Breaking Bad was a show created by Vince Gilligan that ran from 2008-2013. It starred Brian Cranston and Aaron Paul. This show follows a chemistry teacher who decides to cook crystal meth to provide for his family after finding he has cancer. This show is regarded as being one of the greatest tv shows ever made, and won 16 Emmys, and rightfully so, as Breaking Bad is simply amazing.
Breaking Bad follows Walter White, a very timid and mild mannered chemistry teacher. He can barely provide for his family as it is, and he gets diagnosed with cancer. In order to provide for both his cancer treatments and his family, Walter decides to start cooking Crystal Meth with his ex-student Jesse Pinkman. Over time however, Walt morphs into a sort of Scarface-esque kingpin monster, who’s completely different than the chemistry teacher at the start of the show. This transformation is actually at the center of Breaking a Bad.
Bryan Cranston is utterly incredible as Walter White. His transformation from a shy chemistry teacher to a mob boss feels very realistic and well done, in big part due to Cranston. There are moments where he is crying while threatening someone. He’s excellent and undoubtedly deserved all the Emmys he received. Walter White is very interesting because of him, and the audience can’t tell wether he’s supposed to be a hero or a villain. In addition, characters like Gustavo Fring, and Jesse Pinkman are also stellar with their acting. Gustavo Fring’s death, and Jesse Pinkman after Jane’s death being especially memorable.
The plots in Breaking Bad are also complicated and intricate. Often times characters will be at odds one episode yet best friends the next. This is especially true with the main characters Walter and Jesse. Jesse often tries to leave only for Walter to manipulate him into coming back. This strange almost father and son relationship is one of the main driving forces in the show. Thankfully, they stopped the show before it gets annoying.
The one complaint I have with Breaking Bad is that a lot of plot lines don’t really go anywhere. Walt’s brother, Hank, has a couple strange scenes where it’s implied he’s going crazy or has ptsd, yet nothing ever comes of it. It feels pointless and it detracts from the main story. There are a couple of other plot lines like that, such as Marie’s Kleptomania. Thankfully, the show mostly does away with them in the later seasons, but still I found it annoying early on.
All in all, Breaking Bad is funny, well written, and well acted. This is arguably one of if not the greatest show ever made, and it’s undoubtedly worth watching.