Yet Another "When Did Walt Become Heisenberg," Thread.

Except it isn't. It's just my theory on the deeper concept of why and what of Heisenberg, both the in universe and meta.

I don't think there is a debate to even be had. This episode, that episode. No. None of those, it's not incremental, not a movement in change. But something I think is metaphorically so, Heisenberg...

I don't think that the name was pulled out of the air. A chemistry teacher choosing a physicist's name? Wouldn't he be more likely to choose a famous chemist? Of course, but he didn't choose his name, the name was chosen for him, by Vince. I think the name is a meta representation of the reality of the Walt/Heisenberg duality, not a dichotomy.

The real Heisenberg is creator of the uncertainty principle, and a most apt metaphor for who Walt is.

The more you are certain that he is Heisenberg, the less certainty that he is not still Walt there is. And the more certain you are that he is Walt, the less certain you are that he isn't Heisenberg. That's the whole metaphor of it all. He is who he is. Consider a further aspect of the uncertainty principle. Schrödinger's Walt. Not is he alive or dead. But is he Walt or Heisenberg? I think he's both, a superposition of Walt and Heisenberg. Existing as both always, at the same time.

The more you try to nail down his "Heisenbergness" his ruthlessness, his ambition, his empire building the more you might see flashes of the desperate, resentful, or even familial Walt that still motivate or haunt him.

Conversely, when you focus on moments where the "Waltness" is observed, his love for his family however twisted it becomes, his moments of fear or regret, the shadow of Heisenberg, the capable and dangerous manipulator, is never truly gone.

Even in his final moments, this superposition is evidentiary. The Waltish desire to provide for his family is still there, but so is the Heisenbergish pride in his "product" and his empire, and his need to orchestrate event even in death. His dying in the meth lab is symbolic, it's where both Walt, the chemist, and Heisenberg, the kingpin, truly came alive and ultimately, where they both ceased to be.

That final scene in the lab is perfect symbolism for this duality, he dies surrounded by the equipment that represents both the legitimate passion of the meek chemistry teacher Walt and the criminal empire, of the prideful power hungry Heisenberg. "Baby Blue" playing over the scene reinforces this, it's own duality it's both a song about something precious and pure, and slang for high quality meth.

The show's genius is that it never collapses this wave function. Walter White remains in quantum superposition right until the end.

Walter never fully became a Heisenberg, nor did he fully cease being Walt. He remained a superposition of both identities, from the very beginning, to the very end; always existing simultaneously as the mild mannered self esteem lacking weak willed chemistry teacher and the ruthless narcissistic vain and determined kingpin.