Just watched the best episode of the show, hands. down.
Trivia
The episode is named after the 1818 poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley about the inevitable fall of kings and empires.
Hank Schrader is the third main character to die.
His death may have been foreshadowed in the episode One Minute, where he received injuries similar to that of which he got in this episode.
The posture Walter gets into after Hank's death is similar to Gus's posture after Max Arciniega's death. Walt and Hank are also brothers-in-law, just like Gus and Max were brothers in some form or another. This is also reminiscent of a picture portrayal of the poem "Ozymandias".
The pair of pants Walt passes while rolling his barrel are the same pants he lost while driving the RV, at the beginning of the pilot episode.
During the game of chess between the firemen, the WHITE king is cornered, but not checkmated or even in check. The king is simply going behind another pawn, buying time, but not advancing the game. The only remaining White pieces are a Knight (not a Queen) and two pawns.
The final shot is a stray dog crossing the street after Walt goes into hiding. This is the third of three major "dog" references in the show. The first is in "Problem Dog," where Gale Boetticher is described as such, albeit in metaphor, by Jesse to his therapy group. The second is "Rabid Dog," which describes Jesse as a dog that may have to be killed before he attacks. This final one, the "Stray Dog," is an obvious reference to Walt, who is now homeless and without his family.
This episode has the rare rating of a perfect 10 on IMDb.
The Koala Kare changing station logo seen when Walt is changing Holly can also be seen in episode 501, "Live Free or Die," when Walt is purchasing the M60 from Lawson.
The firestation Walt leaves Holly at is 5 miles north of the actual location of the White residence.
The actor who plays the firefighter that discovers Holly is Noah Segan, who has had starring roles in two of Rian Johnson's films, Brick (2005) and Looper (2012).
Walt abducts Holly just like Marie tried to do a few episodes before.
The flashback at the beginning of the episode is full of symbols echoing the terrifying end of it:
Skyler packs and ships away a white statue of a clown crying blood belonging to Walt, that she's been able to sell for more dollars than Walt bought it, and that they both find now ugly. This symbolizes the end of the episode, when Walter White, sad clown with bloodied hands, is sent away by Skyler with his money, and everyone being disgusted by him.
They discuss the name of their upcoming child that Walt will abduct at the end of the episode.
The knives that Skyler will later use against Walt are conveniently set on the table, their handles offered in her direction.
Walt suggests a short break for the family the next weekend, like he will "suggest" they all pack up and leave for no return at the end.
Production
Bob Odenkirk (Saul Goodman) and Laura Fraser (Lydia Rodarte-Quayle) do not appear in this episode.
This is the final episode to feature all of the show's original cast in new footage, marking the final appearance of Hank who only appears in the series finale during a brief flashback to the pilot episode.
Hank's death scene was shot in one take.[1]
The poem "Ozymandias" was recited by Bryan Cranston as a promotion for the return of Season 5.
In a possible continuity error, the phone number for the White residence's land line in this episode differs from that shown on Skyler's divorce application papers in "Más".
Continuity error: The extractor's van picks up Walt at John B. Robert Dam in Northeast Albuquerque. When the van arrives, a long shot reveals that it is on Juan Tabo Boulevard, a 4 lane road, and is driving north. Walt enters the van, and when it starts moving, it is suddenly on a 2 lane road driving west, where Juan Tabo travels north and south.
Possible anachronism: The flashback at the beginning of this episode takes place during Walt and Jesse's first cook in "Pilot". During Walt's phone conversation with Skyler, they seem certain that they are expecting a baby girl, since they are dead set on the name "Holly", a girl's name. However, they did not officially learn the gender of the baby until Skyler had her ultrasound performed in the following episode, "Cat's in the Bag...".
Unusually, the cast and crew credits do not appear onscreen until after the second commercial break, to avoid interfering with the intensity of the first act.
This episode was the series' most-watched episode at the time of its airing with 6.37 million viewers, but was later passed by "Granite State", which had 6.58 million.[2]
In a September 13th interview with TV Fanatic Vince Gilligan called the episode "Ozymandias" "the best episode we ever have had or ever will have."
In an interview, director Rian Johnson revealed that Holly's crying "Mama" in the bathroom scene was unscripted. The baby's mother was standing behind Bryan Cranston on set, and the baby locked eyes with her and started saying "mama" over and over again. Cranston simply went with it and the shot ended up in the episode.
Guillermo del Toro desperately wanted to direct this episode. When he expressed this desire to the episode's eventual director, Rian Johnson, Johnson responded "Yeah, sorry, I'm the one who gets to fuck the prom queen"