HOW FAR WILL A GOOD MAN GO WHEN PUSHED?
LOGLINE:
When suburban chemistry teacher Walter White’s mild-mannered life is turned upside down by an unexpected cancer diagnosis, he uses his expertise to become an accomplished meth chef/drug dealer. As Walter walks a tense tight rope between two very different worlds – simultaneously a mundane family man and dangerous criminal – we ask: just how far will Walter go when pushed by circumstance?
COMMENTS SUMMARY:
Breaking Bad is a well-written, expertly constructed series pilot. Vince Gilligan’s characters are well-drawn and their flaws are compellingly human. The premise is fresh and original – successfully creating a friction-packed Venn diagram where two diametrically opposed lifestyles - the violent, urban drug trade and the beige of suburban mundanity - intersect in main character, Walter White. Ironically, it isn’t until Walter’s health declines that his strength of character begins to manifest itself. You can’t help but root for Walter as an underdog in this incredibly satisfying wish-fulfillment drama.
SYNOPSIS:
Open on an idyllic pasture - green rolling hills and blue skies. A 70’s Winnebago plows haphazardly through the scene, careening out of control, skidding and spitting dirt into the air. Inside the RV – the man driving is wearing nothing but tighty-whities and a gas mask drives the Winnebago. The passenger slumped in the seat next to him is unconscious, bleeding from the ears and also wearing a gas mask. This is no ordinary Winnebago.
The Winnebago’s interior is a rolling meth lab – spilt chemicals slosh on the floor along with two dead bodies and thousands of dollars in loose cash. It all slides this way and that as the vehicle navigates the uneven terrain. Breathing heavily, the man’s gas mask fogs up, causing him to crash the Winnebago. Stumbling from the RV, Underpants Man removes his foggy gas mask revealing he is a man in his 40’s with a receding hairline, nondescript.
In the distance, we hear approaching of sirens. It will be only moments before the cops arrive on the scene. Underpants Man takes a breath and ventures back into the noxious environment of the RV. He removes a gun from one of the dead bodies and fetches his wallet and a mini-camcorder from the RV’s glove box. Back outside, Underpants Man puts on his short sleeve shirt hanging from the awning of the crashed RV. In the pocket of the shirt is a clip-on tie, which he also puts on, making himself look mildly respectable from the waist up as he is still pantless.
Underpants Man films himself with the camcorder, introducing himself as WALTER WHITE. He makes a confessional tape addressing his wife, son and his unborn child. He explains they will learn things about him in the coming days, but for them to rest assured that whatever he did to get himself here – running from cops, pants-less - he did it for them.
Walter puts the camera down, opens his wallet, revealing a photo ID card for JP Wynne High School where is a teacher. The sirens continue to approach. Walter pulls the gun and takes aim, ready to fire at whatever comes next over that hill. His situation – whatever it is - is desperate enough for him to be willing to shoot cops.
Cut to the exterior of Walter’s house. Ranch-style, modest, unremarkable. This is Ontario California. A super reveals “now” is one month before the events we’ve just witnessed unfold. SKYLER WHITE (Walter’s wife, late 30’s) sleeps peacefully in their bed. Next to her, Walter lies awake. He is up when he should be asleep - anxious, thinking heavy thoughts. It is 5 in the morning. Walter slips out of bed without waking her to go work out on a stair stepper in the other room.
We hear the squeak of Walter using the stair stepper. After his sad little workout, Walter tries to masturbate in the bathroom, but to no effect. In the act, Walter catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror – his baggy eyes, loose double chin.
In the kitchen, Walt, now dressed for work in a short sleeve button down dress shirt, Dockers and tie with an American flag pin eats breakfast. Skyler (5 months pregnant and starting to show) expresses concern for Walter’s cholesterol and serves him a new kind of bacon. She reminds Walter to be home on time and to avoid letting his boss rope him into working extra hours for which he is not paid.
WALTER JR (17, cerebral palsy, walks using crutches) enters the kitchen and takes his place at the family breakfast table with difficulty. His parents cut him no slack regarding his condition. They treat him as though he was able-bodied and this is how he prefers to be treated. Walter Jr. complains about the new bacon – looking for support from Walter, but to no avail. It’s evident Skyler runs the show and rules the roost.
Walt and Walter Jr. commute to JP Wynne High School together – where Walt is a teacher and JR a student. Running later, Walt leaves Jr. in the parking lot to fend for himself while Walter hurries into the building. Jr. struggles and fumbles with his backpack by himself.
Later in the day, we see Walter’s classroom – chemistry lab tables, science stuff, etc. Walter lectures his class about chemistry – talking mostly to himself. Chemistry is change. Change is life. it’s lost on the students who pay him little to no attention. In the back of the class, CHAD (blonde handsome, jock) flirts with his girlfriend instead of paying attention. Walter reprimands Chad and separates the couple.
After class, Walter grades papers in the faculty lounge. MARGARET (30’s, physic teacher, redhead, sexy attractive, not pretty attractive) enters the lounge and gets a soda from the machine. Walter watches her with interest, but avoids eye contact. Walter wishes Margaret a happy birthday to her surprise. Margaret lights up a cigarette in the faculty lounge, asking Walter not to tell. It’s a small, shared secret between them.
At the Velvet Touch Car Wash Walter works as a cashier after school to make ends meet. His boss, AMIR (middle-aged, Persian, argumentative) yells at someone over the phone in Farsi. Hanging up, Amir takes over at the register. Walter protests - this is exactly what Skyler warned him about at breakfast. Walter restates the agreement of his employment; he’s only to work the register inside and only until 6PM.
Now outside, washing cars - Walter is angry. He lets the anger stew inside him as he puts armor all’s a car’s wheels. It turns out the car is Chad’s – the student he reprimanded in class. In a power dynamic moment, Chad tells Walter he missed a spot. It is a poignant moment of hierarchy and shame. Chad’s girlfriend is already on the phone spreading the gossip far and wide that Walter has a 2nd job after teaching at school – and at a car wash!
Driving home Walter smolders. There’s a deep anger in him - an anger he’s well-practiced at pushing down, burying beneath the surface. On his way home, Walter takes special notice of a huge triple overpass on the highway. The structure dominates the sky and fascinates Walter.
Hank explains to Walt that you don’t have to be a genius to make a lot of money in the drug trade. The wheels begin turning in Walt’s head. Hank offers to take Walt on a ride-along next time he busts a meth lab. Maybe someday.
Later that night – Walt, dressed for bed, examines himself in the bathroom mirror again. The baggy eyes are still there, he still doesn’t like it. Walt coughs. In the bedroom, Skyler waits for the eBay auction on a vase she listed to end. Walt mentions wanting to go see photography exhibit at the Jet Propulsion laboratory in Pasadena. With two minutes remaining in the auction, she slips a hand inside Walt’s sweatpants, trying to start something. Walt is apprehensive about having sex because Skyler’s pregnant. Skyler promises to focus only on him, offering Walt a hand job. Skyler works Walt’s dick in one hand and the computer mouse in the other. She is encourages Walt to get off, at the same time keeping a keen eye on her the auction - Walt is turned off as a result.
The next day at Caltech campus, Walt takes in the Mars Rover photo exhibit – but rather than the photos, Walt is interested in a plaque of names commemorating recipients of a research grant. Walt was one of those students – his name listed on the plaque for organic chemistry.
Surrounded by students, Walt sits outside drinking a coffee from the campus coffee shack. He notices his hand is shaking. Walt checks his pulse, noting his quickened breathing. Something is wrong. Walt’s cell phone rings – a call from home - which he ignores. As Walt stands to leave, he crumples, falling to the ground, unconscious.
At the hospital, Walt is now conscious and ok. He sits on the exam table, in a paper gown waiting to be seen by the doctor. His phone rings again – another call from home. He answers the call apologizing to Skyler for having had his phone off earlier. He lies to Skyler – explaining he ran into an old professor at Caltech and promises to be home in an hour. Walter purposefully neglects mentioning his medical episode to Skyler.
Walter’s doctor enters the room apologizing for the wait. Walt dresses and tries to explains his own condition away, attributing the spell to low blood sugar. After all, it’s happened before. The doctor refers Walt to DR BELKNAP – an oncologist. The doctor reassures Walt the episode is probably nothing.
At Dr. Belknap’s office, Walt receives a thorough checkup. Blood pressure, glands, lab work, MRIs - the whole nine yards. Walt, now dressed sits in Dry Belknap’s office where he receives terrible news. Lost in the moment, Walt sees the Dr’s mouth moving but hears nothing but the ringing in his own ears. Walt becomes fixated on a mustard stain on the doctor’s lapel. Snapping out of it, Walt acknowledges what he’s been told. He has cancer. Stage 3. Best-case scenario, with chemo he has another 2 years to live. He points out the mustard stain to the doctor. He is numb to the news.
Later, Walt is back at his job at the car wash. He stares into space, on auto-pilot. The buzz in his ears is back. Walt pays not attention to Amir who is once again arguing on the phone in Farsi. Suddenly, Walt jolts into action, walking out of his job, he gets in his car and drives home. Driving home, Walter is fascinated by the triple overpass once more. Walt stares at the structure as though it holds some unknown meaning for him.
Arriving at home, Skyler is on the phone with a collection agency. She lies about having written a check for a bill 0 suggesting instead that perhaps her payment was lost in the mail. She promises to remedy the situation and hangs up as Walt enters. Skyler is surprised to see Walt home early. She inquires whether Amir sent Walt home. She asks Walter about a small purchase on their credit card. Walter acknowledges making the purchase, explaining they needed printer paper. Skyler chastises him for using the MasterCard. Still in shock from the news, Walter is aloof.
Walter goes into the living room to tell JR to turn the TV down. Jr. is watching the movie Scarface at high volume. Tony Montana, brandishes an M16 and dies among his mountains of cocaine. Jr. explains Uncle Hank gave him the DVD. Walt watches the kingpin die violently in a blaze of glory.
At night, Walter is back on the stair stepper. He’s going harder than before - sweat drips off his face. The stair stepper cracks - the footpad breaking off mid-stride. Walt stares at the broken equipment with the same stare he’s had since arriving home from the doctor - until now. The gravity of his cancer diagnosis has finally caught up with him, it’s all sinking in and it’s not good.
The next morning at dawn, Walt sits alone in the kitchen lost in thought. He calls Hank and, in a whisper so as not to be heard by anyone else, asks if he can take Hank up on his offer to do a ride along next time they do a drug bust.
Several weeks later, Walt accompanies Hank on a drug bust. They’re in a neighborhood not too different from their own. Hank points to a house much like their own, explaining it’s, in fact, a covert meth lab. Hank waits for a school bus to leave the cul de sac before telling his agents to raid the house.
Walt watches Hank’s DEA team swarm the house dressed in chem suits, respirator gear. It’s quite a scene. As they watch the agents bash in the door with a battering ram, Hank explains they’re looking for a meth maker who calls himself Captain Cook. Hanks’ partner, Gomez, taunts him that only a goofy white guy would give himself a name like that. Hank bets Gomez the meth cook is Latino.
Hank explains the inherent danger of a meth lab to Walter who listens with great interest. Mixing those chemicals incorrectly can inadvertently create mustard gas. Walt corrects him - phosphene gas. Walt knows his stuff – he’s a chemistry teacher, after all.
The interior of the meth house is a total shithole. EMILIO (Mexican gangster, meth cook) scrapes the heads off matches, collecting the red phosphorous to cook his product. Emilio is lost in the music in his headphones until his front door explodes and the DEA swarms him. Emilio tries to flee, but is taken into custody.
Hank’s team radios an all clear, confirming that suspect in custody – Emilio - is indeed Latin American. Gomez pays up on his bet - giving Hank a $20. Hank explains to Gomez that Walt is a real genius. He relates a time they watched jeopardy together and Walt smoked him. Hank goes on to explain that two big companies heavily recruited Walt out of college – hinting Walt blew his chance to be a big shot. Walt changes the subject - it’s touchy.
Walt asks if Hank can take him inside the house. Hank and Gomez go inside first. to sweep the place. Walt waits in the car. Waiting for them to return, Walt notices the house next door where he sees a skinny, skeevy white kid wearing only his underwear, slipping out the window of the house next door. The guy’s housewife paramour throws him his clothes which he puts on as fast as possible hoping to get away unseen by the Feds. Walt doesn’t just see this man, he knows him. This is MARION ALAN DUPREE. Walt and Marion lock eyes. Marion puts a finger to his lips, pleading for Walt not to rat him out to the narcs. Marion slips to his beat up car and splits unnoticed. The license plate on this car reads - the capn. Marion is the real cook. Walt watches the car slip away in disbelief.
Getting out of the car; Walt goes inside the meth house where he sees Emilio being lead away by authorities. Hank shows Walt a shoebox full of several thousands of dollars of cold hard cash confiscated in the raid. Walt does not mention Marion - preserving his secret.
Later that night, Walt seeks out Marion at his home – explaining because Marion was a former student, he found his address in the school’s database. Walt asks Marion about the meth business. Marion is skeptical. Walt explains that he knows Marion’s partner, Emilio, was caught by the DEA and will be going to jail. The Feds have confiscated his lab and money. Marion has nothing – no partner, no lab, no income. Walter offers to be his partner - or threatens to turn him in.
At home, Skyler wraps the vase she sold on eBay. Her sister Marie helps her pack it up to be shipped. Skyler is hustling in her own way – selling a vase she bought at a yard sale for 80 cents to a guy in Minneapolis for $14. It’s a good hustle. Marie inquires about Walt, whether he’s ok. He seems quieter than usual. She asks Skyler about their sex life which seems to be a touchy subject in itself.
At school, Walt gathers beakers, flasks, stands and burners from his chemistry classroom. In the middle of it, he breaks into a coughing fit. Margaret, the physics teacher, pokes her head into his classroom, inviting Walt for a drink at TGIFriday’s. She asks Walt what he’s doing with all the chemistry equipment. Walt lies, saying he’s taking inventory. Unsure if she believes him, Margaret takes his answer at face value and leaves.
Walt takes the chemistry equipment to Dupree’s house where he explains he’s quit his second job at the car wash so he can devote up to 4 hours a day to helping Dupree cook meth. Walt shows the stolen chemistry equipment to Dupree. They discuss Dupree’s methods for cooking meth. Walt suggests they aren’t very good, that Dupree is using the wrong equipment and using it incorrectly. Walt also pulls out safety equipment - heavy aprons, gloves, and respirators. He explains this level of precaution is necessary because the chemicals and fumes they create are highly toxic. Walt makes suggestions to Dupree’s cooking method to improve the product. Walt’s teaching Dupree in a way he never could when he was his teacher. Dupree chastises Walt for buying all the chemical supplies at a single store – it’s s surefire way to tip off the cops that they are cooking. Now Dupree is teaching Walt. Reprimanded, Walt promises to take the situation more seriously - as serious as life and death.
They store the equipment and supplies in Dupree’s garage, but they can’t set up there. They need to find a more suitable and less conspicuous place to cook. They can’t do it at Walt’s house. They can’t rent a storage unit, the cops are onto that. Dupree suggests buying an RV in order to make a mobile meth lab. He knows a guy selling his Winnebago for $4500.
Walt goes to the Ontario Teacher’s Credit Union and withdraws his entire teaching pension fund in cash. He is liquefying his retirement savings at a loss and against the advice of the bank manager. Walt is undeterred.
Walt and Dupree meet in the bank parking lot where Walt gives Dupree four thousand dollars. Walt’s 500 bucks short and suggests Dupree negotiate the price down. He should be good at negotiation, he’s a drug dealer after all.
Dupree asks Walt why he’s doing this? This isn’t how Walt was when he was his teacher at all. Walt needs money, plain and simple. Skeptical, Dupree tells Walt if he is depressed or crazy – Dupree has a right to know because it affects him. Walt tells Dupree to buy the RV and to be ready to start cooking tomorrow.
On a family shopping trip to Target, Jr. struggles to try on a pair of jeans in a the dressing room. His handicap and the size of the room make it difficult on him. Begrudgingly he allows Walt to enter the dressing room to help him. Jr. looks in the mirror and appraises his new jeans. Watching the scene unfold are some other kids making fun of Jr.’s handicap and needing assistance form his parents. Skyler is about to give them a piece of her mind, but Walt stops her, he’s going to handle this his own way. Walt comes up behind the lead bully, kicks his feet out from under him, sending him to the floor. Walt steps on the boy’s ankle, threatening him. Even though the kid is bigger than Walt, Walt is a man with nothing to lose which makes him dangerous. The boys flee.
The next day, the Winnebago is parked off an old dirt road, in the pasture form the opening scene. Dupree and Walt make sure they’re in an isolated spot and prepare to start cooking meth. Walt removes his shirt and tie, hanging them on the awning of the RV. Now, wearing nothing but his underwear, a heavy safety apron and a gas mask, Walt starts to cook. It is clear Walt is Underwear Man.
Dupree produces a mini-camcorder and unbeknownst to Walt films him cooking meth. Walt takes the camera from him. We see time-lapse of Walt cooking meth. We are seeing the preparation of a synthetic drug from household items, the alchemy of turning nothing into something. Walt works with a professional attention to detail and professionally. Walt impresses Dupree with his knowledge and skills. He is already earning Dupree’s respect.
When they’ve finished cooking Dupree is impressed with the quality of the Walter’s product – likening him to an artist like Michelangelo. Dupree is anxious to try the new meth himself. Walter intervenes, explaining they can cook it, but they won’t smoke it. Excited by the quality of the drug, Dupree is anxious to sell it and he knows just the guy to move it.
Dupree goes to KRAZY-8’s house (Mexican drug dealer). Their relationship is tenuous, Krazy 8 is all business. Dupree explains he is selling product, not buying it. Krazy 8 tries the product and is likewise impressed with it’s quality.
Krazy 8 asks Dupree if he is back in business and reveals that Emilio – Dupree’s previous partner pinched by the cops is his cousin. Krazy 8 suggests Dupree sold Emilio out to the cops which Dupree vehemently denies. Dupree is so adamant in his denial of narc’ing out Emilio he tells Krazy 8 to tell him he should kick his ass just for thinking that. “tell him yourself” says Krazy 8 just as Emilio comes out of the bathroom, having posted bail that morning. Krazy 8 is sure Dupree didn’t cook this new, potent batch of meth himself. He wants to meet the guy who did.
The following day, Walt shows up at the Winnebago in the pasture to repeat the process and cook up another batch of meth. He strips down to his underwear again. Krazy 8, Emilio and Dupree show up. Krazy 8 suggests Walter work for him. Walter makes it clear that he’s only interested in selling to Krazy 8, not partnering with him. Krazy 8 produces a bag full of money - the several thousand dollars of loose cash we saw in the opening scene. Krazy 8 asks Walter if he’s out here all-alone – which makes Walter nervous. Emilio recognizes Walter as having been at the meth house when he was busted by Hank’s DEA agents. Dupree tries to feel the scene, but runs into a tree, knocking himself out.
Walter offers to teach Krazy 8 his cooking recipe in exchange for letting Dupree and Walter live. Krazy 8 hogties Dupree and watches Walter cook. Walter warns Krazy 8 to put out his cigarette before entering the Winnebago because of the volatile chemicals used in the meth’s production. Krazy 8 flicks his cigarette out the window where it accidentally lands in a patch of dry grass. Thinking quickly, Walter combines phosphorous with open flame to create a poison gas. In the commotion, Walter ducks out of the RV, closing the door and trying to lock Krazy 8 and Emilio inside. The Mexicans gangsters try to shoot their way out, blowing holes in the Winnebago door. Toxic red smoke leaks from inside the Winnebago. Krazy 8 and Emilio both pass out.
Walter unties Dupree. Meanwhile, Krazy 8’s cigarette has started a roaring brush fire in the pasture. The flames threaten the Winnebago and the meth lab. The fire had grown out of control, and is also blocking the road - their only exit.
We revisit the opening scene - the Winnebago careening off-road and out of control through the idyllic pasture. Inside the man in his underwear – the man we now know to be Walter. As his mask fogs up, Walt crashes the Winnebago.
Now we are all caught up. Walter stands holding the gun, sirens wail in the distance, flashing lights approach. Walter has second thoughts. This isn’t going to be his last stand. He’s not going to shoot anyone – definitely not a cop. Walter turns the gun on himself. He puts the gun in his mouth and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. The safety was on. As Walter fumbles with the safety, he realizes the sirens are fire trucks, not police cars. The fire engines roar past him paying him no mind, more focused on the brush fire from which Walt has fled.
Dupree stumbles from the RV beaten and worse for wear. What happened? Walter explains how he used the phosphorous to make poison gas. Just retelling the story turns Walt’s stomach. He goes back to the Winnebago and starts cleaning up the mess.
Back at home at night; Jr. and Skyler are fast asleep. Walter washes the toxic chemicals off of Krazy 8’s money before putting in the dryer. Walt hides the $8k and the mini-camcorder tape containing his impromptu confession in a shoebox in the garage rafters and goes inside.
Skyler is awake and confronts Walter who is trying to tiptoe back to bed. Where have you been? What’s going on with you lately? Walter insists he’s fine. Walter is relieved to be alive. A wave of excitement washes over him and he kisses Skyler passionately. She protests for a moment, before relenting. The pilot ends with a reinvigorated Walter and Skyler having sex.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
Gilligan creates a wonderful rhythm in his pilot, by making expert use of dramatic techniques to ratchet up the suspense and emotional impact. Using non-linear time and flashback keeps the audience invested. He’s particularly successful at raising the stakes by moving situations from bad to worse - from a simple case of breaking the law to a potential life or death situation. There is an element of the absurd that is very satisfying even while the story is firmyl rooted in a real, modern world.
STRENGTHS OF MATERIAL:
The attachment of Vince Gilligan – who’s previously created compelling work for Fox’s X-Files both as writer and producer – is reason enough to consider this project further.
Gilligan’s expertly written pilot is 100% character driven and can stretch into seasons’ worth of material. Even the tangential characters are well-drawn, but it’s his central anti-hero character, Walter White, who really shines and offers potential in the series. We root for Walter no matter how his humanity manifests – good or bad. His actions are at once relatable and repugnant, shocking and understandable. He is at once hero and villain. It’s the oscillation between extremes, the back-and-forth internal tug of war that will make audiences invest in the character and the series.
Like Walter’s own ability to straddle various and disparate worlds, Gilligan does the same in his expertly written script. He has a deep bag of tricks, and uses them all to conjure a little bit of everything - drama, humor, action. The result is a potpourri of satisfying and memorable moments that are funny, thrilling and poignant. Urban/suburban. Teacher/student. Law/criminal. Legality/moral right. The collision of opposites provides unlimited potential for friction/tension.
WEAKNESSES OF MATERIAL:
Strong subject matter, including stark representations of illegal drug-dealing, violence, frank sexuality, and a terminal cancer diagnosis is not for the faint of heart. These mature themes seem to push this series towards a cable distribution and could limit future syndication possibilities/advertising potential. Few studios have the int4estinal fortitude to take a chance on such a fresh show, but the one who does will be rewarded with an incredible storytelling experience and a potential hit show.
POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT/IMPROVEMENT:
I see this series’ success hinging on its ability to vacillate/oscillate back and forth between opposite poles – hero/villain. It’s been done masterfully in the pilot and I’d be excited to see what else Gilligan has in store for his characters. The Walter White character is an incredible central role for an actor capable of dynamic emotional range – manifesting the deep sadness of a cancer diagnosis, confronting mortality in a variety of ways, and the visceral grit necessary to navigate the modern drug trade. For the right actor, it could be a potentially career-defining role.
