Breaking Bad, the hit TV show that aired from 2008-2013, featured many memorable scenes involving candy. Specifically, the blue methamphetamine produced by Walter White and Jesse Pinkman looked similar to rock candy, leading to some interesting candy symbolism throughout the show.
The Infamous Blue Meth
The blue meth cooked by Walt and Jesse is the central focus of the show. While not actual candy, the blue color and crystalline structure of the meth gives it an appearance like rock candy or blue raspberry candy. This connects the drug visually with something sweet and innocent, creating an intriguing contradiction.
The blue color itself has symbolism. Blue often represents calmness, coolness, and focus. The meditative process of creating the meth is shown in montages focusing on the swirling blue chemicals. The blue meth dispels darkness like a calm, cool light spreading through the drug world.
The candy-like appearance makes the meth alluring and tempting to try for the first time. Yet the deadly effects of addiction are anything but sweet. The “candy” proves to be fatally deceptive, leading users into a trap of dependence and despair. This parallels the deeper transformations in Walt and Jesse as they enter the drug trade.
The Whitman’s Sampler Box
One literal use of candy in the show is the Whitman’s Sampler box filled with money that Walt retrieves in the desert. The sampler box, a classic Christmas gift full of assorted chocolates, seems like an odd choice for storing illegal cash.
However, the candy box has layers of meaning. On one level, it shows Walt still struggling to maintain the facade of a normal family man buying typical gifts for his wife and son. Additionally, the “sampler” suggests Walt is just dipping his toe into the meth trade at this early point, before becoming fully immersed.
There is also dramatic irony, as audiences know the money is illicit while the innocent candy box hides the secret. The sampler box reflects Walt’s inner turmoil, as he leads a double life and keeps secrets from his unsuspecting family.
The Pink and White Teddy Bears
Teddy bears, childhood symbols of comfort and innocence, make frequent appearances. In particular, images of scorched pink and white teddy bears turn up after horrible events, marking the loss of innocence.
When Wayfarer Flight 515 crashes over Walt’s house, debris rains down including a burned pink teddy bear. This foreshadows the way Walt’s crimes will tear apart his family. The same teddy bear appears in the pool after Walt’s actions lead to deadly consequences.
A white teddy bear is seen during the flashforward to Walt’s abandoned house. The house is empty of family or comforts, with only the bear left. The symbolism shows how Walt’s moral corruption has destroyed his home life and left him isolated.
The Red Lollipop
A red lollipop also gains significance over the course of the show. In a flashback, a younger Walt gives Jesse (his former student) an A on a chemistry test, and Jesse thanks him by giving him a red lollipop.
This lollipop reappears throughout the show during key moments between Walt and Jesse. When their relationship is good, the lollipop reminds viewers of their history together. When things turn dark, the lollipop ironically contrasts against their collapsing partnership and shared corruption.
The Apple Logo
A shiny, round apple logo sits prominently on Jesse’s flatscreen TV. The apple evokes the biblical Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve are tempted to sin by eating the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.
The shiny apple logo functions as a constant reminder of the temptation Jesse faces to “take a bite” of the dark criminal world that promises power. But as in Eden, nothing good results from this temptation, only a fall from grace.
Los Pollos Hermanos
Gustavo Fring’s fast food chicken restaurant, Los Pollos Hermanos, also contains symbolic meaning. “The Chicken Brothers” name contains drug hiding meanings, as “chicken brothers” refers to transporting drugs over the border.
The fast food outlet sells addictive fried chicken, another product people consume compulsively. There’s dramatic irony between the legit restaurant exterior and the illegal activities happening behind the scenes. Customers are ignorant of the dark realities under the surface, just as Walt deceives his family.
Vamanos Pest
The pest control company Walt, Jesse, and Mike use as a mobile meth lab also symbolizes the spread of decay hidden from outside eyes. The name “Vamanos Pest” translates to “Let’s go pest!” Which signals they are the “pests” infesting the city, under the cover of pest control.
The tent-like fumigation houses they drape over houses to cook secretly pairs literally with the term “cook houses” for meth labs. Again, there is dramatic irony between illicit operations happening right under the noses of citizens.
The Candy-Colored Masks
The criminals working for Gustavo Fring wear bright yellow hazmat suits and gas masks, giving them an oddly cheery, candy-colored look. The masks let them hide in plain sight, appearing more like cleanup workers than criminals.
The masks prove physically and symbolically useful when Walt coordinates mass prison murders. The hardened killers wear whimsical yellow suits and butt into each other like the Three Stooges, keeping their identities cloaked.
Conclusion
Candy and sweets play creative symbolic roles in Breaking Bad, masking the dark activities happening beneath the surface. The candy contrasts ironically with sin to highlight the characters’ moral decay. Even businesses like Los Pollos Hermanos put up a sweet, harmless disguise over their shady dealings. The bright colors conceal the contamination spreading through the city, much like Walt’s lies hide his double life from his family. The candy metaphors visually underscore the show’s themes of temptation, addiction, and corruption through brilliant symbolic contradictions.