Let’s be frank. I am not a big car guy, by which I mean that I have no interest in cars of any kind. I drive infrequently, which is probably a good thing because I’m a terrible driver. Have you heard bad things about Boston drivers? That’s my fault. I have no idea how cars work (something to do with fire, gas and accelerometers) and I’m scared of auto mechanics and their giant drooly guard dogs.
I am, however, a big television person. Unlike you with your one sad little TV, I own FOUR televisions, including one 42″ flat screen beauty and not including the old Tandy model in the attic. So, yeah, I’m kind of a TV expert (although I must confess that I have no idea how they work – something to do with tubes and accelerometers).
I enjoy many programs on television, but none more so than prestige cable dramas like Breaking Bad. Now Breaking Bad is probably the greatest show in the history of television for many reasons (e.g. writing, acting, cinematography, sound design), none of which include my love for delicious, tasty meth. I get all a-twitchy just thinking about all of that blue sky meth*!
(* Legal note: I have no idea what meth is, but I do like Sudafed.)
Recently, while obsessively watching Breaking Bad, I realized something important. I’d go so far as to say that I’ve figured out all of Vince Gilligan’s secrets and I now know everything there is to know about the show. So what’s the big discovery?
THE CARS THAT PEOPLE DRIVE ON BREAKING BAD REVEAL THEIR TRUE NATURE
Let’s get to it with the major characters:
WALTER WHITE famously drives a Pontiac Aztek with an oft-smashed windshield. The Aztek is a car entirely about exterior image – a shitty car in an inauthentic wrapper that was meant to re-position Pontiac as a hip brand for Gen Xers. Walt’s life was all about maintaining an image of a mild-mannered school teacher while repressing his inner rage (the Heisenberg persona). The cracked windshield represents Walt’s inability to keep his true self hidden under his exterior image.
JESSE PINKMAN goes from driving a Monte Carlo to driving a Toyota. Again, this is no accident. When we first meet Jesse he is playing at being a ‘bad guy’, so he drives a Monte Carlo, the official car of 20-something bad boys in AC/DC shirts that creep around high school parking lots looking for underage girls. Ultimately Jesse accepts that he’s not really a bad guy (regardless of what he says) and he gets a dependable, boring family sedan – a Toyota – because all that Jesse really wants is to love and be loved. He craves a normal, dependable, suburban family life.
HANK SCHRADER drives a late-model Jeep. Jeeps are macho sporty cars for adventurous people who don’t like doors or roofs (but love Dave Matthews). Hank is the moral center of the Breaking Bad universe – a solid guy with a solid car. But Hank’s Jeep does have doors and a roof, because we all know that Hank is not really as macho as he seems, suffering from PTSD and anxiety.
SKYLER WHITE also drives a Jeep, but it’s an old junky model. It’s no accident that Skyler and Hank drive variations of the same car. That’s because we initially see Skyler as a paragon of virtue (like Hank) but we ultimately come to realize that she’s bad. Bad, I tell you! (She was even mean to Sherriff Seth Bullock, and he’s just dreamy.)
GUS FRING obviously drives a Volvo because he is a cautious man, and Volvos represent safety. Plus, they have large cup holders for Los Pollos Hermanos take-out.
MIKE THE CLEANER drives a classic old man American car – probably a Lincoln – because he represents old American power and dependability, just like when Lincolns, Caddys and Buicks ruled the automotive world.
I could keep going with the minor characters (MARIE SCHRADER drives a new VW Beetle because she’s a flake; TED BENEKE drives a BMW because he’s a cheating, embezzling asshole, etc.) but I think you get the idea: the cars on Breaking Bad matter.
UPDATE: Now that WALTER JUNIOR has turned 16 he’s finally gotten his car. Well, two cars actually. The first car was a Dodge Challenger, courtesy of Walter Senior. Senior, in one of his now-patented “bad decisions spurred by a bruised ego” impulsively bought a modern muscle car to prove that he can control his own destiny. This is a manifestation of Walter Senior’s desire for power and recognition in a season where he’s seriously lost his mojo. After Skyler made Walter return the car (with a little help from Mr. Fire), Skyler buys Walter Junior a Chrysler PT Cruiser. The PT Cruiser does a nice job of illustrating Skyler’s two overriding character traits: cautiousness and obliviousness. Skyler is an extremely intelligent woman that refuses to accept some obvious facts: 1) the drug trade is violent by definition; 2) Senior can’t get out even if he wanted to; and 3) PT Cruisers – even with CD players – aren’t cool.
Please note that we don’t really learn anything about Walter Junior through these cars, aside from the confirmation that he likes pancakes.
DOUBLE UPDATE: During the cold open of the season 5 premiere a waitress at Denny’s mentions to Walter that she once lived in Swampscott, MA, which happens to be where I live. Was it a coincidence or was Vince Gilligan sending me a signal that he agrees with the theories presented in this essay? Also consider this: we ate at Denny’s yesterday morning for the first time in at least a decade. I had the western omelette. It was delicious.
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liz // Oct 11, 2011 at 11:42 pm
Goodness-I am the 1st to comment??!!This article is senior thesis-worthy. I was trying to find out what kind of car Walter drives, because I want one-it looks really cool-I AM a gen-x-er-so I guess the design was aimed at me-don’t remember seeing a commercial, though. But, if it IS a “shitty car” as you say, I should probably test-drive one soon.
From the 1st episode of Breaking Bad, I was completely hooked. Thank goodness for streaming Netflix-I don’t have cable. Every moment of free time is spent watching this show-once I have watched all the episodes, I am going to have to check myself in for withdrawal. Maybe I will rent a Pontiac Aztec and drive it to New Mexico(it looks rlly pretty)and check out that weirdly shaped “spa/retreat” that Pinkman went to-the one that looked like a giant upside-down terra-cotta planter.
admin // Oct 12, 2011 at 10:58 am
Thanks Liz.
I once rented an Aztek. It was a weird car. Not at all conducive to meth cooking.
Ben // Nov 29, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Did a google search for this because I thought the same way as you did about all the cars, however I see the Aztek as a poster child for the poor decisions that Walt has made with his life. It’s a vehicle that doesn’t understand what it wants to be, just like him.
Amanda // Feb 2, 2012 at 9:55 pm
So insightful. Thanks for the new perspectives!
In Defense of Casual Fandom // Feb 3, 2012 at 1:33 pm
[...] The real problem was that the authenticity of fandom was usually determined based on fantasy sports criteria: knowledge of players and stats. Now I have nothing against fantasy sports. If you want to spend endless hours studying every player in the league so you can potentially gain some bragging rights among your loser friends, go for it. Some of us don’t have time for that jibber-jabber because we have prestige cable TV shows to watch and overly analyze on the internet. [...]
arron // May 8, 2012 at 11:50 pm
This is all great and very insightful, but what about the overly obvious squeaking of the car doors? what is Gilligan trying to say here? The Tercel and the Aztec have overly exaggerated squeaking sounds….there must be some meaning.
god…the best scene in the entire series was the pizza on the roof…scene after scene….with the cheese melting….classic family dysfunction manifested in a pizza.
Andreas // May 13, 2012 at 12:36 am
I feel it’s also worth mentioning that all of the cars depicted in the series are very easily recognizable — everything has a very distinctive visual appearance. The Aztec is as ugly as sin, the VW Beetle is a Beetle… Wood paneling?
I figure Hank’s personality is that he should own a used Hummer, but his current car works well, too.
Jon // May 29, 2012 at 11:15 am
Mike’s car is a 1980’s Chrysler 5th Avenue. A perfect fit for a former cop turned criminal. Police in the 80’s often drove a less luxury version of what is mechanically the same car (the Dodge Diplomat). It’s a great choice for an old guy who probably resents modernity- the ways of modern policing being no fit for him (see ‘Life on Mars’ [UK version] for this contrast). Now he’s more at home on the other side of the law.
Susan // Jun 6, 2012 at 9:21 pm
The squeaking of the car door is obnoxious and not a good characterization device. It seems inappropriate to the newer cars. I don’t think it has a symbolic meaning; I think it’s a lazy foley artist.
Jon // Jun 19, 2012 at 5:21 am
I think the squeaking of the doors is fine. My parents used to have a Chevy Venture, which was built on the same platform GM used for the Aztec. They shared a lot of parts. The doors on that thing always used to squeak. It speaks to the cheapness of contemporary american cars- they look nice and modern, but they really aren’t built all that well. I think it also shows that the cars (Walt’s Aztec in particular) are being used and abused more roughly than they were intended in their design. I think it works well with Walt, seeing as he is being pushed to his limits as a person and as a father and husband. As for the older cars like Jesse’s Tercel, it’s simply the age of the vehicle. I also own an old Chrysler 5th Ave like Mike’s and I can attest to how squeaky it’s doors are.
a21schizoidman // Jul 14, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Mike actually drives two cars in the show, a Buick and a Chrysler.
Amy // Jul 24, 2012 at 10:02 am
While I find myself depressed after each episode, there is nothing I do not love about this show. The very first time Skyler hopped into her Jeep, I was all, “Of course there’s wood paneling.” And, every time Walt pulls into a parking spot and the belts on his car give a little knock, I smile inside.
Maybe next you should look into that AWFUL bracelet Skyler insists upon. It is alright once, but lame after that. Kind of like Skyler.
Drove an Aztek for a week. Totally blows. It was the car that sunk Pontiac. RIP Trans Am.
Riley // Jul 30, 2012 at 1:28 pm
i’d just like to know if you have any idea on what badger and skinny pete drive, and if they have some ulterior meaning to them?
Ian // Jul 31, 2012 at 5:22 pm
As a TV fan AND a big car nerd (there are a few of us), I can tell you that you’re spot-on here. With some tweaking, this theory is car-blog ready.
Skylar’s Jeep is a Wagoneer, which is actually a very stealthy-cool car. It’s becoming pretty desirable for collectors. The fact that she drives that while Walt drives the Aztec says to me she cares more about appearances in a very detailed and subtle way – see also her success running front operations and inventing the gambling story.
Hank’s Jeep, on the other hand, isn’t subtle and understated. It’s the Commander, the largest vehicle Jeep ever made, and OF COURSE it has a Hemi V8 with absurdly loud exhaust.
But you missed one of the other great car-to-character matches of the show: Saul’s Cadillac DeVille. The easy thing to do would have been to put him in a Porsche or some other sports car slimy dudes gravitate toward. But the Caddy’s a much better fit; that generation of Cadillacs are the perfect big-fish/small-pond car (when driven by anyone under the age of 70).
One last thing – Gus’ Volvo V70, in addition to being safe, also has the perfect combination of luxury and under-the-radar. It would look odd for an obvious multi-millionaire to drive a shit box, but the Volvo, while an obviously nice car, is understated enough to blend in as well. Perfect choice.
Carl // Aug 7, 2012 at 3:11 pm
So you think Breaking Bad is truly that good? I’ve heard the same from others so I will check it out on Netflix this year during my annual wintertime entertainment binge.
I associate Azteks with Richard Hatch, the first winner of Survivor. So I would say fat, snarky middle-aged tax cheats are their cachet market. They are definitely not cool by any means.
I am appalled that you correlate VW Beetles with flakiness. I am shocked and appalled, really. And distressed too. I would have thought a scooter enthusiast like you would appreciate a practical and goofy little car like the Beetle.
Mitch // Aug 7, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Carl,
I regret to inform you that I sold the Vespa and bought a ‘Beneke’ model car several months ago.
Miguel // Aug 17, 2012 at 11:51 pm
Just a thought. In the Season 5 cold opening Walt is driving a Volvo-just like Gus Fring. Yes, he switches car, but maybe Walt, isn’t as pathetic as he looks. Taking a page from Gus, he’s adopted (along with a new identity) a beaten down man persona (which is helped by the fact that he’s lost his family-either skylar fled with the kids or their dead). Walt looks like a bum, but he’s just driven deeper into the underworld and is still a meth king. The machine gun isn’t for desperate defense. Walt is going to attack a safe house to get rid of a witness (maybe Saul/jesse/mike-why did they flip? TBD)not out of desperation, but because of suicidal apathy. With a cancer death sentence and no family, Walt finds that being the king just isn’t worthout and is diving headfirst into Scarface territory.
I got that from like 5 seconds of the cold open, just based on the volvo. Stretching things, but i like it.
JesseK // Sep 4, 2012 at 4:34 pm
As a car enthusiast, writer & someone with a science PhD, I feel like this show & article were made for me ;) I been saying the same thing about the vehicles on this show since Season 1. It is one of the hundreds of little “Easter Eggs” or subtle characterizations that VG, the best writer in TV (or in all of Hollywood arguably) slips into the show. I’d just like to add a few things though:
1. The RV: How could you forget the 1st mobile meth lab!? To me, this is why I started to think about all the cars, because I loved how this was used to start the whole operation. An old, beat up, unpredictable, barely functioning vehicle which was always a hair away from falling apart – sounds a little like their Season 1/early 2 meth operations.
2. Gus’ Volvo C70 Wagon: I think out of every car used on the show, none was as personified by the driver as Gus’ wagon. To me Gus IS this car. Careful, safe, luxurious, refined – this European wagon is a luxury car hiding in plain site. I LOVE how it is a wagon as well. If you’ve ever seen the sedan version of this car, it is not far off from the 3-series or C-Class in looks/function/performance, but the wagon draws your attention from that (in USA, in Europe it wouldn’t as wagon’s are preferred there). Also, there was something very German/Scandinavian in Gus’ sensibilities which is why he worked so well with Madrigal, the Volvo, a Swedish car, just is SO perfect!!
3. Hank’s Jeep Commander: I think you are reading into this a little much because Hank didn’t choose this car imo. I say this bc it seems alot of the DEA agents drive it, and as someone familiar with high level govt. employees, they are usually provided with a luxury American car, often Jeep SUVs (Grand Cherokee, Commander, etc) or GMC/Suburbans. That is why I think the writers chose this car to symbolize Law Enforcement which obviously Hank is.
4. Marie’s Bug: Despite the fact that Marie bugs the hell out of me haha, this car is also perfect right down to the blue/purple she covers her house with. The new VW bug is an overpriced aesthetically unappealing POS used to rob Gen X’ers of their $$ by appealing to their sense of nostalgia – a car that meant freedom & rebellion at one point in time now was a symbol of consumerism. VW marketed the hell out of it though, ingeniously I might add, and to me Marie seemed like the ultimate consumer. Her house, everything purple/blue just like the car, everything has to be perfect, and this extends into her personality as well. The bug, while FAR from perfect mechanically (my best friend is a mechanic turned engineer, says its one of THE WORST out there) fits her aesthetic image & what she is going for in her appearance & personal life – perfection.
5. Walt’s White Volvo – I think this is just to show how much of an island Walt has become & to illustrate how much of Gus Fring he has turned into, nothing more.
6. Jesse’s Toyota from Bouncing Chulo Car – I think you nailed this, except I’ll add his new car is completely without pomp, just like Jesse. I liked how they showed him choose it over the muscle car in the scrap yard too, to illustrate how he’s changed. To Jesse, the business is business only, and that illustrated the low profile he takes.
7. Walt’s Aztec – I agree with you here too although I’d LOVE to hear what VG & his writers have to say about this choice.
8. Skyler’s Wood Paneled Wagoner – I think this was a choice early on in the show to illustrate, along with the decrepit Aztec the family’s state of financials. Skyler was driving a car that they probably bought when Walt’s career wasn’t so dire, and like the flashback to when they bought their house, just a bump on the road to success. As time went on though & Walt stayed a poorly paid teacher, that car became permanent just like the home. Skyler still driving it symbolizes all of what Walt wants to change for his family & why he cooks.
The New Distributors (S5) – American made, brand new looking extended cab pickups. We don’t know much about these guys yet, but I’m guessing we’re going to find out they’re a bit old school, organized, tough, & no non-sense.
Dan from London // Sep 7, 2012 at 6:55 pm
What I dont get, is why he has one hub cap missing on his rear wheel!
Righi // Oct 27, 2012 at 5:19 pm
The missing hubcap symbolizes the big opportunity he missed in his life, with his ex-lover, with that company he got kicked out from. He apparently doesn’t care, but it has left a mark on him, he’s not whole.
BB Enthusiast // Nov 6, 2012 at 12:33 pm
I agree with Arron’s post–the door squeaking means something. In fact, I found this page when I searched: breaking bad creaky car doors because I wanted to see f I was the only one who noticed and what it might mean.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that it is Walt and Jesse’s cars with the pronounced squeaks. These two characters are both conflicted about their life choices and must lead double lives in many ways. They must drive crappy cars as part of their cover and the squeaky doors are a constant reminder that they can never be fully honest with the world around them. I think it also symbolizes their conscience working in the background.
Daniel Blaney // Nov 10, 2012 at 9:17 pm
I agree with most of it except for calling the wagoneer crappy. Those things are worth like 30 thousand dollars in good shape. Not many cars from the eightees and early nineties are worth anywhere close to that.
Revangel // Dec 6, 2012 at 4:37 am
Cool post!
An Open Letter to my Neighbors in Swampscott about Adam Sandler & Grown Ups 2 // Dec 12, 2012 at 11:57 am
[...] [...]
Transition_Zoner // Dec 27, 2012 at 12:47 am
I agree, the cars matter, else I wouldn’t be on this page to begin with. Not so sure with some of the analysis. Am only half-way through the series so I purposely avoided reading the whole blog and the updates but will be back when I’m done. It is important to note that there are a LOT of older cars in the show – not charismatic cars necessarily, just workaday vehicles. There’s even a blue Geo Metro and they specifically reference it. The majority of these cars have deeper symbolism than just “older, junkier, or worst of detroit, it is an eclectic collection, they are iconoclastic vehicles and the older ones are anachronistic in their present setting in both time and place. The Metro is the anti-hummer – it represents the ultimate in stripped down banality, the Wagoneer is the highlight of luxury for it’s time, but rugged luxury, yet a fully functional Jeep through and through. It is a classic in this day and age, and a beauty of one. The Aztek is not just “the worst of Detroit”. The Aztek represents un-recognized genius and originality, uniqueness, not recognized in its original offering but recognized only after it was discontinued and marked a failure. It lives after facing death in all that it inspired. Today’s Prius follows the form of the Aztek, and is the height of kitsch.
ModStop // Jan 1, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Love the show, I’ve just started on season 3, you need a spoiler alert! I can’t believe Walt Jr gets a Dodge and then even more surprisingly a PT Cruiser! I’m looking forward to that.
I was just thinking when reading this that no one rides a bike, but thinking about it, Jessie has an old Pan European style bike for a short time.
Another thing I don’t see any mention of, probably one of the key vehicles in this show…..the Camper Van!!!
The majority of cars on the show I’ve never actually seen, american cars are a rare site on British roads, but I’d love that camper (RV).
Neil // Apr 1, 2013 at 1:03 am
It’s probably been stated in the comments and it’s definitely well known by Breaking Bad fans, but I just want to point out that Walt’s Aztek was specifically painted in as boring a color as possible, in fact, a non-factory color, to emphasize his boring and plain lifestyle and contrast Heisenberg.
Stephen // Jun 18, 2013 at 11:59 pm
This post is one of the most well thought out and well written posts I’ve seen in a while. Excellent analyzing, I personally would not have picked up on so many of these details!
More importantly, I know somebody near the top of this comment list inquired about the cars driven by Badger and Skinny Pete. I know that Badger drives a junky 1989 Mazda Rx7. This thing is covered in dents and has one of those “cheap-o” bodykits that teenagers install. Skinny Pete (to my memory) is almost never seen driving and may not own a car at all. Could this be additionally symbolic?