When it comes to characters and mental health, it’s very easy to fall back on harmful but entertaining stereotypes. Most “mentally ill” antagonists are broken from reality serial killers, maniacs, bipolar domestic abusers, things that exist but certainly don’t encapsulate most mentally ill people.

Chuck Mcgill is different. Now, what Chuck has is debatable. Some people say it’s OCD, I’ve heard people diagnose him with Anxiety disorders, both of which may be true. The way this is shown most dramatically is his allergic reaction to electricity. This is proven early on to be “in his head,” yet the brilliance of the show is that this doesn’t wrench Chuck’s character as simply his illness. He’s a man with agency, his beliefs and values shaped by who he is and what he’s been through, and his mental illness is something that wrenches control of his life away from him rather than being the sole motivator in his life. Despite being mentally ill antagonist throughout much of the show, he has a lot of motivation based around who he is rather than what he has.

When Jimmy switches the numbers for his case, it devastates him with a nervous breakdown that’s horrible to look at without demeaning his personhood. The way his coworkers try to help with his condition and how it actually works feels like a genuine possibility rather than the cliche of being “just broken.” The way his illness waxes and wanes feel like something that can be treated but not cured, like many mental health conditions. The ending, while tragic, also feels earned given what he’s been through and the kinds of metaphorical demons he suffered with. Suicide was not a choice Chuck made, but rather losing to his disease I feel.

Note, this is not some attack on characters like The Joker, Hannibal Lecter, or Ghostface, rather a celebration of some more realistic takes on mental health in antagonists.