(S03E13) Earlier this week, when I talked to Aaron Paul about the season in general and the finale in particular, we both agreed that this episode felt like a breather after the vein-pulsating insanity of 'Half Measures.' And, after a season full of vein-pulsating insanity, it feels weird to have the season end with an episode like that.

But here's the funny thing about that notion: If this was the finale of just about any other show on TV right now, people would have considered 'Full Measure' a hyper-intense, eventful, suspenseful season-ender. But 'Breaking Bad' fans are so used to being taken on so many episode-ending roller coaster rides this season, we've gotten spoiled.

Which is why this has been the best season of a dramatic series that I've seen in the last ten years.

Yes, I know, that's a loaded statement. That time incorporates 'Lost' and 'The Wire' and 'Mad Men' and 'The Sopranos,' among a ton of other classic shows. But the third season of 'Breaking Bad' has shown a consistency that has been astonishing to me. Between the dramatic "holy crap" moments that Allison talked about last week to the smaller, more introspective episodes -- I don't care whether it was made for budgetary reasons or not, 'Fly' turned out to be one of my favorite episodes of the year -- the show has had just a standout season from start to finish.

And the cliffhanger to the season brings all of it to a head. Did Jesse really shoot Gale or did he chicken out? You can't really tell, to be honest. At first glance, it looks like Jesse killed him. But we really won't know until next season.

If Jesse did kill Gale, then he and Walt are starting to go down that dark rabbit hole where they're not just drug dealers, but murderers as well. Walt's already crossed that barrier, gunning down those guys at the corner with the Aztek then coldly blowing away the one still alive. Seeing Walt meet his fate with Mike and Gus in his Heisenberg uniform -- the hat and dark jacket -- tells us that his alter ego is starting to take over from the meek scientist / family man we met three years ago.

But what about Jesse? Sure, he was willing to kill the corner guys in order to avenge the death of his friend Combo. But killing Gale in order to save his and Walt's bacon was a whole other matter. Jesse doesn't want to be a cold-blooded killer, shooting seemingly innocent parties merely because they're in the way or their existence makes his more precarious. This wasn't what he wanted when he was just a meth-dealing punk, and it's certainly not what he wants now, after his "chemical romance with Jane," as Paul phrased it in our interview.

It's really too late for Walt at this point. It's funny; every time we think Sky has caught up to Walt and his lies, we see that no matter where she is in the process, she still has no clue what's going on in the background. While she's looking up "money laundering" on Wikipedia, Walt and Jesse are busy trying to stay one step ahead of Gus, who Walt respects but doesn't trust.

Think about it: he pegged from day one that Gale was being groomed as his replacement. As much as getting rid of Gale the first time was about getting Jesse back in the fold (and off Hank's case), it was also about keeping him necessary -- and alive. When he saw that Gus brought Gale back, he knew right then and there that Gus was out of patience and he needed to get Gale out of the way permanently.

Gus is a smart businessman, but Walt is one step ahead of him. And the evil satisfaction in his face as he said to Mike, with two guns pointed at his face, "your boss is going to need me," made that clear. Heck, by begging Mike not to shoot him and seemingly throwing Jesse under the bus, he bought enough time to call Jesse and tell him to go do the deed to Gale himself. Wow. Even Gus isn't that calculated, and he's killed members of the cartel.

Some of the more subtle and not-so-subtle moments:

-- The extended scene that showed how good Mike was at his job. He's a doting grandfather, but isn't afraid to buy a couple of extra Mylar balloons to help him infiltrate a drug factory and kill a bunch of thugs.

-- Jesse coming oh so close to hitting the pipe right before Walt called from the laundry. If he had taken that hit, he wouldn't have been able to even get to the point of firing the gun.

-- Jesse and Walt using Saul's money laundering location -- the laser tag joint -- as the place to rendezvous. At least Walt uses it for something. Interesting that Saul continues to be on Walt's side. Maybe he doesn't know what he's up against because he's never met Gus.

-- Gale's love of old Mexican big band music. (I've been told in the comments that the song was Italian, not Mexican. For some reason, my Italian vs. Spanish ear was off when I watched it.) Made me think he was more cartel involved than originally thought. Maybe he just spent a lot of time in Mexico. Either way, he may not be quite as innocent a victim in this whole scenario as we think. Just sayin'. Also loved how he used an infra-red sensor to make sure the water was at the right temperature for his tea. If only the man would answer his cell phone.

-- The opening scene, where we flash back to when Walt and Sky bought the house 17 years ago, when Walt Jr. was just a fetus. Then, Walt had an up-and-coming career at the company he started with his friend, and he was afraid that the house was just a "starter" home. Now he's on the verge of becoming the head of a meth empire.

Yes, I just said that. If Walt doesn't start gunning for Gus next year, I'll be shocked.

What are you folks looking forward to next season (almost an entire year away, for heaven's sake)? Let me know in the comments.