Breaking Bad

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, R.J. Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, & Giancarlo Esposito

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

AMC's Breaking Bad is a terrific show, that has won an unprecedented number of awards, but it's one that is extremely difficult to get into. The show is centered on High School chemistry teacher, Walter White (Bryan Cranston), who discovers he's dying from cancer. Determined not to leave his family with nothing, White teams up with his former student and local drug dealer, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in an attempt to process and sell crystal meth. Producing the drug isn't the hard part, it's distributing it while staying out of trouble. That's easier said than done, especially when your wife is on your case 24/7, and your brother in-law is a DEA agent. 

This show is terrific and worth every second I've spent watching it, but I almost missed out. The pilot episode was not a strong one, in fact, many fans of the show have called it the worst episode of the entire series. If you can make it passed that, the first season isn't much better. The first season is extremely dark and depressing, focusing mainly on Walt's illness and the effect it has on his family. It really wasn't easy to watch, especially if you've like me, and have had family go through the same thing.

The good news is that after the depressing 7 episode first season, the show gets much much better. The network or the producers had to have to seen the same thing that everyone saw and the attention of future episodes is centered around Walt and Jesse's growing business and the problems they have, including nosy family members, the DEA, seedy people looking for a taste, and of course rival dealers and gangs. The show really picks up in the second season and starts to evolve into the award winning crime drama it has become.

Bryan Cranston plays Walt and how good is he? He has won 3 Emmy's, and has been nominated every season the show has been on. The man he plays is so complicated that you really needed the very best actor you could find to play him. Walt White is a mess of emotions, concealed within a strong persona, it's this concealment that also helps to keep his conscience at bay, most of the time. 

Jesse Pinkman is played by Aaron Paul who is also very good. Paul himself has been nominated for four Emmy's, winning twice, and will now and forever be required to call people bitch. Paul is a very good actor and does a great job playing a character who I find to be extremely annoying. Jesse is always managing to fuck thing up, he's always putting them at risk by saying stupid things and doing stupid things. To be honest with you, I don't care much for the character, but the fact that the character, as opposed to the actor, annoys me, shows how strong his performances is. 

Walt's family is also a main stay in the show, his wife Skyler (Anna Gunn), is as strong a housewife as I have ever seen. There is nothing Skyler White won't say and she is often Walt's morale compass, albeit one that is remarkably nosy and unappreciative. His son is played by newcomer R.J. Mitte whose  handicapped angle is actually real. Mitte was born with cerebral palsy, which effects his speech and movements. He admits that he over-dramatizes the effects for the show, but he is still handicapped in real life and one hell of an inspirational person. Through it all he has never let anyone tell him he can't do anything and he has been open and upfront about his condition to anyone who has asked him about it. He's really an inspiration kid, who took a handicapped and used it to his advantage.

Finally, Walt's brother-in-law, DEA Agent, Hank Schrader (Dean Norris), brings much needed comic relief to a show that can be hard to watch sometimes. Besides being a great cop, Schrader has a personality that is larger than life. Even in the context of a show, where the cops are the bad guys, you find yourself drawn to Schrader and rooting him on.

Breaking Bad has won a total of 7 Emmy Awards and is one of the highest rated shows in cable history. The show most defiantly fits into the category of addictive television, but unlike it's neighboring show, The Walking Dead. The acting is as believable as it gets and the story just gets better and better every season. If you can make it through the slow and depressing first season, you will find an unbelievable show that may very well be one of the best that cable has ever seen.