Breaking Bad
Bogdan Wolynetz, a recurring character (seasons 1, 3 and 4)
Bogdan Wolynetz (perhaps an Americanized version of the Romanian Volineț), nicknamed "Eyebrows" by Walter White and Skyler White, was born in Romania and moved to the United States. At point, he decided to invest in a car wash business in Albuquerque. His car wash is where Walter used to work part-time, before he discovered he is suffering from lung cancer. Bogdan makes brief appearances in seasons 1, 3 and 4. In season 4, Skyler, who is looking for a legitimate business through which to launder the meth money, makes Bogdan an offer of $879,000 for the car wash, which he refuses. Instead, he sets a price of $20 million as retaliation for the way in which Walter behaved when he quit his job. Later on in the same season, Walter, Skyler and Saul insist on making Bogdan sell his car wash. By orchestrating a situation with a fake pollution inspector, they force Bogdan to close the deal for the price of $800,000. Before he leaves, Bogdan tries to take his first-earned, framed dollar from the car wash's wall, but Walt stops him, reminding him that the deal was to sell the car wash "as is”. As Bogdan leaves, Walter is shown breaking the frame and using the dollar to buy himself a vending machine coke.
Bogdan’s story as depicted in the television series “Breaking Bad” is an example of somebody from Romania who has “made it” in America, that is, he succeeded in not only adapting to the new cultural setting but also started a business through which he can sustain himself. Although things don’t exactly work out for him in the end, since his car wash is more or less “stolen” from him by Walter, Skyler and Saul, the show portrays him as a resilient businessman, determined to hold on to his work for as long as possible. The first-earned framed dollar scene is important because it suggests that he values every cents earned through his business, perhaps a remnant of Romanian values regarding money and hard work.
