On the surface, "Breaking Bad" is not the type of show I would have watched on my own accord. I'm usually into science fiction and mystery, not people cooking meth and drug cartels. However, I have had a number of people tell me that the show may just be the greatest they ever watched. In fact, I hadn't come across a single person who didn't absolutely fawn over it. Well, I must be the exception to the rule. While not giving up on the show (I will certainly begin the next season), I am nowhere near ready to put it into my all-time favorites running.
For a basic summary, "Breaking Bad" is the story of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a high school chemistry teacher who learns that he has inoperable lung cancer (basically a death sentence). With very little money, Walt makes the odd choice to begin cooking crystal meth after he sees a drug bust on TV yield thousands of dollars. Walt knows the chemistry, but he needs a partner who knows "the business". That is where Jesse (Aaron Paul) comes in, a young man well-versed in the drug business. Of course, things aren't quite so simple for Walt. He must deal with an overbearing wife (Anna Gunn), a disabled child (RJ Mitte), and a brother-in-law (Dean Norris) who just so happens to be a drug enforcement officer.
There are moments in this first season of "Breaking Bad" that are truly great. The first couple of episodes are probably the best, as they really set the improbably stage of Walt's existence. You really feel for him and his family, and Jesse is such an interesting character in his own right that the foundation seems set up for a great show.
However, after those first two or so episodes, I felt like the show was very uneven in tone. Perhaps this is because I obviously do not share the wit/humor of creator Vince Gilligan. He was great writing X-Files episodes, but in this first season of "Breaking Bad" I can't really identify what he is going for in terms of tone. For example...
-Skyler (Walt's wife) is almost the caricature of the domineering wife in some episodes, yet in others she seems quite serious.
-Sometimes, Walt can be as sharp and intense as nails, while at other times he is a bumbling idiot...almost farcical.
-Walt's disabled son seems to have no purpose on the show (at least up until now). It looks like (in the first few episodes) he will have a decent role, but then it is completely marginalized.
To be honest, my two favorite characters from this initial campaign were Jesse and Hank (the brother-in-law). I could see reality in those characters, and so I was drawn to them. The rest, however, I'm still not sure if they are supposed to be taken seriously or laughed at.
Overall, I'm still searching for "what this show is about". Is it a man trying to beat cancer? A man trying to support his family? A sort of tragic, macabre comedy? A story about drugs and the drug business? Maybe Vince Gilligan's goal is to do all of those things at the same time, but if that is the case he hasn't sucked me in completely yet. Instead, I'm a bit frustrated by the changing tone of the show, sometimes from scene to scene.
I'll give this season 3.5 stars out of five. It is a bit disappointing considering the expectations I had for it, but maybe that isn't fair. It is interesting enough to watch and I am intrigued to see what the creators cook up for their second effort.
For a basic summary, "Breaking Bad" is the story of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a high school chemistry teacher who learns that he has inoperable lung cancer (basically a death sentence). With very little money, Walt makes the odd choice to begin cooking crystal meth after he sees a drug bust on TV yield thousands of dollars. Walt knows the chemistry, but he needs a partner who knows "the business". That is where Jesse (Aaron Paul) comes in, a young man well-versed in the drug business. Of course, things aren't quite so simple for Walt. He must deal with an overbearing wife (Anna Gunn), a disabled child (RJ Mitte), and a brother-in-law (Dean Norris) who just so happens to be a drug enforcement officer.
There are moments in this first season of "Breaking Bad" that are truly great. The first couple of episodes are probably the best, as they really set the improbably stage of Walt's existence. You really feel for him and his family, and Jesse is such an interesting character in his own right that the foundation seems set up for a great show.
However, after those first two or so episodes, I felt like the show was very uneven in tone. Perhaps this is because I obviously do not share the wit/humor of creator Vince Gilligan. He was great writing X-Files episodes, but in this first season of "Breaking Bad" I can't really identify what he is going for in terms of tone. For example...
-Skyler (Walt's wife) is almost the caricature of the domineering wife in some episodes, yet in others she seems quite serious.
-Sometimes, Walt can be as sharp and intense as nails, while at other times he is a bumbling idiot...almost farcical.
-Walt's disabled son seems to have no purpose on the show (at least up until now). It looks like (in the first few episodes) he will have a decent role, but then it is completely marginalized.
To be honest, my two favorite characters from this initial campaign were Jesse and Hank (the brother-in-law). I could see reality in those characters, and so I was drawn to them. The rest, however, I'm still not sure if they are supposed to be taken seriously or laughed at.
Overall, I'm still searching for "what this show is about". Is it a man trying to beat cancer? A man trying to support his family? A sort of tragic, macabre comedy? A story about drugs and the drug business? Maybe Vince Gilligan's goal is to do all of those things at the same time, but if that is the case he hasn't sucked me in completely yet. Instead, I'm a bit frustrated by the changing tone of the show, sometimes from scene to scene.
I'll give this season 3.5 stars out of five. It is a bit disappointing considering the expectations I had for it, but maybe that isn't fair. It is interesting enough to watch and I am intrigued to see what the creators cook up for their second effort.