MovieChat Forums > Breaking Bad (2008) Discussion > Skyler Didn’t Care About Walt

Skyler Didn’t Care About Walt


Skyler loved being the boss and treating Walt like an inferior idiot, but she didn’t actually care about him. As soon as Walt actually stood up for himself and starting doing things that would be not normal for him she turned on him immediately.

Skyler turns on Walt by the beginning of season 2 and she didn’t even know Walt was doing anything illegal. She flipped out because he was smoking pot when he had cancer. If you actually loved someone you wouldn’t turn on them like how quickly Skyler did on Walt. Just a terrible wife

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I USUALLY FIND MYSELF DEFENDING TV WIVES...AND BREAKING BAD IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS...HOWEVER...I UNFORTUNATELY HAVE TO AGREE...ANNA GUNN'S PERFORMANCE AS SKYLAR IS ONE OF VERY FEW MISCALCULATIONS MADE BY THE SHOW.

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I don't think it was a miscalculation. There are people like that. When Skyler met Walt he was in a phase (or spiral) of meek self-flagellation. She got used to that and didn't mind being in charge. When Walt asserts himself, she's shocked and that sudden dynamic shift (along with the stress of the diagnosis and the money problems) makes her lash out. She subconsciously blames Walt and she hates not being in control.

That's not a very nice person, but it's a realistic person. It adds to our sympathy for Walt in the first couple seasons (until he descends into tyrannical mania) which is necessary to get us to see the nuances of each character.

The show doesn't have heroes and villains. It has Walt, who is tactical and assertive, but who uses his gifts to hurt people. There's Jesse, who is unambitious and apathetic to the damage his drug-dealing causes; as the show goes on, however, he develops more of a conscious and tries to escape. Skyler, Hank, Marie - all the characters are good and bad. Marie supports Walt (the talking pillow) but is a kleptomaniac. Hank serves the law and justice, and is as loyal as you could ever want, but is also a total dudebro and often bullies people (sometimes unintentionally).

In summary: I don't think it's a miscalculation. Likeable or hateable, Skyler is just part of that roster of grey morality.

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We know.

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