There are a lot of elements that make Breaking Bad one if not the greatest TV Show of the 21st century, which comprised brilliant writing and some of the greatest acting performances in TV. While performances from Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul and everyone involved in the show are some of the major factors behind its success, another thing BB does best is foreshadowing.
From the burned Teddy Bear back in Season 2 to Ted Beneke tripping on the rug, Breaking Bad is synonymous with the use of foreshadowing, which further elevates its caliber. But interestingly, arguably the best foreshadowing in the entire series, was completely unintentional on Gilligan’s part, which the writer initially feared might ruin the show.
Vince Gilligan Struggled to Build Up on the Gun Scene in Breaking Bad Season 5
Throughout Breaking Bad‘s entirety, Vince Gilligan made sure to leave no room for cracks in the story, but the creator worried he might not be able to tick all the boxes when it came to season 5. While Gilligan committed to filming Walter White buying a machine gun in the first episode, initially, the screenwriter wasn’t sure how to build on this scene and spent months trying to figure it out.
Gilligan told Variety:
“One of the dumbest things I’ve ever done in my career was committing to the idea of Walter White buying a machine gun when we did not know what he was going to do with it. We had no clue. There were literally months on end when I was completely freaked out. We’d be in the writers room’ for a full day, and I’d be slowly banging my head against the wall — not enough to hurt myself but just enough to jar the ideas loose.”
Fortunately, down the line, things slowly started to click with the creators, as they decided to make Walter go out with a bang in Felina, contrary to the previous episodes that focused on his downfall. This resulted in Walter White using the machine gun to build a robot, which was foreshadowed back in Season 2, eventually saving Jesse from the Neo Nazis, putting an end to his meth empire.
Vince Gilligan Initially Planned to Kill off Jesse
Sticking to ideas that weren’t originally part of Vince Gilligan’s initial roadmap wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for Breaking Bad, with one major change being the story of Jesse. Initially, Gilligan planned to put an end to Jesse in the first season, stating that his death would’ve resulted in Bryan Cranston‘s Walter White feeling really guilty, making him question his criminality. But they soon abandoned that route after witnessing Aaron Paul‘s performance.
Per New York Magazine, Gilligan explained,
“But it became clear to me that Aaron Paul was an absolute asset to the show. I’d no more kill him off now than cut off one of my pinkies.”
Being open to change throughout the show’s progression ended up being one of BB‘s strong suits, cementing it as one of the very best the medium has to offer.
Breaking Bad is available to stream on Netflix.
