He was even more arrogant than the chemistry teacher.
Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad ended its run 10 years ago, but fans of the show still find plenty to discuss. And the prequel Better Call Saul, about the hapless lawyer Jimmy McGill, has piqued the interest of even more viewers.
Breaking Bad is about a simple schoolteacher, Walter, who has achieved nothing in his life. He has a lot of debt, a pregnant wife and a sick son, and then it turns out that he has lung cancer.
Realizing that this is not the way to go, the teacher teams up with his former student, Jesse Pinkman, and they gradually build their meth empire.
Breaking Bad follows Walt and his transition from a well-meaning family man to a notorious criminal willing to sacrifice anything for his arrogance and status.
And it seems to many fans that the prequel Better Call Saul features a similarly arrogant character, only with a passion for the law rather than chemistry. We’re talking, of course, about Chuck McGill, the older brother of protagonist Jimmy, who has spent his entire life following an elaborate internal logic and screwing up the lives of many.
Chuck, like Walt, struggles with his own demons, but unlike Heisenberg, McGill’s demons stem not from a desire for power and control, but from a deep-seated fear and resentment of his younger brother.
Chuck is a successful attorney, highly respected in the legal community. He is known for his brilliant mind and his unwavering devotion to the law. But beneath his exterior is a deeply vulnerable man with a mental illness.
Fans even draw a parallel: Walt explained chemistry to Jesse like an ignoramus, just as Chuck tried to get Jimmy to obey every single law. Viewers believe that Heisenberg and Chuck hated the younger McGill, as they both considered him a slippery character and did not trust him.
Walt and Chuck are incredibly smart and willing to go to any lengths to achieve their goals, but the self-destructive arc keeps them from choosing the right path. It is not the disease that ruins these characters, but their unwillingness to correct themselves and admit their mistakes behind their arrogance.
