Ever since the final season of Lost has started, I have been eagerly counting down the next big milestone on my TV calendar: the premiere of the third season of Breaking Bad. Keith mentioned the season three premiere in our DVD giveaway, but I figured the show deserved some more attention than that. The program still somehow flies under the radar and is a bit overshadowed by its AMC big brother, Mad Men. For my money, though, Breaking Bad is one of the best shows on television, and maybe, just maybe — if you catch me at the right time of day — I would call it definitively the best show on television. With so many great shows on TV these days now, it’s hard to speak in such absolutes.
It amazes me how many people have never heard of the show when I bring it up in casual conversation. Then I remember how much TV I watch, and that I write for a TV blog, and it all makes a little more sense. All joking aside, though, this is a show that has gotten the attention of some of the big awards, with Bryan Cranston being rewarded with two Emmys for his amazing performance as Walter White, high school chemistry teacher turned novice drug lord. Cranston pretty much carries the show and is worth the price of admission by himself, but there is so much more here.
If you’re not familiar with the show, it follows the life of the aforementioned White. When Walt is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, he decides that he needs to leave his pregnant wife and teenage son (who has cerebral palsy) something more than a slew of hospital bills and a government pension. He takes matters into his own hands, using his background in chemistry to make a few quick bucks. So, he hooks up with a former student and current drug dealer and together they mix up some seriously righteous crystal meth. Hilarity ensues.
That is part of the beauty of the show, however. There is certainly a lot of heavy drama, with Walter’s illness and home life, hiding his secret life from his family, and dealing with the dangerous world of drug trafficking. The show also offers a tremendous amount of dark humor. It often works as a perfect balance with the heavier material, giving a more realistic balance to the show and avoiding the trap of melodrama.
The show has taken many interesting turns since its first episodes, and each one has been skillfully done. It’s hard to believe that only twenty episodes have aired to date (which means that you won’t have any trouble catching up). The show has stayed interesting and always manages to keep the tension high. Whether Walt and his partner Jesse are dealing with crazy drug lords, running from authorities (Walt’s brother-in-law is a DEA agent), or keeping witnesses chained in the basement, the danger level is always high, making for an entertaining show.
The plots are always interesting, but the real depth to the show lies in the characters. Walter in particular is such a multi-layered and complicated man. He’s someone who has been dealt a shitty hand consistently through life and he’s taking matters into his own hands to change his situation. Who hasn’t felt like that at one time or another? Walter, and the rest of the characters are definitely fully realized, three dimensional people, which makes the show so intriguing to watch. Even the strung out Jesse has more than one layer.
If you’ve never seen the show, I recommend checking out some of the old episodes on DVD, and if you are a fan already: how psyched are you for the new season?
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Mar 16, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
I was very excited to see it pop back up on my DVR for this Sunday. Can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this season.