Breaking Bad S1 (2008) Review

 Breaking Bad S1 (2008)

Season 1 of Breaking Bad follows mild-mannered chemistry teacher Walter White, who, after getting diagnosed with late stage lung cancer, turns to cooking meth with a former high school student as a way to leave money behind for his family when he dies. 

With Better Call Saul dropping its final season here soon, it only feels right to dip back into where it all began—Breaking Bad. There’s a reason this show quickly emerged as one of the best on TV, with Vince Gulligan crafting a premise that is so full of subtle humor, absolutely preposterous interactions, and heart pounding tenseness, that all the while, demonstrates something so unbelievably human (and American) by wanting to go out on your own terms, in the wake of being failed by the American healthcare system. A man like Walter has played it straight his whole life and so his cancer diagnosis, plus a perfectly timed run-in with former student, and meth-head Jesse Pinkman, allows for Walt to finally live and in turn, break bad. 

It’s an incredibly relatable turn, and while his Heisenberg alter ego is in its infancy, we get flashes of the tenacity, smarts, and ruthlessness that will inevitably make him one of the most ruthless drug kingpins in all of New Mexico. The foundation is set here in Season 1, introducing us to Walter’s oddball family dynamics, his subtle manipulations of Pinkman (a theme which only worsens), partnered with a lucky carelessness, leading to a first season that lays all the groundwork, while shaping our characters and story for the rest of the series that works on every level. 

We get a stellar cast as well, starring Steven Michael Quezada, Raymond Cruz, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Dean Norris, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, and Bryan Cranston. No clue how, but there is a magic to Cranston and Paul’s constant bickering that works unbelievably well. There’s an undeniable chemistry and respect that is just under the surface that provides room for the two to disagree constantly and still connect on a deeper level, with some additional performances from Norris and Cruz, that while small, shine brightly in their over-characterized interpretations of macho men doing macho shit. 

Breaking Bad S1, directed by Vince Gilligan, is a pilot season that presses all the right buttons, introducing instantly iconic (and often overdramatic) characters, themes, and story threads that start the show out fresh, while laying the blocks for more crazy shit to come for Walt and Jesse. 

8.9/10