Todd Alquist is television’s most accurate Psychopath - Video essay
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- Опубликовано: 11 дек 2022
- Todd from breaking bad is the most hated, despicable character, whilst also being the most mild mannered, and polite. How is this possible? Today I will discuss this.
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Wow. You know what i never noticed that. Even after some of his family and friends are massacred at the end he didnt look like he cared too much
He just calmly said "Mr white" lol like he would of let it go if he lived lol
I did, he always seemed off, like there was something missing in him, from the first few meetings with him.
I think he was just looking out in the window trying to understand who attacked them and are they still pushing.
He was so impressed with Walter’s ingenuity... it’s almost like he’d forgot everything else.
He ain't capable.
I feel like most people have a completely different take on Todd that I don't see at all. This is the first time I hear someone actually agree with me.
I've seen so many people claim that he's extremely sadistic and plays with Jesse, being nice to him just to either screw with his mind or just to taunt him or prolong his suffering. To me, it feels like he's totally genuine, but he doesn't seem to understand what he's doing to people. He does all these things to Jesse, to Drew Sharp or to his cleaner, he recognizes it's bad but he just goes "shit happens" like it's minor mishaps.
Yes, he is completely psychopathic. Funny thing is psychopathy isn’t based on sadism or a Michael myers like evil. They’re completely normal human beings with a warped sense of morality. Not even warped, it’s non expensive. All to do with the pre frontal cortex
Yeah, he seemed to do nice things but it wasn’t in a menacing, taunting sort of way. Like when he killed Andrea, he says,” this isn’t personal” in a polite tone, which makes him more terrifying. There’s an obvious disconnect.
@@bilalashraf1611 There is something Jesse Plemons does where you just see no lights on behind his eyes, not like Tony Dalton who has the energy of the cat sitting outside of the mouse hole patiently waiting. It is creepy because you're pretty sure Todd isn't going to do anything, but you also know what he is fully capable of doing without hesitation.
@@PoeticElysium Todd interacting with Tuco, Lalo, or the Twins would have been interesting.
Todd being a psychopath has always been general consensus though..?? This thoughts been around since forever tf are you on
To me the scariest thing Todd did was in El Camino when he strangled his housekeeper because she found his money. He tells Jesse that she was kind and honest but he couldn't have her knowing about his money, in which she only found a small portion of it no more than like 5 grand in a couple stacks. He didn't think to tell her it's a personal stash for emergency or anything like that, just straight up strangled her and kept the belt afterwards. When he takes Jesse to help him bury her he "wants to bury her someplace nice" and wants to say a few words before they leave. The guy does not maliciously kill people, he genuinely reasons that killing people is the first way to go because it's the easiest.
Aka a psychopath
It would be easier to just tell her it was an emergency stash, tho xD
But yeah, I agree with you, that's Todd's modus operandi
He probably grew up around people like Jack, so naturally resorts to murder before thinking of other options.
@@randomyoutubecommenter4 ''no loose ends''
@@randomyoutubecommenter4 then there's a chance she doesn't believe him and so she might cause trouble. Todd's reasoning is you won't have any trouble if there's no one left to cause any.
I think psychologists would have a lot of fun picking him apart. Because he doesn’t have that dark triad you usually associate with villains in media. Psychopathy, narcissism, and machiavellianism. Todd is strictly psychopathic. He is not narcissistic or Machiavellian. He’s actually pretty dim and unassuming. But he 100% cannot comprehend the horror of his own actions. He tries to rationalize emotions, but he cannot understand or feel them. That’s why he tries to be “nice” to jesse while he has him enslaved. That’s why he apologized to Andrea before killing her. He knows it’s bad, but he has no idea why because he cannot feel the horror or loathing that comes with committing such atrocities.
That scene with Todd killing Andrea still sticks with me - the way he awkwardly lures her out, Andrea's confused and hopeful response, that unassuming apology before the cut to Jesse's muffled screaming in the car where he watches the whole thing. Then Jack says "There's still the kid" - probably the coldest scene in the entire show.
And this is why, like the title says, he’s the most accurate real world depiction of a psychopath in modern television. No one seems to agree though
I personally have had fun picking it apart, and I have to point out that one cannot actually have a dark triad. Now known as the antagonistic triad, it is just meant to describe three personality types that all include a lack of remorse. As to why someone can't be all three, the main difference between Machiavellianism and psychopathy is impulse control. Psychopaths are impulsive, Machiavellians are conscientious. You can't be both impulsive and careful. Psychopaths get caught, Machiavellians don't.
All humans are supposedly equal in the American deceleration. So, he can at least understand the law.... Don't murder your fellow humans. murder = bad.
does psychopath not compute
@@caitthecat
Nah, you can be cunning and manipulative but still have poor impulse control. They aren't mutually exclusive. Classic Dark Triad can be good, but superficial liars who contradict themselves and have an inability to delay gratification. Being successful at manipulating others doesn't require any particular genius or discipline, but it certainly helps. Not everybody is going to be a Gus Fring, nor do they have to be. And take it from a guy with adhd, being impulsive and scatterbrained doesn't mean you're _incapable_ of long-term planning.
Walter White is pretty much the classic example of this actually. He is a genius and he clearly has the discipline to clean and maintain a lab while figuring out the best process for cooking meth. He's also good at improvisational planning. But he's constantly sabotaging himself with impulsive bursts of anger, greed and pride. A lot of the problems he has to solve with his genius are problems he made for himself to begin with. People are complicated. Just because you're good at a couple things doesn't mean you're not an emotionally unintelligent idiot somewhere else.
People become complete idiots where love, greed or even compassion become involved. It's how abusive relationships and real world Nigerian prince scams work. And a lot of people like projecting good will onto others because they assume everybody shares the same values as themselves. (So many people assume that just being civil enough with somebody who has repeatedly communicated their hostile intentions will work if they keep at it. And that they can just 'fix' everybody with their influence.)
That's what makes Todd so terrifying as a villain he just feels so much more inhuman compared to all the other evil characters in BCS and Breaking Bad. Like Gus, Walter, Tuco, Hector, Don Volsa, Don Eladio,and Lalos Salamanca
its because he has no principles and morals all other characters doesnt seem like they can just take a gun and shoot a child or smth (at least it wasnt be shown up)
JUAN BOLSA!
He's not a charming manipulator like Lalo, he can't switch between friendly warmth and cold ruthlessness like Gus, and he's not prone to terrifying rages like Tuco. He just doesn't emote at all, and when he does evil things, there is a horrifying casualness with which he does them.
@@kevlonk The word you are looking for is "charisma".
@@Maw0It would be easy to just say he somewhat lacks charisma. But, by all means, please forgive kevlonk for trying to add more volume to their comment by directly comparing Todd to others.
Yeah the fact they didn't make him out as an attractive sex symbol already makes him one of the most realistic
Ikr. I'm so sick of Hollywood fetish for pyschos
@@N.O.A_YT maybe because they’re full of them and that is wish fulfillment
Hrs now up there with anton chigurh
he bad asf idk about y'all
i thought he was sort of attractive to be frank
I like that Uncle Jack is the main villain of s5 but the fandom has just unanimously agreed that Todd was the one who stole the show.
He’s a fascinating character. I think the main villain of season 5 was Walt 😂
It WASN'T walter
Jack is Walts main villain and Todd is Jesses main villain.
No wonder why they kept him in el camino
Todd is the most realistic psychopath on TV. Uncle Jack and other villains are just stereotypes.
What truly scares me is how Todd still thinks Jesse as his friend despite Todd torturing him physically and mentally for years. If walt didn't save Jesse, he would probably tortured for life.
It's more accurate to describe Jesse as Todd's pet in their relationship concerning his captivity.
True tho, Todd is a horrible pet owner. They should report him to PETA. Maybe that's not a good idea, because PETA will put Jesse to sleep, just like the rest of dog that they get their hands on. Saul call Jesse a rabid dog tho. So that's that.
From what I remember Todd hold Jesse captive for years. It was a period of about 6 months.
@@unusualusername8847 I never said Todd didn't torture Jessie. I said he only held him captive and/or tortured him for six months not years. That being said we never see Todd torture Jessie. It could be Todd that did it or it could be Jack/Jacks crew. I changed my original comment to be a little more clear.
@@jackcoleman1784 he(Todd) said he could get it out of him(jesse) meaning torture until he lets up, and when Todd goes to Jesse hole, Jesse is terrified of Todd.
What’s even more crazy is that Todd manages to be the most psychotic character in the entire series, even beating nut jobs like Tuco. Difference with Todd and every other character is Todd just has zero remorse for anyone period, including his family.
When Walt kills Uncle Jack’s crew, Todd literally just says “woah Mr. White” calmly and as if he was willing to work with Walt still and have zero care for his family dying.
A psycho that's yelling and crazy isn't NEAR as scary as a psycho that smiles, greets you, helps you with your bags, then puts a bullet in your head afterwards. Not by a long shot. Go look at the Iceman. Something about him makes my blood run cold. Whenever he talks about the pharmacist he killed he put a gun under the guys chin and pulled the trigger with no emotions what-so-ever. And that poor pharmacist was just trying to make a profit from a medication
And the worst part is the guy didn't die right off no he layed on the ground with a bullet lodged into his skull choking to death with fear in his eyes. So the Iceman beats the guy to death. Smfh. That is a a scary person. Someone you say something to and you don't even know you said something wrong and pissed him off and he is thinking about killing you. That is really freaky to me.
i don't think todd understood what had happened. he had so much respect for walt that it caused a blind spot in his thinking.
@@dragonrabbit7410 yea no, the psychopathy and lack of empathy is the blind spot in his thinking.
@@GeometricPidgeon oh he's definitely a psycho but when you get a chance go back and watch when hank dies. todd actually tear up ever so slightly. and it's not for hank, it's for how broken up walt is about it. he definitely respected the guy. that moment is maybe to only hit of emotion that todd shows in the whole series.
Yeah mental orientations are not binary. Psychopathy comes in many forms and some are more psychopathic than others. Psychopathic traits does not mean that he is not human.
The scariest thing about Todd is his inhuman ability to gain and lose exorbitant amounts of weight at will
Well, research says their lack of fear and anxiety makes them great learners and goal achievers, never procrastinating, because in their view no one else should have a reason help him. They are the culmination of the slogan "Just Do It"
@@DystopiaWithoutNeonsIt’s lonely at the top because the top is purely psychopathic
This is the moment Todd became Patrick Bateman ( literally me )
everyone on the bus is clapping for you
This is me
This is the moment Todd learnt to Drive (2011)
Would be hilarious if Christian Bale posted a pic from in that movie saying it is literally him
@@Whiteboykun the short bus
Todd's psychopathy was nothing in comparison to Lyle. That man was the living embodiment of danger.
Los pollos hermanoss los pollos hermanoosss
A guy goes up the counter and orders a burger and you think that of me? No, I am the one who serves.
I AM THE DANGER
What do you expect
Gus made him clean that sink
That too after work time ended
He was more of a sociopath, hence the poor impulse and sloppy behaviour. Psychopaths more calculated and less easy to anger
I just have to say, really on point. So, so many videos on Todd get him entirely wrong: they think he wants to murder people and then makes excuses for it after, when really, he just *doesn't care*. They were just obstacles to be removed, nothing more, there's no malice behind it. It's also why I think Todd is definitely one of the scariest villains on the show.
Yes, Todd is unphased, he doesn’t care. He has no motivation other than to get the job done
@@morewoolie5560 he wasn't even bothered when Walt turned up with Mike's body in the trunk
It's scary how many people i know who are like Todd. Not actively looking to hurt others but don't think twice if they're in their way.
Yes that’s why Todd is such a good case study, he is an example of the millions like him that exist in our society.
@@morewoolie5560 Jesse Plemons can do these characters all right. Just look at Black Mirror's USS Callister episode. That's horrifying, too.
You can lack emotion or even the "brain" (meaning less activity in certain areas important for emotional processing / controlling impulsivity and so on) without being a violent/destructive/antisocial person. With other words: Nature is one part, but nurture is just as "important" to be an antisocial person (or "true psychopath"). James Fallon (a neuroscientist ironically studying psychopathy) is an example of someone that could be a textbook psychopath. But he is not, because the environment he grew up in, was caring. I doubt that you really know MANY people that are truly like Todd, because the chance of having these neurological traits is roughly just 1 in 100 (and once again: it's not only nature, but also nurture). Otherwise, you surly got a lot of bad luck to know some strange people.
@@mrpeace3860 Yep, would argue Todd is special case of psychopathy, i'm willing to bet he feels emotions but he process them differently and has very quick switch when he needs them turned off.
no, you don't. such people almost don't exist
I have a degree in psychology, and it interests me that most people think that psychopaths are erratic and explosive. In reality most are like Todd. They seem completely normal until something or someone stands in the way of what they want, and then they can act in the most unbelievably callous way with complete indifference to the suffering of others.
From what I heard psychopaths have some empathy though? Particularly to those they care about? Just not so much strangers?
@@darksideofevil13 A true psychopath has no empathy for anyone, but they can become quite good at reading people. Just don't mistake the ability to read people for empathy.
@@marcusmoonstein242 Interesting..
When psychopaths do something for someone else they don't actually know or care how it makes them feel. They're just looking for that person to respond in the way they want. Sometimes that desired response is actually for that person to show them respect or affection, which can give the illusion of empathy.
If psychopaths are not erratic and explosive, than why is there a "Poor behavioral control" sign in the Hare's Psychopathy Checklist?
one the major tells is the fact that he keeps the spider the boy had, something that would be grim reminder to a non-psychopath of their deed. todd is just like "nice! cool spider"
He also kept Jesse after the deaths of Hank and Gomie. This might have been the start of a habit.
I always loved how Todd’s character was written for these exact reasons. He does evil things with a sort of naive, childlike absentmindedness, not really “enjoying” anything that he’s doing. In fact he’s rather emotionless in total. It’s actually even scarier than the typical sadist, and makes for such a unique character, because it’s so blank and dispassionate and, in a way, sort of endearing the way he goes about things. His emotional mind-state is like an empty tundra with the occasional tumbleweed, one where morality simply does not enter into the picture as a foundational element in his landscape.
Wow this is a short and concise analysis video that isn't 2 hours long for no reason. True rarity.
Right? Anyone could easily get their point across about ANY fictional character in 5 minutes or less. There’s just too many douchetubers out there that need to get high off their own farts for 90 minutes in a single video.
Those 2 hour long video essays aren't 2 hours for NO reason. It's TOTALLY ABSOLUTELY 100% necessary to include:
-recaps of the show we're talking about and a general opinion of it even if the quality of the overall show isn't the main focus
-overly long graphics introducing every section of the video
-cringy meme or Meta editing jokes throughout
-a drawn out sponsor read
-verbal recaps of entire episodes
All to get as much minutes watched as possible because god knowswhen another video will come out :)
Do you have any idea how many video essays I see that look shockingly intriguing until I notice they're 40 minutes long? Why can't every video be like this
@@tricktrapper Because RUclipsrs want money.
Long videos are better, need something in the background when gaming and don't want to change vids every 5 minutes.
Intresting point about Todd being Walt's ideal cook partner 😂 Never thought of that. At face value it seems they would have been more successful with less hiccups than Walt/Jesse, but then again Walt needed the contrast of Jesse in order to fully unlock Heisenberg.
He might not have ever found his inner evil if he had Todd from the start-- Most of Walt's journey to darkness had to do with things he wouldn've had to do if Todd was his partner. It might not have worked out because the transition to Heisenberg initially involved being forced to handle business that Jesse couldn't and each time he became more cold-blooded, all-in, and sure of himself.
If he had Todd from the start he might have never found it in him to get as far as he did and might have even gotten scared off from the business, but I guess we'll never know.
Amazing point
Imagine how differently Todd would have handled the Crazyeight problem. Walt wouldn't have had to agonize over killing him. Todd would have taken care of it without Walt ever asking.
The only thing is with Jesse they had a stronger relationship thus making Jesse more loyal especially since he can feel empathy unlike Todd
You are on to something! Part of Walt's drive was loyalty. He stayed, in his own twisted way, actually loyal to Jesse, often risking his life to save his. I doubt he would've had "fatherlike" emotional attachments to Todd who was superficial and incapable of true feelings.
Even the mild-mannered and calm Gus Fring had a breaking point. Todd just never lost it. He seemed to treat everything as a necessary evil, whether he did it himself or happened around him. I won’t call him sadistic since he didn’t appear to enjoy killing people or treating Jesse like a slave, but he certainly wasn’t remorseful of his actions. I think he might have even considered Pinkman a friend, and only chained him up to cook because he wouldn’t do it in his own volition.
Exactly, the perfect example of a realistic psychopath who could be your neighbour
@More Woolie Oh my god you're right! I should immediately neutralize my neighbour, the danger must be liquified.
@@morewoolie5560 You ignore a dangerous factor though.
If one becomes embroiled in that level of criminality, then brutality is often one of the only forms of survival.
That, snitching and witness protection or stealing a car and never looking back except to look over your shoulder for years.
Sociopaths find people specifically for the purpose of tool usage. Psychopaths are perhaps a common personality type for that goal. Dangerous sociopaths seek out psychopaths to use as tools, or better yet...they raise one from the womb.
The problem is, with enough fear and certain early forms of childhood...many people can be convinced to ACT psychopathic as a necessity to survive. Because the alternative is death or torture.
Just like empathy can be trained and learned...the inverse is also true. Humans can be convinced to suppress empathy. More easily than you think.
This is the age old question. Is humanity born evil or is evil learned?
Porque no las dos? Why not both?
I always despite wanting to avoid him at literally all costs if he were real, kind of liked him because of how absolutely and completely genuine he was. He was polite and extremely easy to understand.
Lol thats exactly why women become easy targets for psychopaths.
I’ve always noticed how emotionless Todd was, I thought he was just being smart not showing his emotions and letting people know what really is he thinking. Him being a psychopath never crossed my mind, maybe because I didn’t care about labeling him or didn’t care about his character. Either way this video was definitely a fun watch so good job 👍
You should label people as you meet them, (both in works of fiction and in real life) it is a very useful tool. People are defined by their actions, and this is how you should label them. As long as you expect nothing from them other than what their label suggests you will never be let down. Purpose, label, title, position these are all words that illustrate my point. Calling a man "joe" means nothing, calling him "the electrician" is useful and has meaning. To look at it another way, imagine walking into a pharmacy to look for a specific medicine, but the only information on any of the bottles is the "brand name"... compare that to a pharmacy where "brand name" isnt displayed but instead "use case" is. See how much easier and more convenient that is?
@@nathancawley8759 Because narcissist and sociopaths have no problem labeling or judging you. They are thinking can I use this person for my needs or not. If you show weakness, lack of boundaries and self esteem don't think they won't come after you. So, yes definitely judge and label people for your own protection. The problem is these types are hard to spot because they like to blend in.
He shows fear. He was scared when Mike snatched him up like a bitch and threatened him. He knew Mike was a stone cold killer too. But Mike was a stone cold killer with a truly relatable path. You can see how he became what he became. Son is killed by the very ppl that was supposed to have his back and didn't get jack shit for it....... I watched my grandpa grieve himself to death over losing his son in a car crash. I can't imagine what he would have been like had his boy gotten murdered like a dog like that. Todd I think was a serial killer.
I actually just thought he was really stupid (couldn't comprehend what he was doing) and was manipulated by his family
@David proof?
You know, you're not wrong. Things would have probably worked out pretty well for Walter if he met Todd instead of Jessie. Todd would never be able to match Walt, either, so his ego wouldn't get bruised so much.
Walt would have been the first meth billionaire
Damn
Now i wish to see an alternate BB series in which todd is jesse and jesse is todd
I mean jesse is with those terrorists since birth
And todd is walt's student
@@rahulverma8774 Somehow I feel if Jesse lived with Jack's gang, he'd still end up tied to the ceiling on a leash.
@@BlazingOwnager hehe yeah 😂
In fact jesse's slavery was not personal
They kept him their bcz he was a rat
And for narcos ,rats are worse than DEA
@@rahulverma8774 not even narcs, they are all ex cons, aryan brothers. you dont rat, you dont talk too police. ever...!!!
To be fair, he barely had any time to process what happened when Jack’s gang got massacred. He probably would’ve been upset if he realized that Walt had killed his uncle, just like how he’d be upset if Jack had killed Walter back in the desert(but not because he’s against killing or anything, just because someone he liked was killed).
Did he “like” Walt, or was he just useful?
@@morewoolie5560 I think it was his way to pay Walter for everything he did for him Todd always was very thankful towards Walt and respected him, also in that moment he wasn't a threat
@@morewoolie5560 he probably liked him. Todd is capable of having emotions. He is capable of liking people. He Just cannot possibly put himself in other people's shoes. He doesn't understand why people don't like him
He Indeed liked him, there's no question about that
I really like that the characters try to explain to him that what he has done is horrible. Yet he just fails to understand. He simply cannot understand why everyone is so caught up about such a, in his mind, small thing.
Its totally realistic because, how Can you explain empathy to someone who doesnt contain it?
It Will just end up being the “why?” Game forever and ever
One thing I noticed is how Todd may appear loyal on the surface, but this is ultimately not true. Todd just goes along with whatever the situation calls for. He shifts his loyalties all the time because he ultimately isn't connected to anyone around him, not even his own family.
If Todd Alquist was real, i would like to see him having dialogue with Jeffrey Dahmer
That would be very interesting
Dahmer would probably be confused as to why Todd kills without desire?
they would probably relate to each other but they have differences too, dahmer gets sadistic sexual pleasure from his butchery but for todd he is indifferent to it and doesn't show or feel anything
Tod does not look like a sadist like jefrrey dahmer tod does not enjoys or hates killing to him killing people is like breathing air
Jeffrey Dahmer had BPD not psychopathy. He wouldn’t have done anything to Todd. Todd isn’t his type and also Jeffrey didn’t kill a random he was calculating and had a motive which was not wanting to be alone, fear of abandonment
It's so weird because he did horrible things but truly didn't understand that it was evil. He had no bad intentions necessarily, just indifferent. It makes me feel weird because I hate him but also don't because of how calm and nice he is about it
It reminds me of how some child murderers act in police interviews. That innocent lack of understanding being palpable in lacking any empathy or emotion to the suffering of others, there is only their own feelings and needs to worry about. Because a child's world is so small and unexperienced it can be hard to see the world is bigger than yourself. However adults have no reason to act like that at all unless they grew up as some rich kid isolated from the real world.
He understands, when he killed his maid on El Camino he said he felt bad, but clearly not.
Being in close friendships with psychopaths, i can tell that Todd is absolutely the most accurate TV version of what psychopathy looks and feels like.
I’m glad that you highlighted the differences between psychopaths and sociopaths. I’ve taken care of 2 people who had sociopathy as part of their diagnoses. Both could be very charming and friendly, but also very manipulative. They tend to “fit” in more easily with others, more able to mimic the societal norms. But there are not really treatments for sociopathy, you can’t medicate a sociopath into having empathy or a conscience
The two sociopaths I took care of both had other mental health disorders that they were being treated for
Matt Damon put up an excellent performance for Todd 🙏🙏
on god forreal!!
Fat Damon more like.
the thing that stayed with me is when he reacts to Walter crying on the floor, he has this weird expression, like he cant seem to feel empathy but keeps staring at walt analyzing the situation like his to studying peoples emotions
Agreed. It is a remarkably authentic portrayal.
Psychopaths are unfortunate individuals. They will never know friendships or any other kind of genuine emotional connection.
What, psychopaths are just wired differently, but they aren't cold blooded killers. They just have very minimal emotions, they still can have friends and form relationships, it's just harder for them.
@@federicopalacios7439
Well yes, agreed. I was overstating a specific type, or type of ASPD where forming genuine empathy-bonds with significance others can be extremely challenging.
I certainly stand by the claim that this is a terribly unfortunate condition, not something to be envied as per Hollywood, Netflix,.etc "psychopath genius" trope.
And, like most things human, there's a spectrum.
They will also never be petrified with fear, feel extreme anger and frustration, feel wonder and amazement or deep depressing sadness. When I tried antidepressants I just didn't feel anything, I felt like a robot, it was awful and didn't feel human.
Todd is even more psychopathic in El Camino
Agreed 👍
You really see more of his psychopathy in El Camino too, and how he thought he was helping Jessie while not truly understanding what he was doing to him. You can also tell he doesn't actually enjoy killing, but knows it's the simplest way to solve his problems.
I don’t think psychopaths enjoy killing, just like I don’t enjoy doing the dishes, however psychopaths associate murder with the same mundanity I do with the dishes. Fascinating but scary
@@morewoolie5560 good explanation man👏👏👏
Mom told Todd that he could pick any path in life he wanted, so he picked the psycho path
the narrator sounds like the perfect person to be talking about a psychopath... In the 'takes one to know one' sense
Woah
Mfs a bot.
Ooop spoOoogit.
"A monotone voice" and "murdering a child" are two very different things.
I'd bet you're the sort of person who would write incredibly INACCURATE psychopathy.
I'd ask you to explain your reasoning, but i know there is none & that you only talk dumb shit for no reason
i also like how in el camino it shows todd really thought jesse was his friend, completely lacking awareness of any reason why he isn't
No he wanted to let jesse think that he was his friend
@@victordekker2670 why? What would Todd have to gain by pretending to be nice to Jesse?
He’s already been imprisoned.
Precisely. The ice cream moment in El Camino stood out to me
@@Thedudemannn i am not arguing with poeple on the internet so i think you have a point
He was manipulating Jessie that entire scene
Never thought of it like this but Todd and Jesse are truly mirror opposites of one another. Jesse had this abrasive and "too cool for school" shell while Todd looked like the nicest guy ever. And then the tables turned. Jesse was suffering heavily after his first kill while Todd just went Terminator mode.
It's the nicest ones you have to keep an eye out for.
Jesse was perhaps more than anyone else on the show, always roleplaying a criminal stereotype, wearing a mask for whatever situation he was in, to cover up his massive emotional vulnerability. As a consequence he was always vulnerable to being exposed by others, giving him a reason to double down to survive in a business that's all about respect. But his emotional breaks showed he could not live with the horrific criminal lifestyle involved in mass drug dealing, the destroyed lives, the murders, the uncaringness of it all simply to get rich.
Todd's a chillingly believable character. I knew someone who reminded me a lot of Todd. He wasn't mixed up with gangs and all that but had that same characteristic of being super nice, soft spoken and polite on the surface, but really disturbed underneath. The "nice" ones can be the most dangerous of all.
I noticed that too, it was so uneasy and in some scenes terrifying to watch him, he was dead silent and had no emotion on his face no matter the situation, truly well developed character
This is also the reason you see psychopathy in high ranking businessman/women. They're not exactly malicious, ironically they're actually genuine in pursuing their goals and will stop at nothing to achieve them. The problem they're mostly not aware of is their lack of empathy and the destruction it may have caused or will cause.
And then you see Anton Chigur
As a breaking Bad fanatic, this is THE most phenomenal realization I have ever seen. Jolly good show!
back during my first viewing of the series, when new episodes were still coming out, i thought that they had cast todd poorly with jesse plemons but looking back on it he was perfect. i just couldn't wrap my head around how someone who looked and acted that normal and plain could be that evil. but the more i learn about psychopaths the more brilliant their inclusion of that character seems.
Fun fact: in 2014 a Belgian Psychiatry professor watched over 400 movies to see which represent psychopaths accurately and no country for old men was by far the most realistic. anton chigurh has no remorse, highly intelligent, and has different sets of twisted morals. he also has no compassion
That psychiatrist should lose his license then for propagating the myth that all psychopaths are geniuses. "Highly intelligent" is not considered one of the symptoms of ASPD
@@neetpride5919 Some of them could be smart actually but being a psychopath is rare
@@_ELI912 False. Roughly 1 in 100 people qualify as psychopaths. Some are smart, sure, but psychopaths as a group have a normal distribution of intelligence because those traits are almost entirely orthogonal. Go visit a prison and you'll find plenty of low IQ psychopaths.
@@neetpride5919 I think the reason some of them say psychopaths are smart is because some of the psychopaths that they've interviewed are serial killers. They are really not that smart but just strategic
@@_ELI912 serial killers who get caught are not smart. It's pretty easy to tell from your username that your only real exposure to psychopaths is from TV and movies, and that's the reason why you think all psychopaths are smart: media tends to depict them as geniuses which led to the pervasive myth that most psychopaths are high IQ
I actually found Todd to be the most pleasant character in the whole show because of this. He's so refreshingly calm and composed, polite and easily understandable. Not once does he ever get loud and angry or do something startling, unprofessional or unexpected, so I was always able to relax whenever he was on screen. Unlike Jesse, who I found was probably the most insufferable apart from Skyler due to his constant loud and overly dramatic responses to everything which always irritated me and made me uncomfortable.
Jesse being an emotional wreck was the whole point and the other characters being such hard asses made a great foil for his outbursts and freakouts.
@@cattysplat Agreed, although that didn't make them any less annoying.
he's your mate
I think I've heard that the creator of Breaking Bad was very knowledgeable in Psychology which was how he was able to write Todd.
Well there you go
@@morewoolie5560 vravo bince
Todd actually thought he had a shot with Lydia. Now THAT is PSYCHO.
And he never stopped calling Walter “Mr. White”. Ever. He truly is the dark Jesse.
Thank you for not making this like 40 mins long :) perfect compact explanation
😊 Many of us don't mind longer videos...
@@mcfrisko834 Yeah sorry I should be more clear I enjoy these compact perfectly explained videos rather than 20 minute long talking about the same points but heavily padded out
I spotted him as a psychopath as soon as he killed Drew, from that point it became more and more clear every time he appeared on screen
For sure
The fact that he was able to produce that uncanny valley effect in the audience that people have around real psychopaths goes to show how talented an actor Jessie plemons is
My mom and dad always used to tell us (me and my siblings) that being polite and being kind isn't the same thing.
Love breaking bad, as a show its It is quite an accurate depiction in terms of behavior and mindset, people sometimes don't understand what psychosis and psychopathic disorders or understand what it is fully, but this does bring a good light to it in a dark direction or what would be called the mainstream version of a psychopath. Someone who is psychotic can't feel those emotions anymore. Its not in their limbic function same with reptilian brain response.
I'm a psychopath and schizophrenic, wasn't born this way, got it from a severe injury. It was weird being from normal to this since it was like a whole reset to my brain. I've been mental hospitals and other places for evaluation and study a few times and for my condition since it puts me on the autism spectrum. I barely feel anything but I can decide to feel things if I let myself.
There are many people who are psychopathic and aren't aware of it/don't understand what they've done wrong and that can be dangerous, or people chalk it up sociopath which is not the same. I've met a lot of other people like me, who are psychopaths and learned to be "human" again. As in we know how to properly interact and feel and express emotion whilst not having any emotionally attached. Will sound dark but if my family died I will be sad but not crying. They're aware of it.
To me, seeing people portray psychopaths as evil people isn't accurate, more like someone who is constantly naive and misunderstanding themselves, lack of self awareness while believing they're fully self aware. Those are the psychopaths who look "evil" but aren't. They just don't know what they're doing. Luckily I taught myself over the years how to be a person again and express emotion and understand empathy. It takes time but if there are other people who are psychotic and don't understand, I recommend taking some time to self reflect and look at keypoints of things that people may of gotten upset or pointed out towards you, try to understand where that came from and why, it'll help start you being more a person and understanding yourself more too. They're great skills to have
Met a few psychopaths in my life, some you can spot them with time (cruel bully, just getting a kick out of manipulating and causing pain). Easy to spot in retrospec, still masters at toying with people.
But some you can live with for years and never know. Litteraly knew a guy who played "the kind grandfather role" and stole around 100 000$ over a few years. Cries on command. And when they actually lose their cool, you can see their eyelook change, going into a zone of "i could kill you and not feel a thing". They can morph their personnality on command, it's amazing.
Same with narcissists
Sounds like sociopaths not psychopath's but whatever
@@alexandru4353 how do you know the difference
@@doomsday7308 he meet " a few" psychopaths , also having a kick from doing harm is a sociopath trait
@@alexandru4353 oh
Todd and Anton Chigurh. Best representations in my opinion. Chigurh was a bit too robotic but you could obviously tell he had the military training for killing and was programmed since childhood to be that way. Todd was more akin to the kind of psychopath you might bump into on the train and wouldn’t know they were cold blooded killers.
Wow what a great video the content was really good but the fact you conveyed that much so quickly and so clearly is what truly amazes me. Fantastic work
I honestly never thought he was a psychopath (which is also no longer an accurate psychological term). From my own training in both psychology & education, he struck me as someone with Asperger's who grew up as he did due to his sociological environment. If he grew up in a socially healthy (non-criminal) environment he'd be a completely different person. He killed poor Drew Sharpe due to a combination of taking Walt literally (as he said no one can know what happened) & growing up in a world where shoot first ask questions later is OK (like with how Hank & Steve died). I also don't think he had the time to react to what happened to the rest of the gang at the end before his own death. The shock of what happened along with still surviving- right before his own death- makes perfect sense on its own. Maybe there's something wrong with me that I've never been able to see what everyone else does, but I don't think accurately fits the criteria of a psychopath even if it were still the accurate diagnosis.
Maybe man
What is the difference between a Psychopath and a Sociopath then?
I'm assuming one is based off mental illness while the other a lack of Empathy? But if they both lack Empathy, then what's the difference?
I love your analysis, but Asperger's as well is no longer an accurate psychological term to my limited knowledge.
I love your analysis, but Asperger's as well is no longer an accurate psychological term to my limited knowledge.
@@mr.aretzu284 How ironic. I looked it up & you're correct. I knew Autism Spectrum Disorder was the name in the DSM 5, but I thought Asperger's was still under that umbrella. I would still argue that Todd is on the spectrum over having Anti-Social Personality Disorder (the replacement for psychopath & sociopath). Thank you friend for pointing that out as I always prefer to be accurate in psychological terms.
Pretty sure I have psychopathic traits, which I really have to reign in consciously. Such as no remorse for workers and their struggles, we have work to do and it needs to get done. Then I have to fight myself to be empathetic and to be fair. I think if you’re conscious enough about bad traits you can reign it in - though it’s not easy.
Are you a boss?
@@morewoolie5560 VP, yeah. I’m by no means an evil tyrant, just lack the empathy it seems. So I have to really work on it.
Thank god the thumbnail had a red circle over Todd's face. I wouldn't have guessed who he was by the picture alone.
Awesome dissection! :D
I had a five year relationship with a psychopath, and studied psychopathy for years later.Todd is not by any means a psychopath, for many reasons.
For example, he showed integrity and capability for delayed gratification when he refused payment for a subpar batch he cooked.
I think that scene was more Todd trying to gain favor with Walt and not self reflection
Where did you study psychopathy? If you did it on your own, what were your primary resources?
@@Wveth maybe self-study kinda like self-diagnose 💀💀💀
I remember when BB S5 and Dexter S8 were on at the same time and Dexter had the Brain Surgeon who was supposed to be "the perfect psychopath" but I always thought that Todd from BB was a more chilling and convincing psychopathic character.
Most TV "psychos" are always made to look and sound crazy. When in reality it's just what they do without any emotions that makes them crazy. It's like a criminal superpower.
First appearance of Todd I thought he was a bad undercover cop but when he shot drew I knew he was a psychopath
Jesse plemons did a amazing job making this character scary
'Imagine Tuco and Jack met in the last scene. Tuco and his crew and Jack and his Crew fought against each other
2:53 what about Lalo ( a bit offtopic since he's from a different show but still related )
a guy did a video about him and aspd look it up its great
He looks like my uncle.
Me and my brother joke about that so much 😅
Such a good video, good information within 5 minutes. no bs straight to the point. This is peak youtube. Keep it up man!
Thankyou so much man
@@morewoolie5560 ofc brother lookin forward to seeing more!
Wow this video is honestly impressive, one of the best mini documentaries i have seen on RUclips, congratulations sir!
You are describing Gus Fring as well
I see what you mean, but you can see when Gus drops his act, the way all positive expression can drop from his face when appropriate; Todd never does this because he is not acting. He has no act, this is the way he automatically is.
It has been a while since I've seen Breaking Bad, but Gus Fring's ruthlessness seemed more like a learned behavior. And in a flashback, he had a very emotional reaction to witnessing a murder.
What is scary about todd is that, when Jesse strangles Him to death, he is probably confused and thinks that he is innocent, because he thinks that murdering someone is ok
If he thinks that murder is ok, then he doesn't need to be confused that someone decided to murder him no matter what was the reason😁😂
Some really in-depth analysis I'm still trying to wrap my head around.
I don’t remember a scene that showed him as impulsive.
When that kid showed up on the bike, to blondie boy, the kid walked into the game and there can be no lose ends.
Empathy is a skill that some have have to be taught I suppose.
What disturbing to me most, is that I see a level of this Psychopathic behavior in most humans. They have a hierarchy of empathy and compassion based on societies norms. For example feeling joy when they find out a bad person has died, or fantasies of k*lling a bad person. Or feeling no emotion when killing animals that are considered food or pests.
I think this is due to environmental factors and general upbringing. We have basic morality hammered into us all throughout childhood, if a bad person dies, I wouldn’t say we feel joy, rather relief and comfort in knowing no one else will suffer. Feeling no emotion when killing animals, well that’s just primal
@@morewoolie5560 The same thing could be said about killing other humans, as we are also animals, and have a long primal history to killing eat other. And as far other species, the hierarchy comes into play when people see a dog, cat, or other related animals die, they feel strong sad emotions. But when other animals die, they feel nothing. It looks like people feel how they have been programed to feel, from society. This hierarchy objectively appears to be psychopathic to me.
@@04dram04 it's not psychopatic, there are animals considered to be our companions like cats, dogs, some birds and there are animal functioning as working tools and food, there's nothing wrong about it neither psychotic. Now you look like a psycho to me because you seem to lack understanding about difference between similar things
@@04dram04 social norms. Our culture is sad or upset if a cat dies, in some parts of Asia, it's going in tonight's soup.
The problem of psychopaths is that there is no hierarchy. Killing you or a cat or a deer is the same as going to work
@@04dram04 You might be pyschopathic yourself since pyschopaths are unable to see why humans value some things over others. The main reason we care about pets like cats and dogs is because our culture taught us to value them as companions and in some cases they can be treated by the brain as equivalent to our own children.
A pyschopath wouldn't understand that. They might read it, acknowledge it but they can't understand the feeling because they do not have the capability to make this connection meaningfully.
Although a relatively interesting take on Todd's character, like most times when a TV character is labeled to be psychopathic, I personally find it unlikely and unbefitting to characterize him as such, although I do respect the show for not outright trying to portray or state him to be one. I think one can break down Todd's character (or any character for that matter) that have characteristics of, or are akin to our view of psychopaths. I think that doing a short analysis and then quickly afterwards slapping on a label onto the character is misleading, as psychopathy is not the only thing that would cause an individual to behave as Todd does.
For example, the environmental factors mentioned would likely be at play. Children are very much chameleon like in the sense that they absorb their surroundings and environment into their personality (ie nurture), and being raised by a group of Nazi's is hardly going to produce a morally sound adult. Take, for instance, their reaction to Jesse's confession. Specifically when he mentions Todd killing Drew Sharp. There is no shock, disgust, or any negative emotions reflected towards Todd. And when he (Todd) previously intentionally left out that detail, it seemed to be out of embarrassment or shame. Not out of fear of being viewed differently by Jack's crew. And when the scene plays and they hear about it, Todd doesn't seem distressed, or worried how they'll take it. Instead he immediately realizes Jack's angry at Jesse for ratting him out. This to me isn't his rebounding lack of moral awareness (how he didn't understand or react understandingly to Walt, Jesse and Mike being angry at him for killing Sharpe), the fact that he knew Jack and his crew were: A, not going to give any reaction to it and B: Instead going to try and kill Jesse for ratting him out, to me at least, shows that the morality within Todd's family extends to allowing kids to be killed. Or at least a desensitization to such.
And ultimately I think that's all that it is. Desensitization. Well, no, not all, there's definitely a lot of other things about Todd to pick apart. But I don't think Psychopathy is a part of it. Although he is still a rather fascinating character. I do wonder what you think of his character within the context of El Camino.
This is a good analysis of Todd in El Camino
ruclips.net/video/dZqo4OZ0Pqs/видео.html
Quick, to the point, pretty cool vid. Nice
Very brief and to the point with no BS, nice video
Brooo
I just say
No country for old man
Gonna give it a watch
Yeh...Anton Chigur...true psychopathy right there
He goes to extreme lengths to extricate himself from humanity and feelings...he's also bloody efficient mate
Unpopular opinion: Todd is more terrifying than Lalo
Lalo is certainly more skilled, well armed and smart, but Todd is defnetly more evil.
Yea Todd is more likely to give people the creeps but Lalo is basically a super villain lol I would not want him after me whatsoever
@@tf2freakshow870 Todd isn't evil, he's not aware that his actions are bad, he doesn't enjoy what he does.
I will never understand how people see Lalo as scary
He is way to charming for me to be scared of him
Todd on the other hand makes me extremely uncomfortable
Yeah lalo definitely shows some shred of emotion towards his family. I literally don’t see any emotion in Todd beyond his infactuation towards Lydia
Casual reminder that a single google search will reveal that there's actually zero distinction between the terms "psychopath" and "sociopath," and that modern psychiatry has fully moved past both terms, which describe exactly the same patterns of behavior, but are simply from different eras. However, even "sociopathic" and "psychopathic" personalities have under clinical studies been shown to contextually be capable of empathy and selfless interest in others, and thusly the modern term, "antisocial personality disorder," has a much broader diagnostic spectrum.
Both have been coopted by pop culture in videos like this, but neither are legit diagnoses and they hold zero distinction from each other beyond what "pop psychology" of fictional characters has grown into in online discussion. Fun video though, love Todd.
I know, but oh well. Still a fun analysis to draw
Casual reminder that google searches are not the end all be all of science.
@@mistatrollge3184 Going through the DSM 5 shows that the original commenter is right, but you are right in regard of Google. We should always be careful when going online research, specially in complex topics.
"antisocial personality disorder" doesn't sound like anything dangerous, sounds like some kid who drops litter and sprays graffiti
Most people in real like will be able to suspect something off about someone from just a brief moment of meeting him or her. In order to spot a psychopath or even sociopath, ask yourself one question, would 90% of people act this way. If not, then you might be dealing with either a sociopath or psychopath.
A1 video and breakdown🥇
I dont agree with this since Todd developed a lust over Lydia.
no he isn't this video is just flat out wrong lmao. todd genuinely feels like he's friends with jesse and this is something a psychopath wouldn't feel. if you want to look at an accurate depiction of a low functioning psychopath then watch No Country For Old Men. The antagonist Anton Chigurh is the perfect portrayal
He isn't a psychopath. Keep thus video in your head but everytime he says psychopath, replace it with sociopath
@@bingchilling7622 yeah, the word psychopath basically has no meaning anymore
Nah he’s a misguided psychopath he ain’t feel bad for nobody only cared for Lydia . He caged Jesse after considering them friends? And he ain’t try to back up mr white when they took his money that he once helped them get at one point cuz of the heist .. so he just goes along to who he’s in business with . Can’t forget he was impressed and tryna gain some wisdom from Walt right before Jesse choked him to death
I never thought of Todd Alquist as a psychopath, instead I thought of him as a sociopath.
Great video, would love to see you go over the psychopathic/sociopathic traits seen in most businessmen in movies (and irl). Such as Jordan from the Wolf of Wall Street.
Very well made no bs clear cut video
For a lot of my life I've suspected that I'm psychopathic, sociopathic, or have something else seriously wrong with my brain. When my grandfather, who I had known my entire life, died, I tried again and again to get myself to be emotionally affected by it during his funeral, to tear up, cry, anything. Nothing, and I never did. Because I felt not enough people went up to the podium to say some words about him during the service, I went up and said some sentimental stuff about him using humor to deal with the hardships in his life and relayed an anecdote or two. After the service, my father thanked me for doing that, apparently satisfied by my off-the-cuff eulogy. I was a pall-bearer and felt nothing. It probably sounds strange, but I find my lack of emotion disgusting. It's a cold, hollow, empty way of being. I don't think it truly matters to me at all that he died. I know everyone will die, and that I'll die too. Death, to me, is entirely expected and unsurprising.
I have to frequently feign emotion, apart from frustration and anger, those two are real things I feel. But fun, humor, solemnity, shock, grief, these are things that I've had to perform for a long time, though I think I might feel them occasionally, I don't know. I find almost nobody's jokes funny. Regular people, comedians. I see the same patterns in jokes over and over again, so very little is actually funny to me. The sheer repetition and predictability of people and how utterly insufferable they are drives me insane with rage at times. I'm frequently anticipating and on guard for people, co-workers, etc, to try to fuck with me or denigrate me. 99% of my laughter is feigned for social expedience.
I have a few close friends that I do my best to be caring towards, but so much of my existence and life has been me forcing myself to do things and pushing myself that I don't know what I do or don't feel, if I feel anything. If something happened to one of them, I suspect I'd feel nothing, and that's repulsive to me. At least, I don't like it.
I do think I recall being more empathic as a child. Seeing suffering would make me cry, I remember crying once when I saw I had crushed a bug. I don't know, maybe those are concocted memories. I have a poor memory and my childhood isn't worth remembering anyways.
I could go on, but I've rambled enough already. I don't know what exactly is wrong with me, but I know I'm a very broken person. I've always been a freak and have always been fundamentally at odds with the overwhelming majority of people. It's taken enormous difficulty and effort for me to function with the rest of humanity to the extent that I do, and that extent still isn't very functional.
I tried therapy and the therapists just seemed out to lunch, there to collect a paycheck like everyone else. I don't think therapy works for people that deeply deviate from normalcy, anyways. Repeating wishful thinking mantras to yourself doesn't change reality, and that's what their aim is: To get you to buy into wishful thinking.
After having read all of your comment, which I sincerely appreciate btw
A couple things have jumped out to me, until the last paragraph I would’ve potentially headed towards an ASPD realm of diagnostic framing. However, your point about feeling empathy as a child is extremely important. This is indicative of the fact that you are most certainly NOT applicable to any ASPD diagnosis. Anti social markers are almost always displayed at an early age.
What I would say is that your situation is extremely common in generation Z, we are lonely, ideas, creativity and art are all saturated. Relationships are saturated. Social media has fried our brains and perceptions. Escape the matrix - TikTok
School - go to university
What’s the real path, what’s the real plan. We are devoid of any sort of direction, we seek comfort in characters such as Patrick Bateman who clearly display a sense of purpose and agenda. We long for that
@@morewoolie5560 He might be experiencing anhedonia. I have this too after abusing substances for years and can`t feel positive emotions anymore.
Great video lad
Thanks mate
It's nice to see someone having the same thoughts as you but explaining them with better words
That's what i thought. In El Camino we can see a complete picture of Todd's psychopath behaviour
Wow.. perfect analysis. Couldn't have said that any better.
I love how he gets up from the massacre at the compound and is first and foremost impressed and interested how Walt pulled it off!
Todd is the living embodiment of “No loose ends”
Bro did a whole Breaking bad essay that didn't take 2 and a half hours, never thought I'd see it
El Camino really sells how much of a psychopath Todd is. That part where Todd tells Jesse that they can go get some pizza after burying the housekeeper he killed was really chilling.
Yeah he really proves this theory in Black Mirror.
You know this show is goated when years after, people are still making videos about the amazing characters and details of the world.
*I think the spider represents Todd...scary, creepy, attacks when need to...but lives in a shell...*