Breaking Bad did not avoid showing the damage Walter While caused. I think the reason we still watch and (to a degree) root for him has more to do with 'living

Breaking Bad did not avoid showing the damage Walter While caused. I think the reason we still watch and (to a degree) root for him has more to do with 'living vicariously through' rather than 'identifying with' or 'admiring'. Whenever I play GTA, there are times where I just go out causing as much mayhem as possible. It's enjoyable precisely because it's not something I would do in real life. In a similar way, I love watching Kevin Spacey on his sociopathic power-trip, Walter White and his seat-of-the-pants improvisation, Gus Fring and his controlling-but-hidden-in-plain-sight-masterminding, Tony Soprano in his violent and erratic leadership, and so on. It's a guilty pleasure, and knowing the damage these characters only heightens the pleasure. Whether this is good or not is another question, but the reasons seem pretty obvious to me.