15 12 / 2025
So Carol has the same problem Skyler did as far as viewer reception goes, i.e. she is a woman who is angry for justifiable reasons who lots of people still dislike because either 1) they don’t think she has any justifiable reason to be angry; or 2) they acknowledge she has a right to be angry, but still dislike her for being so annoying about it
So why do people find Carol and Skyler so “annoying?” Well, a big part of it is that they’re women who are angry. People really, really, REALLY hate it when women show anger. An angry woman is deeply repulsive - she’s shrill, she’s annoying, she’s hysterical, she’s exaggerating for attention. Like, yeah maybe she’s got a point, but can’t she be nicer about making it?
And Carol and Skyler are especially annoying because they’re angry about something that it’s deeply taboo for women to be angry about - they are angry about being provided for. They didn’t ask to be provided for in the way the Hive and Walt provide for them, since their brand of providing comes with a body count - but they still ought to show some gratitude. Look at all of the effort that’s been put into keeping them in comfort! How DARE they be angry about any of it, when the only thing the Hive and Walt want are for them to be happy and comfortable?
Except, of course, that isn’t the only thing that the Hive and Walt want. Providing for Carol and Skyler is a justification for their pursuit of power. But that’s neither here nor there. Carol and Skyler should still shut up and take it.
Both Carol and Skyler try to reject this “generosity,” but ultimately give in after enormous pressure and psychological manipulation. But now they’ve got a different problem, because accepting this “generosity” means that they REALLY ought to be showing gratitude and obedience. But they don’t. They’re still angry, they’re still acting out, and that’s infuriating. Don’t the Hive and Walt deserve a little credit for loving them so very much? And don’t they know that the Hive and Walt are doing terrible things to provide for them? That makes them complicit! Maybe even more to blame than the Hive and Walt, if you think about it, since the Hive and Walt are doing all of this for them. Of course people find these ungrateful bitches annoying