On JustFocus, we often talk about series currently being broadcast. However, it seemed interesting to us to come back to the completed series in order to make you discover little jewels that you could have missed, or simply remember good memories. For this second part, we decided to talk to you about Breaking Bad, a real phenomenon series of the decade.
Unless you've lived in a cave for the last ten years, you've probably heard of Breaking Bad. The 5-season series, created by Vince Gilligan in 2008, tells the story of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an average chemistry teacher. The day he discovers that he has an incurable cancer, he decides to start manufacturing and trafficking meth in order to support his family when he is no longer there and thus marks the beginning of his new life. Discover what makes this series a must of the genre!
A dark and worked story
Breaking Bad is an original series, if only for the story it tells and the themes it addresses. Of course, the main idea is drugs, but the story also addresses other important topics such as family, friendship, illness, money, success, adultery, addiction, loneliness… The scenario is often dark and nothing is spared us. This is one of the main strengths of Breaking Bad.
Another strong point of the series is that it takes the time to develop its story. This aspect, often criticized, especially during the first seasons, is nevertheless essential. The initial slowness allows us to understand Walter's journey, which pushes him to act as he does, and to deepen the scenario. From start to finish, everything is coherent and makes sense. Nothing is forgotten, each action has an impact, which, even if it is not mentioned immediately, will be presented in the following episodes, which is rare enough to be highlighted.
Realistic characters worn by exceptional actors
The second factor that makes Breaking Bad such an exceptional series is its characters. All are written and developed with rare finesse and coherence. Each character is very dark and nothing is done to make us overly sympathetic. No one is ever "all black" or "all white." The more the seasons progress, the more the protagonists sink into a darkness that is difficult to understand and which, nevertheless, is very real. I find this choice remarkable because we follow the story of a man we hate more and more, but who nevertheless keeps us in suspense. Walter White is the anti-hero par excellence, nevertheless, whether we support him or infuriate us, the story is so made that we can often understand what motivates him.
The secondary characters are not left out. Jesse Pinkman, Heisenberg's sidekick, is also very ambivalent. A petty delinquent, he still manages to attract sympathy. However, throughout history, we also oscillate between hatred and empathy towards him. The same goes for everyone else. Whether it's Skyler, Walter's wife, Hank, his police brother-in-law, or Gustavo Fring, drug lord, no one is fundamentally good or bad and we end up hating them as much as we understand them.
Obviously, the emotions that can be felt in front of the series are inseparable from the talent of the actors. I must admit that I have rarely seen a series with such a level of excellence in casting. Bryan Cranston, after Malcolm, proves the extent of his talent with Breaking Bad. This is also true for the other actors: Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Giancarlo Esposito… All of them are incredibly accurate.
A mythical finale, praised by critics
The end of Breaking Bad is considered one of the best, all series combined. Indeed, the series increases in power over the seasons, to end up exploding during the last episodes. Everything makes sense, the past actions of Walter White and his entourage catch up with them and offer us a grandiose end of the series. All the stories close as one might expect.
However, I will say that the best episode of the series is not the finale, but the fourteenth episode of the fifth and final season. I find that Breaking Bad is indeed reaching its peak at this time. It is difficult to talk about it without spoiler but the series is at its maximum: the tension, the intensity, the suspense, the violence, the revelations … Everything is so strong that the next two episodes seem less powerful. Nevertheless, the series still reaches a very high level. The end is, like everything else, coherent. The initiatory journey ends and each character must face what he has caused. Breaking Bad really ends, we understand that everything has been thought to arrive at this moment and nothing is watered down. The circle is complete.
In summary, Breaking Bad is a true masterpiece of television. I could also have talked about the exceptional staging of the series which makes everything very coherent. The image, the photography, the plans are always very neat and studied and add meaning to the story and give this special atmosphere. I could have added many points to this praise, but the article would have been endless, so the best advice I can give you is to (re)look at this masterpiece.
Also find here the first part of this dossier on the completed series, dedicated to Six Feet Under !
