Why You Need To Be Watching Breaking Bad

I don’t want to sound all high and mighty when I say this, because I’m no television expert, but I’ve watch enough shows to know when something is legendary. And that, my friends, is exactly what Breaking Bad is.

For those who don’t know, this outrageously underrated television show plays on Sunday nights at 10PM on AMC (aka the same channel that its more heard about counterpart – Mad Men – is on). The cast is relatively unheard of, besides Bryan Cranston who, prior to this role, was the dad on Malcolm in the Middle. Although he was on MITM for seven years, Breaking Bad will absolutely go down in history as Cranston’s best work ever; he has won not one but TWO Emmys for his role on this show.

The premise of the show deals with a high school chemistry teacher from New Mexico, Walter White (Cranston), who is the quintessential working man, struggling to make ends meet for his expectant wife and teenage son with cerebral palsy (played by real life CP victim and actor RJ Mitte). I realize that first sentence sounds like something out of a Lifetime movie, but stick with me! It gets good, I promise.

In the pilot episode, Walter learns he has stage three inoperable cancer. Rather than cope with this unbearable news with his family, Walter keeps it a secret and instead seeks out the help of one of his past students. Played by actor Aaron Paul, Jesse Pinkman is the twenty-something dropout who now makes a living by cooking and selling crystal meth. Walter approaches Jesse in hopes of joining the crystal meth forces, proclaiming: “You know the business. I know the chemistry.” It is this partnership that begins to produce the best crystal meth in New Mexico as well as some of the best comedic and dramatic moments on this television show in general.

Unlike nearly all other television shows (especially sitcoms) on the airwaves right now, Breaking Bad is a newly individualistic experience in that it always always ALWAYS puts artistic integrity before anything else. What I mean by this is simple: many television shows have the nasty habit to say fuck it! to continuity, relying instead on cheap laughs and stereotypical gimmicks. Basically crap that is an easy laugh but beyond that, do not produce much of a reaction (lookin’ at you, Two and A Half Men).

To make a long story short, Breaking Bad is 44 minutes of intense characters, beautiful imagery, and all around fantastic and wildly entertaining television.

Thanks to the creative genius that is Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad is easily (in my opinion) the best show on television right now. Now in its third season, with two Emmys under its belt, Breaking Bad is becoming a television show that is sure to make history.

You can judge me for any of the other television shows that I watch and rave about (see entry below) but I dare you to watch the pilot of this show and NOT want to keep on watching. At least watch this trailer, that much you can do for me!