"Breaking Bad" (2008) TV series

Creator:

Vince Gilligan

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

January 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

The end justifies the extreme.

Plot:

A drama about a high school chemistry teacher who's suffering from the world's worst case of mid-life crisis and becomes a criminal.

Plot Keywords:

Pregnancy | Motor Home | Controversy | Camper | Marital Relations

Awards:

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 6 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Bryan Cranston	...	Walter H. White (20 episodes, 2008-2009)
Anna Gunn	...	Skyler White (20 episodes, 2008-2009)
Aaron Paul	...	Jesse Pinkman (20 episodes, 2008-2009)
Dean Norris	...	Hank (20 episodes, 2008-2009)
Betsy Brandt	...	Marie (20 episodes, 2008-2009)
RJ Mitte	...	Walter White Jr. / ... (20 episodes, 2008-2009)
Steven Michael Quezada	...	Gomez / ... (12 episodes, 2008-2009)

Runtime:

45 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | New Zealand:R16 (season 1) | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque Studios - 5650 University Boulevard SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Sony Pictures Television

Trivia:

All of the phone numbers referenced throughout the show use a real ABQ area code (505) - the fictional 555 is never referenced, unlike in most films and TV programmes.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Soup: (2009-03-13)" (2009)

"Some straight like you, giant stick up his ass, age what? Sixty? He's just gonna break bad?"

Bryan Cranston leads the cast as Walter White Sr, yes, Bryan Cranston, Hal from Malcom in the Middle. This show in the first episode alone outdoes his great success in any or all of the Malcom in the Middle episodes. With this show he certainly has brought a lot of respect for the man, people loved his character in Malcom in the Middle but once the show was over there was nowhere he could really go, he wasn't too big, and he hadn't shown any real talent and versatility. This show has done everything he needed to show the world he is a very good actor and now I don't doubt that he will become big after this, he deserves it, he really is amazing.

Not only is Cranston an amazing actor but so is the rest of the cast! They're all relatively fresh faces, which is always a good thing when they're all doing wonderful performances. Aaron Paul plays his part very well and doesn't become just another annoying "wigger", which makes the show so much more enjoyable instead of having to drag myself through the scenes with him in it. I was surprised to find out that RJ Mitte (Walter White Jr) actually does have cerebral palsy himself as well as play a character who has it, he does a truly fantastic job, especially in one episode in particular, those who have seen the show I'm sure know what I'm talking about, for those who haven't you can look forward to it.

When I was about to watch the show I was expecting a comedy, after watching brief commercials and whatnot it appeared relatively comedic and I just could not picture Cranston playing a serious role. To my delight this show is a serious one, there are some minor comedic parts in some of the episodes but those come with most good shows. I have no problems with comedy shows, I love them, it's just when it comes to a show that is simply funny, after watching it I can shrug it off despite having laughed my ass off for 30-60 minutes, but with a serious show that is really good, I may be left in awe awaiting the next episode.

The way the show approaches the issues that are in the show are dealt with quite well. Cancer, of course, is very serious, and it is not simply there for the story, it is properly implemented into the show and is taken very seriously, and deals with the issue whether you should get the expensive treatment, be miserable and maybe still die but you might live or just live your last days/weeks/months/years normally. The show is really strong in that aspect. It has a long range of what is presented. It deals with very serious family issues, of course, it isn't particularly easy having a son with cerebral palsy and it is briefly dealt with seriously, another thing the show touches on several times is the general moral issue of is what Walt doing justified? As well as dealing with those issues, the other side is the drug side, the crime side if you will, which is very interesting and entertaining, especially when you get Walter Sr, need for vengeance and mercury all in one room and trust me, that is one hell of a combo.

There are two things that bother me the most about this show though, and these are the MOST bothering things (yes, I repeated myself). I don't like the character Tuco to a small extent, just the parts where he tries too hard to be Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito from Goodfellas. Another thing is the fact they don't seem to stress very much how incredibly bad meth really is, they do so well in every aspect, maybe they just haven't got around to it yet, I guess they only had 7 episode for season one, hopefully they improve that part, especially when they don't just make dirty meth, they make clean pure meth.

I recommend this show to anyone, honestly, open audience to those age appropriate. If your a fan of Bryan Cranston from his character of Hal in Malcom in the Middle, you will be shocked to see him show such diversity, it's really amazing, as I've said. It's a good all round show, it doesn't spend much time trying to be violent, it doesn't have an f-bomb every fifth word. There is some crafty scripting put into this show. So, please, even if you think it sounds a bit iffy, give it a shot, it's quite good, I promise.