It seems like the attraction to Breaking Bad is witnessing a broken-down man regain his masculine virility.
We are introduced to the character of Mr. White, a high school chemistry teacher who is somewhat submissive. His wife tells him what card to use while shopping, his part-time job as a car wash attendant often involves him obeying what his boss commands, usually involving washing cars when another worker calls out (he even washed the tires of a sports car that belongs to his student), and his brother-in-law who works for the DEA belittles the profession of teaching as not having enough excitement.
Throughout the episode, we see Mr. White evolve into a more confident risk-taker. When diagnosed with cancer, he sees the lucrative art of cooking meth and selling it as a means to afford medical treatment and/or provide for his pregnant wife and son who has a physical ailment.
While Mr. White's son was shopping for a pair of jeans, some boys teased him effectively calling him a "Mama's Boy" for having his mother offer advice. When Mr. White heard the insults, he seemingly avoided the situation and left. This action incited his wife to begin walking over to the bullies to address them. From the opposite angle, the protagonist burst through the front door and attacked the bullies.
One possible reason for this action could be Mr. White was fed up with being a victim and chose to confront injustice for the first time in what may have been a long time. It's also possible that Mr. White doesn't want his son to turn out like his submissive father.
Motif: Fire
On three separate occasions, Mr. White is fascinated by fire. The first moment occurred while Mr. White was teaching his first chemistry class of the year. During the lesson, White ignited a bunsen burner and caused the flame to change colors by spraying it with different chemicals. The second occasion materialized after White discovered he was living with inoperable, terminal lung cancer. He sat by his pool, which was covered with scum and debris, and he lit several matches and through them into the murky water. The third scenario presented itself when cooking meth with two assailants who had beaten up his partner, Jesse, and probably would have killed the chemistry teacher. After lighting the bunsen burner, Mr. White conjured the brilliant idea to combine chemicals that would detonate a phosphorous bomb, unknowingly to the two antagonists.
Fire is a symbol that can be both destructive and cleansing. It's possible that Mr. White sought to destroy his submissive self and cleanse any impotent wounds he had suffered prior to the new development in his life. It's important to note that earlier in the episode, Mr. White's wife tried somewhat unsuccessfully to manually arouse the main character's sex organ as a 50th birthday present. However, later in the episode, after successfully thwarting the two aggressors and acquiring his first payment as a drug dealer, he passionately makes love to his wife who is nothing but surprised by her lover's strange, yet delightful newfound lust.
I'm curious to see if fire will continue to be a prominent symbol in this series!
