Breaking Bad: Every Major Death Ranked

Try to pinpoint where Walter White fully turns into Heisenberg and a strong contender is the moment he watches Jesse’s girlfriend Jane choke to death on her own vomit. It’s a horrifying scene with Bryan Cranston doing some of his finest silent acting. He takes in the situation and his first instinct is to do the right thing, to turn the sleeping girl on her side to save her life.

Then, he pauses. He weighs up his options, considers how much easier her death might make his life. Previously we’ve seen him draw up literal pros and cons lists before taking a life. Here, it’s a momentary decision. He works out what would benefit him the most, and thinks no more of it.

It’s a hideous moment, played with haunting conviction by Krysten Ritter, but there are few more impactful deaths in the series, either onscreen or in the narrative. We’re waiting from here on for the truth to come out, for Jesse to find out what his mentor took from him and exact revenge. While the reveal is relatively inconsequential, for Walt’s psyche this is huge.