect will only make the end of a great series even better.

I don’t have any idea what is going to happen and I can’t remember ever being this excited for the end of a series. The show made its goal clear early on – to turn a perfectly normal, nice guy into Scarface. It’s safe to say that things won’t end well for Walt but we just don’ t know how we arrive at his ultimate demise. I trust that series creator Vince Gilligan will lead us there in the most tense, thrilling and suspenseful way possible.

A lot will be made of the ending and it will no doubt have a lasting effect on the show’s legacy. Breaking Bad hasn’t disappointed up to this point and there’s a lot of pressure to stick the landing. I have high expectations for the ending and if I know anything about Gilligan, it will be purposeful and well thought out.

No matter how it ends, Breaking Bad is widely regarded as one of the 4 best dramas of all-time. The Sopranos, The Wire, Mad Men and Breaking Bad changed television and (in an article written in 2011) Chuck Klosterman makes a case for Breaking Bad as the best out of those four. Who would have thought Malcolm’s dad and a former The Price Is Right contestant would be a part of some of the most compelling TV ever?