If you’re going to be taking your English 30 Diploma exam in a year or two, don’t make the same mistake I did. I thought it would be a great idea if I did something different and wrote my Critical/Analytical Response to a Literary Text on Breaking Bad. Full disclosure: it did not turn out well.
But I digress. Essentially a modern-day Macbeth and Hamlet intertwined into one story, Breaking Bad is, in my humble opinion, the greatest television show ever made.
The premise doesn’t sound like it would appeal to everyone. A high school chemistry teacher is diagnosed with lung cancer and starts cooking and selling crystal meth in order to pay his hospital bills. But the story really is fascinating, in the way that the characters progress and events play out.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. Although the show finished airing in 2013, Breaking Bad’s 16 Emmys and Guiness World Record as the “Most Critically Acclaimed Show of All Time” should at least pique your interest in wondering what all the hype was about. Watch just the first episode, and you’ll probably understand.
What’s it about?
Walter White, a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer on his 50th birthday. Living in the United States, where there is no such thing as universal healthcare (if this series took place in Canada, it would be over in less than 1 episode), Walt is aware that his family cannot exactly afford all the treatment he needs. His wife Skylar is pregnant with their second child, and he already takes a second job at a car wash just to make ends meet. While his friends and family offer their support, Walt’s pride motivates him to seek a way to pay for his treatment himself.
Seeking out his former student Jesse Pinkman, who is now a cook of crystal methamphetamine, Walt makes a proposal: they will partner up, with Walt using his chemistry knowledge to produce high quality meth, while Jesse will use his “street knowledge” of the drug trade to sell their product. Walt wants to use his share of the profits not only to pay for his cancer treatment, but also to provide for his family once he has passed away.
And so begins Walt’s descent into the world of drugs and crime. Along the way, he meets a myriad of new people (mostly criminals and hitmen from the criminal underworld); some helpful, some violently insane, and some chillingly ruthless. Another one of Walt’s main problems is keeping his new job hidden from his friends and family (his brother-in-law is a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent).
Walt’s character development truly is the highlight of the series. Initially a very mild, quiet man, his capacity for violence increases exponentially as the series progresses. He is pulled deeper into the illicit drug trade, becoming more and more ruthless with every new season. This evolution from school teacher and family man to ruthless criminal mastermind and murderer is slow, but significant to the point that the Walter at the beginning of the series is a completely different person from the Walter at the end.
Why is it good?
I think the real beauty of this show, and why it was so successful, is that we all have a little “bad” in us, and it is truly fascinating to see what could happen if it were to “break” out. Bryan Cranston gives an amazing performance portraying Walter White, with many critics considering it some of the best acting in history. I’m inclined to agree. Cranston portrays Walt’s ambition and growing ruthlessness in a perfectly nuanced way, so that no action he takes ever seems unnatural or out of character.
To be fair, the performances of practically the entire cast are phenomenal. Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn, who portray Jesse Pinkman and Skylar White respectively, are also fantastic, as well as Bob Odenkirk who plays the sleazy, flamboyant “criminal” lawyer Saul Goodman, introduced in a later season. In fact, the latter’s portrayal was so good it launched a prequel spin-off series, Better Call Saul. That show is also fantastic, and I highly recommend you watch it after you binge through all of Breaking Bad.
But beyond this, the storytelling, cinematography, and world-building of Breaking Bad are all incredible. I’m far from a television connoisseur (I mostly just watch a lot of TV), but I’ve still noticed that the way in which Breaking Bad episodes are framed draws me in like no other show has. There’s a reason that most people who start this show can’t help but binge, finishing the entire series in the span of a few weeks.
Mentioning too much about story arcs risks spoiling the series, but rest assured that if you want to be captivated by a show’s plot, you will not be disappointed.
It truly sets a “high” standard for television.
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