The True Crime Reference You Missed In Breaking Bad
"Breaking Bad" is, first and foremost, a crime drama. Its focus on Walter White (Bryan Cranston) transitioning from a mild-mannered chemistry teacher to a full-blown drug kingpin is a fascinating journey, and one that sees the character and the audience pulled further and further into the criminal underworld. However, "Breaking Bad" also delves into dark comedy fairly often. This makes sense, given Cranston's background as a comedic actor in shows like "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Seinfeld."
"Breaking Bad" also includes the prominent character Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), who serves as Walt and Jesse Pinkman's (Aaron Paul) lawyer throughout the series and also happens to be another source for comedy. As a lawyer, Saul often reference crimes or criminals to make his points or to tell a joke. Naturally enough, there are also some real criminal events that are brought up during these scenes. In fact, there's one particularly funny true crime reference that some fans may miss entirely.
Saul compares Walter's appearance to D.B. Cooper
When Saul Goodman is first introduced in "Breaking Bad" Season 2, Episode 8, "Better Call Saul," Walter White visits the lawyer in order to pay for Badger's (Matt Jones) legal fees after he gets busted for dealing methamphetamine. Walt, being as cautious as he is, visits the lawyer wearing a disguise of sunglasses and a baseball hat. When Saul sees this disguise, he jokingly tells him that he needs to call the FBI because he's finally found D.B. Cooper. While this initially feels like a throwaway line, it's actually a reference to a real-life criminal.
For those unaware, a man who called himself Dan Cooper hijacked a plane on November 24, 1971, in order to hold the passengers and crew hostage to get money in the amount of $200,000 (per FBI). Similarly to Walt, Cooper wore dark sunglasses and was rather quiet. Soon after getting his money, Cooper parachuted out of the plane with the cash, and the case has never been solved. Interestingly enough, the finale of "Breaking Bad" Season 2, "ABQ," sees a devastating plane crash take place. So, is this joke for comedic purposes, or is it subtle foreshadowing? It's impossible to say for sure.