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The ‘Breaking Bad’ Season 5 gag reel is here

Anxiety, strife, anger, sorrow, and worry: Those are the words that often come to mind when thinking about "Breaking Bad." Laughter and fun? Not so much.

But calm down, everyone: Walter White is just a TV character. And you already knew that because a) you understand how TV works, and b) Bryan Cranston has won multiple acting awards for his role as the meth-making, power-hungry, murder-loving Walter White. However, in case you needed a reminder, check out the gag reel for first half of "Breaking Bad's" fifth season. Act-ing!

Can you believe it? Jesse (Aaron Paul) and Walter are friends! Hank (Dean Norris) and Marie (Betsey Brandt) get along! Skyler (Anna Gunn) smiles, and Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) ...well, he actually seems the same. (But everybody loved him, so we'll take it.) Which brings us to our next point: "Breaking Bad" returns to AMC on Sunday, Aug. 11, and it's likely bringing with it new levels of anxiety, fear, and sorrow as we prepare to bid adieu to Walt, Jesse, Hank, and Walt Jr.'s breakfast. Though it's likely the big goodbye to Walter White that we should really get ready for -- after all, there's no way he can come out of "Breaking Bad" alive.

He just can't. "Breaking Bad" is a show about consequence, and Walter White walking away from his wrongdoings scot-free is an impossibility. Think about it: Walter let Jane (Kristen Ritter) die in season 2, which led to her dad's (John de Lancie) meltdown. Because of that meltdown, he failed at his job as an air traffic controller, resulting in two planes crashing over New Mexico and killing hundreds. Consequences.

Walter's also faced consequences of his own choices both at home and professionally. To provide for his family in the wake of his fatal lung cancer diagnosis, he begins making and dealing meth. To make more money, he kills, lies, steals, and develops the "Heisenberg" alter ego. This new identity poisons the rest of Walt's life, impacting his relationship with Skyler as he uses his intimidation tactics to bully her into staying with him. ("I am the danger" is his new "I love you." Romantic!) Now, she's merely biding her time until Walt's cancer comes back, and he finally dies. His choices have led to losing her.

[See also: 10 Reason We Love Aaron Paul (Including The Way He Says 'Bitch')]

Professionally, Walter made a choice to kill his boss-turned-rival, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), at the end of season 4, and because of that, season 5 saw Mike scramble to pay off members of Fring's old gang, who'd expose them all otherwise. Walt also chooses to rob a train that carries a meth ingredient, and because of that heist, a 14-year-old boy is killed when their accomplice (Jesse Plemons) shoots him, thus eliminating the crime's only witness.

Most importantly, however, is Walt's choice to chase power. At first an alias, "Heisenberg" has now consumed Walter White entirely, making him a hard, ruthless psychopath who has become so enamoured with his own legacy that he's willing to ignore common sense. First, he kills Mike -- arguably the brains of the operation -- because, in a few words, he can. Then, after telling Jesse how bad he feels after the 14-year-old's murder, Walt is caught whistling, proving how remorseless he really is. But most importantly, Walt's choice to parade his accomplishments will now be his downfall. So proud of his power, he kept a book by Walt Whitman that was given to him by the slain Gil -- never thinking that Hank would find the book and put "W.W." into context.

In the world of "Breaking Bad," no one lives without consequences forever. Walter will be forced to answer for his choices, and whether that's living as an outlaw until his cancer kills him (we did see him celebrating his 52nd birthday alone at a Denny's), or gearing up to die in a shoot-out (we also saw him carry an enormous gun after his birthday breakfast was finished), he will have to reconcile with the choices he's made. Of course, the cruelest twist of all would see Walt die in a hospital, completely alone. After getting into meth to (supposedly) help his family, then earning a place as a New Mexico drug lord, wouldn't the cruelest consequence being a slow death that nobody cared bout?

"Breaking Bad" returns Sunday, Aug. 11 at 10 p.m. ET on AMC.