Ranking My Favorite “Breaking Bad” Characters
Jesse & Walt by Biko Tescon
Some say Breaking Bad might be the best television show ever made, and it’s not hard to understand why. Described in a line by series creator Vince Gilligan, the show’s central premise is simple, albeit sinister: “This is a story about a man who transforms himself from Mr. Chips into Scarface.” It seems as if everybody today that’s up-to-date with pop culture at-least has some familiarity with Walter White, aka, ‘Heisenberg’. For those who may haven’t had the time nor interest, I’ll attempt to summate Breaking Bad’s essentiality with a brief blurb: following his 50th birthday, a high school chemistry teacher finds out he has terminal lung cancer, and so, in order to provide for his family (in addition to paying for the exorbitant costs associated with medical treatment) before dying, he begins manufacturing methamphetamine.
Crime drama, neo-noir/western, postmodern examination (or perhaps, indictment) of U.S. for-profiteering, call it whatever – all semantics aside – but one thing’s for sure: the 62-episode series is entertaining. Following the finale in 2013, there’s never been a scarcity of dissections or writeups regarding Breaking Bad’s themes. As near a decade since its last episode, I’ve had the pleasure of rewatching the drug-fueled drama three times in its entirety. My own Litmus test regarding rewatchability is a simple metric to gauge whether or not I enjoy something, and that is, if I truly like something, I’ll watch it more than once (yeah...unique, I know), doubly-so for television. Rarely will I find a need to revisit something unless I feel whatever I read/watch/play/listen is truly special, and by that merit alone, I do think Breaking Bad qualifies itself-time and time again.
The main characters feel compelling on their own, but coupled alongside the Einstein-kingpin story...well, it’s like you have to keep on watching, just one more episode before bed, a few minutes then...you understand the dance. There’s a lot going for Breaking Bad to justifiably constitute it as bingeable, from writing, acting, cinematography, pacing; I’d really be selling you short on what it’s like to get hooked on the show (once you’re invested), therefore, this won’t be a writeup like listing tit-for-tat reasons I do/or don’t like, dislike, etc., but a short (for fun) ranking of my favorite characters. Certain diehards might find my picks ridiculous, but after ingesting the world and its characters thrice, I’ve come to my own trivial (and irrelevant) conclusions.
Also...lists are fun.
No mention of my dislikes/lower tiers, but…this pictograph is self-evident.
1. Flynn, aka, Walt Jr.
Yes, outranking even the head honcho himself, Flynn takes the cake for my favorite. I appreciate his cerebral palsy wasn’t the focal point of his character, characterization-and how his disability wasn’t a walking caricature with a name (in fact, I’d postulate that some of the ways in which he’s often seen infantilized by his father – beyond the obvious of Walter attempting to hide being a drug kingpin – is a depiction of ableism, even in his own family). RJ Mitte plays the role remarkably, showing an understated complexity of emotional depth and impassion. Flynn is so believable and I always, invariably, find myself tearing up when certain revelations are made clear. He’s the heart of the show, the best thing Walter Sr. ever made, and the way of which he provides iconoclast to his father’s actions…will forever break my heart.
2. Saul Goodman, aka, Jimmie McGill
Raunchy, loveable, crude, personable, offensive, ingenuitive, a smart aleck, a two-bit crook, all of these could be used to describe the same person. Without a doubt, Saul is 100% perpetually self-interested, unable to not always be looking for his cut (and angle). Part of why I liked Saul was his casting; Bob Odenkirk is a perfect match to juggle the sarcasm and shallow-sentimentality needed for such a role. Every gangster needs a lawyer like Saul, someone to handle the dirty work offscreen, launder the money, and work the ‘magic’. All I wanted was to see more of him, so lucky for me, I can always Better Call Saul.
3. Walter White, aka, Heisenberg
“I am the one who knocks.”
4. Combo, aka, Christian Ortega
While this is a bit of a joke, I genuinely enjoyed Combo’s precious amount of screen time. Like Saul, all I wanted was to see more of him, get to know his story. His characterization is cute in a way, sort of funny – at parts – until the facade he wants to portray becomes grim reality. It wasn’t until the last season we got to see his room through the eyes of Hank, and our brief detour – combing his dusty, lonely belongings – gave us a glimpse of what essentially was an overgrown kid who grew up too soon, wholly relatable.
5. Gustavo Fring, aka, the Chicken Man
My initial reaction to Gus was antipathy, as I wasn’t necessarily driven nor compelled after going deeper into his past. Upon second viewing, my thoughts of him shifted, taking more of a critical perspective. True, Gus is a stonecold, hardnosed, no-nonsense kind of guy who will stop at nothing to get things done, but he’s been conditioned to be that way. In a world where the next person will put a knife in your back after smiling to your face, Gus learned the hard way that showing sincerity – or any discernible humanity, i.e. emotion – can and will get you quickly killed. This last rewatch solidified my view of Gus more favorable, even when he’s presented equally villainous as Walt (to my inference); Gus tries to create order out of chaos by essentially ‘corporatizing’ the business of methamphetamine production and trafficking. His cover of being a fast food magnate seems apropos and an approximate allegory.
6. Steven Gomez, aka Gomey
The Gomey is my homie, enough said.
7. Marie Schrader, aka Mimi, aka Charlotte Blattner, aka Tori Costner
Marie is interesting. It seems as though in season 1 she was underwritten, depicted as a somewhat narcissistic shrew or killjoy (something the show delivers with a rather despotic heavy-handedness: girls are out to ruin the boys’ fun). Luckily for us, Marie gets to bloom as the show progresses, lending to situations that subvert our expectations, and screen time for her neuroses, idiosyncrasies (although, another criticism I have is that her little misadventures don’t really pay off, sort of fizzling out-of-sight-out-of-mind). Like her husband, she’s got choice things to say about law enforcement, race, but I lend that to being married to a federal agent. She loves purple. She grows on you. I’d love to see what happens after the conclusion, but that might be too dark.
8. Gale Boetticher, aka, Captain Nerd, aka Major Tom
Okay, so he’s a chemist for one of the biggest methamphetamine traffickers and manufacturers in America, that’s true, but...there’s something else to this relatable nerd. Lives alone and disappears into niche hobbies? Records himself doing karaoke to 80’s German synth-pop in Thai subtitles? Bakes his own vegan treats? Coffee lover extraordinaire? Walt Whitman enthusiast? How about the socks-in-sandals, cargo shorts, scruffy presentation, bumbling persona? Check, check, check. Sign me up, save for, whenever the other W.W. is seen being a real meanie to him, to which, I will endlessly frown and yell at the screen, “stop being mean to Gale!”
9. Michael Ehrmantraut, aka Mike, aka Uncle Fester
There’s too many strong/silent types peppered throughout this show, but Mike makes the cut. He’s complex as he needs to be in order to fulfill our curiosity and by that, I mean, making his screen time worthy. His backstory remains shrouded in mystery, though what bits we get treated to will serve as plotlines within the prequel series. Mike’s quips are delivered with great comedic timing, and the way his face looks beyond tired of everybody’s crap makes them even more hilarious.
10. Skinny Pete, aka Skinny, aka Pete
When he and Badger begin the bit about Star Trek and Chekhov’s stomach...just...*chef’s kiss*.
