A sad 1.4 million people tuned in to watch the pilot episode of Breaking Bad in January 2008, but an astonishing 10.28 million viewers tuned in is tuned in to watch the finale of Breaking Bad (Kissell) . This exponential increase in viewership can be attributed, in part, to the development of the show's characters, particularly Walter White. As fans of the show tune in each week to watch it, they begin to see that Walter is nothing like the mild-mannered teacher they initially thought he was. Truly, the story of Walter White is the story of change. Both loved and hated, Walter White went from pitiful invalid to supreme villain. Walter began cooking meth as a means of earning extra income. After he was diagnosed with cancer, he realized he needed another source of income to pay for treatment and support his family. In two short years, Walter becomes the best meth cook in the nation and probably the world. To be so successful, Walter abandoned his morals by killing, stealing, and lying to reach the top in what went from part-time work to lifetime commitment. Although his reasons for entering the drug trade were heroic, Walter was blinded by greed and selfishness, and is undoubtedly a villain because of his selfish pride, his selfishness, his greed, his ruthless ability of manipulating those around him and his immoral choices. Ultimately, these qualities led to his death. “Either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain” (“Dark Knight Quotes”). This quote from The Dark Knight perfectly describes Walter's meth career. cook Walter began cooking meth to provide for his family. However, Walter soon became obsessed with this career and decided... mid-paper... Web. December 06, 2013 Quotes." IMDb. IMDb.com, 2008. Web. December 5, 2013."How Meth Destroys the Body. " PBS.org. The Public Broadcasting Station, May 17, 2011. Web. December 10, 2013. Kissell, Rick. "'Breaking Bad' Finale Hits Top 10.3 Million Viewers." Variety.com, September 30, 2013 . Web, December 5, 2013. Lee, Steven J., M.D. "Crystal Methamphetamine," CYC-online, April 2006. Web. December 9, 2013. Prah, Pamela M. "CQ Researcher," July 15, 2005: 589- 612 Web, December 8, 2013. IMDb.com, 2008. Web. December 5, 2013. "Quotes for Walter White." IMDb.com, 2008. Web. December 5, 2013. “Super Lab.” Wikia.com. Breaking Bad Wiki, nd Web. 07 December 2013."Walt's Drug Empire." Wikia.com. Breaking Bad Wiki, nd Web. 06 December 2013."Walter Bianco." Wikia.com. Breaking Bad Wiki, nd Web. 06 December 2019. 2013.