This short piece addresses the widespread interest that many internet users have in "Breaking Bad"'s use of repeated visual motifs, callbacks, and Easter eggs. I attempt to connect existing visual analyses of the show to a wider argument about the series' ethics of violence. I conclude that these visual motifs challenge us to rethink the way that we assign guilt to the show's characters, and ultimately how we differentiate between heroes and villains.
The full text is published at Salon.com as "The hidden clues to 'Breaking Bad''s meaning" (September 27, 2013).
Note: The images below are intended to accompany this piece, but are not included with the text on Salon.com due to formatting restrictions.
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| Fig. 1. Three acts of violence are connected with the visual of a half-destroyed face. |
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| Fig. 2. Jesse Pinkman's fate recalls his own inhumane behavior from the series' first season |
