Breaking Bad is currently the best show on television. I repeat: the best show on television. Not "the best show no one's watching" or "the best show on AMC," but "the BEST show on television." Before you piss yourself with exasperation, allow me to explain.
Breaking Bad is the story of a man who was dealt a shit hand and is now beyond desperate. Walter White, played BRILLIANTLY by Bryan Cranston, who spells his name the cool way, is a nerdy high school chemistry teacher that is diagnosed in the opening episode with inoperable lung cancer. Combined with a fortunate series of events and his newfound willingness to do whatever it takes to leave his family better off than they have been on his modest salary, Walt finds his way into cooking crystallized methamphetamine. From here, the story rolls.
Although it sounds a little gimmicky written down in this form, I can assure you that the performance of Bryan Cranston forces you to believe in the level of his desperation and thus believe in the events that transpire. This show is dark. It does all it can to confront truly difficult questions for humanity: questions of mortality, morality, and the depths one will go to in order to provide for those he loves.
So please, give Breaking Bad a chance. Start from the beginning and go with it. Ignore any questions of credibility you have for the drug scene and watch it for the issues it raises and the way in which it confronts those issues. The show has truly moved me at this point.
For those of you planning on watching at some point, I'll leave you here before I delve into reflections on the latest episode. This Sunday is the finale, so do your best to catch up by then. Once again, I promise that you won't be disappointed.... unless you're a tool.
Episode 6: "Crazy Handful of Nothin'"
The best episode yet. The ending was one of the most cinematic and fantastic things I've ever seen on TV. I really mean that.
The episode starts to outline the operation of Jesse and Walt going forward. Walt cooks, Jesse sells. After Jesse goes on his first round of sales, Walt berates him, saying it isn't enough and that they need a distributor to sell to. Jesse suggests Tuco, but quickly writes it off as crazy. Later in the episode, Jesse, in the company of a friend of his, goes to Tuco to sell a bag of crystal meth for 35 G's. Jesse asks for the money up front, and, after bagging it for him, Tuco beats the crap out of him, keeping the money and the drugs. Walt visits Jesse in the hospital and demands of Jesse's friend all the information he has on Tuco.
The next day, Walt wakes up and shaves himself bald, refusing to let the chemo beat him to it. With his new look and a bag of drugs, Walt goes to see Tuco. As he stands before him, Walt is focused and demands $50,000: 35 for the drugs he took and 15 for the inconvenience of coming to see Tuco. Tuco and his cronies laugh off Walts request. How could Walt be dumb enough to come back with more meth to get stolen when Jesse got beaten up and stolen from just a day or two ago?
Walt responds calmly. "That would be dumb... if this were crystal meth," at which point he slams a crystal to the ground. A huge explosion shakes the building to its foundation. With the bag of explosive crystals, which he says are fulminated mercury, held over his head, Walt gets the money and leaves unharmed. When he reaches his car, he spends a minute growling and yelling and salivating like an animal. It is simply amazing acting. Watch the episode and try not to be moved by the last 3 minutes. Impossible. Walt is my hero.
I can't wait for this Sunday and for next season. This will be a great show for the foreseeable future, and will provide the viewer with a chance to see how much more he or she can appreciate life. Simply put, it changes how you look at things for the better. Watch this show. You won't be disappointed.
Rx: Once a week, preferably Sundays at 10.
Signed: Doctor Dozer
Breaking Bad is the story of a man who was dealt a shit hand and is now beyond desperate. Walter White, played BRILLIANTLY by Bryan Cranston, who spells his name the cool way, is a nerdy high school chemistry teacher that is diagnosed in the opening episode with inoperable lung cancer. Combined with a fortunate series of events and his newfound willingness to do whatever it takes to leave his family better off than they have been on his modest salary, Walt finds his way into cooking crystallized methamphetamine. From here, the story rolls.
Although it sounds a little gimmicky written down in this form, I can assure you that the performance of Bryan Cranston forces you to believe in the level of his desperation and thus believe in the events that transpire. This show is dark. It does all it can to confront truly difficult questions for humanity: questions of mortality, morality, and the depths one will go to in order to provide for those he loves.
So please, give Breaking Bad a chance. Start from the beginning and go with it. Ignore any questions of credibility you have for the drug scene and watch it for the issues it raises and the way in which it confronts those issues. The show has truly moved me at this point.
For those of you planning on watching at some point, I'll leave you here before I delve into reflections on the latest episode. This Sunday is the finale, so do your best to catch up by then. Once again, I promise that you won't be disappointed.... unless you're a tool.
Episode 6: "Crazy Handful of Nothin'"
The best episode yet. The ending was one of the most cinematic and fantastic things I've ever seen on TV. I really mean that.
The episode starts to outline the operation of Jesse and Walt going forward. Walt cooks, Jesse sells. After Jesse goes on his first round of sales, Walt berates him, saying it isn't enough and that they need a distributor to sell to. Jesse suggests Tuco, but quickly writes it off as crazy. Later in the episode, Jesse, in the company of a friend of his, goes to Tuco to sell a bag of crystal meth for 35 G's. Jesse asks for the money up front, and, after bagging it for him, Tuco beats the crap out of him, keeping the money and the drugs. Walt visits Jesse in the hospital and demands of Jesse's friend all the information he has on Tuco.
The next day, Walt wakes up and shaves himself bald, refusing to let the chemo beat him to it. With his new look and a bag of drugs, Walt goes to see Tuco. As he stands before him, Walt is focused and demands $50,000: 35 for the drugs he took and 15 for the inconvenience of coming to see Tuco. Tuco and his cronies laugh off Walts request. How could Walt be dumb enough to come back with more meth to get stolen when Jesse got beaten up and stolen from just a day or two ago?
Walt responds calmly. "That would be dumb... if this were crystal meth," at which point he slams a crystal to the ground. A huge explosion shakes the building to its foundation. With the bag of explosive crystals, which he says are fulminated mercury, held over his head, Walt gets the money and leaves unharmed. When he reaches his car, he spends a minute growling and yelling and salivating like an animal. It is simply amazing acting. Watch the episode and try not to be moved by the last 3 minutes. Impossible. Walt is my hero.
I can't wait for this Sunday and for next season. This will be a great show for the foreseeable future, and will provide the viewer with a chance to see how much more he or she can appreciate life. Simply put, it changes how you look at things for the better. Watch this show. You won't be disappointed.
Rx: Once a week, preferably Sundays at 10.
Signed: Doctor Dozer
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