WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Breaking Bad, El Camino, and Better Call Saul. Although the Breaking Bad series ended in 2022, showrunner Vince Gilligan addressed the fate of six characters from Breaking Bad, its epilogue movie El Camino, and the spinoff Better Call Saul during a recent talk show episode. While Gilligan had some tongue-in-cheek responses concerning characters like Saul Goodman and Huell Babineaux, he also believed Walter White's fate at the end of Breaking Bad was obvious to viewers.
Originally launched on AMC in 2008, Breaking Bad was a gritty drama about chemistry teacher Walter White, portrayed by Bryan Cranston, who was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. In a desperate bid to secure a financial future for his family after he dies, White turns to creating methamphetamine and the life of a criminal under the guise of Heisenberg. White is joined by Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in his work as a crime lord, and eventually runs afoul of law enforcement and rival drug cartels. Although Breaking Bad ended in 2013, it spawned a 2019 epilogue called El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, and a 2015 spinoff prequel titled Better Call Saul that lasted until 2022. Better Call Saul focused on Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), who served as White's and Pinkman's attorney through the show's latter seasons.
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Breaking Bad Showrunner Ponders Where Some Characters Are Now
Although the Breaking Ba d franchise has fully ended as of 2022, that has not stopped some questions about the show's characters from being asked. During the November 20 episode of The Rich Eisen Show on Disney+, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan discussed the fates of six of the series' most popular characters. Eisen and Gilligan first discussed Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) from Better Call Saul, who was initially a friend of Saul Goodman's before eventually marrying and divorcing him. Gilligan stated that Wexler likely returned to being a public defender after visiting Goodman in prison.
One of Goodman's enforcers, the narcoleptic Huell Babineaux, was brought up by Eisen shortly afterward. Gilligan stated that Babineaux's fate was revealed during the finale of Better Call Saul. Considered one of Breaking Bad's best side characters, Babineaux was able to return home to New Orleans as a free man after it was revealed that the DEA had arrested him under false pretenses. Babineaux was last seen sitting on a couch waiting for someone to arrive, and Gilligan jokingly remarked that he would eventually look outside to see that no one was guarding him anymore.
During the final episodes of Better Call Saul, White's attorney, Saul Goodman, also known as Jimmy McGill and Gene Takavic, was eventually arrested on several felony charges that resulted in an 86-year prison sentence in Colorado. Gilligan joked that McGill received a presidential pardon from US President Donald Trump and that he would go on to spend the rest of his days making infomercials for various products.
Some Serious Fates Awaited Key Members of Breaking Bad's Cast
As for more serious character fates, Gilligan stated that Walter's wife Skyler and son Walt Jr. Got their lives back together, with Walt Jr. Potentially chronicling a book or a podcast about his father's double life as a teacher and crime lord. Gilligan stated that White's former right-hand man Jesse Pinkman, portrayed by Aaron Paul, ended up driving away in an El Camino from a meth lab and fleeing for a new life. Throughout the El Camino movie, Pinkman experienced flashbacks to various points during his time as a meth maker. Eventually, Pinkman found himself in Alaska, looking to start over and leave the past behind. Gilligan said he believed Pinkman found some semblance of peace in the Alaskan wilderness.
Finally, Gilligan confirmed that Walter White met his definitive end during the Breaking Bad series finale, titled "Felina," in 2013. Gilligan said that White succumbed to an M60 gunshot wound he suffered during a gunfight with gang leader Jack Welker, leaving his fate bare and obvious for the audience to see. While some Breaking Bad characters had avoidable deaths, White's death from either cancer or his own arrogance as Heisenberg was a constant factor.
- Release Date
- 2008 - 2013-00-00
- Network
- AMC
- Showrunner
- Vince Gilligan
Cast
-
Bryan CranstonWalter White -
Aaron PaulJesse Pinkman
