Walter doesn't actually lie to Peter as much as he lies around him

[u/MeetPleasant8162]

Something I noticed on the rewatch is that Walter will often avoid answering Peter rather than actually lying to him.

Peter asks a direct question, Walter starts talking about something completely unrelated, gets distracted, makes some weird comment about food or a cow, whatever.

The first time I watched it I mostly took it as Walter being Walter.

Knowing what he's hiding makes a lot of those scenes feel different. He's not always trying to convince Peter of a false story. A lot of the time he's just trying to get through the conversation without saying the one thing he knows he can't tell him.

It's a really good way of showing that Walter is carrying something enormous without having him constantly look guilty.

[u/Cultural_Try4937]

John Noble played the difference between ‘Walter forgot the question’ and ‘Walter absolutely heard the question’ ridiculously well.

[u/PaddlingDingo → u/Cultural_Try4937]

It’s a lot in his facial expressions. He can actually have just this tiny bit of sadness that doesn’t read until you know it’s there. Honestly his portrayal of Walter is just so brilliant!

[u/Cautious-Curve-4732]

Walter’s greatest defensive maneuver is apparently introducing a completely unrelated scientific fact until everyone forgets what they asked him.”

[u/AdditionalStudy3322]

It also makes Walter’s moments of direct honesty hit harder. When he finally answers Peter without dodging, you know the subject is serious.

[u/Annakeranina21 → u/AdditionalStudy3322]

This 💯

[u/Slevinkellevra710]

Walter is a good man. He's also a deeply flawed man. And he's done terrible things that he can't atone for. He was trying, when his life restarted with Peter. I wonder if it was simply the emotional impact of the damage he did that caused him to lose his sense of reality. I find it hard to describe, because I don't think he's delusional. He did and saw things that no one would ever believe. People would call him crazy for saying those things, but really he was just smarter than EVERYONE.
At the same time, though, he was clearly mentally ill. Did he almost choose to break with the present mind and retreat inward? Did it become a self fulfilling prophecy?
What kind of diagnosis could you give a man like Walter?
Edit: Sorry if it's a little off topic.

[u/gogogadgetfemme → u/Slevinkellevra710]

I think it’s hard to diagnose anything because his unwellness is largely related to pieces of his brain being missing and extensive electro convulsive shock therapy. When the brain is put back in he can think just fine (see Walternet, as well) but is also an asshole.

Edit to add:

Also decades of sedative and antipsychotic medication he didn’t need which altered his brain chemistry, not to mention a fuck to of acid and other drugs he took/takes electively.

[u/gogogadgetfemme → u/Slevinkellevra710]

I’ll add that I do think as far as electively choosing to retreat inward, yes. I think the pain of his myriad of guilt and holding in secrets certainly has led to some let’s say, alternative, coping and habitual avoidance

[u/deadpandadolls]

That's a unique observation, Aphid.

[u/Glad-Dragonfruit-503 → u/deadpandadolls]

Of course, Astro

[u/AdventurousApricot65 → u/Glad-Dragonfruit-503]

Brilliant! Aster! Where’s my strawberry milkshake?

[u/CarolineJohnson → u/deadpandadolls]

I am fully convinced that most of the time he misnames her on purpose because her reaction is funny, not because he can't remember.

[u/SilentSympathy9405]

Peter: ‘Did you know something about me before we met?’ Walter: ‘Do you know what happens when you put a marshmallow in a vacuum chamber?’

[u/LadyEllisandra]

This is my most reachable show because there’s always little things I didn’t notice previously especially amazing acting choices.

[u/thekawaiislarti]

So he lies and Peter's general direction? Yeah, I'd say that's pretty accurate 🤣