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Better supporting actress in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul
Glorified KC
KCMO Native Posts: 2,502
Both were phenomenal.
I wish I was a sacrifice, but somehow still lived on.
Better supporting actress in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul 24 votes
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I think skyler's range as a character was much more challenging and expertly performed
Kim Wexler is likable from the get-go. I think that's the big difference between the two characters. She's not presented as holding Jimmy/Saul back from anything. They're a team from the start. That's not to say there isn't depth to her character or that Rhea doesn't shine (there absolutely is and she certainly does), just that she's presented as a different type of character than Skyler was. There is a much longer build up to Kim becoming the victim. She doesn't quite really get the scope or severity of things until Lalo kills Howard. (What a fucking scene, btw!! She, Bob, Patrick and Tony sold the entire show in that moment, imo.) Another big difference in the characters is that I feel like Jimmy needed Kim more than Walt needed Skyler. While the former had moments of not seeing eye-to-eye on things, the latter never really did.
In the end, both characters suffered huge consequences and will likely need therapy & never have a restful sleep for the rest of their lives. That is their common ground. Similar but different enough pathways of getting there. Skyler was driven by fear; Kim motivated by ambition. A testament to both actresses for doing such a fine job on either show!!
Should be a third option: "I can't choose!"
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Chicago; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
I thought the Ted affair was a well-executed sidebar to the story. No, I don't condone cheating and never will. But that sequence brought a certain reality to the show. Lots of women feel trapped in relationships by evil men they fear. They fear him so much that they've convinced themselves they can't leave. So they unfaithfully run to someone who makes them feel safe. That was Ted. Was she wrong for cheating on Walt? Absolutely. But the argument can be made that Walt was unfaithful to their marriage long before that, just not in the sexual sense. Although he did try to put the moves on Carmen and was so obviously still hung up on Gretchen despite being married with two children, so... *makes balancing the scale gesture* Emotional cheating is sill cheating. And Walt did it first.
A criminal that cheated on her husband.
Oh...and tax fraud. She completely lied to the IRS and helped Ted evade tax evasion charges.
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Chicago; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
Fear
of
her
husband.
I literally stated that in my initial post. "Skyler was driven by fear." She had a laundry list of wrongdoings, no doubt. But damn man, you gotta examine the psychology behind why the character did all that. Good people make bad choices, especially when they believe there is no other option. (That doesn't mean there aren't other options, but victims don't often see what's right in front of them. Or willfully ignore them - out of fear.) Walt basically had her handcuffed the entire show. He's the monster, not her. She's the only (living) character that wasn't ultimately redeemed in the end. She got a little bit but she still has to live with the guilt of her actions forever. As they say, hindsight is always 20/20.
She even took some of Walt's drug money and gave it to Ted.
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Chicago; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
Skylar's arc is pretty remarkable. Went from a Type A, wear the pants in the family housewife, to suspicious of Walt, to angry at walt and vengeful, to outright fear, to being an accomplice, etc. Trying to work as a straightman at the register running the car-wash while laundering money, observing walt "needing to fix the coke machine" lying again is a great balancing act. Also, not to mention the complex of Marie always being the golden-child and the shade of competition between her/walt (the robbers) and Marie/Hank (cops).
Its a tough assignment too because everyone hated her at certain points for being a wet blanket at best, a hindrance/obstacle to Walt at worst. People felt strongly about the character. As mentioned, watching a second time through, you definitely empathize more with the other characters like Skylar, Hank, and Jesse.
There were some different motivations.
First it was fear for the kids.
It was later fear of Walt
Probably fear of going to prison herself
And the motivation of being a sister to Marie her whole life.
She pulled off a very difficult role marvelously. Such a well written character.
The whole show was full of brilliant writing. Same with BCS. No idea how it can be topped honestly.
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Chicago; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
Rhea all day, every day.