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transformation. The identification also reflects an American obsession
that began with our Puritan forefathers of the sixteenth century and that
may even have contributed to the series’ popularity in a culture in which
“[t]he devil has become an essential part” (xviii). In brief, Walter’s
stunning transformation reinforces a cultural obsession that is as
American as apple pie and Chevrolet. Of this, W. Scott Poole writes.
In the latter half of the twentieth century [and certainly
in the first fourteen years of the twenty-first century],
American fascination with the Prince of Darkness grew
to epic proportions in a society that was, arguably,
becoming less secular with each passing decade. While
fascination with Satan and his work grew among large
swaths of American society, the public culture of the
United States continued to insist on American innocence
and basic goodness (xx).
Breaking Bad is a drama wrapped in a twisted darkness of
almost Manichean proportion. It is perhaps worth mentioning that the
world of Breaking Bad is one in which the darkness that grips the
characters also seems to have infected some in the viewing audience. I
am thinking here of the man from the state of Washington who, inspired
by Walt White, tried to dissolve the body of his murdered girlfriend in a
tub of acid. I am thinking of the high school teacher from Texas, who
was arrested for manufacturing and selling meth and of the math tutor
from Boston who was arrested for receiving 480 grams of meth in middle
school (Bard). And I am thinking of fans’ bizarre reactions to Skyler
White, who became the villain of the series. First, there were the
Facebook pages, apparently titled “Kill off Skyler” and “Kill Skyler
White,” that revealed hatred for a fictional character but that became a
death-threat that at least one viewer intended for Anna Gunn, the actress
who played Skyler White. The death-threat frightened and bewildered
Anna Gunn, who will likely never come to grips with fans’ hatred of her
and the character she played:
At some point on the message boards [she writes], the
character of Skyler seemed to drop out of the
conversation, and peo H