What Really Happened To Walt's Family At The End Of Breaking Bad - Looper (2024)

Television

What Really Happened To Walt's Family At The End Of Breaking Bad - Looper (1)

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ByAlex Welch

Almost eight years after it aired its series finale in 2013, Breaking Bad remains one of the most popular and critically beloved television shows ever produced. Across five seasons, Breaking Bad wove together an epic crime story of corruption, desperation, betrayal, and ultimately, redemption. The show's many plot lines and themes all came together in its final season, when Walter White's meth empire reached unfathomable heights, only for both Walt's criminal and personal lives to crumble in the series' final stretch of episodes.

Much to the delight of its dedicated viewers, the Breaking Bad series finale saw Bryan Cranston's Walt get revenge on the criminal colleagues who had previously betrayed him, and even make a few amends for his own past transgressions along the way. But with that being said, the destruction that Walt wreaked upon the lives of his family members has always been something fans have had a difficult time grappling with, especially since many of them weren't given the same kind of cathartic ending that Walt was granted. However, one Reddit user argues that Walt's family may actually be better off at the end of the show than they were at the start of it.

How did life change for Walt's family?

What Really Happened To Walt's Family At The End Of Breaking Bad - Looper (2)

Ursula Coyote/AMC

On the surface, the lives of Walt's family members seem changed only for the worse at the end of Breaking Bad. Not only is Skyler (Anna Gunn), Walt's wife, living in a depressing condo with her son and infant daughter, she's also had all of her assets seized by the authorities, and is under constant surveillance by the DEA. Marie (Betsy Brandt), meanwhile, is living as a widow at the end of the series, relatively cut off from the rest of her family following the murder of her husband, Hank (Dean Norris), at the hands of Walt's former crime associates in the infamous Ozymandias episode. Walt Jr. (R.J. Mitte) has also had his image of his family totally shattered after learning of Walt's criminal activities at the same time that he's mourning the death of his Uncle Hank.

Now, Walt does find a way to leave Skyler and Walt Jr. some money before he dies, which will pay for Walt Jr.'s education and hopefully finance an overall better life for the family he leaves behind. He also gives Skyler the location of Hank's body in the desert, in the hopes that she can use it as a bartering chip to get out from under the DEA's thumb. But despite all that, it's probably still fair to say that Skyler, Walt Jr., and Marie would have likely preferred to continue living the relatively peaceful, if mundane, suburban lives they had at the start of the series, rather than face the traumas and uncertainty that they experienced because of Walt's reign as Heisenberg.

However, one Reddit userdisagrees, arguing that Walt's family are actually better off after the events of the Breaking Bad series finale — at least in some ways.

The future of Walt's family

What Really Happened To Walt's Family At The End Of Breaking Bad - Looper (3)

Ursula Coyote/AMC

User giganticpetespeculates on Reddit that Skyler will likely be able to sell a memoir of her experience of being married to Walt for quite a bit of money in the future, which stands in stark contrast to the little-read short stories she'd write and the tiny profits she was making selling on eBay at the start of the series. Additionally, Walt Jr. has taken to going by the name of Flynn full-time, and in general, seems far more independent and capable at the end of the series than he did in the pilot. Not only that, but both he and Skyler have a substantial amount of Walt's money still heading their way down the line.

Meanwhile, the user also argues that, despite the tragedy of his death, the White family won't have to suffer through any more of Hank's inappropriate jokes or conversations any more. That's a pretty cold take, though — no matter how exasperating he may have been at times, the loss of Hank will no doubt continue to weigh on the entire family, in addition to causing a rift in Skyler and Marie's relationship that may never heal.

So while it's true that Skyler and Walt Jr.'s financial future may be positive, and they both may have grown in some important ways over the course of the series, the impact of their experiences inBreaking Bad will no doubt continue to weigh on themselves and many others in the years ahead. In all, it's tough to say that Walt's family was truly better off by the end of the series.

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What Really Happened To Walt's Family At The End Of Breaking Bad - Looper (2024)

FAQs

What happened to Walter White's family at the end of Breaking Bad? ›

The family dynamic changed when Walt got in too deep with his dangerous dealings. Breaking Bad's Skyler story ends with Walt spinning out of control and Hank dead, Skyler solely focused on protecting her son, Walt Jr., and her daughter, Holly.

What happened to Walt's son in Breaking Bad? ›

Walter's son gets a muted send-off in the Breaking Bad series finale, with his father briefly glimpsing him but not having a conversation. Walt coerced Gretchen and Elliott Schwartz to put his remaining money in a trust for Walt Jr., but it's unknown if Junior ever received his money or if he would accept it, given his ...

What happened to Skyler at the end of Breaking Bad? ›

It is revealed that Skyler is eventually forced to move into an apartment and takes a job as a taxi dispatcher, having all their assets seized. She still maintains custody of the children, however ("Granite State"). Skyler in her apartment.

Did Walt really do it all for his family? ›

Telling himself that he was cooking to benefit his family was the ultimate lie — and even he believed it for a little while. Walt was all about making a name for himself and leaving behind a legacy.

Who killed Walt at the end of Breaking Bad? ›

Cause of Death: Walt was accidentally shot by the same remote-activated machine gun he used to kill Jack Welker and his gang. Walt was far from an innocent character by the time he died, but he found a sliver of redemption by saving Jesse from Welker's gang.

What happens to Walt in the finale? ›

Following the showdown, Walt sustains a fatal gunshot wound from his own machine gun. Weakened and alone, he stumbles into the meth lab, the birthplace of his alter ego, Heisenberg, and the symbol of his downfall.

Is Walt's son disabled in real life? ›

RJ Mitte is an actor who is best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the AMC series "Breaking Bad." Like the character on the show, Mitte struggles with cerebral palsy in real life.

What happened to Marie after Hank's death? ›

Marie learns that Hank is missing when Walt kidnaps Holly, and eventually receives confirmation he is dead. Jack's gang raids Marie's house and finds Jesse's confession tape, leading to Marie being sent to a safe house.

Why did Skyler betray Walt? ›

Skyler figures out that Walt plans a suicide mission against the people who killed Hank and lets him imply this without stating it, and when she thinks Walt is going to give her his remaining drug money (which he actually forced the Schwartzes to launder for him) she tells him she and Flynn (the name Walter Jr. prefers ...

What happens to Hank at the end of Breaking Bad? ›

Who kills Hank Breaking Bad? Hank was killed by Jack Welker after a failed plea from Walt to spare his life. It was a heartbreaking moment to see Hank and Gomez die side-by-side in the desert.

Why did Walt call Skyler at the end? ›

Knowing the police are probably monitoring their home phone, Walt calls and attempts to establish Skyler's innocence by falsely claiming he built his drug business alone and berating her for not helping him. Walt confirms Hank's death and leaves Holly at a fire station with her home address written on a note.

What happened to Saul Goodman at the end of Breaking Bad? ›

The episode, season, and series ends with Gene Takavic getting caught by the authorities and, under his legal name of Saul Goodman, getting sentenced to prison for the crimes he committed in Breaking Bad.

How much money did Walt leave his family in the end? ›

Even at his lowest, Walt still had plenty of money. In the period when he was in hiding, Walt spent some money on supplies, but when he returned to Albuquerque he left $9 million in the hands of Gretchen to give to his family.

Was Walt happy in the end? ›

From the same website, Rebecca Nicholson wrote about Walt's death, praising the fact that instead of facing the consequences, "Walter dies happy. He doesn't only get what he deserved; he gets what he wanted.

How did Hank figure out it was Walt? ›

Let's recap: Hank appeared to discover Walt's secret identity in the closing moments of last year's midseason finale, when he found an inscribed copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, a gift given to Walt by now-deceased fellow meth cook Gale (David Costabile).

Does Walter White's family get the money in the end? ›

Did Walt Jr get the money? Yes, Walter Jr. eventually receives the $9.72 million that his father, Walter White, left behind in the Breaking Bad series finale, "Felina." Vince Gilligan, the show's creator, confirmed this information in an interview.

What happened to Walter White's money in the end? ›

Walt buries his money in seven barrels on the Tohajiilee Indian Reservation and convinces Jesse to go into a relocation program.

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