Apple TV+ has its ownBreaking Badreplacement show, which has given one of the most memorable Walter White moments a whole new spin. Given howBreaking Badis often touted as one of the best shows ever made, it is unsurprisingly jam-packed with many iconic and quotable moments. From Jesse Pinkman’s “Science b**ch!” to Walter White’s “I am the one who knocks,” the series left audiences with many memorable sequences that still remain deeply embedded in pop culture.
Although a character’s moral decline has been a common theme in movies and shows since the inception of cinema, it is hard not to compare a show withBreaking Badevery time it walks through a character’s gradual moral decay. An Apple TV+ show, too, has its own take on the theme, where it brings its own narrative twists and turns to the existing tropes surrounding a seemingly ordinary man’s transformation into something far more morally questionable and criminal. Despite having many unique elements, theoriginal Apple TV+ showstill shares many intriguing parallels with Breaking Bad.
Both Characters Return To The Criminal World After A Hiatus
Walter White decides to give up on cooking meth for good inBreaking Baduntil Gus comes up with the perfect plan to bring him back. He shows him the $8 million Superlab, which has every piece of equipment a chemist like Walter White would love to have. Gus' commitment to providing him with the best equipment and facility to cook meth convinces Walter to break his retirement and return to his life of crime.Your Friends and Neighbors' main character, Andrew Cooper, experiences something similar towards the end of the Apple TV+ show’s season 1.
After stealing expensive items from his wealthy neighbors almost throughoutYour Friends and Neighborsseason 1’s first half, Cooper seems to step back from his criminal endeavors after one of his stealing pursuits makes him the prime suspect in a murder. Fortunately, for him, he eventually not only manages to prove his innocence but also gets everything he had previously lost. From his job to his family’s respect, Cooper seems to have it all in season 1’s ending moments. However, like Walter,he still chooses to “break bad” again by surrendering the allure of becoming an outlaw.
They Find True Meaning In Crime When They Return
Bryan Cranston’s Walter Whiteinitially decides to cook meth because he feels the desperate need to leave some money behind for his family after his seemingly imminent death from cancer. His foray into the criminal world is driven by his desire to provide for his family and help them stay afloat after he is gone. Similarly,Jon Hamm’s Andrew Cooper also starts stealing from his affluent neighbors after he loses his well-paying job. Realizing that he cannot tell his family the truth about his financial situation, he tries to keep his head above the water by stealing.
He still chooses his life of crime because, like Walter, he seeks control, autonomy, and a sense of power.
InBreaking Bad, Walter later returns to cooking meth because it gives him a strong sense of purpose. He beats cancer and acquires enough funds to be able to live a comfortable life. Yet, he chooses to return because his criminal alter ego, Heisenberg, gets him more respect and control than he ever experienced as a meek high school chemistry teacher. All seems to end well for Andrew Cooper as well when his previous employers beg him to return and offer him incredible perks. He still chooses his life of crime because, like Walter, he seeks control, autonomy, and a sense of power.
Unlike Walter White, Andrew Cooper Acts On His Own
Image via Apple TV+
Cooper’s moral decline inYour Friends and Neighborshas been far more gradual than Walter White’s inBreaking Bad. He has broken a few laws but is yet to lose his sense of morality. However,it is hard not to see how Cooper’s fall from grace might continue to accelerate and even surpass Walter White’sif he does not keep his ambitions and ego in check. A part of the reason why Walter White cut his retirement short is that Gus manages to manipulate him to return.
Gus gives him the sense of respect he craves, which convinces him to cook again. Cooper, on the other hand, seemingly requires no convincing inYour Friends and Neighbors. His decision to return is self-motivated, driven by his innate desire to have more control and authority. The fact that Cooper does not even need a “Gus Fring” to influence him to break the law seemingly hints at how dark his future could get inYour Friends and Neighbors' season 2.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
Your Friends and Neighbors
Cast
A hedge fund manager, struggling after job loss, turns to burglary to uphold his family’s lifestyle. The series explores the complexities of his double life and the precarious balance he strives to maintain, ultimately leading to unforeseen consequences when he targets the wrong home.
