Bad Guys We Tend To Root For

It’s a defining moment in a series that has so many. Walter White, the chemistry teacher turned meth cooker, stands in front of a rival group of drug dealers. He is out in the middle of the Albuquerque desert, where so many of his meetings with associates have taken place.

“Say my name," Walter orders.

“Heisenburg,” the group’s leader reluctantly replies.

“You’re goddamn right.”

Heisenberg. Walter White’s drug kingpin alias. Heisenberg is more of a myth in the criminal underworld, but it’s the identity that Walter has morphed into over the course of five seasons of Breaking Bad. His initial intentions for entering into the meth business were all about providing for his family when he received the news that he was dying of lung cancer. Eventually Heisenberg made Walter lie to his family, manipulate his associates and murder people that might bring him down. Soon all of his actions and decisions were that of Heisenberg’s, and not that of family man and teacher Walter White.   

This final season of Breaking Bad has been a tumultuous roller coaster, with some of the most intense episodes of the whole series. We found out this past week that Walter was hiding in a cabin in the woods of New Hampshire. We already knew from previous episodes that he does return to Albuquerque, with an M60 machine gun in the trunk of his car. It doesn’t look like it will end well, be we will learn the final fate of Walter White on the series finale this Sunday.

The underlying question is what does Walter deserve? Throughout the series as we’ve watched his progression, the more difficult decisions became easier for him to make, all for the sake of protecting himself and his family. But we never would root against Walter, even though deep down we all knew our protagonist was turning into a conniving sociopath.

This has been a central theme in many popular dramas in recent years. This past spring the passing of James Gandolfini brought his most popular character Tony Soprano back to the forefront. Tony, struggling to find the balance between his family and his role as a crime boss, eventually became one of the more significant and recognizable characters in the history of television. His list of evil deeds was so extensive, but we would still tune in every Sunday to see what he would do next. The final scene of The Sopranos is open to interpretation, but most signs point to Tony meeting his fatal end.

Gandolfini’s untimely passing was right around the time that Mad Men concluded its sixth season. Another protagonist, Don Draper, finally opened up to his co-workers about his troubled past and was placed on leave from the ad agency he worked so diligently to develop. His actions were so unlike the whiskey swilling, cheating and client manipulating Don we’ve grown so accustomed to. Has Don’s history of being an unfaithful husband, questionable father and poor behavior finally caught up with him? Is the sudden dismissing from the craft he’s so passionate about a deserving punishment?

Whether it’s Tony Soprano, Don Draper, Nucky Thompson, Jax Teller, Ray Donovan, Vic Mackey, Tommy Gavin or Dexter Morgan, we can’t helped but be drawn to their deceit, lies and distasteful behavior. Some of the best drama series television has ever seen has revolved around it. We seek it out and can’t get enough of it. As a fan, I don’t want to see Breaking Bad end. We would all like to see more of Walter White and what he can get away with next. But I am also brimming with anticipation. If these last few episodes can determine anything, we are in store for an immense and suspenseful conclusion. There hasn’t been a point in the series that has ever disappointed, and I don’t see the finale being any different. I’m sure it will be what Walter White deserves.