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★★★★★
16 March 2014
This article is a review of BREAKING BAD.
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“Who are you talking to right now? Who is it you think you see? Do you know how much I make a year? I mean, even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it. Do you know what would happen if I suddenly decided to stop going into work? A business big enough that it could be listed on the NASDAQ goes belly up. Disappears. It ceases to exist, without me. No, you clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skyler. I am the danger. A guy opens his door and gets shot, and you think that of me? No! I am the one who knocks!” Walter White (Bryan Cranston)
Now that the dust has settled… Maybe the hype was too great? Hype is a double-edged tool. Regardless, the character transitions in BREAKING BAD are phenomenal. It is a psychological tour de force. Having said that, it is certainly not the best TV show ever. There is little allegorical element to it. For the trinity of greatness: THE SHIELD, THE WIRE and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (remake). You need those in your life
Now that the dust has settled… Maybe the hype was too great? Hype is a double-edged tool. Regardless, the character transitions in BREAKING BAD are phenomenal. It is a psychological tour de force. Having said that, it is certainly not the best TV show ever. There is little allegorical element to it. For the trinity of greatness: THE SHIELD, THE WIRE and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (remake). You need those in your life
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Why should Walter's development be smooth? As people our personalities are not like that. His evolution ebbs and flows with his erratic, burgeoning confidence. The surrounding characters are fascinating too - Saul, Hank, Skylar, Marie, etc., as well as supporting players like Gomez, Lydia and Gus. They are so vivid. Small moments are just as compelling, for example, Gale discovering the formula for the perfect cup of coffee, which died with him.
What BREAKING BAD excelled at, perhaps more than most artistic endeavours, is twofold:
1. Showing an ordinary decent person's capacity for heinous acts; and
2. Conveying fluid moral culpability, where responsibility and blame can be labyrinthine or circular.
The fifth season was important and hugely relevant as a commentary on the inevitable downwards trajectory of any business empire; and more importantly that it no longer became about necessity for Walter, but self-worth and dignity not felt since co-founding Grey Matter. The destruction of Walt's moral compass, and its reforming, was a gripping concomitant too. All that had to take five years of our time and one year of Walt's time.
Whether spin off show BETTER CALL SAUL, currently in production from the same creative team, can bottle lightening twice...
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