8) Vince Gilligan’s World – In All Its Relentlessly Addicting Glory
This factor serves as the ultimate tip of the hat to Breaking Bad in and of itself. As we reach the impending conclusion of the show, it’s easy to become swept up in the surrounding hyperbole. Heck, fan theories are circulating the internet like wildfire; particularly now, with the week by week episode structure carving out the space for intermittent speculation. Although this passion is perfectly rational, taking the time to step back from the show allows you to appreciate it for all its masterful qualities. Without echoing everything I’ve previously touched on – the well-written characters, the cinematography and Walter’s dark sense of empowerment, to name but a few – the minutia of the show, the very nuances between the characters as they flit between laudable and despicable bestow Breaking Bad with an addictive, almost infectious superiority.
The degradation of Walter White has been parodied, referenced and reappropiated over a plethora of different platforms. From music videos to fan art, Lego animations to a sketch in Family Guy, Breaking Bad has firmly cemented its legacy in the proverbial zeitgeist wall due to its TV excellence. Characters don’t just establish a narrative path, wrap themselves firmly within their status quo and then sleepwalk through the series. No. For Breaking Bad, characters evolve in response to their surrounding circumstances and challenge the very expectations of the audience as a result. One of the more recent scenes that encapsulated this in particular was during “Rabid Dog.” Due to a series of events that she couldn’t control, Skyler turns to Walt and murmurs, “What’s one more?” It was an unsympathetically ruthless quip from Mrs. White that perfectly portrayed her increasingly detached persona and, crucially, her acceptance of Walt’s immoral actions. From stoic to stone cold, Skyler’s stark metamorphosis can be directly paralleled with that of her other half in the sense that her personal transformation blatantly plays out before the audience’s very eyes.
It’s for this reason that we become so attached to the characters and their subsequent moral yo-yoing. For instance, Walt’s manipulation of Jesse – which has reached a tipping point in recent episodes – is so infuriating that it’s simultaneously hard to watch and perhaps even more difficult to switch off. Not only that, those unyielding sequences where Walter retains his po-faced, duplicitous expression in front of Walt Jr. are equally unbearable; such as the scene where he manipulates his son into not going to Marie’s house. Of course, this bold layer of deceit blankets the entire series which, coupled with the superior cliff-hangers and intriguing characters caught amidst Heisenberg’s subsequent maelstrom, it’s no wonder Breaking Bad and binge-watching go hand in hand.
With that said, Vince Gilligan’s tale is nearing its impending conclusion faster than any of us would like. In hindsight, the decision to divide season five into two distinct, 8-episode runs was effective in not only prolonging the show, but allowing the anticipation to simmer close to boiling point so that the eventual pay-off will be all the more satisfying. In fact, the show’s creator has even stated that he battled with depression during this hiatus due to the overhanging prospect of providing fans with a consistent ending. However, Gilligan now believes he is proud of the end result that will (hopefully) live up to his own stratospheric standards; standards that aren’t likely to emulated for a very long time.
The final episode of Breaking Bad will air on AMC Sunday, 29th September, before becoming available on Netflix in the UK on Monday 30th. In the meantime, tell us what you’ll miss most about the show in the comments below.
