TV Review: Breaking Bad
By ARYAN AGARWAL and KEVIN THANT
One of the most acclaimed shows of the 21st century, Breaking Bad is the only show ever with a perfect IMDB score of 10. Chronicling the tale of a dying chemistry genius turned drug lord, Walter White is your typical wasted genius. He’s a Nobel Prize Winner who struggles to pay his bills today. With the freedom of a dying man and fueled by the desire to leave a legacy for his family, he begins a meth business with old student-turned-junkie dealer Jesse Pinkman. He convinces himself that he needs to make money, but through the course of the show, we are exposed to the complex mind of Mr. White. It is a rollercoaster of emotion, murder, adultery, and crime. Still, it is masterfully weaved into a beautiful story, one which can get anyone hooked.
Breaking Bad reveals the complexity of human nature. Walter White is the reality of what would happen if we woke up one day and decided to follow that one dream we never thought would be possible. Viewers sympathize with Walt because of his desire to leave a legacy for his family and the insecurity that he has failed as a man. Walt could have been a part of a billion-dollar company, but he quit due to his emotions getting the best of him; he could have better utilized his knowledge to get a better job. His son and wife don’t see him as a man anymore but as a shell to protect, especially after his terminal cancer diagnosis. Walt is the epitome of mediocrity. When one has been handed all the tools needed to succeed, this insecurity gnaws away at his identity. Gilligan expertly portrays this to such a degree that when Walt could have quit with millions in his account to protect his family and become a family man, he chose to stay and keep on cooking meth. Because Walt doesn’t want to go back to the life he led before, as a disrespected chemistry teacher that no one would give a second thought to, he wants to be the greatest meth cook in the nation. His character descends into an obsession with maintaining his empire, changing his character, and altering his moral axis. He would now commit atrocities of crimes he wouldn’t have dreamed of before. He is a story of escapism and dangerous obsession.
But Walt is perfectly complemented by his partner Jesse Pinkman. In a sense, Pinkman is the complete opposite of Walt. He is an unsuccessful drug junkie that was never given the tools to succeed in life, and he, too, is fueled by Walt’s very same desire to mean something to the world. What differentiates him is his humanity. While Walt loses his humanity as his empire grows and his cancer worsens, Pinkman grows stronger. He becomes more sympathetic towards people and cares in a way he never could have before. Viewers mature with him, and we feel his pain as Jesse not only loses a love to a drug overdose but has to commit Walt’s crimes for him. Unlike Walt, his moral compass grows stronger as the series goes on, and we feel his dilemma as he questions whether he prioritizes the legacy of his meth empire or his humanity.
The show grounds us in Walt’s wild dream of meth stardom. Despite the millions of dollars he is making and his newly earned respect as a man, he still deals with the struggles of life. Cooking meth causes him and his family to be estranged. He gets kicked out of the house, and the fear of getting targeted by the cartel prohibits him from living a normal life. As the show progresses, the very people that Walt started cooking for to protect get pushed back as his meth empire takes priority.
It’s ironic how Jesse has wanted a family all his life. He got kicked out at a young age and spent his years wandering around with drug addicts and junkies. Whenever he finds someone he loves, he loses them. He is the opposite of Walt in every way in this aspect. While Walt has a loving family, he pushes them away, but all of Jesse’s relationships end with the one thing that he has dedicated his life to, and that is drugs.
It’s rare for a show to fully flesh out its characters. Something always keeps the silver screen from reaching our hearts. But humanity has never been more expertly portrayed in Breaking Bad. Even without all the other amazing side characters, the show is perfect with the main two. Never before have we been so emotionally touched by a story we were so far away from. The story of a wasted chemistry genius and his old junkie student turning into the greatest methlords in America may seem far fetched, but if one takes a closer look, they may find a part of themselves in it.
