I’m going to sign off the Internet tomorrow morning, because I don’t want to risk being spoiled on the finale of “Breaking Bad” before I’ve had a chance to watch it. Yes, me! The Queen of Spoilers doesn’t want to be spoiled before she can finally watch the “Breaking Bad” finale, first thing Monday morning. (I told Darin to rearrange his schedule so that we could watch it before he goes to work, but now I’m so tense I think I want to watch it before the kids get up in the morning.)
Anyhow, many people have pointed to this NPR essay on “How So Many Rooted For ‘Breaking Bad’s’ Walter White.” And while I think many of the things said in the essay are true, I think the answer is a lot simpler than that.
Here’s why so many viewers have rooted for Walter White: because Vince Gilligan gives us a familiar story that human beings just love: Ordinary person discovers they have superpowers! Who doesn’t secretly believe that somehow, one day, they’re going to have superpowers too? How many times have we seen that story? Harry Potter, Buffy, even Jesus. (Is there a more indelible myth than finding out your father is actually God?)
Everyone wants to believe they’re the smartest guy in the room like Walter White is. If only we had some kind of magical, mystical experience, we too would get superpowers and show everybody how really awesome we are. We will.
The brilliant thing Gilligan has done with just about every character on this show is to show us that SUPERPOWERS DON’T HELP. In fact, they may be a big detriment to your quality of life. Saul Goodman is, under the sleaze, a really good lawyer — it doesn’t help. Gus Fring is a both a badass kingpin and a badass fast food salesman — and wow, does having those qualities not help him. Hank, for all his bluster and panic attacks and foolishness, is a very good DEA agent — and it REALLY doesn’t help. And let’s not discuss what superdude Walter White has gotten himself into, okay?
Pretty much the only thing Jesse has going for himself as we head into the finale is that he doesn’t have superpowers. He is the Zeppo, and that’s why a lot of us are still rooting for him to survive.
There’s only one person who had better die tomorrow — I know Gilligan is going to zag when we expect him to zig on this story, but I expect complete and total fan service on killing this one guy. Don’t let me down, Vince.