History BreakingBad / TropesAToB

** It's been hypothesized that Hank was originally intended to have an ironic drug problem, as in the first season he was much more animated and could be seen periodically sniffing. By season two, he's noticeably less animated and the sniffing is gone.

** In the episode Peekaboo, after Spooge repeats his claim that the ATM theft was a "victimless crime", the scene cuts away to show the actual crime scene, which includes a dead body, lots of blood, and a baggie of Jesse and Walt's signature blue meth. Nothing ever comes of this, and it is not mentioned again; it seems to only serve the point home that the Heisenberg meth has gained a violent following.
* AbsenceOfEvidence: When Hank plants a tracker on Gus's car, Gus is careful to only drive it between home and Pollos Hermanos. However, this raises Hank's suspicions even more; he finds it suspicious that not only did Gus not drive ''anywhere'' besides work and home, but he also drove exclusively to the same store every day when he's in charge of well over a dozen.

** A flashback shows how Tio Salamanca [[FreudianExcuse raised]] the two terrifying hit men we see in season three. When one of them yells in the midst of a sibling squabble that he wishes his brother were dead, Tio [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor takes him at his word]] and proceeds to ''hold his brother's head under ice water'' until he fights his uncle off to save his brother. The treatment did, however, seem to instill an undying family loyalty in the brothers.
** Walter to his surrogate son, Jesse, in later seasons.
** Walt to his ''actual'' son Walt Jr. at least once, when he basically forces Junior to drink until he pukes.

** Mark Margolis played a ruthless cartel enforcer in ''Film/{{Scarface 1983}}''. He's also in the ProductionPosse of Creator/DarrenAronofsky. Not only that, in Scarface, his character tried to assassinate someone with a bomb. [[spoiler: Hector himself ends up suicide-bombing Gus successfully in the Season 4 finale]].

** Saul Goodman, the cheerfully corrupt lawyer.
** Mike Ehrmantraut is gruff but personable and loyal, as well as a loving grandfather, but he'll murder you without hesitation if it meets his superiors' interests, or his own.

** It's debatable as to how much of a villain he was, but [[spoiler:Mike was a stone cold murderer and by no means a moral man. Yet his death comes at the exact moment that he is escaping the business after leaving his fortune to his granddaughter, at the hands of Walter in a fit of prideful rage. His last words are telling Walt to let him die in peace]].

** In the second to last Episode, when [[spoiler: Walter is prepared to turn himself in, he watches Gretchen and Elliot on TV diminish his accomplishments in Grey Matter. Walter's Pride is again slated and he sets off to seek revenge, dooming him to his violent death (but not before securing his family's future, saving his protege, and taking down the people who stole his empire.]]

** Season 3: The Cousins, Leonel and Marco Salamanca, are [[DiscOneFinalBoss Disc-One Final Bosses]] brought in by their uncle Hector to avenge Tuco's death, initially targeting Walt before Gus points them towards Hank. Gus and his {{Dragon}}, Mike Ehrmantraut, use the havoc they cause to bar the rest of the Cartel from operating in the southwest, and try to have Walt replaced as their chemist once he and Jesse prove to be too volatile.

** In Season 2, Jesse encounters a couple of drug addicts who do nothing but rob people and get high living together in a filthy, dilapidated house -- along with their [[TearJerker horribly neglected]] [[TheWoobie young son]]. He is suitably [[FamilyValuesVillain disgusted]].

** The divorce attorney Skyler speaks to claims that attorney-client privilege allows her to not disclose if Skyler tells of any criminal activity. In fact, this is precisely where the privilege does ''not'' apply. Any discussion about an ongoing or planned crime is not privileged. Furthermore, any lawyer who learns of such a thing should report it to law enforcement immediately. Keeping it secret is considered a disbarrable offense, if not outright a crime in itself.

** Mike Ehrmantraut is gruff but personable and loyal, as well as a loving grandfather, but he'll straight-up murder you if it needs to be done.

** And then in the finale, Walt [[spoiler:begs Jesse to MercyKill him. Jesse refuses, wanting him to do it himself]].
** Inverted in season one, when Walt refuses Elliott and Gretchen's offer to pay for his treatment.

** Debatable as to how much of a villain he was, but [[spoiler:Mike's death]]. Granted, [[spoiler:Mike's a stone cold murderer and by no means a good guy, but the writers manage to avoid making this a case of KickTheSonOfABitch by having Mike become a guy who just wants out of the game and to retire with his family. Unfortunately, Walt fatally shoots him in a fit of rage. His last moments are seen sitting near the lake and rudely telling Walt to let him die in peace]]
** [[spoiler: '''Walt''' himself in his last moments. He dies knowing he has secured his family's future in the long run, and accepts his impending death, stating he deserved it. But, none of his family members will know it was him who secured their future and, excluding Skyler, that he tried to save Hank. He also saves Jesse from the Neo-Nazis too after gunning them down, and even offers Jesse the chance to kill him, but he refuses. After that, Walt finally dies alone in a meth lab, surrounded by the things he liked to do]].

** All the cars in the series have some significance to their owner as [[https://www.india.com/car-and-bike/car-articles/car-features/the-cars-of-breaking-bad-and-what-they-symbolise-3303268/ This article]] points out.

** After two years in the drug business, Walt ends up hiding from the police alone in a cabin in the New Hampshire wilderness. He's been shunned by his family, the neo-Nazis have stolen most of his money and the one barrel of cash he has left he cannot spend or pass on to his children. He's on the verge of turning himself in, until [[EurekaMoment he sees Gretchen and Elliot being interviewed about him on television.]]

* AccidentalChildKillerBackstory: While in rehab, Jesse hears his group leader talk about accidentally backing a car over his own daughter while high on cocaine. The leader now spends his time trying to help others keep from making the same mistakes.
** I'm not sure if cocaine was involved but he definitely was drunk and was driving to get vodka at an ABC store in VA.

** Both the first and final episodes take place on Walt's birthday.

** Season 5: [[spoiler:For the first half and most of the second half, Walter White / Heisenberg himself occupies this role by way of VillainProtagonist with his brother-in-law Hank Schrader serving as a HeroAntagonist. However, after "Ozymandias", he loses the position to Jack and the Neo-Nazis when Hank is murdered, most of his cash is stolen, and he's forced to go on the run as his identity is exposed. Eventually, Walt returns and wipes out both the nazis and the last remnants of his empire.]]

** Season 5: [[spoiler:For the first half and most of the second half, Walter White / Heisenberg himself occupies this role by way of VillainProtagonist with his brother-in-law Hank Schrader serving as a HeroAntagonist. However, after "Ozymandias", he loses the position to Jack and the Neo-Nazis when his brother-in-law is murdered, most of his cash is stolen, and he's forced to go on the run when his identity is exposed. Eventually, Walt returns and wipes out both the nazis and the last remnants of his empire.]]

** Season 5: [[spoiler:For the first half and most of the second half, Walter White / Heisenberg himself occupies this role by way of VillainProtagonist with his brother-in-law Hank serving as a HeroAntagonist. However, after "Ozymandias", he loses the position to Jack and the Neo-Nazis when his brother-in-law is murdered, most of his cash is stolen, and he's forced to go on the run when his identity is exposed. Eventually, Walt returns and wipes out both the nazis and the last remnants of his empire.]]

* BluffTheEavesdropper: Right before Walt goes on the run, he calls Skylar and, realizing the police are listening in, goes on a rant and essentially states that her involvement in his criminal activities was minimal and under the threat of death

** Season 5: [[spoiler:For the first half and most of the second half, Walter White / Heisenberg is Hank's main target after he discovers that he is Heisenberg by way of VillainProtagonist. However, after "Ozymandias", he loses the position to Jack and the Neo-Nazis, with Walt being eventually reduced to TheAtoner and ExBigBad.]]

** A non-fatal example in the form of [[spoiler:Ted Beneke, who embezzled at his company; slept with a married woman and then while facing a major audit from the IRS that Skyler helped him with, chooses to refuse to pay them off and instead put both himself and Skyler at risk. This results in her having Kuby and Huell strong-arm him into signing the check where he tries to flee to then save himself, trips and slides into the count with blunt force and ends up paralyzed from the neck down]].

** Mike was trying to put together a huge nest egg for his Granddaughter. [[spoiler:In the end the DEA is able to seize the money and Walt kills him. Jesse tries to get money to Mike's granddaughter, but Saul quickly points out that the DEA would just seize that as well. The issue is never brought up again so it's likely she'll never get the money.]]

** In Season 5, when Walter comes to Mike [[spoiler: asking for names of his men incarcerated,]] Mike calls out Walter for exactly what he is, [[spoiler:Claiming that his Pride and Ego is what caused his entire operation to collapse, and that if he had simply known his place working for Gus, he could've made all the money he wanted. Walter gets so offended by this he kills Mike in a blind rage.]]
** In the second to last Episode, when [[spoiler: Walter is prepared to turn himself in, he watches Gretchen and Elliot on TV diminish his accomplishments in Grey Matter. Walter's Pride is again slated and he sets off to seek revenge, dooming him to his violent death.]]

** The first issue is that the guy running it [[SmugSnake Tuco Salamanca]], a guy who can be easily baited into [[DidntThinkThisThrough letting random people]] inside as long as they have drugs or cash to offer; meaning a wire, a bomb or some poison can easily be smuggled in.

** Mike was trying to put together a huge nest egg for his Granddaughter. [[spoiler:In the end the DEA is able to seize the money and Walt kills him. Jesse tries to get money to Mike's Granddaughter, but Saul quickly points out that the DEA would just seize that as well. The issue is never brought up again so it's likely she'll never get the money.]]

* AmbiguouslyBrown:
** The ethnicity of the character, Victor, Gus' personal assistant and right hand man to Mike is never revealed. He hardly ever speaks, but when does, he doesn't have a Mexican accent nor does he ever speak Spanish. Being that the actor portraying the character, Jeremiah Bitsui is a full-blooded American Indian (1/2 Navajo, 1/2 Omaha), and the city of Albuquerque is home to a big American Indian population, particularly Navajo Indians, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume that Victor is possibly Native American (Navajo.)
** Gus himself, up until the point when his Chilean background is revealed, which is itself suspect. Gus alternately goes by "Gus" and "Gustavo," and his sometimes-heavy Spanish accent appears and disappears depending on the context, as if he is camouflaging his ethnicity. Gus seems to become more and more overtly Spanish as the series progresses.

** Season 5: [[spoiler:For the first half and most of the second half, Walter White / Heisenberg is Hank's main target after he discovers that he is Heisenberg by way of VillainProtagonist. However, after "Ozymandias", he loses the position to Jack and the Neo-Nazis, with Walt being eventually reduced to TheAtoner and Ex-BigBad.]]

** Season 5: [[spoiler:For the first half and most of the second half, Walter White / Heisenberg is Hank's main target after he discovers that he is Heisenberg by way of VillainProtagonist. However, after "Ozymandias", he loses the position to Jack and the Neo-Nazis, with Walt being eventually reduced to TheAtoner and Ex-BigBad. As for Lydia, she's part of the BigBadDuumvirate with Jack during the season as a whole.]]

** Season 5: [[spoiler:For the first half and most of the second half, Walter White / Heisenberg is Hank's main target after he discovers that he is Heisenberg by way of VillainProtagonist. However, after "Ozymandias", he loses the position to Jack and the Neonazis, with Walt being eventually reduced to The Atoner and Ex-Big Bad. As for Lydia, she's part of the Big Bad Duumvirate with Jack during the season as a whole.]]

** Season 5A: [[spoiler:Walt himself takes over the drug trade with Gus dead, forming a tenuous partnership with Mike in an effort to cover up their illegal activities and build their own empire. Todd, a new cook recruited into their meth business, is TheHeavy who unintentionally drives Jesse to leave the trade when he needlessly murders a child in one of their capers; Mike also leaves once the pressure from Hank's investigation becomes too much to bear, only for his refusal to help Walt murder remaining "loose ends" to get him killed.]]
** Season 5B: [[spoiler:Walt briefly exited the business upon finding out his cancer had returned, but Hank (serving as a HeroAntagonist) discovering that he is Heisenberg forces him back into his criminal ways. He hides his drug money and creates a false confession tape implicating Hank as the real mastermind, forcing him to back off. Things go downhill once Jesse realizes that Walt was the one who actually poisoned Brock, causing him to side with Hank. They manage to lure Walt into a trap by taking advantage of his greed. Walt had called a hit out on Jesse, but failed to realize he was working with Hank. As a result, he ultimately loses the position to Jack and the Neo-Nazis after 'Ozymandias' when Hank is murdered, most of his money is stolen and he's outed to the public, forcing him to go on the run. Eventually he returns and wipes them out, destroying the last remnants of his empire.]]

** Season 5B: [[spoiler:Walt briefly exited the business upon finding out his cancer had returned, but Hank (serving as HeroAntagonist) discovering that he is Heisenberg forces him back into his criminal ways. He hides his drug money and creates a false confession tape implicating Hank as the real mastermind, forcing him to back off. Things go downhill once Jesse realizes that Walt was the one who actually poisoned Brock, causing him to side with Hank. They manage to lure Walt into a trap by taking advantage of his greed. Walt had called a hit out on Jesse, but failed to realize he was working with Hank. As a result, he ultimately loses the position to Jack and the Neo-Nazis after 'Ozymandias' when Hank is murdered, most of his money is stolen and he's outed to the public, forcing him to go on the run. Eventually he returns and wipes them out, destroying the last remnants of his empire.]]

* AssholeVictim: Oh so many. [[spoiler:Tuco, Todd, Lydia, the neo-Nazis, the Cartel Dons, Gus, Uncle Jack, Krazy-8, Spooge, and ''perhaps'' even Walt,]] to name a few.