Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 1, Episode 6: "Crazy Handful of Nothin'"

This episode marks a major milestone for Walter (Bryan Cranston): Goodbye hair, hello Heisenberg (a brilliant name for a character so well-learned in chemistry, though it still has a badass ring to it even if you don’t get the reference).

What birthed this new persona? Partially necessity, as Walt had to step in when Jesse (Aaron Paul) screwed up a drug sale with the psychotic dealer Tuco (Raymond Cruz). But the cancer killing him may have played a part, taking more than just a physical and follicular toll. The scenes during and between his treatments not only make it clear he’s suffering physical anguish; they’re shot and edited to convey a situation both hopeless and excruciating. It may have already killed part of him, namely the part that kept him from crossing a certain line.

Walt’s sense of caution sure took a hit from the shock of finding out about his disease (I mean, he did start making meth), but he still had some restraint during the whole Krazy-8 bungle in the first few episodes, only doing the dirty work when he absolutely had no other choice. Now, in Heisenberg mode, he’s fully entrenched in the role of a ruthless criminal, willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Stuff like, say, tricking and threatening someone like Tuco with explosive fulminated mercury. What does Walt care if this gets him killed? He’ll be dead before too long anyway, it seems.

Heisenberg isn’t exactly an alter ego. The name is dropped as a pseudonym by the end of next season, and it never becomes a fully separate personality like Mr. Hyde. Rather, it represents the evil extreme of Walt’s personality, in contrast to the good extreme of Mr. White the high school teacher. As the show goes on, we’ll see Mr. White progressively shrivel away as Heisenberg takes over. 

A small sign of things to come: Hugo (Pierre Barrera), the kind janitor who assists a sick Walt at school, is arrested by Hank (Dean Norris) for stealing chemistry supplies from the school to make meth (in actuality Walt’s doing). Walt feels bad for about a scene, but the guilt passes quickly. Could just be the cancer taking up all his attention, but it could also be the start of Heisenberg rearing his ugly, bald head.