Breaking Bad: 10 Times Walter White Made You Genuinely Root For Him
2. His Genuine Illness
While you can dissect Walt's character all you want and pinpoint actions you either agree or disagree with, it's so easy to forget just why he has ended up in his situation in the first place.
Walter White the man, is a genuinely poorly chap. He has lung cancer, an illness very real in its nature and something many viewers of the show will have had some experience of in their lives.
For all his vile acts of selfishness and manipulation throughout the show, Walt's cancer is used as a way to keep reminding you that this is a man who is close to being on his last legs.
Scenes, where he coughs up blood, vomiting while being at work, and collapsing at random times tug on the heartstrings and keep the story closely concerned to a real issue for Walt.
It's bordering on genius by Vince Gilligan and his writing team, not to mention Cranston's performance throughout, that they manage to keep reminding you of Walt's illness to keep that sympathy vote trickling along.