Television is far from the same medium that it was since its inception. Now, the bar has been set so high that at times it can be hard to know where to go from here. The Sopranos changed television, The Wire enhanced it, and at this point it’s probably safe to say, Breaking Bad perfected it. The popular AMC show is not exactly a hidden gem, as when it ended it was one of the most watched TV shows in history. Even still it’s now been over since 2013, almost ten years now, and yet still it leaves its mark on television.
Set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad tells the story of Walter White, an ordinary high school chemistry teacher who’s just been diagnosed with lung cancer. Assuming his condition is terminal, White decides to do something completely unordinary: cook crystal meth. With the assistance of former student Jesse Pinkman, the two embark on a journey into the criminal underworld, where they find out what it truly means to ‘break bad’. The show has been revered as one of the greatest achievements in TV history, praised for the acting, directing, and especially the writing. With multiple awards, and massive following, Breaking Bad redefined television in a way that almost now seems unattainable to anyone going forward who may want to create the next big thing.
Breaking Bad tells the story of Walter White, an ordinary high school chemistry teacher who’s just been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Truth be told, there is not enough space in this blog to all-encompass the sheer brilliance of this show. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul supersede anything that could be construed as an acting master class. The audience is able to see them at every vulnerable moment, and even almost programmed to root for them at times where it is probably morally questionable. In fact, their characters fully epitomize the saying “you either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain”. The production quality of the show is better than most movies on the market today, from the FX to the cinematography. The real hero in all of this however, is Vince Gilligan along with his writing team. He is the creator, executive producer, he plays a huge role in the writing room and has also directed multiple episodes. At the helm of it all, Gilligan is there. He’s the puppet master pulling all of the strings, making all of the correct decisions, and it is he that guided the show to its fullest potential.
The likelihood of most of those reading is that they’ve seen the show. Not only were its watch ratings high, but it has been and is still now available to watch on Netflix. So for those reading, treat this as a reminder: Breaking Bad is a show that can be watched over and over again, so why stop now? The reason it’s made its over to this blog, is primarily due to the fact that too many people have still yet to see it. How is a mystery, but be advised, it’s never too late.
