I've been MIA for longer than I realized. It's not that I haven't had the intent or desire to create a blog post -- I've thought about many topics and even started to jot down some notes a few times only to delete what I’ve written -- it’s that I’m lacking the tenacity to complete what I barely start. Sometimes my efforts immediately feel pointless, so I get rid of what I've written. Other times, I get overwhelmed and tell myself I don’t have the time, talent, or energy for writing and erase the few words I attempted to assemble. I continually compare myself to any author I've just read, most recently Stephen King and Karin Slaughter, and then get discouraged at my lack of creativity when it comes to word assembly. But, despite my excuses that my schedule is tight, guess who finds time to tune out the world and watch Netflix?
Recently, I started watching The Walking Dead. I'm about six seasons into it, but I ended up taking a break, something I pretty much never do when binge-watching a specific production, and, instead, gorged on Breaking Bad for the sixth or seventh time. Oddly, no matter how many times I watch it, I never tire of observing Breaking Bad's incredibly well-developed characters. In fact, I once watched all five seasons back-to-back in probably record time and, once I got to the end, immediately rewatched the show in its entirety. When I first saw the pilot on actual television back in 2008, I was instantly intrigued.
Based on that single viewing, I had a feeling the series was going to be exceptional and was hooked right from the start. A small group of individuals started posting about the show on social media, so I followed along, curious to know what people were thinking and glad I wasn't the only one excited about watching. Imagine how hard it was to have to wait a week for resolution with some of the cliffhangers!
It's not that I dislike The Walking Dead. It's actually a great horror drama. You can see the comic book influence with its over-the-top gore and grand superhero-like moments. A lot of it is entertaining and visually shocking, and there are profoundly emotional moments, too. I just prefer the style of Breaking Bad which has its own approach to visuals and cinematography. The decision to temporarily stop binging one show in favor of another got me wondering why Breaking Bad is such a masterpiece. Below is what I came up with plus a few additional thoughts on the topic. None of this is groundbreaking, but I put some thought into this post:
Even those who don’t necessarily like Breaking Bad overall will agree that the character development is exceptional. Developing characters doesn’t need to present a long storyline about the individual’s childhood or excessive deep dives into a person’s past. The brilliance of Breaking Bad is the way viewers get to know the cast quickly by how they look, act, and think. Their mannerisms, wardrobes, music choices, and conversations provide a deeper look into who they are and why they act the way they do.
A good example of character development is the progression of Walter White. Despite his transformation from a humble science teacher with cancer to an overbearing, manipulative, and dangerous drug kingpin, Walter is a likable character. Throughout the seasons, Walt’s appearance gradually changed. Initially, he wore lighter clothing and looked like a stereotypical high school teacher, but over time, he wore darker or more vivid attire to reflect his criminal tendencies. Even his expression changed from bewildered to stern as he gained confidence, arrogance even, and power. Eventually, the hardened version of Walt was dominant. Underneath it, though, there was still a kernel of the softer man.
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| Walt, season 1 |
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| Walt season 5 |
In earlier episodes, Walt would alter between the two personas rather rapidly, one minute the tough killer and the next the timid father of two trying to make up excuses to cover his tracks, but toward the end, the original Walt was hard to spot, until the final episode. It’s in this last show that Walt sacrifices everything, including himself, for those he loves. While I compare the two versions, I don't want to make it sound like I think Walt didn't make the choices he did. He is not a victim, but, just as with Tony Soprano who did awful things and murdered people, there's still something likable about the guy.
A lot of people I know claim to prefer Saul, Walt's shady lawyer, over Walt. In the spinoff Better Call Saul, it becomes more apparent that Saul, while having some good qualities, was born the way he is while Walt developed into what he is.
In the series finale of Better Call Saul, Saul “Slippin’ Jimmy” and Walt talk about time travel and regrets while waiting in a bunker for Ed Galbraith to help them escape to different locations with new identities. Walt eventually says he would go back in time to the period before he was pushed out of the company he helped found, Gray Matter. The assumption is that if he had stayed, he would have been wealthy enough to avoid becoming a criminal. Saul confesses that his big regret is that he slipped and hurt his knee while scamming someone. At this revelation, Walt understands that Saul was always a greedy scammer. His desire to go back in time has nothing to do with being a better person or helping others or avoiding a terrible outcome; it’s about pulling off a scam without hurting himself. It’s about greed.
Breaking Bad showcased individuals who made you feel, truly, madly, deeply. In contrast, Saul, the main character in Better Call Saul, was largely unfeeling, though he had a few tender moments. As a result, the show relied more on side characters to bring emotional content to the production.
Let’s face it, though, Better Call Saul wouldn’t have been a show without Breaking Bad. Jimmy may be funny and sly, but he lacks depth.
It’s not that Saul didn’t have the capacity to feel or lacked the ability to be selfless -- he did have a few kind moments, especially with his partner and eventual wife and then ex, Kim -- but, deep down, he’s a fraud. Overall, it was difficult for him to do the right thing, even when the right path was clear. I’m not saying Walt is the better person with the murders and outrageous things he did, but the characters in Breaking Bad were often caught between right and wrong with their paths much more muddy. In the same way the Mafia can be dedicated to family and The Family, Walt and Jesse were fiercely loyal to a few select individuals and, for the most part, each other.
In the end, both Walt and Saul end up mostly alone, but only Walt is fulfilled looking back on his life. As he admitted, he liked what he was doing. For him, it wasn’t just making money that mattered; it ended up being more about creating the perfect product. And he was good at what he did. For that, he was proud, even though his job as a criminal eventually came at the expense of his family, the one thing he was so desperately trying to protect. Still, he went out knowing they would be taken care of while Saul went out king schyster of the prison, a hero to other prisoners only.
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| Bill and Saul before Saul is sent to prison. |
One could argue that Saul’s confession at the end before he was locked up helped Kim avoid further investigation, but what Saul said was already known to the authorities and everyone involved. It’s possible that with Saul taking a heavier sentence, Howard Hamlin’s widow wouldn’t feel the need to go after Kim, but that’s not a given. Ultimately, Saul didn’t really rescue Kim, even if he thought his confession might help.
In the Breaking Bad finale, viewers see that Walt came around and proved his loyalty to his family but also to Jesse. He left this world knowing Jesse was alive because of him, and even though there was an incredible amount of resentment and even hate between the two, a fondness still existed. Despite his transformation from a bumbling science teacher with cancer to an overbearing, manipulative, and dangerous drug kingpin, Walter is a character with a heart, capable of understanding and forgiveness, and Jesse always had heart, even in his worst moments.
In contrast to Saul’s confession, Walt’s false confession to his wife Skyler on the phone he knew was tapped absolved her of most of her wrongdoing. He silently cries as he implies, for the sake of Marie, Skyler’s sister, and the authorities that Skyler would have been in trouble had she not gone along with his plan, even though she very willingly got involved once she knew what Walt was up to. With this admission, everyone would think that Walt’s poor wife was the victim, forced to do as Walt said.
And to give the family closure, he admits that Hank, Marie’s husband who was a DEA agent, is not coming back, though he doesn’t tell the truth about who killed him. In many ways, Walt is the more likable anti-hero despite the brutal things he did. Perhaps because, at some point or another, we all resort to doing something we feel is awful, we can relate to and maybe even secretly admire the bad guy. Walt just took his wrongdoings to a level most of us couldn’t or wouldn’t want to imagine for ourselves.
Throughout the show, Walt got into the habit of telling himself or trying to convince himself that he was cooking meth to make money for his family before he died from lung cancer. In the beginning, this was true, but he later admits that he liked his manufacturing role.
Skyler was in a similar boat. After she was dragged into the mess and made aware, it was her choice to go along. She could have had her first lawyer call the cops, but she told the lawyer she didn’t want her son to know his dad was a criminal. In that, she accepted her role as an accomplice. Walt’s phone call at the end and him sneaking the coordinates of where authorities could find Hank’s body to Skyler were moments when Walt really did take huge risks to help those he loved.
Obviously, even with the great writing, none of the storyline would have played out as brilliantly had the acting not been phenomenal. There’s a reason why Breaking Bad has 92 wins in various television award categories and several wins for supporting and lead actor. In 2014, the cast won the Screen Actor’s Guild Award for best ensemble in a drama series. And really, the entire cast was outstanding for all five seasons. The characters are some of the most memorable individuals ever assebmbled for an acting endeavor. Even the lesser characters like Wendy, Skinny Pete, Badger, and Jane were remarkable.
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| Breaking Bad Cast -SAG Awards |
What really made the show great, though, was, indeed, the writing. The plot twists, the stories within stories, the subtle and not so subtle humor, the symbolism, and the life lessons are all wrapped up into a thoughtful, sometimes poetic script.
The writers had a way of bringing nostalgia into a very modern and evergreen show, and the soundtrack mirrored this genius delivery. When, after Walt endures a harrowing night that included being forced to witness a murder and almost losing his life, Skyler asks him if he’s OK, and Walt replies with a smirk, “Right as rain,” it’s as if Stephen King himself had his hand in the script.
Those who claim Breaking Bad is boring probably do so because the show relies heavily on dialogue more than action-packed spectacles. It’s an incredibly quotable series, yet there are some great nail-biting, action-packed moments.
Some also feel the flashforwards don't give as much of a punch once the storyline is played out, but foreshadowing is usually more for intrigue in the moment than an overly shocking reveal. Besides, nearly every episode or every couple of episodes eventually comes full circle.
Another criticism is the anti-woman angle, however, both Skyler and Marie, the two main female roles, were career women and showed strength and courage throughout the series. There were other examples of women in powerful positions, but, just like in reality, Griselda Blanco being the more obvious exception, there aren’t a lot of female drug lords, runners, or manufacturers. The drug and criminal world will generally attract anti-feminists.
Vince Gilligan, the creator, writer, producer, and director of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, said that he was inspired by The Godfather when he came up with the idea for the show, but there are moments that are reminiscent of movies and series such as Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, The Wire, Trainspotting, and The Sopranos, to name a few. Ultimately, I will always think of Breaking Bad as the GOAT television series and the episode "One Minute" as the best episode in television history. I have great admiration for people who created shows like The Walking Dead, The Sopranos, and The Wire, and the spinoff Better Call Saul was excellent, too, even with its depressing ending. It’s just that Breaking Bad is in a league all its own.
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| Vince Gilligan |
I'm glad you're writing again. I missed your posts!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI liked both shows. Mike was my favorite. Was a real badass. And Gus!!
ReplyDeleteThey were both fantastic characters!
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