Walter White. A mild mannered chemistry teacher, and then when the metastases hits the wall, he becomes uber drug king pin ‘Heisenberg’ but as he states in the first episode, “Chemistry is the study of matter. But I prefer to see it as the study of change.” That change occurred alright (although personally I argue that it wasn’t a change it was just Walt unleashing what was in him all the time, just too cowardly to display it), and as these changes occurred it just got worse and worse. I personally hated the way the story progressed, not because of bad writing or acting, but because the pain anguish just kept continuing to mount and I truly felt Walt was doing more damage to the world trying to preserve his own life than the good he would do by providing for his family. The wake of destruction that Walter White left was not worth the preservation of 3 individuals. If you add up everyone from Emilio-Jack Walter is responsible for approximately 210 deaths, not including all the people he supplied with narcotics. I know we are supposed to root for the protagonist of a story, but it just needed to end.
Sadly this is the same position the people of our world perpetuated after the fall, things just spiraled out of control. Genesis 6: ” God saw all that was wrong, all that was broken and evil and He just couldn’t let it go on. Verse 7, such a scary concept “5 When the LORD saw that man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time, 6 the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. “7 Then the LORD said, “I will wipe off from the face of the earth mankind, whom I created, together with the animals, creatures
that crawl, and birds of the sky—for I regret that I made them.”
God saw that mankind had just gotten beyond the point of no return, and had to end it. Thus came the flood (now how this idea is considered a children’s story I’ll never know, we are talking mass genocide, but we still paint this scene like it’s a warm fuzzy cartoon just cause it has animals?- end rant). Have you ever just gotten to the point in your life where your decisions just made things so bad that you literally wanted a way out? We shouldn’t be surprised; our decisions have the power to bring life and death. Walt has a moment where under heavy sedation he realizes his choices have ruined any chance of his master plan going as he intended
“ I'm saying that I lived too long. You want them to actually miss you. You want their memories of you to be... but she just won't... she just won't understand. I mean, no matter how well I explain it....”
We just neglect to see the weight of our choices as we commit them, no one thinks the first time they try drugs it will end in them being homeless and addicted in 5 years. No guy thinks the first time he flirts with a girl on facebook it will end in the ruin of 2 marriages. We just don’t think it goes that way, but it does. I am for sure when Walt started down this road he never intended to ruin hundreds of people’s lives, but sometimes it only takes one step in the wrong direction to hit a land mine.
God lays out the power of our choices in Deuteronomy 30,
“15 See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16 For I am commanding you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live[ and multiply, and the LORD your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are led astray to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I tell you today that you will certainly perish and will not live long in the land you are entering to possess across the Jordan. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 love the LORD your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land the LORD swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
We fail to realize that each step we taking is either bringing our life closer to blessing and life, or destruction and death. In light of this it’s perfectly understandable for Walt’s life to play out the way it did, just like the people of the flood.
Near the end of the story, Walt eventually comes to the point where he realizes that this entire situation is the result of his actions. He knows he has to own it and he prays, for one of the only times ever in the series
“Just get me home. I’ll do the rest.” He knows that it has to end, that he has to make some attempt to redeem his actions. For the sake of not even trying to sum up the way the story plays out, he repents in the best possible way that Heisenberg could.
When the finale was coming, AMC aired ads that stated “All bad things must come to an end”, and when I saw that, I truly
was comforted. Not just knowing that the notorious Heisenberg would finally be stopped, but that God would truly bring an end to the pain that accompanies this world. In revelation 21 we see that day come, “3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.”
I look forward to that moment, but until then I can take equal comfort in that Jesus tells us “I HAVE told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” – John 16:33.