Walter White (Bryan Cranston) changed significantly over the course ofBreaking Bad, and one subtle detail shows exactly why he became Heisenberg and what it cost him. ThroughouttheBreaking Badtimeline, Walter went from a simple high school chemistry teacher to the biggest meth cook and distributor in the southern United States.Walter even killed hundreds of people inBreaking Bad, and he basically became an entirely different person. That change was gradual, though, as it took place over the course of two years and five seasons.
Since he went through such a gradual change, it’s sometimes hard to see just how different Walt was at the beginning ofBreaking Badversus the end. It’s especially difficult to remember why he started cooking meth in the first place, and what he wanted to achieve by doing it. Luckily, there’s one detail that shows exactly what Walt’s biggest victory inBreaking Badwas, and how trying to get it fundamentally changed him. The main thing Walt wanted out of becoming Heisenberg was control, and his breakfast choices prove it.
Before Becoming Heisenberg, Walt Couldn’t Even Choose What He Ate
InBreaking Badseason 1, episode 1, Skyler arranged strips of veggie bacon in the shape of Walt’s age for his 50th birthday. InBreaking Badseason 5, Walter had two more birthdays, but for both of them, the numbers were made from pork bacon instead of veggie bacon.The subtle change in the type of bacon Walt had on his birthdays shows that asBreaking Badprogressed, he got more and more control over his life. When he was just a chemistry teacher, Skyler made his decisions for him, down to the very food he ate. When he became Heisenberg, however, Walt made the calls.
Gaining Control Of Life Was The Biggest Reason Walt Become Heisenberg - Not The Money
Cooking Meth Was Never About The Money For Walter, It Was About The Power
Walt started cooking meth for a handful of reasons, the most straightforward being to secure money for his chemotherapy treatment. That wasn’t the main reason he “broke bad,” though, as there were other ways he could have funded his treatment, like taking Elliott Schwartz’s money.The main reason Walter became Heisenberg was to take control of his life, and his birthday breakfasts prove it. Almost everything Walt did inBreaking Badwas in search of more power and control, and as silly as it sounds, he cared more about being able to choose what bacon he ate than he did about making money.
The money was effectively an excuse for him to reassert himself as the leader of his family, and once he got a taste of the power Heisenberg gave him, Walt kept wanting more.
Breaking Bad, particularly in its earlier seasons, dives deep into how Walter felt emasculated in his ordinary life. Skyler ran his life, his students didn’t respect his authority, and even Walt Jr. changed his name to Flynn so he didn’t have to be so closely associated with his father.A big reason Walt started cooking meth was to regain the control and respect he thought he had lost. The money was effectively an excuse for him to reassert himself as the leader of his family, and once he got a taste of the power Heisenberg gave him, Walt kept wanting more.
Walt’s Breakfasts Also Show The Cost Of Becoming Heisenberg
Walter White Got Complete Control Of A Life He Didn’t Want To Live
Though becoming Heisenberg gave Walter a lot of control, his freedom came at an incredible price. Walt’s birthday breakfasts also show that more concisely than anything else inBreaking Bad. For his 50th birthday, Skyler arranged his bacon willingly, and the veggie bacon showed how she was caring for Walt and concerned about his health.For his 51st birthday, Skyler hated Walt, and she only put the bacon on his plate because Walt Jr. demanded it. Finally, for his 52nd birthday, Walt had to arrange his own bacon in a diner surrounded by strangers. To quote Kris Kristofferson, “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.”
Breaking Bad- Predicting What Would Have Happened to Walter White If He Survived
Bryan Cranston’s Walter White met his demise in Breaking Bad’s finale, but what if he had survived?
By the end ofBreaking Bad, Walt really had lost everything in his quest for more power and control. He had either killed or driven away every member of his family, Jesse had been kidnapped by the neo-Nazis, and he had been living in complete isolation in New Hampshire.By the time Walt got complete control over his life, it wasn’t a life worth living anymore. In his quest to decide for himself what kind of bacon he ate, Walt forgot that the best part of his birthday breakfast was the fact that he shared it with a loving family.
Walter’s birthday breakfast isn’t nearly the most significant detail inBreaking Bad, but it does highlight one of the best things about the show. Little details, like the change in Walt’s bacon, mean so much to the story and characters. Those small moments tell so much about thecast ofBreaking Bad, and they help each person feel real and believable. Some of them, like the birthday breakfasts, even highlight important parts of the fantastic storyBreaking Badtold.
Breaking Bad
Cast
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
