So I've finally started watching Breaking Bad, and I'm close to the end of the second season. The main character, Walter, makes me think a bit of "MacGyver Gone Bad." I mean, he's a chemistry teacher, who uses his scientific knowledge to create some great meth, becomes a drug dealer, and then uses his knowledge of chemistry to create a battery for an RV, dissolve a corpse, create poison, make explosives, etc, etc.
Which got me thinking... MacGyver Vs. Walter White would be really interesting. I could totally see MacGyver trying to stop Walter from dealing meth, but unlike most of Mac's opponents, Walter would be able to match MacGyver's scientific way of thinking. So who would win?

I think Walter has some key advantages: He learns not to care much about morality, and he doesn't have an aversion to guns.
On the other hand, Mac's scientific knowledge covers chemistry & physics, while Walter specializes just in chemistry. Also, Mac is in better shape (assuming we're talking about Mac in the 80s, not RDA today.)

Either way, I'd love to see them go up against each other. Who do you think would have the advantage?
(please try to keep the Breaking Bad spoilers to a minimum! As I said, I'm only on the second season!)

Nobody?! Ah jeez. I thought the Walter/Mac comparison could actually lead to some interesting discussions. Foiled again!

I haven't watched Breaking Bad. Too bad.

I've never heard of breaking bad. It hasn't made it to this part of the world. Sorry.

I've heard of it at least. And I know the protagonist is a bald guy. And I know it's got a lot of fans and I think it's won a bunch of awards, but I don't watch tv at all. It seems I catch stuff much later, sometimes years. For example, I didn't watch Lost until the fourth season!

Mac would win because of his background as a EOD tech in Vietnam. His survival training growing up in Minnesota, his training as a DXS field agent, his training and work for the Phoenix Foundation, his knowledge of science in physics and chemistry. His aptitude in mechanics and engineering. Walter white chemistry and immoral character. No contest in my book.

We don't actually know if he had any training for DXS work. They took him on because of the skills he already had and the Phoenix Foundation would have probably taken him on at Pete's urging.

I don't know anything about this other character, but if he's purely a chemist then I would agree that MacGyver could take him.

Although being a chemist he might actually know more about it then MacGyver and be able to make some concoction that MacGyver can't stop.

Good replies, thanks!

And for those of you who have not seen Breaking Bad yet, definitely check it out! I think it may be the best show I've ever seen (intelligently written, complex characters, and great acting.) And since it does mix in some science, I think Mac fans will enjoy it.

I absolutely LOVE "Breaking Bad," and I just started watching it for the first time this summer. I'm all caught up on the episodes and I think it is the best show on television of the past ten years.

I would still say that Mac would outsmart Walt. Walt is cold, calculating, and has a lot to lose, but Mac has a wider background that would work better.

Have you gotten caught up to S5 yet? I'm so sad the series is almost over. While I am anxiously awaiting new episodes, I don't think BB is as rewatchable as MacGyver.

I found "Breaking Bad" on Netflix and thought I should give it a try. I love it! I started watching my MacGyver DVDs for the second time but had to put it on hold in favour of a "Breaking Bad" marathon. I didn't expect it to be as funny as it is. (There is some violence though!)

As for the MacGyver and Walter comparison, MacGyver does have the advantage of being good at improvising. He always finds something to use when he needs it. Walter seems to be planning more perhaps? He is very clever though. If there were a fight between the two, MacGyver shouldn't feel too confident. I have only seen the first season, watched it in two days (I don't mind the rainy autumn weather we had this weekend) and can't wait to see what happens next.

Thanks to Miasma for recommending a new series. (Well, new compared to the 80's shows I use to watch reruns of. )

I've just seen the first episode of Breaking Bad and I'm just not that struck...

First impressions are that the main character's moral compass is spinning freely, which I find makes it difficult to be on his side. Given what's happening to him (no spoilers!), I do understand that his equilibrium is seriously upset and that he's desperate to make some serious money fast, but I don't find him an immediately engaging character.

I'm also a sucker for a happy ending, and I don't see how this can be anything but a tragic story unfolding. I can't see that there's any win to be had for the main character here, a bit like there was precious little win to be had for the crew of Battlestar Galactica...

As for who would win, based on the first episodes of each series for fairness, my vote is for Mac. No contest. He has a much broader knowledge base and is used to dealing with people who are trying to kill him, so he's much less wrong-footed by events.

Also I can't see Mac ever being caught out in the desert wearing nothing but his underpants and a pinny..

Interestingly enough, Walt used a MacGyverism in the finale to get rid of the bad guys, and creator Vince Gilligan actually said in an interview that he "always loved when Walt would MacGyver his way out of things."

To me, that's what makes him more compelling. MacGyver, for example, is simply "a good guy." There's no depth or complexity to him-- no matter how many times people try to kill him or deceive him, he never evolves. Of course, that was typical of 80s shows, so I'm not faulting MacGyver for that. But what I like about some more modern shows, such as Breaking Bad, is that the protagonist doesn't have to be simply "a good guy." He has layers, he changes, and yet, there is still a goodness underneath it all.

I just need a satisfying ending, not necessarily a happy one. And I think BB delivered. (actually, although I wouldn't call it a "happy ending," it was a lot less bleak than I'd anticipated. And that's all I'll say about that, just in case you ever decide to keep watching it!)

'Breaking Bad' is shown here in Oz ~ I think the 2nd season is still currently showing, (obviously I don't watch it too often..).

I too would back Mac in a hypothetical stoush, as I believe his background, experience, better focus and "street smarts" would all work to his advantage.