30/49
Walter White: Who are you talking to?
Synopsis
A chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine alongside a former student in order to secure his family’s future. Celebrate fan-favorite series Breaking Bad by revisiting some of its most memorable scenes. Jesse Pinkman was originally supposed to be written out in episode 9. During the hiatus caused by the writers’ strike, creator Vince Gilligan, impressed with Aaron Paul’s portrayal of Jesse and by everyone who simply liked Paul, decided to reinstate the character and give Jesse’s fate to another character in the season 1 finale. In the opening credits, letters of the cast and crew names are highlighted in green to represent symbols of chemical elements. However, the “Ch” in Michael Slovis’ name was highlighted in several early episodes, even though Ch is not a symbol for a chemical element. In later episodes, only the “C” (for carbon) is highlighted.
Who do you think you see?
Do you know how much I make a year? I mean, even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe it. Do you know what would happen if I suddenly decided to stop going to work? A company big enough to be listed on the NASDAQ goes bankrupt. Disappears. Without me, it ceases to exist. No, you obviously don’t know who you’re talking to, so let me enlighten you.
I AM the danger
I’m not in danger, Skyler. A guy opens his door and gets shot, and that’s what you think of me? NO! I’m the one knocking! The opening credits use chemical symbols from the periodic table of elements as name components: bromine (Br) and barium (Ba) for the title, none for creator Vince Gilligan (except when he gets a V for vanadium), one for cast and crew members. All episodes were repeated on an on-demand cable channel in some regions, without commercials but with additional scenes not included on AMC. Edited into CollegeHumor Originals: Breaking Bad/Walking Dead Mash-Up (2013).
Dead Fingers Talking through Work in a Nuclear-Free City
Breaking Bad is one of the most highly rated series on IMDb, one of those rarities where every season has received either very positive reception or near-universal critical acclaim, and which all my friends have said very few great things about recently. The memory gripped me so much from the start that I had watched the entire show before the week was out, especially when, with many shows on the air now, getting through an entire episode can be a hassle. Breaking Bad had that effect on me, and its reputation as one of the best, most consistently brilliant, and most compelling series in many years (perhaps even ever) is, in my eyes, more than deserved. The weakest season is perhaps the first season, which is understandable, as the first season of a series is still the one where things are still settling in. Actually, everything is remarkably set up from the start, but once the writing and characterization get even more substantial, the series reaches an even higher level. Visually, ‘Breaking Bad’ is one of those shows that is both stylish and beautiful, with photography and editing that are cinematic quality and put many films to shame these days, where there are many visually beautiful but also some that are painfully amateurish. The music is always in the right mood, never too overbearing, never too subdued.
The direction couldn’t be better
is a good example for all shows of how you can have a lot of style but also a lot of substance. The dialogue is thought-provoking and tense throughout, but also has a darkly wicked sense of humor and heartbreaking pathos. The stories are rich in content, intimate, suspenseful and layered, their pacing is deliberate but tight throughout. I can’t say anything bad about the acting.