Their instincts are to do the right thing, however, all of this takes place in the context of the production and sale of a drug that is infinitely addicting and destroys the lives of most who use it. These two, we are told through the narrative of the show, are too good to be bad. Walter tries to act like his own idea of a hardened criminal, but instead is tripped up repeatedly by his inability to shut off his fatherly nature, is almost undone when he finds out his cancer is in remission, his mission is over, but his marriage is in shambles because of his overwhelming drive to protect his wife and children. Jesse the swaggering wannabe with his gangster talk shows himself, through incredibly nuanced character building by the writers, to be a lost little boy, desperate for a place in the world but without the emotional foundation for self respect, addicted to drugs as much for the high as for the false confidence they provide, desperate to love and be loved in return. But along the way, as these two would be drug lords make one mistake after another, the viewer starts to become invested emotionally. This show could be a simple morality tale working from the theme that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and the first few episodes take just that tact. Out of his desperation, Walter makes a deal he knows is a bad one- he will use his knowledge to produce high quality meth, and Jesse will sell it and split the profits, providing a financial cushion for the Whites.
Enter Jesse Pinkman, one time student of Walter’s, now a low level drug dealer who uses his rudimentary knowledge of chemistry to “cook” his own product- methamphetamine.
His immediate concern is for his family and how he can provide for them after his death. Walter White, high school chemistry teacher, father of a special needs teenager and a soon to be born baby girl, devoted husband but otherwise an underachiever and something of a sad sack, is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. The premise of the show started as a simple one. However, I was reminded as I watched the first few seasons again of the divine drama that sucked me into this gritty show in the first place. The subject matter seemed depressing, and I tend towards more positive escapism. I held myself back from watching the show for a number of years.
In preparation for the debut of the sixth and final season of Breaking Bad on AMC on August 11th,I have been engaging in a marathon of previous seasons.
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