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I’m approaching Breaking Bad from a perspective quite unlike I’ve approached any other television show before. I’m sure that anyone who has even paid the slightest bit of attention to which shows have been receiving the most praise and awards will have heard the name Breaking Bad... even if they haven’t actually checked out the show. Whilst I’m someone that likes to make up their own mind on how good a show is, there can be no denying that before I’d even tuned in, I already knew that “Breaking Bad” is essentially synonymous with “high quality television” amongst critics. And, with FX re-airing the show from the very beginning, I decided that there was no time better than right now to see what all the fuss is about.
I guess I should start by saying that if you’re easily depressed by upsetting television plotlines, then even the premise of Breaking Bad won’t make for good reading. Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) is a 50-year old chemistry teacher whose son has cerebral palsy. Early on in the first episode, he learns that he is suffering from inoperable lung cancer and he then turns to cooking Crystal Meth (with the help of drug dealer and ex-student, Jesse Pinkman [played by Aaron Paul]) to earn enough money to provide for his son and pregnant wife.
Of course, having only watched the first three episodes, I’m not exactly in a position where I can really assess the critical appreciation of the show (which has been airing for three seasons and will continue later on this year in the US). However, even with just three episodes, I can begin to understand some of the honours that the show has received. The lead actor, Bryan Cranston, has won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy Awards. Considering that before this I only really knew of him as Hal from Malcolm in the Middle, I’m finding his performance to be highly impressive. The same can be said for Aaron Paul (who won the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Emmy in 2010), although I can be certain that I’m yet to see the best of their work.
I am someone who usually appreciates the serialised elements of television over the episodic (that’s not to say that I don’t still love many shows that use standalone episodes frequently). The way that the story is told in Breaking Bad is quite powerful... almost every important action is shown onscreen, and each episode picks up mere moments after the last. This creates a great sense of tension and pace whilst also making the show feel more real. (I don’t want to spoil anything, but I’ll say that the beginning of episode 3 is exactly the kind of scene I wouldn’t have expected to be shown.)
Visually, Breaking Bad is beautifully shot. Many scenes already have been excruciating to watch or disgusting in their content but somehow it’s all executed in a way that makes you unable to look away. There are specific scenes particularly in the second and third episode that I would refer to to illustrate such a point (if you watch the show, you’ll know which scenes I’m talking about).
Whilst the subject matter of Breaking Bad is undeniably incredibly dark, the show manages to achieve a good balance, not often reminding us (so far) of just how terrible the circumstances of Walter’s life are. It’s a show that deals with moral complexity, intriguing character relationships and engaging stories. And considering that it is potentially very depressing, I was surprised by just how watchable it is. If you’re interested in seeing some really interesting and compelling television, I’d recommend checking Breaking Bad out.
Breaking Bad airs on Wednesdays at 10pm on FX
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