Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad
Genre	Drama
Created by	Vince Gilligan
Starring	Bryan Cranston Anna Gunn Aaron Paul Dean Norris Betsy Brandt RJ Mitte
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	7[1] (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Vince Gilligan Mark Johnson
Producer(s)	Karen Moore
Location(s)	Albuquerque, New Mexico
Running time	approx. 47 min.
Broadcast
Original channel	AMC
Original airing	January 20, 2008 – present
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created by Vince Gilligan. The AMC network, on which the series premiered January 20, 2008, originally ordered nine episodes for the first season (including the pilot), but the Writers Guild of America strike limited the production to seven episodes.^[1] Breaking Bad has been renewed for a second season consisting of 13 episodes. Principal filming for the second season of Breaking Bad began on July 15, with a tentative air date in 2009.^[2]

The series stars Bryan Cranston as Walter White, a struggling high school chemistry teacher with a handicapped teenage son and pregnant wife. When the already tense White is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, he breaks down and turns to a life of crime, setting up a meth lab in a desire to secure his family's future financial security.^[3] The title comes from a Southern United States colloquialism "to break bad" which is defined as "when someone...has taken a turn off the path of the straight and narrow, when they've gone wrong".^[4] The series is set (and filmed) in and near Albuquerque, New Mexico.^[5]

Breaking Bad has received critical acclaim and won two Emmy Awards for its first season.

[edit] Synopsis

[edit] Season one

Walter White, a chemistry teacher with a pregnant wife and a son with cerebral palsy, develops stage three lung cancer. Walter enters the dangerous world of drugs by using his chemistry knowledge to cook crystal meth in order to support his family when he's gone. Jesse, a former student, is his meth-cooking partner. They use an RV to cook the meth out in the desert. Their arrangement runs into trouble when two dealers whom Jesse had tried to sell meth to appear and threaten to kill Walter if he doesn't show them how he cooks his meth. Walter gasses them before they can shoot him. Walter drives away in the RV with the two apparently dead men and the injured Jesse.

Walter and Jesse discover that Krazy-8, one of the two meth dealers, is still alive. They decide to kill him and dispose of the other dealer's body, flipping a coin to see who has to kill Krazy-8. They shackle Krazy-8 to a pole in Jesse's basement with a bike lock while they figure out exactly how they're going to dispose of them. Jesse, who had won the coin toss, tries to dissolve the dead dealer's body in hydrofluoric acid on Walt's recommendation, but botches this attempt by dissolving the unlucky dealer in his bathtub against Walt's wishes. The acid melts straight through the bottom of Jesse's tub and a mass of acid, blood, and body matter falls through the ceiling of his first floor.

Meanwhile, Walter cannot decide whether or not he can kill Krazy-8, who knows Walter's name and where Walter works. Walt brings Krazy-8 dinner, but things turn badly when Walter collapses in a coughing fit, letting the plate fall to the ground. When he wakes up, he tells Krazy-8 that he has cancer, and is hiding it from his family. After Walt cleans up the mess and returns with more food, the two end up talking about their lives while eating and drinking in the basement. After learning about Krazy-8's life, Walter decides to free him. As he grabs the key from the kitchen, he realizes that Krazy-8 kept a shard of the dinner plate and planned on stabbing Walt with it upon being freed. Walt pretends to free Krazy-8, but instead strangles him with the bike lock that they had placed around Krazy-8's neck.

Hank, Walter's brother-in-law drug enforcement agent, is trying to find the new kingpin of crystal meth (unaware that it is Walter). Walter's wife, Skyler, begins to cry when Walter confesses to everybody that he has cancer, while Jesse goes and visit his parents, only to figure out that his brother is smoking pot. Jesse accepts the blame for the pot and is kicked out of the house. When his brother asks for the weed back, Jesse throws it on the ground and crushes it.

Walter, now willing to go through with the radiation therapy, is determined to pay for it himself using money made from cooking meth. Jesse, who has been cleaning up his act, sells the meth they'd made before and brings Walt the money. They then come to an agreement: Walter cooks the meth while Jesse sells it. Jesse discovers that Walter has lung cancer and figures out that he's cooking meth to help his family when he's gone.

In the season finale, Walter and Jesse get a new meth buyer named Tuco and manage to make seventy thousand dollars a week cooking high-quality meth.

[edit] Season two

Although AMC doesn't know a solid plot for the second season, it will go deeper inside Walter's life, Skyler's baby girl and finding the kingpin.

[edit] Characters

• Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) is a 50-year old high school chemistry teacher who has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. The diagnosis causes a change in Walter's mild-mannered nature. He decides that in order to provide for his family after his death, he will use his extensive knowledge of chemistry to manufacture and distribute crystal methamphetamine. He has a wife named Skyler and a son named Walter, Jr.
• Skyler White (played by Anna Gunn) is a stay-at-home mom who sells items on eBay. She and Walter have one son (Walter Jr). She is pregnant with the couple's daughter, Holly. She cares for Walter very much, almost to the point that she is making all the decisions in his life for him.
• Jesse Pinkman (played by Aaron Paul) is Walter White's partner in his meth business under the nickname "Captain Cook." Walter taught his high school chemistry class, which he failed. He comes from an upper class family but was kicked out of his home presumably because of his drug use. Jesse lives in his late aunt's house that he inherited. He has a much younger overachieving brother named Jake whom he gets along with, despite their age difference and Jesse's reputation in the family.
• Walter White, Jr. (played by RJ Mitte) is Walter and Skyler's teen-aged son. He was born with Cerebral Palsy, which causes some speech and motor difficulties such as dressing and walking, to which he uses crutches as an aid. He looks up to his uncle Hank due to his status as a DEA agent but clearly sees through his boisterous and sometimes embarrassing attitude and embellished stories, and admires and shares his father's intelligence and growing independence as shown by his comment on his father's newly-shaved head ("Badass, Dad")
• Hank Schrader (played by Dean Norris) is a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent. He is also Walter's boisterous brother-in-law, and Marie Schrader's husband. He is currently investigating a possible new meth "kingpin" in the area, unaware that it is Walter. Although loutish and lewd, he seems to genuinely care about Walter and Walter Jr.
• Marie Schrader (played by Betsy Brandt) is Skyler's sister, Hank's wife, and Walter's sister-in-law. She doesn't hesitate to offer advice to others, but she often fails to practice what she preaches. She shoplifts and may be a kleptomaniac.
• Gretchen Schwartz (played by Jessica Hecht) is Walter's old college chemistry assistant and now co-owner of Gray Matter, a successful drug company. Apparently a former romantic interest of Walt's, she is currently married to Elliott Schwartz.
• Elliott Schwartz (played by Adam Godley) is Walter's old college science partner and co-owner of Gray Matter, a successful drug company co-founded by Walter. He is married to Gretchen Schwartz.
• Tuco (played by Raymond Cruz) is a sociopathic drug kingpin who becomes Walter and Jesse's meth distributor towards the end of season one. He is unpredictable and prone to violent outbursts, but surprisingly respects Walter because of his superior product, business style and guts.

[edit] Episode listing

Main article: List of Breaking Bad episodes

[edit] Season one

The first season consisted of nine episodes, but due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike only seven episodes were filmed. The first season premiered on January 20, 2008, and concluded on March 9, 2008. Bryan Cranston won an Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Lead Actor, Drama Series for his portrayal of Walter White.

[edit] Season two

AMC announced on May 16, 2008 that Breaking Bad will be renewed for a 13-episode second season set to premiere in March 8, 2009.^[6]

"From critical praise to strong ratings and devoted audience, Breaking Bad further reinforced AMC as a top producer of high-quality, distinctive television", said Charlie Collier, Executive Vice President and General Manager of AMC. "Breaking Bad is a powerful, intelligent thought-provoking series that clearly resonates with viewers and critics alike. We're excited for a second season of Breaking Bad with a new provocative storyline that will delve deeper into the next chapter of the life of Walter White".^[7]

[edit] Reception

The show has been generally well received by critics, receiving a 74 rating on Metacritic.^[8] Linda Stasi of the New York Post stated that "the acting is as good as you'll see on TV." Time said the series "has the elements of success".^[9] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly rated season one a "B+". [2]

[edit] International distribution

Breaking Bad premiered in Australia on the Showtime/Showcase Pay-TV network on August 28, 2008.

The show debuted its first season in the UK on FX commencing Sunday, September 28.^[10]

Premiered in Turkey on the October 9, 2008 on e2.

Premiered In New Zealand on the October 15, 2008 on C4.

Premiered In Italy on the November 15, 2008 on AXN.

Premiered In Brazil on Sony Entertainment Television (Latin America)

Premiered In Finland on the January 1, 2009 on Nelonen.

[edit] Awards and nominations

The show also garnered four nominations for the 2008 Emmy Awards, including Cranston for best actor in a drama series and Gilligan (Head Writer and showrunner) as best director for a drama series for the Pilot Episode.^[11]

At the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, the show won two Emmy Awards. One for Bryan Cranston for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, the show's top award for a male actor, and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series for Lynne Willigham. The show was nominated and won the Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for Bryan Cranston. Season one is nominated for three Writers Guild of America Award: Best New Series, Best Episodic Drama Episode, for the Pilot and Grey Matter.

The show was nominated for the Television Critics Association Awards for Outstanding New Program of the Year, but lost to Mad Men. The first season won a 2008 AFI Award for best television series.^[12]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Breaking Bad

• The Breaking Bad Experience
• The official Breaking Bad website
• Breaking Bad at the Internet Movie Database
• Breaking Bad "Behind the Scenes" on Flickr
• An example of the Walt's Wisdom personalized Viral