That convo with my buddy totally flipped how I see character arcs

Me and my friend Jake were talking about Breaking Bad last night, and he pointed out how Walter White's turn feels different on a rewatch. He said the first time you root for him, but the second time you notice all the little selfish moves from episode 3. That hit me because I never thought about rewatching a show with that kind of focus. I always just binged for the plot, not to track a slow burn descent. Now I'm tempted to go back and watch Better Call Saul the same way. Has anyone else had a convo that totally changed how you view a show's main character?

2 comments

2 Comments

henderson.mila1mo ago

Honestly, I read something similar online a while back about Mad Men, and it made me look at Don Draper totally different. The person pointed out how he sabotages himself in every season finale, like on purpose, way before you realize he's broken. I had always just thought he was this cool suave guy who messed up sometimes. But after reading that, I went back and watched the first episode again. You can see the cracks in his whole fake life right from the start. It's wild how a second look with a new idea can just flip everything you thought you knew about a character.

theas941mo ago

I think that finale thing is from season 1 episode 13 actually, @henderson.mila.