Is Breaking Bad really that good?

You bet it is.

Narrative driven TV shows are not typically meant to imitate life. Sure, some are written from real life experiences, some are written from amazingly sharp imaginations, but in the end they are not designed to imitate real life.

However . . .

One show may be very close.

I, along with my good friend Alex, would like to make a case for the show Breaking Bad on AMC.

First off, Breaking Bad is not for everyone (This includes you mom); this show plays at a varsity level. The Hollywood Reporter sums up the premise:

A pathetic high school chemistry teacher named Walt White who -- upon learning he's dying of lung cancer -- chucks it all to become a crystal meth chef in a mobile lab with a perpetually irritated ne'er-do-well former student, Jesse, to make enough money to provide for his family after he's gone. That family includes a pregnant all-American blonde, and an adolescent son afflicted with cerebral palsy.

So, why would I encourage anyone to watch this?

Alex says:

1) Breaking Bad feels so real.

“Feels so real” In my mind this is the one of two key reasons that Breaking Bad is great. It does feel real at every step of the way. Actions and decisions are deliberate and logical. The show’s progression never stresses my suspension of disbelief.

But any show can do that. The key is to do so in an entertaining way.

The next key element is that the show, “goes there” in other words it moves it’s story’s plot points forward before the viewer might anticipate so. They surprise you therefore leaving events unpredictable.

The accomplishments of both these things are inherent in premise:

A high school chemistry teacher saddled with debt, a handicapped son, pregnant wife . . .

This is the “real” part.

. . . is diagnosed with terminal cancer and decides to start cooking and selling crystal meth in order to provide for his family after his inevitable demise.

This is the “goes there” part.

If you really think about all the great shows you are engaged in, the premise falls on logical decisions that are based on these two elements. That’s my thoughts anyway.

I say:

1) There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Walter is a man who has followed the straight and narrow all his life. He’s not very cool, yet very smart. He’s not a man’s man, yet has a wife loves him. He has tried to be a good person all his life, yet now has terminal cancer. He has worked hard to build a good life and now it’s all going to be taken away.

What did Walt do to deserve this?

This can be debated of course. However, Walt is at a breaking point and in the end decides to do the wrong thing for the right reason.

Rebel (break bad).

He decides to use his chemistry knowledge to cook meth under the premise of financially securing his family. Selfishly satisfying his rebellion and his responsibility. The thrill of breaking the law breathes excitement back into his life only to be brought down by the guilt and shame of his actions. His actions are slowly killing him from the inside out.

What makes this show work is that it isn’t glorifying what Walt is doing. It’s showing you what happens when you make decisions like this. These choices are nothing but destructive and deadly to your soul, family, and everything good you’ve worked for.

2) When you make the choice to rebel, you can't always control your consequences.

It is our human nature to imagine getting away with a wrongdoing. It's also in our human nature to imagine what consequence we "may" receive in order to judge whether the actual action is worth it. The flaw is that when we finally make the choice, the imagined plan of action assumed everything would swing in our favor. Real life denotes differently though and we all know it. This is what makes Breaking Bad feel so real.

When Walt decides to cook meth with his partner Jessie, Walt safely assumes he will only cook and never have to deal with the actual drug dealing. This is a way to justify maintaining his rebellion and responsibility. Unfortunately, his partnership with "dealer" Jessie forces Walt to become more involved alas becoming more endangered. There are more and more elements he can’t control which constantly make him rethink what he’s doing. The more he compromises on the side of his new venture, the deeper and deeper he becomes indebted to it. Now the line of right and wrong is blurred.

What makes this show so attractive is that it’s on the side of “doing the right thing”. Walt is not doing the right thing, but you long for him to make the right decision regardless of the consequences. Breaking Bad, for me, constantly encourages me to be honest and open. It constantly points to the importance of communication and trust. Lastly, it’s an indirect accountability partner, always telling me to choose the right path in life’s “fork in the road”.