How Breaking Bad And The Walking Dead Are Connected

Ever since the spinoff series of Fear the Walking Dead arrived on the scene, it's been clear that The Walking Dead universe consisted of more than just a single show set between Atlanta and Washington D.C. This was confirmed when AMC Network CEO Josh Sapan announced in early September 2018 that the folks at AMC had plans for the universe that extended "over the next decade plus." While this may have seemed odd in the shadow of the show's faltering ratings at the time, it kind of makes sense.

This isn't necessarily to say that The Walking Dead deserves ten more years of screen time. That's a decision that only time will tell. But the idea of a longterm goal that spans beyond the scope of a single film or series is par for the course these days. We've seen it with the MCU, the DCEU, Transformers, LEGO, Star Wars — the list goes on. The point is, universes are in these days, so a connection between AMC shows is hardly surprising.

What's a bit more interesting, though, is the not-quite-confirmed larger crossover that integrates Breaking Bad into the Walking Dead universe, a phenomenon fondly nicknamed the "Breaking Dead Theory." It's been loosely confirmed by showrunner Dave Erickson, and here's the skinny on how the two shows line up.

Another possible link that was picked up on in the season 4 episode "Still" involved none other than Walter White's associate, Mr. Jesse Pinkman. This one came during that chunk of time when Daryl and Beth were romping around the countryside, surviving, being moody, and bonding like a couple of cute misfits. In one scene Daryl tells a story about his brother Merle before everything went south — back when "Merle had this dealer. A janky little white guy. A tweaker." 

Fans were quick to jump on the description as fitting Pinkman rather neatly. The speculation became more intriguing a little further into the story, when Daryl explained an altercation with the fellow in question. "Then he pulls a gun, sticks it right here. He says, 'I'm gonna kill you, bitch.'" Between the description and that line, it's hard not to start drawing a connection. Did Merle work for the nefarious Jesse Pinkman once upon a time? Perhaps. Although, at another point in the story Daryl refers to the guy's kids. Of course, this could simply be referring to Brock, Jesse's girlfriend's son. Either way, the similarities are uncanny.

In season 4, as he continues to break bad, White has a growing infatuation with indulging his reckless nature. We all remember that scene when, rather than returning the car for an exorbitant restocking fee, White simply blows it up. But do you remember the car? A 2009 Dodge Challenger. Red with a distinct double black racing stripe straight down the center, it was a beaut... until it was blown to smithereens. In the following season, Walter went against Skylar's wishes and leased another Challenger, but it wasn't the last time one of these cars would appear on an AMC show.

Fast forward to exactly one apocalypse later. In the first season of The Walking Dead, another Challenger makes an appearance, this time roaming the streets of Atlanta. The car in question is, once again, a 2009 model. Some have taken a gigantic leap, assuming that the mysterious Glenn who sold Walter the car in New Mexico was none other than Glenn Rhee, who fixed it up and drove it to Georgia. Perhaps a more reasonable explanation would be that Glenn Rhee the car salesman was simply infatuated with that model. Either way, this nod from the new show to the old seems clearly intended.

Gale was a pretty sweet character on Breaking Bad. He was one of the few people who could rival White's scientific prowess... and he could brew some darn good coffee. In fact, the man had turned the latter into a science project with an elaborate machine that took volume, temperature, acidity, tannins, and so on all into account in the pursuit of brewing the perfect cup. While his death may have left the Breaking Bad crew with cups of Folgers sludge, it appears it wasn't the last time the scientist's magically caffeine-infused machine was used.

In the third episode of season 3 on The Walking Dead, Merle, the Governor, and Milton all gather in his lab. While they're talking there, sitting innocently in the background is none other than Gale's coffee machine. How it got there, though, is the question. Did Milton inherit it? Was he friends with Gale, who shared the secrets of his coffee invention so his friend could build his own device? Or were the Walking Dead set designers simply running low on props and decided to throw it in the scene?

Gus Fring is one of the best villains to ever grace the silver screen. Cold, calculated, calm, and downright terrifying when he was angry, the two-faced restaurant entrepreneur and drug kingpin was impressive throughout his run on Breaking Bad. But what if his impact went further than simply helping Walter White during his meteoric rise to the top of the narcotics world? What if Gus Fring was the first zombie from The Walking Dead?

Gus' death scene is one of the more epic moments in Breaking Bad, with the man literally walking out of the room with half of his body gone. But what some have noticed is that he doesn't look like someone about to die. He still looks pretty peppy. This has led to some speculation that Gus had taken some of the first zombie-creating batch of Blue Sky before the encounter and, hey presto, he became the first zombie.

While this theory once again stretches the imagination, there's another interesting connection attached to it that's harder to spot: the effects crew from The Walking Dead swooped in to help with the unusually gruesome prosthetics that made the scene so real, making it a behind-the-scenes crossover long before fan theories imagined a bigger connection.

The connections between AMC's two monumental worlds are too numerous to flat out deny, and yet the creators of both series have yet to openly steer into the skid. It's not like they haven't had a chance: Walter White's world has continued on in the form of Better Caul Saul and a planned full-length feature. In addition, The Walking Dead not only has Fear the Walking Dead and a triple-header of films in the works, but, as already mentioned, plans to forge ahead for a decade or more with further zombie-filled adventures.

With all the material being produced, a marriage of the two universes could be a match made in heaven. After all, Breaking Bad had hardly closed up shop before it became one of the cult classics of our time. The fervent fan love still surrounding it could be just what the doctor ordered for The Walking Dead, a flagging series that, in spite of new villains and quite a few other shakeups, has been struggling with low ratings for quite some time. Can someone please get Vince Gilligan, Scott Gimple, and Robert Kirkman in the same room to talk it out?