Before this episode, Cranston was primarily known as a comedic actor. Gilligan needed someone who could be terrifying and loathsome, yet deeply sympathetic—the exact blueprint for Walter White.
Below is a draft for a blog post that explores why "Drive" (The X-Files) is the spiritual ancestor to Breaking Bad , or you can use it as a recap for the episode itself. [S4E11] Drive
Watching Mulder transition from a hostage to a man desperately trying to save his captor shows the heart of the series. Before this episode, Cranston was primarily known as