‘Breaking Bad’: This Explains How Walter White Made It All the Way to New Hampshire From New Mexico Without Getting Caught
Breaking Bad wrapped up nearly a decade ago, but its legacy lives on in the hearts of many. Still considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time, the drama show is kept alive through conversations and fan theories about the meaning of certain scenes and symbols as well as what they think happened in moments the show didn’t fully explain.
One fan theory explains how Walter White made it all the way to New Hampshire from New Mexico without getting caught in Breaking Bad‘s dramatic penultimate episode.
The significance of New Hampshire to ‘Breaking Bad’ fans
Breaking Bad follows White, a brilliant science teacher who receives a damning cancer diagnosis. He decides to start cooking meth, partnering with Jesse Pinkman, his former student. The two quickly grow their enterprise and begin selling on a larger scale.
However, the problem with this kind of growing business is that the Albuquerque police are always patrolling for illegal activities. Soon, White and Pinkman must deal with law enforcement, the Juárez cartel, and others who want to hinder their efforts.
Before “Granite State,” the show’s penultimate episode during Season 5, White had called up the “disappeared” aka Vacuum-Cleaner Guy, with a request to vanish. Vacuum-Cleaner Guy came through with a new name (Mr. Lambert), a new identification, and a new home for White in New Hampshire.
The meth kingpin also had about a month’s worth of canned food, a generator, and two copies of Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium to keep him entertained. The cabin lacks access to telephones, cable tv, or the internet. The “disappearer” calls it “just the place for a man to rest up and think about things.” One element of this episode that surprised fans was how quickly White made it back to New Mexico from New Hampshire — a 33-hour, 2,208-mile road trip.
A popular fan theory explains how Walter White made it from New Hampshire without getting caught
After White returned to New Mexico from his exile in the Granite State, fans began questioning elements of the story. One particular factor that fans didn’t fully understand was how White made it to New Mexico without getting caught, given the countrywide manhunt for him as well as cancer in his body that weakened the 52-year-old.
However, a fan on Quora gave a detailed account of how White could cross states without landing on the DEA’s radar. The fan explained, “Assuming that he left NH immediately, and stuck to busy interstates, it would take him roughly 2.5–3 days to get to NM.” The Quora used accounted for several things White would’ve needed to do: Keep up with traffic, fuel up at busy truck stops where he would blend in, and drive as normally as possible — no swerving or distracted driving.
The fan said White could return to New Mexico if he stayed at hotels with parking garages, instead of motels. “The police in many areas drive through motel parking lots, running out of state plates. They cannot usually do this in a parking garage,” the user said.
Other details in this ‘Breaking Bad’ fan theory stand out
The fan also pointed out several things that held up the theory: “Walt was apparently wanted for questioning by the DEA. Unless they had the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force looking for him, since he had a new identity, it would have been difficult to track him.”
Another element of this cross-country road trip involved the “hundreds, if not thousands of stolen vehicles” that are driving on the roads “at any given time.” High-crime areas cause police to seek out stolen cards more often. But this doesn’t often happen on highways, especially if White drove the speed limit.
A final detail involved Walt being a middle-aged white male. Statistically (and unfortunately), law enforcement wouldn’t stop him unless he was speeding or driving recklessly. All things considered, White getting to Albuquerque without being stopped made the whole thing believable.
