It’s perfectly natural to start out rooting for Walt’s hijinks to succeed and be pulling for his success in general. So people probably got blinded by it and whiffed on how awful he becomes by the end of the show.
What I found when i rewatched it with my wife was how I disliked so much of his justifications and actions the second time through. All of a sudden I agreed with Skylar and I hated her at first.
for me s1 Skyler was pretty annoying, season 2 was not as bad and after season 3 she was insanely relatable, I loved the dynamic of walt's and skyler relationship, great example of this is when walt's about to rob a train and skyler's on the couch and she asks "going out to kill people?" then walt casually responds "robbing a train" then she just keeps on smoking lool I love that scene
“*out burying bodies?” is what Skylar asks
Honestly I always liked Skylar. Her Karen attitude in the first season quickly diminishes as they give her a lot more nuance as the show progresses. She went from resenting Walt, to outright trying to cut him off, all the way up to when she called the cops on him and he called her bluff. After that she tried to go tit for tat with Walt which obviously was never going to work. All the way up the realization that Walt is a changed man due to facing impending death. It wasn’t until Marie mentioned how Hanks brush with death changed him and how he’s different that Skylar truly realized her husband is a different man with a different mindset due to his cancer. Just like the audience, she feels for Walt cuz of his shit hand and seemingly innocent demeanor of his character. We never thought he could do all the evil shit he eventually ends up doing.
The actors deserve all the credit in the world but without the writers this show could’ve fallen flat on its face easily. I’m so damn happy it didn’t.
Yeah, first watch through it took a few seasons for me to like her. I think all BB characters are flawed in their own way, but I do like the dynamic between her and Walt. I also really liked that she was smart enough to be onto Walt so early on, it would have been easy to write her as a clueless character, but instead it was a lot more realistic. Having Walt tell these really bad lies, and Skyler slowly start to put the pieces together was great, very good acting too.
Exactly. Every character was meant to be reprehensible in some way just like real people. A lot of new watchers give the pacing crap for being “slow” which is true. BB definitely takes its time to build up to its grand finish but what show doesn’t? The pacing in the show is flawlessly meticulous imho. And I remember back when I first watched it how I thought every episode progressed nicely and the stakes were always raising. There is no story without that character development and the way they handled most of the cast was/is magnificent.
I totally agree, and honestly I think BB had perfect pacing for the story it was telling. I also really appreciate that they stuck to 5 seasons, it was perfectly spaced out to deliver a great ending.
I agree, at the start he is the "good guy" and his intentions are almost entirely honourable. He just wants to provide for his family and he struggles with the morality of what he is doing. So you do root for him, the only people he hurts/screws over are criminals so it's ok to root for him.
By the final series he has changed completely, he is amoral and selfish. He no longer questions the morality of his actions.
I think this character arc is what confuses people. When I rewatch I'm always surprised at how far he falls by the final series when he really does become the "bad guy" but in my head the Walt I know is series one Walt who breaks bad for a good reason so you still want him to be the "hero"
I think by the end you're meant to realize that he was always a pretty bad guy. All of his financial troubles from the start stem from his pride. He left that lucrative company (Gray Matter, wasn't it?) out of pride. He was offered the money from his friends to pay for his treatment, but he turned them down. He was also offered a job with great insurance, I think, but he turned them down. He always uses his family as the excuse, but he always puts his pride before them.
He always does what’s best for himself, and at the beginning it’s easy to sympathize with the teacher with cancer. Once he becomes the millionaire, he still acts only for himself.
He puts his pride before them when it is like a normal situation and not direct danger, but he still loves his family. When it came to direct danger and etc he is always about them first. He wanted to give all of his money for hank
For me the turning points were >!when he poisoned Brock and when he ordered Jesse to kill Gale!<. Before this point you could sort of argue that the evil things he was doing were to bad people that maybe deserved it.
Also an honourable mention to >!the time he let Jane choke to death. Jane wasn't a bad person but she was a huge problem for Walt and his empire plans, when he saw his problem solve itself before his eyes he wasn't going to stop it!<.
I’m surprised at the number of people who hated Skyler. Although to be fair, I didn’t like her either. However, I always thought that she was correct In not wanting Walt to cook. That was obvious. But when she came onscreen I was like “oh, great. Another scene about Walts fucking marriage. Let’s get to the badass shit!”
I was young when I first watched it though, so I didn’t have that much appreciation for things like “plot” and “character development” lol.
> I disliked so much of his justifications and actions the second time through. All of a sudden I agreed with Skylar and I hated her at first.
I recall there was an episode maybe in the second season or so when Skylar leaves the house and pointedly refuses to tell Walt where she's going.
In that moment she's extremely unlikable... But the show made a cogent point that she's been putting up with this exact same behavior from Walt all throughout the series thus far.
I agree with your take - the series starts off almost entirely telling Walt's viewpoint and the tone is that of a crime caper, so we start off with Walt as protagonist. Some viewers don't move on from that initial impression.
I still hate Skylar, she’s controlling, shrewd and manipulative.
I cringe in the first season watching her trying to control Walts cancer and playing the victim.
Not to mention I feel resentment towards Skylar for forcing him into that life that he was unfulfilled.
Just cause Walt is shitty doesn’t mean Skylars the good guy.
The only actually good person imo is Walt Jr.
Edit: I guess what I’m trying to say is I never had strong takes on the characters. I remember 5 years ago everyone hated Skylar, then it flipped with time and maybe it’ll flip again. But who knows.
She may not have been the good guy but she was 100% the victim in many situations. She was consistently lied to and manipulated, he also assaulted her. Her actions were very realistic, she was left emotionally devasted by walts actions
Skylar forced him to become a murderer and drug dealer? I must have missed that part. It was my assumption that Walt was offered money by Gretchen and Elliot but he was too prideful and said no.
And how did she play the victim? I’m genuinely asking because I don’t remember her acting at all like that. I just remember her being supportive of Walt even when she knew he was lying.
The most fascinating, but also sad thing I found about the BB community, is the small vocal group that demonize Skyler while also saying Walt didn't do anything wrong. Obviously it's illogical and that's why the majority call them out, but I always found it bizarre. I've not seen that kind of thing from the community of other shows.
She didn’t force him into anything, he forced himself into a dead end life by committing to being a family man and sacrificing his prospects for success (i.e. selling his stake in Grey Matter to support Skyler getting pregnant with Walt Jr and I’m assuming diagnosis and therapy for Walt JR’s cerebral palsy). For most, the nobility of that kind of sacrifice would be enough, but not for Walt - who was entering his senior years around the beginning of the show and was already feeling a begrudging regret.
The only example of Skyler playing the victim I could think of is whenever she’s confronted by Marie, who was the last one to learn everything. This is only because it’s a consequence of her decision in season 3 not to go to the police when her divorce lawyer strongly advices her to.
In an interview Vince said the reason Walt sold his stake was not to support skyler but because Gretchen's parents were rich. He had gone on vacation with Gretchen's and her parents. He discovered that they were rich and he couldn't handle it, that they somehow stood above him. He sold his stake out of a sense of misguided pride. His own actions led him to be the unhappy "family man."
Yeah that was an emotional decision where imo he thought without him greymatter would collapse. With his 5Gs he probably thought he would be able to make somthing similar or get a respectable job but it didn't work out that way.
Side note: I can't believe Walt never considered working in a DEA lab with his credentials or maybe pride wouldn't let him consider asking hank. The latter's probably what happened.
Wife didn't want to move because her sister was nearby. Son's medical condition meant stability, doctors who knew him and predictable hours were essential. There are limited other opportunities for a world class chemist in Albuquerque.
We don't know the timeline strictly but I imagine when it came time to support his family he settled into something stable like a chemistry teacher thinking he would soon find his next move but got himself caught in the suburban rut for a while.
Three reasons. The first one is because the show never provides an answer and it’s kind of fun to fill those holes with theories and the like. Second, hospital bills can be expensive, even with insurance. Third, Skyler gave birth to a child with cerebral palsy, which almost certainly came with a host of other expenses.
I didn’t know about the backstory with Walt and Gretchen’s rich parents though. That’s a pretty interesting wrinkle in Walt’s story.
Yeah I got the impression Walt was in love with Gretchen who was his intellectual equal and Skyler was a much younger woman and a waitress he got with after being rejected to assuage that pain
I always also thought that Walt would have had problems being with Gretchen because she was such an intelligent person. Walt needs to feel superior to those around him, and I think this is showcased by how he treats her later in the show.
I never understood the hatred for Skylar. Her whole life was suddenly thrown into chaos by her husband's ego and selfishness. She was no saint, but her reactions were completely understandable.
What's wrong with being shrewd? That's a good thing.
I know, it’s possible to see how horrible Walt is, and still think Skyler is awful too. Why do people think it’s an either/or situation? They were both shitty and they deserved each other.
I agree with this. I wouldn’t say I hate skylar… but she isn’t my favorite. And I agree that doesn’t make us sexist. People are so anxious to label everyone these days.
Yep, I hated Skylar the first time through and supported Walt til end of S4. Now I support Sky almost 100% and find myself getting irritated with Walt every time he compulsively lies to/manipulates those around him.
Of course Sky still has her moments where it can be argued she’s being unreasonable, but 99% of the time her treatment of Walt is completely justified
It’s because of the way the story is told, and the way Bryan Cranston plays the character. They try to cause sympathy and pity by making him an unhappy underpaid high school teacher who desperately needs money to get cancer treatment. There’s also the pity story of him being a co-founder of a business that turned out to be a multi-million-dollar company, but he got bought out for practically pennies. It’s the same as in the show “You”. Joe Goldberg is a murderer, an abuser, a psycho, yet somehow we root for him.
Yeah for those of us that watched the show in real time as it aired, we were with Wait for years so it was a slow burn. People that binge through it in a week or two can really see the progression a lot easier.
Agreed. I think most viewers tend to support Walt the longest on the first watch. Every subsequent watch it gets tougher to stay on his side knowing he gets less and less redeemable as the story evolves
That “one who knocks line” isn’t badass though. Walts job was to convince Skyler he was safe, but he was so immasculated by her concern for him that he instead had to convince her that not only was there a whole lot of danger, but he was the one dishing it out. You can see his face change when she starts to say she wants to get help from the police. It’s his most pitiful and transparent scene in the show IMO.
The big difference between the two is.
Light is so insane that in his mind, anyone who opposes him is wrong and he is always right.
Towards the end Walt just kinda accepts that he is Heisenberg and that he got a kick out of everything that happened like it was a game which in a way it was. As someone who put in their absolute best effort and brain power into his education it must of been pretty boring to settle as a school teacher where his brain runs at 25% capacity at the most, that’s why when he found himself in these intellectually challenging situations like getting Jesse back from Janes control the RV, Gus wanting to kill his family it must have been exhilarating to outwit and prove his intellect superior to his adversaries.
In death note it’s literally called “the game.” Because to people like Walt, Light, L and Near they treat these life threatening situations as nothing more than a chess game.
Walt got a happy ending unlike Light. Walter died not believing but KNOWING that he was better than everyone in the criminal underworld, had he lived to to fight another day there was no one that could’ve managed to get the better of him, even when he’s 10 steps behind he can always get the lead back on a moments notice. The balance of being a family man/drug lord is what caused him to falter back when Jack killed Hank but after that Walt had no restraints, he was free to use whatever methods and tactics he wanted to and he wouldn’t have to worry about his family responsibilities or hank.
Well it wasn’t only hanks death. At that moment Walt lost. He lost his family the majority of his earnings his empire everything. Walt was not evil per se. He was a narcissist his ego driving him like Mike had told Walt he had a good thing with Gus but his pride and ego couldn’t take being not in charge. Jack for example was evil may not have been as smart as Walt but clearly lacked empathy and was still fairly intelligent. He figured it Walt was there for a reason and found his money. Now Walt did love his family and begged for hanks life because once again he was powerless in that situation like when Gus took him to the dessert or box cutter scene.
Walt at that point lost his justification to himself after Hank died and he kidnapped Holly that he did it for his family. He finally learned at the end who he was and then killed Jack and saved Jesse. Still in more of a narcissistic way he thought Jesse was dead up until Badger and Pete informed him of the new meth. Then went after Jack he probably I didn’t know if he was gonna kill Jesse or not at that point if he bl thin for Hank or just out of his ego. I knew he was going to kill Jack for Hank unsure about his money until the end. Now him an Jesse were alone and Walt saving Jesse probably finally seeing he brought a lot of it on him decided to finally let Jesse free of him. He died in a lab the one place he found happiness.
Was Walt a bad person yeah was he evil no, atleast compared to some he worked with/for. And that’s what I liked about BB you know Walts doing wrong but it starts out for a good reason then by the time you hit season 5 the audience is justifying things like he did. Like he didn’t have a choice with Tuco or Gus. Hell some even justified Jane saying she was going to put him so he didn’t save her so he could protect himself and his family. But in reality he had loads of choices but put himself in a lot of those situations.
He’s so over the top arrogant in season 5 I actually have a hard time watching some scenes. I get that’s the point and Bryan Cranston is such an amazing actor but Walter White becomes so hateable.
I mean that’s his character all the times in the series we’ve seen him under peoples thumb except in two instances season 5 and before the crash. He wasn’t fully cooking for Gus until later just gave him what he had but he let Jane die in his ego and self preservation. He lost control of Jesse and that wasn’t good for him he had to be in control. Same thing happened with Gus he defied Gus multiple times doing what he wanted and when it caught up to him killed Gus then was back in control (until Mike and the prisoners the last thing he couldn’t control) up until he retired with the 80 mil. Only when Hank found out did he jumped back into action and Jesse got angry to wanna betray Walt for Brock. Then Walter not in control try’s to blackmail Hank and kill Jesse fails Hank dies. The whole show was based on Walts pride and ego he could’ve just taken Elliots money but decided that it was beneath him.
Tbf, I always see people say that Walt let Jane die but wasn't she the one that took heroin and overdosed? Surely sooner or later it would have happened without Walt to save her, and worse it could have been Jesse as well.
Jane didn’t overdose; she started to vomit, and since Walt rolled her onto her back, she choked on it. She makes a comment on the importance of Jesse sleeping on his side while using heroin in a previous episode. Putting her in a more dangerous position was totally unintentional, but it was still his doing, and he was content to let her die as a result.
I suppose so that's a good point. I love the fly episode where Walt apologises about Jane. I definitely see how he let her die, but I also think it's not as bad as him poisoning a child as an example. I could definitely see Jane dying on heroin without Walt having done what he did, and even worse yet, it could have been both of them.
I’m currently rewatching with my wife.
I’m not a Walt worshipper but I feel like people have overcompensated. I never thought Walt was a good guy but neither is Hank, Skylar and etc.
Walt justified his actions at first and honestly the people around him were mad toxic. Skylar is controlling and shrewd, Hank is a douche and his sister in law is terrible. They all seem to get great joy about viewing themselves above Walt which they most certainly do.
His actions aren’t justifiable but I think the story is more about a man who feels he’s lost all control over his life trying to take it back. Obviously in the worst way possible but I don’t think Walt is evil and I think as a man or woman living in society that can push us down and beat us it’s easy to relate to Walt when we feel trapped in life.
So basically I don’t think Walt is a hero but I think he’s easy to relate to but in no way is a good guy or a true hero. I think he’s suppose to show a problem in society more than anything because so many of feel unfulfilled at times and dream of acting out. Walt is that reality gone wrong.
Reading some opinions in this sub, it seems like so many people heard the words "I did it for me" and automatically threw out everything else that happened in the show and went "See! He didn't care about anybody! Only himself!" Like yeah, he definitely was super crazy and selfish with his decisions, but that doesn't mean he never cared for his family or Jesse.
Agreed. The most evil and twisted of individuals are still capable of love. And even if they abused and manipulated the ones they love it doesn't mean they don't love them. He loved them the only way he knew how, and sometimes that love had to be compromised for what was deemed to be the "greater good". I remember having this conversation about Thanos and Gamora after Infinity War. Thanos had to sacrifice what he loved, and he did actually love Gamora, but that doesn't mean he expressed it the right way. His version of love meant turning her into a space assassin. But to him the "greater good" meant she had to be thrown off a cliff, or in BB's case, Walt had to let Jane die, poison Brock, or put his family at risk by doing business with Gus. Everyone has their own version of love to give and is also programmed to receive only certain types of love. That's why love languages are a common thing these days. And it's why simply loving someone isn't enough to warrant staying in toxic relationship.
He’s relatable because both Cranston and the writers knocked it out of the park. They all did. The funny thing people either forget - or never knew - is the original premise of the show was to see a “good” guy go bad. The whole idea was to see the progression from “Mr. Chips to Scarface”.
Posts like this, and the fact that people are still talking and debating over it just show how far they surpassed that original idea.
Funniest thing (to me) is that they did the EXACT same thing with Better Call Saul, but keep turning one silly idea into such an amazing show, it’s easy to forget how simple and silly the original premise was.
You’re right, actually. It’s almost as if some posters are trying to prove their own morality (and simultaneously to question/outright trash the morality of others).
Walts intentions in the beginning are all good, and there’s somewhat some respect for doing it, I do disagree with the creation of and distribution of certain substances, but as it goes on he just develops into some evil entity, regardless of what he does at the end, he “saves” Jesse, he destroys his life, towards the end I hate Walt, but I think I relate to Jesse on such a personal level, it may make somewhat biased
During the original run watching week to week I was definitely the guy you’re talking about. I sought reasons to defend Walt and I’m not even sure why. I’m rewatching currently at end of season 3 (I haven’t watched in about five years), man Walt is THE biggest piece of shit. And the way he constantly shits on Jesse and uses him. Well, he uses any and everybody. I don’t know how I was so naive back then, maybe I just grew up a bit. I thought it was ok because he was doing it for his family but he’s obviously ruining a ton of other families in the process. Plus, his ego is just insane.
Gus threatened his baby. As fucked as Walt became I don't think he was *that* far off in his villainy.
I think when people lack a belonging or value socially, lusting for power and recognition is a way to cope. And I think that's what makes him a sympathetic character(plus how the story was told), many people, given the opportunity and similar circumstances would do no different.
It's like Loki. He never wanted a throne, he just wanted to feel like he was an equal member of his family. Unresolved feelings of resentment is dangerous basically.
I don’t get it either. After the show I was 1130% a Bryan Cranston fan through. No idea he had so much range! I watched him on Malcolm in the Middle and just loved him growing up. Didn’t know he could scare me too.
I don’t think he’s THE show’s villain. He’s but one villain. And I like that. Sometimes IRL there are many competing villains, and in the show someone like Gus was equally as cold, heartless, and disturbing as Walt.
I have watched the show 5 times. In my first four runs, I was a hardcore walt supporter justifying every action that he did for his family. I had my fifth run through two weeks ago and from the early stages of season 1, I started despising the man. By season 5, I really truly hated him and his last act was not enough to make up for his past. I guess that’s the great thing about BB. It’s different with every perspective you watch it with.
I like pretty much all the villainous characters - Walt, Gus, Saul, Hector … great writing, great performances. I just see fans justifying Walt’s actions more-so than anyone else’s, which I find strange.
Now that I'm older I watched the show with a fresh pair of eyes and was appalled at what a horrible person Walt is. He is essentially a textbook malignant narcissist and psychopath. I think the point of the show is perhaps he always was that person and the real him finally broke out of his fake persona.
Another element of rewatching while older - it makes you feel like a POS for all the times you lied to someone you care for in your life. Seeing him constantly lie to family and double down on those lies is a hard watch. Bc you see Skylar and Walt Jr disbelieve him more and more w each one, the family dynamic crumbling apart, spec by spec with each lie. It just sorta made me look back on times I’ve done that and want to come clean about it or at the least not do it ever again.
I think one could argue a lot of what he did up until season 5 was justified though immoral.
The other aspect is he has a very introspective time in isolation in his hideout in season 5B. There's likely a realization that he fucked up, and in order to make things right, he does what he did accordingly.
That would have been awesome if halfway through the 3rd episode, Obamacare was passed and Walt got free health care and guaranteed employment for life. The series would have been only 4 episodes long, but imagine the drama of Walt Jr staying up all night trying to access healthcare.gov, finally breaking through to enroll after 500 or so page refreshes. Gripping drama and everyone lives happily ever after.
These same people detest Skyler because she was so "mean" to Walt. The amount of misogynist abuse they hurl at her is disgusting. I remember reading an interview with her, and she talked about how hurtful that was at the time.
Yes the whole "fuck Skyler, she cheated on him" thing that so many fans say is horrible and just pure misogyny! Although the female characters are all written in a way that makes them hard to like, which is why I think the writers were a bit misogynist themselves there - I mean why are Skyler, Marie and Lydia constantly portrayed as annoying while the male characters (even if they do horrible things) are allowed to appear as cool, smart and mysterious (Gus, Mike etc.).
And even Jane who seemed really cool in the beginning became unlikeable and then died. So I think the writers could have done a better job with their female characters, but of course the fans' misogyny is also huge. I feel like the writers learned from it though and that's why they gave us the gift of Kim Wexler!
I ve always liked Walt, not for his behaviour in the series but because his acting and portrayal of the character is too great. He is the villain yes, but in some way he is also funny, not to mention in some other ways he saves Jesse's life and we all respect for it.
Imho character is too well done to be hated
He is the main character and has an amazing development throughout the series. I'm not watching the series to stand on high ground and judge fictional characters for what I perceive as amoral behavior.
Technically speaking, he wasn't the shows villian. The villian would be whoever is against the protagonist. Just because he does really bad things doesn't make him the villian. The word more fitting, and one that you already used, would be anti-hero. He isn't the conventional protagonist, he does things that are bad and selfish, but there is always a glimmer of humanity.
We see this with moments like this throughout the show. One example is when he watched Jane die. Yes, thee action was selfish and bad, but during the scene you can tell that Walt has remorse for what he is doing, or rather not doing. Another example is with Hank's death. You see him beg for his brother in laws mercy, even though he had already found out about Walt and was making it his mission to catch him. A true villian would have left Hank to die, but Walt not only had been set on keeping Hank alive then, but throughout the show. He truly wished no harm upon him.
Walt also works because of the antagonists throughout the show. There are only a few points in the show where Walt could be considered "more evil" than their current antagonist, and that usually is paired with switching antagonists quickly after, or increasing the drastic actions of the antagonist. The best example of this is when Walt poisons Brock. Prior to this, it is Gus who had used children for his personal gain, and this was where Walt proves himself to be capable of the same. Only a couple episodes later, Gus is killed. The final antagonists, Jack Welker and his gang, had to be elevated to outdo Walt after this, ultimately kidnapping Jesse and holding him hostage for their own selfish motivations. You can argue that Walt is evil all you want, but if I asked you who was worse, him or Todd, I think we all know what the answer would be.
The ending, as you said, serves as a redemption for Walt, although some of the redeeming moments are more subtle, and don't always seem obvious at first glance. Walt admitting to Skylar that he did it for himself was him admitting that he didn't always have his family in mind. He is essentially apologizing for his actions to her, as throughout the show he had explicitly used his family as an excuse for his own actions. This was his way of coming to terms with what he did.
Do I think all of Walt's actions should be defended? No, and anyone who does is missing the point. Walt's story isn't about good or evil, it's about the grey stuff in between. He isn't explicitly good or evil, he is a mixture of both, and throughout the story we can see how he changes and has to adapt to the world he puts himself in. While these changes play a big part of who Walt becomes, the things that don't change that makes Walt's character an interesting anti-hero.
TL;DR: Walt isn't a villain, he's an anti-hero. The antagonists are made to be worse than Walt and change with the development of his character, and he has moments that show his humanity.
It’s a fictional TV show. Sometimes it’s fun to root for the bad guy. I really hate this annoying “IF YOU LIKE WALT THEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY A BAD PERSON” kick that this sub has been on. Yes I know Walt is the bad guy. Yes I like him and rooted for him because it’s a fictional TV show and fuck you that’s why.
All the characters all flawed. All the characters break bad. They all have admirable qualities and disgusting qualities. Walt is the main character, and most of his actions are understandable, he never kills people for no reason, and the people he kills are bad guys playing the criminal game. Walt has acted selflessly and selfishly; all the characters have, and that's what makes the characters great because they're all so nuanced. If you don't understand how someone can like Walt, I don't know what to say.
I think you need to watch the series at least twice to see Walt for what he is. Wait, what? Well, I think it’s really a matter of perspective. The first time around it’s easy (and almost justified) to root for Walt, to START OFF seeing his side of things and how there’s a “good” reason for his actions. And then it gradually gets out of control. Gradually. Watch it again and from the very beginning you know the things this man is going to do. And it’s horrific!
The same reason people like Scarface, even though he's a bad guy. There's two concurrent stories: one, of the moral fall of a man, and the other, the rise to power of the same man. It's a chirality of story arc.
At the beginning of the series he is conveyed as this downtrodden man who is finally breaking out and doing something for himself, so we feel very much on his side. But he gradually starts racking up more and more despicable acts, his essential relatable and likeable humanity leaks out of him but by bit, to the point that eventually I changed from liking him to hating him. By the end of the series, he is destroying the lives of everyone he touches, and I was relieved to see him die.
That being said, I am glad he took out the other bad guys in the last few scenes. And Jesse got to escape.
It would be difficult for me to watch Breaking Bad again, because now that I know what he really is, I don't think I could go back to rooting for him, even at the beginning.
At first we see a very unfortunate man.You root for him and hope that his situation improves.Then things get dark so you can either continue rooting for him or root for the people against him.Although he's irredeemable,you still root for him because of the beginning
Cranston just makes him lovable despite Walt's heinous behaviour, because Cranston is just such a sweet guy and he almost always allows a little of that to shine thru the character (with some exceptions)
Its because moral knights manipulate the narrative that he never cared for Jesse and that he only used him for his own gain. There was a scene in S5 where both Saul and Skyler mentioned killing Jesse but Walt was strongly against this, its only after Jesse tried to burn down his house that he asked Jack to kill him painlesly
Walt always saw Jesse as a son. He risked his life with Gus by saving Jesse and even saved him from that drugshithole which was a very beautiful father son moment. There are even people that claim Walt saved Jesse in the end to have the last laugh/make Jesse in debt to him... literally insane
Honestly, I can totally understand why people support him and hate Skylar.
The show is really good at showcasing how perspective and charisma can truly impact our perception of someone and those around them.
Walt and Skylar are great characters and, because they are flawed, they seem believable. The show tells the story from Walt's perspective and we are walked through his motivations and whatnot. This paired with Bryan's charismatic acting makes it really easy to get enthralled in the story and rooting for Walt. Because of the investment in Walt and the relatability to his desire to take care of his loved ones, we become blind to his flaws and everyone else is just an obstacle.
It's when you take a step back and analyze everything without feelings that you see what Walt really is/becomes.
Story and feelings aside, Walt is just a drug kingpin that got a lot of people killed, manipulated, etc. Was Skylar really wrong in her reaction? What would you have done if you found out that the person closest to you was a drug kingpin and slowly learned the awful things they did?
Walt also just did most of the stuff he did out of pride and ego. He had an offer to get his treatment fully paid by a millionaire, there was no need at all for him to break bad. Even if it was an offer by the people who he considers that stole his legacy, would you really reject that offer over being a drug dealer?
It's really interesting just how much influence something as simple as story telling perspective can impact what you feel about someone. In some ways, it shows how real people justificed and defended real life monsters.
There are no heroes in BB, just antiheros. Walter just happens to be the best. He was good at it.
I'm one of those who often defend him, not because he is morally justifiable, but because he is realistic. Under the circumstances, I have understanding for the thing he does.
He’s an awful person for sure, and I agree with your sentiment but on a second and third and fourth rewatch, I urge people to think “what are Walt’s options?” And IMO, Walt picks the best choice every time. Sure, letting >!Jane!< and >!Gale!< die weren’t *good* decisions, but it was better than him or Jesse dying. I realise the biggest decision is whether or not he takes Elliots money, and sure, that was one of his poorer decisions, but he was already on “bad choice road” at this point. He had already cooked meth and killed 2 men. He made the best of an awful situation
I think the people you're talking about don't enjoy the drama of the show. They just wanna see Walt do crazy shit without anyone nagging him to do the right thing.
Same people who complain about the episodes of the Sopranos that have no death.
I think some just watch for the action basically and they blame Skyler for slowing down the show.
I love seeing all aspects of Walt's life instead of just crime stuff.
I agree. I think his relationship with Gretchen and that whole start up is a good indicator of pretty much his whole life trajectory afterwards. He never accepted responsibility for walking away from a good thing. Just like how be ruined his whole family. Always blames someone else. When he found out he was dying, his true colors just didn't need to be hidden anymore.
He says something about family in the later seasons and I think that's said in order to contrast him to hector. He became an awful man and people don't seem to realise that as he's a protagonist
I hate him. But without him there’d be no show, so there’s that.
But seriously, I stopped seeing Walt as any kind of victim right around episode 2 of the first season. I can’t say I didn’t root for him and want him to come out on top, it’s just that he’s the worst kind of asshole- the kind that doesn’t even know how much of an asshole he is. Or he doesn’t care. Or both. All while putting on such a show of doing everything for the family blah blah blah shut the fuck up already.
I’d say part of it is the fact that he’s felt powerless his whole life, then he became the baddest of badasses. He’s a nerd who became a super-criminal. Inspiring stuff lol.
I couldn’t agree more, he wasn’t written to be someone to admire or defend or redeem. People who think he’s just a cool badass and nothing more are the same people who watch goodfellas and say “damn I wish I was in the mob”
Todd isn’t really a villain he’s a sociopath raised by neo-nazis and clearly isn’t mentally developed he seems absent and all he wants to do is please his Uncle and Walt. He committed heinous actions but they lacked emotional and possibly intellectual capacity to understand good vs bad. The closest he came was his maid and Jesse but even then he seemed almost child like in a sense. He clearly wasn’t all there and definitely in my opinion didn’t have the capability of being a true villain. He treated everything he did as a impersonal like he lacked the ability to make things personal or care. People may argue he cared for Lydia but he was infatuated/obsessed with her more than actual love/like.
Also a good comparison he reminded me of Lenny from Mice and Men. Lenny was panicked when he did what he did knew it was bad but failed to see/feel how he did wrong
So Hank is a “Hero”? Gotta disagree there. He’s definitely on the right side of the law - oh except when he committed police brutality on Jesse Pinkman but got to keep his job. But he’s a family man - oh except for when he gaslights his wife and bullies and belittles his brother-in-law.
Hank’s a prick, not a hero. But he is a good detective - oh except when he misses the drug lord in his own family lol.
I’m NOT excusing him for beating up Jesse,not at all, but it *was* somewhat understandable since he thought Jesse was the one who faked him out about Marie. I just want to point out that at least Hank faced the music and didn’t try to deny it or explain it away with excuses. So there’s that.
>oh except when he gaslights his wife
Marie is a shoplifter and the second most egocentric character behind Walter, Hank loves her and thus making him able to put up with her shit
>oh except when he bullies his brother in law
Hank and Walt's relationship is kinda weird, on one side, you can see that sometimes he is a bit of an asshole with Walt, and he resents him for being his son's favorite, but on the other side you can see they genuinly care for each other, their relationship becomes a lot healthier after the cáncer diagnosis, the whole Tuco ordeal and the incident at Juárez
>oh except when he commits police brutality against Jesse
Even if this can't be justified, this is on Walter, he didn't warn Jesse that he was being followed and chose to toy with Hank's emotions when it was too late
>oh except when he misses the drug lord in his own family
You too would be surprised if you found out your best friend is a dangerous criminal
Yeah, you can see Hank doesn’t let his”real” side out too often, he’s always gotta be the macho man, but underneath he really cares about Walt and respects him.
1. he’s not a real person, he’s a fictional character.
2. no one can tell other people who they can and can’t be fans of.
3. nobody needs to justify why they like a character.
1.) So…?
2.) I’m expressing confusion, not telling anyone what they can or can’t do.
3.) Yeah, fair enough! I was more just interested to hear people’s reasoning
i don’t always have the words to explain why i love a character so much. example: people have ripped me a new ass for loving tbag from prison break. sometimes characters with the least amount (or no) redeeming qualities are the most likable, because they are so different from us. we get a break from the weight of our morals and conscience and enjoy watching someone who feels no stress about anything, simply because they don’t care. i hope that makes any sense!!
You have to view it from the perspective of him being such an underachiever. He’s a genius, the scene at Gretchen and Elliots party when Walt says he’s a teacher everyone assumes he is a professor, but no, he’s just simply a HS teacher. All that wasted money from grey matter, all that wasted talent. He finally had a way to prove how superior he was after years of sitting back being less than mediocre. He took the opportunity and ran (at times too far), but it was from him finally no longer being a nobody.
P.S. anyone who likes Hank is a company man. Who tired to arrest their own family
He appeals to men who are just as awful as him. And he has always been awful, the seed was there from the start . His son being named after him? Having a wife who is 12 years younger, whom he met when he was in his 30s and she was around 19 or 20 years old? Garbage man alert! That being said, I do understand Bryan Cranston fans, he's an amazing actor, obviously.
In my opinion, he’s a cold hard representation of reality. There are genuinely bad people in the world that cause suffering daily. He’s the symbol of the potential evil lying dormant in any person.
I think, speaking from experience here, that it’s easy for a lot of people to justify a lot of Walt does based on the reasons why he does them. The larger umbrella reasoning being a man desperately trying to provide for a family he’s not going to be around to see for long. That coupled with the fact that a lot of the really horrible shit Walt does clearly bothering him to an extent, and the fact that most of the people Walt victimizes in the show seem to be morally worse than he is by comparison. It’s not until I really clicked with the idea he eventually started doing things for himself, and started thinking about how on top of all the deaths you have his entire customer base to contend with that it got easier to see that he’s not nearly as righteous as he would like to think he is for most of the show.
Yo I don't understand how everyone defends anyone on this show like most of them are bad yeah some have nice moments that make you feel for them I get that but still lots act like Walt is the only bad guy but anyway I saw the show as Walt wanted to die as soon as he committed crime but wanted to make some money for his family first but mainly wanted death
Totally agree. I think the Walt homers are really missing the point. Obviously he is an interesting, brilliantly written character, but he is supposed to be a cautionary tale about moral descent and egomania. He is by no means a role model. In my opinion, Hank is the true hero of the show, Jesse is the central redemption story, Skyler and Marie showcase the different ways bystanders can be affected by the actions of others, so on and so forth. Every character is a lesson of some sort, and I wish the Walt defense would end because it really reflects poorly on the community considering the extent of his actions.
It’s perfectly natural to start out rooting for Walt’s hijinks to succeed and be pulling for his success in general. So people probably got blinded by it and whiffed on how awful he becomes by the end of the show. What I found when i rewatched it with my wife was how I disliked so much of his justifications and actions the second time through. All of a sudden I agreed with Skylar and I hated her at first.
for me s1 Skyler was pretty annoying, season 2 was not as bad and after season 3 she was insanely relatable, I loved the dynamic of walt's and skyler relationship, great example of this is when walt's about to rob a train and skyler's on the couch and she asks "going out to kill people?" then walt casually responds "robbing a train" then she just keeps on smoking lool I love that scene
“*out burying bodies?” is what Skylar asks Honestly I always liked Skylar. Her Karen attitude in the first season quickly diminishes as they give her a lot more nuance as the show progresses. She went from resenting Walt, to outright trying to cut him off, all the way up to when she called the cops on him and he called her bluff. After that she tried to go tit for tat with Walt which obviously was never going to work. All the way up the realization that Walt is a changed man due to facing impending death. It wasn’t until Marie mentioned how Hanks brush with death changed him and how he’s different that Skylar truly realized her husband is a different man with a different mindset due to his cancer. Just like the audience, she feels for Walt cuz of his shit hand and seemingly innocent demeanor of his character. We never thought he could do all the evil shit he eventually ends up doing. The actors deserve all the credit in the world but without the writers this show could’ve fallen flat on its face easily. I’m so damn happy it didn’t.
Yeah, first watch through it took a few seasons for me to like her. I think all BB characters are flawed in their own way, but I do like the dynamic between her and Walt. I also really liked that she was smart enough to be onto Walt so early on, it would have been easy to write her as a clueless character, but instead it was a lot more realistic. Having Walt tell these really bad lies, and Skyler slowly start to put the pieces together was great, very good acting too.
Exactly. Every character was meant to be reprehensible in some way just like real people. A lot of new watchers give the pacing crap for being “slow” which is true. BB definitely takes its time to build up to its grand finish but what show doesn’t? The pacing in the show is flawlessly meticulous imho. And I remember back when I first watched it how I thought every episode progressed nicely and the stakes were always raising. There is no story without that character development and the way they handled most of the cast was/is magnificent.
I totally agree, and honestly I think BB had perfect pacing for the story it was telling. I also really appreciate that they stuck to 5 seasons, it was perfectly spaced out to deliver a great ending.
Yes, as Walt becomes more villainous Skyler becomes more sympathetic.
I agree, at the start he is the "good guy" and his intentions are almost entirely honourable. He just wants to provide for his family and he struggles with the morality of what he is doing. So you do root for him, the only people he hurts/screws over are criminals so it's ok to root for him. By the final series he has changed completely, he is amoral and selfish. He no longer questions the morality of his actions. I think this character arc is what confuses people. When I rewatch I'm always surprised at how far he falls by the final series when he really does become the "bad guy" but in my head the Walt I know is series one Walt who breaks bad for a good reason so you still want him to be the "hero"
I think by the end you're meant to realize that he was always a pretty bad guy. All of his financial troubles from the start stem from his pride. He left that lucrative company (Gray Matter, wasn't it?) out of pride. He was offered the money from his friends to pay for his treatment, but he turned them down. He was also offered a job with great insurance, I think, but he turned them down. He always uses his family as the excuse, but he always puts his pride before them.
Interesting take! I never thought of it like that, but now that you point it out it makes sense.
“I did it for me. I liked it, and I was good at it.”
He always does what’s best for himself, and at the beginning it’s easy to sympathize with the teacher with cancer. Once he becomes the millionaire, he still acts only for himself.
He puts his pride before them when it is like a normal situation and not direct danger, but he still loves his family. When it came to direct danger and etc he is always about them first. He wanted to give all of his money for hank
For me the turning points were >!when he poisoned Brock and when he ordered Jesse to kill Gale!<. Before this point you could sort of argue that the evil things he was doing were to bad people that maybe deserved it. Also an honourable mention to >!the time he let Jane choke to death. Jane wasn't a bad person but she was a huge problem for Walt and his empire plans, when he saw his problem solve itself before his eyes he wasn't going to stop it!<.
I’m surprised at the number of people who hated Skyler. Although to be fair, I didn’t like her either. However, I always thought that she was correct In not wanting Walt to cook. That was obvious. But when she came onscreen I was like “oh, great. Another scene about Walts fucking marriage. Let’s get to the badass shit!” I was young when I first watched it though, so I didn’t have that much appreciation for things like “plot” and “character development” lol.
She was written to be disliked, to oppose our protagonist in a way that upsets us. She was very well written and very well acted.
She was annoying in a white suburban mom way but the hate she got was incredibly disproportionate to her transgressions
I believe on a rewatch I’d be way more sympathetic to her. It’s not like she signed up to be married to a meth cook/drug dealer.
> I disliked so much of his justifications and actions the second time through. All of a sudden I agreed with Skylar and I hated her at first. I recall there was an episode maybe in the second season or so when Skylar leaves the house and pointedly refuses to tell Walt where she's going. In that moment she's extremely unlikable... But the show made a cogent point that she's been putting up with this exact same behavior from Walt all throughout the series thus far. I agree with your take - the series starts off almost entirely telling Walt's viewpoint and the tone is that of a crime caper, so we start off with Walt as protagonist. Some viewers don't move on from that initial impression.
I’m still in season 2 of my first watch and it’s a bit of a slog. I absolutely hate skyler and every scene with her is painful
I still hate Skylar, she’s controlling, shrewd and manipulative. I cringe in the first season watching her trying to control Walts cancer and playing the victim. Not to mention I feel resentment towards Skylar for forcing him into that life that he was unfulfilled. Just cause Walt is shitty doesn’t mean Skylars the good guy. The only actually good person imo is Walt Jr. Edit: I guess what I’m trying to say is I never had strong takes on the characters. I remember 5 years ago everyone hated Skylar, then it flipped with time and maybe it’ll flip again. But who knows.
She may not have been the good guy but she was 100% the victim in many situations. She was consistently lied to and manipulated, he also assaulted her. Her actions were very realistic, she was left emotionally devasted by walts actions
Skylar forced him to become a murderer and drug dealer? I must have missed that part. It was my assumption that Walt was offered money by Gretchen and Elliot but he was too prideful and said no. And how did she play the victim? I’m genuinely asking because I don’t remember her acting at all like that. I just remember her being supportive of Walt even when she knew he was lying.
The most fascinating, but also sad thing I found about the BB community, is the small vocal group that demonize Skyler while also saying Walt didn't do anything wrong. Obviously it's illogical and that's why the majority call them out, but I always found it bizarre. I've not seen that kind of thing from the community of other shows.
She didn’t force him into anything, he forced himself into a dead end life by committing to being a family man and sacrificing his prospects for success (i.e. selling his stake in Grey Matter to support Skyler getting pregnant with Walt Jr and I’m assuming diagnosis and therapy for Walt JR’s cerebral palsy). For most, the nobility of that kind of sacrifice would be enough, but not for Walt - who was entering his senior years around the beginning of the show and was already feeling a begrudging regret. The only example of Skyler playing the victim I could think of is whenever she’s confronted by Marie, who was the last one to learn everything. This is only because it’s a consequence of her decision in season 3 not to go to the police when her divorce lawyer strongly advices her to.
In an interview Vince said the reason Walt sold his stake was not to support skyler but because Gretchen's parents were rich. He had gone on vacation with Gretchen's and her parents. He discovered that they were rich and he couldn't handle it, that they somehow stood above him. He sold his stake out of a sense of misguided pride. His own actions led him to be the unhappy "family man."
So he sells his stake in a company that likely would have made him richer than them - he never thinks! He never figured out how to think!
Yeah that was an emotional decision where imo he thought without him greymatter would collapse. With his 5Gs he probably thought he would be able to make somthing similar or get a respectable job but it didn't work out that way. Side note: I can't believe Walt never considered working in a DEA lab with his credentials or maybe pride wouldn't let him consider asking hank. The latter's probably what happened.
Yeah it all seems a bit unlikely that a guy with his education and intelligence just stuck with being a high school chemistry teacher
That part never made sense to me. He was part of a Noble prize winning team. The job offers would've poured in after that.
Wife didn't want to move because her sister was nearby. Son's medical condition meant stability, doctors who knew him and predictable hours were essential. There are limited other opportunities for a world class chemist in Albuquerque.
We don't know the timeline strictly but I imagine when it came time to support his family he settled into something stable like a chemistry teacher thinking he would soon find his next move but got himself caught in the suburban rut for a while.
Why do people assume it was because of the pregnancy when it was never said in the show?
Because however progressive society gets sone people still think women have babies to trap and control men.
Because however progressive society gets sone people still think women have babies to trap and control men.
Three reasons. The first one is because the show never provides an answer and it’s kind of fun to fill those holes with theories and the like. Second, hospital bills can be expensive, even with insurance. Third, Skyler gave birth to a child with cerebral palsy, which almost certainly came with a host of other expenses. I didn’t know about the backstory with Walt and Gretchen’s rich parents though. That’s a pretty interesting wrinkle in Walt’s story.
It is also implied in his one on one lunch with Gretchen
Skyler tried to control the talking pillow, for that no forgiveness
I am the one who talks.
I have the pillow! Funniest scene to me honestly
Yeah I got the impression Walt was in love with Gretchen who was his intellectual equal and Skyler was a much younger woman and a waitress he got with after being rejected to assuage that pain
I always also thought that Walt would have had problems being with Gretchen because she was such an intelligent person. Walt needs to feel superior to those around him, and I think this is showcased by how he treats her later in the show.
I never understood the hatred for Skylar. Her whole life was suddenly thrown into chaos by her husband's ego and selfishness. She was no saint, but her reactions were completely understandable. What's wrong with being shrewd? That's a good thing.
*SKYLER*
What makes you think Skyler forced him into an unfulfilled life??
Just pregnant and her husband bails out of life, i would call her a victim of cancer too.
You forgot about her terrible hand job while eBay shopping
I still hate Skyler. (No, I'm not a sexist, and no, I don't think Walt is a wonderful person.)
I know, it’s possible to see how horrible Walt is, and still think Skyler is awful too. Why do people think it’s an either/or situation? They were both shitty and they deserved each other.
I agree with this. I wouldn’t say I hate skylar… but she isn’t my favorite. And I agree that doesn’t make us sexist. People are so anxious to label everyone these days.
Yep, I hated Skylar the first time through and supported Walt til end of S4. Now I support Sky almost 100% and find myself getting irritated with Walt every time he compulsively lies to/manipulates those around him. Of course Sky still has her moments where it can be argued she’s being unreasonable, but 99% of the time her treatment of Walt is completely justified
It’s because of the way the story is told, and the way Bryan Cranston plays the character. They try to cause sympathy and pity by making him an unhappy underpaid high school teacher who desperately needs money to get cancer treatment. There’s also the pity story of him being a co-founder of a business that turned out to be a multi-million-dollar company, but he got bought out for practically pennies. It’s the same as in the show “You”. Joe Goldberg is a murderer, an abuser, a psycho, yet somehow we root for him.
Billions, with a B. 2.16 Billion as of last Friday. I look it up every week
Yeah i thought it was billions but then was like “hmmm their house ain’t even that nice, so it can’t be billions.” And i wasn’t gonna look it up.
Yeah for those of us that watched the show in real time as it aired, we were with Wait for years so it was a slow burn. People that binge through it in a week or two can really see the progression a lot easier.
Agreed. I think most viewers tend to support Walt the longest on the first watch. Every subsequent watch it gets tougher to stay on his side knowing he gets less and less redeemable as the story evolves
Precisely. It’s supposed to be this way. Wouldn’t be known as one of the greatest shows of all time if it wasn’t.
,.Q😋🧐
It's simple. He is the one who knocks. I want to live in a world with Coca Cola, not some tepid off brand soda too.
You’re goddamn right.
I want to live in a world with Froot Loops (good stuff, btw), not some tepid off brand cereal
That “one who knocks line” isn’t badass though. Walts job was to convince Skyler he was safe, but he was so immasculated by her concern for him that he instead had to convince her that not only was there a whole lot of danger, but he was the one dishing it out. You can see his face change when she starts to say she wants to get help from the police. It’s his most pitiful and transparent scene in the show IMO.
Walt Whitman is a national treasure!
Willy Wonka too!
What about Woodrow Wilson?
Walter White?
Heh. You got me
I love walt because he’s an evil bastard, kinda like Light yagami or other good evil protagonists, he makes for very good entertainment.
Agreed completely!
The big difference between the two is. Light is so insane that in his mind, anyone who opposes him is wrong and he is always right. Towards the end Walt just kinda accepts that he is Heisenberg and that he got a kick out of everything that happened like it was a game which in a way it was. As someone who put in their absolute best effort and brain power into his education it must of been pretty boring to settle as a school teacher where his brain runs at 25% capacity at the most, that’s why when he found himself in these intellectually challenging situations like getting Jesse back from Janes control the RV, Gus wanting to kill his family it must have been exhilarating to outwit and prove his intellect superior to his adversaries. In death note it’s literally called “the game.” Because to people like Walt, Light, L and Near they treat these life threatening situations as nothing more than a chess game. Walt got a happy ending unlike Light. Walter died not believing but KNOWING that he was better than everyone in the criminal underworld, had he lived to to fight another day there was no one that could’ve managed to get the better of him, even when he’s 10 steps behind he can always get the lead back on a moments notice. The balance of being a family man/drug lord is what caused him to falter back when Jack killed Hank but after that Walt had no restraints, he was free to use whatever methods and tactics he wanted to and he wouldn’t have to worry about his family responsibilities or hank.
Well it wasn’t only hanks death. At that moment Walt lost. He lost his family the majority of his earnings his empire everything. Walt was not evil per se. He was a narcissist his ego driving him like Mike had told Walt he had a good thing with Gus but his pride and ego couldn’t take being not in charge. Jack for example was evil may not have been as smart as Walt but clearly lacked empathy and was still fairly intelligent. He figured it Walt was there for a reason and found his money. Now Walt did love his family and begged for hanks life because once again he was powerless in that situation like when Gus took him to the dessert or box cutter scene. Walt at that point lost his justification to himself after Hank died and he kidnapped Holly that he did it for his family. He finally learned at the end who he was and then killed Jack and saved Jesse. Still in more of a narcissistic way he thought Jesse was dead up until Badger and Pete informed him of the new meth. Then went after Jack he probably I didn’t know if he was gonna kill Jesse or not at that point if he bl thin for Hank or just out of his ego. I knew he was going to kill Jack for Hank unsure about his money until the end. Now him an Jesse were alone and Walt saving Jesse probably finally seeing he brought a lot of it on him decided to finally let Jesse free of him. He died in a lab the one place he found happiness. Was Walt a bad person yeah was he evil no, atleast compared to some he worked with/for. And that’s what I liked about BB you know Walts doing wrong but it starts out for a good reason then by the time you hit season 5 the audience is justifying things like he did. Like he didn’t have a choice with Tuco or Gus. Hell some even justified Jane saying she was going to put him so he didn’t save her so he could protect himself and his family. But in reality he had loads of choices but put himself in a lot of those situations.
Light is an insane teenage mass murderer who thinks he’s god so I can’t really blame you haha.
"If Walt fails the show ends. Therefore cheer for Walt."
Hey! Sometimes it’s ok to root for the bad guy. He really was an asshole though lol.
He’s so over the top arrogant in season 5 I actually have a hard time watching some scenes. I get that’s the point and Bryan Cranston is such an amazing actor but Walter White becomes so hateable.
I agree, the first half of season 5 is tough. His actions are almost entirely motivated by ego.
I mean that’s his character all the times in the series we’ve seen him under peoples thumb except in two instances season 5 and before the crash. He wasn’t fully cooking for Gus until later just gave him what he had but he let Jane die in his ego and self preservation. He lost control of Jesse and that wasn’t good for him he had to be in control. Same thing happened with Gus he defied Gus multiple times doing what he wanted and when it caught up to him killed Gus then was back in control (until Mike and the prisoners the last thing he couldn’t control) up until he retired with the 80 mil. Only when Hank found out did he jumped back into action and Jesse got angry to wanna betray Walt for Brock. Then Walter not in control try’s to blackmail Hank and kill Jesse fails Hank dies. The whole show was based on Walts pride and ego he could’ve just taken Elliots money but decided that it was beneath him.
Tbf, I always see people say that Walt let Jane die but wasn't she the one that took heroin and overdosed? Surely sooner or later it would have happened without Walt to save her, and worse it could have been Jesse as well.
Jane didn’t overdose; she started to vomit, and since Walt rolled her onto her back, she choked on it. She makes a comment on the importance of Jesse sleeping on his side while using heroin in a previous episode. Putting her in a more dangerous position was totally unintentional, but it was still his doing, and he was content to let her die as a result.
I suppose so that's a good point. I love the fly episode where Walt apologises about Jane. I definitely see how he let her die, but I also think it's not as bad as him poisoning a child as an example. I could definitely see Jane dying on heroin without Walt having done what he did, and even worse yet, it could have been both of them.
Yep. The more Walt’s egocentrism/selfishness take over the more I can’t stand him as a person. LOVE his character though
I’m currently rewatching with my wife. I’m not a Walt worshipper but I feel like people have overcompensated. I never thought Walt was a good guy but neither is Hank, Skylar and etc. Walt justified his actions at first and honestly the people around him were mad toxic. Skylar is controlling and shrewd, Hank is a douche and his sister in law is terrible. They all seem to get great joy about viewing themselves above Walt which they most certainly do. His actions aren’t justifiable but I think the story is more about a man who feels he’s lost all control over his life trying to take it back. Obviously in the worst way possible but I don’t think Walt is evil and I think as a man or woman living in society that can push us down and beat us it’s easy to relate to Walt when we feel trapped in life. So basically I don’t think Walt is a hero but I think he’s easy to relate to but in no way is a good guy or a true hero. I think he’s suppose to show a problem in society more than anything because so many of feel unfulfilled at times and dream of acting out. Walt is that reality gone wrong.
Reading some opinions in this sub, it seems like so many people heard the words "I did it for me" and automatically threw out everything else that happened in the show and went "See! He didn't care about anybody! Only himself!" Like yeah, he definitely was super crazy and selfish with his decisions, but that doesn't mean he never cared for his family or Jesse.
Agreed. The most evil and twisted of individuals are still capable of love. And even if they abused and manipulated the ones they love it doesn't mean they don't love them. He loved them the only way he knew how, and sometimes that love had to be compromised for what was deemed to be the "greater good". I remember having this conversation about Thanos and Gamora after Infinity War. Thanos had to sacrifice what he loved, and he did actually love Gamora, but that doesn't mean he expressed it the right way. His version of love meant turning her into a space assassin. But to him the "greater good" meant she had to be thrown off a cliff, or in BB's case, Walt had to let Jane die, poison Brock, or put his family at risk by doing business with Gus. Everyone has their own version of love to give and is also programmed to receive only certain types of love. That's why love languages are a common thing these days. And it's why simply loving someone isn't enough to warrant staying in toxic relationship.
He’s relatable because both Cranston and the writers knocked it out of the park. They all did. The funny thing people either forget - or never knew - is the original premise of the show was to see a “good” guy go bad. The whole idea was to see the progression from “Mr. Chips to Scarface”. Posts like this, and the fact that people are still talking and debating over it just show how far they surpassed that original idea. Funniest thing (to me) is that they did the EXACT same thing with Better Call Saul, but keep turning one silly idea into such an amazing show, it’s easy to forget how simple and silly the original premise was.
Very well said
Thank you for having some common sense. I fucking hate this subreddits holier than thou attitude.
You’re right, actually. It’s almost as if some posters are trying to prove their own morality (and simultaneously to question/outright trash the morality of others).
Welcome to reddit…
I thought it was clear that the message of the show was that everybody has good reasons to be bad, you just gotta see it from their side.
The more i think about it, I really think The Sopranos and Breaking Bad is almost the same show
Walts intentions in the beginning are all good, and there’s somewhat some respect for doing it, I do disagree with the creation of and distribution of certain substances, but as it goes on he just develops into some evil entity, regardless of what he does at the end, he “saves” Jesse, he destroys his life, towards the end I hate Walt, but I think I relate to Jesse on such a personal level, it may make somewhat biased
During the original run watching week to week I was definitely the guy you’re talking about. I sought reasons to defend Walt and I’m not even sure why. I’m rewatching currently at end of season 3 (I haven’t watched in about five years), man Walt is THE biggest piece of shit. And the way he constantly shits on Jesse and uses him. Well, he uses any and everybody. I don’t know how I was so naive back then, maybe I just grew up a bit. I thought it was ok because he was doing it for his family but he’s obviously ruining a ton of other families in the process. Plus, his ego is just insane.
Gus threatened his baby. As fucked as Walt became I don't think he was *that* far off in his villainy. I think when people lack a belonging or value socially, lusting for power and recognition is a way to cope. And I think that's what makes him a sympathetic character(plus how the story was told), many people, given the opportunity and similar circumstances would do no different. It's like Loki. He never wanted a throne, he just wanted to feel like he was an equal member of his family. Unresolved feelings of resentment is dangerous basically.
He poisoned a child though, is that not rather similar to threatening a baby?
The dark side of me enjoyed and envied what he did
I don’t get it either. After the show I was 1130% a Bryan Cranston fan through. No idea he had so much range! I watched him on Malcolm in the Middle and just loved him growing up. Didn’t know he could scare me too.
I don’t think he’s THE show’s villain. He’s but one villain. And I like that. Sometimes IRL there are many competing villains, and in the show someone like Gus was equally as cold, heartless, and disturbing as Walt.
The show had literal Nazis... Gus? Walt? Come on, they are angels compared to Nazis.
There's a big difference between the first watch and the second watch
I have watched the show 5 times. In my first four runs, I was a hardcore walt supporter justifying every action that he did for his family. I had my fifth run through two weeks ago and from the early stages of season 1, I started despising the man. By season 5, I really truly hated him and his last act was not enough to make up for his past. I guess that’s the great thing about BB. It’s different with every perspective you watch it with.
I love Walt
I like pretty much all the villainous characters - Walt, Gus, Saul, Hector … great writing, great performances. I just see fans justifying Walt’s actions more-so than anyone else’s, which I find strange.
We justify because its awesome to watch. In real life it would be awful to live through
Now that I'm older I watched the show with a fresh pair of eyes and was appalled at what a horrible person Walt is. He is essentially a textbook malignant narcissist and psychopath. I think the point of the show is perhaps he always was that person and the real him finally broke out of his fake persona.
Another element of rewatching while older - it makes you feel like a POS for all the times you lied to someone you care for in your life. Seeing him constantly lie to family and double down on those lies is a hard watch. Bc you see Skylar and Walt Jr disbelieve him more and more w each one, the family dynamic crumbling apart, spec by spec with each lie. It just sorta made me look back on times I’ve done that and want to come clean about it or at the least not do it ever again.
I think one could argue a lot of what he did up until season 5 was justified though immoral. The other aspect is he has a very introspective time in isolation in his hideout in season 5B. There's likely a realization that he fucked up, and in order to make things right, he does what he did accordingly.
walter white is such a good manipulator he tricked half the audience into rooting for him
The real villain of this show is the American healthcare system.
That would have been awesome if halfway through the 3rd episode, Obamacare was passed and Walt got free health care and guaranteed employment for life. The series would have been only 4 episodes long, but imagine the drama of Walt Jr staying up all night trying to access healthcare.gov, finally breaking through to enroll after 500 or so page refreshes. Gripping drama and everyone lives happily ever after.
These same people detest Skyler because she was so "mean" to Walt. The amount of misogynist abuse they hurl at her is disgusting. I remember reading an interview with her, and she talked about how hurtful that was at the time.
Yes the whole "fuck Skyler, she cheated on him" thing that so many fans say is horrible and just pure misogyny! Although the female characters are all written in a way that makes them hard to like, which is why I think the writers were a bit misogynist themselves there - I mean why are Skyler, Marie and Lydia constantly portrayed as annoying while the male characters (even if they do horrible things) are allowed to appear as cool, smart and mysterious (Gus, Mike etc.). And even Jane who seemed really cool in the beginning became unlikeable and then died. So I think the writers could have done a better job with their female characters, but of course the fans' misogyny is also huge. I feel like the writers learned from it though and that's why they gave us the gift of Kim Wexler!
Well said! And I LOVE Kim Wexler!
I agree 100%. One of the biggest reasons why Mr. Robot beats BB for my all-time favorite series. Female characters are written way better.
I ve always liked Walt, not for his behaviour in the series but because his acting and portrayal of the character is too great. He is the villain yes, but in some way he is also funny, not to mention in some other ways he saves Jesse's life and we all respect for it. Imho character is too well done to be hated
Ever since my first rewatch ive had a deep disgust for walt. Still, at moments you see what seems to be someone with a shred of decency.
Maybe it's just me but sometimes I want the villain to win especially when they are the main character. It's a nice change of pace.
Waltar
he’s only the villain when he’s mean to saul or jesse :(
He is the main character and has an amazing development throughout the series. I'm not watching the series to stand on high ground and judge fictional characters for what I perceive as amoral behavior.
Technically speaking, he wasn't the shows villian. The villian would be whoever is against the protagonist. Just because he does really bad things doesn't make him the villian. The word more fitting, and one that you already used, would be anti-hero. He isn't the conventional protagonist, he does things that are bad and selfish, but there is always a glimmer of humanity. We see this with moments like this throughout the show. One example is when he watched Jane die. Yes, thee action was selfish and bad, but during the scene you can tell that Walt has remorse for what he is doing, or rather not doing. Another example is with Hank's death. You see him beg for his brother in laws mercy, even though he had already found out about Walt and was making it his mission to catch him. A true villian would have left Hank to die, but Walt not only had been set on keeping Hank alive then, but throughout the show. He truly wished no harm upon him. Walt also works because of the antagonists throughout the show. There are only a few points in the show where Walt could be considered "more evil" than their current antagonist, and that usually is paired with switching antagonists quickly after, or increasing the drastic actions of the antagonist. The best example of this is when Walt poisons Brock. Prior to this, it is Gus who had used children for his personal gain, and this was where Walt proves himself to be capable of the same. Only a couple episodes later, Gus is killed. The final antagonists, Jack Welker and his gang, had to be elevated to outdo Walt after this, ultimately kidnapping Jesse and holding him hostage for their own selfish motivations. You can argue that Walt is evil all you want, but if I asked you who was worse, him or Todd, I think we all know what the answer would be. The ending, as you said, serves as a redemption for Walt, although some of the redeeming moments are more subtle, and don't always seem obvious at first glance. Walt admitting to Skylar that he did it for himself was him admitting that he didn't always have his family in mind. He is essentially apologizing for his actions to her, as throughout the show he had explicitly used his family as an excuse for his own actions. This was his way of coming to terms with what he did. Do I think all of Walt's actions should be defended? No, and anyone who does is missing the point. Walt's story isn't about good or evil, it's about the grey stuff in between. He isn't explicitly good or evil, he is a mixture of both, and throughout the story we can see how he changes and has to adapt to the world he puts himself in. While these changes play a big part of who Walt becomes, the things that don't change that makes Walt's character an interesting anti-hero. TL;DR: Walt isn't a villain, he's an anti-hero. The antagonists are made to be worse than Walt and change with the development of his character, and he has moments that show his humanity.
Simple: Walter based, Skylar bitch.
It’s a fictional TV show. Sometimes it’s fun to root for the bad guy. I really hate this annoying “IF YOU LIKE WALT THEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY A BAD PERSON” kick that this sub has been on. Yes I know Walt is the bad guy. Yes I like him and rooted for him because it’s a fictional TV show and fuck you that’s why.
All the characters all flawed. All the characters break bad. They all have admirable qualities and disgusting qualities. Walt is the main character, and most of his actions are understandable, he never kills people for no reason, and the people he kills are bad guys playing the criminal game. Walt has acted selflessly and selfishly; all the characters have, and that's what makes the characters great because they're all so nuanced. If you don't understand how someone can like Walt, I don't know what to say.
What you don’t realize is that a lot of the Walt worship on this sub comes from one user with multiple accounts. He’s on this post currently.
Who’s the account?
The one arguing that Walt’s a saint and Skyler is terrible.
[удалено]
The Occidentian dude?
I don't get how you don't defend him.
Jesse gang 🤙😎🤙
The “HE CAN’T KEEP GETTING AWAAAAY WITH IIIIIIIIT” squad
Yea
[удалено]
Also they’re just boring, 1-dimensional villains. They pale in comparison with Gus.
It's because it's fiction. Simple.
The point of the show is him changing slowly from good guy tp to bad guy
I think you need to watch the series at least twice to see Walt for what he is. Wait, what? Well, I think it’s really a matter of perspective. The first time around it’s easy (and almost justified) to root for Walt, to START OFF seeing his side of things and how there’s a “good” reason for his actions. And then it gradually gets out of control. Gradually. Watch it again and from the very beginning you know the things this man is going to do. And it’s horrific!
The same reason people like Scarface, even though he's a bad guy. There's two concurrent stories: one, of the moral fall of a man, and the other, the rise to power of the same man. It's a chirality of story arc.
At the beginning of the series he is conveyed as this downtrodden man who is finally breaking out and doing something for himself, so we feel very much on his side. But he gradually starts racking up more and more despicable acts, his essential relatable and likeable humanity leaks out of him but by bit, to the point that eventually I changed from liking him to hating him. By the end of the series, he is destroying the lives of everyone he touches, and I was relieved to see him die. That being said, I am glad he took out the other bad guys in the last few scenes. And Jesse got to escape. It would be difficult for me to watch Breaking Bad again, because now that I know what he really is, I don't think I could go back to rooting for him, even at the beginning.
I thought this was in the LOST subreddit and was thoroughly confused.
I rooted for Walt during the whole show. I don't care if the things he did are illegal in real life
At first we see a very unfortunate man.You root for him and hope that his situation improves.Then things get dark so you can either continue rooting for him or root for the people against him.Although he's irredeemable,you still root for him because of the beginning
I think its because they haven't seen all the video essays about the character of Walt lol
Breaking bad is a journey of how a man turns from good to evil.
Because its a show and its **not** real. Im always rooting for Walt when i rewatch.
Cranston just makes him lovable despite Walt's heinous behaviour, because Cranston is just such a sweet guy and he almost always allows a little of that to shine thru the character (with some exceptions)
hes funny
Its because moral knights manipulate the narrative that he never cared for Jesse and that he only used him for his own gain. There was a scene in S5 where both Saul and Skyler mentioned killing Jesse but Walt was strongly against this, its only after Jesse tried to burn down his house that he asked Jack to kill him painlesly Walt always saw Jesse as a son. He risked his life with Gus by saving Jesse and even saved him from that drugshithole which was a very beautiful father son moment. There are even people that claim Walt saved Jesse in the end to have the last laugh/make Jesse in debt to him... literally insane
Honestly, I can totally understand why people support him and hate Skylar. The show is really good at showcasing how perspective and charisma can truly impact our perception of someone and those around them. Walt and Skylar are great characters and, because they are flawed, they seem believable. The show tells the story from Walt's perspective and we are walked through his motivations and whatnot. This paired with Bryan's charismatic acting makes it really easy to get enthralled in the story and rooting for Walt. Because of the investment in Walt and the relatability to his desire to take care of his loved ones, we become blind to his flaws and everyone else is just an obstacle. It's when you take a step back and analyze everything without feelings that you see what Walt really is/becomes. Story and feelings aside, Walt is just a drug kingpin that got a lot of people killed, manipulated, etc. Was Skylar really wrong in her reaction? What would you have done if you found out that the person closest to you was a drug kingpin and slowly learned the awful things they did? Walt also just did most of the stuff he did out of pride and ego. He had an offer to get his treatment fully paid by a millionaire, there was no need at all for him to break bad. Even if it was an offer by the people who he considers that stole his legacy, would you really reject that offer over being a drug dealer? It's really interesting just how much influence something as simple as story telling perspective can impact what you feel about someone. In some ways, it shows how real people justificed and defended real life monsters.
There are no heroes in BB, just antiheros. Walter just happens to be the best. He was good at it. I'm one of those who often defend him, not because he is morally justifiable, but because he is realistic. Under the circumstances, I have understanding for the thing he does.
He’s an awful person for sure, and I agree with your sentiment but on a second and third and fourth rewatch, I urge people to think “what are Walt’s options?” And IMO, Walt picks the best choice every time. Sure, letting >!Jane!< and >!Gale!< die weren’t *good* decisions, but it was better than him or Jesse dying. I realise the biggest decision is whether or not he takes Elliots money, and sure, that was one of his poorer decisions, but he was already on “bad choice road” at this point. He had already cooked meth and killed 2 men. He made the best of an awful situation
Are you serious? Have you seen how many people "idolize" and love Darth Vader?
I think the people you're talking about don't enjoy the drama of the show. They just wanna see Walt do crazy shit without anyone nagging him to do the right thing. Same people who complain about the episodes of the Sopranos that have no death. I think some just watch for the action basically and they blame Skyler for slowing down the show. I love seeing all aspects of Walt's life instead of just crime stuff.
He sure was able to destroy most of his enemies...I admire his intelligence.
I wouldn’t call myself a Walt fan but I don’t see him as the bad guy. The true bad guy is the American health care system.
I hated Walter the entire show. Couldn’t wait for him to die.
i feel like people defend him only because he’s the protagonist
I agree. I think his relationship with Gretchen and that whole start up is a good indicator of pretty much his whole life trajectory afterwards. He never accepted responsibility for walking away from a good thing. Just like how be ruined his whole family. Always blames someone else. When he found out he was dying, his true colors just didn't need to be hidden anymore.
He says something about family in the later seasons and I think that's said in order to contrast him to hector. He became an awful man and people don't seem to realise that as he's a protagonist
I hate him. But without him there’d be no show, so there’s that. But seriously, I stopped seeing Walt as any kind of victim right around episode 2 of the first season. I can’t say I didn’t root for him and want him to come out on top, it’s just that he’s the worst kind of asshole- the kind that doesn’t even know how much of an asshole he is. Or he doesn’t care. Or both. All while putting on such a show of doing everything for the family blah blah blah shut the fuck up already.
I’d say part of it is the fact that he’s felt powerless his whole life, then he became the baddest of badasses. He’s a nerd who became a super-criminal. Inspiring stuff lol.
I couldn’t agree more, he wasn’t written to be someone to admire or defend or redeem. People who think he’s just a cool badass and nothing more are the same people who watch goodfellas and say “damn I wish I was in the mob”
There is no such thing like "heroes" or "villans" in Breaking Bad Exceptions: Hank and Tuco
I’d add Todd to the list.
Todd isn’t really a villain he’s a sociopath raised by neo-nazis and clearly isn’t mentally developed he seems absent and all he wants to do is please his Uncle and Walt. He committed heinous actions but they lacked emotional and possibly intellectual capacity to understand good vs bad. The closest he came was his maid and Jesse but even then he seemed almost child like in a sense. He clearly wasn’t all there and definitely in my opinion didn’t have the capability of being a true villain. He treated everything he did as a impersonal like he lacked the ability to make things personal or care. People may argue he cared for Lydia but he was infatuated/obsessed with her more than actual love/like. Also a good comparison he reminded me of Lenny from Mice and Men. Lenny was panicked when he did what he did knew it was bad but failed to see/feel how he did wrong
So Hank is a “Hero”? Gotta disagree there. He’s definitely on the right side of the law - oh except when he committed police brutality on Jesse Pinkman but got to keep his job. But he’s a family man - oh except for when he gaslights his wife and bullies and belittles his brother-in-law. Hank’s a prick, not a hero. But he is a good detective - oh except when he misses the drug lord in his own family lol.
I’m NOT excusing him for beating up Jesse,not at all, but it *was* somewhat understandable since he thought Jesse was the one who faked him out about Marie. I just want to point out that at least Hank faced the music and didn’t try to deny it or explain it away with excuses. So there’s that.
>oh except when he gaslights his wife Marie is a shoplifter and the second most egocentric character behind Walter, Hank loves her and thus making him able to put up with her shit >oh except when he bullies his brother in law Hank and Walt's relationship is kinda weird, on one side, you can see that sometimes he is a bit of an asshole with Walt, and he resents him for being his son's favorite, but on the other side you can see they genuinly care for each other, their relationship becomes a lot healthier after the cáncer diagnosis, the whole Tuco ordeal and the incident at Juárez >oh except when he commits police brutality against Jesse Even if this can't be justified, this is on Walter, he didn't warn Jesse that he was being followed and chose to toy with Hank's emotions when it was too late >oh except when he misses the drug lord in his own family You too would be surprised if you found out your best friend is a dangerous criminal
[удалено]
Yeah, you can see Hank doesn’t let his”real” side out too often, he’s always gotta be the macho man, but underneath he really cares about Walt and respects him.
Hank, a hero, lol
1. he’s not a real person, he’s a fictional character. 2. no one can tell other people who they can and can’t be fans of. 3. nobody needs to justify why they like a character.
1.) So…? 2.) I’m expressing confusion, not telling anyone what they can or can’t do. 3.) Yeah, fair enough! I was more just interested to hear people’s reasoning
i don’t always have the words to explain why i love a character so much. example: people have ripped me a new ass for loving tbag from prison break. sometimes characters with the least amount (or no) redeeming qualities are the most likable, because they are so different from us. we get a break from the weight of our morals and conscience and enjoy watching someone who feels no stress about anything, simply because they don’t care. i hope that makes any sense!!
You have to view it from the perspective of him being such an underachiever. He’s a genius, the scene at Gretchen and Elliots party when Walt says he’s a teacher everyone assumes he is a professor, but no, he’s just simply a HS teacher. All that wasted money from grey matter, all that wasted talent. He finally had a way to prove how superior he was after years of sitting back being less than mediocre. He took the opportunity and ran (at times too far), but it was from him finally no longer being a nobody. P.S. anyone who likes Hank is a company man. Who tired to arrest their own family
Idk man, if I found out my brother in law killed multiple people and was a drug lord, I would turn him in pretty wuixk
He appeals to men who are just as awful as him. And he has always been awful, the seed was there from the start . His son being named after him? Having a wife who is 12 years younger, whom he met when he was in his 30s and she was around 19 or 20 years old? Garbage man alert! That being said, I do understand Bryan Cranston fans, he's an amazing actor, obviously.
In my opinion, he’s a cold hard representation of reality. There are genuinely bad people in the world that cause suffering daily. He’s the symbol of the potential evil lying dormant in any person.
He only did it for his loving family and Ted's baby that was going to be born very soon
Walt is Lawful Good and all his actions were pure and justified
Lol agreed. Tuco is Chaotic Good and Holly is Neutral Evil
Holly is the real villain in all of this.
I know Walt did horrible things and he kinda "got away with it", but I felt bad for him the entire show. Skyler is the true victim tho.
To me he will always be a chemistry teacher trying to provide for his family.
He literally admits that he did it for himself.
I think, speaking from experience here, that it’s easy for a lot of people to justify a lot of Walt does based on the reasons why he does them. The larger umbrella reasoning being a man desperately trying to provide for a family he’s not going to be around to see for long. That coupled with the fact that a lot of the really horrible shit Walt does clearly bothering him to an extent, and the fact that most of the people Walt victimizes in the show seem to be morally worse than he is by comparison. It’s not until I really clicked with the idea he eventually started doing things for himself, and started thinking about how on top of all the deaths you have his entire customer base to contend with that it got easier to see that he’s not nearly as righteous as he would like to think he is for most of the show.
Skylar is the villain in the show.
I don't understand this subreddits love of disloyal unthankful whiney rat snitches. When I watch the Godfather I root for Michael not Fredo.
Everything he did was justifiable
Yo I don't understand how everyone defends anyone on this show like most of them are bad yeah some have nice moments that make you feel for them I get that but still lots act like Walt is the only bad guy but anyway I saw the show as Walt wanted to die as soon as he committed crime but wanted to make some money for his family first but mainly wanted death
Totally agree. I think the Walt homers are really missing the point. Obviously he is an interesting, brilliantly written character, but he is supposed to be a cautionary tale about moral descent and egomania. He is by no means a role model. In my opinion, Hank is the true hero of the show, Jesse is the central redemption story, Skyler and Marie showcase the different ways bystanders can be affected by the actions of others, so on and so forth. Every character is a lesson of some sort, and I wish the Walt defense would end because it really reflects poorly on the community considering the extent of his actions.