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This article contains spoilers for Breaking Bad.
When Breaking Bad first appeared in 2008, it wasn’t just a TV series but a full-blown cultural phenomenon. Be it Jesse Pinkman’s iconic “Yeah, science!” moments or Walter White’s slow-burning transformation into Heisenberg, the scenes are meticulously crafted. But if you thought the desert standoffs or blue meth were the only scenes worth obsessing over, you must think again.
Vince Gilligan, the writer, has filled the series with hidden callbacks, clever smirks, and subtle shadowing. Be it the symbolisms based on color, sudden cameos, or “you miss it if you blink it” moments, Breaking Bad is a gift to cinema or show lovers.
21 Mind-Blowing Things You Missed in Breaking Bad
Fans have binge-watched the series innumerable times, and they still happen to miss the hidden details of this masterpiece. So, we decided to lend a helping hand and activate Hank Schrader’s detective skills, and curate a list of mind-blowing Breaking Bad facts that you must have missed.
Here are 21 Breaking Bad easter eggs we bet you didn’t know.
1. Walter White’s Trousers
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and get back to the first episode of the series. Remember when Walter was making his first cook with Jesse and lost his trousers? Walter strips his beige trousers, and they go flying off into the desert. Fast forward to Season 5, Episode 14, Ozymandias, which is considered the most devastating episode, and a throwback happens. Walter finds the exact pair of trousers lying in the sand.
Gilligan carefully uses the plot to show that the desert keeps its secrets, even if it’s a pair of pants. It is also symbolic as it shows Walter’s humble persona lying in the desert in the dirt.
2. The Boeing 737 Crash
At the end of Season 2, a Boeing 737 plane crashes, and that’s a scene we all saw coming. But that’s not all, the 1st, 4th, 10th, and 13th episodes of Season 2 begin with black and white teaser scenes. The B&W prepares us and foreshadows the consequences of the crash. Wait, there’s more.
The episodes in the season are titled, “Seven Thirty-Seven,” “Down,” “Over,” and “ABQ.” If we decipher these names, it comes as, ‘Boeing 737, down, over Albuquerque’ – where Breaking Bad is set.
3. The ‘Not-so-adorable’ Pink Teddy
This Breaking Bad Easter Egg might call for some debate. The famous or infamous weird pink teddy bear. In the premiere of Season 2, the teddy falls from the sky into Walt’s pool. It might look like an out-of-the-blue scene, but it’s a foreshadowing of Gus Fring’s death.
Remember what made us so uneasy when we looked at the teddy?! It’s the missing eye and half-burnt face that matches Gus’ appearance when he is killed in the episode Face Off.
4. The Aircraft Controller Walter White
The plane crash that occurs at the end of Season 2 is quite similar to the 1986 Cerritos mid-air collision. The name of the junior air traffic controller who was guiding the DC-9 before the real-life crash was “Walter White.” Whether it was a coincidence or a deliberate act is a debate, but the eerie fact is definitely a highlight of the show!
5. The New Hampshire Car Plate
In the last episode of Breaking Bad, the camera focuses on a New Hampshire license plate bearing the state’s slogan, “Live Free or Die.” This is a direct reference to Walt and Jesse’s destiny, in addition to being the title of the Season 5 opener. Walt “dies,” but Jesse “lives free.” Too awesome!
6. Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” Reference
This classic sequence from Breaking Bad is very similar to a well-known scene from Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. Walt and Jesse’s roles and names are identical to those of the characters in the 1992 film. In Reservoir Dogs, Steve Buscemi plays Mr. Pink, while Harvey Keitel plays Mr. White. Do the similar names seem familiar?
7. Felina More Than Just Finale
As you might anticipate, the title of the last episode, Felina, is more than just an anagram of the word “finale.” It also refers to a woman called “Faleena” who appears in Walt’s car and during Walt’s machine gun preparation in the song El Paso, which plays throughout the episode.
In El Paso, a man goes back to the place where he is “wanted” to find the lady he loves, Faleena.
But hold on! There’s more; the molecular symbols for iron, lithium, and sodium can be obtained by splitting the word “felina” into “Fe Li Na.” In essence, it means tears, amphetamine, and blood. Did you get chills? Same. Same.
8. Walter’s Bullet Hole Reflection
The scene from the Ozymandias episode where Walter is gazing at his reflection in a car. My fellow Breaking Bad enthusiast, take a closer look. Indeed, Walter’s head is positioned behind the bullet hole deliberately. If it isn’t a sign of impending danger, we’re at a loss for words. That right there is some great foreshadowing!
9. Walter White’s Color Template
Breaking Bad writer Vince Gilligan really has a thing for color symbolism. As the seasons changed, you may have observed that Walter White’s clothing became darker and darker. At the beginning of the show, Walter is dressed in yellows and beiges; toward the end, he is dressed in browns and blacks. This slow hue shift indicates how dark and gloomy his character also grows.
10. Walter White and Heisenberg’s End
Do you recall that fantastic scene in Crawl Space from Season 4, where Walt is lying on the ground and laughing uncontrollably? You’ll understand that this scenario signifies “the end” of “Walter White” if you read between the lines and think back on everything that occurs in the upcoming season.
That same scene is mirrored in Season 5 by a dying Walt who is sprawled out on the floor with a tiny smile. One could argue that this scene marks the end of “Heisenberg.”
11. The Breaking Bad Logo
It takes keen observation to spot this Breaking Bad Easter Egg! The show’s creators enjoy subtly inserting the logo into specific sequences. Consider this scene in the hospital. You’ve probably seen that floor pattern before. Or the design on the walls. The green and white combination of the logo appears time and again in several episodes, hidden in minute scenes.
12. Walter Pays Respect to Crazy 8 and Gus
If you watch Walter’s actions, you’ll see that he sometimes acts in ways that are similar to the things he detested the most. It seems as though Walter takes on his enemies’ characteristics or even “honors” them in some way after he kills them. Yes, serial killer stuff.
Walt can be seen slicing the crust off his sandwich after he kills Krazy 8. This is a reference to the scene where Krazy 8 is seen tearing off the bread crusts before eating while locked in the basement. Even Vince Gilligan confirmed this in an interview.
He said, “At a certain point, we have Walt vomiting, and he puts down a hand towel to kneel on. That is an exact visual echo of something Gus Fring did when he was vomiting to get the poison out of his system.”
13. Baby Blue Song
Besides the carefully crafted scenes, brilliant performances, and tight storyline, Breaking Bad excels in another category: the soundtrack. Gilligan is seen skillfully selecting songs that fit the scene or psyche of the characters.
The music that stands out the most is Baby Blue, which plays while Walter passes away. Did you think this was just a sweet little love song chosen at random to end the show? Wrong! The song “Badfinger” from 1972 is a tribute to blue meth, which is Walt’s invention and, of course, “baby.”
14. The White Chess in Ozymandias
Ozymandias is considered to be the best episode of Breaking Bad. So, it’s no surprise that the best episode comes with the best hidden details and symbolism. Another detail even the biggest of fans miss is the chess match that takes place between two firemen in the background.
The match never comes to an end, but we see the white king cornered. The white king is in the final pawn and close to checkmate. The chess piece signifies Walt’s own end.
15. 62nd Element, 62 Episodes
Do we wish that Breaking Bad had more than 62 episodes? Don’t answer that, it was a rhetorical question! However, there is a real explanation for why the show’s makers only planned for 62 episodes. Samarium, the 62nd element in the periodic table, is used to treat lung cancer. This show is indeed a gem!
16. Skyler’s Maiden Name
One may be forgiven for not recognizing Skyler’s maiden name, even if they have seen Breaking Bad multiple times. In the Season 3 episode Sunset, a close-up of some divorce papers reveals the name. Lambert is the name. This explains why Walt later uses the name “Lambert” on a fake ID early in Season 5 in a fairly devastating way.
17. Walter Jr’s Picky Breakfast
In the first few seasons, Walter Jr.’s screen time wasn’t particularly significant. You may have almost forgotten him for his outburst in Season 2 when Skyler gave him Raisin Bran cereal when he requested Raisin Bran Crunch.
However, early in Season 5, there is a lovely callback. The camera picks up a package of Raisin Bran Crunch while Walt is at home. Perhaps it has no significance, or perhaps it is a subtle sign that Skyler is, in some respects, doing better in Walt’s relative absence.
18. Howard Dean’s “Yeahh”
You might have missed this detail if you hate politics. However, Howard Dean, a serious candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, once ruined his campaign by simply shouting, “Yeahhh!” in a silly manner.
Basically, no one ever took him seriously again. Strangely, a sample of Dean’s iconic cry is incorporated into the stock audio when Walt uses explosive fake-meth to blow up Tuco’s building late in Season 1.
19. The X-Files
Breaking Bad’s Easter Eggs aren’t all self-referential. There are also references to other well-loved works of entertainment in the show. As we mentioned before, this includes Reservoir Dogs. However, there’s also a secret reference to The X-Files.
The X-Files also featured a fictional bank called “Cradock Marine Bank,” which was mentioned several times during the series. Given that Vince Gilligan also worked on The X-Files, the reference makes sense.
20. Tuco Salamanca’s Grill
The DEA agent’s colleagues give him the grill made from Tuco Salamanca’s teeth after Hank defeats him. Apart from the strangeness of officers taking kill trophies, this scene is intriguing. That’s because, when Hank shows Walt the grill, the camera perspective tricks us by fitting the grill over his mouth, hinting at his future violent tendencies.
21. Jane’s Death
Breaking Bad’s creators enjoy a good foreshadowing. Rewatching season two can reveal some embarrassing situations involving Jane, even from before her death. The dialogue, “That was so sweet, I think I threw up in my mouth a bit,” is among Jane’s more embarrassing scenes. Jane makes frequent references to her own death; it’s almost as though she anticipates it.
These interesting details prove why fans still dissect Breaking Bad more than a decade later — it wasn’t just a show, it was a masterclass in storytelling.