Should I stick with Breaking Bad?

Cafe Society
1

Yes, I know you all just answered, “Yes,” without even reading this. But I’d appreciate some specific guidance, without detailed spoilers beyond what I’ve watched.

Spoilers for parts of Season 1 follow.

It looks like I’m most of the way through the first season. I just watched “Gray Matter,” where he turns down the job and/or money from the company he helped create, in favor of cooking meth to finance his treatment. Up until that point I found Walter sympathetic - somewhat of a sad schlub, but an OK guy. And I was prepared to suspend disbelief and go with the “this is my only way to survive, I have nothing to lose” approach to getting into the drug trade.

But when he had a perfectly easy way to pay for the best treatment, and he turned it down, he lost me. Especially since he had already been through the Crazy 8 situation where his family was in mortal danger, and he had no choice but to kill someone. How can I root for him when he basically says, “Sure, my wife and son and infant daughter will probably be in horrible danger, but that’s totally worth my pride!” I feel like it’s going to really irritate me every time he has difficulties, has to make a horrible decision, or the family runs into trouble. I see myself yelling, “And all this could have been avoided!”

So, did anyone else feel this way at this point? Is it that Walter is supposed to be a protagonist rather than a hero? Like, he’s probably dying, and he’s tired of eating shit all his life, so now’s his time to go crazy and be a badass, no matter what the consequences? I suppose that could be interesting in its way, but I’m not sure I can watch a show that’s all about someone I think is being an irresponsible asshole.

So, is it epic enough to just be worth hand-waving this issue away? Or is it addressed in a satisfying way at some point? Or is there more to the story that makes turning down the rich bitch friends make more sense? Like I said, I don’t want to know details of plot, but some generalized spoilers about these questions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

2

Walter White is an asshole. He only gets worse as the series progresses.

The whole trajectory of the series is that, while initially one sympathizes with Walter’s plight, gradually one realizes - character is destiny for him. He makes himself into a monster because of his overweening pride.

It is true that, to accept the charity of his friends, he’d have to eat a lot of shit - he and that woman have history. But the fact remains he’d rather kill people, both directly and by feeding the market for a drug he knows to be poision, than eat shit.

He’s a modern exemplar of a man who, like Milton’s Satan, would ‘rather rule in Hell than serve in Heaven’.

3

The call the show “Breaking Bad” for a reason.

ETA: But, yes, stick with it unless you really aren’t interested in seeing a man grow into a worse human being almost every episode.

4

It’s all about the transformation of Walter White. He gets worse. Much worse. But the journey is very entertaining.

5

I am also not a fan of unremitting gloom. But one thing I do appreciate about Breaking Bad is that as Walter White’s character disintegrates, the arcs of the other characters are also developing in unexpected ways. Half the time I’m watching for the sake of Jesse, or Hank, or even Maree rather than Walter.

6

Just want to emphasize the above by repeating it.

In other words: This.

7

Each season of BB has one or two plot points that make you say “really?” The character development, drama, and acting should carry you through. If you’re at the point where you want to start a thread about not going, maybe you should drop it.

The Gray Matter backstory was good because it established why Walt is such a talented chemist who can make the best meth in the southwest yet he’s a high school teacher who has to work at a car wash to make ends meet. And it explains a lot of his bitterness and also shows that yeah, he hasn’t always exactly been a smooth operator and he’s been walked over his entire life. But the whole part where he could have solved his money problems by taking the life line was just too ham handed. Should’ve been more subtle ways to show off his pride there.

8

Ah, I appreciate the insight. It’s not that I can’t enjoy it if it’s about “hey, watch this guy turn into an ever greater asshole,” but that I need to know that’s what I’m dealing with and put myself into the right frame of mind. I mean, I’m literally simultaneously posting in the Downton Abbey thread about how much I enjoy despising the selfish, snobby, stupid, jerkface characters on that show. And that’s another one where all the actors are so fabulous, it draws you in, even if the plotting is often eye-roll inducing.

I think I just misinterpreted the thrust of the story as “watch how this downtrodden guy gets pushed into a corner and becomes an awesome badass,” with attendant suspension of what you would really think of someone who did these things, rather than a more realistic and critical look at the character spiraling downward, even though he finds his gonads and does some wicked cool stuff along the way. It might get too gloomy for me - as Aspidistra says, that’s not my thing - but I definitely want to watch more and see how I like it with my adjusted perspective.

9

Bingo.

I’m going to say no, you shouldn’t stick with it. I do think that it’s a great show, but I also think that it’s not for everyone. And it doesn’t have a hero, semi-decent, or even mildly sympathetic character at the center. When I got to the point where you are, I stopped being on his side, too. I found watching what made the asshole tick fascinating.

And the performances and direction are sometimes amazing.

10

I think season 2 was better than season 1, too. There were some awesome characters introduced in season 2.

And yeah, I hated the bit where he turned down the money too. I think that’s the last really pointlessly self-destructive thing he’s going to do for a while, though. With all the shit they’re about to get sucked into, the next half-dozen episodes he needs all his ingenuity just to keep his head above water.

The “Grey Matter” episode was redeemed for me by the family intervention scene, particularly Maree suddenly going “off script” and out of Skylar’s control half way through it. And if you’re keen on badass bits, there’s one coming up pretty soon.

11

Just agreeing - stick with it. Sure, there are a few unbelievable plot points, but the great acting, the unique writing, the wonderful direction and cinematography make them more than worth it.

So happy Bryan Cranston got a Screen Actors Guild award last night, by the way. Though he and Aaron Paul have deservedly gotten the lion’s share of praise, I don’t think there has been a weak link in the acting at all.

12

Protagonist and hero are not opposites.

13

They’re not, but they’re also not synonyms. Walter White is definitely the protagonist, but doesn’t even come close to being a hero any time after the point the OP has watched. By Season Five, he’s clearly an anti-hero, if not a villain, and not even a particularly likeable one at that. He’s still the protagonist.

14

I had the same misinterpretation. I loved season one, but now I’m halfway through season three, and I’m not sure I’m interested in watching Walt get worse and worse. I keep putting off watching more episodes.

15

Well, he does become an awesome badass … and a monster who ruins what he claims to love.

16

OTOH, Seasons 2-5a are pretty much the same as Season 1, in all respects but Walt’s slow decline into monsterism. There’s a lot of same-shit-different-lab, so if the show as a whole doesn’t appeal to you by the end of season one, you’re not going to get much out of the other four and a half.

ETA: It isn’t by any means formulaic, but it plays out in a space as constricted as any film noir. Five seasons is a long time to spend in that narrow box.

17

This is essentially what the show is about. If you don’t like that scenario, you probably won’t like the show. There’s a lot of times when he can get out, but chooses to stay in.

I agree with that, but I’ll add in that during Season 4 there’s a lot of back and forth about who the real bad guy is. We learned in the early seasons how manipulative Walt is with Jesse, but when he turns that up to 11 it spills over onto the audience. There’s times when we wonder if were being told the truth or if we’re caught in the middle as well. Are we supposed to be on Walt’s side or the other side? Is Jesse on the other side or is he still with Walt. There’s some real mindfucks in Season 4. (and yes, that’s kinda over simplified for the sake of not spoilering the OP)

18

Walt’s life is the product of his out-of-control ego and pride. All of it.

19

It’s kind of interesting that both Breaking Bad and the much lighter, fluffier, more overtly comedic ( and utterly ridiculous, if entertaining) Weeds started out at about the same time playing with the audience about the same misconceptions. Just a schlubby, dieing, downtrodden high school chemist trying to provide for his family before he goes vs. just a young, unskilled, widowed suburban mom trying make ends meet and provide for her kids by selling marijuana. In both cases those are just veneers, though a much more thorough and bought into one in Walter White’s case. Breaking Bad is a vastly more significant show, but both are basically about bad protagonists making bad choices.

“Gray Matter” is actually your very first glimpse of the real Walter White, the one that in some respects he had probably been hiding even from himself. The contrast between the inner Walt and the inner Jesse is even more interesting - one of the most compelling dynamics in the show IMHO.

20

Jesse’s story is just as interesting to me as Walter’s. Jesse doesn’t want to be Walter and doesn’t particularly wnat to stay on the ride Walter is going on, but his options are severely limited.