For more than five years, many TV fanatics like me have heard a lot of buzz about Breaking Bad. I've said, sure, I'll get around to it. Then the series started winning numerous awards, and folks over dinner asked me if I'd seen it. Being a movie/TV reviewer, it was high time to get educated!
Well, more than 50 episodes later, I'm almost done with the series! Yeah, I went back to the start where I was supposed to begin, and sat there and watched the series like a real TV crazy....and what a delightful ride it has been.
At the risk of overusing superlatives, I'd have to say that Breaking Bad is the most original, thought-provoking, brilliant show I've ever seen on TV. Bar none. Yep, it's true.
So what's it about? No spoiler ever from this reviewer, but here's the gist of it: A high school Chemistry teacher suddenly faces a life crisis, when he turns up with a serious disease and has to find a way to pay his medical bills and care for his family. He knows that on a teacher's salary he will never be able to leave his family well set, should he pass.
The solution: Become a meth chef!
OK, that's basically it: The teacher turns to producing meth, and he works with a former student who is a drug dealer. As the show progresses, we begin to like this guy, who is trying to do the best he can to take care of his family.
FACT: We begin to get confused about our own values. After all, we're all opposed to drugs. But what if someone gets involved for a good cause? Hmmmm....
As you watch the series, you begin to wonder where you really stand. When is bad good? When is good bad? As you see the protagonists do things quite unimaginable, you begin to wonder what you would do in their situation.
The tension: Well, in this "bad" world, there are "bad" dudes. Yes, readers, how does a high school Chemistry teacher take on gangsters? How does he take on the infamous cartel? What does he do to survive? Whom does he harm along the way?
Walt White, the Chemist, grows on you. He loves his wife, son, daughter, and inlaws. He becomes a father figure to the student who works with him. He cares about people. He has high standards. He is a GOOD man. But wait... Isn't he BAD?
Prepare to view the best acting ever. Prepare to marvel at the best scripting ever. Prepare to be dazzled.
A+++ plus plus. My highest endorsement. NOT to be missed by any viewer who considers himself/herself "good"....or is that "bad"?
Enjoy!
Have to laugh. This reminds me of my husband and Seinfeld. Through the long and immensely popular run of this series, Tom missed every episode, clueless as to the cultural phenomenon it had become, since he played music every Thursday night.
ReplyDeleteOnce it went in to re-runs every night at 10 p.m., he "discovered" it. "Wow, you guys should see this show; it's great!" he'd tell us nightly.
"Yea, well, we've seen that episode-uh- like, a dozen times. Goodnight." Hahaha
I think it's funny that you feel the need to explain Breaking Bad to us, as even if one hadn't seen it, they should know about it.
Anyway, I, too, am late to embracing Breaking Bad. Saw a bit of an early episode and I guess couldn't handle the "bad bad teacher" figure. Caught a little of one of the last ones and realized what EVERYONE had been saying.
So I, too, plan to carve out a weekend (will this semester ever be over?) and catch up on damn good t.v. - I owe it to myself as a film-lover.
[Side note re good t.v.: Are you watching The Blacklist?]
Hi Valerie: Yes, I was late to the BB party. But what a party it was! Wow. I am enjoying The Blacklist very much. Would you care to comment on it or should I? The "BAD" teacher does indeed hit a nerve with us both. Of course as English and French teachers, we had no access to those Chemicals that create meth! But if we had, and if we were broke and sick like Walt, would we have? I say categorically NO...but wait, let me think about that! Haha. Walt becomes diabolical, about which I am disappointed, because had the show ended after Season 4, the wonderful moral ambiguity would have remained. I think life gets more interesting as we examine the strong line between right and wrong...
ReplyDeleteI believe one of the most intriguing and valuable themes to pose in literature or film is "What would YOU do?" Would we? Could we? Dare we? It's easy to sit in our comfortable living room and say, "naw," but until we've been there...
ReplyDeleteI agree, Valerie. That's the wonder of this series. It asked us all to search our hearts. It broke through our stereotypes and challenged us to re-examine our "morals." Any film that does that is tops.
ReplyDeleteWell, it was a long time coming, but I have finally embraced Breaking Bad. Hubby and I don't exactly binge-watch things, but we started this long series in June and finished last Saturday night (Halloween). Whew! I can't improve on your post, David. I'll just endorse your rating. This is the most brilliant piece of television film-making ever! Best finale ever! I am so glad I finally took it on; feel like I deserve a merit badge for making it through TOUGH episodes, but it was totally addicting. I can't say enough about its quality. WOW! WOW! WOW! Just like hubby and his late-coming to Seinfeld, I want to grab everyone I know who watched it "back then" and say, "We need to talk about this!" David, you free?
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