- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
If you were strolling the floor of Comic-Con this weekend and saw an incredibly convincing Walter White making the rounds, chances are it was series star Bryan Cranston making an incognito appearance in a frighteningly realistic rubber mask, green button-up shirt and signature khakis. (He said he used a “higher voice” than normal to preserve his identity among photo hounds. “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had walking the floor!” said the three-time Emmy winner.)
Cranston donned the getup on stage during Breaking Bad’s final appearance at Comic-Con. He then promptly fitted the mask over his microphone in a most absurd meta moment (serious Walter White mouth-on-mouth action) that kicked off the series’ swan-song conversation in front of a packed room of 6,000 fans, which also included AMC president Charlie Collier and Sony Pictures Television co-president Jamie Erlicht.
STORY: Vince Gilligan: ‘Breaking Bad’ Spinoff ‘Very Much’ a Possibility
Moderator Chris Hardwick quickly broke the news at the top of the discussion that he will be presiding over a talk show following each of Breaking Bad’s final episodes — called Talking Bad, naturally — beginning with episode one of the final eight, which premieres Aug. 11.
Although Betsy Brandt was unable to attend due to production on her new series, NBC’s The Michael J. Fox Show, creator Vince Gilligan and castmembers Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman), Anna Gunn (Skyler White), Dean Norris (Hank Schrader), RJ Mitte (Walter Jr.) and Bob Odenkirk (Saul Goodman) unveiled the opener of the season premiere, which sees Walter White — dressed and bearded as he was in last year’s season premiere “Live Free or Die” (Remember the diner scene with the bacon on his 52nd birthday?) — returning to his suburban Albuquerque home, which is vandalized and gated.
Walt is shown entering the dirty, abandoned home that’s teaming with flies. Skateboarders are seen skating inside the White family’s backyard pool, which has been drained of water. He removes an outlet cover on the wall to reveal the small tube of ricin he (and, presumably at one point, viewers thought) used to poison young Brock in season four — though the first episode of season five saw Walt disposing of the Lily of the Valley plant in his backyard, a clue that he may have used poisonous berries instead to harm the child.
Written on the walls of the living room in graffiti scrawl is one word: HEISENBERG. Walt leaves the house and casually says to a shocked neighbor who sees him opening and closing a car trunk filled with firearms: “Hello, Carol.”
Speaking of the poison, one inquisitive fan asked the panel a burning question that has still haunted some viewers: How did Walt have time to poison Brock?
STORY: Bryan Cranston on ‘Breaking Bad’: Like ‘Retiring After Winning Super Bowl’
“It was a tight timeline, but my writers and I did have our ‘evil juice-box man’ theory,” said Gilligan. “Our best guess — and Walt would have had just enough time to do it — is that he crushed up some of the [poison], put it in a juice box and somehow got into Brock’s school. That’s how it happened. He was a very motivated individual at that point!”
Knowing better, Hardwick did not press the Bad gang for any spoilers on the upcoming series finale but asked Gilligan simply, “Are you satisfied with it?”
“First, I want to say that I’m sad, sad, sad about the series ending,” admitted Gilligan. “I’m going to miss these guys … and coming to Comic-Con. And, yes, I’m very happy with the finale. I hope our fans will be, too.”
Related Stories
Related Stories
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day