One Pivotal Breaking Bad Moment Most People Got Completely Wrong
Didn’t Walter White really change throughout the series?
Breaking Bad is a show that has been analyzed, dissected, and discussed from every angle. But even now, ten years after the end of the acclaimed series, fans can’t stop debating.
One of the many controversial moments has been recently brought up on Reddit, only to immediately provoke yet another discussion.
The scene in question is when Walter, after enduring years of criminal enterprise, is about to turn himself in, but he catches a TV interview of his old friend, who appears to dismiss him.
The popular opinion online is that Walt, when he sees Eliot talk about him on TV, returns to where he started. It’s implied that Walter hasn’t grown a bit, and his ego is still as fragile as it was.
But let’s look back at Walt's refusal of the job offer from Gretchen and Elliot in season 1. Yes, it was mostly because of his ego. Walter didn't want to be seen as someone who needed help, and thus, he chose a life of crime to prove his capabilities.
This decision painted him as someone with an almost juvenile sense of pride. His choices were largely driven by this need to be the sole provider for his family. He wanted his kids to know that their life was funded by him, not some unknown donor.
But can we really say that he was unable to grow or change throughout the series? Hardly. The show later portrays Walt approaching Gretchen and Elliot, not out of spite or ego, but as a last-ditch effort to help his family.
While the show wanted you to believe that he was there to harm or kill them, Walt's intention was to ensure his family's future. This moment, one of the last he had before eventually dying, shows that it’s no longer about ego.
He didn't care about getting credit or being seen as the hero. At that moment, all he wanted was to make amends for the pain he had caused to his loved ones.
He didn’t need credit for it, he just wanted his family to be wealthy after his death. And it is an indication of the character's growth and some absolutely brilliant writing.
Source: Reddit