Parallels between Breaking Bad and Homeland (Part 2)
The story of Walter and Hank is in some ways a parallel to the story of Nicholas Brody and Carrie Mathison.
Just as Hank, the nail who doesn't quite stay nailed down, gets in trouble for single-mindedly pursuing "Heisenberg", experiences problems in his personal life, and ultimately finds vindication and realization with one single, crashing revelation, so too does Carrie. She single-mindedly pursues Brody and Nazir, steps on toes, has problems finding love and affection and nearly hits rock bottom even harder than Hank does, and then in one simple, blinding piece of insight, discovers she was right all along.
And on the other side, we have Walter, the mild-mannered (so Hank originally assumes!) chemistry teacher who 'breaks bad' and becomes the semi-mythical Heisenberg, the cook who has dreams of grandeur and wealth - all the while carefully trying to escape notice even as he almost can't help but drop hints about his true self, while Hank chases a will-o-the-wisp that the DEA isn't entirely sure exists.
Similarly, Brody, on the surface, is a recovering war hero, welcomed into circles of power, but almost purposely seeking to be found out; it's only a miracle nobody figured out he had converted to Islam before Dana did, which would sink his career harder than almost anything else, and almost certainly grab the attention of every intelligence agency in D.C. And he works undercover plots for Nazir while worming his way into an almost-certain shoo-in for the Vice-Presidential job, and trying to keep some semblance of control as he gets pulled in a hundred directions at once.
It would appear that the TV shows' respective Captain Ahabs have both found their whales, but their whales have no intention of coming quietly. :P
Just as Hank, the nail who doesn't quite stay nailed down, gets in trouble for single-mindedly pursuing "Heisenberg", experiences problems in his personal life, and ultimately finds vindication and realization with one single, crashing revelation, so too does Carrie. She single-mindedly pursues Brody and Nazir, steps on toes, has problems finding love and affection and nearly hits rock bottom even harder than Hank does, and then in one simple, blinding piece of insight, discovers she was right all along.
And on the other side, we have Walter, the mild-mannered (so Hank originally assumes!) chemistry teacher who 'breaks bad' and becomes the semi-mythical Heisenberg, the cook who has dreams of grandeur and wealth - all the while carefully trying to escape notice even as he almost can't help but drop hints about his true self, while Hank chases a will-o-the-wisp that the DEA isn't entirely sure exists.
Similarly, Brody, on the surface, is a recovering war hero, welcomed into circles of power, but almost purposely seeking to be found out; it's only a miracle nobody figured out he had converted to Islam before Dana did, which would sink his career harder than almost anything else, and almost certainly grab the attention of every intelligence agency in D.C. And he works undercover plots for Nazir while worming his way into an almost-certain shoo-in for the Vice-Presidential job, and trying to keep some semblance of control as he gets pulled in a hundred directions at once.
It would appear that the TV shows' respective Captain Ahabs have both found their whales, but their whales have no intention of coming quietly. :P