The Breaking Bad Pilot Mistake Fans Only Catch During A Rewatch

Breaking Bad is one of those television shows so packed with memorable moments, surprising plot twists, and character turns that on a first viewing of the series, there's a lot that's easy for viewers to miss. From various Breaking Bad easter eggs to comedic moments that you might have been too engrossed in the show to laugh at, to fan theories that are more believable than you might think, Vince Gilligan made the 16-time Emmy-winning show easily rewatchable.

But upon a series rewatch, you might also stumble upon hidden moments that weren't so intentional from the show's creator. Scattered throughout Breaking Bad are occasional continuity errors and innocent mistakes that are hard to ignore. Minor moments like Jane's infinite popsicle or a reference to Osama bin Laden's killing (even though the show took place prior to his death) are examples of when the show didn't necessarily cover all of its bases.

Considering how great Breaking Bad is, it's unlikely any of these errors distract fans from the show's brilliance. But that being said, there is another significant mistake fans have noticed — and it takes place in the show's pilot episode.

In the pilot episode of the series, we learn Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is a soon-to-be 50-year-old chemistry teacher who has been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Unsatisfied with his lot in life, Walt "breaks bad" with his former student, Jesse Pinkman, teaming up to cook meth together in the desert. Eventually Walter thinks the jig is up after hearing sirens coming from a distance. Clad in his underwear, a shirt, and holding a gun, Walter prepares to surrender, but soon the sirens reveal themselves to be fire trucks, not police cars. After explaining to Jesse what happened, Walter bends down to vomit. In this moment viewers can see an object protruding through Walter's shirt.

Most fans who spotted the object claim this is actually Bryan Cranston's microphone. In a reddit thread, user mpcrt6 wrote: "First rewatch, just noticed Bryan's mic showing through his shirt, not sure if this has been posted on this subreddit before." Another user, Kilgrave_Trout, commented that it was normal for TV show crews to use lav (or clip-on) mics, and that it was "standard practice to use both lavs and Boom [mics] and then use the audio that sounds cleanest."

But most fans of the show don't care though. And why would they? Breaking Bad and its crew were so meticulous about making great television that it's hard to fault them for errors most of us would make. In fact, many users on the thread joked that it was part of the plot — and it was just Walter wearing a wire.