‘Breaking Bad’: The Religious Symbolism Hiding in the Show
Watching Breaking Bad, you will see a ton of religious symbolism hiding in the show — particularly in the series’ bloody final season. It’s not a coincidence that people refer to Walter White as “The Devil.” Both share the same original sin: Pride. Series creator Vince Gilligan was raised Catholic, and brought his intense knowledge of its customs and history to the show. Look closely, and you’ll see how Gilligan‘s upbringing and Christianity in general informs Breaking Bad‘s moral arc.
In the video below, we break down all the religious symbolism hidden in Breaking Bad. We consider how the concept of sin relates to the stories of Walt, Skyler, Jesse, and more. We look at how the car wash provides a handy metaphor for washing someone’s hands of sin. We explore Walt’s personal purgatory (the New Hampshire cabin) and then his symbolic resurrection when he returns in the series finale, “Felina.” In that episode, he even confesses his sins, which brings about his redemption. You’ll find those moments and a lot more below:
If you liked this video on the religious symbolism in Breaking Bad check out more of our videos below, including the brilliant use of color in Breaking Bad, our essay on the single most important episode in the entire show, and our full breakdown of the entire series. Plus, there’s tons more over at ScreenCrush’s YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes.
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