“Van Down By the River,” hands down.

Umm, the polar bear explanation was strongly alluded to in early season 2, and all but confirmed (indirectly) during season 3, and spelled out explicitly in season 5. Many of the mysteries/questions were handled this way, so odds are you just missed them.

Here is my standard response to this question:

BCS is fantastic, but you’ve got to go into it with the right expectations. If you go into it expecting—or waiting for it—to become “more Breaking Bad,” you’ll probably end up disappointed or frustrated. It’s just not that kind of show.

It’s a very tightly-written character drama that focuses on how we got the guys we know as Saul and Mike in Breaking Bad. So don’t expect: —train heists —roller-coaster-like anxiety and thrills —cartel assassinations —frequent episode-ending cliffhangers —etc.

Do expect: —lots of detail about the personal lives and relationships of Saul and Mike —how Saul and Mike’s relationship started and evolved —regular antics/scams that lead to Saul’s style of practicing law —routine involvement of the legal profession and law enforcement in the plot lines —how Saul got connected with the cartel to begin with —Mike doing his cool PI-like stuff

If you loved the characters of Saul and Mike, this show is a goldmine. It is a high-quality production, with the writing, cinematography, and acting ensemble rivaling Breaking Bad.

It moves at a much slower pace than BB. It feels leisurely, like it’s not in a hurry to go anywhere, but it knows exactly where it’s headed. There is no filler in the show; everything you see on-screen has a payoff (eg, stuff that happens in the first 4 episodes is still hugely relevant in seasons 5 and 6). Lots of detail that matters, and lots of little call-backs to Breaking Bad. BCS only feels slow if you’re waiting for “something else” to happen.

One of the great things about BCS is all the background you get about how the drug trade is organized in the ABQ-verse and what the various motivations of the different factions are. Breaking Bad is a very narrow look at Walt and Jesse’s interactions with the New Mexican underworld. BCS reveals the broad strokes of what that underworld looks like and how it’s organized.

It’s a great ride :) Be sure to enjoy El Camino (epilogue of sorts on Netflix), and then Better Call Saul (the prequel series) once you’ve finished Breaking Bad.

Fantastic season finale. They totally pulled it off.

Double great!