Breaking Bad - s01 | Moviemasterdigvijay

Name: Breaking Bad - Season 1

Release date: January 20 - March 09, 2008

Number of Episodes: 7

Production Company: Sony Picture Television, High Bridge Entertainment, Gran Via Productions

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, Dean Norris, Anna Gunn, RJ Mitte

Plot Summary: Walter White, a 50-year-old overqualified high school Chemistry teacher, is facing a financial crunch. He cannot afford to fix his rusty geyser while his son, who has cerebral palsy, yearns for warm water for bathing; he is forced to eat "vegan beef that tastes just as good as the real thing"; he compels himself to wash cars and work at the front desk of an automobile shop to supplement his meagre income; and to top it all, he is diagnosed with Stage-3 inoperable lung cancer. While watching the television,he sees a large amount of money collected by the police and DEA after a drug raid. He decides to accompany his brother-in-law Hank Schraeder on a drug raid to see the setup for the production of the drug methamphetamine, commonly known as "meth". He tracks down a former student of his, Jesse Pinkman, who was a meth dealer. Together, they decide to sell the purest form of meth, because Walter "knew the Chemistry" and Jesse "knew the business".(Revealing more details would be spoilers!!)

Plot Analysis: I know, I know - too many questions in the minds of those reading this review!! Why was I so late in starting to watch Breaking Bad?? Is it as good as the hype?? Did I really like the show and get addicted to it?? Let me try to patiently answer these questions, and a few more.

Let me start off by admitting that I was never a big fan of watching TV Series. I had tried watching House of Cards, Kingdom, Daredevil, Person of Interest, Game of Thrones, Prison Break, True Detective, Bojack Horseman,Sherlock and many more. I liked most of them, disliked a few of them - but I was never addicted much to any of these shows - after watching a few episodes, I would feel monotonous and give up watching these shows - I never forced myself to watch these shows just because the majority of movie and TV fans had watched it and loved it. Most of them were either too confusing or too slow-paced - so I stuck to watching movies because I could atleast enjoy a variety of plots.

Until I decided to give Breaking Bad a try.

Let me be honest here - I started watching it primarily for more research on my blog "Movies vs. TV Series" to analyse the aspect of character development. I was more or less sure that I would again give up after casually watching a few episodes.

And this turned out to be one of the instances in which I was proved to be completely wrong.

With brilliantly written character arcs and just the perfect pacing - neither too fast nor too slow - I instantly fell in love with this show right from the first episode. The actions of the characters felt relatable and justified. Who will not want to make a few quick bucks if he is highly knowledgeable in Chemistry, is diagnosed with an inoperable disease and given only two years to live, is a man who loves his family more than anything and wants to leave them a fortune, and is too proud to ask for financial help from others? And when a terrific plot is combined with the right actors chosen for their respective roles, the result is nothing short of incredible. Bryan Cranston, who had previously acted in the sitcoms 'Seinfeld' and 'Malcolm in the Middle' and was primarily known as a comedic actor, gets to prove that he is much more skilled when it comes to drama. On-screen characters who manufacture drugs mostly fail to invoke much compassion from the viewers, however, Walter White rightfully earns the sympathy of the audience. Bryan manages to successfully portray the transformation of a soft-spoken Chemistry teacher to drug manufacturer. Walter hesitates to kill a drug dealer "Krazy-8" captured by him and Jesse - he even reveals it to Krazy-8 that he has cancer and they engage in other small talk - but when Walter realises that Krazy-8 would not spare him after being released, he murders him. Walter is scared to meet another drug dealer "Tuco" who had already hospitalised Jesse, but he utilises his knowledge of Chemistry to intimidate Tuco - that is a scene that needs to be seen to be believed. He even kicks a young boy who bullies his son for his disability. All such character transformations of Walter, gradually morphing from a timid person to a guy willing to risk his life to manufacture drugs for extra bucks, is captivating to watch. Aaron Paul, an actor I was not particularly fond of, also complements Walter well with his role as the drug dealer Jesse. Dean Norris was a revelation to watch. Usually in minor supporting roles in many movies, he portrays the role of a DEA agent with aplomb - perhaps because he has played law enforcement agencies so many times in movies and has done extensive research on them. Anna Gunn, who plays the role of Skyler White, Walter's wife, is also good enough, though frankly speaking, I found her character to be a bit annoying - nothing wrong with her acting though. RJ Mitte, who plays Walter White Jr. , has cerebral palsy in real life as well like his character, and manages to infuse the much-needed realism in his acting. Maximino Arciniega and Raymond Cruz are suitably menacing as the drug dealers Krazy-8 and Tuco respectively. All in all, the perfect TV show to watch if you want your rush of adrenaline. Beware though, once you start watching it, you will be unwilling to stop until you complete all the five seasons - you will be more addicted to it than anything else. I wrote this review primarily as a vent outlet of my excitement, because I couldn't cease my heart banging against my chest until I released and discussed what I had just seen. I feel that the show "Breaking Bad" is the epitome of a thrilling TV show.

Final Rating: 5/5