10 Greatest Original TV Heroes Of The Last Decade
1. Walter White: Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
Say. His. Name.
What is there to say that hasn’t already been said about Bryan Cranston’s totally iconic performance as chem teacher turned drug kingpin, Walter White? You know the quotes. You know the tighty-whiteys look. You know where the pizza lands. Even if by some miracle you’ve allowed this show to pass you by, chances are, when you see Bryan Cranston now, you aren’t wondering “what’s that guy been up to since Malcom left school?”.
So, what quality is it that has made Walter so iconic? Well, it’s a bit of everything really - but let’s start with a word that has come up a lot in this article: empathy.
Empathy is something writers are in a constant battle to generate from their characters. If someone can be identified with on an emotional level, then the audience are more likely to become attached to the character and want to follow them on their journey through the series. That’s a big part of character writing 101.
But Walter totally flips the script on this idea and in all his key decisions throughout the show, goes out of his way to make the least empathetic choice possible. From his constant lies to his family, his refusal to step away from the meth game no matter how dangerous or who he hurts, to his refusal to save Jessie’s girlfriend from choking to death, everything the man does is designed to appal.
Sure, we feel sympathy for him in the beginning and perhaps empathy for wanting to provide for his family in the wake of what seems to be his imminent demise, but as the weeks and months rolled on all of this drops away to be replaced with a morbid fascination with just how low Walt will sink and when the immorality of his actions will finally catch up with him.
That's what made Cranston’s casting so perfect; he was a permanent fixture of so many of our childhoods, screaming affability and basic moral decency to us through all those endless Malcom in the Middle re-runs. No matter how much evidence you are presented with, you are constantly waiting and believing that Walt will turn back from the brink and absolve himself.
His relationship with Jessie creates a stark contrast between Walt taking total dominant control of his life, while Jessie appears totally adrift and unable to make choices for himself. This gradually shifting power dynamic between the two is at the core of the show’s success. One can argue that neither would be anything like the man they become without the other, for better and more often for worse.
But this was always Walt’s story and when you think of the show, chances are the first image conjured up is White standing, giving his best menacing glare in a pork pie hat. Or in his underpants by the side of a smashed-up camper van. These images are so iconic that they have become cool. They are go-to Halloween and fancy dress costumes that are instantly recognisable. Just think about that for a second. How has a 50 year old man, wearing either the most embarrassing hat or the most embarrassing virginal underwear there is, contrived to be cool?
Answer, because he’s a bloody pop culture icon.