Not Just a Show about Meth Anymore: Breaking Bad - Season 4

"The back of yo' head is REDIKALOUS"

Is it wrong that now whenever I hear the word 'cook', I think of crystal meth? Not to me. It just makes me smile. No, not the crystal meth. It just makes me think of Breaking Bad, which is pretty fucking awesome.

Now up to it's fourth season, it's being regarded as one of the best shows on TV right now, if not the best. I'm not sure if I'd go that far, but it's up there.

The last time I wrote about this show I praised the acting more than anything, but it took me 'till season 2 to realize that as amazing as the performances are, it's much more about the story. The plot really takes center stage from there on in. These are characters that are so well developed that at every turn their decisions are unpredictable, yet somehow, as soon as they take action they always seem to feel appropriate.

The story also benefits from a relentless pace. There hasn't been one filler episode in four seasons. Every detail, every bit of information fed to the viewer is relevant, sometimes in the smallest ways. Every plot hole is addressed, creating a level of realism that just can't be matched for a story this intricate.

The base subject for this season is really interesting to me. It asks the viewer  a very simple question that hopefully people don't ever really need ask themselves; if you had a job where you were forced to think that your boss was willing to murder you at the drop of a hat, would you do it? And if so, would you act any differently that Walt and Jesse do?


I wouldn't make some of these decisions. These two have been through a lot, and anyone can tell that over four seasons, it's taken it's toll. Some of their reasoning is outright bizarre, but when you put into consideration the crazy shit that their profession has put them through, you really can't argue that they need to blow off some steam somehow... And that makes for amazing television: when a great character does something ethically and morally questionable wrong, and we agree with their choice, that's fun to watch.

If you think about it, it's what fuels TV storylines these days. Characters doing bad things that make us feel awesome. Dexter is my current favorite show, and it's probably the best example for obvious reasons. It's focus is making the viewer feel murder is justified and it makes you cheer for the murderer. It might be turning into a formula, but it works, and we're enjoying it. Everyone loves doing stupid things every once in a while, and the only reason we don't more often is because we can't justify them... Well lately, TV has done them for us. And it may not feel as nice, but it's pretty satisfying.

Breaking Bad does an amazing job at this. Every episode has something being blown up, something being destroyed, someone being killed. And at all times, it keeps hold of you. BB seems to make sure that it doesn't jump the shark in it's insanity. It all seems very calculated in the escalation of the character's actions. Obviously the writers are building to something great, and with the announcement that the fifth will be the final season, something probably deadly to some of these characters. I say that because I can't picture all these characters walking out of this show with their lives. There are way too many skeletons in everyone's closets for it to work itself out into a happy ending... and I wouldn't have it any other way.

In closing, being the setup for the final season, the fourth isn't transitional in the least. I would actually say it's the best season since the first. Don't get me wrong, every season is a must watch for this show. Every bit is essential to understanding how complicated this story has become. And for content this outlandish at times, it feels real. And to me, that's what makes it great.

8.5/10

The Walking Dead: Season 1 Review

When I first saw a poster for the series The Walking Dead, I was skeptical. A television series with zombies? It sounded weird to say it out loud. Movies like Dawn of the Dead (original and remake), 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead had already made zombies cool. People have been enjoying zombies in book and graphic novel form as well. Television just didn't feel like the right medium for zombies because the makers would never be able to have the same freedoms as the other mediums. Basically put, how can you make a good zombie series without some incredibly nice gore?

In comes AMC. The channel has gotten a lot of press in the last few years with series like Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Apparently they told the makers of this series that they could do whatever they needed to do to make this a hit and the result is pretty amazing. Now, the show is based on a graphic novel of the same name written by Robert Kirkman, that I have never read. After checking some of it out, it seems to me like the show was pretty much loyal to the original story but also taking some interesting liberties that make the transition from graphic novel to television show better.

The characters are pretty damn similar for the most part.

One of the interesting pieces in this series to me was creator and director of the pilot Frank Darabont. He took this graphic novel and turned it into a viable, tense and incredibly well done series . The pilot he directed is almost a movie in a of itself and it will hook anyone who watches it. The main characters Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Shane Walsh (John Bernthal) are established and they are likable everyday people. There are a couple of scenes that Darabont really makes shine and those are the first time Lincoln wakes up and is staring at the barricaded door where the zombie hand reaches out and the scene at the end of the pilot when Lincoln walks through the park and eventually finds and shoots a zombie torso that had tried to attack him earlier in the episode. There is something about the camera work that makes this series shine. What else can we expect from the director of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile? This guys knows drama and horror.

There are only 6 episodes on this season, but they are all pretty damn good. An episode like "Guts" is surprising to see on tv. The rest of the cast work well with each other. There are various interesting side stories, but the main story will always be finding a way to survive. You can tell when its a good zombie movie when you don't know if the title refers to the zombies or the surviving humans.

Zombies have always been metaphors for humanity at their basest most reptilian forms. This series does a great job not only with some top notch directing but with a good cast, a great script and some really good special effects. Really high recommendation. Watch this unless you are squeamish.

9 out of 10

Breaking Bad season 1 review

So I took a break from watching superhero oriented anime to watch the first season of a little show called Breaking Bad. And I must say that I am presently surprised at my findings.

The other day, when I was halfway through the season, I was explaining to a friend what the show was about. It's about this  high school chemistry teacher  who finds out he's dying, has a handicapped teenage son, and a wife who is mid-pregnancy. He obviously has to leave them something to survive on so he uses his talents to start cooking crystal meth.

Her response was simply, "So it's Weeds, but with meth?" And honestly, to someone who hasn't seen it, that's exactly what it sounds like. But no. It's not that simple. I do love Weeds, with it's off the wall "this is fucked up" humor, but this show somehow creates an ambiance of seriousness about itself that makes it feel real to the viewer, and I do think that's what really keeps the viewer in.

On the other hand, I found the show very funny at times. The characters have very human reactions to these situations. They go through some really tough stuff, but at times I couldn't help but laugh at how you can see the characters thinking out their actions in the most bizarre situations. And it's in these moments where the acting in this show really shines through, when not only do you believe the character, but you can tell how he arrives at his actions though the thought process. Blogger's note: I'm trying really hard here not to spoil anything. Also, I love breaking the fourth wall.

Another thing that adds to that realism vibe is the chemistry. I have no clue how this all works, science is not my strong suit, and I've never cooked meth... But in my eyes they could have been doing some really illegal stuff on that set.

So no... It's not like Weeds. When I think about it, it's more like the Yang to it's Yin. And come on, who doesn't love a show about illegal things?

7/10