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As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.


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     In general 
  • Walter's relationship with Jesse; it's evident that Walt sees Jesse as his own son. In fact, he sees him more as his son than Walter Jr. Jesse himself saw his former chemistry teacher as the parental figure he never had. Although it becomes increasingly more toxic and manipulative on Walt's end of things, there's no doubt Walt did indeed care a lot for his former student.

    Season 1 
  • Skyler and Walt's faces when the nurse informs them that their unborn child is a girl.
  • When Jesse's little brother Jake's joint is found in his room, Jesse takes the blame for it and allows himself to get kicked out of the house. He even stomps out the joint, saying that it was "skunk weed".
  • As soon as Hank and Marie learn about Walt's cancer, they both immediately get in on problem-solving and comforting the family as much as they can. Hank in particular tells Walt that no matter what happens to Walt, he'll always take care of his family, and it's clear from Hank's face that he genuinely means it.
  • Marie is the only one during the "talking pillow" debate who decides to side with Walt by telling him that he should do what he wants and agrees with the sentiment that spending time in chemo is not exactly pleasant. This quickly derails into an argument, but it's the first sign that Marie is more than just the annoying and obnoxious sister-in-law.
  • Hugo, the janitor at the high school where Walt works, cleans up the chemo-induced vomit and offers Walt a stick of gum for his breath. The guy's so soft-spoken and genuine... which makes his fate at the end of the episode all the more tragic.
    Hugo: I'll take care of it, Mr. White. You've got students to teach.
  • Walt Jr.'s reaction to a bald Walt also counts. Skyler is shocked and dumbstruck, the kid calls him a badass. Everyone would show Tuco after such positive reinforcement at breakfast.
    • Particularly poignant as Walt Jr. called him "a pussy" earlier for his indecision regarding going to chemotherapy — Walt makes the point of shaving his head himself.
    • And those are genuine reactions from RJ Mitte and Anna Gunn, as that was the first time they'd seen Bryan Cranston once he'd shaved his head.
  • Walt showing for the first time he cares about Jesse when he storms Tuco's place to demand the money he owes them AND 15 grand for Jesse. And he doesn't drop his cool for a single moment.
    • Another little one is the look on Jesse's face when Walt gets back and he asks him what happened. You can tell that he's trying hard not to look too pleased at the idea that Walt was "out for blood" after hearing that someone had hurt him, but that he's actually quite touched.
  • Walter's particularly embarrassed at a party for his old friend and colleague Elliot, especially over the tiny gift he brought in comparison to the over-the-top nature of all of the other presents. When Elliot opens the gift, he finds a pack of ramen. Elliot loves the gift because it is the same brand of noodles he and Walter survived on in their days working together, and the two are seen next chatting and laughing about the good old days. Walter's discomfort is gone completely.
  • Walter and Krazy-8's interactions in the first few episodes. They actually seem to connect for a moment, which makes it even more heartbreaking when Walt finds out Krazy-8 is just using him to escape and plans to stab him with the broken plate piece.
  • As hamfisted and awkward as his mixed sports/poker metaphors are, Hank's speech during the family intervention has shades of this and is one of the earlier signs there is more to him than just the "meathead cop" persona he projects in the first few episodes.
  • Skinny Pete stays at Jesse's bedside while he's hospitalized from Tuco's beating.
  • A twisted heartwarming occurs in the finale. When Tuco begins beating No-Doze, Walt unhesitatingly moves to try and break up the fight. No-Doze might have been an ass to Walt and Jesse previously, but even Walt can recognize Tuco is overreacting. Similarly, Gonzo blocks Walt and Jesse to keep Tuco from turning his wrath on them.
  • Jesse, after realizing Walt is suffering from cancer after his aunt's experience with it, shows genuine concern for his well-being and gives him some of the advice he picked up from his aunt. He not only immediately realizes why Walt is so desperate to get the money from the cooking so far, but he tells him that using an icepack during chemo should help with the hair loss.

    Season 2 
  • Hank comforting Skyler after her heated venting about Marie's troublemaking and other issues.
  • Despite having a blowup minutes earlier, Walt offers Jesse breakfast in his own house in "Down". (And, one hopes, a shower.)
  • Jesse's last line in "Peekaboo": "You have a good rest of your life, kid."
    • In all honesty, "Peekaboo" could serve as one for Jesse in its entirety. This episode basically showed the audience that even though Jesse is a wannabe gang-banger and drug dealer, he's got a heart far too big to be in such a nasty business. Especially when it comes to kids.
  • Apology Girl.
    • Most of Jane and Jesse's moments in "Over", really. From the surprise breakfast he makes for her (she has to discretely pick out a shell) to Jane going over the superhero sketches he drew as a kid ("Kanga-Man" and "Backwardo"), he's full-on adorkable in this episode and she clearly adores him for it.
    • The initiating moment of their courtship in "Negro y Azul" is also touching. They sit watching a TV that hasn't even been properly hooked up yet, so they just sit in silence. Then, slowly, they hold hands.
  • Walt protecting Jesse from Tuco in "Grilled".
  • Upon hearing that Hank has had a nervous breakdown as a result of the Tortuga bomb, Walt rushes over and manages to coax him into returning to work.
  • Despite having just been scared shitless by Jesse and Walt trying to scare him to represent Badger (while not making a deal with the DEA), the second Saul recognizes Walt by his cough, he advises him to take off his hockey mask so he can breathe better.
  • At the end of "4 Days Out", Jesse reassures Walt that if anything happens, Jesse will give Walt's family their due money. Jesse's expression indicates that he figured out why Walt wanted to speed up the cooking production.
    • Also Walt and Jesse high-fiving once they realize they've just cooked enough meth in 2 days to make them $672,000 each.
    • The reactions of Walt's family when they learn the enlightening news of Walt's health.
  • The way Walter treats Jesse in the final episodes of the season. Even though Walter can be a total Jerkass to Jess at times and rarely shows signs of truly caring for him as a person, those episodes show that he actually does care a lot for his partner.
    • Similarly, Jesse's genuine happiness during "Over" when Walt tells him that he's gone into remission. The two might have a fairly rocky relationship, but there is mutual respect and care between them.
  • Gus donating some money to Walt's lung cancer fundraiser. It's sort of a warped example, considering that he may have done it for the sake of good publicity, or to help keep him in the drug trade, but it can also show how much he respects Walt outside of work.
    • Hell, the reveal of the fundraiser site itself. Walter Jr. has made a page full of pictures, gushing about a father he obviously adores. It visibly warms Walt's heart too (that is until he sees the donate button), and even after that, he tells his son, with a smile and a hug, that he is really appreciative of the efforts.
  • Walter and Holly. Any scene.

    Season 3 
  • Hank crying on Marie's shoulder in the elevator after having a very long and bad day in "One Minute".
    • In the previous two episodes, Hank goes to track Heisenberg and finds Walt and Jesse's RV with them inside, but gets a phone call telling him Marie is in the hospital. After realizing it was a trick, he goes to Jesse's house and beats him unconscious. After being suspended from the DEA and told he's facing serious charges, he finally sees Marie. And of course, it gets even worse because he gets shot by Leonel and Marco shortly thereafter.
  • While the opening scene depicting Hector Salamanca's near-drowning of Marco is anything but heartwarming, it's hard not to feel a little fuzzy inside when Leonel leaps to his brother's aid. Despite having fought to the point of tears only seconds beforehand, the brothers' love for each other is real enough for Leonel to punch his uncle Hector, a feared crime boss, in the face just to protect Marco. Even Evil Has Loved Ones, after all, and there's something sweet about seeing these two cold-blooded killers as children doing whatever it takes to protect each other.
  • "I See You":
    • Walt comforting Marie in the hospital. She wonders aloud how "anyone could survive this deathtrap," to which Walt ultimately responds, "I survived this place. And I'm not half the man your husband is."
    • It's only a brief scene, but the line of cops showing up to donate blood while Hank's in surgery. Can double as a Tearjerker for anyone who has family in law enforcement.
  • "Kafkaesque":
    • When Skyler "reveals" the gambling tale to Marie, Skyler especially emphasizes that Walt only wanted to save his family from financial troubles when he's deceased, indicating that in spite of Skyler's understandable reservations about having a meth-cooking husband, she has come to see Walt's good intentions for his cooking.
    • Skyler, knowing Marie's desperation in getting Hank readjusted and treated, decides that Walt's illegal money should be used to pay Hank's hospital bill, knowing that Hank was wrongly and indirectly affected by Walt's crimes.
  • At the end of "Fly", Jesse takes Walt, who has fallen asleep in his chair, and lies him down on a sofa, putting a blanket over him.
  • "Abiquiu": Jesse refusing to sell the blue meth to his new girlfriend after finding out that she has a son and calling her out when she asks him to get her some of it.
  • "Half Measures":
    • After Jesse yells at Walt for ratting him out to Gus about his plan to kill the dealers that had Combo killed, not knowing they work for Gus, Gus takes a moment to tell him that Walt is the only friend he has in the room at the moment, when he found out about the plan it wasn't from him, and if not for his respect for Walt, Gus would be handling the problem in a "different manner".
    • "Run." Walter saves Jesse from two drug dealers by running them over with his car, shoots the one that survived and tells Jesse to escape. This is after Walter warns Jesse that he won't be able to protect him since he was stealing meth from the lab, and also spends the whole time lecturing Jesse how killing 2 of Gus' drug dealers would be a disaster.
  • "Full Measure": Walt is well and truly sorry for forcing Jesse into the position of needing to kill Gale.
    • The episode opens with Walt and Skyler exploring their future house, where Walt expresses his hope one day to have a total of three children. This is soon followed by Walt's "explain yourself" conversation with Gus, where the latter is aghast that Walt would throw away his very profitable business arrangement (and his safety/life) over a "worthless junkie". Together it is implied that Walt sees Jesse as his surrogate third child that he is willing to take extreme risks for.

    Season 4 
  • Walt telling Gus that he's his only hope to keep the meth business running, so Gus can't kill him, then adds that he also won't do the work if Gus kills Jesse.
    • During his speech to Gus, he also puts Jesse's name first most of the time, making it clear that while he wants to keep his head, allowing Jesse to be harmed is not worth it.
    • Jesse pays him back (though unfortunately not with Walt as a witness) when Gus seems to be asking him if he could take over the lab if Walt were killed, and Jesse says that Gus will have to kill him too if that happens.
  • "Bullet Points": Walt's anger towards Jesse for his neglectful behavior turns into anger for Gus' organization when Walt realizes Pinkman is missing. The expression on his face when he asks where he is to the camera in the meth lab makes it clear that Walter White is out for blood.
  • "Shotgun": The first shot of the episode is a panicked Walt leaving Skyler a voice message on the answering machine to say he loves her. She doesn't hear it until after the two of them sign the paperwork for the car wash, but once she does, the two of them immediately have passionate sex. Following that scene features Skyler and Walt having a very warm conversation, including her playfully chiding him for a compliment about her new haircut, Walt Jr. getting grossed out once he realizes what his parents were doing, and Skyler gently pitching the idea for Walt to move back in with them. It is sweet, domestic, and very normal, in a way that it wasn't really before, and likewise never would be again.
  • "Hermanos":
    • The fact that Gus set up a scholarship in Max's name. It's even more poignant when you consider that this is a link to his old life that could very easily cause some problems for him if anyone decided to pursue it. It's the sort of loose thread Gus simply doesn't leave, except where Max is concerned.
    • Saul encourages Jesse to go see Andrea himself and is kind to Brock. According to Word of God, that was a moment where Jimmy McGill woke up for a second.
  • Jesse pleads with Gus to let Walt go. This, after Jesse proves himself to be more of an asset than Walt and even after their disastrous fight in "Bug".
  • Walt Jr. in "Salud". He spends his day comforting Walt, who is in a pathetic state after his fight with Jesse, cleaning his house and fixes his glasses. The amount of devotion the kid holds to his obviously flawed dad almost reminds you of the times when Walt's crimes were justified. When Walt finally confesses that he's terrified of Jr. remembering Walt as a sick, pathetic mess, Jr. tells him that he's fine remembering Walt that way as long as it's real.
  • When Jesse is going off on the Cartel's drug manufacturers about how everything has to go his way, the camera shows Gus giving a smile at Jesse's action, quite impressed by the same boy he called a junkie.
  • Saul is helping Walt set up his family's disappearance (before Walt is aware the money is gone), he ask Saul to call the DEA and tell them Hank's life is in danger. This comes after Gus threatens Walt's entire family if he warns Hank indirectly or otherwise. Capping it off, Walt gives Saul an actual thank you when their conversation concludes.
  • Jesse spends the entirety of "End Times" at the hospital after Brock's poisoning, doing whatever he can to comfort Andrea and help the situation. Appropriately, he is absolutely horrified by the possibility that he was poisoned with ricin and he immediately races into the hospital past all of the security to tell the doctors his suspicions.
    • Gus also visits him in the hospital and, after a long and tense conversation where Gus demands he come back to work and Jesse refuses to leave until Brock is fine, Gus decides that one batch can be forsaken and lets him stay with the only caveat being he needs to come in the next day. From someone as ruthless as Gus, it proves that somewhere deep inside him there is still some semblance of a decent man inside.
    • Better yet, the reveal that Walt poisoned Brock and not Gus means that any ulterior motives he might have had are entirely off the table - Gus knew as little about the situation as Jesse did but he still let him stay.
    • In spite of their strained relationship Skyler pleads with Walt to come with the rest of the family to Hank's and not let Gus kill him.Walt refuses since it would put his family in danger and waits in his house, planning to let Gus kill him to guarantee his family's safety.This was before Walt came up with the plan to poison Brock so his words to Skyler were sincere and it shows that he really is willing to die to protect his family.
  • "Face Off". Walt showing up to rescue Jesse when he's chained up in Gus' lab. The cavalry's here, bitch!
    • The framed picture Hector keeps in his nursing room of his nephews when they were kids.

    Season 5 
  • While it backfires, Saul is really trying to get the point across to Walt that Skyler was just attempting to protect him.
  • Mike with his granddaughter.
    • Made even sweeter when we find out he had a slush fund in her name with two million bucks in it. Mike isn't just working to support himself, he's doing it to ensure his granddaughter has a future (drawing a parallel between him and Walt) and it’s the concern for her future that motivates him to go against his own judgment and work with Walter White.
    • Mike leaving a giant load of cash for his granddaughter in a safety deposit box, to be given to her on her 18th birthday.
  • In a bit of Heartwarming In Hindsight, knowing the history they have from Better Call Saul, Mike immediately calling and trusting Saul with getting him his bag in what he believes could be his last shot to get out of the business (and attempting to insist on Saul over Jesse and Walt) shows that even if he despises Saul, he also trusts the lawyer enough to help him out of a massive jam.
  • Walt giving a hundred dollar tip to his Denny's waitress, as he apparently goes off to die in a blaze of glory.
  • Jesse giving Walt a present for his 51st birthday.
  • In "Gliding Over All" Walt shows up at Jesse's house and leaves him duffel bags full of cash after previously denying him his buyout.
  • Hank playing with Holly in "Dead Freight". Holly also utters her first words, "mama!"
  • Hank hugging Skyler at the diner when he finds out that Walt is/was a drug dealer.
  • Jesse's first thought on what to do with his five million dollars: give half to Mike's granddaughter, and the other half to the parents of the boy killed at the train heist.
  • Walt talking business with Skyler about where to put the air fresheners, before talking about buying a second car wash. Before laundering money comes up, they sound like two people running an honest business, leading a normal life. It kind of heads into tearjerker territory though, when you consider that Walt could have avoided ever being involved in the meth business if he had just taken that job at Grey Matter. Maybe he and Skyler could've opened up an honest business funded by clean money.
  • Walt's moment of vulnerability after collapsing due to exhaustion with Skyler. He says that he knows Skyler must have gone for a deal and that he'll make it easy and turn himself in and all he wants is for Skyler to not give out the money to the DEA, just sit on it and give it to the kids, just as he intended. It's heartbreaking to see the original Walter White for a moment there — a deeply flawed man who brought all of this on himself, but in the end, just wanted to leave something for his children.
  • Walt's Cool-Down Hug to Jesse. It's no longer possible to tell if it was even a bit genuine, but it still a bit nice to see it, considering how hard Jesse needed something like this and how even Walt seems to be shaken by his plea not to jerk him around anymore.
    • And it seems it actually was genuine given the next episode, where even after Jesse almost burns the house down, Walt insists on doing everything he can to resolve the situation without Jesse getting hurt.
  • Walt giving Walt Jr. a heartfelt hug after his son gets upset over the possibility of losing his father to cancer.
  • Walt's "confession" tape that he uses to incriminate Hank is unambiguously horrible, but it still manages to have several moments that show that, somewhere deep in the husk that is Heisenberg, Walt's conscience is still there (the show only shows part of it, but the whole tape can be viewed here:
    • Despite everything that has happened between the two of them at this point, Walt still goes out of his way to never mention Jesse once, keeping him completely out of the feud between him and Hank.
    • In a similar vein, he also manages to never mention Mike either. While it's not as much of a gesture as it is to Jesse, Mike is a confirmed criminal to the DEA and it would be easy to tie him to Hank in the video, so the fact that he doesn't can only mean that this is some form of repentance to the man he murdered so pointlessly.
    • Walt also covers up his own wife's involvement in his empire as much as he can, saying that she only found out after Gus's death, was horrified by what he'd done, and never even implying that she was an active participant in his crimes. It's the exact same strategy he'll use later on in "Ozymandias" and shows that, despite everything, he does truly love his wife.
  • "To'hajiilee"
    • Walt is finally cornered and caught by Hank with hard evidence as he, Gomez, and Jesse arrive to arrest him. His first instinct is to call Todd for a rescue, but then he looks at them again and realizes that even with as far as he's sunk, this is a step he can't take, so he tells Todd to forget it and gets a look of absolute peace on his face as Hank calls for him to come out.
    • Hank tells Marie that he loves her when he arrests Walt. What makes it very sad but heartwarming too that this is the last time he ever speaks to her.
    • When Hank and Gomez finally arrest Walt. They were partners until the very end, even as they were cornered by Jack's gang:
      Hank: Agent Gomez, shall we flip a coin for the honors?
      Gomez: No way, man. It's all yours.
  • As much of a heavy tearjerker "Ozymandias" is, there are a few moments.
    • Walt tries to flee home and kidnaps Holly after Skyler and Flynn fight him off and call the police on him. He coos over her like any other loving father while changing her diaper and coaxes her to say "dada". Holly then starts calling for Skyler, and Walt, realizing how much he's alienated his family to the point even his baby daughter has effectively rejected him, tears up and gives her a tight hug and a kiss before dropping her off at the nearby fire station with the Whites' home address attached to her clothes. At least it shows he still has some shred of a conscience.
    • Before he leaves Holly in the fire station, Walt calls Skyler, knowing the police are there recording everything, and starts really playing up Heisenberg as a terrifying abusive villain who forced his innocent wife into aiding his crimes in order to exonerate her of any "aiding and abetting" charges.
    • This one is very Fridge, but the fact that he claims that he killed Hank is also one of these. He could very well keep telling her that he didn't kill Hank while only he would know he was telling the truth, but instead, he chooses to lie, somehow making himself out to be more of a monster than he actually is, and in the process Marie can actually know that Hank is dead instead of holding out hope that he's just missing, giving her at least some closure.
    • Crossed with Awesome: Walt offers Jack his entire money stash to not kill Hank, proving once and for all that underneath the ruthlessness, manipulations, and greed, Walt values his family more than his money. Dean Norris said that moment redeemed Walt in Hank's eyes, at least partially, as Hank can at least acknowledge that as much as Walt put him in that situation, he did everything he possibly could to try to save him.
    • Hank's way of telling Walt that his pleading is pointless — he says that even though Walt is the smartest man he has ever met, he still can't understand that Jack already made the decision to kill him the moment he got here. It not only points out how heartbreaking it was for Hank to learn that Walt is Heisenberg but also underlines the genuine respect he felt toward his brother-in-law's intellect. It's also delivered in a surprisingly quiet and tender tone, showing a sign of that feeling of partial redemption Norris mentioned Hank felt Walt had achieved.
    • It's an extremely dark example, but Walt collapsing in tears at Hank's death can be seen as one. Considering how far Walt had fallen by this point and especially considering the recent threats he had made to Hank to save himself, this moment solidifies the fact that he loves his family and hints that maybe, just maybe... there's still a flicker of goodness inside him...
    • Even after everything that's happened, Marie still struggles to forgive Skyler, and tries to make what she thinks is Walt's downfall as easy on her and Walter Jr. as possible, letting Skyler be the one to tell him.
  • In "Granite State" Saul's final bit of legal advice to Walt is for him to turn himself in to save Skyler from prosecution.
  • In "Felina":
    • While the relationship between the two sisters is still broken, Marie still calls Skyler to warn her the cops discovered Walt returned to Albuquerque. Marie, who believes now that Walt forced and abused Skyler into being his accomplice, also warns her sister to be careful on the slightest chance that Walt manages to get to her (not knowing he's already in the apartment waiting for Skyler to finish the phone call).
    • Walt gives Skyler the lottery ticket with the coordinates for her to use as a bargaining chip. This will also allow Hank and Gomez to receive a proper funeral, giving closure to their loved ones, and also allow Skyler to avoid being prosecuted for Walt's crimes and keep custody of their kids. Better Call Saul would later reveal that it worked; Skyler managed to use the ticket as a bargaining chip for a deal, so as much as Walt put her in a horrible situation, he did manage to get her out of it as well.
    • Walt finally stops making excuses and rationalizing his cruel actions by admitting he wasn't in the meth business for the family but for his pride and ego. That may sound oddly warped, but considering he had spent the whole show constantly trying to justify his actions even as they continuously got more indefensible, it's sweet that Walt finally spoke with Skyler honestly.
    • Walt's last goodbye to his daughter Holly, just stroking her hair in silence. This also doubles as the last thing Walt ever tells his wife, so her last memory of him will just be him loving his daughter.
    • Walt watching Flynn return home from afar. He seems at peace knowing that his son will receive the money even though his son still hates him and will never know the money came from him.
    • In a warped sense, Walt tackling Jesse to the ground so that he won't get mowed down by the M60, thus letting him live. Word of God is that Walt was going to let Jesse die until the moment before the machine gun went off, as he just couldn't hurt the kid. Bonus points for Walter, if viewed a second time, is completely shielding Jesse from the side the machinegun is going off, making the scene even more heartwarming.
    • After everything that's happened, Walt and Jesse look at each other one last time. They can't bring themselves to fully get over what they did to each other (especially Jesse, who refuses to give Walt a Mercy Kill) and they know this is goodbye, but it doesn't prevent them from giving each other final nods of understanding.
    • Jesse, finally free, driving away, laughing and crying at the same time. Even moreso after the release of El Camino, which shows that his escape ends up working out for him in the end.
    • Walt takes one final stroll through the superlab before dying, with the knowledge that despite his motivations, his family will be exempt from blame and provided for, and that they and Jesse will be safe.
      • Walt died beating his cancer. Its reveal caused the entire series' events, and he still managed to beat it to the punch and die on his own terms, knowing that he didn’t die with nothing left for his family as he initially feared would happen.


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