How Realistic is the ‘Breaking Bad’ Storyline?

AMC's neo-Western crime drama "Breaking Bad" is one of the most decorated television programs in history. It follows the story of cancer-ridden high school teacher Walter White in his quest to save money for his family before succumbing to his disease. 

The thing that makes it unique? Walt's idea of creating a nest egg is to manufacture methamphetamine with his former student Jesse Pinkman. The duo's journey is one of the most thrilling stories ever told on screen. 

The number of crimes they commit throughout the series would be enough to put them in prison for life when all of them are taken into account, but what about just a manufacturing drug charge sentence? Is manufacturing a different charge than distribution - something Walt also does for the first couple of seasons and the last season of the show? 

We'll break down several of the crimes Walt (played by Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (played by Aaron Paul) commit individually, and see what their consequences would be in real life. 

Walter Cooks His First Batch of Meth

In the very first episode of the show, Walter goes out to the New Mexico desert and cooks a batch of methamphetamine with Jesse. This storyline is very realistic because meth is the most commonly manufactured drug in the U.S. The ingredients needed to make meth are commonly found in places such as drug stores and hardware shops. 

Taking into consideration that Walt contributed to a Nobel Prize-winning team, it is obvious that he is an incredibly capable scientist. Making meth is basic chemistry, and Walt is an advanced chemist. It is completely reasonable to see someone of his background successfully producing methamphetamine.

Walt and the DEA

Walt doesn't cover his tracks very well at the beginning of the show, though. He accidentally leaves a gas mask with his school's name marked on the back of it out in the desert. His brother-in-law, Hank, is the DEA officer who starts investigating Walt's meth production.

If Hank was more aware of Walt's chemistry abilities, he would have started to realize right away that his family member was a prime suspect in the case. But there would be no show if this happened. 

Let's get back to the legal matters. If Walt were caught after his first cook, he could have been prosecuted and sent to prison for a minimum of two years depending on the amount of meth that was produced. 

Even a couple of grams can land you in jail for years. In New Mexico, where the show takes place, low-level dealers can go to prison for 18 months at a minimum. Meth production is a felony in the state of New Mexico. It is safe to say that the consequences and the stakes increase tremendously as Walt's production ramps up in further seasons.  

Walt Cooks for Gus Fring

When it becomes clear to Walt and Jesse that they can't produce and distribute their product without a third party, their lawyer Saul Goodman puts them in contact with Gus Fring. This man is one of the most efficient and effective drug lords in the world. He employs Walt and Jesse as his main meth cooks during the third and fourth seasons of the show.

This eliminates the distribution charges against Walt and Jesse if they were ever caught. Gus would be the one who is on the hook for that criminal offense. They would still go to prison for manipulating the meth, though. At this point in the show, the amount of meth they are making is enormous. 

Hundreds of pounds of product are being sent out to customers, and the authorities would be able to put Walt and Jesse behind bars essentially for the rest of their lives. This isn't even taking into account the other crimes the two commit on their journey to the top of the drug game, especially in the final season of the show. 

Walt Is the Kingpin

Walt is able to dethrone Gus during the fourth season finale and take over his operation as the sole manufacturer and distributor. He now has all of the distribution networks necessary that he inherited from Gus after Gus died. 

He enlists the help of a new partner, Todd Alquist (played by Jesse Plemons), to help rob a train to get more methylamine. This is a key ingredient in the meth manufacturing process. The heist is incredibly thrilling and reminiscent of something old Western criminals would do back in the day. 

It also would land Walt and his partners in prison for over 20 years in most states. This is a harder crime to pin down the consequences for, as train robberies don't happen nearly as often today. 

Another heinous act Walt commits in the middle of the final season is the execution of 10 drug business associates who are in prison. He doesn't do the murder himself, but he is the one who orders the killings through a third party. This conspiracy to commit murder at this level would obviously put someone in prison for decades, or even life. 

Totaling Walt's Crimes

Walt also expertly launders his money through a local car wash in the final seasons of the show. The amount of money being laundered is in the millions of dollars.

Many states require people who launder money to pay fines that are double the amount stolen, so Walt would be on the hook for hundreds of millions in legal cash. Also, it's worth mentioning that life insurance as a felon is very expensive. If you are familiar with Walt's character, you know he'd buy whatever he could to protect his family.

It seems redundant to point out any more of Walt's crimes. He never goes to prison for them. Is it realistic he never got caught? Possibly, considering how tough it is for the DEA to capture real drug lords like Pablo Escobar. 

The series makes for a roller-coaster ride of entertainment and a peek into the atrocious crimes committed by real drug lords. Some of Walt's luck may not be realistic in our world, but it certainly made sense in the "Breaking Bad" universe due to the character's genius skills and clever problem-solving. 

Shawn Laib writes and researches for the legal advice site, FreeAdvice.com. He likes to help people see the ways that crime is depicted in entertainment like movies and television programs.