I'm sitting here, whiling away the hours until the newest episode of Breaking Bad airs tonight by listening to the first episodes of the last season which are on the TV behind me. Listening, because I've seen them and I'm on the 'net, reading any articles I can find about the award-winning series. I want some clue, some insight as to how the last shows will play out.
WARNING: If you haven't seen any of the show and intend to, then quit reading now. I won't reveal everything that happens on the show, but have to mention an important part that explains what led me away from the show and what led me back to it.
I started watching Breaking Bad when it first started, but early in the series I grew extremely uncomfortable with the storyline. The episode that made me turn away was the one where Walter White has a drug dealer named Krazy-8 tied up in his basement and is conflicted about what he will do with him. White talks with the drug dealer, more-or-less bonding over shared interests and decides he can't kill him and goes to get the key to release him. When White realizes Krazy-8 has hidden a shard of glass in order to kill him, White has no choice but to kill his hostage.
What made me so uncomfortable was my own thinking, thinking that agreed with Walter White's decision to murder the dealer in cold blood. White had been a sympathetic character until that moment and he truly hadn't got to the point of "breaking bad" until then. What disturbed me was how I also saw there was no other way to resolve the situation and I agreed with his actions. In other words, I saw a part of Walter White in me and I couldn't stand knowing that about myself. I quit watching the series then.
Now, I'm not saying I would ever have started manufacturing meth, but I certainly understood how quickly good intentions can turn to bad. After all, the road to hell is paved with them. You can't play a game with the devil because the stakes are your soul.
A season or two went by and one night when there was nothing else on (or the Cowboys were playing poorly, I can't remember) I tuned in the show again. I was a little confused at how the plot was progressing, so I searched online and found the Breaking Bad Wiki site and got up to speed. The shows were thrilling to say the least and I regretted my quitting watching. Since that time, I've watched all the episodes on AMC or at other sites (I'd rather not link to). I found forums that discussed the motivations of the characters, the tiny details I had missed - the hidden meanings in colors and plot points I had overlooked and while I knew the writing was brilliant, I now think it's nothing short of genius.
I'm having a hard time waiting on the end to begin. What will be the ultimate result? The writers have left clues, but nothing definitive, at least not to me, not now, but I expect that after the end credits roll on the last show it will all become clear.
WARNING: If you haven't seen any of the show and intend to, then quit reading now. I won't reveal everything that happens on the show, but have to mention an important part that explains what led me away from the show and what led me back to it.
I started watching Breaking Bad when it first started, but early in the series I grew extremely uncomfortable with the storyline. The episode that made me turn away was the one where Walter White has a drug dealer named Krazy-8 tied up in his basement and is conflicted about what he will do with him. White talks with the drug dealer, more-or-less bonding over shared interests and decides he can't kill him and goes to get the key to release him. When White realizes Krazy-8 has hidden a shard of glass in order to kill him, White has no choice but to kill his hostage.
What made me so uncomfortable was my own thinking, thinking that agreed with Walter White's decision to murder the dealer in cold blood. White had been a sympathetic character until that moment and he truly hadn't got to the point of "breaking bad" until then. What disturbed me was how I also saw there was no other way to resolve the situation and I agreed with his actions. In other words, I saw a part of Walter White in me and I couldn't stand knowing that about myself. I quit watching the series then.
Now, I'm not saying I would ever have started manufacturing meth, but I certainly understood how quickly good intentions can turn to bad. After all, the road to hell is paved with them. You can't play a game with the devil because the stakes are your soul.
A season or two went by and one night when there was nothing else on (or the Cowboys were playing poorly, I can't remember) I tuned in the show again. I was a little confused at how the plot was progressing, so I searched online and found the Breaking Bad Wiki site and got up to speed. The shows were thrilling to say the least and I regretted my quitting watching. Since that time, I've watched all the episodes on AMC or at other sites (I'd rather not link to). I found forums that discussed the motivations of the characters, the tiny details I had missed - the hidden meanings in colors and plot points I had overlooked and while I knew the writing was brilliant, I now think it's nothing short of genius.
I'm having a hard time waiting on the end to begin. What will be the ultimate result? The writers have left clues, but nothing definitive, at least not to me, not now, but I expect that after the end credits roll on the last show it will all become clear.
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