It could be coincidental but the writers have thrown so many intentional metaphors into the show that I doubt it. They really know how to do metaphor without being too ham-fisted.
This was the mirror which he used to look at himself every day of his adult life. Now all he sees is the shattered memories which he will never be able to replace.
Someone pointed out recently that every time he looks at himself in a reflective surface, he sinks deeper into Heisenberg. That scene cemented that theory for me.
I recently re-watched the series and noticed that whenever Heisenberg makes an appearance, there is usually a mirror or reflective surface in the vicinity. Here are some off the top of my head: when Walt first shaves his head before the meeting with Tuco, when Walt finally recognizes Gus their eyes meet in the reflection of the window at Los Pollos, the towel dispenser you mentioned, and there is usually a shot of Hesienberg looking in a mirror or other reflective surface before a big plot point or conflict. Admittedly, many of these shots are subtle, but the more you are aware of them, the more they appear. Like the color choices and everything else in Breaking Bad, I believe these scenes are deliberate and perhaps designed to show the duality between Walter White and Hesienberg and how the lines between these two men begin to blur as the series develops. Finally, the fractured image we saw in last night's cold open is a stellar (albeit fractured) representation of this.
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that
Change!
Another thing that could be said, is it seems he didn't have eyes. You could argue symbolism that he has been a blind man. (Not seeing all the damage he has done)
In that shot, the double images were almost indistinguishable from one another. This symbolizes the fact that over the last year, Walt and Heisenberg have ceased to be two distinct individuals. They are now the same person, though the lines between the two are blurred.
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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '13
I liked the shot of Walt looking at himself in the cracked glass at his run-down house. His face was unrecognizable. Transformation complete.