Warning: Spoilers for Jerry & Marge Go Large!

Bryan Cranston's character in Jerry & Marge Go Large perfectly flips his iconic role as Walter White in Breaking Bad. The movie is based on the true story of Jerry and Marge Selbee (Bryan Cranston and Annette Benning), who won over $26 million on the Massachusetts State Lottery thanks to an overlooked loophole. Released exclusively on Paramount+, the movie shares another significant similarity with the Breaking Bad universe beyond the casting of Bryan Cranston and Better Call Saul's Michael McKean.

Both Breaking Bad and Jerry & Marge Go Large are essentially stories about men who fulfill their wasted potential towards the end of their life. Following a terminal cancer diagnosis, Breaking Bad's Walter White used his skills as a chemist to break into Albuquerque's drug scene and secure his family's financial future. Struggling to adjust to retirement, Jerry Selbee uses his considerable mathematical prowess to identify a flaw in the lottery that, perfectly legally, guarantees a win every time. Aside from the stark contrast in the legality of each scheme, it's how both men respond to their successes that truly sets them apart.

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Bryan Cranston was an inspired piece of casting for the role of Jerry Selbee, who, despite his similar intellect, is everything that Walter White is not, flipping the Breaking Bad role. Walter was an angry and bitter narcissist, but Jerry is a warm, slightly shy, and friendly pillar of the community. Jerry truly cares about people other than himself, which can't truly be said of Walter White. Breaking Bad's Jesse Pinkman was someone that Walter could manipulate in the pursuit of his goals. Walter acknowledged Jesse's worth as a capable and, crucially, compliant assistant, ensuring his continued survival until he was no longer of use. Rainn Wilson's slacker convenience store clerk in Jerry & Marge could have been a similar stooge for Jerry's scheme, but he's brought on board and reaps the rewards. Jerry and Marge also bring in their family, friends, and neighbors on board as investors in their business, GS Investment Strategies LLC, putting these investments into buying more lottery tickets to ensure better odds and bigger prizes. It's a welcoming and egalitarian corporation miles away from the hubris, distrust, and Shakespearean tragedy of Walter White's criminal empire.

Annette Benning's Marge Also Flips The Skyler White Role

Jerry & Marge Go Large Subverts Walter White and Skyler

Annette Benning, playing Jerry's wife Marge, also addresses issues with Breaking Bad's Skyler White. Jerry begins the movie by hiding his activities from Marge. He withdraws thousands of dollars from their account to test his lottery theory and acts suspiciously when she catches him watching the draw. Rather than embark on an elaborate campaign of lies and deceit like Walter White, Jerry very quickly breaks after a family barbecue and tells her everything. He's not a liar like Walter White; he's a good man who respects his wife. It's only fair considering it's her throwaway comment about luck that fine-tunes his system for buying lottery tickets. Their professional lottery playing revitalizes Jerry and Marge's marriage, providing them with the shared interest that has s0-far eluded them during Jerry's retirement. Unlike Skyler, Marge is a fully willing participant in Jerry's scheme, and it's Marge who suggests they use the winnings to improve their ailing hometown.

Walter White's destructive actions as Heisenberg were purely to benefit himself and his family, and he would sacrifice anyone in pursuit of that goal. Jerry and Marge, on the other hand, want to use their winnings to bring back the local jazz festival and help struggling local businesses. Rather than Breaking Bad's allusions to Shakespeare's Macbeth, Jerry & Marge Go Large has much more in common with the story of Robin Hood, perfectly flipping Bryan Cranston's iconic anti-hero into something far more positive.

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