To return to the bingeing article I started last month, the non-genre tv show I binged on was Breaking Bad — the story of a high school chemistry teacher who decides to cook crystal meth, when he finds out he has cancer. Walter White, a pathetic sort of man who sold his share of what became a million-dollar enterprise for a mere pittance, now teaches high school and works part time at a car wash to make ends meet. When he thinks he may be dying, he finds a new way to provide for his family.
As a talented chemist, cooking the meth is the easy part. It’s when he tries to sell it that he gets into trouble. Teaming up with a former student, Jesse Pinkman, he tries working through dealers, then tries creating his own business with Jesse. He makes a lot of money, but also gets into tons of trouble. But the most interesting thing about the series, especially from a writer’s point of view, is the character development of Walter White, or should I say, devolution. Violence becomes a necessary part of business for him to the point he is almost sociopathic, and he becomes extranged from the family he cares so much about.
The tension and suspense in the series is great. I watched the last 12 episodes in 2 days because I really needed to get to the end. (Of course, I knew how it must end and knew how much I would miss it once it was over, but still I binged.) The tension is increased greatly by the fact that Walt’s brother-in-law is a DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) Agent, who always seems just one step away from closing in.
I had heard a lot about this show, but was skeptical about it’s being my type of thing. But once I started watching it and realized that it was about family, desperation, and human foibles, I was hooked. If you haven’t seen it, watch it. If you have, watch it again. It’s that good.