Breaking Bad

Experienced viewers and television fans have long known that the most interesting offerings in recent years are usually not movies, but American TV series that defy typical commercial templates and set the bar of television productions very high. Even with the most famous and discussed shows, however, I felt a sense of manipulation and the presence of various tricks or cheap motifs. To increase viewership, they rely on various "cool" characters and unrealistic plots or moments. Breaking Bad is a series that works without these tricks, firmly staying grounded while remaining visually attractive. The story of an aging middle-class man worn down by family stereotypes with lots of debts and problems, who suddenly realizes that instead of a pension plan, he should have taken out a proper life insurance policy, and whose lifespan is suddenly not calculated in decades or years, fascinated me from the very first moment with its exceptional craftsmanship, from the outstanding performances, direction, and editing to the story itself and its ability to show real life and real problems of present-day America alongside the main storyline. Have you ever wondered how little it took for the fates of famous historical figures to take a completely different direction? Walter White was once an exceptional student and promising scientist with a great career ahead of him. In the end, he became a deeply indebted chemistry teacher at a meaningless high school and, at the same time, a man under the thumb of his dominant wife. Sudden illness and a medical examination bring him closer to the end of his life journey. Suddenly, he has nothing to lose, and the prospect of imminent death mobilizes his will, energy, and willingness to take risks. He witnesses a police raid on a drug lab and realizes that his creativity, intelligence, and determination could succeed and provide for his family in a world of uneducated criminals. He gradually loses his inhibitions and discovers previously unknown talents as a manipulator and a liar, climbing step by step in the hierarchy of the criminal underworld. He learns to navigate a world that was previously foreign to him, removing obstacles and being on the best path to becoming a legend in the eyes of both the underworld and the police. The old Walter remains only a shell, giving birth to Heisenberg, a cook of the highest-quality methamphetamine that drug addicts have ever had the chance to taste, and at the same time, a man who experiences the taste of power and what ambitions really mean. At the last moment, he tries to fulfill his dream of greatness without looking back at his surroundings. Breaking Bad is a great story of a person's moral downfall, an impressive and brilliantly written drama in which I fail to find any significant flaws in more than 60 episodes. It is an incredibly well-crafted ride where the quality of the script not only does not decline but tends to increase and culminates in a finale that is truly unforgettable. The scene where he tells his terrified wife with burning eyes, "I am not in danger, I am the danger," quickly became iconic within the realm of television production. Breaking Bad combines high artistic demands that satisfy the critical community with excellent entertainment for viewers. The series can be thrilling, darkly humorous, and always surprising. Furthermore, its strength lies in the fact that, unlike other works, it does not use relativizing morality, and it never trivializes the actions of its antiheroes or seeks excuses for them. It calls things by their proper names. Overall impression: 100%. (15/08/2017) (less) (more)

Season 1 – 90% – All expectations turned upside down. Potentially annoying scammer Jesse is my favorite character from the first scene onwards, potentially annoying caring Skyler positively surprises me with every decision. I want to know as much as possible about both of them, I want to see more of the main hero's abilities to get out of the worst situations, and ultimately, I just want to see where such a series can go. I didn't find any superficiality or false glamour of the drug trade here, quite the contrary. It starts as a genuinely restless family drama set in the unfortunate/lucky backdrop it can unfold. My biggest wish is for it to continue in this humane manner. Season 2 – 70% – I enjoyed it when Walt fought with his own morals in the name of his family, but I don't enjoy it when he tramples over his family and their values and only uses his original goals as an excuse. As my sympathy for the main character decreases, so does the quality, because his constant arrogant and rude behavior towards his (no matter how silly and naive) partner breaks my heart, just like Walt's way of making decisions in key situations, such as the obvious moral dilemma in the final episode, Phoenix. It's a shame, because there is still a lot of potential, and the outlook is becoming significantly darker. Hank, on the other hand, is working his way up to become the most charismatic TV cop. Season 3 – 80% – Some actions lead down a complicated path, but others don't. After the events of the previous season, the main character is still the deserved attraction for me, but I can't root for him, mainly because of his lack of self-reflection and sufficient repentance. On the other hand, the underrated Pinkman, thanks to Aaron Paul's perfectly human performance, becomes the driving force of the series in every aspect. However, the creative and incredibly suspenseful level of the show is truly restored only in the final two episodes, during which I hardly breathed due to nervousness, and I truly appreciated Giancarlo Esposito's nearly anti-mimic acting performance. Season 4 – 75% – Most AMC shows, in their exploration of interesting topics, reach a critical point where breathtaking twists start to thin out, and the humane approach begins to border on boring stagnation. Breaking Bad reached this point precisely in the hype of the fourth season, and there were times when I thought that any further dialogue between Walt and Skyler about the "car wash" could kill me. Fortunately, the second half of the season, which again deeply delves into the relationship between Jesse and Walt and introduces Jesse and Gus and Jesse and Mike relationships, is completely different in terms of tension. The dramatic ending of the last episodes cleverly presents a great climax, and it is a pity that Vince Gilligan often can't restrain himself and lets impressive scenes go too far. The building of an overwhelming pressure from all sides is as claustrophobic, if not more, as the previous season. Season 5, first part – 80% – Walt is unbearable. I never understood his popularity, and now, when the inconspicuous psychological terror against the depressed Skyler has finally reached its peak, I am sickened by Heisenberg's boastful monologue to the point of nausea. Although Bryan Cranston still has surprises up his sleeve even in the fifth year, the development of his character has disgusted me for a long time. I praise Gilligan for it, as well as Jesse's definitive maturity and the pervasive sense of the inevitable beginning of the end, led by the episode Dead Freight, probably the best episode of the entire series. Season 5, second part – 90% – Saving the best for last. If it weren't for a few missteps that, nonetheless, reflect the development of the entire series, it might even be an absolute rating. Nevertheless, I was given eight episodes that leave such a strong impression that I could easily forget about the weaker periods. It is here, at the moment when everything is falling apart and literally all characters are on the verge of disaster, that you can best see who has grown closest to our hearts. And when I reminisce about Breaking Bad, I will always be grateful for giving me one perfectly complex character that quickly became one of my all-time favorite TV characters. Unlike most viewers (whom I will never understand), this character is not Heisenberg, Walter White, a self-absorbed villain, no matter how we may call him. In my eyes, it is the broken and perpetually stumbling addict and unfortunate soul, Jesse Pinkman. (20/05/2016) (less) (more)