Great TV While High: Breaking Bad

Weedists, if you have been craving a television show that delivers a hell of a ride with every episode, definitely give Breaking Bad a try! Without a doubt, Breaking Bad is the best television show I have ever watched. And that says a lot.

I got into BB during my last semester of college. It was spring break, and I wasn’t partying. Instead, I was holed up in my apartment, sleeping, smoking pot, and enjoying my few weeks of freedom before the chaos began again. I had already taken to watching full series of shows during college breaks, and I was looking for another one. My sister constantly raved about the hour-long show that had already been on AMC for two seasons. So I was a little late in my discovery, but it didn’t matter since I watched all 27 episodes in a week. And then I wanted more.

The show revolves around Walter White, a high-school chemistry teacher who leads a quiet, normal life in Albuquerque with his pregnant wife and teenage son. He finds out that he has inoperable lung cancer (even though he doesn’t smoke.) Worried about his family’s financial future should he die in the foreseeable future, Walter resorts to cooking meth with his former student, Jesse Pinkman. Their meth lab initially is in a beat-up RV, and by Season Three they are working in a state-of-the-art meth lab that is cleverly concealed by laundry facilities. Meanwhile, the methamphetamine business wreaks havoc on Walt and Jesse’s lives just as fast as it grows.

Like The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad consumes you, and you can’t help but get emotionally invested into the characters. The acting is superb, and the scenes are filled with introspective moments. Every scene, every element in this show means something. It takes viewers on an unpredictable ride, teasing them with tests of the human condition.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Breaking Bad is the transformation of Walter White from an average school teacher to “Heisenberg,” drug lord. The show takes place during a span of a year or so, but Walter turns from protagonist to antagonist in this short amount of time. Skyler White goes through her own transformation as well, from innocent, unsuspecting wife to money launderer and accomplice.

Here are a couple of examples of Walter’s transformation:

In the beginning, Walter has no clue how to be a criminal:

Breaking Bad: Walter White Begins from Michael Warren on Vimeo.

Walter has nothing to lose as he makes a dangerous deal with Tuco, Mexican drug kingpin:

Skyler becomes afraid of her own husband:

Watch Breaking Bad’s very first episode and I guarantee you will be hooked! The only problem you will have is turning away from watching in order to sleep and eat. And don’t forget the packed bowl beforehand!

Check out other posts from Weedist’s Great TV While High series!