Is ‘Breaking Bad’ on Netflix? Where to stream the series?

If there was ever a sign that the golden age of television is over – and has been for some time – it is the status of AMC’s drama, Breaking Bad. Premiering in 2008, the existence of shows like that and Mad Men ushered in a new time for television. No longer was it the less popular little sister of feature films; television was art in its own right. Creator and showrunner Vince Gilligan impressed fans every week as they watched a kind of annoying chemistry teacher who blames everyone else for his shortcomings, Walter White (Bryan Cranston), turn into a full-fledged villain. Though the series concluded a decade ago (shhhh, time has no meaning), viewers continue to relive the complex characters because of Netflix.

But now Netflix is looking to ruin yet another fan-favorite series. Though it is still available to stream, The Wrap reports that Netflix will no longer hold the critically acclaimed series as of Feb. 25th. Funnily enough, this comes at a time harkening back to when Breaking Bad became successful. During the 2007 writers’ strike, streaming on Netflix only boosted the success of Breaking Bad and accounted for the platform’s traffic. The pop culture phenomenon helped Netflix in the long run, driving viewers to the site.

But just like the beautiful age of television showcasing passion projects, shows like Breaking Bad are also a thing of the past. The current writer’s strike is in response to how streaming has eviscerated everything we love about our favorite shows. Creatives can no longer make art pieces like Breaking Bad but live and die at the hands of studios. Obsessed with the bottom line, streamers rarely allow series to reach their potential. Shows lasting as long as even five seasons are generous, and writers’ rooms are relegated to mini rooms with no opportunity for creativity. Breaking Bad was the first sign of a shining era, and now, with its demise, signals the last gasping breath of television. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes could optimistically be the first steps to changing that, but with the AMPTP’s reaction to negotiations, it isn’t looking great.

Love for Breaking Bad still remains

Of course, Netflix is a business, and apparently, this is how things are now. Consumers are blindsided with so much content we can barely find the time to discover diamonds in the rough. Streaming licenses come and go, and perhaps Breaking Bad is being snapped up like other series leaving the platform. But if we forget the impact of what that show represented, it’s almost like it didn’t happen at all. And that is a tragedy. No one can argue that Breaking Bad still doesn’t resonate with fans. Walter White has become so iconic that fans are clamoring for a follow-up to the very definitive ending of the series.

How would this happen, you ask? Just watch the Breaking Bad 2 fan trailer making the rounds. The trailer is cleverly cut to make it seem like Cranston is promoting some sort of follow-up to the show heard worldwide. In a manner reminiscent of JJ Abrams describing how Emperor Palpatine returns in Rise of Skywalker, somehow, Walt is back. After his getting gunned down in the Breaking Bad series finale, he somehow survives. And he isn’t the only one to return from the dead. Hank (Dean Norris) comes back to avenge his partner’s death. While the trailer has no bearing on reality, it highlights fans’ passion surrounding these characters. Even if Breaking Bad did have one of the most satisfying and perfect endings any show has a right to have, people still want to see these characters interact.

If this trailer says anything – other than the fact that Jesse (Aaron Paul) deserves to be left alone and never suffer again – it’s that consumer’s hunger for the world that once was. Innovative films like Greta Gerwig’s Barbie have brought audiences to the theater in droves. We don’t want to be overwhelmed with IP after IP with no hope that something truly different will come around. We only had to revisit gems like Breaking Bad, and now even that is gone. Netflix taking away the groundbreaking show is a sad day in television history, and with the daunting WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike seeming to have no end in sight, this is the end of a glamorous era.