Breaking Bad – The Best Product On The Market

You are diagnosed with terminal cancer, fully aware that what time you have left is slowly ticking by.  With this tragic scenario upon you, how would you choose to spend what time you have left?

In the world of television you could perhaps choose the Hayley Cropper route, living your remaining days on the cobbles of Coronation Street, surrounded by Norris, Rita and Deirdre. Spending the high percentage of time you have left working at the local knicker factory and spreading butter on Roy's buns.

Or you could choose the route of a down on their luck chemistry teacher, deciding that what time remains is better spent using those chemistry skills, making sure your family are financially secure by cooking and dealing crystal meth, leading the way to becoming a millionaire drug king pin.

By the latter, I am of course referring to Walter White, the iconic anit-hero of AMCs outstanding TV series Breaking Bad.  In a recent blog I debated the superiority of TV drama from the US and how it potentially has more depth, allowing character development, better story telling and essentially providing a worthier all-round viewing in comparison to cinema.  If ever there was a TV show to define this claim and have evidence to back this, then it has to be Breaking Bad. 

If you have indeed been hiding under a rock for the past several years or perhaps only limit your viewing time to mainstream TV, Breaking Bad follows the story of over qualified chemistry teacher Walter White, a down on his luck family man who also works part-time in a car wash establishment to provide for those he loves most.  When Walter is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, he makes plans to ensure his wife Skyler, son Walter Jnr and soon to be born daughter are to be financially secure after his death. 

However, we are not talking about your usual pension plan or life assurance, Walter has a far bigger contingency plan.  He decides the best way forward in providing financial security and payment for his chemotherapy treatment is to come up with a business venture.  Now this sort of business strategy is not one that requires a visit to the bank in anticipation your business loan is successfully approved.  Instead Walter decides that he should use his exceptional skills as a chemist and team up with ex-school pupil and small time drug dealer Jesse Pinkman. The most unlikely of business partnerships is then formed as the pair produce and manufacture (cook) crystal meth, enabling them to sell their product on the streets.

From season 1 through to the concluding final season, viewers around the globe have been glued to their TV screens as they witness Walter and Jesse go from small time dealers to then produce the finest, most wanted product in the market.

Of course this all comes at a price, as success leads to egos and greed and a foray of catastrophic events change both Walter and Jesse’s lives forever. 

The path of both characters is intriguing to watch and their change in personalities become apparent.  Especially in the case of Walter as he tries to hide his secret life from his family, which is even tougher when your own brother-in-law is the investigating DEA agent trying to bring down the infamous drug lord Heisenberg (AKA Walter White).

As the story unfolds you see how a family man with ethics and principles can completely change, lies and deceit become a natural trait for Walter who stops at nothing to get what he wants. Unfortunately for him this leads to relationships with his family and Jesse to become beyond repair.

What makes Breaking Bad stand out from other shows is that from the outset each season provides a story and plot that just gets better and better.  Breaking Bad goes the distance without lapsing and concludes with an adrenalin hitting impact on the viewer, this is the power behind Breaking Bad.

The show is unlike any other before, it does not lose momentum, there is not the disappointment of its eventual ending, this is because the story concludes at its peak, it finishes at the top. 

The credit for this has to go to creator Vince Gilligan on knowing when to conclude the story and for creating the character of Walter White.  His creation is sure to lead Walter White in becoming a cult icon in the same league as a Tony Montana, a Michael Corleone or a Tony Soprano. This of course would not have been possible without the superb portrayal by Bryan Cranston, who along with Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman provide phenomenal performances throughout the show.

It was interesting to hear that the character of Jesse was originally only to be seen in season one, with an original concept he would then be killed off.  Looking back on the show and this notion, could any of us imagine Breaking Bad without Jesse Pinkman and those “Bitch” quotes.

High praise must go to all behind the show, cast and crew.  All involved are responsible for making arguably the finest TV show of our generation.  Maybe I should reconsider that statement, as Breaking Bad as a complete package has to go down as one of the greatest TV show ever made.


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