The mystery of Walter White's unsliced pizza from Breaking Bad has long remained unclear, but a recent Reddit AMA with the show's creator Vince Gilligan seems to have shed some light on the situation. Walter's frustration with the pizza in that iconic scene quickly became a classic moment for the character, whose journey up to that point proved just how volatile and unpredictable he can be. At its core, Breaking Bad is a character study that follows Walter White as he becomes a powerful drug lord, attempting to balance his secret identity as Heisenberg with the rising tensions between himself and his family.
In one particular scene, after his behavior becomes too dangerous and his wife Skyler locks him out of their house, Walter takes out his frustration on a takeout pizza by launching it onto his house's roof. Walter White kills several people in Breaking Bad, and this dangerous life of crime often becomes too much for Skyler. Their relationship suffers a steady decline over the course of the show, and this moment serves as a perfect representation of Walt's anger and frustration over his failing marriage. He's a deeply flawed character, but scenes like this prove that his emotions are still very present.
Breaking Bad Creator, Vincent Gilligan, Says Unsliced Pizza Was Intentional
The physics and logic behind this scene have always caused arguments among fans; whilst it would make very little sense for pizza companies to deliver their product unsliced, a sliced pizza would've certainly come apart in the air after Walt threw it. The reason for this pizza being unsliced has become one of Breaking Bad's funniest unanswered questions, but when asked about the controversial moment on Reddit, Gilligan confirmed that everything in this scene was intentional. They needed the food to remain on Walt's roof for the sake of the plot, and an unsliced pizza was the only way of managing that.
"A thrown, sliced pizza would come apart due to centrifugal force or angular momentum (or something like that)," explains Gilligan in response to the question (via Reddit). However, the writer and his team were also aware that it makes no sense for a pizza company to deliver unsliced pizzas, so they worked an answer into a different scene at Jesse's party. The scene contains a conversation between Badger and Skinny Pete, where the former explains that "they don't cut the pizza, they pass the savings on to you." Although it's wrong to root for Walter White, it's a relief to know that he's not the only one with defective pizzas.
Breaking Bad's Pizza Scene Became A Controversial Prank
Over the years, the unsliced pizza has become a staple of Breaking Bad's meme status. Whilst it may have started innocently, the online joke quickly became unwelcome when a group of fans began throwing takeout pizzas on the real-life house where the scene was filmed. The joke might seem harmless, but the residents of this home understandably grew irritated when things escalated out of control. One neighbor claimed that "all day, non-stop, there’s people up and down this road. They park in front of our driveway and block us in" (via EW). The owners have even begun construction on a tall iron fence to keep out those unwanted fans.
Although Walter White eventually becomes evil in Breaking Bad, it's these lighthearted moments that make the show's early seasons so fun and entertaining to watch. This scene is just another example of the show's impeccable sense of humor, even if certain fans did take things too far and ruin the moment for some. Gilligan's answer to the AMA question also proves one important thing about Breaking Bad - nothing is ever a coincidence. The show is filled with well-planned details and thoughtful writing that gives every line a purpose, even those that might fly under the radar upon a first watch.