9/16/13
END: One of the most popular shows on television approaches its final episodes.
By Stephen Park, Senior Writer
After five award-winning seasons, Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad is reaching its end. Every Heisenberg t-shirt will soon go into hibernation, only to be seen during reruns and parties. Everyone will once again dedicate their time to The Walking Dead. As the series prepares for its final episodes, you have to wonder how the show got to be so wildly popular.
A lot of Breaking Bad’s success can be credited to the show’s phenomenal writing. It follows the story of chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and his struggle with his recently diagnosed lung cancer. He teams up with his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to cook and distribute meth, hoping to create enough money for his family after his inevitable death. The concept of the show may be bizarre, but it’s pure genius.
The writing is tight and exciting. The characters always serve a purpose no matter how small they are. You never feel an episode is there just to tie up loose ends or fill up time, because every moment is important and no scene is ever wasted. On top of that, there are very few stories can believably transform a timid, stumbling chemistry teacher into a malicious kingpin capable of killing anyone who jeopardizes his path to glory. Breaking Bad does this remarkably well.
Along with superior writing, the actors act as catalysts for the show’s captivating appeal. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have an on-set chemistry that few before them have ever matched. What’s Sherlock without Watson? What’s Chewbacca without Han Solo? What’s Walter without Jesse?
Bryan plays Walter with such mesmerizing intensity. He’s like a chameleon able to change his skin from a loving father to a cold-blooded drug lord in an instant. Bryan is one of two people to win three consecutive Emmys for best performance. Aaron is able to play off of Bryan creating a believable father-son bond, rather than two insane meth-heads. These two men are in a constant competition to steal every scene they’re in, despite being supported by a strong secondary cast.
The third part of the success formula is the actual science of the show. Meth isn’t the only thing being produced in Breaking Bad: everything from poisonous beans, to giant magnets used to wipe evidence, to using sulfur to create fake meth that is actually a highly dangerous explosive. Combined with the beautifully shot scenes, Breaking Bad is an amazingly emotional and stunning trip the whole way through.
Breaking Bad is ranked number four on the International Movie Database’s top rated television shows, and deserves the high praise it receives.