‘Breaking Bad’ Is Very, Very Good
Down and Out and Up Again in New Mexico
Now we’re talking. The dark dramedy Breaking Bad, AMC’s second original series after last year’s Golden Globe-winning Mad Men, contains my kind of comedy—gritty, sarcastic, realistic, and best of all, action-packed at times, as well.
I must admit, however, that my TV buddy fell fast asleep out of boredom only five minutes or so in, despite remaining wide awake during a CSI: Miami rerun before and a Law & Order: SVU rerun afterwards. I guess that reflects the fact that Breaking Bad isn’t for everyone. Still, based on the pilot alone, I hope the show manages to gain a good-sized share of thus-far deserved popularity.
It doesn’t hurt that the series created by X-Files executive producer and writer Vince Gilligan stars Malcolm in the Middle alum Bryan Cranston. I’ve always enjoyed the actor’s work, but when I caught him on last spring’s short-lived NBC improv-reality series Thank God You’re Here, I gained new appreciation for his natural comedic talent. His performance was rolling-on-the-floor funny and not something to be forgotten.
After years of watching him play silly funny on shows like Malcolm and then ad-lib funny on Thank God, Cranston’s excellent turn in the Breaking Bad pilot is exactly what I expected. Along with the humorous moments both wry and hilarious, there isn’t a time that you don’t believe he is the central character, middle-aged high-school chemistry teacher Walter White, even during the lengthy stretch the actor spends cavorting around the desert wearing nothing but his undies.
White is a burdened and understandably sad character who upon learning that he has inoperable lung cancer—he doesn’t even smoke, for goodness sakes!—undergoes a subtle but stark transformation. The resulting audacity, if you will, then enables him to pursue an unexpectedly proactive course of action to take care of his family’s financial needs before his days are over. What does he do? He decides to use his considerable skills in chemistry to begin manufacturing high-quality crystal meth, a guaranteed cash cow … if he can avoid the numerous dangers of drug dealing.
As the pilot makes very clear, it’s not so certain that White will manage to successfully navigate a secret life as an illicit druggist, especially in New Mexico, where DEA agents—one of whom is his brother-in-law—eagerly hunt down every offender they can find. It’s this sense of ambiguity that helps makes the dramatic aspects of Breaking Bad so compelling, while the spot-on performances of the supporting cast give the entire storyline an unmistakable high-quality sheen. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
The Verdict: A-
Breaking Bad currently airs Sundays on AMC at 10pm EST
Bryan Cranston/Breaking Bad photo courtesy of AMC
