Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Clint Eastwood Reviews Breaking Bad


Media Reviews



Whats that? No, Mr. President, I can't review Breaking Bread for you. No, neither can he. I don't think anyone can do that. Unless he had a lot of butter. What did you say Mr. President? It's not called Bread Breaking? Ah, Jesus, fine, I'll watch your stupid show and type some gibberish for your dang website.

Right, so, Breaking Bad is it? Yeah, Breaking Bad. The show is about some guy named Walt. I played a guy named Walt once. I got shot. Anyway, this show reminds me of my time in Grenada. There was always so much blood...and meth. No, wait, that was '94. Grenada was in '83. Ah, jeez, I wasn't at Grenada. I only played a guy who was at Grenada. Anyways. Wait, I see some kids on my lawn...

Okay, so Clint Eastwood isn't actually going to review Breaking Bad. I think that would be hilarious though. His performance at the Republican National Committee was a personal favorite of mine. He's so gruff and irritable. I can only hope to be like him when I'm old and angry! Without further adieu, here is my review of the wonderful show that is Breaking Bad:






SPOILERS BELOW! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ALL SEASONS!








In the opening season, we find Walter White, a meek high school chemistry teacher at a crossroads of his life. A mid-life crisis consisting of one order of cancer is on the docket for Walter, along with a heavy dose of financial & marital troubles. After seeing a news segment on a methamphetamine lab bust where the money which was seized in the raid is displayed, Walt decides that in order to pay for his cancer treatments and ensure the financial future of his family, he will begin cooking and selling meth. After doing a ride-along with his brother in law Hank who is a DEA agent on another meth lab bust, he sees one of his former students, Jesse Pinkman, escaping the scene of the raid. After finding and convincing Jesse to cook with him, they both embark on a journey into the criminal world that takes them to places they would have never imagined. This is the premise of Breaking Bad.

From the first cook that Jesse and Walt create in their crappy camper, to the most recent cook with Walt and Todd using the pest company as cover, Breaking Bad has managed to keep the art and form of making drugs fresh and interesting. The development of the main story-line and the characters within that story-line is nothing short of awesome. The actors have managed to mature the characters they play in such a way that the development of the character seems natural and real. One problem other shows seem to have is developing the characters in a way that does not seem either rushed, or too slow; however, this is not a problem that BB seems to possess. The paragon of this assertion is none other than our own Walter White himself and his slow but steady metamorphosis into Heisenberg.


Bryan Cranston and the writers of the show have managed to develop a character that is not static or stagnant, but intense, dangerous, and believable. The situations in which the show moves the story along are not silly or inundating, but have actual weight to the end game of the show. The way that the elements are tied into one another throughout the show is more evidence of solid scripting. One of the things that I found endearing about the show is how each episode title was relevant to the content of the episode. Not only that, but some of the titles are actually related to each other: for example, in Season 2 four of the episode titles elude to the ending of the season, "747", "Down", "Over", "ABQ". 

The change that takes place in Walter is not unplanned, as the show's creator Vince Gilligan has stated that he wants the protagonist to become the antagonist, which is exactly what has taken place. In this past season, or half-season, I myself sometimes did not know who to pull for exactly because Walter committed deeds more heinous than ever before and has displayed an attitude so dark it could blot out the sun. This change is what separates Breaking Bad from other drama shows on television. Drama shows are at their core about drama, and BB does not disappoint when it comes to tension and drama. This show is one of the most refreshing additions to cable television in a long, long time. The cold opening of Season 5 that is set a year ahead from the current season was one of the most interesting and curiosity-inspiring openings of a show that I have ever seen. All that remains is to see if the show will end like it has developed.

-M