Then, silence for almost a year.

And in the end, regardless of what you call the parts, the finale— Felina —is Episode 16. And it is perfect.

AMC, eager to extend the life of its flagship drama, proposed a longer sixth season. Gilligan refused. The compromise was a "split season." This allowed AMC to stretch the 16 episodes over two calendar years (2012 and 2013) while allowing Gilligan to maintain his creative integrity. The gap between Episode 8 (“Gliding Over All”) and Episode 9 (“Blood Money”) was nearly 11 months. When Part 1 ended, viewers were left with one of the most chilling images in TV history: Walter White, having orchestrated the murders of 10 prison witnesses in a two-minute montage, standing in his empty house, telling his wife Skyler, “I won.”