Current Events > At what point did you stop being on Walt's side? *Breaking Bad spoilers*

(+) Yeah! (+)

The pilot episode basically tries its best to get you to root for him, and then the rest of the show is trying to see how far you'll stick with him.

Tbh, I wanted Walt to win in the end, not because I think he's the hero, or even a good person, but just because he was genuinely such a good bullshitter constantly outplaying everyone else.

I remember thinking "you should probably stop" around the time he got offered his old research job with high pay and good insurance.

How early in the series was that?

emblem-man posted...

I remember thinking "you should probably stop" around the time he got offered his old research job with high pay and good insurance.

How early in the series was that?

Yeah, I think this was it for me too. That was before he shaved his head, so early-ish in season 1, I think.

Pretty early on in the beginning of the first season. Once he opted to shoot drug dealers instead of taking the risk free money/opportunities that his closest friends kept offering him then that pretty much settled it for me.

I didnt.

Killmonger posted...

I didnt.

yikes

Never did really, I wanted Walt to come out on top by the end

Im okay with watching a show or movie where the protagonist isnt a good person

The moment that writers kept excusing everything as "Walt is just very lucky".

That being said, the only times I was ever on his side was when he was up against people who were even worse.

Maybe it was earlier than this and I might have to rewatch the show, but for me it was when Todd shot the kid and Walt tried to justify it

Anytime you dive into selling hard-core drugs to make money, you're instantly a scumbag, not matter the justification.

We have all seen what it can do to people, families and communities in real life. It translates directly into the BB world.

Walt is happily having a hand in destroying so many lives, especially if his meth is as potent as they claim in the show. Imagine the ODs when that first hits the streets....

No sympathy for Walt. Jesse you can kinda root for, because he eventually has the moment when he realises what he is doing and the greater effects.

Was part of it to save his own ass, sure. I feel they showed enough that he understood the result of his actions and wanted to "break good"

Why would you watch the show if you didn't want to see him go as crazy as possible

buddah86 posted...

No sympathy for Walt. Jesse you can kinda root for, because he eventually has the moment when he realises what he is doing and the greater effects.

I was on his side right up until he started selling at his NA meetings.

When he rejected a good-paying job with excellent healthcare purely because he felt it was an insult to him.

Been too long. Alls fuzzy.

For some reason the Jessica Jones actress is coming to mind, so maybe thereabouts.

Garioshi posted...

When he rejected a good-paying job with excellent healthcare purely because he felt it was an insult to him.

This. They literally offered to pay for his treatment costs and he was like nope gotta make meth

Garioshi posted...

When he rejected a good-paying job with excellent healthcare purely because he felt it was an insult to him.

Yeah, that was the first real ego moment we see with Walt in the series. Technically the first ever was him even breaking up with Gretchen before the show started because he felt small and inferior when meeting her wealthy family which is just hilarious. Sabotaged his own future out of his own pride.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Tbf Jane was blackmailing him. Not that that's reason to not save someone dying in front of you, but at least he had a reason, she wasn't just some innocent bystander.

Yup the job offer, but I knew there would be no show if the rest of series was him working a 9-5 for the next 4 seasons lol.

gamer167 posted...

Never did really, I wanted Walt to come out on top by the end

Im okay with watching a show or movie where the protagonist isnt a good person

Same. Basically I was hoping he would have risen to the top on a pile of dead bodies, beat cancer and his ending is simply admitting that it was always about enriching himself and doing it because it was fun. Low key wished he had killed his wife, kids and Jessie in an ultimate slash and burn of his old life. Nothing else matters.

But that's just what I would have liked to see. Not a fan of Breaking Bad after Gus tbh

He seemed like a good guy. Id have a beer with him ya know?

Ive only watched season 1 so Im not reading the posts, but it seemed to me that hes a narcissist. I felt bad for him when the season started, but it seemed like he had a romance with that rich woman and an owning stake in her husbands company and threw it away out of pride or something.

I dont know the facts, but it just seemed like if hed married her and stayed with that company, hed be pissing millions like the rich couple, hed be doing the science he loves instead of being miserable as a teacher, etc.

Aside from the cancer, it just seemed like hes the cause of all his own problems, so its harder to feel bad for him. But I dont know if Im right in my assessment or not.

I was rooting for him even after he killed Gus. He was clearly not a great guy, but I was rooting for him still. Basically when he became the "the train doesn't stop for anything" guy was when I had enough of it. When he was actively trying to stop Mike and Jesse from leaving the game at that point.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

You know, Quasimodo predicted all that.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Who's making excuses for Tony Soprano like they do for Walter White?

Here we go, the classic CE litmus test

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


That's the incredible thing about Breaking Bad: It's so good and thought-provoking that it still has people talking about it.

DarthEnvoy posted...

Tbf Jane was blackmailing him. Not that that's reason to not save someone dying in front of you, but at least he had a reason, she wasn't just some innocent bystander.

He also didn't just let Jane die, though. She was sleeping on her side until he was trying to wake Jesse and knocked her onto her back, which led to her choking. Him having an active part in her death, even if not entirely intentional, is a lot worse than if he had actually only watched her die because of her own choices.

EmbraceOfDeath posted...

Him having an active part in her death, even if not entirely intentional, is a lot worse than if he had actually only watched her die because of her own choices.

I don't agree with that tbh. Even if she rolled over on her own, he actively chose to let her to die. He murdered her either way.

pegusus123456 posted...

I don't agree with that tbh. Even if she rolled over on her own, he actively chose to let her to die. He murdered her either way.

I think their point is that, while both are Walt choosing to let someone die through inaction, one of them is just that while the other is watching her die as a result of something he did.

The end result is the same, but they have different levels of culpability.

DrizztLink posted...

I think their point is that, while both are Walt choosing to let someone die through inaction, one of them is just that while the other is watching her die as a result of something he did.

The end result is the same, but they have different levels of culpability.

I understand their point, I just disagree with it. They have identical levels of culpability.

pegusus123456 posted...

I understand their point, I just disagree with it. They have identical levels of culpability.

For the death itself, yes.

For the casual events, no.

DrizztLink posted...

For the death itself, yes.

For the casual events, no.

I don't think they were trying to make a point about the cause and effect of her death lol

pegusus123456 posted...

I don't think they were trying to make a point about the cause and effect of her death lol

Not what I meant, sorry.

Say we have two variables:

1. A. Jane is on her side/B. Jane is on her back
2. A. Walt is present/B. Walt is absent

In 1a2a, she does not die (at least via aspiration, Walt may still kill her, guy sucks).
In 1b2a, she dies, and it is on Walt for not reacting (ignoring for the moment that she rolled over due to his actions)
1a2b, she lives.
1b2b, she dies.

Now take it and add the variable of "on her back BECAUSE of Walt."

That raises an additional level of personal culpability, because the presence or absence of Walt is what puts her in that position. No Walt, no death.

If she had already been on her back, then Walt's presence or absence would be less meaningful, as she would have died with or without his intervention.

But it didn't go that way, so the greater blame is on the person who both caused the events of her death and actively chose to not react, as opposed to the person who just chose not to help someone out of a situation that they (the ignorer) did not personally cause. The first person made two choices that killed someone, the second made only one.

Killing Mike for Nothing

When he left the only thing that can tie him to Gale in his house, for anyone to find. That and not taking that mountain of cash and just move and lay low. Still would of liked to see him get away lol.

You all kept rooting for him after he stole those school supplies? Whats wrong with you?

When he made drugs.

Freddie_Mercury posted...

You all kept rooting for him after he stole those school supplies? Whats wrong with you?

On another note, after he tries to let the innocent janitor take the fall for said theft would be a potential answer.

Probably around the time he watched Jane die

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Thats true. But after everything he pulled off, I think there could of been a great reason to move his family away. Saying the donations helped or something.

about when he turned down the high paying job and free cancer treatment

you know it was never really about just not putting his family in debt then

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

That kind of proves the point. No one's debating Tony Soprano because he's just unequivocally a POS, but there's enough leeway with Walt that some people defend him.

probably when he tried to hook up with the principal after he found out Skyler had sex with Ted.

super cringe.

besides that, when he killed Jane (he didn't just watch her die - his actions led to her moving which led to her dying)

I just enjoyed the story but was never "rooting" for any of them.