I don’t watch much television. Now, after saying something like that, the worst possible thing I can follow it up with is, “I really just listen to NPR.” But you know what? It’s true. I don’t…and I do. I’m aware of how snobby and lame it sounds to say that, but there you go.
I used to watch a lot of television. There was a period of time when Vh1’s reality programming (Rock of Love, Flavor of Love, Real Chance of Love, I Love New York…) and I were really good friends. And I still reference Lip Chap and remind people to not threaten me with a good time. But when we decided to get our little city apartment, we also decided not to pay for cable—and not to buy a TV that would take up precious space.
For a while we had a Slingbox, which allowed us to watch shows on my iMac at the apartment via our cable box at the house, but then that stopped working, and I just kind of forgot about TV.
I do watch a few programs here and there online through Netflix, Hulu and iTunes, but since I have to make a conscious effort to watch something (as opposed to turning on a TV and scrolling through channels looking for something—that “something” usually being House Hunters International or Hoarders), I tend to only watch stuff that I can fully commit to and really enjoy. So far I’ve managed to resist Downton Abbey and Mad Men and Girls all of the other shows that I hear people talking about all the time, and I’m OK with that, even if it does make me feel like a bit of a social leper.
But then this came along:
After seeing Roger and Jenna carry on about Breaking Bad (which, for reasons I can’t explain, I initially thought was about surfing—maybe I was confusing it with Point Break?) on Twitter for ages, I finally gave in and started watching. And watching. AND WATCHING. Evan and I plowed our way through four seasons in less than three weeks, just in time to join season five in real time—and wait a full week between episodes like normal people. Oh, and guess what? It’s not about surfing. It’s about cooking meth, except it’s not really at all about cooking meth. It’s about power and money and morals and anger and fear and PRIDE—and sometimes love, but not often.
(To bring things full circle, I happened to hear a story on On The Media about binge-watching right in the middle of it all, and, of course, the example they used in the story was Breaking Bad. Hah! Validated by NPR. See?)
Let me say this: Breaking Bad is a fantastic TV show, and Bryan Cranston is a phenomenal actor—as are Giancarlo Esposito, Aaron Paul, Jonathan Banks, Dean Norris and Bob Odenkirk. The entire cast is amazing. The writing is great. The character development is totally fascinating.
I’m obsessed. The first half of the final season just ended, and now (maddeningly) we have to wait until NEXT SUMMER for the final eight episodes to air. I have absolutely no idea where the show is going to go from this point, but I can’t wait to find out. I’m addicted to the intensity of the story lines and the tensions between the characters as their lives become more and more complicated and corrupted. It’s not a happy story, but it is a very compelling one.
My friend Janet sent me a link to this video, which compiles scenes from all five seasons of Breaking Bad to illustrate the transformation of protagonist Walter White over the course of the year and a half of his life that the show (thus far) has documented. It’s pretty fascinating to go back to those early episodes and see where WW came from, and to remind ourselves of how he wound up in such a mess of a life.
DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO IF YOU ARE NOT CAUGHT UP ON ALL FIVE SEASONS. Spoilers abound. If you are all caught up and want to talk about the show, please feel free to spoil away in the comments! I love talking about Breaking Bad, so have at it…
65 Comments
yeah mr. white. yes, science.
Oh man- this show is so amazing and addicting! I really don’t know how I’m going to wait until next summer… I too rely on Netflix and no cable and I like that I consciously have to seek out shows now, definitely saves me from all the crap I used to watch 🙂
I have a bad habit of “binge-watching”. Luckily I started watching this from the beginning, love Brian!
I really wish I could find the interview, but one of the producers of the show said that the series is basically the making of Scarface.
I love it. The Albuquerque setting is so original, too. It’s somewhere not too many people know about and it adds to the “what is this new thing I’m watching?” feeling of the show. I can’t wait to find out what was up with those NH plates!
You were totally the wrong person to recommend “East Bound and Down” to. Hahahahahaha! 🙂
I am also binge catching up. Currently half-way through S3 – it’s taken me three weeks to get to this point. I think what makes this series so compelling is you just kept wondering when WW will hit the jackpot and be done with cooking, but as the series goes on you realise it’s never going to be that simple and in fact the plot just swallows you up along with WW and the other characters.I keep thinking how the hell it’s going to end. It won’t be anything I can imagine. Nothing to date ever has.
As my 18 year old likes to yell while we’re driving: “YO MR. WHITE!”
Next show to binge watch is “The Wire”. You can watch all 5 seasons too without stopping for meals or bathroom breaks. BEST SHOW EVER.
Haha, yeah, I know! Unfortunately when Evan started watching The Wire years ago I wasn’t really paying attention, so it was kind of too late by the time I was interested. I’m either going to have to watch it by myself or convince him to watch the whole thing over again…
not a hard sell. especially if we chase it with deadwood.
But I watched Deadwood! At least I watched about 85% of it. I couldn’t get into it because of the setting, though. You know how I am about that stuff…
THIS. My bf & I have been binge-watching The Wire for the last 2 weeks. Half-way through S4. It’s amazing!
Anna: Bf tried to get me to watch Deadwood, too. Couldn’t get into it for the same reason as you!
I am always so happy to hear about people watching it for the first time. By comparison, Downton Abbey’s a turgid soap opera and Mad Men’s become a maudlin meditation on getting older. And if you had told me back during the first season that I would grow to love Jesse Pinkman, I’d never have believed you. Gah, waiting until the last episodes is already maddening.
That is a great fan video.
I got into Breaking Bad by binge watching as well and like you said, am totally TOTALLY in awe of the acting and the story and the…well, just everything. Plus the fact that Bryan Cranston went from the dad on Malcolm in the Middle to meth king of the Southwest is the cherry on top.
I know you said above that you are avoiding it, but IF you are looking for another compelling TV show, I would highly recommend Mad Men. It’s dark but beautifully done and another cross examination of human morals and motives. The production value and story are as high quality as Breaking Bad. Also I will second Ellen above and recommend The Wire to the skies. Especially season two. And three.
A few months ago Weird Al tweeted that he likes to pretend that Breaking Bad is really just a prequel to Malcolm in the Middle. Hah! MitM was a great show, and I always loved when he would make an appearance as Tim Whatley on Seinfeld, too. He’s just a very believable guy. I have so much respect for him as an actor because of BB, and I’m really excited to see where he winds up career-wise after the show ends.
Nice commentary for a fantastic series, Anna. The cinematography is worth mentioning too – so many shots are absolutely beautiful, from the meth labs to the desert scenes… as well as quirky angles (the “security camera” shot from the ceiling of Hank’s office comes to mind) as well as the fantastic photos they’ve used in their ads… the above “All Hail the King” being one of my favorites! Talent all around.
If I were as articulate as you are, this post could have been written by me, down to quoting “lip chap” from my days of spongebrain TV. I got rid of cable 2 years ago and just watch something on occasion on Netflix, Hulu, or a network site, but really, Breaking Bad is the only show I follow. I watched the first three seasons in a little over a week last October, and then purchased the 4th digitally, which I flew through in two or three days. Then the night I finished the season four finale, I made my mom start watching it and watched them again with her. We flew through the 4 seasons together in 2 weeks, and have since watched it again to lead up to this all-too-short run of 8 episodes.
It is *the* most compelling I’ve ever seen. The acting, writing, pacing, and cinematography is unrivaled, in my opinion. I genuinely care about these characters (even Walt, to some extent). Subtle references that don’t hit you until later are also something I treasure about the show. (Hank talking about getting the movie Heat on blu-ray during Dead Freight – a movie which pretty much matches the description of the final scenes.) Everything you said perfectly sums up why this show is so wonderful, and I’m going to link this post to friends on the fence about watching it.
Right now when someone asks me what this show is about, the only answer I can come up with is, “Everything”.
I’m bad at watching actual TV shows. I basically just watch the food network, or stand up comedy on demand. I’ve managed to miss every series that has been talked about, including this one. My boyfriend keeps saying he wants to start watching Breaking Bad, though (his brothers love it), so I’ll have to let him know about your review!
My husband and I binged on Breaking Bad this summer and caught up in time to watch Season 5 on TV too. It’s so hard to wait a full week between each episode after being able to just continually hit play. And now to wait until NEXT SUMMER?!
Those 2 minutes in the last show where all of those men were killed just made me hate Walter so much more. The progression of his character is incredible. That clip you showed was so good to watch and recall those early episodes.
I also couldn’t believe that storage unit that Skyler took Walter to…my jaw just dropped to the floor. Just the visual confirmation of his obsession with power.
It is SUCH a good show…
Ha, you blogged about Breaking Bad. I’m glad Roger and I lured you over to the dark side. But…what are we now going to do on sunday nights?!
I don’t think I’ve ever blogged about a TV show before! I just couldn’t keep it inside of me any longer, haha. I’ve been using Sunday nights to watch Project Runway, which is terrible…
Most of your description for Breaking Bad could easily be applied to Mad Men. I had no interest in that show until a writer friend said to me, “It’s about women in the 50’s and their horrible lives.” That got me watching, years after it had already been on the airwaves. It is really an amazing show. You won’t be sorry!
I think it might be a little too stylized for me? Sometimes I have a hard time watching stuff set in a time other than the present. I’m sure I’ll get around to it eventually, though…
Vince Gilligan is the man. Mr. White and Jessie are the best characters to come around in a long time.
I love this show too! It’s written so well and I love how the characters have evolved from the beginning, especially Walt…He has totally been breaking bad. And Jessie…So funny, yet maturing in a way. I’m kinda bummed the show is ending, but I also think that it’s a good time to end…Not in a “Seinfeld” going out on top kinda way, but def. time to close the book.
PS-Love your site 🙂
It’s so awesome to know that other people share my obsession … and that so many people share the obsession together. Breaking Bad is, in my opinion, one of the best shows ever made (at least during the time I have been alive!). The character development is so amazing, Bryan Cranston is a superb actor, oh, all of it … so glad you love it! There’s an Australian show called Underbelly which was really good — if you’re into crime dramas (and GOOD crime dramas, not crappy CSI-esque crime dramas), I definitely recommend it!
Quite possibly one of the best TV shows of all time. I love and hate every single character!
So funny that you posted about this, because we just finished binge watching on Sunday- We got through it in a week. I think it depressed my husband, but I just had to keep pushing for more- Could NOT get enough.
I’ve seen articles where the producers talk about maybe season 5 not being the end of the story, but I kind of hope it comes down to Walt deciding he has to kill Jesse, and Jesse killing Walt instead. I think they could play this story out forever, but I think the writers/ producers will be smart enough not to do something like that, and have some sort of more final ending.
Okay, so I only read 2/3’s of this post because I’m only on season three and I didn’t want to spoil anything for myself, but, yay for other folks who enjoy Breaking Bad—I think the story line is fascinating.
I promise there are no spoilers in the post as long as you don’t watch the video!
yes! i just recently binge-watched BB as well and cannot wait until June (?) 2013. everything about the show is just so wonderful (and tense) to watch, like you mentioned, the writing, acting, directing, and cinematography are superb. i never thought i’d get into the show (i only started watching it 2 months ago) but i’m glad i did! [the “bloopers” or “gag reels” of BB are also fun to watch (see youtube) — the cast seem like a bunch of fun people to be around!]
What a fantastic video! I am equally obsessed with the show, as well.
Have you caught on to Marie’s obsession with the color purple??? I noticed in the other day and was entirely amused. What a neat little character quirk.
Oh yeah, definitely! The purple thing is hilarious. She’s even dressing Holly in purple clothes now.
Marie is a weirdo, but I kind of like her?
Not just a character quirk! BB uses colors a lot as signifiers and to foreshadow events.Fitzgerald-meets-nerdy ComicCon era. Ha.
Anyone who REALLY gets into this show is in luck, because it has the most obsessive creator/writing team EVER. And Vince Gilligan LOVES to give really really in-depth interviews (there’s also an official–?–podcast that they do while the show is airing as well, which I haven’t listened to, but which people in the Entertainment Weekly recap comments constantly mention (yes, I read the recaps. And the comments!).
Love
Laura
I just started watching S4 of Breaking Bad after a few weeks of S1-3. I LOVE it, and I’m sad I do not have cable and will have to wait for S5. But yes, it’s very compelling, and I, too, am very guilty of binge watching. I agree with others – The Wire is the way to go next. I had seen the whole series before, but watching it a second time was just as good as the first.
Meg, you can buy season 5 on iTunes! That’s how we watched it.
Ha! This entry totally could’ve been written by me: no TV, catch a few shows on Hulu and Netflix now and again, NPR for life, etc. And, addicted to Breaking Bad.
It was introduced to my boyfriend a few months ago, and I sat by his side for an episode or two. By season two, I caught myself asking him what was going on in the show, and by the next season, I more frequently sat by his side, etc… and this season we either went to my cousin’s to watch, or downloaded the episode by Tuesday.
Last Wednesday, I found myself in the middle of a “why did he keep that book from Gale! He’s so careful about details vs. He wants to get caught. He wants everyone to know it’s his product, and he can be found and still get away/be on top.”
I’m leaning towards the latter; but how the crap is that going to pan out???
Err… *introduced to IT by my boyfriend…
I don’t think Walter has been careful about details at ALL, actually—I think he’s incredibly sloppy. Driving to Jesse’s house all the time, parking his car outside the laundromat, etc. He’s just been really lucky, honestly, and he keeps banking on the fact that no one will suspect HIM because he’s just this weak, cancer-stricken, high school teacher who’s never done anything wrong before. I don’t think he thinks he’s being careless, I just think he has no perspective. Combined with a massive ego and a creepy desire to have his “work” recognized, he’s been sloppy all over the place. If it wasn’t the book, it would’ve been something else.
Yes exactly Anna! This is what I’m ranting about at the end of every episode! To me, the fact that Walt is so sloppy and clueless but *just* lucky and *just* manipulative enough to keep getting away with it is what has propelled the entire series. From day 1 you’re waiting for him to get caught. If he was careful and reasonable, you wouldn’t really worry about it and it wouldn’t be satisfying when it happened. The fact that he should TOTALLY have been caught or gotten killed by now is what keeps the stakes constantly so high. He’s one of the least reliable narrators ever (I know he doesn’t narrate but the show seems largely from his perspective and he does make lots of explaining speeches to other characters).
dang…this is making me realize I really need to watch this show!! also loved your note on Vh1- what the hell happened to their awesomely entertaining shi**y reality TV?! I need more Bret Michaels Rock of Love in my life…haha. xoxo
My husband loves this show. He binge-watched it without me, so I am still not a follower. He even went as Walt — complete with facial hair grown out to look like him and “meth” candy made of honey and green food coloring for Halloween.
Lots of the meth heads on the show are real people who live in the Snata Fe area…and just look that way. My sister’s girlfriend is friends with one who has actually had some lines now. They live in NM so they see people from the show running around constantly.
Oh my, my boyfriend and I did the exact same thing with the binge watching and caught up JUST in time for the Season 5 premiere as well. I will say that you just broke my heart a little bit by announcing it won’t be back with the second half until next summer – I had NO idea it was going to be that long….I kind of assumed it would be later this year/early next year. Booooo.
Also, unrelated to BB, just wanted to let you know how much I LOVE your blog (everything – your style, your pups, and all that is in between!)
Oh! Thanks, Nicole! 🙂
You are in for a serious treat, you’ll probably be glued to your computer/tv for a good period of time b/c this show is AMAZING. And the season just ended and it was EPIC! Skylar’s sister has a serious obsession with purple, its kind of weird. So glad you’re enjoying this show!
But…I’m all caught up. Or was this directed at someone else…?
I haven’t watched the latest season so I’m not sure if there’s some new relevance to the purple, but I’ve read a few articles about the characters and “their colors.” Marie is purple, Skylar is blue, Hank is orange, later toned down to muted oranges/browns, Walter is green, Jesse is red/yellow. People claim there’s a correlation between the character’s color and their values/behavior. I wouldn’t have caught this myself, but having read it and then re-watched some episodes, I can see it now.
I don’t know about the personality correlations, but I’ve noticed those color identifications with each character since the first season. I actually picked up on Walter/green before I noticed Marie/purple…but maybe that’s just because we hadn’t really seen much of her and Hank’s home and their purple shag carpet yet at that point. 😉
We did exactly the same thing this summer — binge-watched 4 seasons and got caught up just in time for Season 5. I never thought I could love a show like that…(so funny yet so gruesome at the same time) and sharing it with my husband is a memory I’ll always cherish. Everything about it is top notch (especially Cranston) but I was absolutely in awe of Gus Fring and the actor who played him. Whoo! I so hope he wins an Emmy. I thought Mike was the best character I’d seen anywhere in a long time…and of course, I love Hank and I’m rooting for him every single minute. I’ve been reading your blog for a long time and also don’t watch much tv. It gave me a little thrill that you wrote about BB. Good stuff, yo.
You know what’s funny? I didn’t even realize that the actor who plays Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) is the same guy who played Buggin Out in Do The Right Thing until Evan pointed it out to me. Even now that I know it’s him, I still can barely see the resemblance!! It’s so weird. DTRT is one of my favorite movies and I’ve seen it a million times, but I just didn’t recognize him. (And I agree, he’s an incredible actor!)
Same as you – the boy & I don’t watch tv (it’s is rubbish here in Australia & we don’t get HBO etc), but I have a lovely American friend who sends us BB every week. I’m so overly captivated by the downward spiral of Walter White – he’s come such a long way since being a high school chemistry teacher and turned into a complete sociopath with no regard for human life, even though he got into this mess in the first place to care for his family. At the start of this season he’s on the run so I’m dying to know how it pans out. Could do without the annoying Skylar, though. Ugh.
Anna, I love your blog! It’s funny that Breaking Bad is what inspires me to comment for the first time, though. 🙂 We did just about what you did – leading up to Season 5, AMC was showing the entire series, which we recorded and devoured in about a month. HOOKED!
WARNING: SPOILERS ABOUND. I have a thought about what might happen: I think, to complete Walt’s total break to the dark side, he’s going to see Skyler as a threat, attempt and possibly succeed in killing her with the vial of Ricin he’s hiding in the electrical outlet. When Jesse finds out what an evil SOB he is, will kill Walt. I don’t know how Hank’s recent revelation about Walt’s identity will figure in to this, but that’s what I’m thinking. Of course, it will likely go down nothing like this, but it will be violent, that is for sure!
I noticed Marie/purple right away, but haven’t noticed color associations with other characters…very cool.
I highly recommend The Wire. I’m not much of a TV watcher either, but the three series that make my heart beat faster/break my heart/make me cry, other than Mad Men, are Six Feet Under and The Wire. All worth checking out! Especially Six Feet Under and The Wire.
I watched Six Feet Under for a few seasons, but then it got all sentimental and weird and I just stopped caring about it. I have a hard time staying with TV shows for a long time. I watched all of Oz, Sopranos…but I just get so distracted!
I agree that the ricin is going to have to kill SOMEONE. My first thought was Holly (accidentally), but maybe that’s just TOO perfectly horrible? I don’t know. For some reason I don’t think we’ll see Walt kill Skylar, though. Hmmmm. It’s impossible to guess!!
I’m all for binge-watching. Once you’re used to it, waiting a week for a new episode feels like torture!
I, too, love Breaking Bad but these folks took it to the next level. Have you seen this? #8 and #18 are my favorites.
Hah! Some of those are great. I love 30 Days of Saul Goodman and the Wooly Willy Walter White.
Um, I actually WORK for NPR. And I can tell you that on one of our biggest shows (which is aired in the, ahem, Morning), a lot of us were hooked on Rock of Love. Of course Breaking Bad is an addiction. Personally, I’m plowing through back episodes of Entourage at four and five episodes a clip. once I get home from the serious news. TV is fun. I don’t know what I’d do without TV. I’d be stuck with only … npr.
This show had me at “cow house.”
i’m obsessed, too — hi 5! you know, i started saying “bitch” a lot more after watching the first few seasons. i know, i know, it’s silly. i’ve justified it by saying that it’s my tribute to jessie.
I am so obsessed, I am binge re-watching the entire series for the THIRD time. It’s so much better when you eyes go crusty and crossed. Anyway. You have to check out this video. http://smorgasbloggers.tumblr.com/post/29333800042/breaking-bad-is-a-lesson-in-flawless-storytelling
The guy who makes them has done some amazing work with other directors’ work as well.
I had that with 6 ft under…. and I watched all 4 seasons of Breaking Bad and am excited about the new one
Best. Show. Ever.
Never watched Breaking Bad until 2 months ago on Netflix after finishing all the seasons of Lost via the same method. Now 1/2 way through Season 4.
Breaking Bad is simply the greatest television show ever made. The acting is beyond superb from top to bottom . Brian Cranston is unbelievable, but all the way down to Skinny Pete these folks are tremendous. The writing is clever and memorizing , the scenery compelling and the plot thoroughly entertaining. The best show ever times10!
Well, goldang! I’ve actually been waiting to read the rest of this post with the (amazing, amazing) video and great comments until I had time to finish this season tonight. Such fantastic storytelling. I’ve been watching this show on my own through some incredibly hard times over the last year, and it’s been a weird comfort to think – well, no matter what happens, my life isn’t as fucked as Walter White’s…! Right?
Anyhow, thanks for posting this, Anna – your blog is always a treat.
So glad I’m not the only one obsessed with this show. My husband, who made the spectacular mistake of introducing me to the series, is now starting to worry. I have had to downplay talking about my thoughts on Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston, and Vince Gilligan since my hubby starts looking at me like I’ve gone crazy. Best series ever in the history of television.