“Breaking Bad”: is the series scientifically realistic?

After this legendary series, everyone looked at their physics-chemistry teacher differently. Me included, imagining that Monsieur Fournet (dedication), under his appearance of a jaded teacher, is secretly manufacturing methamphetamine after classes… Breaking Bad it's the story of Walter White, a meticulous chemistry professor who turns into drug lord. From the first scenes, his expertise captivates spectators and imposes a scientific rigor rarely seen on screen. The production is based on the expertise of two DEA chemists (the American anti-narcotics service) as consultants for the “drugs” component and calls on Donna J. Nelsonprofessor of chemistry at the University of Oklahoma, for the scenes taking place at the college. And it must be said that it is quite a success. Clovis Darrigan, lecturer in chemistry at the University of Pau, confirms in the columns of Science and Future : “From a chemistry point of view, there is not much that is shocking in this series. We find all the codes of laboratory chemistry”.

Walter's credibility rests on subtle details. Whether in the utensils and glassware he uses or when he explains to Jesse Pinkmanhis junkie sidekick, that a volumetric flask should never be heated directly. A elementary rule taught to all chemistry students. But one point differs: Walter has a doctoratewhile most high school teachers in the United States enter the profession with an undergraduate degree. This detail, although a little exaggerated, reinforces the image of an expert capable of transform his knowledge into a criminal empire. Can we say, however, that the series is scientifically credible?

Dissolve a body with acid?

Chemistry plays a central role in the narrative of Breaking Badwith spectacular scenes that mix realism and dramatization. One of the most memorable sequences comes when Jesse attempts to dissolve a corpse in hydrofluoric acid. Instead of using a suitable plastic container, he pours the acid into a ceramic bathtub, causing a disaster, and an otherwise hilarious scene – upon contact with the liquid, the bottom of the bath and then the floor end up completely dissolving crossing the floor to land on that of the ground floor… Unforgettable.

“The choice of this acid is very well seen: hydrofluoric acid makes it possible to attack and dissolve all organic and bone matter, including teeth, while other acids do not have this property. Certain plastics, however, would not be not attacked”explains Clovis Darrigan. Slightly exaggerated scene yes, but not scientifically aberrant either. Another notable moment: the use of mercury fulminate crystals to cause an explosion. Walter throws one of these crystals at a wall, triggering an impressive detonation. Anne Helmenstine, scientific consultant, confirms that mercury fulminate is a very real explosive compound, but specifies: “Mercury fulminate is indeed very unstable; we can possibly discuss the realism of the size of the crystal in the episode, but it is true that if you throw one against a wall, it explodes”she argues in an interview granted at Sciences et Avenir.

“Blue” methamphetamine

Walter White's signature product, a blue methamphetamine of exceptional purityis a central element of the series. In reality, the color blue is not an indicator of purity. “The color of a crystal is often linked to impurities or specific properties of light, but this does not necessarily reflect its chemical quality”specifies Ralph Weisheit, professor of criminal sciences at the University of Illinois. That Breaking Bad aptly illustrates, on the other hand, these are the challenges of manufacturing methamphetamine. The methods mentioned, such as that based on pseudoephedrine (also called “crystal meth”), are realistic and reflect the real practices of traffickers. The series also addresses complications related to the supply of chemical precursorsa major problem in the illicit trade of this drug.

Chemistry + parachute pants: bad mix

Breaking Bad stands out for its attention to detail, but certain scenes sometimes betray reality to favor visual impact. And that’s completely normal! Walter's iconic outfitdressed in simple underwear and an apron in the first scenesis obviously unrealistic. “You don't do chemistry in shorts! As a chemist, I have gloves, a coat… I keep telling my students that you have to wear high-rise socks, long pants… When you see him, only with boxers and an apron, that, obviously, is not credible!”insists Zohra Benfodda, lecturer in medicinal chemistry at 20 Minutes. Let's remember that at the start, Walter White began to produce “met'” in a camper van…

Except that doing such advanced chemistry in grandma and grandpa's caravan in the middle of the desert, “it’s a bit complicated”to use Zohra Benfodda's euphemism. Likewise, large-scale production in the underground laboratory of Gus Fringthe enigmatic “big boss” of drug trafficking in New Mexico and the big villain of the series, moves away from real practices in the United States. Patrick Radden Keefe, journalist at New Yorkerexplains that mega-laboratories like the one in the series are more common in Mexico or Guatemalawhere the regulations are less strict. In the United States, methamphetamine production is generally limited to small quantities.

Drugs and their consequences

We are certainly moving away from chemistry, but one of the strengths of Breaking Bad also resides in its depiction of the destructive effects of methamphetamine. “In Breaking Bad, meth is not romanticized, confides Laurie Galvan, specialist in neurodegenerative diseases to 20 Minutes. “We see the direct consequences that this drug has on a human being. We see that the two heroes become rich, but that they destroy their lives, and that their condition worsens, little by little. These choices, which were made for the series, are close to reality”adds the specialist. The effects of methamphetamine, such as intense euphoria followed by rapid dependence, are described accurately.

When Jesse drinks with his girlfriend and wakes up to find she died of an overdose, it reflects a tragic reality for many usersthat of an addictive race that they cannot win. And for good reason, a person who consumes met' “is no longer herself, for almost 12 hours. Her brain is as if hacked. She only feels a sensation of happiness and euphoria. She feels nothing else. The person no longer wants to eat, no longer want anything”. According to Laurie Galvan, the effects of this drug make, “blind to the world around us, blind to danger”. Yet when the trance fades, an addicted person cannot help but take another doseprecipitating his fall towards certain death. “And that’s shown quite well by the series”concludes the researcher. Brief, Breaking Bad East a series that has an eye for detail, making its message even stronger, and that's also why we love it. And also a little for the monstrous flow of Walter White wearing his cowboy hat, obviously…

Sources :

• Sciences and the Future – “Clandestine lab, chemistry class: is the Breaking Bad series realistic?”Arnaud Devillard, September 23, 2013.
• 20 Minutes – “Scientists debunk the Breaking Bad series”Nicolas Bonzom, December 8, 2022.
• The New Yorker – “The Uncannily Accurate Depiction of the Meth Trade in Breaking Bad”Patrick Radden Keefe, July 13, 2012.
• BBC – “How much of the science in Breaking Bad is real?”August 16, 2013.
• Illinois State University – “Professor talks Breaking Bad meth fact or fiction”Ryan Denham, 23 septembre 2013.

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