Does Walt Jr Get the Money? Examining the Fortune and Legacy of Walter White

Walter White‘s frantic scribbling in the finale of Breaking Bad marks the end of his twisted journey from mild-mannered chemistry teacher to ruthless drug kingpin. Among Walt‘s last actions is arranging for his ill-gotten gains to be laundered and given to his teenaged son, Walt Jr. But how much money reaches Walt‘s family, and what emotional burden does it place on the son who idolized Heisenberg?

Walt Jr.‘s Upbringing and Bond with His Father

To understand the significance of Walt Jr. receiving his father‘s drug money, it‘s important to examine Walt Jr.‘s background and relationship with his dad prior to his criminal turn. Walt Jr, played sympathetically by RJ Mitte, has cerebral palsy which makes him reliant on crutches or a wheelchair. But despite the challenges of his disability, Walt Jr maintains a positive, loving attitude towards his parents.

Scenes like Walt lovingly helping Walt Jr with his physical therapy depict the bond between father and son. And Walt Jr obliviously defends his dad against Hank‘s suspicions, championing Walt as a fundamentally good man – "My dad‘s a hero!" This makes the ultimate revelation of Walt‘s misdeeds all the more heartbreaking for the son who idolized the crooked scholar known as "Mr. White."

From Teacher to Drug Lord – Walt‘s Slippery Slope

Upon receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis in the Breaking Bad pilot, the meek 50 year old Walt decides to push his moral boundaries to provide for his family before he dies. Teaming up with former student Jesse Pinkman, Walt utilizes his expertise in chemistry to cook unusually pure "blue sky" meth.

But the road to hell is paved with good intentions. As Walt becomes intoxicated by money, power, and outwitting his enemies, he sheds any last shreds of morality. The teacher who once sputtered around criminals becomes Heisenberg, the feared drug kingpin directly or indirectly responsible for countless deaths. Walt poisons a child, bombs a nursing home, and orders prisoners and snitches executed.

"I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really…I was alive." – Walter White

Any notion of Walt being driven by altruism and family is thoroughly crushed when he proudly admits his true motivation to Skyler. Mr. White died long ago. Heisenberg remains.

The Price Paid Along the Way

While Walt spirals deeper into evil and leaves behind a trail of bodies, his family suffers severe trauma as they realize the truth about the once mild-mannered patriarch. Skyler has a nervous breakdown. Hank is killed by Neo-Nazis after discovering Walt‘s secret. And when Walt Jr. learns his dad is the elusive drug lord, it utterly devastates the son who revered his father.

That realization hit home during the phone call at the end of the previous episode, "Granite State." Walter Jr. will not try to understand his father; Walter Jr. will not knowingly accept his money; Walter Jr. will never forgive him. His father was his greatest hero, but became his ultimate villain. [3]

For all the pain Walt brought upon his family and community while becoming a drug overlord, perhaps the greatest tragedy is the destruction of his son‘s admiration and trust.

The Money Trail and Walt Jr.‘s Dilemma

By the later seasons of Breaking Bad, Walt had amassed a fortune upwards of $80 million through his meth operation. But the bloody saga ends with most of it stolen by Neo-Nazis, and Walt left with one final barrel containing $10 million. Where did all that money ultimately end up?

With his family in witness protection and no longer accepting Walt‘s blood money, Walt manipulates his former Gray Matter partners into passing the remaining $9 million to Walt Jr. on his 18th birthday through a trust fund. This required Gretchen and Elliott to launder the cash into a legitimate inheritance for Walt‘s son.

According to crime experts, Walt Jr. would face an ethical dilemma in accepting drug profits that brought so much misery. But refusing the money could seem hypocritical when he was already unknowingly benefiting from Walt‘s meth empire. In the end, it appears Walt Jr. took the tainted funds.

The Destruction Left in the Wake of Heisenberg‘s Blue Sky

While Walt succeeded on some level by leaving millions to his children, it came at an extreme cost:

• Hundreds dead from overdoses and gang violence
• Jesse psychologically scarred and enslaved
• Hank murdered
• Skyler a suicidal accomplice then given a new identity
• Saul forced to disappear and adopt a new life
• Walt Jr. emotionally devastated learning his father‘s truth

Perhaps most chilling is the pride Walt exudes at the height of his empire despite the consistent harm inflicted on others. By laundering his money to his son, did Walt redeem himself at all in the end? Most would argue the damage was already done.

The Legend of Heisenberg Lives On

Walter White was dead, both literally and figuratively. But the urban legend of Heisenberg would live on in the Southwest underworld. With the most skilled meth cook around gone, it‘s assumed cartels like the Juárez would compete for control of the valuable blue sky market.

And if Walt Jr. accepted the money, he would have to grapple with difficult questions about his father‘s legacy. How would the public react if the full story was known? While the meth money was a ticket to financial security, it represented a psychological burden for the son of a drug emperor.

Ultimately, Walter White got what he desired – providing for his family through the empire of Heisenberg. But it came by destroying lives, families, and leaving trauma that could never be undone. For those reasons, whether Walt Jr. accepted the money or not, there were no real winners in this morally complicated, Shakespearean tragedy of a chemistry teacher turned criminal legend.

3: https://outofoffice.org/2013/10/04/no-more-half-measures-walter-whites-transformation-to-irredeemable/ ↑