Well hello there!
It’s been awhile – I blame my MSc Project…but no worries, I’m back to fill you in on something I’m a bit late to the party for: the show ‘Breaking Bad’. You may have already read the accolades about how it’s the best show ever, and the Emmy wins etc etc. I resisted all these signs for six years, and it wasn’t until the immense hype around the series finale,along with seeing netflix had almost all the seasons available, that I gave in and decided to give it a shot.
One lesson I’ve learnt, is that sometimes catching a TV series from some random episode does not do the show justice, and instead, one should start from the beginning. This lesson served me well with Breaking Bad. From the visually pleasing opening shots of the pilot, followed by a frantic man driving an RV with a gas mask on and in his underwear (or his ‘bukta’ as we say in Guyana) I was intrigued. By the end of the episode I was hooked.
Apart from the promising, but not unique concept of someone driven to break the law in order to provide for their family, Breaking Bad stands out as a stellar show for a few reasons, which you may have read/heard before, but I ‘m repeating because I find them to be personal truths and not mere parroting:
– The acting. Oh lord the acting. I’ve not seen any of the actors in other work, so they were fresh faces to me, and whilst Bryan Cranston was previously known for his comedic chops, he was immediately Walter White to me; Walter White, the beaten man who has frittered away his promising career (work in Nobel Prize chemistry!) to become a high-school chemistry teacher working 2 jobs to make ends meet, then faced with the sum total of zero accomplishments as he faces his mortality. He is a slightly pathetic person I found very relatable. Everyone else, from the wise-cracking slightly douchey DEA brother-in-law, to the son with cerebral palsy give similarly first class performances.
-The writing. This is a series with 52 episodes where one is hard-pressed to pick out a weak episode. Even the few weak episodes are still better than 95% of anything else on any screen. I’ve never seen another show that so skilfully evolves all its characters (especially the one of Jesse Pinkman), whilst simultaneously devolving the central character.
-Cinematography. The series has been likened to a modern Western, and though I really don’t like Westerns, if they have the visual chops of this show, that’s a concept I can get behind!
-Thematic concepts. Much has been written about what the show creator, Vince Gilligan, had in mind when he conceptualised the show. I didn’t read these comments/reviews/interviews until I was in Season 4, but from the first season it’s obvious, but subtle. This show is about consequences. There are also others about redemption, acceptance, boundaries, addiction, victimhood, family….and of course, why cooking meth and being a drug kingpin isn’t really a good idea :D. These concepts are presented in such a way that they creep into you. It’s never an overt thing, but something you can’t help but think about, both as you watch and for the hours after when you’re drawn mentally back into the breaking bad world.
– Action. And comedy. With all the seriously intense dramatic stuff that happens, it’s sometimes easy to forget the show is also a dark comedy at times. I’ve had several actual laugh out loud moments that have rightfully become minor internet phenoms. You deserve to discover these for yourself 🙂
-One of the most memorable villains ever. In season two you’ll meet Gus Fring. Played by the amazing Giancarlo Esposito, this dude is a consummate professional, who I was convinced was a psychopath and loved to hate. Later on I realised he wasn’t and was in fact quite human. Didn’t make him any less creepy though.
So. If you haven’t already, when you have some time, watch at least the first 3 episodes and if you’re not hooked, then you must be dead inside. Just kidding, it only means your viewing-compass needs a bit of recalibration XD. Feel free to tell me whether you agree with my views or think Breaking Bad is highly overrated…because hey, maybe I just watched the same video as Peter Griffin did….
A Blog About 3 things.... 