Breaking Bad series creator Vince Gilligan has answered a series of fan questions about season 5 of his hit show.

Most fans are still reeling from the final scene this past Sunday where Hank enters Walt’s family bathroom and discovers the connection he needed to pin Walt to working with Gus. So why in the bathroom did this literal ‘oh s—‘ scene have to happen? “We were looking to do a type of scene and a moment of revelation that was unique to the show and that seemed a bit overly-mundane or perhaps even undramatic in its setting,” Gilligan said. “Breaking Bad is known for its moments of high tension and drama and showmanship, and we wanted to end the season in a very different manner. We believe that the moment of revelation, when it finally comes, is so very dramatic that really it could be set anywhere and still have the punch of horror for Hank that it needs to pack.”

Later in the interview he addressed the death of Mike, who was on his way to an unknown destination to escape his life and the police until Walt got in a fight with him and shot Gus’ former right hand man in anger. Gilligan said, “It was definitely a decision that was hard-fought and hard to come to because the writers and I all love the character of Mike, and we also love Jonathan Banks who plays Mike. But on the other hand, Walter White is a very powerful and dangerous man and he’s also a very damaged man. And whether he would admit to it or not, he has to flex his power because deep down inside he feels very powerless.”

Gilligan took a moment to defend Walt’s decision and explain why it may’ve had to be done. “It could be argued that Walt really is in trouble once these ten guys give out all the information they’re going to give to the feds. So Mike is leaving Walt and Jesse in a terrible lurch, and if Walt were to get the names from Lydia, and Mike were out there somewhere alive, Mike would probably come back and stop ’em or kill ’em in retaliation. So, as a lot of these moments in Breaking Bad, there’s a lot to be chewed over in this moment: Did Walt have to do it? Was it the best play? Or was it an unnecessarily petulant and instinctive moment that he now regrets.”

We would like to think Walt had to do it, but as the character himself points out, he could’ve just gotten the information from Lydia without letting Mike find out.

You can read more in the Q&A on AMC. The final eight episodes of the show will air in next summer.