We were WRONG about Kim Wexler | How Kim Breaks Bad (BCS | BB Analysis)

[@themalmadius]

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for watching! Still crazy to think that people want to hear what I have to say, so thanks for sticking around! If you have any thoughts or criticisms, I'm open for any feedback and I want to improve! I made a twitter too if you want to follow me on there! twitter.com/malmadius

[@Onezy05]

Looks at thumbnail: Kim became Walt?! That explains why she isn't in Breaking Bad! Bravo Vince

[@themalmadius]

What an absolute genius writer. I clapped when Kim said “I’d Better Call Saul” in the last scene

[@Beunibster]

@@themalmadius and the she somersaulted all over the place

[@MerelyAFan]

I think the key difference between Walt and Kim is that the latter is defined by an empathy towards others (especially strangers) that the former ultimately lacked. Walt eventually gets to the point where he simply doesn't care about anyone outside his immediately family and (to a lesser degree) Jesse. Anyone harmed or even killed in the process of his meth creation is simply collateral damage in his "goal" of providing his family. Its telling that he only manages to snap out of being Heisenberg when he can't deny the horrific effect his actions have had on his relatives; Hank dead, Skyler and Walt Jr traumatized, etc. The delusion he maintained for so long is finally destroyed by the events of Ozymandias and he's left as the dying man confessing his real motives and trying to make some amends before he's gone. By contrast Kim is driven by pro bono work and a desire to help those in need, even if she doesn't really know them. That innate cause does allow here to justify her increasingly dark actions as the seasons go on, but Howard's death destroys the flimsy reasoning she created and finally gives her perspective on how far she's fallen. Despite all the differences she and Hamlin had, the death (and destruction of reputation) of an innocent person pierces Kim in a way that changes her forever. At hear heart she has a compassion that can not allow her to ignore the consequences of her actions like a Walter White could with the murder of a Drew Sharp. That core difference about how much the welfare of others really mattered ultimately meant Walt broke bad, and Kim was badly broken.

[@themalmadius]

Very well said! I love how a subtle difference of morality vs spite can cause people to go on a completely different path and the collateral therein. This was a great overview looking into their reasons behind the actions

[@RPGkanon]

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[@skatefan9495]

Kim got off bad choice road when she broke up with Jimmy but to what end? She ended up in a self-imposed prison where she was afraid to make a decision, even about things as mundane as ice cream flavors or mayonnaise. She wasn't on good choice road, that's for sure. It was more like no-choice road. It's interesting that Kim recommended therapy for Jimmy after Chuck died, but didn't seek therapy for herself. In the end, she did come to terms with her guilt and tried to make things right as best she could. We get hints she is returning to her old self, like her shoes at Saul's sentencing and her more stylish look when she visits Jimmy in prison. And, more directly, she volunteers at Legal Aid, which is a step onto good choice road. But we also see that her darker nature is not completely extinguished when she scams her way into the prison, posing as Jimmy/Saul's lawyer and also when she easily lies to Cheryl about not knowing if Jimmy is alive.

[@MarkHogan994]

That comparison between Walt's "I liked it" line and Kim's "I like it" line is very superficial. It's ignoring the fact that in that scene Kim is talking about doing pro-bono work and helping people, whereas Walt is talking about being a drug lord. Now there definitely are *some* similarities between Kim and Walt, but they're mostly extremely superficial and vastly outnumbered by their differences. And honestly the BCS series finale only proves that point.

[@themalmadius]

I hear you. I saw a lot of similarities in how they both started going down that path, but even though they had a lot of similarities, I was fascinated on what ultimately took them down different paths. That’s why I ended up talking mostly about how their stories differed from each other and how their stories took completely different turns by the end each of their respective series.

[@Jasonlords]

Helping people... Not get punished for their crimes... Really I agree with you, but that is what she was doing.

[@casualduck7398]

@@Jasonlords More like giving legal representatives for the less wealthy people, instead of helping rich people get richer. Her ambition, drive, view of justice system seems to evolve throughout the seasons, especially after spending too much time with 'Saul Goodman'

[@stevewynnearts]

They each have a change.

[@stevewynnearts]

I like the Kenny rogers t shirts.

[@attitudeproblem6462]

She scared Jimmy when she threatened the Kettlemans w/ the IRS.

[@themalmadius]

She literally has daggers for earrings

[@AtheistVitalist]

"We were WRONG about Kim Wexler" How were we wrong? Literally everyone agrees with your analysis.

[@raydavison4288]

Kim needs her own "El Camino" to tell her back story & expand on her life post BCS. I'd bet she gets her law license back & dumps Mr. Yep, yep.

[@attitudeproblem6462]

I feel like that guy was a part of her self-imposed punishment.

[@MChantal76]

She doesn't deserve it.

[@shade08538]

@@MChantal76Then neither does Jesse

[@onemoreminute0543]

"they get so excited to the point of arousal" Slightly different, but it reminded me of a certain car sex scene in Breaking Bad: "Now why was that so damn good?" "Because it was illegal" The thrill of the crime is an aphrodisiac in and of itself. Notice how much more active and energetic Walts sex life becomes after he enters the dangerous criminal world. He's no longer being passively stimulated by his wife- he IS the stimulator. "I am, the one who stimulates!"

[@maude7420]

This is the moment Kim became Walt

[@onemoreminute0543]

I feel as if with Walt, we noticed the changes that turned him into Heiseneberg as they were quite explicit (killing Crazy 8, rejecting Elliotts offer, Janes death, his seduction by Gus, saving Jesse, poisoning Brock, killing Mikes men) but with Kim it was MUCH more subtle and surprising. When people saw that the last episode of Season 5 was called 'Something Unforgivable', they speculated that would be the moment Kim would leave the show as Jimmy would do something terrible that would cause the moral angel that was Kim Wexler to leave him. It came as an absolute shock that instead continuing to be the moral foil for Jimmy, she instead doubled down and broke bad with him.

[@nont18411]

She should have dumped him in that episode and the ending we got will make more sense.

[@marcosarielvilla17]

Kim always struggled to repress that dark side that she had and that tormented her in her childhood. The difference between her and Jimmy is in their relationship with their parents. They were both ashamed of their parents, but while Kim was ashamed that her mother was a thief, Jimmy was ashamed that his father was "weak". Jimmy deep down was a "sheep" like his father but he wanted to be a wolf. On the other hand, Kim was basically a wolf but she wanted to be a "sheep" so as not to be like her mother. The relationship with Jimmy revived in Kim that dark side that she always wanted to repress, added to the fact that she realized that the law is not always fair. That's why I carry out the plan against Howard. On the other hand, Jimmy was not against it, but he did not want to take risks after the bad experience with Lalo and the cartel. Howard's death served for Kim to repress forever that dark side that tormented her so much, the mistake she made was to believe that without her, Jimmy would improve, the opposite happened. Because he needed someone to be his moral compass. Before it was Chuck and then it was Kim. 

[@nont18411]

That’s the reason why I found the ending of the show very unsatisfying. Jimmy can be in jail forever. That’s fine. But at least he should have a new perspective on life. Instead what we got is that he half assed taking responsibility by confessing things he did and didn’t do, like Ozymandias, just to show Kim (look at how he always looked back at the room to see Kim’s reaction). He bent over backwards and apologized to those who hurt him and betrayed him like Chuck and Kim while having zero regrets to the actual victims he hurt like Howard, Brock, the identity theft victims, the cancer guy and Marion. Notice how he never mentioned about his identity theft scheme, poisoning Brock, almost killing a cancer guy and Marion and how he actually felt about Howard in his confession? Because in Jimmy’s twisted morality, saying that he is this badass lawyer who facilitated the biggest drug trade in US history and murdered two federal officers sounds a lot better than saying that he destroyed the lives of innocent men because he couldn’t handle Kim’s rejection, poisoning a kid, almost bludgeoned a cancer patient and almost choking an old lady to death. After all this time, he still seeks Kim’s approval and treats her as this moral compass angel who can do no wrong that he has to ask for her forgiveness even he was rightful to be angry at her. But at the same time, he has zero self-reflection at how he treated everyone else in response to Kim’s rejection. He never apologized to Francesca what so ever. In the end, Jimmy learns absolutely nothing.

[@marcosarielvilla17]

@@nont18411 It is true that Jimmy does not learn anything. And for more evidence two tests. When he mentions that "some are immune to good advice", he was "immune" to good advice from Mike who suggested that he not associate with Walter, but he didn't listen and went looking for him at school. And then he tells Walter that "the fun is over", something he doesn't seem to learn since even as a wanted man he keeps getting into trouble and committing crimes until he gets caught.

[@bilkywaygalaxy]

@@nont18411Isn’t that the whole point of

[@hhelhajs3871]

as a woman who loved bb and bcs its sick how one dimensional some misogynistic men will purposely interpret the female characters

[@Rick_Riff]

Hey you left out that animal Blundetto with his transition to punching Kim

[@TheGr8-1]

Kim should have gone to jail if Saul had to go. She should have as well.

[@Johnnysmithy24]

I agree

[@dandavis8300]

Kim had nothing to do with Heisenberg. Saul pretty much created him.

[@BuddyBoy-ne1nw]

If by that you mean Kim should also be held accountable for her actions, then yes I agree. Although there's no strong case to put her in jail, karma is still coming back to get with Mrs. Hamlin's civil lawsuit against her. Remember that's still going down. To get sued for everything you own and be so in debt that you'll probably need to struggle to survive the rest of your life is definitely a terrible fate. Sure it's still better than Jimmy's outcome of life in prison, but by how much?

[@CustomBPS]

Really great analysis. It's funny, the whole BB/BCS universe, from a story perspective, is really about Kim.

[@jimgallagher2979]

Kim came to enjoy the game as much if not more than Jimmy. If not for her insistence to escalate the con job on Howard, neither would be in the position they were in.

[@Medard22]

Good work bro, I missed many of your points while watching the show. Best of luck for you with the channel man.

[@themalmadius]

I appreciate it man, I've been really busy recently but I'm gonna try and post something again soon

[@CaptainUnusual]

This is one of the more insightful BB/BCS commentaries I've seen.

[@themalmadius]

I appreciate it and I'm glad you liked it!

[@tad1980]

good video, i subscribed even though i disagree with the premise. Kim never devolved into pure evil, and she wasn't evil at the start waiting to come out, she just went a little too far and made some mistakes like we all do

[@themalmadius]

Hey I’m glad you liked it! Yeah, it’s a bit of a stretch but I thought it was an interesting perspective to look at the characters again

[@Chocolatepain]

High quality content bro!

[@themalmadius]

Hey, I appreciate it!

[@OrdnanceLab]

Great video. Keep them coming.

[@onemoreminute0543]

2:27 KID NAMED FINGER

[@ritwikhellboybahuguna1215]

@themalmadius......Your presentation....narration...Breakdown .....all hands down amazing and fantastic Bro

[@themalmadius]

Ayyy I appreciate the feedback

[@isukatgeetar15]

I was taking this seriously right up until 3D Saul Goodman came up. I got a good chuckle from that lol

[@themalmadius]

Yeah admittedly, a bit of a stretch for a video concept for sure. But I really had fun editing this one

[@connorchurch3518]

I love your point on how no one is inherently good or evil people simply choose action or inaction and must suffer the consequences regardless.

[@Charlesmartel01]

Great analysis. And great delivery.

[@spanishpeaches2930]

She was so alluring...

[@vistalover9607]

13:54 What does it mean when you say “Walter is uncomfortable with the amount of wealth Elliot and Gretchen has surmised.” What is the meaning of surmised? I am ESL so maybe my ears didn’t hear what you properly said. The dictionary definition I look up makes no sense when it’s surmised.

[@Amanda-vw6lp]

I hated Kim when she first appeared since I thought she was going to be another Skyler but I started to enjoy her complexity in the later seasons. Great analysis; I never thought to compare Walt to Kim but now that you said it it does make sense. Keep up the good work!

[@RPGkanon]

Who are you talking to right now? Who is it that you think you see? Do you know how much I make a year? I mean, even if I tell you, you wouldn’t believe it. Do you know what happens if I suddenly decide to stop going into work? A business big enough it could be listed on the NASDAQ goes belly-up. Gone. It ceases to exist without me. No, you clearly don’t know who you’re talking to so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skylar. I am the danger. A guy opens his front door and gets shot, and you think that of me? No. I am the one who knocks.

[@BasteonSanton]

That's interesting. It makes perfect sense. I couldn't help comparing the two and not because the closest thing to a marriage in BCS is Kim/Jimmy. They're the lead actress of their respective show. More specifically the most important female character in story terms. I will say I never hated Skyler. In fact she was one of favorite characters even in the beginning but that's not my point. I think the writers learned what mistakes not to make with Skyler. Kim was such a strong character from season 1 because they just did a better job and paid more attention to her role within the story.

[@hanahrph7458]

I liked the analysis and comparison ! Good job 👏

[@aayushkumar-sp6zy]

2:27 a kid named finger 😂😂😂😂😂

[@toorandomenvi]

have we watched the same show?

[@pavanatanaya]

Walter Wexler

[@benbleyendaal4636]

This means Kim and Walt are the same person. Bravo Vince 🥳

[@tifoz9273]

If she is that bad why she confesses in the end?

[@midoo9961]

I really like it good job LOL

[@BasteonSanton]

I completely disagree. Kim is to BCS what Jesse was to BB. Kim was motivated by love for Jimmy. Jimmy's second life became a wedge. Kim joins him as a way of rekindling their relationship. Jesse is motivated by his need for a father. Walt exploits this need for love and acceptance. Jesse and Kim become the moral centers of their shows because they're close enough to the actions of the main character to be complicit. You can even understand why they would willingly be a participant but under their own volition they would never be in that situation. Granted they both like it. Kim loves the thrill of scamming privileged white men. Jesse loves being so good at something it's borderline artistic. However they're both very much passengers on someone else's journey of self-actualization. Both linked to Saul/Walt by their own personal damage.

[@BasteonSanton]

You did a great job! It's a really interesting idea.

[@themalmadius]

Hey thanks for watching and good point! I like the parallel between Kim and Jesse. To be honest, that’s probably the more likely pairing, but I thought this would be an interesting perspective. I would have probably compared her to Jesse if I hadn’t already done that with Nacho, but I love this content and agree 100%

[@BasteonSanton]

@@themalmadius Oh that's interesting. I didn't realize the connection between Jesse/Nacho. They're "good guys" who wear the "bad guy" mask. They don't enjoy the crime but they're really good at it. Both are tethered to the criminal underworld by their love for their father. In Jesse's case it's the approval of surrogate father in Walt. In Nacho case he literally can't leave or Gus will kill his dad. Honestly that's probably a more accurate character comparison. I was thinking in terms of the narrative arc and how they relate to the protagonist so that narrowed my thinking a bit. I can see the Kim/Walt comp now. But yeah I love this series. I've watched it more times than I'd care to admit. The characters and story never cease to be entertaining.

[@BasteonSanton]

@@themalmadius BTW what's your opinion on BCS is better than BB?

[@themalmadius]

@@BasteonSanton That's a good question, I've been really thinking about it for a while. It's really apples to oranges in terms of a slow burn vs a catharsis noir-style drama. If I'm just looking for something to watch, I'll choose Breaking Bad. But nothing has ever made me think so critically about the miniscule impact of choices like the writing in BCS, and no show has ever inspired me and made me taken aback in awe at the staging, cinematography, color theming, etc. I like BB more as a show, I love BCS as a timeless piece of art.

[@nadavshvo]

Interesting

[@brianloy7856]

While I appreciate the work you’ve done here, not everything is super “spot on.” There’s more depth in Kim’s character - and, oh, let’s not forget that Walt wasn’t concerned about any consequences from his criminal behavior because of his cancer diagnosis. Kim knew she and Jimmy could face consequences. It’s nowhere close to the same as Walt. Nice try, pal, but this only dissected 5 layers of a 20 layer onion. Appreciate your effort and time. You got the car halfway up the driveway 😉

[@themalmadius]

Hey I’m glad you liked it! Yeah, this was a bit of a stretch, but I saw a good amount of similarities in their journey, especially Kim’s in season 5 and the start of 6. I liked how they may have had a lot of similarities at face value but of course went down completely different roads in the end

[@brianloy7856]

@@themalmadius The writers of both of the Breaking Bad shows were masters of the modern human condition….but, then again, Gilligan always rejected that assessment, at least at it relates to himself. Then he always claimed they got “lucky,” or “fortunate,” when a plot line turns out brilliant regarding some profound element, right?

[@beatrixbrennan1545]

I personally think Kim is a very dry and boring character. Her and Jimmy seemed more like roommates than lovers. And I simply couldn't become emotionally invested in their stupid plots or scams because they are obviously middle aged already. They were both very talented and smart and it just isn't believable they would act like high-schoolers plotting someone's demise for no truly good reason. For their relationship and the stupid stuff they do to have any impact or validity, they both needed to be about 25 years younger. Sorry, I just don't get the hype with this couple. Very boring and unmoving to me.

[@raydavison4288]

Maybe so, but order people sometimes do silly shit. I'm 70 & I f*ck up all the time(not to the extent of Jimmy and Kim though). 😉

[@beatrixbrennan1545]

@@raydavison4288 older people definitely screw up but the amount of energy these two put into it is simply not believable

[@josueamericanistarv]

For no truly good reason? Did you even pay attention to the show?

[@beatrixbrennan1545]

@@josueamericanistarv yes, and I don't believe Howard was all that bad to deserve the shit they were doing to him.

[@hhelhajs3871]

as a woman who loved bb and bcs its sick how one dimensional some misogynistic men will purposely interpret the female characters and one of them is you