"Character is as character does," they always tell us in writing classes, right? Look at what someone does, and you will know who they are. Show, don't tell. Actions speak louder than words. And "i" before "e" except after "c." (Sorry.) As vividly drawn as the characters in Breaking Bad are by the show's extraordinary writing team, it is easy to believe we truly know who they are. But it's not that simple. Not all behavior in Breaking Bad involved shooting people in the head or piling up 200 pounds of Blue Sky meth a week. Some behaviors were just plain obnoxious. Here is a look at several instances of despicable behavior (in no particular order) that made many of us grimace with disdain at certain folks' words and deeds. No matter how much we (thought we) liked them.
16. Skyler And The Mastercard
Skyler Lambert White was a micromanaging emasculator who believed it was not just her duty to stay on top of everything involving her family, but also her right. She saw herself as being in charge of "all things White," and Walt's Mr. Milquetoast (I mean Mr. Chips) submissiveness fed her sense of dominance. Early on in Season 1, Skyler, standing with the credit card bill in her hand, accusingly asks Walt if he used the Mastercard last month. He did (they needed printer paper), and Skyler reminds him, with a scolding tone like she was talking to a child, that the Mastercard was the one they didn't use. What was most obnoxious about this is that she knew Walt had used the card. She had the evidence in her hand. But she insisted they go through the charade of him confessing to the crime. Adding to the distastefulness of this moment, remember, is that it took place on the day Walt had just learned he had terminal lung cancer. (Although to be fair to Skyler, she did not know yet.)