DeaconKnowledge
Member
I have watched the show many times. And I still stand by that assessment. AND I've actually said this about the character back around Season 2 (as I was watching it live), so it's not like I just saw the final season, and came to that conclusion.
I actually thought it was baffling how people were still morally rooting for Walt even into Season 4. I thought the shows intention with the character was pretty clear into Season 2. But just me. Anyways, I'll admit that I might be making it too black and white. Like, maybe Walt's initial motivation was providing for his family. Okay. But there were plenty of points in the story early on, where he could have walked away.
And IMO they showed us a lot of little things with Walt (even back in Season 1), where he was getting off on doing what he was doing. Where he was getting thrills from it, and that was an addiction for Walt.
SO if you want to argue that Walt was doing it for family, for like a month..okay. Maybe you can sell me on that. But IMO that motivation was quickly corrupted. But I still think that it could be argued that deep down, the idea of cooking meth, and being an outlaw was appealing to Walt on a very visceral level.
Things don't work that way. There isn't some switch that disables "doing it for family" x amount of months in.
Walt was doing it for his family. That seed was planted in episode 1. What happened was that initial desire to provide was warped and twisted over the months and years. It never left; it just got shoved to the rear for the sake his greater ambitions, which consumed him. It's a classic villain story - the best intentions thwarted by ambition and a lust for power.