Summary
Skyler White (Anna Gunn) ofBreaking Badmay be one of the least-liked characters to ever appear on a TV show, but after my first two watch-throughs, I was convinced that she is one of the most innocent characters on the show. InBreaking Bad, Vince Gilligan brings us onWalter White’s journey from downtrodden chemistry teacher to Heisenberg, the most feared meth dealer in two countries. Three, if you count Germany. Don’t forget Peter Schuler (Norbert Weisser).
With Walter in the driver’s seat, it’s natural to want to root for himand against anyone getting in his way. Naturally, that includes his wife Skyler, who, I admit, I was not a huge fan of on the first watch. Few people were actually, and Skyler is oftenranked among the most hated TV characters ever. I, however, no longer stand behind my ill-informed take and proudly proclaim I’m Team Skylar over Team Walter, a proclamation that would probably make Vince Gilligan, if he ever heard it, roll his eyes and say “no s**t” in his soft-spoken, understated way.
10 Breaking Bad Moments That Made You Root For Skyler White
Despite being underappreciated as a character, Skyer White had multiple moments in Breaking Bad that had audiences rooting for her story.
Skyler White Didn’t Get Nearly The Sympathetic Backstory That Walt Did In Breaking Bad
The Audience Only Sees Skyler Through Walter’s Eyes
When Walt is first introduced, his students mock him, his sex life is non-existent, strangers antagonize his son, oh, and he has lung cancer. Basically, nothing has gone right for this guy in years. So, when he starts earning money, and more importantly, confidence, it’s hard not to root for him. And when Skyler gets in the way and asks him to, you know, stop cooking meth, it’s hard not to see her as a wet blanket. Even worse, we don’t really know anything about Skyler, soit’s easy to project whatever we want onto her.
Skyler White is the only character besides Walter to have dialogue in every episode ofBreaking Bad.
Without a backstory, all we know about is the bad parts of Skyler because we’re watching her through Walt’s eyes. If the character had more of a backstory, perhaps her time writing short stories, maybe audiences would have gravitated to her. But that’s not the point of the show. Walt is an unstoppable locomotive destroying everything in its path. Everyone and everything is crushed under his inexhaustible pursuit of infamy, even his wife and family. From his (and our) perspective, she’s holding him back.
Not only was she placed in a dangerous situation, but the circumstances were such that she could not escape without causing even more damage, and Walt knew that.
From Skyler White’s perspective, she is in a horror movie. Or at least a psychological thriller. She was completely content and then, out of nowhere, her life was upended. Not only was she placed in a dangerous situation, but the circumstances were such that she could not escape without causing even more damage, and Walt knew that. People like to point out Sklyer walking into the pool as a frustrating character moment. Watch that scene again. Heisenberg is literally taunting her beforehand, dangling in front of her the normal life she wanted but knows she can no longer have.
Walter Brought The Destruction Of His Family On Himself
But what about Skyler’s affair? Well seriously, what about it? It definitely wasn’t cool, but her husband was a violent drug lord. Everything she thought she knew about the man she married no longer mattered, and she had nowhere to turn. Ted Beneke (Christopher Cousins) was the only one to show her genuine kindness. Of course, she would feel safe with him. She gets to play the part of a normal wife again before her family is destroyed.
As for Skyler “stealing” Walt’s money, that was so Ted would not expose her to the IRS. Like every decision Skyler makes inBreaking Bad, it’s to protect her family. The only time it backfires is when Walt puts everything on the line without telling her. Walt claims he would do anything for his family. Well,Skyler actually would, including casting aside her pride and ego.
Breaking Bad
Cast
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
