FlipBoard
The series finale of Breaking Bad is September 29, and as Danger has already written, that’s going to be one murderous night of television for your DVRs. What we know about the finale from Vince Gilligan — who wrote and directed the episode — is that it will be “polarizing,” and from Dean Norris, we know that it ends “properly.” We also know that Bob Odenkirk has no idea what’s going to happen in the finale because, after he read his lines in the script, he threw it in the trash so he wouldn’t be spoiled to the ending of his own show.
We also know that the title of the Breaking Bad finale is “Felina.” What does it mean? Well, the pretty straightforward version is that “Felina” is an anagram for “finale.” Makes sense, right? It’s perfect. Simple, clever, fun.
But this is the Internet. The Internet has some theories. We like to make things complicated, and find meaning where maybe there is none. Because it’s fun. So, what else could “Felina” mean?
“Felina” is also the feminine version of the word “feline” in Spanish. What the hell does that have to do with Breaking Bad? Who knows, but this week’s episode about Jesse transforming into the series wild card was “rabid dog,” and the episode in which we discover that Gale is an issue for Walt and Jesse was “problem dog,” so the feline could actually refer to a character. OR, maybe the feline refers to the Hello Kitty phone that Jesse got from Saul.
No? Slate also has some theories, mostly of the very silly variety (a reference to a female wrestler, a Pokemon character, or a Filipino TV show (all of which are classified under Wikipedia’s entry for Felina.)
It is also a brand of female underwear, which you can buy at Nordstroms. Maybe Skyler is gonna get sexy in the finale for Walt?
I’m guessing it is not that.
However, besides the simple explanation — that it’s an anagram for finale — my very favorite theory comes from Reddit, where they break the word down into its chemical elements:
Fe-Li-Na = Iron-Lithium-Sodium = Blood-Meth-Tears.
How awesome is that? Iron is the dominant chemical in blood, Lithium is the most commonly used metal in the manufacture of methamphetamine, and sodium — or salt — is a major element in tears.
Even if that’s completely by accident, it is a very, very cool coincidence.
![[avatar]](https://profilecdn-woven.netdna-ssl.com/photo/4006/profile)
I’m working under the assumption that it’s actually something else and the phone that Gilligan was on when he told the AMC people the title was made by the same people who have made the mics used on the last few episodes.
Check out the lyrics to the song El Paso by Marty Robbins. Felina is the woman the narrator dies for.
Absolutely. This has to be it. The geography is perfect. El Paso has already been featured in the series, as have “the Badlands of New Mexico.”
God, I love that song. Great catch.
That’d be my thoughts too. Riding back into town to face his enemies after being forced away due to his own choices. Facing certain death. It was the first thing in my mind.
Yea, this has to be it. Regardless, it’s a PERFECT Breaking Bad song.
And they’ll bring back that Mariachi band to do a cover of this
Damn. Nicely done.
This gave me chills listening to that song and thinking about “Breaking Bad”. Perfect closing scene song to play over a montage of the characters and shots of Albuquerque.
So many Marty Robbins tie-ins. Most of his hits except for “White Sport Coat” could play well with Breaking Bad.
I was on board with the Blood-Meth-Tears thing but this sounds right on the fucking notch. Good call.
A white sport coat and a PINK carnation.
Felina = Feline = Nine Lives. Walt makes yet another narrow escape to survive the finale. Also, he lands on his feet or something.
this is me right now.
[img.pandawhale.com]
Internet, you is crazy.
Ditto
1. Iron
2. Lithium
3. Sodium
Three elements. Half Life 3 confirmed.
Fe-Li-Na = Iron-Lithium-Sodium = Blood-Meth-Tears
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! There is no way that’s a coincidence. I think a lot of this over-analyzing stuff is crackpot but NO FREAKING WAY is that a coincidence.
OMG!
It’s a bunch of dogs setting up against Walt, till Skyler busts her Griselda Blanco claws out in the final episode lol…
i really dont see a riding off into the sunset scene coming though so idk…its been great so far.
Someone pointed out that Lithium isn’t used in meth.
Big flaw with the element theory:
Lithium metal is only used in the routes to meth that attempt to start from (pseudo)ephedrine – that’s not what Walt does. He takes the P2P/methylamine route. No lithium.
something of a “stray cat,” as theories go, but a stray cat figured prominently in the last episode of THE SOPRANOS. favorite interpretation of that cat was that it symbolized Adriana. after this week’s DEADWOOD allusion, a(nother) SOPRANOS reference isn’t entirely unlikely.
You’re so close, but you can’t see the forest for the trees. Stray Cats? Brian Setzer was in the Stray Cats, but later formed the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Kind of like how Walt is attempting to ORCHESTRATE his way out of this mess? Gilligan’s spelling it all out for us, clear as day. We’re through the looking glass here, people.
so, you’re saying that my hopes for an Anne Hathaway or Julie Newmar guest appearance in the last episode are misplaced?
Oh hey still don’t give a fuck. I don’t like to actively work to try and ruin a show for myself.
Why bother reading/commenting than? You knew exactly what the article was going to be about before you clicked on it.
I like the Marty Robbins theory, but I’m thinking that Walt and Jesse started with a Pseudo cook, so going full circle, the Fe Li Na = Iron, Lithium and Sodium = Blood, Meth and Tears could be legit, but I’m secretly hoping it’s down to Walt having nine lives. Team Heisenberg all the way.
I think it’s the elements, but here’s my take:
Iron: Old west slang for guns. We know he’s headed to a shootout.
Lithium: A drug to treat bipolar disorder. Could be a way to say something has happened that has caused Walt to go mental.
Salt: Walt used salt when he made the fake ricin cigarette he stashed in the roomba. Could be a reference to the ricin or maybe he fakes ricin again for some reason.
Just some alternatives.
Another thought just occurred to me. Maybe the elements represent characters?
Iron: Walt
Lithium: Jesse (he’s textbook bipolar)
Salt: Hank (It’s a mineral, not a rock.)
clever, whether correct or not. well done.
In what way do you think Jesse has bipolar disorder by the textbook. Have you read the textbook on bipolar disorder? Do you know someone that has bipolar disorder? Do you know anything about bipolar disorder other than “they get happy and they get sad”? You know nothing! I know all! I AM THE ONE WHO POLARIZES!
My theories are the worst. First thing I thought was Walt gets his dick shot off.
the hello kitty connection could be interesting. saul has the phone tapped and figures things out.
i do hope though that it is lydia in sexy underwear.
Maybe it is a crossover between Breaking Abd and Cougar town.
No mention of Marty Robbins’ El Paso, in which a cowboy commits a crime for is Mexican love “Felina” and then is subsequently hunted down and killed for it? In it, he actually gets away “to the badlands of New Mexico” and returns to face his fate for his love for Felina.
Just the guy that posted that response 3 hours ago.
“Blood, Meth And Tears” sound like a Korean crime movie title. Or a very hardcore rock song.
A scientist buddy just debunked the elements theory:
“Those aren’t the three main elements that make up those things. By weight, blood and tears would be mostly oxygen, and meth would be carbon. By molality, all three would probably be hydrogen.”
Found another crackpot theory in the comments of Vulture’s recap:
“MAJOR MAJOR SPOILER ALERT: I figured out the meaning of “Felina”, the title of the finale, and the hidden message in the episode names (just like 737 down over ABQ in season 2) AGAIN, MAJOR SPOILER alert!
Notice that the finale of season 5.1 (“Gliding Over All” ) could have been called “271”, the name of the Walt Whitman poem from which the actual title is derived. “Felina” is the elements Fe, Li, Na (as some people guessed), but that’s the easy part. The title cards of Breaking Bad, like the periodic table, show the atomic numbers of each element (in the green squares). So Fe=26, Li=03, Na=11. So “Felina”, as a number is 260311. But Felina is an anagram for Finale, so rearrange Felina (260311) to Finale (231106). Put the half-finale and the finale numbers together, and you get 271, 231, and 106. These are three titles of poems from the Whitman book from Gale that incriminated Walt. Ready for the answer? Drum roll, and… “Gliding Over All, To a Pupil and to a Common Prostitute.” If you don’t think this is a reference to Jesse and Wendy, the poem “To a pupil” references Jesse’s idea about building a magnet, and the poem “To A Common Prostitute” tells the prostitute to remember the speaker’s name. ”
Yeah, that’s a bit out there. We’ll see I guess.
lol i had to read this twice…
and again, back when the show didn’t have a foreseeable future they filmed hints they never applied…like Jesse dressed like Heisenberg in that Mex music video…to me that was the biggest sign to how the show would wrap it up…but it is cliche
Imagine if you applied this but didnt rearrange Felina back to Finale. then it would be 260, 311. It made less sense to me to have the poems referencing Wendy who hasn’t been in the show in a long time. But if you do what you did but with 260 & 311, you get Gliding Over All, To a Locomotive in Winter, What Weeping Face.
TaLiW is a poem about the toughness of the human spirit and it’s perseverance during hard times, which is all Walt has had to put up with, yet he’s still going. The poem itself has an admirable tone, so it may not be about Walt specifically, maybe Jesse? Maybe someone we don’t know or expect. (I’d assume Lydia, she needs to have her part of the story wrapped up, she’s a female and was supposed to die at least a few times already such as Mike wanting to kill her, Walt nearly poisoning her, Felina could be a reference to her always getting another chance at life, sometimes without knowing it)
What Weeping Face, not sure what it’s about exactly but the poem itself is;
“What weeping face is that looking from the window?
Why does it stream those sorrowful tears?
Is it for some burial place, vast and dry?
Is it to wet the soil of graves?”
Dustin (and I guess everone else), have you listened to the “Breaking Bad Insider” podcast? Vince Gilligan and writers (and other cast/crew) talk for over an hour about each weeks episode. It’s incredibly insightful and would be a great resource for some of the BB posts.
Reddit: It’s where the best theories are
going off of this theory, the three elements could be three things for walts end game.
Fe: Iron= bullets/m60 gun
Li: Lithitum= batteries/electrocution
Na: Sodium= salt equals fake ricin ( ie Walt uses this on his last enemy, thinking it is ricin but turns out it is not)
i based this theory on kind of on how the season finale titles had a double meaning like face-off and ABQ. just my two cents
Felina= Finale randomized, that’s all. No hidden meaning, this isn’t Lost fellas.
By coincidence Felina is the anagram of Finale and contains the elements Fe in Blood, Li in Meth and Na in tears. Vince is one sly bastard
No flaw. Lithium is used in the “Nazi method” of cooking methamphetamine. They use the lithium in batteries. It ties into the Nazis too!
I really dig the “blood, sweat, and tears” theory. It feels right.
i find the directors comment “polarizing” interesting, the free dictionary has a listing for it as: “to cause people to adopt extreme opposing positions”. i know all good things must come to an end, and eagerly anticipate if, for Walt at least, it ends badly for the wrong reasons or badly for the right reasons.
Vox Felina is a charity dedicated to feeding feral cats.
[voxfelina.com]
The Marty Robbins theory makes sense because Walt murdered for money (the “Felina” in this case being Walt’s money from his drug empire), which he is leaving exile for.
Felina is Lydia’s pseudonym just as Heisenberg was Walt’s. It’s been three months since Walt has been holed away, cut off from the world. I think during that time Lydia has replaced Walt and has become Felina. Also, I believe Todd has replaced (if not also killed) Jesse.
I think that Walt comes back, kills Lydia to stop the cycle. Todd kills Walt out of pure anger because he loved Lydia (which probably seduced Todd into serving her) so much. Jesse then kills Todd because Todd killed Andrea and that boy in the desert. Then, Jesse raises Brock way out of the reach of drugs and that former lifestyle.