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The Fly Episode in Breaking Bad Is Far More Important and Complex Than Critics Think.
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Yes, Jesse and Walt spend time on an inconsequential issue. Yes, it all takes place in one setting. But this doesn’t take away from what does happen in the show: character development.
By allowing the viewers to observe Walt and Jesse in a “slice of life” moment not fraught with the usual life or death consequences they’re used to, it gave them a chance to see them as real people.
The episode had excellent direction and cinematography as well.
If you look at the fly as just a fly, then it’s true that it shouldn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things.
In the best dramas, however, the subtext is key. The fly could serve as a symbol of Walt’s guilt for his actions. Or it could serve as a symbol for what he’s trying to accomplish with his meth cooking. He won’t rest until he finds the fly — or achieves what he’s setting out to do
The Fly could also symbolise Walt's "contaminated" life and no matter how hard he tries to sanitise it, all his efforts will hit a wall.
The fly represents guilt, contamination, irrational obsession, and the loss of control in Walter White's life.
The fly represents guilt, contamination, irrational obsession, and the loss of control in Walter White's life.
“Fly” represented a change of pace for the series that turned the typical TV show format on its head to explore what made its characters tick.
