Will there ever be another show likeBreaking Bad? We hope so. The series about a high school chemistry teacher who decides to produce methamphetamine to secure his family’s future after being diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer remains a favorite for many. In 2023, the show waswatched for a total of 505,000,000 hourson Netflix, proving that viewer appetite is still as strong as ever.
Breaking Bad
During its run,Breaking Badwon a whopping 16 Emmys, and in 2013, it received the Guinness World Record for the most critically acclaimed TV show of all time. A major part of its appeal lies in its characters. Everyone’s arc is strong enough to make you care. However, some of the Albuquerque residents are unlikeable, either because they make some of the most questionable choices, are dull, or are purely evil. Others are the king you won’t hesitate to grab a beer with.
10Skyler White
Skyler White (Anna Gunn) is Walter White’s not-so-loving wife. The two met while she was a hostess at a diner. Now they have the kind of chaotic marriage that would make divorce lawyers smile. After learning that her husband is a drug dealer, Skylertries to be supportive, even offering to help him launder via A1A Car Wash, but she soon grows tired of his erratic behavior.
A Woman Scorned… or a Woman Undecided?
Skyler is so hated that Anna Gunnpenned an op-ed on The New York Timesto urge fans to ease the disdain. But why do fans have a problem with her? After all, she is hardly the villain of the story. Well, Skylercan’t seem to decide whether she is in or not, and whenever she chooses to punish him, she goes about it in the meanest way possible. She sleeps with her boss, Ted Beneke, merely out of spite. Worse still, she gives the man $615,000 of Walt’s hard-earned money so that he can payf his IRS debts. Unforgivable!
9Walt. Jr., aka, Flynn
Walter and Skyler’s son, Walt. Jr (R.J Mitte) initially has a great relationship with both his parents butgrows to despise his father after learning that he manufactures drugs.Walt. Jr. alsolooks up to his uncle, Hank,considering him cooler than his parents.
Could Have Been a Much Better Son
Walt Jr. is neither annoying nor evil. He is arguably the show’s nicest character. However,he is bland, by no fault of his own.The writers should have granted him more iconic scenes that were tailored to his personality. Regrettably, the best two moments we get from him involve him calling his father a “p***y” for refusing chemotherapy and him telling daddy to “just–just die already,” because… umm… he made millions to secure his family’s future? Come on, Walt Jr.
8Marie Schrader
Skyler’s sister and Hank’s wife, Marie (Betsy Brandt), is another character we get to see often. She is a radiologic technologist, buther arcs are mostly family-related.Marie is mostly seen discussing various issues with her husband or her sister. As the show progresses and the stakes rise, she becomes more and more involved in her husband’s affairs.
Same Old Marie
During a Q&A, Betsy Brandt described her character as “an unpleasant b***h,” and we wouldn’t disagree much. Marie preaches soda and drinks tequila. She isquick to offer advice, yet she has major flaws, notably her tendency to steal every shiny thing she sees.On top of that, Marie never grows as a character. All we get from her is an argument here and there.
7 Reasons You Should Rewatch Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is one of those rare dramas that are even more rewarding to watch a second time.
7Walter White
Years ago, Walter White (Bryan Cranston) co-founded Gray Matter Technologies and then sold his stake for $5000, only for it to become a billion-dollar company. Now working as a chemistry teacher, he hardly has enough money to get by. When he gets diagnosed with cancer,he opts to produce meth so that his family won’t suffer when he dies.Unsurprisingly, he comes to love the drug trade and becomes a kingpin.
Smart but Amoral
Walter White might beone of television’s greatest characters (because of his intelligence), but he is extremely despicable, something one only notices on the second and third viewing. On the show, Waltdoes more unforgivable things than any other person. He gleefully watches Jane overdose to death, a development that indirectly leads to an air crash. Walt also kills Mike over information he could have easily gotten elsewhere, and morphs and sticks to the drug trade, despite knowing the consequences. If it wasn’t for his actions, Hank would never have died.
6Hank Schrader
DEA agent Hank Schrader (Dean Norris), who also happens to be Walt’s brother-in-law,spends most of the series looking for the mysterious drug lord known as Heisenberg.As smart as he is, it takes him a long time to realize that the man he is looking for is a member of his own family.
A Memorable TV Lawman
Initially, Hank comes off as obnoxious. He bullies people andcarries himself as a supercopyet he can’t catch a man who isn’t even hiding. By hunting down Heisenberg,he threatens to ruin the fun, so viewers are forced to hate him for that.And who can ever forgive him for the time he assaulted Jesse? However, Hank grows more likable as the show progresses,morphing into the show’s true protagonist.His shootout with the Salamanca cousins is one of the best there is on television, and his general bravery in the face of danger is remarkable. Hank never truly gets his man, but he dies a hero.
5Badger & Skinny Pete
Badger (Matt Jones) and Skinny Pete (Charles Baker) are inseparable. The low-level drug dealers are close friends of Jesse Pinkman andare always willing to do whatever he requires of them. Skinny Pete, specifically, plays a major part in introducing Jesse and Walt into the big leagues of drug trafficking. He introduces them to Tuco, enabling them to take their operations to the next level.
Street Bros
Loyalty doesn’t come better than these two. If they were ever given the choice of a life sentence or ratting, we bet they’d choose the former. Banter is what fans mainly love the meth distributors for. They constantly dish out the silliest quotes and are in tune with pop culture.Badger is specifically shown to be a fan of many ofthe greatest sci-fi movies, quotingStar Warsregularly. We’re grateful to Gilligan and his team for never killing off these two bros.
4Gustavo “Gus” Fring
Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) is a big-time Chilean-American methamphetamine distributor in the Southwestern United States whouses his Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant chain as a front.He eventually employs Walt and Jesse to cook for him, but the business relationship ends badly, with Gus’ face looking like that ofBatman villain, Harvey Dent, aka, Two-Face.
The King of Composure
Gus is a smooth kingpin andEsposito plays him so convincingly that he has been typecast in similar roles ever sinceBreaking Badended. He has a state-of-the-art lab below a Laundromat and transports drugs in chicken trucks. Gus never panics either and is always one step ahead of his foes (except for Walter). Polished and soft-spoken, he isa welcome relief from the show’s other scream-at-your-face antagonists.
3Saul Goodman
Saul (Bob Odenkirk) is actually called James Morgan “Jimmy” McGill, but we don’t get to know that untilBetter Call Saul. We first meet him when he offers to be Badger’s lawyer. Because he is smart, itdoesn’t take long for him to figure out Heisenberg is Walter White.Rather than back off,he offers to connect Walt with Gus. From there, the wheels move fast.
A “Criminal” Lawyer
Saul isextremely resourceful.Without him, Walt would never have made as much money as he did. He advises Walt to launder money through Walt Jr’s “SaveWalterWhite.com” cancer donation website, helps clean up the evidence after Jane’s death, leads Hank down a wrong path when he is about to make a break on his case, and helps Walt disappear when things get thick. On top of that, Saul isa major source of comic relief.
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2Mike Ehrmantraut
Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), a former Philadelphia cop,spends much of his time on the show as an enforcer for Gustavo “Gus” Fring.He does surveillance, cleanup, and all other sorts of high-risk jobs. Understandably, Walt’s decision to kill Gus causes friction between him and Mike.
Meticulous and Dependable
Mike can be counted on, no matter how tough the situation is. He isreasonable, forward-thinking, and brave.At no point does he clash with anyone over petty reasons. Beyond that, Mikeis adaptable. Despite his feud with Walt, he agrees to form a new organization with Walt and Jesse, helping the two move on after Gus. The move underscores his good-hearted nature, but it later turns out to be his undoing.
1Jesse Pinkman
Once one of Walt’s chemistry students, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), later becomes his partner in drug manufacturing and trafficking.Walt seeks out Jesse because of his knowledge of the streets, and the two go on to form a solid team, working under Gus before going independent.
Moral Conscience
Jesse and Walt’s friendship is toxic, andJesse tends to be the oppressed party, so anyone watching feels compelled to demand the character’s fair treatment.All Jesse wants to do is make millions and go home, but Walt’s actions keep complicating everything. For all the evil deeds Walt and Jesse do,only Jesse seems consumed by guilt and remorse.He reacts in a way a normal human would react.
Speaking about his own characterto The Guardian, Aaron Paul said:
“It’s crazy that people side with Jesse. At the beginning, everyone – including me – saw him as just a drug burn-out. A kid with no sorta brains. But as each episode was revealed to everybody, it showed quite the opposite.”
Hopefully, Jesse…sorry… Mr. Driscoll is now enjoying his life in Alaska.
