FoxPhile

True. But I don't think Walter was anywhere close to that point. The fact that his parents had so little understanding of him and really very little respect for him was still a big sore point, and probably the source of a lot of his other issues. The lack of acceptance from his parents seemed like it caused him to crave acceptance from others - to the point that he was sometimes a bit arrogant and egotistical about his abilities.

WeBuiltThePyramids

I was more speaking about not necessarily feeling like every parent needs to come to an understanding/have a redemption arc. They easily could have just kept portraying Walter as someone who isn't really all that eaten up on a day to day basis about his relationship with his parents.

FoxPhile

That would have been a refreshing option. Like "I care for my parents because I realize they did their best, but I've matured enough that I don't need their approval"

WeBuiltThePyramids

Yes! A lot of people seem to think character growth is always mending relationships, but sometimes it's just not going to be a thing, and that's okay. One of my friends tried to repair her relationship with her mother (who I've met, and is...a lot) for years, and she went no-contact last year and she's an entirely different person now. She carries so much less anxiety and stress.

FoxPhile

I've always thought that one of the key moments of adulthood is when you realize that your parents are human and just as capable of making mistakes as everyone else, so you need to start doing what you think is right for your own sake, and not to please them or anyone else. For a lot of people, I think that realization comes late and sometimes not at all.

WeBuiltThePyramids

Definitely agree with that.

FoxPhile

That may be one reason why Sylvester and Happy are the most mature of the team. They both got away from their parents at an early age and pretty much had to rely on themselves.

WeBuiltThePyramids

That's a good thought!

FoxPhile

One of the things I love about the show is how the characters are paradoxical.

• Sly is presented as almost childlike, yet in many ways he is the most mature.
• Happy has anger issues - but she can also be the most level headed of the group and the one best able to talk the others down - especially Walter.
• Walter is the most intelligent, yet he has the most difficulty understanding emotions and social interaction
• Toby is a behavioral specialist, yet he can't control his own behavioral issues. To be fair, that's probably true of any specialist who has any sort of addiction issue.
• Paige is presented as the most emotionally and socially able, yet she has a whole list of issues when it comes to her personal relationships

Those contradictions make the characters more interesting, more believable and much more relatable.