Current Events > Did Walter White ultimately redeem himself *spoilers*

(+) Yeah! (+)

I dunno, I still think he's the worst

Skylar was the worst.
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No
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He didn't even come close IMO.
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Chicken posted...

Skylar was the worst.

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Chicken posted...

Skylar was the worst.

Skylar was the only one thinking sensible

Walter was past redemption arguably by season 1
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Chicken posted...

Skylar was the worst.

I also felt like most of the bad things that Walt did were because of her.
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I haven't seen it in a long, long time so my memory of the last few episodes are a bit fuzzy.
But I would say no.

I don't believe he ever stopped being egotistical who tried controlling everything.
When he saw Gretchen/Elliot, I think that was a trigger left that sparked the realization that his legacy was being wiped out completely. Hence him going back to New Mexico to try to gain control over things again.

From what I do remember about the last episode, he gave Jesse a choice to kill him. I think Jesse not shooting Walt was the final thing that killed the Hisenberg aspect because that was the last thing he could control. Family hates him, Jesse is just going to find out about Gretchen/Elliot from his friends and tell them not to worry, there's nobody in the meth empire that's left really.

Jesse actually did want to get clean. The fact Walt kept manipulating him was the problem. Jesse not shooting him was probably the wake up call for Jesse that enough is enough and Walt knew it.

No and he wasn't out to redeem himself.
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Mandasnake posted...

Walter was past redemption arguably by season 1

I'd honestly say episode one if anything. He was already willing to have a shoot out with the police.

Er no, Skylar wasn't a good person, but to say that she's the bad guy whenever meth king Walt was around is delusional.
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Breaking Bad was amazing in that the first time through, it did a great job of having you sympathize with Walt.

A second pass through, you really appreciate a lot of the scummy things he did, much much earlier.

Hindsight is 20/20.
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The main reason most people hate Skylar is they see Walt as an anti-hero at worse. Don't get me wrong, Skylar as a person is a total bitch but her husband is more or less abusing her, her family is in shambles, etc. So while it wasn't justified, it can be explained why she was more or less having a breakdown

MangaFan462 posted...

No and he wasn't out to redeem himself.

I know that's why you can give a little credit, he just wanted to make this situation as good as possible.

skylar was a fuckin bitch
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Soviet_Poland posted...

Breaking Bad was amazing in that the first time through, it did a great job of having you sympathize with Walt.

A second pass through, you really appreciate a lot of the scummy things he did, much much earlier.

Hindsight is 20/20.

uh no, I saw Walt as the bad guy from the beginning.
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I don't get the Skylar hate. She have Walt a solid alibi and an easy path to go clean.

lukabrosci posted...

I don't get the Skylar hate. She have Walt a solid alibi and an easy path to go clean.

Because like I said, a lot of people were rooting for Walt. I mean personally I think Walt is one of the more realistic bad guys in a show - as in I believe someone like him probably does exist right now.
But at the same time, people disliked Skylar because she interfered so much and was a thorn in his side for his plans.

Basically: Walt is the hero to them and Skylar was stopping him becoming a success.

^ I'm remembering that there was a point where Walt wanted to not take chemo and just die peacefully, but Skylar essentially forced/talked him into taking chemo because she wanted him around longer. I feel that's a bit selfish. This was before she knew what Walt was up to.
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You don't need to block spoilers - there was a spoiler warning in the title.

I don't remember that, or well, I don't remember it as forcing. I do remember a slight conversation or something of that nature with them.

I mean Skylar is selfish. But keep in mind she knew there was a massive change in his personality from day one before she knew about the cancer. He assaulted that guy in the shop when they were mocking Flynn for being disabled. That was way, way different to what Walt was like (at least based on descriptions of him from himself or other people)

Banjo2553 posted...

^ I'm remembering that there was a point where Walt wanted to not take chemo and just die peacefully, but Skylar essentially forced/talked him into taking chemo because she wanted him around longer. I feel that's a bit selfish. This was before she knew what Walt was up to.

His entire family had an intervention begging him not to just roll over and die, I don't know why you're picking on Skyler.
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Banjo2553 posted...

^ I'm remembering that there was a point where Walt wanted to not take chemo and just die peacefully, but Skylar essentially forced/talked him into taking chemo because she wanted him around longer. I feel that's a bit selfish. This was before she knew what Walt was up to.

I mean, they had a son with a disorder and a newborn baby; would it have been fair to her had her and their family had her just given up? plus, he was a man she loved.

I get that he was suffering, but it doesn't mean that she should have just been accepting of that decision.
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pegusus123456 posted...

Banjo2553 posted...

^ I'm remembering that there was a point where Walt wanted to not take chemo and just die peacefully, but Skylar essentially forced/talked him into taking chemo because she wanted him around longer. I feel that's a bit selfish. This was before she knew what Walt was up to.

His entire family had an intervention begging him not to just roll over and die, I don't know why you're picking on Skyler.

Oh, right. I forgot it was a family thing.
I kinda felt for Walt though. I imagine he didn't want to go through constant pain just to live longer...I certainly wouldn't. But I also see the other side...I guess losing a father would've been devastating.
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Banjo2553 posted...

Oh, right. I forgot it was a family thing.
I kinda felt for Walt though. I imagine he didn't want to go through constant pain just to live longer...I certainly wouldn't. But I also see the other side...I guess losing a father would've been devastating.

The argument he made was more or less: I've never been in control. All I have is how I die. I don't want to be hospitalized from now on and I don't want to be a burden to the family. I want to die as I choose.

Which is fine. There was a logical argument there: I don't want to be a burden on an already burdened family.

Don't forget Jr calling him a pussy and telling him to die.

Flynn had got a point, though.
Walt was a pussy all his damn life. AFAIK, until the part in the store in the first episode, Flynn or Skylar probably never saw Walt do anything other than be a pushover.
Even when Flynn was bitching about the vegy bacon or the shower, Skylar did the "mom" thing of "dad say something to your kid" and Walt sheepishly gave a response of something like "just eat your vegy bacon".

Flynn respects him but ultimately he's a moody teenager too.

pegusus123456 posted...

Banjo2553 posted...

^ I'm remembering that there was a point where Walt wanted to not take chemo and just die peacefully, but Skylar essentially forced/talked him into taking chemo because she wanted him around longer. I feel that's a bit selfish. This was before she knew what Walt was up to.

His entire family had an intervention begging him not to just roll over and die, I don't know why you're picking on Skyler.

Hank excluded
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Jr summed up my feelings pretty much with his last phone call with Walt.

inloveanddeath0 posted...

Hank excluded

Marie was the one that said he should just be allowed to die. And unlike Skyler, Marie is actual AIDS.
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No, and he didn't even try. He rescued Jessie by accident and the only reason he was there was to kill a bunch of guys for his own ego. The man was an egotistical jackass and he admitted as much to Skylar in the last episode.

Honestly, I don't get the hate for her either. Everyone thinks it would be awesome to have Scarface in your family, until you remember how his actions lead to two men with axes waiting in his home ready to chop up his entire family including infant child. She cheated on him, which was awful, but don't forget that was after he had already acted like a lunatic and their marriage was going through trouble (not that it justifies it) and then after that, all she did was get strong-armed into working with him through intimidation and fear.

Walt was a straight up unredeemed asshole who didn't give a damn who died or whose life was ruined as long as he got his ego stroked.

BTW everyone it's spelled SKYLER
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No, he kinda fixed his major character flaw, but he did so much evil that he didn't at all make up for.
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Walt lost it for me when he had all the money he needed and an out and didn't take it
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Sativa_Rose posted...

BTW everyone it's spelled SKYLER

Oh I'm sorry thought it was Tyler
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X777WgpUYZ5Hv23 posted...

Mandasnake posted...

Walter was past redemption arguably by season 1

I'd honestly say episode one if anything. He was already willing to have a shoot out with the police.

I'm pretty sure he was just going to do suicide by cop.
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mheafyrox posted...

He didn't even come close IMO.

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Mandasnake posted...

No

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The thing about Walt is that he isnt doing it for his family towards the end, but he wants people to remember him. He saw himself as pathetic and boring before he got into "cooking", and wanted to leave a legacy.

It is possible he started with good intentions, but he definitely became a horrible person the more people he killed. I think the point of no return was when he let Jessie's gf die, when he could have stopped it, simply so he could have Jessie back to himself.

Skyler isn't the easiest person to get along with, but her intentions were to help Walt, and her family. Then she basically became a hostage who was afraid to cross Walt.

I atually really like how the show put Walt in the spotlight like a hero would usually be. You root for him at first, and hate Jessie for being a scummy drug addict, but eventually it turns around, and you see how human and caring Jessie can actually be (he wants to protect children, he takes a huge blow to his image for his little brother, he throws all the dirty money out, etc), while Walt starts killing without mercy, uses even his family members, turns down easy exits from crime, and goes back into business when he doesnt need the money anymore.
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The fact that he turns down Elliot's offer to cover all his treatment in the first season is proof that he did it at least largely for his own pride. He wanted to be the one to provide for himself and his family, not this rich douche who banged his GF or something. If he truly only cared about the family, he would have taken Elliot's offer. So it was ego that drove him to start cooking meth. Even then, he was giving more of the benefits of it to his family early on, and later on it became more about his little ego empire.
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lukabrosci posted...

I don't get the Skylar hate. She have Walt a solid alibi and an easy path to go clean.

This message board is filled with women hating incels so that likely plays a factor
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lukabrosci posted...

I don't get the Skylar hate. She have Walt a solid alibi and an easy path to go clean.

She also f***ed her (ex)boss and then threw it in Walt's face.
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inf3rn0_munkee posted...

lukabrosci posted...

I don't get the Skylar hate. She have Walt a solid alibi and an easy path to go clean.

She also f***ed her (ex)boss and then threw it in Walt's face.

She did that while they were separated

She also did that AFTER asking Walt for a divorce and him not giving it to her for his own selfish reasons

Yeah, she threw it in his face but can you blame her? At that point she was way tired of Walts lies and manipulation and endangering their family. And IIRC she was basically trapped. It's like everyone forgets the things Walt has done to his family and the dangerous position he put them all in

Id argue that almost every annoying thing that people tend to point out for Skyler is a reaction to something shitty Walt did. I'm not going to say she's not a bitch, because she has behaved like a bitch, but that doesn't mean that her intentions were unjustified.
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Sativa_Rose posted...

The fact that he turns down Elliot's offer to cover all his treatment in the first season is proof that he did it at least largely for his own pride. He wanted to be the one to provide for himself and his family, not this rich douche who banged his GF or something. If he truly only cared about the family, he would have taken Elliot's offer. So it was ego that drove him to start cooking meth. Even then, he was giving more of the benefits of it to his family early on, and later on it became more about his little ego empire.

Was also going to mention this. I won't say that he wasn't doing it at all for his family, but I will say that they weren't as big a reason as people try to make it out to be. If that was his true goal, he would not have turned down Gretchen and Elliot. Going that route would have kept his family, that he supposedly tried to protect so badly, out of harms way. While also making sure that they had money
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X777WgpUYZ5Hv23 posted...

The main reason most people hate Skylar is they see Walt as an anti-hero at worse. Don't get me wrong, Skylar as a person is a total bitch but her husband is more or less abusing her, her family is in shambles, etc. So while it wasn't justified, it can be explained why she was more or less having a breakdown

This guy gets it
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pegusus123456 posted...

inloveanddeath0 posted...

Hank excluded

Marie was the one that said he should just be allowed to die. And unlike Skyler, Marie is actual AIDS.

Just for clarification, Skylar wanted him to do chemo. Hank wanted him to do chemo. Marie said that she felt it should be Walters choice and then Hank agreed afterward. Then Walt gave his reasons for not wanting to go through with it, which were all fair. He then later, under no more pressure from the family, changed his mind.

Beyond that, are we REALLY going to say Skyler is a bitch for wanting her husband of 20 years to be alive? Are we really going to say she's a bitch for wanting her kids to grow up with a father? Are we really going to fault her for being emotional about the situation, especially when Walt had yet to give any good reasons as to why he didn't want to go through he chemo.
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boxington posted...

Banjo2553 posted...

^ I'm remembering that there was a point where Walt wanted to not take chemo and just die peacefully, but Skylar essentially forced/talked him into taking chemo because she wanted him around longer. I feel that's a bit selfish. This was before she knew what Walt was up to.

I mean, they had a son with a disorder and a newborn baby; would it have been fair to her had her and their family had her just given up? plus, he was a man she loved.

I get that he was suffering, but it doesn't mean that she should have just been accepting of that decision.

the problem with saying she was the man she loved is she never really showed it until cancer came around.
what's like the first introduction skylar has in her relationship with walt? Giving a completely disinterested(possibly dry) handy to her husband on his birth day.... its some shit straight out of /r/deadbedrooms and you can see what bad relationships the people there have.
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I think Walter was finding his humanity again at the end. It was just too late.
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Walter White and breaking bad in general isnt really that deep bro

I fully supported Walt throughout the series. While it was ego that drove it, his aspirations and life's work were virtually stolen by Gretchen and Elliot.

I also fully supported Vic Mackey [except for one thing] and Tony Soprano.