The two shows that have marked the history of television series share a surprising and unexpected connection that went unnoticed for a long time
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Breaking Bad and The Sopranos are undoubtedly among the shows that have marked a "before" and an "after" in the world of television series, inspiring a large part of the products that arrived in the following years. The series itself with Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul fits into the furrow traced by The Sopranos and was indirectly influenced by it to the point of having a curious "connection" within it, which even the most hardcore fans missed. We will never know if this was intentional, however, the two series share the title of two episodes. We are talking about “Live Free or Die“, Episode 6 of Season 6 of The Sopranos adapted in Italy with “Sulla bocca di tutti“, and Episode 1 of Season 5 of Breaking Bad, which in Italian has maintained the literal translation “Vivi libero o muori“.
Both episodes show two key characters from their respective series who decide to escape to New Hampshire – whose state motto is precisely “Live Free or Die” – in an attempt to avoid the consequences of their actions. Although the two characters in question, Walter White and Vito Spatafore, have different motivations, their narrative arcs share many similarities. In fact, both episodes play with the idea of going back and dealing with the problems that the characters have left behind, an idea that will inevitably lead to their departure towards the end of their respective series.
In The Sopranos, the previous episode titled “Marriage Chains” sees Vito Spatafore planning his escape to New Hampshire after the men of the Lupertazzi crime family discover his homosexuality, an event that could cause major problems in the environment. In “End of the Story,” the final episode of the fourth season of Breaking Bad, the chaotic war between Walter White and Gustavo Fring ends, and Skyler, Walter’s wife, calls him in a panic after hearing the news on TV about Fring’s death. Skyler asks Walt if he had anything to do with all this, to which he simply responds, “I won.”
As fans will remember, in the final season of the series, Walt’s actions against Gustavo Fring will reveal all the disastrous consequences brought to his meth empire. In “Live Free or Die,” an elderly Walt is seen in a diner, apparently busy celebrating his birthday. The flash-forward that opens the episode, however, shows Walt with a new car with New Hampshire plates and a new ID with a new name. However, the audience will not see Walt flee to New Hampshire to hide from the law until Episode 15 of Season 5, titled "Everything Adds Up".
Both episodes also set in motion the events that will lead to the end of the two characters. In The Sopranos, Vito discovers a new life in New Hampshire. He discovers how homosexual couples can live their relationships in the open and begins to feel comfortable with his sexuality, which is widely frowned upon in his environment. However, the stress and worry about the life he left behind thickens within him, forcing him to drink heavily. After starting a relationship with Jim and moving in with him, Vito begins to feel comfortable, even though deep down he still longs for the life he left behind in New Jersey.
In Breaking Bad, after Walt is relocated to New Hampshire, Ed Galbraith places Walt in a remote cabin, warning him not to leave because he will get him captured right away. When Ed visits Walt again after a month, he provides some updates on his family. Walt then decides to come up with a plan to send money to Walter Jr. in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When Walt secretly calls Walter Jr., his son curses him out over the events of "Decline," telling him that he wants nothing to do with him, leaving Walt heartbroken.
It is at this point that Vito and Walt begin working on ideas to abandon their false identities and return to their old lives. Despite their efforts to adapt to their new environments, both have come to realize that they are no longer living as freely as they used to, which leads them to return home. With all the consequences we all know.
Source: CBR
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