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Breaking Bad: A Television Series Leaving Viewers Questioning the Meaning Behind it All.

Though the television series Breaking Bad has been discussed numerous times on this platform, a conversation that has yet to be broached is the amount of symbolism, allusions, and "clues," the creator, Vince Gilligan provides throughout the series. For example…In season 3 episode 7, "One Minute," the time on the dashboard is 3:07. At the same time, Hank gets a call that he has one minute, as two men are on the way to kill him. 3 7=10, or let’s look at it as one minute. Also, the episode is from season 3, episode 7–same time displayed on the dashboard. Lastly, the room number of Skylar’s room when giving birth to Holly is 307. All of these connections are intricately woven by the creator.

Other examples for discussion: the constant mentions of Icarus, The Godfather and Scarface references, the similarities between Hank (ASAC) and Ahab from Moby Dick, The meaning behind the title of the series finale, "Felina," (hint, think periodic table of elements and cooking meth; also a few other possibilities), etc. There are numerous connections and allusions, from episode titles that allude to popular movies, to songs, providing the missing puzzle pieces.

What does it all mean? It must be important or else why would the creator take great time to intricately weave every single element of the series together. Questions to consider: Why does Walt begin cutting off the crust on his sandwiches?, Look at the wardrobe evolution of characters, consider the episode title, "Grey Matter," etc. The possibilities are endless….let the explorations begin!!!

  • It sounds like some of these ideas are similar to LOST. Maybe some of these similarities could be written about, such as the significance of the numbers. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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  • I love shows like LOST, Mr. Robot, and Breaking Bad that reward multiple viewings. It's great to see that Better Call Saul isn't shying away from hiding its own Easter eggs like its predecessor. For this topic, I would suggest that the author of the article try to narrow it down. Even confining the topic to Breaking Bad leaves room for a never-ending article thanks to vast amount of clues and symbolism that Vince Gilligan worked into the show. Try to focus on explaining what the motive of a show creator could be in including all of these hidden secrets rather than trying to point out every example. – KennethC 8 years ago
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  • BB is loaded with fatalism. Gilligan is a moralist, raised Catholic. God's number is seven, three is the trinity. The bread crust trimmings, ala Crazy-8, recall the fatalism of Bob Dylan's "Ballad of Hollis Brown": There's seven people dead on a South Dakota farm, There's seven people dead on a South Dakota farm, Somewhere in the distance there's seven new people born. I think amoral Walt points out Hank's white whale - the futility of law enforcement and the hypocrisy of smoking illegal cigars - over Cuban cigars and booze, while contemplating what Walt states is the arbitrary nature of laws. It's an interesting mix, fatalism and Hank's faith in imperfect but necessary laws. – Tigey 8 years ago
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  • There also seems to be connections between Walt's ages (50, 51, and 52 years), and the corresponding elements of the periodic table. – Tigey 8 years ago
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