5 Reasons Why I Love Breaking Bad

Even if you've never watched the show before, you have most likely heard about AMC's incredible TV series, Breaking Bad. I've been watching from the first episode to the last, and I'm four fifths of the way there. But sometimes I cannot fathom the astounding acting and storytelling there is in this show. So, here are five reasons why I love Breaking Bad.

1.) Bryan Cranston

There's so much I could say about this master of acting. He's never been anything but excellent. Walter White is THE anti-hero, and he could not have been played by anyone but Cranston. His character is so perfectly sinister, while seeming somewhat innocent, yet having the worst of intentions. It's incredibly realistic, meaning I would expect to act that way if I was Walter.  I wish I could say so much more, but I can. I just have so much aspiration to one day act like Bryan Cranston. This is nearly impossible for me to say, but there is no better acting job than Bryan Cranston's Walter White. Period.

2.) Aaron Paul

What is Walter without Jesse Pinkman? Nothing. Truly nothing. Jesse has saved his life, taught him how to cook and sell, as well as being moral support throughout his cancer process. What does he get? A slap to the face and told he's an idiot. Both Cranston and Paul have won Emmy's for their performances, and there's an episode in season 3 where Jesse and Walter get in to an argument. And Paul's acting prowess explodes with fire as he rattles off blow after blow on Walter. It's one of the greatest scenes in acting I've ever experienced. You can see Jesse evolve and degenerate at the same time throughout the run of the show. In the beginning he's a stupid punk who can barely stand if he isn't selling or doing drugs and ruining his aunt's house. He then turns in to a raging man, meddled by perilous thoughts and murderous actions which he does not soon rid himself of. He's one of the greatest characters ever created. Period.

3.) Bob Odenkirk
"Better call Saul!" That phrase will stick in my mind forever. Saul Goodman needs more credit than he's given. He may be a sleeze-ball, rip off lawer, but he's the most put together of the whole bunch. He's got his tail covered always, and covered with a bulletproof vest (bulletproof tail?). He's incredibly resourceful, and his commercials are stupid and funny. Yet they remain realistic, meaning I could imagine a commercial for "Better call Saul!" to come up on my TV any day. I've seen those commercials that are like "Got trouble? Get Glenn! Call 222-2222" And Odenkirk plays the part perfectly. Even though he may be a sarcastic jerk at times, but he's always had his arm around Walter and Jesse, and ready to get to work. He may sometimes say its about the money, but let's be honest. After all the stuff they've been through, you can't not love each other.

4.) Season 3 Episode 10: "Fly"
I'm not going to say anything specific due to spoilers, but this is kind of a spin-off episode where Walter and Jesse are trying to get a fly out of the lab due to it "contaminating" things. To put it simply, it is my favorite episode of television ever. It was hysterically funny one moment, then the next, things got somber. Jesse and Walt finally learn a thing or two about each other's personal life. And it's happens all over a stupid fly.

5.) It's Not About Doing Drugs
In the beginning, the meth Walter and Jesse cook is just for a source of income. It's the same way later on, but Jesse did those drugs for a long time throughout the show. Walter did marijuana once, and regretted it severely. Throughout the middle of the series, Walt pushes Jesse to stop, as it is interfering with business and his sanity. Eventually, Jesse gets clean and is much better off for it. But the point I'm making here is not that Jesse shouldn't have done drugs, but that, unlike many shows about drugs, it's not about doing the drugs. It's about monetary greed. Walter wants money. Gus wants money. That's all they want. Walter looks at it like a science, not a drug. It's about money, not about drugs, adding a layer of realistic business to the already multilayered show.

Just for the sake of it's pure mastery of drama, that's why I love Breaking Bad.