One question Breaking Bad never answered

[Ray Jackson]

Is why Walt decided to leave Grey Matter for a measly five grand, when he knew what it had the potential to become.

There are a few hints dropped during several episodes, but nothing that really comes close to any sort of definitive answer. And really, that's the crux of the entire series: Walt's attempt to rectify the worst mistake of his life by building a drug empire.

As he tells Jesse at one point, "I sold my potential for a few months rent."

Also, are we to believe that Walt and Gretchen were having an affair behind Skylar's back?

[MifuneFan]

Skylar wasn't in the picture yet. He was with Gretchen. It's implied that its because of his break-up with her (for undisclosed reasons) he sold his share of the company to Elliott for just 5K. It's possible Gretchen was cheating on Walt with Elliott, and when Walt found out he was done with them

edit: apparently the actrsss that plays Gretch answers the "why" in an interview:

Q: What’s it like have Bryan Cranston curse at you?

A: Oh man, he’s a good actor. But it was easy because Vince Gilligan told us exactly what went down between the characters off screen: We were very much in love and we were to get married. And he came home and met my family, and I come from this really successful, wealthy family, and that knocks him on his side. He couldn’t deal with this inferiority he felt — this lack of connection to privilege. It made him terrified, and he literally just left me, and I was devastated. Walt is fighting his way out of going back to that emotional place, so he says, “F— you.”.

http://blogs.amctv.com/breaking-bad/...cht-interview/

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Skylar wasn't in the picture yet. He was with Gretchen. It's implied that its because of his break-up with her (for undisclosed reasons) he sold his share of the company to Elliott for just 5K. It's possible Gretchen was cheating on Walt with Elliott, and when Walt found out he was done with them.

I'm not sure that's exactly correct.

Remember the episode with the flashback to Walt and Skylar walking through their soon-to-be-new-house with the real estate agent and Walt is saying it seems too small, given the fact that they'll probably be upgrading sooner rather than later. I was under the impression that Walt was still with Grey Matter at the time. Which is why he appears so cocky and optimistic about the future.

Or maybe I need to go back and rewatch a few episodes.

Either way, it's puzzling as to why Vince Gilligan chose to leave the answer to that particular question deliberately ambiguous.

Along with the question of how and why a man of Walt's intellectual brilliance couldn't find anything better than a high school teaching job after leaving the company.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I'm not sure that's exactly correct.

Remember the episode with the flashback to Walt and Skylar walking through their soon-to-be-new-house with the real estate agent and Walt is saying it seems too small, given the fact that they'll probably be upgrading sooner rather than later. I was under the impression that Walt was still with Grey Matter at the time. Which is why he appears so cocky and optimistic about the future.

Or maybe I need to go back and rewatch a few episodes.

Either way, it's puzzling as to why Vince Gilligan chose to leave the answer to that particular question deliberately ambiguous.

Along with the question of how and why a man of Walt's intellectual brilliance couldn't find anything better than a high school teaching job after leaving the company.

He was done with Gray matter when he was with Sylar. Walt had just got a job as a chemist at Sandia Laboratories in Albuquerque. Now, I don't think it's explained how he loses his job as a chemist there, and becomes a H.S. Chemistry teacher

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

He was done with Gray matter when he was with Sylar. Walt had just got a job as a chemist at Sandia Laboratories in Albuquerque. Now, I don't think it's explained how he loses his job as a chemist there, and becomes a H.S. Chemistry teacher

I don't remember the episode where Sandia Laboratories was mentioned, but I'm sure you're right about that.


"It's possible Gretchen was cheating on Walt with Elliott, and when Walt found out he was done with them."

I don't think so, because Walk seemed to be cool with Elliot at his birthday party during season 1.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I don't remember the episode where Sandia Laboratories was mentioned, but I'm sure you're right about that.


"It's possible Gretchen was cheating on Walt with Elliott, and when Walt found out he was done with them."

I don't think so, because Walk seemed to be cool with Elliot at his birthday party during season 1.

Yes, see the edit in that post for the real reason that Vince gave for the split. It was supposedly an inferiority complex issue.