Back to the Wall, The Best of Walter White Letting Science Win the Day

How many times did Walter White have his back to the wall. A lot more than we can count, but fortunately, the great Heisenberg was loaded up with enough smarts to always put out the fire. Here’s Walt's best five moments when science helped him win the day

Cold Blooded Served Best on a Cold Plate

Walter White not yet Walter White, he was so cute trying to navigate his first cold blooded murder. His victim bike locked to a poll, the chemistry teacher still thought he could dance his way out of the situation by using kind words on a killer. Yeah, he had so much to learn still, but the mathematical mind gets Heisenberg over his first hurdle. In other words, a serendipitous glance into the garbage reveals the missing puzzle piece from the broken plate. Of course, the rest of us mere novices, couldn't construct the omission visiually, and before our very eyes, we see that Walt’s only choice is to graduate. The wayward piece of porcelain forced into view, Walt applies a chokehold that would have shamed the Boston Strangler.

Lowering the Boom on Tuco

After Jesse gets beaten and robbed by Tuco, the previous taste of a real kill is still fresh on Walter’s lips. So marking his turf gives no pause to the would be mass murderer. But poor Tuco, he thinks all Heisenberg is packing is bravado. “I steal your dope, I beat the piss out of your mule boy, and then you walk in here and bring me more meth?”

Yeah, Walt is not impressed, and while it looks like the teacher has brought a stern look to a beat down, the chemist let’s mercury fulminate do all the talking. Boom, and the Salamanca has no other choice but to bow to the science. Our little Walt is growing up.

Battery Power

Jessie definitely did not earn his degree in common sense or chemistry in Four Days Out. So thinking on his feet, he dooms the desert cooking duo by putting out a minor fire with their only supply of water.

Jesse!!!!

The end near and personal electrolytes running low, Jesse grasps at straws. “What if we just take some stuff off of the RV and build it into something completely different? Like a dune buggy. That way, we can just dune buggy out of here.”

Straws? How about nails in the coffin. But Walt is able to wade his way through his partner's ruminations and seizes on building a battery. Galvanized metal, graphite break pads and an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte - we’ll take Walt’s word for it. A copper wire then used to conduct and…tee it up Jesse.

“Yeah Bitch.”

Lily, Oh Lily

Walter White can obviously calculate, but in this business, by the numbers better have a calculating mind or none of the science matters. So the world and Gus Fring bearing down on Walt, the chemist allows his surroundings to initiate an out. Thus, he’s unable to miss the Lily of the Valley in his backyard, and the 38 cardiac glycosides contained within propel the machinations Walter needs to survive. Of course, there’s no real risk to Brock, and the alchemy positions Walt to gear up his right brain. Playacting Jesse to his side, Walt makes it a no brainer for Hector by offering a far more worthy target than himself. Ding, Ding, "I won."

Empire Falls

Unable to get Walter junior to take his blood money, all avenues have been completely expended in the desolation of New Hampshire. Walter White must die, and he’s only man to do it. The great Heisenberg must settle all scores, though. Minus an assault team, Walt’s M60 gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed, general-purpose machine gun doesn’t necessarily do the trick either. Not to worry, Walt’s theoretical skills do not dwarf his application abilities, and he confidently places his wrath on a El Camino based swivel. Then one more dance with Lydia positions the fire power on Uncle Jack, and a final two step with Jessie lays waste to the empire he built. Rome itself couldn’t have envisioned a better ending.

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