Exactly! I really really hate Chuck now. I went from rooting for him to get better to just loathing him.

Go back the First Episode, when HHM wanted Jimmy to drop McGill from his practice! Who initiated that BS????

"Nothing other than his death makes sense from a narrative standpoint" - Possibilities are possibilities. Walt could have snuck out, got patched up, and just went into hiding. Also I don't think it would cheapen anything.

"just for the sake of some 'oh shit' moment that wouldn't really go anywhere or have a point." - You don't think Walt showing up at Saul's place wherever he is wouldn't go anywhere? New locale! New identities! Also, what if Jesse gets sucked back in and is the new drug lord in the southwest while Walt builds an empire…

You never actually see Walt die! There were many times in BB where Walt has gotten out of bad situations. I don't think he's dead.

No I'm thinking Walt didn't die. You never see his eyes close and the medics don't reach the scene before the fade out.

Walt is gonna show up at his place during one of the season finales and say "I never said we were done"!

He went underground before everything went down, and you can't go back after erasing your entire identity.

This is my theory on what's gonna happen. The show is going to go two seasons, spanning 5-6 years which will help get Saul's backstory going. Then, at the season finale of Season 2, we're going to flash forward to Saul, sitting in his present-day home, watching his old commercial tape and "KNOCK KNOCK" At the door.

The foot massage place is the place he tried to sell Jesse.

There's lot of fees and expenses he has to pay as a lawyer! Although $700 per defense is pretty sweet in 2002.