If the internet is an echo chamber, then it's my turn to say it — Breaking Bad is the best TV show currently — if not ever — on the air. And it's not just me. Ask the six million plus waiting to exhale after tonight's finale. Ask the viewers who call 911 when the cable goes out. Ask the people who wait outside Aaron Paul's house just to talk to him, which he happily does. Ask the fans who donated $1.8 million to charity, just for the chance to watch the finale in an LA cemetery.

In anticipation of tonight's series finale, here's a look back at what made the Breaking Bad ride so great. And, if you haven't filled this out yet, get on it!

First of all, there's the cast. Not only do they really seem to enjoy each other — and dressing as each other — they've shared that love with the world.

Montages

If there's one thing this show does well (and there's not one, there's a million things), it's dark, dark montages set to disconcertingly cheery music. Here are some of the best:

Season 1 Episode 6: "It's Such a Good Night"

Season 3 Episode 8 "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"

Season 3 Episode 12 "Windy"

Season 5 Episode 4 "Bonfire"

Season 5 Episode 8 "Crystal Blue Persuasion"

Season 5 Episode 8 "Pick Yourself Up"

And here's a great fan montage of almost every POV shot in seasons 1-4.

Colors

From the first episode, it's clear Walt wears green, Marie's in purple, Skyler's tangled up in blue and Hank's rocking the orange. But that's just the tip of the rainbow iceberg.

Color matters on this show; it signifies what the character is feeling and how a character's actions will affect them. John LaRue came up with an amazing infographic showing the subtle and highly relevant changes in the different characters' designated colors over time.

The observant viewers at Stylecaster also noted that when you see bright pink, something awful this way comes.

For example: the flash-forwards in Season 2 are shot in black and white, with the exception of the damaged pink teddy bear, which foreshadows impending disaster. As it happens, Walt watches the plane crash at the end of Season 2 while wearing a bright magenta sweater. When Saul Goodman confronts Walt in the second half of Season 5 about the impending collapse of his empire, he’s wearing a bright pink shirt.

In a creepy parallel, baby Holly is always wearing pink.

Analysis

Just about every media outlet and website has posted on why you should (or shouldn't) watch Breaking Bad. But two pop culture analysts have knocked it out of the park.

The fine folks over at the AV Club have built up a referential, incisive, often-hilarious, and definitive guide to Breaking Bad, episode by episode. And the reviews are just the start; with the internet's most pop culture-centric comment sections, the puns literally go on for days.

The New Yorker's fabulous TV critic Emily Nussbaum has also provided thoughtful, insightful analysis on a more macro scale through the seasons.

Parodies

Aaron Paul nearly stole the show on the SNL season premiere last night, appearing in three segments — including the cold open — as Jesse Pinkman.

Here are a few of our other favorites:

Jimmy Fallon:

Conan:

One hilarious fan, Luke Christianson, nails all the characters in this addictive Vine:

The best thing to come out of the Miley twerkus circus:

And Dean Norris created his own ending.


What'd I forget? What'd I get wrong? Will Walt, Jesse, Sklyer or Holly get out alive? Will Walt Jr. ever get his Raisin Bran Crunch? Will Meth Damon ever get a shot with Lydia? Let me know your favorite moments, trivia, and predictions.

[image via AP]