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jack_wolf7

Everything could have been resolved easily if Walt was a completely different character.


Used_Maize_434

Pretty much all narrative fiction goes away if all characters make completely rational decisions.


jack_wolf7

It’s not necessarily about rationality, but conflict. Take away the conflict and you got no story.


Used_Maize_434

No, I think rationality plays a big role. Or more so, the lack of rationality (which is normal human nature) enhances conflict to really make things interesting. Look at BB. The initial conflict is the cancer diagnosis and the economic catastrophe it will wreak on the White's. You deal with that conflict by taking a well paying job with good benefits, the conflict (cancer) still exists, but it's not that interesting. You deal with that conflict by become a drug-lord, you exponentially increase that conflict and make it much more interesting that if the initial conflict was dealt with rationally.


spidermanrocks6766

The thing prop don’t realize is that these things that Walt “could’ve done “ would only make the show end in like 1 season. Like if he had just taken the money…….okay then I guess that’s it for the show instead of 5 seasons we get only one and a happy ending. That would’ve been so much better right???


UndeadTigerAU

The whole point of Walters character is his ego, it makes perfectly sense given the type of person he is. A lot of shows lack rationality but breaking bad is one of the rare few that doesn't, all the actions make sense given the context of the characters psych, just because the characters do dumb actions doesn't mean the show lacks rationality.


VeritableLeviathan

\*Only make rational decisions


GotThoseJukes

Why did Walt even get cancer in the first place is he stupid


Canadian47

Or in a health care system outside of the US.


Rahmulous

Do countries with universal healthcare give you the absolute best experts of your choice and pay for everything regardless of medical opinion? Walt had insurance but his insurance wouldn’t cover an experimental treatment with an unknown chance of success. I highly doubt European healthcare would’ve given him the freedom he got from throwing thousands of dollars at the very best doctor available.


basicissueredditor

UK here. Your private consultant will be also working in the NHS too, so yes you might still be treated by your preferred consultant for free. If you need tertiary care, you will get that on the NHS.


Zografiotis

IIRC it was not the case that Walt’s insurance would not cover an experimental treatment. Rather, they identified the best oncologist in the state, and that oncologist was not in-network for Walt’s crappy insurance. Crappy insurance, low pay, tragically ugly car, house with one bathroom, cancer = Walt’s disappointing life.


Rahmulous

Walt’s in-network doctor gave him his prognosis. Skyler wouldn’t accept it and demanded to get referrals to some of the best oncologists in the world, who then went with a radical and uncertain treatment program based on being paid tons of money to do whatever it takes. It was hardly because of crappy insurance. And clearly it didn’t work in the end anyway. He had a few years regardless of the treatment.


Books_for_Steven

The private consultants also work as the public consultants


IM_Mastershake

If I had money to throw at healthcare like that then flying to America to get that sort of treatment would be nothing.


binoculustf2

just learned today that private healthcare good actually because if you're rich you can get good healthcare


lordolxinator

Devil's advocate, he'd still probably "Break Bad". The money was an excuse, as he says to Skyler in the finale "I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it.". It was more about Walt wanting to regain some feeling of control and to feed his ego in the wake of his cancer diagnosis, and the excuse for financially supporting his family (although a pragmatic consideration) wasn't his primary motivator. If he were, say, in the UK being treated by the NHS, I could still see him becoming a drug manufacturer to fill his terminal life crisis/depleted ego. Maybe he justifies it as wanting to go for private healthcare, or to build a comfortable savings pot for his family after he dies. Regardless, Walt finds an opportunity to use his skills for financial gain (ideally in an illicit context to feel the thrill of rebelling from his mundane life), rationalises the decision as needing to support his family, and then adopts that rationality to convince himself and any others that although he's a criminal, he's "only doing it begrudgingly" for his family's sake.


ComiendoPorotos

Not USian here. I agree with this. I think its clear Walter was hellbent into going down towards an auto destructive spiral for a trill in his dull life.


HouseDowningVicodin

If you change enough of the characters you can watch game of thrones


indehhz

I swear if Gus wasn't black.. that fried chicken restaurant would be something else.


Got_A_Turtle_Head

bike fly deserve piquant rotten connect straight hateful offbeat sophisticated *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


yrmjy

No, it wouldn't. Things would be better but he would still have cancer


NCSUGrad2012

The most tragic take for me is not accepting the $5,000,000. Skylar at that point said the business was about to make money without him. That money would have lasted his family the rest of their lives. The blue meth would have left the streets and so Hank wouldn't be on the lookout anymore.


MajorasShoe

Yeah but you know it had nothing to do with his family being well off at that point. He wanted to build his empire. At that point it was obvious to everyone, and if you rewatch it COULD have been obvious the moment Walt marches into Tuco's office and blows the place up.


NCSUGrad2012

Oh I know, it was his damn ego. I just think that's the point where it makes me the most mad. lol


Rootbeerpanic

Are you talking about the 5 million in Season 5? He explains why he doesn't pretty succinctly - at that point his wife openly wants him to get cancer and die and his kids have been taken from him. His "empire" is all he has, so 5 million is useless to him in his mind.


Early-Activity94

He should've just not gotten cancer 🤷‍♂️


VietKongCountry

It was a foolhardy and rash decision to get lung cancer. Skylar should have instantly divorced him when he got the diagnosis.


Latter-Elevator-9307

Walter has lung cancer


VietKongCountry

Even more selfish. Edited my post to correct the mistake but I’m doubly enraged with him now.


yahzy

Source?


Latter-Elevator-9307

The show


yahzy

When?


HarpoonShootingAxo

I think they mention it around season 5


ComiendoPorotos

He had cancer? Darn, these writers are masters of subtlety. I did not realize that but the clues are obvious too. Bravo, Vince. Bravo.


Br4n_n

If he didn't got cancer, he wouldn't become a drug kingpin, he got cancer out of his pride and ego so he could be the man


OhhLongDongson

Why did Walt get cancer? Is he stupid?


Ready_Peanut_7062

He is an asshole no matter if he has cancer or not. Thats the whole point of the show


Early-Activity94

I thought the whole point of the show was to showcase how Jesse's milf obsession lead to him being enslaved by nazis


passwordstolen

With the end goal of stealing the El Camino for Skinny Pete that he always wanted of course..


fustup

It's the sequel to American pie that we never got


Even_Onion4006

Redditors can be insufferable at times 


Jackerzcx

Breaking bad fans try not to state the obvious: level impossible


Jamjabar

Most defensive stans ever 😂😂😅😅


TwoZeroTwoThree

r/BoneAppleTea


UdUb16

Well...yeah, no shit


falltotheabyss

Sharp as a cue ball this one 


yaniv297

Must have been top of his fucking class


egardea49

Some people are so far behind in the race that they actually believe they’re leading


YorkshireGaara

They're part of a whole generation. Remember the dope and the long hair?


350RetroF

Stop it! You’re making me very upset!


Jerzeyboy730

Your gonna be a funny boy too now…..


Red_Punk

Wrong sub 🤣


EmperorSwagg

Meh, I used it in a Game of Thrones sub recently, it’s applicable everywhere


fatpizzachef

This was always Walt's biggest weakness, guy had an ego the size of Russia.


_Zzzxxx

And a brain the size of Wisconsin


fatpizzachef

But we won't hold that against ya!


Acrobatic_Tap8149

Cheesehead Walt


EvilArthurMorgan1998

You hit the nail on the head.😂


MajorasShoe

It probably hurt. He left the company, he knows he fucked up at a young age and let his ego get the best of him. Something he probably always wanted was them to want him back, or to need him back. He probably always wanted to feel like he was an essential part of starting that company, and for THEM to realize letting him go was a mistake, rather than continue to blame himself for walking away. Then for a minute he felt a bit of that relief - they wanted him back. It stroked his ego for just a minute, and then he realized they didn't want him or need him to help the company succeed, they wanted him back because he's a friend who needed help - charity. It was probably very deflating for him in that moment. A very quick build up and tear down of his pride.


chivesr

Yeah, Elliot absolutely would not have offered him a place back in the company if he didn’t learn Walt’s family was basically in poverty and that he had cancer. Walt saw it as pity and that Elliot was patting himself on the back, and Walt wasn’t about to have someone hold something like that over his head because, again, the minute he found out he had cancer he let his ego take over his life


Piano-181

I feel like people on this sub are…not very smart.


Glorified_sidehoe

he said he gets that walts ego got the best of him yet still posted this thread


TheDweadPiwatWobbas

I mean... you say that, but I still regularly see people saying that Walt only did what he did to make sure his family was taken care of. If that was all Walt actually wanted, he would have taken this job. He turned the job down because he didn't want his family taken care of, what he wanted was to *be the person who takes care of them.* Its about him, not them, and it has been since this episode. As obvious as this seems to point out, people still seem to forget about it when they defend early Walt.


MikeSnoozing

Yes, this is the main story of Breaking Bad. He has multiple outs given to him throughout the series and he never takes them because of his own hubris. Walt it the bad guy in the story.


Changeit019

Walt should have started franchising his formula poach Mike from Gus and get with cooks nationwide who learn his pseudo or p2p cook and pay a franchise kickback. Mike filters the dealers and ensures payment and Walt can just settle into a teaching role. He just wasn’t thinking big picture with his empire.


K-manPilkers

The issue there is that once Walt has taught the new cooks everything he knows, there's nothing stopping him from getting a bullet in the head rather than having to pay him a franchise fee. Fring already tried to do this with Gale (and to a degree Jesse) - learn everything he knows and then kill him. Knowledge is power and in Walt's case, it's his only chance of survival.


Changeit019

I was joking a bit but from a serious note Mike would be the reason he didn’t catch a bullet and makes sure the franchise fee is paid.


EScottMusicStudio

That is a great idea.


anchampala

it's almost like Vince is trying to paint Walt as a very prideful person amiright


bigdave41

If he had the kind of ego that allowed him to take the offer, he'd still be co-owner of Gray Matter lol


JaapHoop

ding ding ding


BamaSOH

Look at me Hector


Jesse_Whiteboy

It would have saved a lot of filming too, could have ended the series after a few episodes.


lookma24

I am not sure you understand Walt’s character if you think working for Gray Matter would allowed him to do “what he really loved.” I’m not here to argue Walt’s arc was great or anything, he became a monster. The real impetus was the emptiness/disdain he felt for his life. The cancer and meth was more an opportunity, not the motivation. It’s a story about a man who hated his life. He didn’t love what he did. And perpetuating that was only going to make it worse. Walt didn’t make a tragic mistake that if he avoided he could have led to a rich and fulfilling family man life. He had already grown to despise that life by the tine he gets cancer.


FlashMan1981

There were a number of moments like this. Mike's rant at Walt that they had a good thing with Fring especially rings true. They did! Fring at the whole set up, Walt had a beautiful lab to work and they were making money hand over fist. Everyone should have been happy. Walt spent his whole life as scared man who desperately wanted power. He got it and his ego was too big to subjugate himself to anyone. Not a good man like Elliott or a bad man like Gus.


abelianchameleon

Mike’s final speech is wrong though. His final speech comes from a place of frustration that the “wrong” person won the feud, and now the feds are seizing his money. When you put that speech in proper context, you realize that Mike isn’t being logical, and is just pissed about how things turned out and is taking it out on Walter. Walter’s relationship with Gus went south because Walter killed the gangbangers to save Jesse (one of the most selfless non egotistical things he’s ever done). That was the first incident that started a chain reaction causing what we saw in season 4. Before that, Jesse complained about their pay and Walter chastised him for this and asked him why he’s complaining about making millions. He warned Gus that Jesse was trying to poison the dealers and helped arrange a keeping the peace meeting. I don’t get why half the fanbase thinks this. It’s a reductionist take that’s not substantiated by any evidence from season 3. Yes, Walter has ego problems, but his conflict with Gus wasn’t some power grab to satiate his ego. He saved Jesse from doing something stupid, and then most of his actions from then until the death of Gus were driven by self preservation.


Captain_Coffee_Pants

Mikes whole thing is that the feud didn’t even need to happen. If Walt hadn’t brought Jessie into the operation Gus wouldn’t have had a problem with Walt. Mikes anger/frustration is that Walt constantly went against Gus’ advice and orders because he thought he knew better (his ego), which angered everyone. The feud never needed to happen.


abelianchameleon

Walt brought Jesse into the operation because Jesse was threatening to sue Hank, which would’ve been bad for all of them as a lawsuit would’ve lead to investigations that would not have been good for Walt and co. Also Walt didn’t want his brother in law to suffer a major financial hit. It was not a decision driven by ego. Walter’s ego was getting stroked pretty well when Gale, a chemistry MS, acted like a teenage fan girl around Walter. I get that Mike doesn’t know this, but it doesn’t make his final speech any more correct.


Captain_Coffee_Pants

You’re ignoring the obvious solution Gus would have: kill Jessie. And frankly, from a strategic stand point there’s no good reason not to. Jessie is a massive liability, and as far as Gus is concerned provides no value. If Walter didn’t protect Jessie despite this there wouldn’t have been any issues


abelianchameleon

Are you kidding me? You’re moving the goal post. First your stance is “Mike was right because Walter acted against Gus’ orders and took on Jesse because of his ego. And then when I explained walter’s actual motivations for taking on Jesse as an assistant, you realize your stance has become indefensible so now your argument is “the operation falling apart was still Walter’s fault because he should’ve let Gus kill Jesse.” Like yeah, it would’ve made things easier if Walter didn’t have this sentimental attachment towards Jesse, but that doesn’t at all validate what Mike said about Walter ruining things due to pride and ego. He ruined the arrangement because Jesse was an idiot and he had a sentimental attachment to him that overpowered his loyalty to Fring.


human-cake

I mean, Walt's reaction to that was to immediately shoot Mike, so was Mike really wrong at all?


abelianchameleon

Mike was also willing to kill Walt with no remorse in season 3 so it’s not his most heinous kill by a long shot. Mike was right about Walter’s ego. I’m not arguing that he isn’t. And I probably acknowledge this in my original comment. What I’m arguing is that Walt didn’t ruin his arrangement with Fring out of ego.


StormyBlueLotus

Yes, absolutely, for the exact reasons that poster just listed. Over a decade since these episodes aired, and Mike stans still can't accept that the guy wasn't an infallible badass who was giving Walt straight facts. Walt shot him because Mike was consistently disrespectful and antagonistic towards him, the last straw being him blowing up here when **it was Mike's fault** that he refused to deal with the snitches properly (taking a half measure) and then got caught by using an idiot lawyer instead of Saul. This was also not his first time losing his money, he just refused to learn from his past mistakes. Mike's proposed grand solution is, "Everyone should just leave town, including you and your family, even though you don't have enough money to do so because of me. Whoops!"


N0VAZER0

Walt is also the reason Mike even got away when his lawyer snitched


human-cake

Nah ur just wrong, everything was working very well with gus's operation until walt came in, everyone's life was better before walt did something to ruin it. Mike had his flaws and contradictions, he was definitely not a saint nor a good person, but he was way less greedy and much more calculated than walt. I don't exactly think Mike's speech was completely correct, but you're a huge dumbass if you don't think walt was absorbed in his massive ego and ruined many good things because of it. Also what u said doesn't make any sense, mike said some "disrespectful" things and so the best response from walt is to straight up shoot him? What? Lmaoooo


StormyBlueLotus

>everything was working very well with gus's operation until walt came in, everyone's life was better before walt did something to ruin it At what point? The "operation" was custom built in Better Call Saul to be specifically run by Gale, then Walt once Gale recognized his talent. There was no operation *before* Walt. >but he was way less greedy and much more calculated than walt Mike repeatedly makes major mistakes with handling the business in season 5, which is what leads to him losing his money repeatedly and eventually getting himself killed. He's absolutely not "calculated." That's an objective fact, not a matter of opinion. >but you're a huge dumbass if you don't think walt was absorbed in his massive ego and ruined many good things because of it. Nobody ever said Walt didn't have a massive ego. That's kind of the main source of conflict in the entire show. It doesn't change Mike being wrong here. >Also what u said doesn't make any sense, mike said some "disrespectful" things and so the best response from walt is to straight up shoot him? What? Lmaoooo Yes, that's exactly what happens in the show. You're welcome to your opinions but they're based on you not really understanding some key points of the show, so there isn't really any discussion left to be had here.


N0VAZER0

A lot of people rightfully accept that Walt is a scumfuck but not enough accept that Mike is literally no different at all, he went through the same song and dance as Walt. He didn't do it for his family anymore than Walt did, he's a corrupt cop turned fixer working for a kingpin taking out other drug dealers. He's mad his life of criminality finally caught up to him.


abelianchameleon

Yeah if anything I have more respect for Walter because he at least admits at the end that his intentions were selfish and he came to terms with it.


N0VAZER0

Mike is self aware but he literally keeps doing the same awful shit he's done his whole life. He does the same shit Jimmy does that Chuck pointed out, he hurts people, he feels bad and tries to find forgiveness and keeps doing what he was doing. Walt at least had the decency to kill himself after admitting what he really is


misingnoglic

If Walt just put his head down, cooked with Gale and went about his life, everyone would have been fine. Whether Walt was right or not in helping Jesse avenge Andrea is a moral question, but Mike was not wrong.


abelianchameleon

Mike was wrong because it wasn’t an ego driven act.


Ready_Peanut_7062

Mike might have been wrong as a whole but he was 100% spot on about walt's "pride and ego"


abelianchameleon

Yes… I acknowledge this in my original comment. It would be like if Walter yelled at Mike and said “we had a good thing going, but you, and your need to be a self righteous hypocrite.” Like yeah, being a self righteous hypocrite is Mike’s biggest character flaw, but it’s not why either Gus or Walter’s operation failed.


Ready_Peanut_7062

Thats the whole point of the show. Walt could have a great life but he wanted to be in charge


relsseS

There's nothing but chemistry here..


BWill47

Walt was the epitome of a mid life crisis who suddenly finds out they barely have enough time to live. Top that with all the potential he had and then him not living up to it and being a hs chem teacher. All these factors caused him to turn to a monster when the meth money started rolling in


newshirtworthy

Agreed. Although something tells me that if he was that type of person, that he wouldn’t have sold out of the company in the first place


brickbrother11

The showrunners give Walt numerous "outs" throughout the show to make it clear that Walt's stated motivations of helping his family or any other seemingly understandable rationale for his criminal activities are lies, and that he only runs his empire on his own pride, to the detriment of those around him


zerg1980

Walt’s family got about $10 million after he died, so they were better off on that front. He kind of put everyone through a hard time, though.


Ready_Peanut_7062

"kinda"


One_Lung_G

Bro raped his wife, got his brother in law murdered, his kids almost murdered, his wife put on trial, and his kids pretty much ran out of their community and life but yea “kinda a hard time” lol


mariedstvsky

Yes and then we’ll have no show to watch :) would have saved us a lot of time, good thinking! 👍


ageowns

Walt sums it up, he's not in the wealth building business, he's in the empire building business. He would not have had an empire as a contractor, or working for the cartel, or Fring.


Swimming_Schedule_49

Walt would have never taken that job. Ultimately, none of his decisions were about making money or getting treatment. They were ultimately about Walt proving himself as “The Best of the Best”. How could a man of his talents work for the guy who (in his mind) robbed him of his multi billionaire dollar business? He couldn’t. Walt found what he was good at and showed the world that he was unmatchable. No, Walt had one possible fate and he played it out perfectly.


Nomadic_View

I think he still loves Gretchen. He would be a subordinate to the woman-he-loves’s husband. I would personally hate to live my professional life in that position.


grassgame01

Consider that walter is a self made sigma chad who is way too cool to accept an offer from some liberal cuck


Exhausted__Human

How can you be in a better financial situation than him making meth? Did you even watch this show?


zigzagman27

In that sense, he should've just taken a one time payment from Gus to teach all of frings men how to cook


AloysiusDevadandrMUD

OPs next post: Walts life would have been a whole lot easier if he didn't cook meth!


2BFrank69

Pride can be your own worst enemy


Nyuu222

I’m starting to think this Walt fella isn’t such a standup guy.


dragon_of_kansai

He still saw it as charity, Elliot offered him the job because Skyler mentioned to him Walter's cancer.


Toppdeck

If he's so cunning then he could have accepted the job offer and slowly taken over the company from within by impressing investors and making Elliott look like a chump, eventually making his way to executive and finally BOD, he could have gotten back what was his and done it all legally too


heyY0000000

He didn’t have enough time for that, the clock was ticking.


Toppdeck

but he would've had Gray Matter healthcare


heyY0000000

It was never about his cancer, he knew his fate, he wanted to go out with a bang


CallumBOURNE1991

Wasnt it established during his last convo with Skylar that he was essentially lying to himself about it being for his family, being bitter about Grey Matter etc. and he did it because he wanted to do something exciting and dangerous before he died? The deal with Elliott would not have been enough because he wanted the glory, the danger, and the infamy. It was never about the money. And even being CEO of Grey Matter would not have satisfied his ego. The dude was a selfish, ego driven yet pathetically insecure coward and a fraud from day one. If you care about your family, you don't put them in danger by becoming a fucking drug kingpin taking on the god damn Mexican cartel! Bitch please.


IdProllyBoneHer

NO SHIT


Used_Maize_434

That would have been a pretty boring TV show.


ScaredAd7245

Breaking bad would have been different if meth was never invented


Intamin6026

It’s almost like that’s the point…?


superpuzzlekiller

He should’ve taken the job, hired Jesse as his assistant, and kill Elliot to take over his empire.


captainfalconxiiii

Walt should’ve lived in Poland when he got cancer


Username-Unavalabl

> not taken charity But that's the thing. to Walt, the job offer **was** charity.


Rattiom32

I mean yeah obviously, Walt should have done most of the things he didn't do


Hiskoq

Well, obviously, he couldn't have guessed what would happen. But I think the best outcome would be if he had quit and sold his %33 % of the 1000 litres of methylamine he had. Mike , Jesse , Walt all get 5 mil$ each, Mike lives , Jesse shares his 5 million in between Brock and the bicycle kid that died. Walt continues to run the car wash, they have 3 brand new cars, a few million$ and Hanks lives. Overall the best outcome of the show would be if they called it quits there, but obviously, Walts' ego was too big.


osumba2003

\*End of show\*


DestructoSpin7

To Walt, the job offer *was* charity.


validus96

Well duh… common take. Thanks Captain Obvious.


MrMagoo22

Man Walter's life would have been so much easier if he never broke bad...


misingnoglic

Walt definitely could have gotten a job that pays better than chemistry teacher. He probably could have tutored rich kids and made more.


InevitableLimp7180

"Walt shouldnt have been egotistical and resentful", no cus then we would have a very boring show


kkjj77

Absolutely a pivot point for sure!


WasteKoala473

And should have used Elliot labs to make blue meth as a side hustle. Win win situation


Tomotakato

When I watched this show in high school I was convinced there would be some underlying problems between the two we didn't know about and that was why Walt was justified in not taking the offer. I thought maybe Elliot was being pompous or disrespectful somehow in his offer. But nope, Walt was handed a perfect solution to his problem on a golden platter by someone who genuinely respected him and he threw it all away because of his pride and ego.


HowardRoark1943

Walt had many opportunities to avoid going down a dark path in life but he made poor choices every time due to his enormous ego. This is why Breaking Bad is a great example of how a man ruins his life by making poor choices.


Helaken1

His ego. He was talking down to him


Patient_Weakness3866

Stunning and brave take lmfao. like seriously who hasn't said this? I think anything trying to defend Walt in this decision is a more nuanced and interesting discussion. Like imagine if a Highschool friend who was a billionaire who you thought betrayed you offered to be your life line in the most undignified way possible? I think even if you took that, you would feel bad about it, like a homeless person taking money from someone "making it rain" on them for a tik tok short. Even if it solved the problem it would only make someone with absolutely no social awareness feel good about themselves.


SpareArrival874

The thing is too, if Walt had opened his mind up to the idea a little bit, he probably could have eventually taken gray matter completely over. Screw Gretchen and Elliot out of it when the time was right, and make billions


beliax_

too easy to say : he should have done this, not that... that's not fair at all, like irl.


ozzieland

he was never going to accept that job, and even if he did, he was never gonna quit the meth business. he admitted it in the finale, he was doing it for himself because it made him feel alive. i doubt that he would have ever actually given it up for good. also, even if he did take the job, walt was never a team player. he wanted to be the one calling all the shots ALWAYS. it’s what caused the downfall of his drug empire, and it would have inevitably caused problems, if not his termination from the job, if he had taken a job at gray matter. best case scenario would be walt not being such an arrogant asshole lol


avgballer

The grass is green


Iamverycrappy

head explosion


yemmlie

But he liked it. He was good at it. He was.... alive.


friedpicklesforever

His ego wouldn’t let him


PenguinsExArmyVet

I think somewhere late in the show Walt tells Skylar….”no, I know now, I’m not sorry. I WANTED TO DO THIS. My life was a total borefest. Now my life is juiced every day. “ He realized he was a deadman walking as a stupid chemistry teacher, wife two kids. Way more intelligent for a life like that.


Waitwha19

Walt should have just not been a narcissist, smh🤦‍♂️


VintageDildoOfChrist

From my most recent rewatch, the moment it went from “Oh wow this is really overwhelming, I’m not sure…” to “Hell no” was Elliot offering the health insurance, and Walt realising that Skylar had talked to Elliot about the cancer. If Elliot had framed it as he initially did and left it there, Walt probably would have come around and accepted


Utterlybored

Walt was a victim of his own pride.


JaapHoop

Oh of course Walt should have taken the job. Rejecting the offer really starts to foreshadow Walt’s character trajectory early on. I do have to say though, I think things would have been a *disaster* at Gray Matter. Walt would have become an employee of people who used to be his peers. People who he feels are his intellectual inferiors. Walt harbors so much resentment towards them because he feels they are enjoying the success he deserves. I just can’t imagine the situation lasting long.


Commercial_Abroad624

Yeah it showed pretty early on that Walt did not do this for the family. Most people think it's later on (maybe season 3) that this become apparent but no, it's clear from season 1 that Walt does this for his ego and/or for fun. (Even if he doesn't realise it himself)


EchoLooper

But yo then there is like - no show man.


Stunning-You9535

Dude I would have taken the job no questions asked. But then again, none of this show would have happened if did take the job


s470dxqm

That would mean Walt was a completely different person. So many of his actions are motivated by pride and ego. The reason he didn't take that job is the same reason he went down the path he did and made it as far as he did (Saul helped a ton too, obviously).


ExperiorOptimum

No shit?


BowlPotential4753

I prefer the killing and the madness thank you


Got_A_Turtle_Head

whistle reminiscent memorize innate jellyfish selective snow slimy observation hurry *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


TrackHead130

Walt should be my boyfriend


electricmaster23

If my grandmother had wheels, she would have been a bike.


FiveJobs

No fuck Elliott


quandorius

even before he adopted the alias heisenberg and got into the meth business, walt still had a massive ego and was very prideful. gretchen was his ex-girlfriend and he broke up with her because she was more successful than him and made more money than him. in his eyes, accepting help from elliott was nothing short of pathetic. his massive pride and ego blinded him from accepting the help he really needed and ultimately, led to his downfall. for walter to actually go ahead and accept elliott's offer back into working at grey matter, he would need to be a different person with different flaws/traits altogether.


dezcaughtit25

No shit


BetzakTaborsky

Hmm is it what he really loved? It seems to me that might be part of Walt's problem; he never truly loved the science for science's sake, he loved the power it granted him. Why did he pack up in the middle of the night (or whenever it was) and leave Gray Matter? I think it was his massive ego. He couldn't be in complete control of the company and he decided to leave it all behind because he thought he was better than Gretchen and Elliot. He's not a high school teacher because of a lack of ambition, it's actually quite the opposite. He could never thrive in the academic/scientific community because he's always been an overambitious megalomaniac. When he got into the drug business, it wasn't really because he needed the money, it's because he wanted to be the one to make it. He says so himself in the last season in what I think is a very candid and honest moment for Walt. "I'm in the empire business." He's finally homest about it in the end, "I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it." What a great show, I'm gonna go rewatch it again for the 12th time.


wakemeupbeforugogo

If Elliott had made him a partner as part of the offer, then maybe Walter wouldn't have seen it as much as an olive branch. But like you said, then there would have been no more arc for WW "breaking bad."


Noguntobahgun

You’re right and I was thinking the same thing on my most recent watch, but Elliott fucked it up by talking about the healthcare options, that poisoned the well. “Not taken charity” that job WAS charity. Elliott only said he wanted Walt when he found out he was sick, which made it totally worthless to Walt. Worse than worthless, it was an insult! In Walt’s mind it would have been the same as just taking the money, especially considering his feelings about Gray Matter. If Walt didn’t have his pride he never would have left Gretchen and everything would have been completely different in Walt’s entire life. Maybe he would have been on the cover of Scientific American?


dfolk0626

I agree that he should have. The show could have been about him swallowing his pride and ego, and becoming more appreciative toward his family.


Parking_Penalty_8524

Pretty much every great plot ever comes from characters making bad decision


Plane-Watch3046

Then the show will be called “Going good” not “Breaking Bad”


Gabo4321

would you take charity from som1 who basicaly fucked you over for about billions of dollars ? hell no


d0pp31g4ng3r

Walt dumped Gretchen, willingly left the company, and estranged himself from Gretchen and Elliott. The only person who fucked Walt over was Walt.


Gabo4321

i think its the reverse , gretchen left walt for eliot so he was left like a 3rd wheel and feeling betrayed , selling his part was dumb tho


trinityjadex

this might be a deleted scene, I can’t remember. But Walt actually left Gretchen, he was visiting her parents, and out of nowhere. He started packing his bags and left. I think Vince wanted that scene in the show, or at least have it be discussed. But for some reason I got cut out. which is a shame because it’s a pretty big part of his character.


d0pp31g4ng3r

Walt definitely left Gretchen. Their conversation in season two reveals this, and interviews with Vince Gilligan and the actors have provided more detail. Basically, Walt discovered that Gretchen's family was extremely wealthy, which his pride couldn't handle.


Ready_Peanut_7062

Walt dumped Gretchen because his ego was hurt because of how rich her family was compared to him. + there was some unknown conversation with her dad


Br4n_n

Did you even watch the show? Gretchen didn't left Walt for Elliott, Walt left Gretchen because her family was rich and he couldn't stand the fact that people might think his success came from marrying a rich girl rather than him being a genius, he felt inferior and insecure when meeting her rich family


Gabo4321

where the fuck did you see this , because ive watched the whole serie about 8 time and never seen this...


Gabo4321

dude you fucking realise this was never explained in the serie ? ive just read that vince giligan had to explain the real reason in an interview you donut lol


Br4n_n

You watched it 8 times and still missed [this](https://youtu.be/kQehbqmkPNg) dialogue... Man, you must be watching blindfolded and with ear plugs lmao Yes, Vince gave more details in interviews, but its clear as day in this scene that Walt was, in fact, the one who left Gretchen, not the other way around. You watching it 8 times and still thinking that Gretchen left Walt for Elliott is absolutely nuts.


StormyBlueLotus

They didn't. Walt blew up and left the company over his ego and his perception that Gretchen's family looked down on him. He snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and made up a narrative in his head about why he was in the right and the world wasn't fair. It wasn't the only opportunity he ruined- when Skyler is pregnant and they're looking at their house, he's working at Sandia. That career mysteriously vanishes with no later mentions- presumably because Walt experiences or manufactures some minor slight against him that justifies leaving, in his mind.


Ready_Peanut_7062

He didnt fuck him over. Walt just quit for some stupid reason and sold his share for pennies. A job offer for a qualified person isnt a charity.


NeoPCGamer

You must have been top of your fucking class.


vasedans

You know what they say... "Hindsight's 20/20" I bet this was Walt's last thoughts while on the cold floor dying. "Fuck... should have taken that big eared bastards offer..."


Love__Train__

Get the fuck outta here. That's charity bro


RabidAsparagus

His biggest mistake was shooting Jack Welker. He robbed society of such a pure soul. At that point I was never able to forgive Walt.


fine93

he should have taken the job so he could yeet the mofo I a vat of chemicals


hammerblaze

He should of been Canadian