Breaking Bad (2008–2013) 9.5
A chemistry teacher diagnosed with a terminal lung cancer, teams up with his former student, Jesse Pinkman, to cook and sell crystal meth. |
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Breaking Bad (2008–2013) 9.5
A chemistry teacher diagnosed with a terminal lung cancer, teams up with his former student, Jesse Pinkman, to cook and sell crystal meth. |
|
Watch Trailer 0Share... |
Series cast summary: | |||
Bryan Cranston | ... |
Walter White
(62 episodes, 2008-2013)
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Anna Gunn | ... |
Skyler White
(62 episodes, 2008-2013)
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Aaron Paul | ... |
Jesse Pinkman
(62 episodes, 2008-2013)
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Dean Norris | ... |
Hank Schrader
(62 episodes, 2008-2013)
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Betsy Brandt | ... |
Marie Schrader
(62 episodes, 2008-2013)
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RJ Mitte | ... |
Walter White, Jr.
(62 episodes, 2008-2013)
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Bob Odenkirk | ... |
Saul Goodman
(43 episodes, 2009-2013)
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Steven Michael Quezada | ... |
Steven Gomez
(34 episodes, 2008-2013)
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Jonathan Banks | ... |
Mike Ehrmantraut
(28 episodes, 2009-2012)
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Giancarlo Esposito | ... |
Gustavo 'Gus' Fring
(26 episodes, 2009-2011)
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When chemistry teacher Walter White is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given only two years to live, he decides he has nothing to lose. He lives with his teenage son, who has cerebral palsy, and his wife, in New Mexico. Determined to ensure that his family will have a secure future, Walt embarks on a career of drugs and crime. He proves to be remarkably proficient in this new world as he begins manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with one of his former students. The series tracks the impacts of a fatal diagnosis on a regular, hard working man, and explores how a fatal diagnosis affects his morality and transforms him into a major player of the drug trade. Written by WellardRockard, jackenyon
First season took off a little slow. It settled up premise, characters, the mood of the show, its world, if you will. It has some great moments though, like body disposal scene from the second episode which made me choke on my own laughing tears.
Second season blew me away. Completely. Right from the very beginning. Second episode Grilled along with sixth episode Peekaboo,being so damn hilarious, bizarre and gripping, I'm sure, will fill find their places in the TV's Hall of Fame, trust me.
What third season will bring, has yet to be determined.
The show has quality to surprise. At first I was a bit skeptical toward it: A school teacher turns to be a drug dealer? Yea' I've heard something similar is already on TV, and I wasn't excited. So if creator of the show appeared to be someone else than Vince Gilligan (who made earlier in his career significant contribution to development of another great show "The X-Files") and if the show was on channel different than AMC or HBO, I even doubt I'd give it a chance. By the way, the pilot was shot with intention to be sold directly to HBO, that's why it later was edited for nudity and explicit language by AMC, which still is a cable channel, but apparently trying to remain more "family friendly."
"Breaking Bad" could be ridiculously funny and hellishly creepy, it contains some rough images and topics, not to mention that it's filmed astoundingly, unbelievably beautiful. Juxtaposition of plots, characters, places, even colors and sounds provides unique installments which had me on the edge of my seat, shaking with laughters and shivering with excitement and aesthetic delight.
Show's overdramatization brings us to the part which I praise the most: Style. It's kind of style that first puts before our eyes some quite clichéd soap-like picture: Common middle-America family consisting of middle-aged Chemistry high school teacher, his pregnant wife, and their cerebral-palsy-inflicted teenaged son. Then chain of circumstances invokes some highly absurd and eerie, often impossibly funny, unbearably scary and hopelessly sad situations. It's the kind of style you may find in 50's noir films, in pictures of French nouvelle vague, in characters of movies by Quentin Tarantino, the Cohen brothers and Robert Rodriguez.
In spite of the vortex of intense and dangerous situations the show manages to carry throughout all its episodes some unexplainable vibe of incredible, Buddhism-like calmness. As if we were told some sort of ancient myth or fable. Of course it has a lot to do with sophisticated work of cinematographers and subtle inputs of art designers. Although I usually prefer dark, foggy, shadowy could be said depressing cinematographic atmosphere ("Twin Peaks," "the X-Files," Millennium," "the Sopranos"), I found myself amazed by crystal clear images of "Breaking Bad." Insignificant and empty on the surface, yet filled with dimness and despair; New Mexican sun that doesn't burn you, it gives chills and almost numbs you in the end.
I'm not going to say anything about lead actor Bryan Cranston. His character doesn't speak that much either, it's all written on his face. Aaron Paul's character, on the other hand, has some mouth on him, but don't let him disencourage yourself, yo biach. Their intentions are good, in different ways. But you know the road to hell is paved with what, aren't you?
All of the above combines in highly unorthodox, exceedingly entertaining and fairly thought-provoking top-notch TV-show third season of which premièred March 21st on AMC or wherever you may or willing to get it.