Breaking Bad…
Two words that previously meant nothing to the television world but since January 2008, have created a storm; a storm of emotion, intrigue, shock and awe. A show that even left its viewers questioning whether they should love or hate the characters involved.
But where did it start?
Breaking Bad was the creation of Vince Gilligan; the mind and the man behind massive television success in the guise of The X-Files.
Gilligan originally just followed The X-Files as a fan of the show but his big break came when he submitted a script to Fox themselves who picked up on it and he started to become a part of the writing team from there.
A rarity in itself but nevertheless, it serves as a fitting showcase of his creative abilities.
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| Vinve Gilligan |
To go back to Breaking Bad itself; a show that uniquely managed to address the protagonist, Walter White, as a desperate and loveable family man but ultimately managed to showcase his downward spiral as he ‘broke bad’. It could be argued that our protagonist eventually became the antagonist as he delved into darker territories. But how? How did Gilligan manage to successfully do this in five short seasons?
It goes without saying that these five seasons would combine to be widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time.
Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, starts his story as a despairing high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with an inoperable lung cancer. The show begins with tragedy of epic proportions and doesn’t relent on continuing down that pathway. Walter White has no choice but to start considering how he can secure his family’s financial future before he succumbs to the cancer. He doesn’t have long to do it and what better way to make quick cash than to do it on the other side of the law?
And so the story begins…
Walter, in a strange pairing, meets with a former student of his - Jesse Pinkman. Pinkman, perfectly cast and played by Aaron Paul makes for a sometimes comical, yet loveable team with Cranston.
Walter, or Mr White as he gets referred to by Jesse, forms a unique alliance with him and they begin to use his skills in chemistry and it isn’t long before the pair are producing and selling methamphetamine to make their money.
A fairly simple idea but made all the more complicated by the fact that Walt’s brother in law, Hank Schrader, works for the DEA and eventually finds himself chasing the mysterious Heisenberg, whom he laters finds to be none other than Walt’s alter ego.
The combination of Cranston and Paul became so strong that Gilligan kept the latter in the show. Jesse was actually originally intended to be killed at the tail end of season one and it’s maybe just as well he did.
Despite the two involving themselves in a life of crime, Gilligan perfectly captures the humanity within them both along the way. After all, even criminals deserve love… even criminals have a life away from their crimes...
The double lives the two lived began to eat away at their abilities to bear the burden of a criminal life - something which they continue to get deeper and deeper involved in.
Along the way, many loathsome and loveable characters graced our screens; from Walt and Jesse themselves, the fearless Gustavo “Gus” Fring to the questionable small time lawyer Saul Goodman… what isn’t to like about the show?
It’s very tough to try and summarise such an epic story, especially when considering that so much was packed into it in such a brief run…
After all, how long could Breaking Bad realistically continue with Walt battling an inoperable cancer?
The world that Gilligan created was so expertly written and expertly cast that many of the actors (and the show itself) won numerous awards and nominations; 101 wins and 267 nominations to be exact.
After 5 seasons and 62 episodes… Breaking Bad finished. It is fascinating to think that 62 episodes was all Gilligan needed to build up and portray the downward spirals of the characters involved but he did it. In fact, Breaking Bad seen itself as one of the most highly anticipated endings of a show in the history of television.
The show Breaking Bad came to an explosive close and thus the world Gilligan created.... or did it?
Recent announcements confirmed a spin off series titled ‘Better Call Saul’ which is going to focus on the life and questionable antics of the lawyer Saul Goodman himself.
Spin-off shows can be a dangerous concept and are often spat at by fans and critics but at no surprise, knowing it is the Breaking Bad world we are returning to, there is a lot of hype and a lot of excitement surrounding this one.
Whether Gilligan brings our favourites Walt and Jesse into the mix at any stage is yet to be confirmed, though it fortunately hasn’t been denied either.
It’s entirely possible that we will see Walter White and Jesse Pinkman on our screens again in 2015.
In the meantime, to commemorate such a pinnacle of television genius, Highrise Collectibles are stocking Breaking Bad figures at unbeatable prices.
You can buy your favourites, Walt and Jesse in their Hazmat suits… or should you prefer the elusive Heisenberg…? You can buy him too.
Check our website: www.highrise-collectibles.com to buy the highly sought after figures now!
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