Another similarity is how their towering egos and greed force them to relinquish the crowns they were so close to attaining. Their ego also drives away colleagues who were often by their side and becomes an obstacle in the future. We must remember how Walter was willing to dispose of Mike, betray Jesse, and even hurt Skyler, his wife, due to an absurd obsession. Similarly, in the recent finale episode, Kendall loses control, yelling at Pregnant Shiv and hitting Roman due to a lost vote. Ken's ending could have been different if he had been more composed and calmer.
Furthermore, I also see similarities in their circles. I see Skyler in Shiv and perceive Jesse in Roman. Both Shiv and Skyler are reluctant to see Walter and Kendall "win," so they often act against what Walter and Kendall desire. Shiv and Skyler also appear "smart" but are frequently deceived by their partners in crime. Meanwhile, Rom and Jesse share a similar trait in that they are not fully aligned with Ken and Walter's obsessions. Still, their inferior and innocent nature allows Ken and Walter to capitalize on them. Rom and Jesse want to break free from the circle and live free and unburdened, as evident in their smiles and shouts in the final episode.
Putting aside this nave analysis, I feel that Breaking Bad and Succession delivered compact, intense, and brutal season finales. These season finales managed to deceive viewers completely by masterfully building up the characters of Ken and Walter, only to shatter them in the end. Throughout the season, I tried to detach myself from both of them and hoped for a happy or peaceful ending to the series. Â I was absolutely failed and wrong, and then I must admit that I was tricked by a clever 'call back' made by Jesse Armstrong and Vince Gilligan.
