Cause seriously, this is THE best drama on TV right now, IMO. It’s like something that was made for HBO, or maybe F/X (I think F/X actually was given the option and passed on it.)
A quick summary for those who haven’t heard of it (a few mild spoilers from the first season, most of which are found out in the first couple episodes)
A Nobel-prize winning chemist turned high school science teacher (Brian Cranston, the dad from Malcom in the Middle) finds out her has very advanced lung cancer. He has very little savings, and crummy insurance, and initially hides his cancer from his family. He gets the idea to cook meth from his brother in law (a DEA agent,) and a former student of his that he saw flee a meth crime scene. He initially jsut has the idea he’ll just do some chemistry, made a lot of money, and be able to leave it for his family when he dies.
Obviously things aren’t that simple, and he gets more and more involved in the drug cartel he thought he could avoid.
The acting is fantastic (Brian Cranston won an emmy,) and they don’t pull any punches with the story. There are so many plot twists, and none of them come out of left field, they are all logical and make sense within the confines of the lives of the characters.
You should really watch it. The first season was short because of the writer’s strike, so it won’t be hard to catch up.
It is a great show that came out of nowhere. In fact I’m watching it right now. I missed the second half of the first season but have caught every episode of the new season so far. The only thing I knew Bryan Cranston from was Malcolm in the Middle. He really impressed me with this role.
I agree Bryan Cranston is fantastic in this show. I watched all of last season and I’m caught up on this season except for tonight’s ep. I’ll watch it later in the week. It’s perhaps the most compelling show on TV right now.
I watched episode one to see if I would like it a couple of weeks ago and immediately got hooked. I eagerly await this week’s episode because Mr White’s closing moments with Jesse seemed to be heading us into bad territory.
I’ve been watching from the start. This is my favorite series right now since Battlestar Galactica ended its run. Season 1 was more interesting than this season, in my opinion. The story arc in this season’s episodes has been pretty predictable so far. The tension has not been the same since Tuco was offed.
He resents the fact that some members of the team got the Nobel Prize and others got rich off of what he feels was his research. So while they got the glory and the money, he wound up as an overqualified high school chemistry teacher.
Weirdly, my cable company’s program guide describes the show as a “comedy-drama” but there’s very little to laugh at in the show. Not to discourage anyone from watching it; it’s very good. It’s just unrelentingly dark.
The show is incredibly realistic. Walt and Jessie end up facing some pretty realistic consequences that go with selling meth. They both still have a lot to learn, and the show doesn’t ignore the ugly learning curve that goes with getting into the drug business.
I agree with the OP that the story seems pretty logical. It deals with extraordinary events, but it all makes sense.
A great episode tonight. Amazingly, Jesse comes across as a very sympathetic character (despite his violence) while Walter just seems to be very resentful and deceitful (despite his genial personality in the classroom). The scripts and acting in this show are as good as they come.
According to Wikipedia, the first season had seven episodes (although it was planned to have nine) while the second has thirteen episodes. And it’s already been renewed for a third season.
Jesse’s a great character and Aaron Paul’s doing a bang-up job with the role. I’ve liked him ever since he took the blame for his little brother in S1, when his parents found drugs in the house. The way he protected the little kid this week made me like him even more.
When the episode started, I wanted him to forget about the dope and the cash and just get the kid out of there. But Jesse can’t think outside the box he’s put himself in, a box that Walt and his parents put a lid on. At one point his share of the money was $70K. Jesse didn’t even think about how that money could change his life. That’s some good writing.
Has Walter contemplated how he’s going to explain the money to his wife? Even if he earns the $700,000 he figured he needs, dies and leaves that amount to his wife, how will he explain having earned it? Will she want the money if she learns how it’s been earned?
bouv, I was going to start a Breaking Bad thread today with that exact same title.
I don’t remember why Walt didn’t go with Elliot in the past and make big bucks. Did he break with him because he thought science should be used for science’s sake and not to make millions?
See his inner Tuco at lunch with Gretchen (that’s her name?).
Bryan Cranston is the man, BTW. I love to watch Breaking Bad and then reruns of Malcom.
