Bryan Cranston Explains Why Breaking Bad Fans Are Wrong to Hate Skyler

Credits:- Greg Peters/AMC

When it comes to the most despised TV characters, Skyler ranks second on the IMDb poll, which is ludicrous to say the least. Bryan Cranston, the leading man behind Breaking Bad, has now weighed in on the discourse surrounding Anna Gunn’s Skyler White.

During his recent appearance on the Hot Ones Versus opposite Frankie Muniz, after the latter shared that he loved Breaking Bad but hated the character Skyler, Cranston went on to defend his onscreen wife’s demeanor, which has been a lightning rod for hate since the show’s inception.

Bryan Cranston Calls Out the Irrational Hate Toward Skyler White

Elaborating on his dislike for Skyler, Muniz added, “all she did was complain”, and claimed Walter’s life would’ve been so much easier without her. Unfortunately, this isn’t a rare sentiment, and this hate for the character even led to death threats against Gunn when the show was still airing.

In response to Muniz’s remarks, however, Cranston did a brilliant job of highlighting the irrationality of this stance, as viewers who hate Skyler tend to overlook that all she was doing was to keep her family away from harm’s way, and her objections to Walt’s action are more than justified.

Cranston isn’t the only major BB member who has come forward in defence of Skyler, as Vince Gilligan himself was puzzled by all the online hatred against the character.

Vince Gilligan Also Condemned the Hate Toward Skyler White

A still from Breaking Bad | Credit: AMC

Gilligan was reasonably dumbfounded by all the hate that Skyler tends to receive, and even expressed that people who take issue with Skyler condemning Walt’s actions are “misogynists, plain and simple.”

Although he clarified that she is far from perfect, as Skyler did become an accomplice in Walt’s meth empire, again, her reasons were entirely rooted in a desire to protect her family, whereas Walt’s actions were driven by his pride and himself, which he admits in the final episode. He told Vulture:

He’s not wrong, as the hate toward her character was largely unwarranted. But in recent years, audience perception of the character has noticeably softened.

Has the Hate for Skyler White Softened Over Time?

A still from Breaking Bad | Credit: AMC

While it’s one thing to hate a character for the more absurd reasons, in Skyler’s case, things went way too far, as Anna Gunn herself became the target of death threats from unhinged Breaking Bad viewers.

Fortunately, this isn’t the case nowadays, at least for the most part, as most fans tend to agree with Gilligan that the hate toward her character was totally blown out of proportion. As for why the sentiment changed, there are several factors, but one of the most significant is the benefit of hindsight and rewatches.

The pilot of Breaking Bad does an immaculate job of positioning viewers to root for Walt, which leads many, especially on a first watch, to rationalize his actions for much, if not all, of the series. It is only with the benefit of hindsight or rewatches that his obsession and pride become unmistakably clear to viewers who may have missed those details the first time around.

Given that Walt is a master manipulator, there is a certain irony in how effectively he manipulates a large portion of the audience as well. And if someone still hates Skyler White even after revisiting the series, and after the creators making the themes clear, the issue arguably lies more with the viewer than with Skyler.

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Breaking Bad is currently available to stream on Netflix (USA).