The ultra-gory superhero show The Boys is full of references to superhero media and real-world politics, but it also contains one surprisingly gross reference to Breaking Bad. Although both series center on some morally terrible protagonists, that's where most of the similarities end, with The Boys focusing on evil superheroes while Breaking Bad focuses on the crystal meth trade. However, The Boys season 1, episode 3, "Get Some" features a subtle Breaking Bad nod that serves a greater purpose than just being a reference.

Part of The Boys season 1 focuses on Billy Butcher's kidnapping of Translucent and his death at the hands of Hughie. The Boys then have to clean up the gory mess, as episode 3 opens with a montage of them washing away blood and guts in an underground bunker. This is actually a direct reference to a similar scene in Breaking Bad season 1, episode 3, "...And the Bag's in the River," which opens with a scene of Walt and Jesse cleaning up the remains of a drug dealer named Emilio. This similarity is referenced in Amazon's episode trivia, noting that episode writer George Mastras also worked on Breaking Bad.

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The Boys & Breaking Bad's Gross Scenes Serve The Same Purpose

Walt and Jesse looking through a hole in the ceiling on Breaking Bad.

Although the contexts are different, the cleaning-up scenes in The Boys and Breaking Bad actually serve the same purpose. Both scenes introduce their respective show's main characters to the darkness of the world they will be living in for the rest of their series. Although Walter White's future is filled with all kinds of murders and heinous crimes, cleaning up Emilio's body was the first time Walt dipped into villainy. Similarly, the Translucent incident is Hughie's introduction to the world of killing supes, with him getting far more familiar with blood and guts as the show goes on.

The cleaning scenes are also integral to a major turning point in each protagonist's life: their first killing. Hughie kills Translucent by igniting a bomb that is inside the supe. Although he is initially horrified, this killing is what started Hughie's taste for supe blood, something that is highlighted in The Boys season 3. Walter White's first murders also come from the cleaning incident, as he is tasked with taking care of Emilio's brother, Krazy-8, something Walt does by strangling him with a bike lock. Although arguments can be made about the moral differences between the two characters, these gross scenes are integral to both Hughie's and Walt's arcs.

The Boys Season 1 Has Another Breaking Bad Callback

Stan Edgar standing in a conference room in The Boys

Although the cleaning scenes are probably the most obvious Breaking Bad reference, another callback can be heard in The Boys. Giancarlo Esposito plays Stan Edgar in The Boys and Gus Fring in Breaking Bad, meaning that the possibilities for references are endless. At one point in The Boys season 1, Stan Edgar jokes about retiring and moving to Belize. Although this seems like a throwaway line, it means much more to Breaking Bad audiences. In Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman uses the phrase "send him to Belize" as a euphemism for killing someone, meaning that it's highly unlikely that the line in The Boys was a mere coincidence.

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