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When it comes to moral flexibility, no show does it better than Vince Gilligan’sBreaking Bad. Two seasons in, the series will have you questioning the morals of a man with cancer and a family to provide for and make you feel bad for a man who is tormenting the protagonist. It is safe to say that the creator of the hit show knew exactly what he was doing when he was shaping every single character with his bare hands.
However, while the intended purpose of most characters was completed almost as soon as the series was released, there was one character who got a treatment that no one expected. During an interview, Gilligan revealed that he never expected fans to be so critical of the feelings of Skyler White.
The Most Hated Character in Vince Gilligan’sBreaking Bad
Skyle White has been labeled as one of the most hated characters in all of television history. Being the wife of the beloved Walter White, fans got to see her turn from a concerned spouse into someone they could not stand. While it has collectively been agreed upon by fans that she is extremely ‘annoying’, the judgment does not have many bases.
Over the years, this has caused many fans to point out that Skyler’s character only reacts in the most realistic way possible. The thoughts and opinions that she voices are normal and completely appropriate to specific situations. However, since the entire series puts Walter and his needs at the very forefront, she ends up being the villain in a story following the real antagonist.
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During an interview withThe New Yorker,Vince Gilliganrevealed his own thoughts on the matter, and he did not hold back. He started by revealing that actress, Anna Gunn was seriously affected by the public sentiment towards her character.
Back when the show first aired, Skyler was roundly disliked. I think that always troubled Anna Gunn [who played Skyler]. And I can tell you it always troubled me, because Skyler, the character, did nothing to deserve that. And Anna certainly did nothing to deserve that. She played the part beautifully.
She did not understand why audiences disliked her character so much, and Gilligan had a similar sentiment. He mentioned that her character was not written in a way to be hated, and the fact that she got this much backlash was truly baffling to him.
Skyler White Was the Real Hero
There is a common sentiment of fans hating Skyler White in their early years following the series and beginning to like her over time. In the interview, Vince Gilligan seemed to be quite interested in understanding the motivations behind this change. The answer seems to lie in perspective, according to the creator.
For the entire run of the series, a majority of events take place through the eyes of Walter White. If a moment would be an important part of his story, it would be shown. If something was insignificant to Bryan Cranston’s character, it never made its way onto the screen. With this in mind, audiences got to see the world through his eyes, where he was constantly done wrong and took no accountability for his actions.
I realize in hindsight that the show was rigged, in the sense that the storytelling was solely through Walt’s eyes, even in scenes he wasn’t present for. Even Gus, his archenemy, didn’t suffer the animosity Skyler received. It’s a weird thing. I’m still thinking about it all these years later.
“He had an ego the size of California”: Vince Gilligan’s Devastating Blow to Every Breaking Bad Fan Who Has Been Worshipping Bryan Cranston’s Walter White
He constantly hurt those around him, and Skyler was right up there with Jesse when it came to Walter turning them into scapegoats. He used their valid reactions as a reason to excuse his poor behavior and illegal activities when, in actuality, Walter White does what he wants, not what he is forced to do.
Understanding this part of the story, Gilligan mentioned how he truly believed that this was the reason why Skyler was unjustly treated by fans. Since she was the one who constantly provided him with reality checks, fans saw her as the rain on his parade rather than the knight in shining armor that she was.
Breaking Badis available for streaming on Netflix.
Ananya Godboley
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2219
Ananya Godboley is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 2,000 articles published. She has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology from K.R. Mangalam University, Ananya also likes to fangirl as a full-time job. She covers news and analyses on anything from Rick and Morty to Hannibal and even Arcane. In between these lines, she also enjoys superheroes and Taylor Swift.A philosophy enthusiast, Ananya enjoys digging deeper into the media she consumes, trying to understand the root of her favorite characters' behavior.
