Hey there bitches! The end is nigh for Walter White and co. as the phenomenal television series Breaking Bad draws to a hugely-anticipated close. Last year, I was drawn into the world of Vince Gilligan’s fantastic series via friends and critics who raved about its brilliance. Over the course of five series, it has kept me hooked from beginning to end (something which even The Sopranos and The Wire failed to achieve) as the dark story of a chemistry school teacher diagnosed with cancer who goes down a criminal path captivated audiences for the past five years. With the beginning of the final eight episodes due out on Monday next week, I have decided to pay tribute to that number by doing a top eight moments tribute rather than the usual five. This time-bomb of a show is tick-tick ticking away….

Walter White:  “The methylamine keeps flowing, no matter what. We are not ramping down. We’re just getting started. Nothing stops this train. Nothing!”

#8 – Gus takes revenge on Don Eladio

Kicking off this list is a well-calculated scene from the Salud episode in Series 4 as Gus Fring takes his revenge on Don Eladio (Scarface actor Steven Bauer) in the calmest of fashions. Having seen what the Don did to Gus’s partner many years ago in the previous episode, you can’t help but feel some sort of satisfaction for the ‘villainous’ Chicken Man as he successfully wipes out the Mexican cartel in one swift yet deadly move which involves poisoned tequila. The fact that he even poisons himself in order to pull off this impressive plan shows that the man has balls and will go to extreme lengths in order to take vengeance! One of many highlights in this incredible series of the show….

#7 – Walt comes to Jesse’s rescue

This selection is undoubtedly one of the most dramatic endings to a TV episode as Walt decides to take half-measures in order to save Jesse from getting killed in the aptly-named ‘Half Measures’ from Series 3. When the young dealer makes the risky decision to confront the two drug dealers who bumped off his girlfriend’s kid brother, it is clear that he is about to land himself in danger. But just as he goes into a gun battle with the two men, Walt comes riding to the rescue as he runs the pair over in vicious fashion (through the clever use of CGI). After then finishing off one of the badly-injured men, he then utters the chilling word ‘Run’. A riveting way to end an episode and not the last time we would see a final scene pop up here….

#6 – Walt loses the plot

#5 – Hank finally discovers the truth

The final scene of the show (so far) from Series 5 (a)’s Gliding Over All sees the future of Walter White lie with Hank as he discovers the shocking truth about his brother-in-law’s escapades in rather unusual fashion. The actual build-up to this moment is one that probably made fans fear something bad would happen to Walt. Jr or baby Holly. Instead the writers chose a safer option in having Hank stumble across the Walt Whitman novel that Gale gave to Walt in Series 3. The term ‘Oh Shit’ really hits the fan for Hank when he reads the small excerpt that mentions W.W and takes him back to an earlier conversation he had with Walt. Now aware of the truth, it will be intriguing to see how Hank approaches the situation in what is bound to be a titanic duel between him and ‘Heisenberg’ in Series 5(b).

#4 – Todd shoots the kid

For me, Dead Freight is probably one of the best episodes of the entire show as Walt, Jesse and new accomplice Todd (Jesse Plemons) pull off an incredible heist when they steal gallons of methamphetamine from a freight train only for things to take a disturbing turn. As the trio celebrate their achievement, they soon discover that a young boy on a motorcycle has witnessed their plot but after the group exchange waves to each other, Todd makes the horrifying decision to pull his gun out and shoot the kid dead much to Jesse’s dismay. The haunting response of ‘No witnesses’ clearly leaves Walt feeling guilty as he realises just how deep and dark his money-making plan has come. The fact that we (secretly) jump for joy when the trio triumph with the robbery is one thing but for us to be then left gob-smacked by this dramatic change of events proves just how twistful Breaking Bad can be. Even children don’t stand a chance of survival!

#3 – Walt’s “I am the one who knocks” speech

One of the main reasons why Breaking Bad rates highly with critics and audiences has been through its mesmerising acting particularly from Bryan Cranston in his role as Walt. To go from playing Malcolm’s long-suffering dad Hal in Malcolm in the Middle to taking on the role of a fascinating yet haunting character with major ego issues just shows why he deservedly earned his three Emmy award wins. His finest acting hour on the show comes in ‘Cornered’ (yet another Series 4 episode) in which a heated exchange between him and Skyler sees the latter express her concern about the dangerous predicament her husband has landed himself in. Unfortunately for her, Walt takes offense to the concern and then proceeds to unleash the ‘Heisenberg’ within him as he delivers a menacing monologue about his new power before concluding the speech with one of THE bad-ass quotes in television. Stunning work from one of Hollywood’s great small-screen actors!

#2 – Gus kills Victor

Series 4 has done very well on this list hasn’t it? The first episode of that particular series ‘Box Cutter’ began with a bang as Gus decided to take matters into his own hands by brutally slaying his henchman Victor in a nerve-wracking few minutes of intense television. The situation comes after Walt and Jesse succeed in killing Gale in the last episode of Series 3 only to find themselves being watched by Mike and Victor in the lab. The Los Pollos man’s arrival then causes mass tension as he spends the majority of this excellent scene calmly walking across the room as he puts on protective clothing before pulling out the dreaded box cutter. As Walt pleads for his life, we are left fearing a shock death for him or his young sidekick only for Gus to surprisingly grab the unbeknownst Victor and slice his throat until he chokes to death. Even the usually restrained and no-nonsense Mike looks appalled at this moment of madness which just shows how deranged certain characters on this show can be. Following the gory death, Gus concludes his business by walking out of the lab before finally speaking for the first time as he chillingly utters ‘Go back to work’ to his relieved employees. Giancarlo Esposito was easily one of the standout performers of this show and produced great restraint with this particular scene.

#1 – Gus’s death

Speaking of Gus, he also occupies the number one best moment in Breaking Bad with his incredible death scene in the thrilling last episode of Series 4, Face-Off! While most of us would have been disappointed to see him be killed off, Vince Gilligan and his team managed to make the departure something special (and rather spectacular too!). The situation is set up like this. After believing that Hector has ratted him out to the DEA, Gus decides to pay his former rival a visit at the retirement home with the intent of killing him. As he and an accomplice approach the wheelchair-bound individual, regret appears on Hector’s face possibly as sign of remorse only to suddenly change to a look of craziness as he proceeds to tap his bell at a fast pace. It then turns out that Walt has attached his homemade bomb to the wheelchair which is being triggered by the bell-ringing but before Gus can react, the room blows up! But amidst the damage, Mr Fring emerges initially unscathed only for the camera to pan around to show that half his face has been blown off and ultimately leads to him finally collapsing dead (but not before adjusting his tie!). A cleverly-filmed sequence that easily deserves its place as one of television’s greatest scenes and one that shows why Breaking Bad is universally loved by all. Here’s hoping the final eight episodes produce some more memorable moments….bitches!