'Breaking Bad' Review

From the dark mind of Vince Gilligan comes a twisted tale of a high school chemistry teacher, with a gift for chemical engineering, who becomes New Mexico's most lethal methamphetamine supplier. Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is a high school teacher who is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer.

A high school teacher's salary isn't going to pay for squat and he has no insurance. By chance one of his former students happens to be a meth dealer. He offers to design a "product" for the student and in return he gets a slice of the take. But the product turns out to be more valuable than they both anticipated.

Before long, major meth dealers and the police are hot on the trail of this new player. Some want to take him in and others want to take him out. All Walt knows is that he has to survive but as the series progresses, he slowly descends from innocent high school teacher to lethal drug lord.

Breaking Bad is arguably the most compelling series of its nature of its time. Bryan Cranston (father from Malcom in the Middle) does a master job of portraying confusion with a purpose.

In addition, Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman makes for an interesting mix of debilitating dependency between them and a similar need to survive. Jesse is Walt's street smart meth-head former student who is supposed to eventually become Walt's protégé but Walt keeps all the secrets to his formula locked in the one place no mob boss would dare tamper with… his mind!

Skyler White (Anna Gunn), Walt's wife knows something is up at the beginning of the series but cannot quite put her finger on it. Her brother and DEA agent, Hank, unknowingly gives Walt all the information he needs to avoid police detection by simply dropping over for a visit and talking with his family.

But what really sells the show is Walt's reluctance to slide into his role. He still thinks he is a good person despite all the damage his behavior causes.

With five seasons in its roaster (season five in progress), Breaking Bad has been nominated for multiple awards and star Bryan Cranston has won three consecutive Emmy Awards and three nominations for a Golden Globe. If you are willing to dive into the part of your psyche which deals with dark humor then Breaking Bad is a twisted comedic drama worth your time.