‘Breaking Bad’ Initially Planned on Killing Skyler; Here’s Why It Didn’t
Starring Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad is a critically acclaimed drama TV series that tells the story of Walter White, a cancer-stricken science teacher who starts cooking meth to secure his family’s future. As the show progresses, Walt becomes a much darker version of himself, but you still can’t help but root for him despite all the messed up stuff he does.
At the same time, audiences still felt bad for his wife, Skyler White (Anna Gun), who was crushed after discovering his double life. As their world unraveled, a plan was put in place to kill her off the show, however, it never materialized. Find out why, here.
What happens to Skyler in ‘Breaking Bad’
To rewind a bit, Skyler was left in the dark about Walt’s dealings all the way until season 3 when he finally came clean. Enraged, Skyler reacted in a way that anyone would after discovering their spouse had been selling drugs and lying about it for that long: she asked for a divorce. But then she realized staying was probably the best option to protect their kids.
From there, she reluctantly started helping Walt launder his drug money while also trying to rebuild their relationship. But as more came out about him, she became increasingly terrified of him — to the point she had a full-on breakdown in front of Marie.
By season 5, the feds had caught on to Walt’s empire, forcing him to flee New Mexico. A few months later, he returned, stopping by Skyler’s place to give her information that would help her negotiate a plea deal with the police. Then he set out for Jack’s hideout, where he died after a shootout.
Skyler almost had a different fate
In a past interview with The Wrap, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan revealed there were plans to kill Skyler at an earlier point in the show.
He recalled, “We talked about a possible version where Skyler and Walt are tied up at a Motel 6 kind of place and he’s talking to her in a bathroom saying, ‘It’s going to be alright… I’ve got a plan. Skyler? Skyler?’ And he finally forces the door open and she’s in a bloody tub or something like that.”
While he really liked that idea, he said there were others who didn’t. “I was leaning toward that and the other writers were like, that’s a bridge too far. Let’s not do that. And they were right. I think that would have been very unnecessary,” he added.
Gilligan also said there was an idea to send Skyler to The Disappearer but that it was abandoned because “we could never figure out how to get Jr. to go along.”
So when it came down to it, the story that played out in the show felt like the best option to them. And clearly, they were right, as the series finale consistently ranks among the top ones in TV history.
