Although they are two very different shows, there are shared similarities between them Seinfeld And Break badincluding a shocking number of actors who appeared on both. Bob Odenkirk is Elaine’s “doctor” boyfriend Seinfeldwhile of course also playing the role of Saul Goodman Break bad. Anna Gunn, best known for playing skyler whitealso plays one of them Jerry’s girlfriends, who thinks he sees George making out with Jerry’s cousin, Jeffrey. But the most notable actor to inhabit both universes is Brian Cranston.
That are the most Seinfeld Fans’ first experience with the actor was as dentist Tim Whatley, one of the show’s biggest recurring roles. It came as a shock to see Cranston unleash such a darkly complex and calculated character in Walter White. But superficial differences aside, Tim Whatley and Heisenberg are more alike than they seem.
Here’s how each of Cranston’s Seinfeld looks match how “Heisenberg” he was…
‘The hit’
How Heisenberg he was: This episode opens with a scene of Jerry, George and Elaine at Tim Whatley’s Hanukkah party. Whatley, the recent convert, is cheerful and cheerful, playfully flirting with Elaine and the other women there -“Happy Hanukkah, Tiffany! — which is clearly a far cry from the intense, villainous Heisenberg we know Break bad, which is why it’s last on our list. We also learn that Whatley donated George’s gift to a daycare center charity. On Break badthe only charity Heisenberg ever donates money to is the “Save Walter White” website that his son created.
‘The Mom & Pop Store’
How Heisenberg he was: Just like in ‘The Strike’, Whatley plays the party host this time Thanksgiving Eve, as his apartment overlooks the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons. Jerry is unsure whether or not he was invited to Whatley’s party, but he decides to attend anyway, hoping to find a dentist to fix his chipped tooth. Unfortunately, Jerry accidentally bumps a statue of the Empire State Building out the window, popping the Woody Specht balloon and ruin everything. Whatley furiously asks Jerry, “Hey, who actually invited you?” You are a troublemaker!” This fits very well with early Break bad seasons, where Walt yelled at Jesse for pretty much everything, including “being too stupid to follow simple rudimentary instructions.”
‘The Labelmaker’
How Heisenberg he was: Jerry gives Tim Whatley two tickets to the super bowl, and Whatley thanks him by sending him a label maker (The Label Baby Junior). When Elaine realizing it is the same present she gave Whatley for Christmas, she suspects he is a retoxiner and invites herself to his apartment to confirm her suspicion. Unfortunately, this gives Whatley the wrong idea. He had invited Newman to the Super Bowl, but offers the extra ticket to Elaine instead. After making it clear to Elaine that Whatley is not going downtown, he breaks up with her and gives Jerry the ticket. Jerry is next to it New husband at the game when Whatley and Elaine get back together – ‘Tim couldn’t make it; he is in love.”
Throughout, Whatley channels Heisenberg because his behavior is questionable and unreliable. As Jerry points out, “I don’t trust this man. I think he was gifted again, then detoxed, and now he’s using an upstairs invite as a springboard to a Super Bowl sex romp! Whatley also recalls Heisenberg’s “I’m the one knocking!” speech to Skyler when he yells at Elaine about the faulty label maker she gave him as a gift, telling her, “It was the worst gift I ever received!”
‘The Yada Yada’
How Heisenberg he was: In “The Yada Yada,” Jerry suspects Whatley converted to Judaism “just for fun.” Jerry is offended that Whatley is telling both Jewish and Catholic jokes, exposing Jerry to Father Curtis. During the process, Jerry makes up his own joke: “You know the difference between a dentist and a sadist, don’t you? Newer magazines.” This joke goes back to Whatley, and Jerry is considered an anti-dentite.
Vince Gilligan, creator of Break bad, described Walter White as going from “Mr. Chips to Scarfaceto illustrate his complete transformation. In this Seinfeld episode we witness Whatley’s transformation from Catholic to his new Jewish identity. Walter says famous Break bad, “I’m awake,” as he explained to Jesse why he suddenly went from being a boring high school chemistry teacher to cooking and selling methamphetamine. Although very different, we see a rebirth in Whatley here too.
There’s also a scene near the end of the episode where Whatley fully embodies the Heisenberg persona. Jerry appears to be in pain while in the dental chair. While Whatley works on his mouth. Jerry asks, “Are you almost done?”, to which Whatley replies in a deep, slow, Heisenberg-esque voice, holding a creepy looking dental instrument, “I’m just warming up – because I’m just a sadist with newer magazines .”
Perhaps Jerry’s best course of action would be to “act lightly.”
‘The Jimmy’
How Heisenberg he was: Whatley makes his most Heisenberg-esque appearance in “The Jimmy”, where Jerry goes to Whatley for a filling and is put to sleep with nitrous oxide before the procedure. Upon waking, Jerry sees Whatley and the dental hygienist getting dressed and worries that Whatley did something distasteful while he slept. It turns out that Whatley uses nitrous oxide to drug his patients for his own pleasure, which is similar to Heisenberg’s opportunistic traits, always looking for opportunities to advance his “empire business” through illegal activities.
Whatley’s waiting room has that too penthouse magazines, and his “Adults Only” policy is vague and raises even more questions about his character. His mannerisms are also different in this episode. He wears an earring and sniffs a good whiff of nitrous oxide before giving it to Jerry. Jerry even asks Elaine, “Is this guy a dentist or Caligula?” He might as well have said, “Is this man a dentist or Heisenberg?”
