Breaking Bad: Better Late Than Never

This American crime drama television show, set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is considered by many to be the greatest television show of all time. It set an incredibly high bar for television and was widely agreed upon by viewers to not have a single bad episode during its five-season run. Since its premiere, the show has been nominated for 248 awards and has won a total of 92 industry honors—well-deserved, in my opinion. Although it was released in 2008 and ended in 2013, I stumbled across the series a full decade later. Better late than never.

The show portrays a desperate man making a feeble attempt to leave his family in a better financial standing after being diagnosed with cancer. Walter White, a chemistry teacher who has lived a very modest life, has never truly “worn the pants.” Whether in relationships or at work, Walter was a man with little say in his own life—until the meth. Walter partnered with numerous allies (many of whom later became enemies), murdered his way to the top of the food chain, and earned the biggest bed of money I’ve ever seen. Eventually, all his accolades resulted in shiny chain-link wristbands and a death sentence. However, that never troubled Walter—his fate was sealed the day he received his diagnosis. To him, every action was justified as being “for his family.” Every murder and every lie existed to ensure his children could afford college tuition. As if a Bright Futures Scholarship wasn’t an option.

I have a confusing stance toward the characters in this show. The creator, Vince Gilligan, made such memorable and dynamic personalities that I equally root for and despise them. Take Skyler, for example—the most irritating and frustrating character in the show, who always has something to say. But can you blame her? I can’t quite say that if my husband disappeared for hours, never told me where he was going, and had a second phone, I wouldn’t react the same way. There’s a quote my mother always says when faced with “bullshittery”: “One of us is going to hell, and one of us is going to jail.” If put in the right predicament, I do believe I’d look good in orange, if I do say so myself.

Something I need to know is this: if the show did so well and is as good as people claim, why did it only last five seasons? I agree that out of all 62 episodes of Breaking Bad, not one was subpar. There was something special about it that engaged its audience and elicited loyal viewership.

I think the answer is simple: cook meth. In any episode I watched, I was guaranteed to see meth and Walter’s obsession with it. Someone overdoses because Walter cooks meth. Someone dies because Walter cooks meth. A police investigation starts because Walter cooks meth. However, Walter chose to justify it, everything in the show was a direct effect of him cooking meth. Even side stories always circled back to it. In fact, Walter was more addicted to meth than his drug-addicted partner, Jesse Pinkman.

“What makes these people like that?” Walter asked his brother-in-law at a family cookout— “these people” referring to outlaws like Tuco and Krazy-8. The entire show answered that very question, shaping Walter’s character to resemble men like Tuco and Gus Fring. From my understanding, what makes people “like that” comes down to three simple words: family, survival, and greed. Both Skyler and I were relieved when he finally admitted his true reason for cooking meth in the series finale. It might have started for his family, but it quickly became about himself—his greed and obsession with power.

Something I found hard to believe at first was how someone with no self-autonomy could turn into such a cold-hearted drug kingpin. It seemed impossible—and a cancer diagnosis wouldn’t change that. However, I’ve come to realize it is possible for a chemistry teacher to become a ruthless drug lord. After all, he already possessed the key traits: attention to detail, discipline, cleverness, and a no-exceptions mentality. The entire show felt like a chemistry teacher on the biggest power trip ever.

This is one of the most consistently amazing shows I’ve ever watched. However, one flaw that the writers and creator had was the inability to craft completely lovable characters—besides Holly. Maybe I’m speaking for myself, but each character had an equal balance of likability and hate-ability. There were no true heroes in this show. Gilligan decided to end it before the audience could grow bored—to end on a high note and leave viewers wanting more. And that it did. The show now has both a spin-off series and a movie: El Camino (2019) and Better Call Saul (2020).

My final thoughts: Walter hated his life and always longed for excitement. His cancer diagnosis was just an excuse to choose an extreme lifestyle. He could have easily accepted financial help from Gretchen and Elliott Schwartz, but his pride wouldn’t let him. Then again, if he had, it wouldn’t have made for much of a show, would it? So, whatever show you’re currently binging or movie you’re watching—pause it, go to Netflix, and watch Breaking Bad. You won’t regret it.