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They tell me they found you in a garbage dumpster. Well, that makes sense. My husband was the best man that I have ever known. He lived to help others. If somebody was in trouble—no matter the time, no matter the place—Hank Schrader would be there. With a smile and a joke. He was kind, he was decent. He was strong. His partner... Steve Gomez. Steve... and Blanca made a home that was warm and full of laughter. Three children. Three fatherless children. Hank and Steve, the good guys, they were shot dead... and left in a hole in the desert! And you—you—helped the two-faced poisonous bastard behind it all. For what? Money? You did it all... for money. No matter what they do with you now, no matter where they put you or for how long, it will never be enough.
― Marie confronting Jimmy McGill in prison on his actions seen during the events of Breaking Bad.[src]

Marie Schrader (née Lambert) is Skyler White's sister, the wife of DEA agent Hank Schrader, and the sister-in-law of Walter White. Marie works as a radiologic technologist at Kleinman Radiology Center, a medical scanning and X-ray office. She does not hesitate to offer advice to others but often fails to practice what she preaches. She appears self-centered and shallow but cares deeply for her husband and her sister's family. Nearly all of her household and clothing items are shades of the color purple.


Warning, the following may contain spoilers.

Marie becomes a major source of comfort and support for Hank, when Leonel and Marco Salamanca shoot and nearly kill him. With Walt and Skyler's help, she arranges for Hank to undergo an aggressive physical therapy program their insurance does not cover. When Hank stubbornly decides to stay at the hospital, claiming he is completely disabled, she refuses to give up on him and gives him a handjob to prove he still has feeling below the waist. When he returns home, however, Hank remains cold and brash, despite her attempts to make him comfortable, and Marie spirals back into kleptomania. Once Hank progresses with the case, his relationship with Marie improves again. When Walt and Skyler have marital problems, she takes in their children for a couple of days at Skyler's request while they work things out.

When Hank tells Marie about Walter's criminal activities, Marie confronts Skyler. When she learns Skyler knew the truth before Hank's injury, Marie slaps her sister and storms out of the room. She tries to take Holly with her, but Hank commands her to return the baby. She then urges Hank to "get" Walter. Marie helps Hank try to stop Walt and Skyler, but Walt foils them when he makes a DVD framing Hank. Marie eagerly offers to help Hank when Jesse agrees to confess about Walt's crimes. She initially does not know Hank died and reconciles with Skyler on the condition she tell Walt Jr. everything. Marie learns that Hank is missing when Walt kidnaps Holly and eventually receives confirmation he has died. She later attends Saul Goodman's hearing alongside Blanca Gomez.

History[]

Background information[]

Little is known about Marie's early life. The only member of her immediate family that is known is her older sister Skyler. Marie and Skyler are suggested to have had a rough upbringing, wherein the sisters were the only source of support for each another in the face of negligent parenting.

Marie met Hank in the years after high school, and eventually went out with him after he repeatedly asked her out. She eventually began working as a radiologic technician at Kleinman Radiology center. She would go onto marry Hank after Skyler and Walter were married.

Better Call Saul[]

Season 5[]

Marie is mentioned during Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez's conversation. According to Hank, she gave him a large trashbag full of food right as the clock struck midnight on the food's expiration date. On the way to Krazy-8's room, Hank and Steven discuss how long it takes for expired foods to become bad. ("The Guy For This")

Breaking Bad[]

Season 1[]

1x01 - Girl talk

Marie fusses over Skyler's pregnancy ("Pilot")

A conversation with Skyler about marijuana leads Marie to believe that Walter White Jr. has become a pothead. She instructs Hank to have a conversation with the boy about illicit drug use ("...and the Bag's in the River").

When she first learns that Walter White has cancer, Marie promises to help him setup an oncology "dream team" ("Cancer Man"). Surprisingly, however, she sides with Walt when he refuses treatment at first, saying that she honestly thinks it's Walt's decision to make ("Gray Matter").

At Skyler's baby shower, she gives her niece to be a very expensive jeweled baby tiara. Skyler attempts to return this gift to the store and is detained and nearly arrested because the tiara was stolen ("A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal"). Hank is aware that Marie has a tendency to steal shiny things, but he thought it was under control. Tension mounts between the sisters as Marie refuses to accept responsibility for stealing the tiara.

Season 2[]

The day after Hank receives a promotion for triumphing over the drug dealer Tuco Salamanca, Marie expresses dismay that he calls in sick to retreat to his "man cave," the garage, to brew beer. Hank's subsequent anxiety attacks prompt her to enlist Walt's help to get Hank to open up ("Breakage").

During Walt's disappearance, Marie accidentally lets slip that Walt might have a second cell phone. The revelation confirms Skyler's suspicions that her husband leads a secret life ("Grilled").

Marie further unwittingly complicates Walt's life by arranging newspaper and television interviews to publicize SaveWalterWhite.com that Walter White Jr. sets up to raise money for Walt's surgery. Marie sits off-camera during the TV interview, silently instructing Walt — who is in obvious discomfort — to smile for the camera while Walter Jr. extols his dad's virtues ("ABQ").

Season 3[]

When her husband Hank is hospitalized with paralysis of his lower extremities, Marie is determined that Hank will recover. She provides encouragement and support to Hank, despite his derisive dismissal of her efforts and cheery optimism. Marie remains persistent and eventually finds a way to make Hank realize all hope is not lost and to return to his home while he recovers.

Season 4[]

Episode-3-Marie-Hank

Marie tries to comfort a frustrated and angry Hank ("Open House")

Hank's recovery at home is long and stressful, and he privately vents his frustration by being unkind to Marie. Tempers flare between the two at the slightest annoyance, such as when she refers to his mineral collection as "rocks" ("Thirty-Eight Snub").

Marie's kleptomania once again resurfaces. This time she goes into homes that are for sale, claiming that she's looking to buy, when in reality she's stealing some of the valuables inside. She's caught red-handed when a realtor hears her tell contradicting lies. Luckily for her, the homeowners don't press charges ("Open House").

After Hank and Walt get into an accident while driving to the industrial laundry, Marie forbids Hank from using family to drive him around for his investigation. Marie calls Skyler in a panic after the DEA warns Hank about another assassination attempt ("Crawl Space").

Season 5[]

She is handling her shoplifting situation with some help. She is seen at the car wash with Skyler and is there when Skyler has a breakdown, yelling "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Marie scolds Walt about his slowness in updating the family (since he hadn't seen her multiple text messages) and demands an explanation for Skyler's breakdown. Walt mentions that Ted Beneke was recently hospitalized. Confused at first, Marie realizes that Skyler and Ted were having an affair. Walt asks Marie to keep it to herself, saying "I don't want anyone to think less of her...or me." Marie, visibly uncomfortable, hugs Walt and leaves. She later inadvertently tells Hank ("Hazard Pay").

Later on, she is seen celebrating Walt's 51st birthday with Hank, Walt and Skyler. After Skyler attempts suicide at the party, Marie brings up the idea to take the kids into her and Hank's home ("Fifty-One"). Several times, Skyler visits to spend time with her children, and sometimes comes close to revealing Walt's secret  ("Dead Freight",  "Buyout"). Marie is last seen at a "Party" with Walt and her family ("Gliding Over All").

Marie-slaps-skyler-breaking-bad

Marie slaps Skyler after finding out about her involvement in Walt's drug empire ("Buried").

After Hank discovers the true identity of Heisenberg, Marie attempts to confront her sister and learn how long she has known of Walt's illicit activities. After Skyler tearfully apologizes, at the same time revealing that she knew of Walt's crimes before Hank was shot and nearly killed, Marie slaps Skyler and attempts to leave with Holly. Hank steps in and tells Marie to leave Holly with Skyler, which she does before leaving. Upon getting back into the car with Hank, she tells him aggressively that Walt must be apprehended ("Buried").

After failing to lure Walter Junior to the Schrader house to "fix a computer problem". Marie and Hank confront the Whites at a Taqueria. Hearing Walt explain that his cancer is back, Marie recommends Walt commit suicide to ensure that his drug empire comes to an end. Walt then gives the Schraders a DVD and leaves. Upon viewing the DVD, where Walt tries to implicate Hank in his crimes, Marie confesses she used what she thought was Walt's gambling money to pay for Hank's treatment, making the pair of them complicit in Walt's activities ("Confessions").

Later on, Marie meets her therapist, Dave, and reveals to him her fantasy about poisoning a family friend. "Don't worry, I won't hurt anybody," she reassures him, "but it just feels good to think about it." She then returns home to find out that Hank has brought Jesse Pinkman back to their house. Despite Hank warning her to stay away from Jesse, she asks one question: "Will this hurt Walt?" When he assures her that Jesse can help them bring Walt down, she serves Jesse dinner and the next morning brings him coffee ("Rabid Dog").

5x14 - marie

Marie finds out about her husband's death ("Ozymandias")

When Hank finally captures Walt, the first thing he does is contact Marie, who is warned that the next few weeks will be hard on them, but it will get better ("To'hajiilee"). This is, however, the last time the two will ever talk. Unaware of what transpires immediately after Hank calls her, she gleefully walks to the carwash to tell Skyler the news, force her to admit everything to Walter Jr, and to give up all copies of the confession video. After Walt runs off with Holly, she meets up with her sister and nephew and waits with them until Holly is found, in disbelief about the abrupt turn of events. Walt then rings up, and after chewing out Skyler for putting up resistance to his crimes (while simultaneously absolving her of any culpability), he reveals that they will never see Hank again, causing Marie to fall to her knees in tears ("Ozymandias"). In shock and unable to speak, Marie is escorted back to the Schrader house, which has since been ransacked for evidence of Jesse's confession video. Concerned for her safety, she is sent to a safehouse ("Granite State").

5x16 - marie

Marie talking with Skyler on the phone ("Felina")

After a few months, it is suggested that Skyler and Marie have broken off contact with each other. Upon Walt's return, a now black-and-white-wearing Marie calls Skyler to arrange a truce and give her information about Walt. After hearing of his return from Skyler's former neighbors, Marie is worried about herself, her sister and their remaining family's safety and informs her about extra DEA protection. She tells Skyler to hang up and keep safe ("Felina").

After Breaking Bad[]

Marie is present in the prison when Saul Goodman is brought in for a plea negotiation and Saul asks her to be brought in. Marie comments that the police finding Saul in a garbage dumpster was fitting and tells him about Hank and Gomez and angrily confronts Saul about doing it all for money. Marie states that no matter how long Saul is put away, it will never be for long enough. Saul offers Marie his condolences over Hank's loss, having met him a few times. Saul calls himself a victim just as much as Hank and Marie and reveals the details of his first meeting with Walter White. Saul claims that he only worked for Walter out of fear and brings up Walt's prison murders as proof of why. Neither Marie nor the prosecution are fooled, but Saul reveals his plan is to force the jury into deadlock with his phony claim, which would prevent his conviction. Marie is enraged at the idea that the prosecution might negotiate with Saul and storms out of the prison.

Marie later attends Saul's hearing alongside Blanca Gomez and is less than pleased by Saul's seven year sentence. However, her feelings on the matter prove moot, as she witnesses Saul deliberately throwing away the plea deal and confesses to being a willing participant in what happened. ("Saul Gone")

Personality and traits[]

"Marie is a loving sister and sister-in-law who has got some quirks and sharp edges to her but has a good heart."
Vince Gilligan
2x05 - Marie Skyler

Marie, in her usual purple, with her pregnant sister Skyler ("Breakage")

Marie is not necessarily the most likeable person in the world, so much so that her actress, Betsy Brandt, describes her as "an unpleasant bitch". She has a tendency to be shallow, vain, and snobby, along with obsessive-compulsive tendencies and other neuroses. Noticeably, she apparently suffers from kleptomania when she's stressed, once driving her to steal an elderly couple's framed photo of themselves during an open house for which she created an entire fictional identity ("Open House"). She saw a therapist named Dave for her obsessive shoplifting. However, Marie genuinely loved her husband Hank and extended family, and did the best she could to help him when he was recovering. Marie doesn't hesitate to offer advice to others, but often fails to practice what she preaches. Nevertheless, Marie is supportive of her family especially her husband, even after Hank got shot Marie tried to motivate him in his therapy and was excited about his progress, but Hank brushed it off leading Marie to start her stealing again. Marie also supported Walt's refusal of doing chemotherapy as she has witnessed many patients that took the therapy eventually lose their will to keep fighting to live. She is also quite impulsive, not thinking through her actions, even though she has good intentions at heart. One example was taking Holly away from Skyler when she learned about the meth business Walt and Skyler were involved in, even though there is no evidence to prove it, and she could have been charged with kidnapping if Hank had not stopped her. Another example was when she told Hank to tell the DEA that Walt is Heisenberg, not realizing if Hank submitted such a story without physical evidence, he would be fired from his job.

She appears self-centered, shallow, sharp, and opinionated, but is very devoted to her husband and cares deeply for her sister's family. She disliked a pair of her shoes, calling them "ugly white squeaking around after old ladies shoes" that she says give her support. In this instance, she very deftly swiped some new ones from a shopping mall, leaving her ugly white squeakers behind. While she has never been shown to be at her job during the show, she is often seen with her white lab coat for her X-ray technician work. She is "thinking about a move up to management". The sisters briefly fell out when Marie gave Skyler a stolen tiara for her unborn daughter, but Marie, who was receiving treatment for her kleptomania, eventually apologized and she and Skyler reconciled. However, their relationship seems to be permanently destroyed when Marie learns the truth about Walt's criminal activities, disgusted at Skyler both for her refusal to aid them in taking Walt down, as well as her continued loyalty in Walt. Their relationship continues to dissolve even more as Hank continues to hunt Walt, such as when Marie watches Walt's false confession. After Hank finally arrests Walt, Marie (unaware of Hank's death) attempts to give Skyler a chance to redeem herself by handing over Walt's "obscenity" (the false confession video) and revealing the truth to Walter Jr, however, the final blow to estrange the sisters comes when she learns that Hank is dead and that Walt remains free.

After learning that Walt is a meth kingpin, Marie begins to demonstrate a darker side. She tells Hank that he must apprehend Walt at all costs and even says straight to Walt's face that he should just kill himself in order to free the family from the burden of his criminal activities. She even seems to have fantasies of killing Walt herself as implied during a conversation with her therapist in which she discusses her fantasy of poisoning Walt (under the guise of a "family friend") and claims that while she will hurt nobody, it feels good to think about it. It is evident that Marie deeply despises Walt for the atrocities he has committed and what he has done to the family and clearly wants him dead or captured at all costs. Even after Walt's death, Marie's feelings did not change, as she later described him as a 'two-faced poisonous bastard' when confronting Jimmy McGill.

Marie seems to strictly watch her weight and is big on eating healthy, low fat food. It is implied that she is a Whole Foods store fan. She appears to harbor an obsession with the color purple; she is almost always portrayed wearing purple and many elements of her home decor, including her kitchen appliances and bed linens, are matching shades of purple. However, some fans imply that it is not Marie, but Hank who is a fan of purple, as Hank wears purple clothing at several points in the show, and Marie doesn't wear any purple at all after Hank's death. Marie appears very sullen in the aftermath of this drama.

Quotes[]

Breaking Bad[]

"...He won't talk to me... He hardly even comes home, he works all day, all night, barely eats, barely speaks to me... It's like something's eating him away from inside... He's just not the same... he's not...facing death, it changes a person. It has to, don't you think?...I guess you've...noticed a change in Walt."
―Marie talking to Skyler about her hubsand's post traumatic stress gained from his career.[src]

Marie: "You can do this, Hank. Pain is weakness leaving your body."
Hank: "Pain is my foot in your ass, Marie."
Marie: "Hey, if you can get your leg up that high, I say go for it."
―Marie to Hank[src]

Marie: "Why don't you kill yourself, Walt?"
Skyler: "What?"
Marie: "Just kill yourself. This whole thing dies with you, right? That's what you're saying here? Is that Hank should just let it go and wait for you to die. Well, maybe you should just go ahead and die then."
―Marie's last words towards Walt, telling him to kill himself.[src]

Marie: "Who do you think he's shown this to?"
Hank: "No one. It's a threat. It's what he will do if I don't back off."
Marie: "I think you should show this to Ramey. Just get ahead of it. That video is a bunch of lies, Hank. Anybody who knows you will know."
Hank: "$177,000? Hell's he talking about? Marie?"
Marie: "They told me it was gambling money."
Hank: "What was gambling money? Oh, Jesus Christ, Marie. Oh, God, no."
Marie: "How was I supposed to know? How was I supposed to know where it really came from?"
Hank: "Why were they paying for my medical bills? What about my insurance?"
Marie: "Insurance wouldn't have covered the treatment that you needed, and I... I just wanted the best for you."
Hank: "Why didn't you tell me?"
Marie: "Because I knew that you would refuse it, and without it, you may never have been able to walk again."
Hank: "Oh, Christ, Marie. You killed me here. I mean, it's the- that's the last nail. That's the last nail in the coffin."
―Hank and Marie after watching Walt's fake confession.[src]

"I got a call from Hank. He arrested Walt three hours ago. It's over. Dead to rights, I believe is the expression. Hank and Steve Gomez are working with a former associate of Walt's, Jesse Pinkman, whom I know you know. And Pinkman has supplied them with everything they need. Hank is booking Walt as we speak. And I, for one, could not be happier. I almost didn't come here. Christ, I barely even know who you are. And I sure as hell don't know if I can ever trust you again. And then I think about how you were so upset with Walt and how you wanted the kids out of the house and all of this makes me believe that there has got to be hope for you. That whatever he did to you can be undone. All I know, all I have been forcing myself to remember, is that you are my sister. And so, I'm here."
―Marie to Skyler about Hank's "arrest" of Walt.[src]

"Everything changes now. And you have got to prepare yourself. Hank will help you as much as he can, I know he will, and I will support you through this. But I have conditions. I want you to give me every single copy of that obscenity that you two made to discredit Hank. That DVD. Every. Single. Copy. You understand me?"
―Marie telling Skyler to give her all the copies of Walt's fake confession video[src]

"Now dry your eyes and get Flynn in here because you are going to tell him everything, and I mean everything, Skyler. He deserves to know the truth from his family, not a bunch of uniformed strangers. (...) You tell him! Or I will. There is no way around this. He needs to know and he needs to know now."
―Marie telling Skyler to tell Walter White Jr. the truth about his father's criminal career[src]


Better Call Saul[]

Marie: "They tell me they found you in a garbage dumpster. Well, that makes sense. My husband was the best man that I have ever known. He lived to help others. If somebody was in trouble—no matter the time, no matter the place—Hank Schrader would be there... with a smile and a joke. He was kind, he was decent. He was strong. His partner... Steve Gomez. Steve... and Blanca made a home that was warm and full of laughter. Three children. Three fatherless children. Hank and Steve, the good guys, they were shot dead... and left in a hole in the desert! And you—you—helped the two-faced poisonous bastard behind it all. For what? Money? You did it all... for money. No matter what they do with you now, no matter where they put you or for how long, it will never be enough."
Saul: "Mrs... Mrs. Schrader. The loss that you've suffered, it's unspeakable. I met your husband. A few times. He was a man who stood by his word, and he was very good at his job. He was a straight-shooter. You and he are... victims. And so am I. Two years ago, a man came into my office. He said his name was Mayhew. He wanted one of my clients to lie under oath. He offered me money. I declined. Any lawyer would. That night, as I was leaving my office, I was attacked. Two men threw a sack over my head, hog-tied me, and they drove me out into the desert. And when they pulled the hood off, I was kneeling in front of an open grave. With a gun pointed at my head. That was my introduction to Walter White. From that moment on... there hasn't been a minute that I wasn't afraid. Yeah, I worked for him. I made a lot of money, but that's not why I did it. I did it because I knew what he would do to me if I refused. Over and over, I thought I would go over to the police. I even thought about talking to Agent Schrader, but I knew that Walter White would kill me wherever I was. And I was right. You look it up: October 4, 2009. They murdered ten men inside three prisons in the space of two minutes. Knifed. Throats slashed. A man was burned alive. They even killed one of my colleagues—a lawyer. He was cooperating with the DEA: Daniel Wachsberger. The news said Dan... was stabbed forty-eight times. So, yeah. When it all blew up, I ran. But not from the police. From them. Walter White might be dead, but Jesse Pinkman and the others, they're still out there somewhere. Mrs. Schrader, you are looking at a man who has lost everything. My profession, my family, my freedom. I have–I have nobody. I have nothing."
Castellano: "...And you think jurors are gonna buy that?"
Saul: "One. All I need is one. Oakley tells me that you've never lost a case. Is that so? Heh. That's a hell of a record. You should be proud of that. Still... juries, right? You never can tell. It's a roll of the dice. I just—I'm hoping there's some wiggle room."
Marie: "You are not going to negotiate with this man. You're not."
―Marie's conversation with Saul Goodman at his plea hearing.[src]

Appearances[]

Breaking Bad[]

Episodes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5A
Season 5B

Better Call Saul[]

Episodes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6

Trivia[]

  • In Breaking Bad, Marie never meets Mike and Saul. However, she does meet Saul in Better Call Saul's "Saul Gone".
  • Marie drives a blue 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle.
  • She and Hank together had no children.
  • Originally, Marie was going to make an appearance in the Better Call Saul episode "Klick". Her appearance was planned to have been during Chuck McGill's CAT scan, but the creators dropped this idea. If it were to actually happen, then she would be the first main character of Breaking Bad to make a cameo on the show.
    • Marie would later make an appearance in the Better Call Saul series finale, "Saul Gone", becoming one of the last Breaking Bad characters to make a cameo on the show.
  • Marie wears purple in almost every episode, though notably doesn't wear the color in the wake of Hank's death and during her appearance in Saul Gone.
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