Breaking Bad: 5 Friendships That Were Totally Toxic
There wasn't much love to go around in Breaking Bad, but, despite all the toxicity, a few truly wholesome relationships managed to blossom.
Breaking Bad is a fan favorite for a lot of television lovers, and part of its popularity is certainly due to the dynamic, intriguing, and bold characters. From Skyler to Walt, Hank to Steven Gomez, fans are always on the edge of their seats keeping track of the crossed lines and relationships.
There isn’t a whole lot of love in this series, but friendships and bonds are necessary for each character’s success and growth. It’s time to reflect on which duos were the most toxic and which were actually totally wholesome despite all that went down.
Toxic: Todd & Walt
Most of the ‘friendships’ on this series could be strictly seen as business partners, but there is a level that extends beyond the operation. For Todd and Walt, this definitely proves true. Todd looked up to Walter, but Walt just used him for his own means. Walt brought out the worst in Todd and excused his violence, and Todd only put Walt on a higher horse.
Wholesome: Marie & Skyler
Every sisterly relationship can also be a bit hateful and toxic, and that’s also certainly the case for these two. While it was definitely frustrating for Skyler (and fans) when Marie found out about Walt’s real business, these two did stay pretty strong.
Marie and Skyler—the whole meth thing notwithstanding—were always honest with each other. Most importantly, they were each other’s biggest supporters. In all the chaos, they at least had one person to care for them, and, at the end of the day, they were lucky to have a sister on whom to rely.
Toxic: Mike & Gus
It could be said that these two were never really ‘friends,’ but were business colleagues. That’s also true, but fans also got to see how deep their loyalty ran when Mike was shot and Gus poisoned himself.
However, their blind loyalty to each other—and the business—was a toxic situation. They both literally almost died several times before they were both killed by Walt, and Mike never really got anything out of it except for regret.
Wholesome: Hank & Steven
If there’s one scene that broke its fans, it was Hank and Steven dying beside each other while trying to finally crack the Heisenberg case. They always joked and made fun of each other, but they were also always there. Gomez was Hank’s biggest fan and biggest confidant, and Hank cared more about Steven that anyone else, maybe even including Marie. This friendship was a breath of fresh air.
Toxic: Skyler & Ted
These two were toxic regardless how anyone looks at it. From a romantic perspective or a business one, they continued to use each other until it simply wasn’t convenient anymore.
While Ted got Skyler to sweep his fraud under the rug, Skyler definitely cakes the take for being the toxic one in this relationship. She almost got him killed, and that wasn’t even the worst part of it.
Wholesome: Jane & Jesse
Fans are probably still in disbelief that Jane died as quickly as she did. There was no warning, and frankly, it seemed like a big prank that the creators were pulling on its viewers. Jane was a perfect turning point for Jesse. Despite her tragic relapse and Jesse being unable to keep either of them from drugs, they cared deeply about each other. Without her, Jesse was broken inside and out.
Toxic: Hank & Marie
Fans could argue that these two never faltered and always stuck by each other’s side, which is true, but they could also argue that they had a toxic and unhealthy relationship.
Hank was always rude to Marie, and they never really actually seemed to understand each other or give the other what they needed. They were in it because they had to be.
Wholesome: Badger & Skinny Pete (& Jesse)
Each of these three characters had a pretty wholesome friendship with each counterpart. Badger and Skinny are pure and hilarious souls, but, in the end, they were super loyal friends. They cared about Jesse probably more than he deserved. This trio had each other’s backs like no one else did. While they weren’t always the smartest, they were always solid friends.
Toxic: Jesse & Walt
There could be books written about the relationship between Jesse and Walt. Fans might never actually know if Walt truly did care about Jesse, or if Jesse ever actually cared about Walt.
Nonetheless, they lied, manipulated, and literally almost killed each other. Walt was somewhat responsible for Jane’s death, and Jesse repeatedly tried to stay ahead of Walter. Their friendship was hard to watch at the best of times.
Wholesome: Jesse & Walt
It’s really hard to decide if Jesse and Walt are super toxic or are actually kind of wholesome. At the end of the day, they did have each other’s backs. Walt was like a father to Jesse, and Jesse was like a son to him.
They actually cooperated to an impressive degree when it really mattered. Plus, in the finale, they were they for each other when it really counted. There isn’t a relationship on television like the one between these two.
