Speaking as someone who works in media, I think she's expecting too much of the audience. She's right - she plays the antagonist. Walter White is the protagonist, not Bryan Cranston. The audience can't separate, they lack the detachment; how many fans did Bryan Cranston get on Malcolm In The Middle? This is nothing more than a frightening, unfortunate reminder that large portions of the country are idiots. I really wish it were more than that, but I've seen no evidence to the contrary in ten years in media.
The funny thing is, as Skyler has grown more "strong" as the seasons progressed I started to like her more. At the outset of the show she was more of a cliche, you know... a nagging housewife. I don't think it's her strength that makes me not empathize with her character, but rather her hypocrisy. You can't have your cake and eat it too. To prevent any spoilers, I've not seen any of season 6 yet.
He is essential. He is the reason that Walter does everything that he does. Walter Jr. (as all sons are) is a direct reflection of his father. Without him, Walt a) wouldn't have nearly as strong a motivation for doing what he does, and b) would completely lack any kind of moral compass (although based on seasons 4 and 5, I would say that's probably completely gone by now).
And yes, he is the motivation for everything Walter does, or at least that is how it started out.Walter Jr. (as all sons are) is a direct reflection of his father.
Well said. He's literally a reflection. He's good, like Walter once was but he's also broken, like Walter is. Hell, his name is Walter Jr. how much more apparent could they make this bond?
I find Walter to be despicable, mostly because he blames everyone but himself. My feelings regarding Skyler have been uneven. I liked her most when she was sick of Walter's shit and called him on it. I liked her least when she seemed paralyzed by the realization that Walter was staying in the game. I didn't buy that she wouldn't just file for divorce. She's tough, and that would be ultimately the best thing for her kids. I can't understand how people would hate Skyler for being anti-Walter.
I actually disliked her a lot for the first couple of seasons. But as time, and the series, went on - I found myself actually enjoying the character a lot more and appreciating what she was bringing towards the show. Marie on the other hand... X_X
Interesting and well written, but I sort of lost it when I got to the bottom and saw the requisite NYT bio: "Anna Gunn is an actress." It seems rather unnecessary and also really simple. They could have at least written "Anna Gunn is an actress best known for her role as Skyler White"
I will admit that in my haste, my eyes skimmed past "the opinion pages" and my brain saw "the onion". It took me several paragraphs thinking "when is the satire going to kick in?" before I scrolled back up to the top and realized what I was reading... That's what I get for lazy reading on my phone on a Sunday afternoon.