During its five-season-run that ended in 2013, “Breaking Bad” proved to be an unexpected, yet interestingly written and directed TV series that introduced a whole new experience of how crimes are created and carried out under the capability of human minds, feelings and morality.
In other words, “Breaking Bad” is one of the rare American drama-crime TV shows that succeeded in not only depicting the plot in which the characters have to physically and mentally go through, but also aspects such as the acting and themes. This brought the TV show itself to a new level and to its Emmy and Peabody awards.
When the first few episodes of “Breaking Bad” were released in 2008, the show was almost unheard of due to its simple story.
Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, is a tragic hero who turns to a villain as the series goes down to the last few episodes.
He is a chemistry teacher leading a quiet life with his loving wife, son and daughter. Things begin to fall apart when he is diagnosed with lung cancer and learns that his death will occur in only a matter of time. If White dies, no one will support his family.
This leads to the tale of a decent man who “breaks bad” initially for the good purpose of providing enough financial support for his family before he dies.
By violating the law to support his family, White eventually becomes influenced by the negative side of society and finally becomes corrupted and evil.
The only reason I bothered watching “Breaking Bad” when it first came out was the fact that I wanted to study chemistry at school after watching a trailer of the series.
The trailer introduced the way White broke the law to support his family which was through cooking methamphetamine, an illegal drug, then selling it with the help of his former student, Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul.
However, I was completely attracted into the trend of the series because of its simple, yet fully developed plot as well as the characters.
The series can make the audience laugh, and at the same time, nervously wait for what will happen.
There are numerous action scenes with interesting plot twists and turns, as well as an abundant amount of jokes and bizarre, funny scenes that also give the series a bit of a comedy feel.
For instance, there is an episode where White was bothered by a fly in his lab that he actually spent time looking for the fly and ended up hurting himself.
Another example is when Jesse played with the equipment inside Walter’s lab when he first learned how to cook meth.
Other factors contribute to the series’ success as a whole, starting with the acting.
Series creator Vince Gilligan cast Cranston because he had worked with him in an episode of the science fiction TV series called “The X-Files.”
The characters in “Breaking Bad” were specifically and carefully developed in order to show the transition process each of them went through on both a physical and emotional level.
White’s transformation can be easily observed over the series. He starts out as a thoughtful, decent man who only thinks about his family and how to help them overcome his future death.
As time goes by, he becomes accustomed to the underground world and the dark side of society by violating the law, killing innocent adults and children and becoming obsessed with money.
In the season’s finale when he was finally exposed, Walter admitted to his wife, Skylar, that all the things he did were for himself, that he liked it and that he was good at cooking crystal meth.
The scene is an unforgettable moment, bringing shock and astonishment while revealing the truth inside Walter White and his real personality.
While some thought the series’ slow pace worked against it, there are so many aspects that would not work out if “Breaking Bad” were put on a faster pace, including the lack of careful examination into the characters’ transition over time.
Despite beliefs on how the series should have been done, “Breaking Bad” was a success, not only for the American TV industry, but also for the world TV achievements.
Indeed, “Breaking Bad” is a breakthrough that was beautifully and painstakingly written, with lots of interesting twists and turns coming in refreshing ways.
With all the positive aspects in this series, “Breaking Bad” is worth the time and definitely a must-watch for anyone who is interested in enjoying a truly entertaining TV series.
ANH NGUYEN
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