The Hollywood Reporter rounds up the best quotes from the TV series 'Breaking Bad' and its movie follow-up, 'El Camino.'
June 26, 2023 11:59amModified on June 27, 2023, Published on June 26, 2023
“Say my name.” “Tread lightly.” “I am the one who knocks.”
Over its five-season run, AMC’s Emmy-winning drama Breaking Bad produced a slew of memorable quotes.
And then came the movie, El Camino, Vince Gilligan’s follow-up to his critically and commercially acclaimed series.
Below, The Hollywood Reporter rounds up the best quotes from the show and the movie. Read on for more.
‘You’re an insane, degenerate piece of filth, and you deserve to die.’
Season 2, Episode 2
Remember the days when Walt was clearly a better human being than his meth peers? We couldn’t help but cheer for him when he put Tuco in his place: “We tried to poison you. We tried to poison you because you’re an insane, degenerate piece of filth, and you deserve to die.” It was an incredibly ballsy thing to say, considering Tuco had an automatic weapon in his hands. The line was designed to throw Tuco off his game, and it worked, allowing Jesse enough time to hit him in the head with rock.
“Stay out of my territory.”
Season 2, Episode 10
This is almost a precursor to Walt’s “Say my name” speech in season five. Having nothing but his badass attitude and staring-contest skills, Walt successfully gets two tough-looking meth wannabes to leave his territory after he catches one of them buying supplies for a cook.
“You two suck at peddling meth.”
Season 2, Episode 11
It’s hard to imagine, but there was once a time when Saul Goodman could blatantly disrespect the great Heisenberg to his face. After Walt and Jesse suffer the setback of Combo’s murder, he says: “Look, let’s start with some tough love, all right? Ready for this? Here goes: You two suck at peddling meth. Period.” Saul goes on to give them the (seeming) answer to their prayers: the opportunity to work with a distributor, who we eventually learn is Gus Fring. We all know how that turned out …
“May his death satisfy you.”
Season 3, Episode 6
With these words, Gus sets in motion the ill-fated assassination attempt of Hank. The move marks the beginning of the end for the killer twins, as well as the first sign that he’s ready to cut ties with the cartel, as the attempt goes against the expressed wishes of Juan Bolsa, who dies soon after at the hands of Mexican federales (also a Gus move).
“La familia es todo.”
Season 3, Episode 7
After one brother breaks the other’s toy, the wronged kid tells Hector he wishes his brother were dead. Hector responds by attempting to drown the offending brother to prove a point: Don’t turn against family, no matter what. “La familia es todo.”
“You’re my free pass … bitch.”
Season 3, Episode 7
Jesse rarely gets the best of Walt, but after being beaten and bruised by Hank, he’s got a Get Out of Jail Free card. More importantly, he’s got another one up his sleeve: the great Heisenberg. Jesse threatens that if he’s ever taken into custody, he’ll give Walt up. “You’re my free pass … bitch.”
“No more half-measures.”
Season 3, Episode 12
In Mike’s best monologue of the series, he explains to Walt why he needs to address Jesse’s plan to kill two drug dealers against Gus’ wishes. He recounts being a cop who attempted to scare an abusive man straight, only to have the scumbag murder his victim two weeks later. “The moral of the story is: I chose a half-measure when I should have gone all the way. I’ll never make that mistake again. No more half-measures, Walter.”
Trivia: Aaron Paul has “no half-measures” tattooed across his bicep.
“Run.”
Season 3, Episode 12
Walt is known for his long monologues, but after running over two drug dealers and shooting one in the head, one simple word is enough to send chills down viewers’ spines: “Run.”
Charles Baker (Skinny Pete) told THR the scenes ranks as his favorite in the series. “I jumped out of my chair when that happened,” Baker said. “It was fantastic. As an actor, watching Bryan work, it’s like a study in how to do it right.”
“You — are not the guy.”
Season 4, Episode 4
“You — are not the guy. You’re not capable of being the guy. I had a guy, but now I don’t. You — are not the guy.”
After Jesse asks if he’s going to be an enforcer type, Mike puts young Mr. Pinkman in his place, reminding him that he’s no Victor — the man Gus dispatched with a box cutter.
“I am the one who knocks.”
Season 4, Episode 6
The most famous Walt quote has been celebrated by fans and inspired an homage by Samuel L. Jackson. Breaking Bad writer Gennifer Hutchison, who wrote the episode, told THR she didn’t realize the monologue would become iconic. “It was always a cool scene. I didn’t realize how big it would become.” Here’s the quote in full: “You clearly don’t know who you’re talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skyler. I am the danger. A guy opens his door and gets shot, and you think that of me? No! I am the one who knocks!”
“Fight me and die!”
Season 4, Episode 10
After Gus slays his mortal enemy and erstwhile business partner, he’s weakened and nearly dead from drinking the same poison tequila as Don Eladio. That doesn’t stop him from uttering one of his best lines ever, bluffing his way out of a potentially deadly situation.
“Don Eladio is dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left to fight for. Fill your pockets and leave in peace. Or fight me and die!”
“I will kill your wife, I will kill your son, I will kill your infant daughter.”
Season 4, Episode 11
This is what happens when you really get on Gus’ bad side. No more Mr. Polite Fast Food Restaurateur. Once Gus is confident Jesse can run his lab without Walt, he tells Heisenberg to stay away from Jesse or his family will die. What he really means: I will kill you as soon as I convince Jesse to let me.
“Because I say so.”
Season 5, Episode 1
Walter’s God complex manifested itself early in season five. After killing Gus Fring and pulling off the brilliant magnet attack on the police’s evidence room, Mike asks Walt how he can be so sure it all worked. “Because I say so,” is the smug Heisenberg’s answer. Breaking Bad writer George Mastras told THR the line illustrated Walt’s “arrogance” at the start of the season, which the writers would work readily to tear down. “There’s this arrogance about him,” Mastras said. “How long was this going to last?”
“Just because you shot Jesse James, don’t make you Jesse James.”
Season 5, Episode 3
Mike puts Walt in his place when the meth cook complains their new operation isn’t running as smoothly as Gus Fring’s did: “Just because you shot Jesse James, don’t make you Jesse James.”
“All I can do is wait … for the cancer to come back.”
Season 5, Episode 4
In a difficult-to-watch scene, Walt verbally bullies Skyler for wanting their kids out of the house for their own safety. When she realizes Walt will always be one step ahead of her, she drops this on him: “All I can do is wait. That’s it. That’s the only good option. Hold on, bide my time, and wait.”
“For what?” Walt asks.
“For the cancer to come back.”
“I’m not in the meth business. I’m in the empire business.”
Season 5, Episode 6
While Jesse sees the $5 million he receives for his share of the methylamine he and Walt stole as a great haul, Walt sees it as pennies on the dollar. Walt then explains one of the reasons he has such a chip on his shoulder and an obsession with being the top dog: He sold his stake in Gray Matter for $5,000 — a stake that would now be worth hundreds of millions.
Bryan Cranston in ‘Breaking Bad’
“Shut the f— up and let me die in peace.”
Season 5, Episode 7
Mike has said and done a lot of badass things over the years — and his last breaths proved to be no exception. After Walter shoots him for not giving up the names of his men in prison, Heisenberg rambles off an odd apology. Mike, the ultimate tough guy, responds with one of his greatest lines: “Shut the f— up and let me die in peace.” When asked how he felt about being killed off, actor Jonathan Banks joked to THR: “They should have let me write it,” adding: “It had to be a mistake of some kind.”
“Tread lightly.”
Season 5, Episode 9
“If that’s true — if you don’t know who I am — then maybe your best course is to tread lightly.”
The Internet nearly exploded when Walt said the now-famous line, as fans tweeted up a storm. There’s so much in the line, with regret, a veiled threat and sadness all mixed in.
“I will put you under the jail.”
Season 5, Episode 9
Though Walt’s “tread lightly” line is undoubtedly the episode’s greatest, let’s not forget that Hank gets some good ones in as well. Our favorite is when he tells Walt “I will put you under the jail,” said with a mixture of rage and betrayal.
“Fire in the hole, bitch.”
Season 5, Episode 13
“You listen to me, bitch. You get your ass out here as fast as you can. And don’t even think about calling anyone for help. You hang up on me, put me on hold, lose my call for any reason – as soon as you do – I’m burning all of it.”
Jesse and Hank trick Walt by pretending to have his money. Bad writer George Mastras told THR. “It was a culmination of this chess match that’s been going on since the beginning of the season between Hank and Walt.”
“My name is ASAC Schrader, and you can go f— yourself.”
Season 5, Episode 14
Hank died the way he lived — without compromise. This pretty much put the nail in the coffin for viewers holding out hope that Walt would be able to negotiate for Hank’s life. But Hank knew he was a goner, telling Walt, “You want me to beg? You’re the smartest guy I ever met, and you’re too stupid to see — he made up his mind 10 minutes ago.”
“I watched Jane die.”
Season 5, Episode 14
“I watched Jane die. I was there. And I watched her die. I watched her overdose and choke to death. I could have saved her. But I didn’t.”
This is an unspeakably cruel moment. Not only has Walt signed off on Jesse being tortured and killed by Todd, but he revisited the cruelest thing he’s done to Jesse and used it to hurt him even more. It’s also a callback to season three’s “The Fly,” when an addled Walt apologized to Jesse and nearly confessed his role in Jane’s death. In that case, he was contrite, but here there is nothing but malice.
“I did it for me.”
Season 5, Episode 15
“I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really — I was alive.”
Finally, Walt admits what we, the viewers, have seen for years. His Heisenberg days may have started out for his family, but he kept going for himself. With this line, it’s almost as if Walt completes his journey from Mr. Chips to Scarface and then moves back a little bit toward the good man that he once was. Bad producer Peter Gould told THR he and his colleagues had known for some time that when Walt admits this to himself, that would be the end of the series.
“Say you want this.”
Season 5, Episode 16
“Say the words. Say you want this. Nothing happens until I hear you say it.”
This was such a great Walt-Jesse moment, with Jesse getting to tell Walt, “Do it yourself” before throwing down the gun and driving off into the night. There’s something about this exchange that makes us think Jesse is done with violence and will (against all odds) end up OK.
“Sorry kid, that’s the one thing you can never do.”
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Six years after Breaking Bad signed off, Vince Gilligan surprised audiences with El Camino, a film he shot in secret that chronicles the events immediately after Jesse Pinkman’s escape from Jack Welker’s compound. The film opens with a quiet flashback between Jesse and Mike, with the two discussing why Alaska would be a nice place for a young man to start over. Jesse warms to the idea, noting he could “put things right.” Mike tells him that sadly, no. He can never do that.
“Dude, you’re my hero and shit.”
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Skinny Pete and Badger, the not-so-holy fools of the Breaking Bad universe, go out of their way to help Jesse, arguably the most wanted person in America. They provide him shelter and a vehicle — all at risk to themselves. In a rather touching moment, the emotionally stunted Skinny explains why – this guy is their hero, despite everything crashing down on him.
“What kind of pizza do you like, Jesse?”
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Jesse finds a gun in the glovebox of Todd’s El Camino. It’s the moment he’s been waiting months for – an opportunity to escape. The cold-blooded Todd isn’t really afraid, however, knowing Jesse in all likelihood won’t do anything, because Jack Welcher’s gang would retaliate by killing the young boy Brock. Instead of threatening Jesse, all he does is ask for the Gunn, and suggest that they get pizza and ice cold beers after a hard day’s work.
“From where I sit, you made your own luck. As did your former partner. As did your lawyer.”
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
El Camino debuted the same day that actor Robert Forster died, with his Disappearer making a surprise appearance in the film and his calm confidence serving as a nice sendoff for the storied actor. The character is a man of principles and rules, and opts not to make roughly $250,000 of Jesse, who is $1,800 short of the fee needed to disappear him.
“You’re early lucky, you know that? You didn’t have to wait your whole life to do something special.”
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
It’s not Breaking Bad without Walter White, and in the most closely guarded secret of the movie, Bryan Cranston returned for a one-scene flashback. He suggests to Jesse that he get a business degree, and then gets wistful, noting that Jesse has already done something special.
“I’ve gone where the universe takes me my whole life. It’s better to make those decisions for yourself.”
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
In another surprise cameo, Jane returns in the final moments of the movie, with Jesse recalling a conversation they had years earlier.
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