Remembering Breaking Bad

The phenomenon of Breaking Bad ended well over 5 months ago, and yet I still find myself thinking about it on an almost daily basis. Ever since, I have tried to find something which I could enjoy just as much, but to no avail. February's new season of House of Cards came close to being just as addictive, but couldn't quite grip me like Breaking Bad did. And I'm sure anybody who has seen it would agree. 

The most memorable aspect by far however, are the final 8 episodes. The final three in particular contain so much action, emotion and edge-of-your-seat intensity that they make up for any episode which somebody may have found dull. Ozymandias specifically had my jaw consistently dropping, but every episode prior amped up the pressure to an unbearable level. I wanted to find out how everything ended...but never truly wanted BrBa to end. 

Hank Schrader (Dean Norris)

Which brings me to the utterly unforgettable final episode: Felina. A name consisting of several meanings, the primary one being that it's a simple anagram of 'finale', these final 60 minutes were potentially the most bitter-sweet that I've experienced in a very long time. It's surprising how slowly the episode builds when compared to the previous instalments, but the final pay-off is definitely satisfying. Watching the camera climb whilst Baby Blue by Badfinger played held a certain melancholy which I won't forget for a long time, especially due to the insane events which occurred mere moments before. The truly great thing was that the audience had been shown the jigsaw pieces that would fit together to create this final scene many episodes prior, such as the huge machine gun, but I doubt anybody anticipated quite how the closing moments of Breaking Bad would play out. 

Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul)

Something that may have been lacking in the final season however was a truly terrifying villain, but season 4's Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) more than made up for this...especially with the 'explosive' ending to that particular season. One thing Breaking Bad never lacked was memorable characters, and Gus is definitely amongst the most iconic. 

When talking about iconic characters though, it's literally impossible to not mention Walter Hartwell White (Bryan Cranston). Every single episode of this 62-part masterpiece is spearheaded by the main man himself, and I cannot imagine the show being nearly as good without Bryan at the helm. I'm not saying his accomplice Jesse (Aaron Paul) is any less of an icon however, as the majority of the incredibly hard-hitting emotional moments are thanks to Aaron Paul's incredible acting and ability. Somebody who is currently making their way through Breaking Bad keeps mentioning how scenes with Jesse make them cry, which shows testament to just how accomplished he is as an actor. I really do hope we'll see a lot more of Aaron Paul in the years to come. 

Walter White (Bryan Cranston)

I suppose the point of all this is just to say to anybody who hasn't seen Breaking Bad: watch it. I doubt you'll come across anything quite as impacting afterwards, but you're doing yourself a disservice by not checking it out. Every single episode is entertaining and enjoyable, and I regret nothing about watching all of them. Just don't expect to make it through the final few without welling up just a little. 

"I am not in danger, I AM the danger."