It's always hard to call what pieces of media and art will stand the test of time and be considered classics. A lot of people believe that in the current age of media we no longer have classics coming out. Things have been dumbed down for the current audience and media from this decade will be forgotten. I have to disagree with that. We tend to look at decades and see the best in them and forget the bad and mundane. We remember Back to the Future because it's a great film. I almost guarantee we will have the same warmth for Guardians of the Galaxy in thirty years.
I think something most people can't disagree with is the fact that television has gotten better then ever. With streaming services giving you unlimited access and full creative reign, a lot of filmmakers have gravitated towards television as a way of telling their stories. A recent trend. A few shows were ahead of their time like David Lynch's cult favorite Twin Peaks that definitely told a narrative story through an over twenty episode run. That show was able to pick up best drama television show at The Golden Globes when it came out.
I write all of this to prepare you for Breaking Bad's success. A lot of people now consider Breaking Bad more or less The Godfather of television shows. Shows weren't the same after this came out. A lot of dramas operated a whole lot differently with its storytelling. When this came out, it was one of the most watched, discusses and acclaimed shows ever created. I started watching the show my Freshman Year of High School and got into it but ultimately left after season two for a bit. I had all intentions of finishing the series but always had something in the way. When Corona came and we had to Quarantine I decided it would be a good time to finally finish the series.
To say that the hype this show gets is worth it is almost an understatement. Breaking Bad is absolutely perfect. Towards the end of Season 2 I was hooked. I binged through Season 3 in about three days. It's such an easily bingable show because each episode ends off on such a good cliff hanger. Show runner, creator, writer and overall genius Vince Gilligan is the master of making his audience want more. The show is able to capture the ordinary mundane parts of the human condition and then show the high stakes world of the meth business and create such a strong narrative throughout. This show has constant surprises and it seems like every best decision that could be made is made. I was worried that maybe the last episode wouldn't be able to fulfill all the investment I put into the show but it did. The final shot gave me chills down my back. This had been a journey I had taken for over fifty hours and it all came to a satisfying conclusion. That's the best feeling media can give you.
This is a perfect story about how doing the wrong thing for the right reasons can send you on a spiraling path to doom. The end does not justify the means to get there. It also shows how your own ego and obsession with self fulfillment can get in the way of your perspective of life and your family. You can start to loose a grip on everything that was once important because of your obsession and fixation on something. This could be your self image, your art, your job and yes- even your meth lab business.
While most of us will hopefully never be in the position Walt is in, this is a tale that is applicable to all of us. We must do what we think is right but we also must know when to stop and how far you can go. If you go too far then you might never be able to come back to normalcy, only to fade away from a life you once knew.
I cannot stress it enough, this is a perfect show. It is a show with constant twists and turns with amazing pacing. A show with masterclass writing and acting. This is a show that will be one that is remembered as one of the best pieces of media to ever come out in the 2010's and it is so nice to watch a show that is already such a cultural landmark in American iconography.
