Unveiling the Untold Truth: The Shocking Plot Twist Behind Walt's Poisoning of Brock

Summary

Walt's poisoning of Brock is considered his most heinous act, as it exemplifies his descent into pure villainy and his willingness to harm a child.

Walt strategically placed the toxic substance inside Brock's juice box, ensuring that only Brock would be exposed to it.

Despite the horrific deed, Brock miraculously survived and fully recovered. However, the immense guilt and turmoil stemming from this incident left a lasting impact on Walt, Jesse, and their bond.

In Breaking Bad, Walt poisoned Brock by using berries from the Lily of the Valley plant. This incident occurred in season 4 of the popular AMC series, but the truth about Walt's actions did not come to light until the following year. Brock Cantillo, the six-year-old son of Jesse Pinkman's former girlfriend, Andrea, was a big fan of Jesse and they often spent time together playing video games. Even after Jesse and Andrea broke up, he continued to provide financial support to them through Saul Goodman. However, after their reunion in season 4, Brock suddenly fell ill and had to be rushed to the hospital. Initially, Jesse believed that Brock had ingested ricin, which he thought was meant for Gus Fring, the main antagonist. Jesse suspected that Walt had stolen the ricin and used it to harm Brock as a way to punish him for getting too close to Gus. When confronted, Walt manipulated Jesse into believing that Gus was the one responsible for poisoning Brock using the ricin. Ultimately, it was revealed that Walt had intentionally caused Brock's illness to manipulate Jesse into helping him kill Gus. The Lily of the Valley plant, secretly planted in Walt's backyard, was the source of the poisonous berries used to poison Brock.

Breaking Bad’s Brock Poisoning Explained

Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan divulged additional details about how Walt poisoned Brock during the San Diego Comic-Con in 2013. The show's writers referred to this incident as Walt's transformation into the "Evil Juice Box Man," with the imaginative notion of him injecting the poison into Brock's juice box. Off-camera, Walt cleverly planted the juice box in Brock's school lunch, ensuring that only he would come into contact with it. The subsequent events involving Huell stealing the ricin unfolded on-screen as part of the plan. Fortunately, Brock survived the illness and fully recovered. Later, Walt's uneasy demeanor around the young boy indicated the guilt arising from his actions, particularly the manipulation of a child's health for his vendetta against Jesse.

Walt's actions undeniably brought about immense guilt as he exploited a young boy's well-being to manipulate Jesse. While Walter White experienced numerous breaking points throughout the series, it is widely believed by fans that his poisoning of Brock was the moment when Heisenberg truly embraced his malevolence, abandoning any trace of his former morality and embracing the pursuit of power at all costs, regardless of the harm inflicted on others. Eventually, Jesse pieced together the puzzle and discovered Walt's culpability, leading to a profound rupture in their relationship. Saul Goodman was also confronted by Jesse, who confessed to assisting Walt but claimed ignorance regarding the true purpose of the act - poisoning a young boy.

Walt later confessed to Jesse that he used a poisonous plant to harm Brock, manipulating him for their plans against Gus Fring. However, their relationship was already severely damaged at that point. Additionally, Walt admitted to witnessing Jane's death without intervening. Following his release in the series finale of Breaking Bad, it was expected that Jesse would prioritize taking care of Brock as a tribute to Andrea.

Nevertheless, the events of El Camino in 2019 allowed Jesse very little time to tie up loose ends and gain his freedom after being kidnapped by the Neo-Nazis. Before fleeing to Alaska, Jesse wrote a letter to Brock, the contents of which have not been disclosed. Vince Gilligan initially intended for Jesse to read the letter as a voiceover, but decided to keep its contents a mystery, hence the omission in El Camino.

What Brock Actor Ian Posada Has Been Up To Since Breaking Bad

Ian Posada, also known as "Li'l Ian Posada," portrayed the character of Brock Cantillo in the television series Breaking Bad. Despite having limited acting credits, Posada's endearing performance in the show played a crucial role in making his character beloved by both Jesse and the audience. As a result, Walt's decision to poison the innocent and lovable Brock is particularly abhorrent. While Posada appeared in Breaking Bad from 2010 to 2013, his involvement in other projects has been limited. However, he did have a role as one of drug lord Fausto Alarcón's sons in the 2015 film Sicario. It is interesting to note the connection between both of Posada's major roles, which revolve around illegal drug activities. Fortunately, unlike his character's fate in Breaking Bad, Sicario does not expose Posada's character to harm. The aftermath of Brock's poisoning in Breaking Bad remains undisclosed, adding to the emotional impact of this distressing event in the series.

Walter Didn't Kill Brock, But Breaking Bad Features A Shocking Child Death

The fate of Brock remains unknown, but Breaking Bad viewers speculate that he likely ended up with his great-grandmother, a much better outcome compared to what happened to another minor character on the show. Played by Sam Webb, Drew Sharp was a 14-year-old who was killed by Todd for witnessing Jesse, Walt, and Todd during their train heist. What stands out about Drew Sharp's death is that Jesse was the only one in the group who had a problem with it, while Walt accepted it as a consequence. This shocking event played a significant role in Walter White's transformation into Heisenberg.

Breaking Bad spared Brock but killed Drew to illustrate how much Walt had changed. This became evident when Walt had no issue dissolving the child's body in hydrofluoric acid to eliminate any evidence. Despite the show's moral ambiguity, there is still a clear distinction between involvement in the drug trade or gang violence and actively harming children or disposing of their bodies with acid. The reason why infanticide carries a much harsher prison sentence than the murder of an adult is evident in Jesse's reaction to Drew Sharp's death.

However, while the actual act of Walt killing Brock may have had negative consequences for the show, the essentiality of Todd's murder of Drew cannot be undermined as it effectively portrayed the growth and transformation of both Jesse and Walt as criminals. Undoubtedly, this particular event stands out as one of the most astonishing moments in Breaking Bad, but one can argue that it was undeniably crucial for the overall narrative.

Playing Brock Brought Ian Posada To Tears (But Not Because Of The Poisoning)

The reason behind Walt poisoning Brock is unsettling, but actor Ian Posada found another tragic death on Breaking Bad more disturbing. Emily Rios, who portrays Andrea, revealed that Posada's mother reached out to her after the episode where Andrea is killed by Todd. Rios recalls Posada being devastated by the loss of his on-screen mother, and she had to comfort him and assure him that she was fine. This highlights the fact that Breaking Bad is not suitable for children, even if they are part of the cast.

Is Poisoning Brock Walt's Most Heinous Act?

In the first episode of the series, fans witness a relatively decent and caring side of Walt, making it difficult for them to comprehend the monstrous transformation he undergoes. Until that point, Walt had been gradually turning into a more ruthless individual, shocking those around him. The moment that truly exposes the extent of his ruthlessness and willingness to protect his empire is when he allows Jesse's girlfriend, Jane, to die in her sleep. However, even in that moment, the audience is privy to the intense guilt Walt feels about his decision and its consequences.

The poisoning of Brock proves to be the turning point for Walt, convincing him that there are no limits to what he is capable of. He becomes even more lethal as a result. The execution of all of Mike's men in prison serves as a terrifying display of his power. Another shocking moment is when Walt kills Mike out of pure anger, marking his first murder that is entirely unnecessary. The poisoning of Brock may have opened up the floodgates to Walt's villainous actions, but his most heinous act on Breaking Bad remains the poisoning itself, as it nearly takes a young boy's life and is used to manipulate Jesse into committing another murder while solidifying Walt's empire after Gus's demise.