8 Intriguing Fan Theories That Never Came to Pass

Breaking Bad remains one of the most acclaimed television series of all time, and while it was on the air, fans endlessly theorized about what would happen next. With so many unfulfilled theories and predictions out there, it’s interesting to look back on the plotlines that never came to be and imagine how they would have ultimately impacted the show.

Many of these theories represent the road not taken for Breaking Bad and would have had drastic implications for characters like Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, and Hank Schrader. While all of these ideas would have been interesting developments, the writers ultimately knew best, and it was important that they carried out their own vision rather than cater to fan theories.

Walt Jr. Gets Addicted To Walter’s Blue Meth

One storyline that felt inevitable in the early seasons of Breaking Bad was Walt Jr. getting caught up in his own addiction story and finding himself unknowingly reliant on his father’s blue meth. This would have offered a real opportunity for Walter to see how his cooking affects real people and destroys families’ lives.

Walt Jr. had moments suggesting he might fall prey to peer pressure, like when he accidentally asks an undercover cop to buy alcohol in season 1’s “Grey Matter.” Yet, Breaking Bad never fully explored this, leaving it a missed opportunity to develop Walt Jr.’s character and deepen his role within the series’ moral complexities.

Marie Has An Affair

In the early seasons of Breaking Bad, Marie’s strained marriage to Hank and secret kleptomania appeared to hint at deeper dissatisfactions buried beneath the surface. This led many to theorize that Marie could pursue an affair, which would have rippling effects for the relationships between herself, Hank, Skyler, and Walter.

An affair storyline would mirror Walter’s own moral decay, as in many ways, Walt and Marie’s storylines juxtaposed each other, as they both carried buried personal conflicts and deep dissatisfaction with their current lives. However, in the end, Hank and Marie’s relationship was as strong as a rock, or should I say a mineral.

Skyler Starts Working Undercover For The DEA

The moment when Hank realized Walter’s identity as Heisenberg while sitting on the toilet in the White family home was the most jaw-dropping twist in all of Breaking Bad, with viewers coming up with all sorts of ideas for what would happen when the show at last returned. One fascinating proposition was that Hank would bring Skyler into the DEA.

This twist would have flipped Walter’s world on its head, making Skyler the one to bring him down, ironically contradicting his claim that he did it all for family. Forced to choose between loyalty and ending the cycle of violence, Skyler’s decision would have added profound moral complexity and made for one of Breaking Bad’s most compelling developments.

Walt Jr. Gets A Job At Los Pollos Hermanos

The fact that the drug kingpin Gus Fring uses a fast food restaurant as a front to distract from his shady criminal enterprise led many to believe that Walt Jr. would one day get a job at Los Pollos Hermanos. This would have given Gus some serious leverage over Walter and acted as a constant threat to his family.

By putting Walt Jr. in such close proximity to Walter’s boss, it would increase the risk of him discovering his father’s secret and being caught in the crossfire of their operation. Breaking Bad even hinted at the possibility of this coming true when Gus suggested Walt Jr. work for him while he was there with Hank in season 4’s “Problem Dog.”

Lydia Becomes A Love Interest For Walt

Jesse Pinkman had several love interests throughout Breaking Bad, and following Skyler’s affair with Ted Beneke, many theorized that Walt might also pursue romance outside of his marriage. While the closest we ever came to that was the embarrassing scene where Walt attempted to make a move on the assistant principal, Carmen Molina, some thought Lydia could fill that role.

As the methylamine supplier of Walter’s operation, a romance with Lydia could have acted as a response to Skyler’s infidelity and added extra layers of complexity to Walt’s moral degradation. In the end, it was Todd Alquist who developed feelings for Lydia, although these were not reciprocated.

Hank Breaks Bad

The idea that Walt’s DEA brother-in-law, Hank Schrader, would one day discover his secret life as Heisenberg was the driving conflict for much of Breaking Bad. While this finally came true at the end of the first half of season 5, many wondered if Hank’s discovery could act as the beginning of his own moral degradation.

Whether it was Hank covering up Walt’s crimes to protect himself or even taking a cut from the profits, this plot twist would have entrenched Breaking Bad’s theme that, given the right circumstances, everyone has the potential for evil. This would have been a wild swing on the part of the writers, as it would have upended the series.

Jesse Kills Walter

Since Breaking Bad premiered, audiences had theorized about how things would conclude for Walter White, with many believing Jesse Pinkman would be the one to ultimately end his life. Despite their father-son-style relationship, it was clear that Walter consistently belittled and exploited Jesse for his own gain.

While Walter always seemed to have luck on his side, Jesse continuously had his life destroyed, his love interests killed, and was left picking up the pieces of his fractured psyche. Jesse pulling the trigger on Walter would have made sense after all that they had been through, but ultimately, Jesse chose to let Walter die on his own.

Walter Uses The Ricin On Himself

Ever since Walter created the vial of ricin intended for Gus Fring, fans knew it had to resurface at some stage. This lingering plot thread sparked endless theories about its victim, with one of the most intriguing suggesting Walt would ultimately use it on himself to go out on his own terms.

While Walt did find a way to orchestrate his ending, he used the ricin on Lydia after she unknowingly put it in her chamomile tea, thinking it was stevia. This was a clever callback to Lydia’s first meeting with Walter and served as a prime example of Breaking Bad rewarding viewers who paid close attention to every detail.

Release Date

2008 – 2013-00-00

Showrunner

Vince Gilligan

Directors

Vince Gilligan, Michelle Maclaren

Writers

Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Vince Gilligan, George Mastras, Moira Walley-Beckett, Sam Catlin, Thomas Schnauz