So much to comment on.
Though I disagree with Sugar Ray (the face that SRD just unironically used the "word" "pwns" and doesn't seem to understand that this show is a TRAGEDY is evidence enough of that), I totally understand rooting for a character. It means you're invested in them and are concerned for them. I can think of cases of otherwise flawed movies, comics and shows where the show's ability to make me root for a character has saved otherwise shoddy story-telling, or at least has kept me with it long enough that I can't simply dismiss it. I don't want to see Walt come up on top now (and he certainly hasn't), but when he was going head to head with Walt, I wanted to see him overcome his weaknesses and pull it together to beat Gus. And it wasn't even because I disliked Gus (he's terrifying, but he's certainly a charismatic villain and had more of a head on his shoulders than the erratic yet brilliant Walt), but rather I wanted to see Walt accomplish the impossible.
I will NEVER get the anti-Skyler crowd, unless it's also because they feel the same way about Walt times 10. Skyler, especially in seasons 3 and 4 was possibly the show's most sympathetic character, even when turning bad. She also was more even headed than Walter, focusing on keeping their stories consistent and trying to make this awful thing laid on her family's doorstep work. It's like people are upset that someone is questioning their husband who is a criminal, a liar and a bully. I usually don't want to generalize so I apologize in advance, but I get the feeling that a lot of the anti-Skyler people have some really warped values.
As for Todd's motivation: he likes Lydia, but the thing about Todd is, ironically, he's sort of Walt's model student. He's not smart (until recently) and he's kind of a screw up but he's also loyal as a puppy (in his own messed up way) and while Walt was kind of lukewarm on the guy personally, he inspired Todd to apply himself. He's not a model student in a straight A sense, but he is trying to overcome his weaknesses and now the meth business is all about pride for him. He probably didn't do well in school and he probably wasn't so great at crime (at least compared to his colleges), so he now has something he can feel proud of.
I love that he went from a character who was designed to be hated by the fans, to a character who sort of step out from his mentor's shadow to be his own man (of course, he did steal a bit of the shadow for himself. Talk about a fucked up version of "Study Group"). He reminds me of a comic called Sleeper. The premise of Sleeper is about a secret agent who "defects" to go undercover in a super-villain syndicate. He starts working with a guy called Pitbull who has no powers but is a Wolverine-type scrapper. Anyway, when Pitbull finds that the main character's ex-wife is on a mission, he kidnaps her and delivers her to the protagonists doorstep as a gift. Like a pitbull, he's violent, mean, loyal and just wants to be liked. I think we are going to find the Todd and Lydia relationship go a similar path: Todd's not going to figure out that Lydia isn't interested in such a dangerous man, but Todd's not going to get it, thinking "didn't you want this? Aren't I helping you?" I don't think he is going to turn that into wanting to hurt Lydia. I think he likes her too much.
BTW, I think that Raven said that there were very few really unhappy endings to TV series. I can think a good number, even if you don't count shows that ended on cliffhangers.
So here are my three predictions:
1. Walt goes and helps Jesse, gets a small (very small) measure of redemption and dies. Might not be as hopeful an ending as it sounds and it mind remind us that despite that measure, he is responsible for so much horror.
2. Walt attempts redemption and fails (like maybe Jesse has been dead quite some time and Todd actually figured out the formula, or Jesse is not so forgiving)
3. We assume Walt is trying to save Jessie, but he actually wants to kill him. I don't quite buy that, despite his current hate of him, since I also feel that Walt actually cares for Jessie or at least did. Then again, it could be a brilliant fake out and his real desire to take out Jessie to be seeded in the last two episodes.
But my main theory is the first one. I also have this theory: One day, one of the Aryans drop dead. Later Walt approaches the Aryans and tries to bargain for Jesse. They agree to a cook or something, simply because the cooks are so iconic to the show, I refuse to believe there won't be one more montage. Anyway, it turns out there is no negotiating with these guys. But Walt learned that already from Hank. Walt stalls and suddenly everyone starts dropping dead (or at least the main guys). Walt played a long game. Ricin can take about a week to work. Walt has actually been in town for a while. He got a job as a dishwasher in a diner the Aryan's frequent and poisoned them a long while before coming in. From then Walt either dies saving Jesse or they both make it and Jesse is the last guy to watch Walt dies... and then whispers to him "I will never forgive you."