Since Breaking Bad began, I feel there’s been a strong increase in a sense of local pride. More New Mexico businesses who are embracing aspects of this place, more Albuquerque businesses in general, and even little things, like seeing more people getting the Zia sun [a symbol of the indigenous Zia Pueblo Native Americans which also prominently appears on the New Mexico flag] tattooed on themselves. I think part of this is related to the show and better appreciating how unique Albuquerque is.

There are a lot of little things. Like how Lydia Rodarte-Quayle (Laura Fraser) goes to The Grove Cafe on Central Avenue, where she ends up getting poisoned with stevia by Walt. If you’re from here, you’d know that The Grove would exactly be the type of trendy place where someone like Lydia would go in real life. Another callback is when you see props, like a takeout bag from Blake’s Lotaburger. Your average viewer probably thinks that’s a made-up restaurant with a strange name, but Lotaburger is very much an Albuquerque fast food institution. My understanding is that these products and places appear because that’s where the crew and writing staff would go and they’d discover these spots. In a flashback from the episode “Ozymandias,” Walt suggests the family take a day trip to the Turquoise Trail, explore Tinkertown, and maybe get lunch in Madrid. This is a realistic way to spend an afternoon and it’s actually a trip that the show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, took with his girlfriend.