Unless you’ve been living under a boulder, you’ve more than likely at least heard of Breaking Bad, a critically acclaimed and award-winning dark drama series about a high school science teacher who decides to begin making meth after discovering he is dying from cancer.
From the highly developed characters to the unexpected twists and turns, Breaking Bad is a wild ride from beginning to end. It wins over viewers again and again, with the die-hards knowing how layered and subtle the show can really be. Below are Breaking Bad Easter eggs that are sure to add to your (re)watching experience.
Walt’s Killer Copycat Streak
Some speculate that Walt carried around guilt for the people he killed, which in turn created this subconscious desire to honor the lives he took. One example is with his first kill, Krazy 8.
In Season one, episode eight, Walt feeds Krazy 8 a sandwich. He watches the drug dealer tear the crust off, and the next time Walt brings food down, he pre-cuts the crust off. Flash forward to season three, viewers can see Walt cutting the crusts off of his own sandwich.
A Drug Dealer’s Chariot
Another Breaking Bad Easter egg example is Walt’s infamous rival, Gus Fring. Gus drove around in a beat-up Volvo, which Walt mentioned would be a good car for drug dealers to hide in plain sight. They tried to live in peace, as much as drug dealers can, but Gus’ behavior became too risky, and Walt was forced to blow him up. Later on, Walt is seen driving a Volvo. Is it truly connected? It’s fun to think so!
Jane’s Death, Foreshadowed
There were multiple instances of foreshadowing when it came to one of the most shocking moments in Breaking Bad history. One of the best examples would be the three easter eggs in Season Two, Episode Ten foreshadowing Jane’s death.
The first instance was when Jane woke up, and Jesse joked, “you weren’t supposed to wake up.”
Later in the episode, Jane and Jesse decide to do some drugs, with Jane as the watchman. When Jesse goes to lay down, Jane props him back up, warning that he might choke if he lays down.
Finally, when Walt spends time with his newborn, he mentions needing to make sure she sleeps on her side if she spits up. In the first pass of the show, a viewer might not notice these easter eggs, but now, it’s so glaringly obvious in broad daylight.
Howard Dean’s Scream
It might sound funny nowadays, but way back when, politicians had to be very careful with what they said and did. Something small, such as a loud and odd laugh, could ruin a candidate’s chances.
No one knows this more than Howard Dean, the former Vermont Governor who got a little too excited during a speech back in 2004. While the loud excited sound cost him the ability to run a country, you can hear it in Season One, Episode Six, during the explosion caused by Walter in Tuco’s Headquarters. Ah, to live in infamy, right?
Hospital Floor Tiles
Everyone loves a good tip of the hat to something important. The Breaking Bad directors are no exception. In Season Four, Episode 12, a small six-year-old child, Brock, is poisoned. By who? Well, that all depends on who you ask.
Regardless, while Jesse and Walt visit the sick kiddo in the hospital, make sure to pay extra close attention to the hospital flooring—the tiny green tiles, to be more exact. It’s extremely unlikely the directors found a hospital floor with that exact pattern of the show’s green-tiled logo, so it’s safe to assume it’s a great Breaking Bad Easter egg.
Mike’s Mannerisms
Like the first Breaking Bad Easter egg above, Walt absorbed a couple of mannerisms from Mike Ehrmantraut, another person he ended up killing. Some instances showed Mike preferred ice in his drinks. Until Mike’s death, Walt wasn’t a fan of ice in his drinks, especially not his whiskey. After Mike’s death, though, you can see Walt ordered his whiskey on the rocks.
Mike was also a fan of saying, “do yourself a favor and learn to take ‘yes’ as an answer,”—something we could all benefit from internalizing. Walt must have felt the same way because you can hear him say it to Lydia at a diner in Season Four, Episode Two.
Code Name: Lambert
In the Season Five opener, Walt uses a fake ID with the last name ‘Lambert.’ On his divorce paperwork, Skyler’s maiden name.
Skyler’s Clothing
As any seasoned Breaking Bad fan knows, the Easter eggs can become more subtle. For example, Skyler’s clothing provides a very abstract representation of her experience. As the show progresses, her clothing becomes darker, representing the dissolution of their marriage, her emotional state, and how much Walt is affecting her.
Movie References
‘Reservoir Dogs’
Reservoir Dogs had a series of gangsters named after colors and a scene where Mr. White holds Mr. Pink to the ground with a pistol. That’s odd. Jesse PINKman did the same to Walter WHITE towards the end of the series.
‘Pulp Fiction’
Another subtle Breaking Bad Easter egg is a nod to Pulp Fiction in Season Three, Episode One, when Jesse and Walt sit inside a diner, just like the characters in Pulp Fiction.
‘Scarface’
Al Pacino’s famous gangster film is referenced several times throughout Breaking Bad, but a more subtle nod to the film came with the casting of Steven Bauer as Gustavo’s nemesis Don Eladio. Bauer is famous for playing Manny Ribera in Scarface. Another comparison comes when Walt is watching Scarface with his son and notices that everybody dies, which is basically what happens in the Breaking Bad finale as well.
Orange You Glad?
There’s a lot of oranges shown throughout the series. Some say that this is a nod to The Godfather, which also features a lot of oranges. This could make sense since Breaking Bad makes a number of references to the iconic movie.
Return Of The Pants
One of the most iconic images of Breaking Bad is Walter standing in the desert in his underwear after casting away his pants in the pilot episode. Toward the end of the series, during Season Five, Episode 14, “Ozymandias,” Walt is shown rolling a barrel of his cash across the desert, and you can see what might just be his old pair of pants in the foreground.
Strangled Bookends
Show creator Vince Gilligan obviously loves putting subtle callbacks to earlier scenes in Season Five of Breaking Bad. When Jesse has to kill Todd, who Walt brought into their business, by strangulation, we are supposed to recall how Walt had to kill Krazy 8, who Jesse brought into their business, by strangulation in Season One.
Checkmate
In one of the final episodes, “Ozymandias,” Walter is pretty much all out of options and realizing how vulnerable he really is. Right at the point that he does, a chessboard is shown, on which the white king is clearly very poorly guarded. White certainly thought himself a king in his field, but without others to protect him, he’s realized that he’s powerless.
Tuco’s Grill
Tuco Salamanca is a high-ranking Mexican cartel boss who briefly distributed for Walt and Jesse. After he was killed in a DEA shootout, Tuco’s grill was shown to Walt. He raises the container with the grill inside in a brief scene, perfectly aligning it with his own face. It’s said to foreshadow his own journey into darkness.
Purple Bear
The purple bear has become the iconic image of Season 2, and it can be seen throughout the series if you know where to look. It is shown in a tree outside Walt’s house, painted onto Jane’s bedroom wall, and the grocery store where Walt has ‘amnesia.’
It’s A Colorful Life
Color plays a massive part in the show. Not only does Skyler’s wardrobe change throughout the show, but green is Walt’s signature color. Purple is also a central color in Breaking Bad, representing safety. Marie is almost always in purple or white, representing her lack of involvement in the meth trade. When Walter recuperates in his bed after being shot, his sheets are purple. Ironically enough, Gus Fring was also wearing purple when he was shot.
To Infinity And…
The number eight/the infinity symbol is represented throughout the show in various ways. While this has never been confirmed or denied by the directors, you can see the symbol everywhere. Even Jesse’s bruise on his face is in the shape of an eight, or when the plane takes off, the number eight (as an infinity symbol) can be seen in the sky.
Series Finale
In the final bit of the Breaking Bad Easter eggs, we ironically end with the series finale, “Feline.” The episode name itself has multiple meanings. In the opening sequence, you can hear a song called Feelena, which is about a man who dies because his love is too consuming. On top of that, Fe Li Na breaks down into blood, meth, and tears on the periodic table. Additionally, it’s an anagram for the word finale.