It is funny when you think back on 'Breaking Bad's early days and how they contrast with the way it is now. For its first two seasons, it was largely a cult show outside the U.S., featuring a fanbase that was passionate but not exactly huge. It was even dropped from UK TV due to poor ratings, never to be picked up again. However, around the time the third season premiered, its popularity began to rise, increasing with each subsequent season, thanks to word-of-mouth, reaching a pinnacle with the fifth season becoming the most-talked-about television series of 2013, as large numbers of people starting catching up with the show. This is undoubtedly due to the quality of the series – it is absolutely brilliant. The current success of it can be seen through three recent achievements – it entered The Guinness World Book of Records for being the best-reviewed TV show ever, the Writers Guild of America listed it as one of the great TV series ever written and it also walked away with the top prize at this year's Emmys (and chances are, may do next year as well).
One aspect of the series that no one can dispute is the brilliance of its cast. Thanks to Walter White, Bryan Cranston is no longer "that guy who played the dad in Malcolm in the Middle" and has deservedly won three Emmys for his role as Walt because like the show, he is fantastic, especially as he conveys his character's development from being "Mr. Chips" to "Scarface", as creator Vince Gilligan once remarked in his pitch for the series. Meanwhile, Aaron Paul is superb as Jesse, perfectly capturing a range of sides to his character, from being naive to mature to stubborn to introspective. Aside from the concept of how an ordinary man change transform into an entirely different person, at the very heart of 'Breaking Bad' is the tumultuous relationship between Walt and Jesse. It goes up and down like a roller-coaster, yet it gives the show heart even as the pair do desperate things and we, as viewers, can't helped but be deeply engaged with them, as they argue, confide, fight and of course, cook.
However, the other cast members are just as good as the two leads. As crime scene cleaner Mike Ehrmantraut, Jonathan Banks is outstanding (he should've won that Emmy) and Dean Norris is terrific with strong screen presence as Walt's DEA brother-in-law, Hank Schrader. While Anna Gunn and RJ Mitte are both great as Walt's wife and son, as they form a family relationship with Cranston that is never anything but realistic considering the situations he places them in, even if Gunn's character is not the most likable. Bob Odenkirk is a pleasure to watch as Walt and Jesse's metaphor-loving lawyer Saul Goodman, providing some comic relief, especially whenever his bodyguard Huell Babineaux (Lavell Crawford) is around. Special mention should be given to Giancarlo Esposito, who is mesmerising as Gus Fring, the owner of fast food chain, Los Pollos Hermanos.
'Breaking Bad' is one of those series where every episode leaves wanting you more, especially with a number of incredible cliffhangers that Gilligan has left viewers dangling on – without spoiling anything, the season five mid-way cliffhanger left me (and many others) desperate to find out what would happen next. It has grown progressively darker over the course of its five seasons, starting out as a black comedy before slowly (and understandably) morphing into something deeper and more serious, while still retaining moments of humour. Similarly, it has also grown increasingly good over its five seasons, being excellent at first before becoming incredible; with the recently-aired fifth season the best of the lot (some of the greatest episodes in the entire series are a few near the end). The key to this show's success is Gilligan, the very man who created it, who has written and directed a multitude of episodes and always manages to brilliantly place the characters in disastrous situations. The quality of the writing, acting and directing (with a special mention to Rian Johnson) on display here is exemplary and on a level that is rarely equalled. If you haven't seen this truly masterful series yet, then you know what you need to do and if you have seen it all, I can't imagine any reason why you wouldn't want to go back and watch it all over again. I know I will.
One aspect of the series that no one can dispute is the brilliance of its cast. Thanks to Walter White, Bryan Cranston is no longer "that guy who played the dad in Malcolm in the Middle" and has deservedly won three Emmys for his role as Walt because like the show, he is fantastic, especially as he conveys his character's development from being "Mr. Chips" to "Scarface", as creator Vince Gilligan once remarked in his pitch for the series. Meanwhile, Aaron Paul is superb as Jesse, perfectly capturing a range of sides to his character, from being naive to mature to stubborn to introspective. Aside from the concept of how an ordinary man change transform into an entirely different person, at the very heart of 'Breaking Bad' is the tumultuous relationship between Walt and Jesse. It goes up and down like a roller-coaster, yet it gives the show heart even as the pair do desperate things and we, as viewers, can't helped but be deeply engaged with them, as they argue, confide, fight and of course, cook.
However, the other cast members are just as good as the two leads. As crime scene cleaner Mike Ehrmantraut, Jonathan Banks is outstanding (he should've won that Emmy) and Dean Norris is terrific with strong screen presence as Walt's DEA brother-in-law, Hank Schrader. While Anna Gunn and RJ Mitte are both great as Walt's wife and son, as they form a family relationship with Cranston that is never anything but realistic considering the situations he places them in, even if Gunn's character is not the most likable. Bob Odenkirk is a pleasure to watch as Walt and Jesse's metaphor-loving lawyer Saul Goodman, providing some comic relief, especially whenever his bodyguard Huell Babineaux (Lavell Crawford) is around. Special mention should be given to Giancarlo Esposito, who is mesmerising as Gus Fring, the owner of fast food chain, Los Pollos Hermanos.
'Breaking Bad' is one of those series where every episode leaves wanting you more, especially with a number of incredible cliffhangers that Gilligan has left viewers dangling on – without spoiling anything, the season five mid-way cliffhanger left me (and many others) desperate to find out what would happen next. It has grown progressively darker over the course of its five seasons, starting out as a black comedy before slowly (and understandably) morphing into something deeper and more serious, while still retaining moments of humour. Similarly, it has also grown increasingly good over its five seasons, being excellent at first before becoming incredible; with the recently-aired fifth season the best of the lot (some of the greatest episodes in the entire series are a few near the end). The key to this show's success is Gilligan, the very man who created it, who has written and directed a multitude of episodes and always manages to brilliantly place the characters in disastrous situations. The quality of the writing, acting and directing (with a special mention to Rian Johnson) on display here is exemplary and on a level that is rarely equalled. If you haven't seen this truly masterful series yet, then you know what you need to do and if you have seen it all, I can't imagine any reason why you wouldn't want to go back and watch it all over again. I know I will.
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