History AlternativeCharacterInterpretation / BreakingBad

** Is Walt's cooking truly his way of providing a financial safety net for his family, or was it just his way of getting back at a world that he feels treated him like dirt his whole life? [[TakeAThirdOption Or]] is this all just one extreme case of a man going through a midlife crisis after being faced with his own mortality when he got diagnosed with cancer? Did he truly start off with noble goals in mind only to become more corrupted as time went on, or was his family's financial future just a convenient excuse for him? In "Felina", he admits to Skyler in their final conversation that he felt more alive in that time than at any other time in his life and [[IRegretNothing generally doesn't apologize for anything]]. Considering that he had other opportunities to set his family up for life open to him, was that his real motivation from the beginning?

* Before [[spoiler:skipping town]], Mike chews out Walt for [[spoiler: killing Gus and then thinking he could run his own meth operation]], saying that Walt should have known his place and everyone would've been fine if he had. Is he right in thinking that everything would have worked out if Walt simply [[spoiler:obeyed Gus and continued to work for him?]] Or does he fail to see that [[spoiler:unlike himself, Walt was never completely safe from Gus, and killing Gus was solely about protecting his family rather than siezing power?]] And when Mike says this, does he mean [[spoiler: Walt should've let the dealers kill Jesse? Or does he mean he thinks Walt wasn't actually in danger from Gus after killing them?]]

** Where does Walt end and Heisenberg begin? Did he [[BecomingTheMask become the mask]], or was "Heisenberg"[[BeneathTheMask his true self from the start]]? There are several hints early on that Walt craves power and has a violent, intimidating streak (such as his violent handling of the bully making fun of Flynn's cerebral palsy). Regardless of how you feel about Walt, as you re-watch and take a look at his impulses, it seems over-simplified to merely label Walt's journey to Heisenberg as a transformation from Point A to Point B — Walt never "becomes" Heisenberg, but Heisenberg does indeed wake up, so to speak.
** Another question: Is Walt's difficult path to criminal life the product of an established social factor? Or it's just the possibility that his ego and social life could be greatly affected by leading a criminal life? Deep examinations of the character seem to show that Walt ''was always'' a highly self-centered man, so the latter is highly plausible.
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** Is Walt's cooking truly his way of providing a financial safety net for his family, or was it just his way of getting back a world that he feels treated him like dirt his whole life? [[TakeAThirdOption Or]] is this all just one extreme case of a man going through a midlife crisis after being faced with his own mortality when he got diagnosed with cancer? Did he truly start off with noble goals in mind only to become more corrupted as time went on, or was his family's financial future just a convenient excuse for him? In "Felina", he admits to Skyler in their final conversation that he felt more alive in that time than at any other time in his life and [[IRegretNothing generally doesn't apologize for anything]]. Considering that he had other opportunities to set his family up for life open to him, was that his real motivation from the beginning?

* Walter White is quite possibly one of the most complex, most complicated characters ever put in TV. Let's see?
** It's hard to decide if Walt's turning into Heisenberg is retaliation against a world that never cut him a break, a genuine desire to provide for his family, or both?
** [[TakeAThirdOption Or]] is this all just one extreme case of a man going through a midlife crisis after being faced with his own mortality when he got diagnosed with cancer?
** Did Walt really [[BecomingTheMask become the mask of his Heisenberg persona]], or was the [[BeneathTheMask Heisenberg persona his true self]] from the start? Even the cast members and writers aren't entirely sure.
** There are several hints early on that Walt craves power and has a violent, intimidating streak (his taunting of the teenager in the department store in episode one). Regardless of how you feel about Walt, as you re-watch and take a look at his impulses, it seems over-simplified to merely label Walt's journey to Heisenberg as a transformation from X to Y — Walt never "becomes" Heisenberg, but Heisenberg does indeed wake up, so to speak.

** Walt admits to Skyler at the end he just wanted to cook meth for the thrill of it. Considering that he had other opportunities to set his family up for life open to him, was that his real motivation from the beginning?

** The element of Jesse taking care of his aunt is also subject to this. We only have Jesse and his mother's word to go on — he insists he took care of her, his mother insists that he didn't do that much. Either (or both) could be an UnreliableNarrator. Jesse was said to be much more selfish and irresponsible in his youth, but his mother has a history of having absolutely zero faith in her son and doubting what he says, even when it's true.
* Hank, despite coming close to the truth on several occasions, never realized his own brother-in-law was was the drug dealer "Heisenberg" he was investigating [[spoiler:until the final season]]. Was it because Hank never even considered the possibility it could be Walt, and if so, why not - because he thought too highly of Walt to think he could be a criminal, or because he looked down on Walt and thought he wasn't capable of being a criminal? Or did Hank not realize it because of his own shortcomings - perhaps he was too arrogant and he couldn't conceive of the possibility that Heisenberg could be directly operating under his nose without him noticing, or he was just an incompetent cop who missed the obvious clues being dangled in front of him constantly. Or is his apparent obliviousness just a case of AudienceAwarenessAdvantage where the evidence wouldn't be so obvious to someone living in his position rather than watching a show about it?
** Is Hank a clever intrepid agent, or a somewhat insightful fool that can't see the truth a few inches in front of his face, continually shrugs off the the strength of a mighty federal organization, and ultimately gets himself and Gomez killed?

* Was Walt right about Gretchen and Elliott all along when they dismiss him on TV? Or are they just doing damage control for their company by distancing themselves from an infamous drug lord? Likewise, is Walt right in saying that [[EvilFormerFriend they betrayed him]], or is he [[NeverMyFault merely blaming them]] for his past errors due to his own pride?

** Additionally, how culpable is Skyler in Walt's actions? When she decided to help Walt launder his money, was she just a scared mother who was desperately trying to protect her family and secure their financial future? Or was she a greedy enabler who willingly helped Walt with his schemes, only to get off easy with the law by playing the victim card?

In a series where all the main characters have complex personalities, this is inevitable. Even minor characters are no strangers to this.

** It's hard to decide if Walt's turning into Heisenberg is retaliation against a world that never cut him a break, a genuine desire to provide for his family, or both? And Walt himself -- was he a nice guy when we first encountered him at the start of the show, or was his persona that of Heisenberg from the very start? Evidence is piling up to suggest the latter. [[spoiler:Especially his explanation of his separation from Gray Matter.]]

* Hank, despite coming close to the truth on several occasions, never realized his own brother-in-law was was the drug dealer "Heisenberg" he was investigating [[spoiler:until the final season]]. Was it because Hank never even considered the possibility it could be Walt, and if so, why not - because he thought too highly of Walt to think he could be a criminal, or because he looked down on Walt and thought he wasn't capable of being a criminal? Or did Hank not realize it because of his own shortcomings - perhaps he was too arrogant and he couldn't conceive of the possibility that Heisenberg could be directly operating under his nose without him noticing, or he was just an incompetent cop who missed the obvious clues being dangled in front of him constantly.
** Is Hank a clevar intrepid agent, or a somewhat insightful fool that can't see the truth a few inches in front of his face, continually shrugs off the the strength of a mighty federal organization, and ultimately gets himself and Gomez killed?

** Walt admits to Skyler at the end he just wanted to cook meth for the thrill of it. Considering that he had other opportunities open to him, was that his real motivation from the beginning?

* Jesse Pinkman's parents. The interpretation really comes down to whether or not you feel it's ever justified to give up on your child. Or whether, given how he was the one taking care of his aunt when she died from cancer, his parents are a large part of what screwed him up to begin with and what led him to turn to drug dealing.

* Jane Margolis: Did she genuinely love Jesse or was she more [[GoldDigger interested in his money]]?

* Walter White is quite possibly one of the most complex, most complicated characters in television history. Let's see?

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In a series where all the main characters have complicated morality and/or complex personalities, this is inevitable. Even minor and secondary characters are no strangers to this.