I've Finally Watched Breaking Bad... Really lives up to Hype! · 10:43pm May 15th, 2021

For years, I have had some friends who have gone on and on about a show called "Breaking Bad", with many naming it the greatest show they've ever seen. Despite having access to it, I never got around to actually watching it for a few reasons, with the big ones being time and the fear of the overhype.

However, during this emotional year I've been having, I decided to finally give it and its sequel Better Call Saul a watch and... I'm glad to say, unlike Avatar: the Last Airbender, I think Breaking Bad deserves all of the hype! It's tense, it's fun, it's smart enough (there is some obvious creative liberties taken, but I rolled with them for the most part), it's really all of the praise I've heard about it.

Unlike Avatar, which has been an extreme chore to watch (hence the difficulty of writing the blogs), I was able to watch all of BB and BCS from start to finish without much of a problem. Yes, there have been some subpar episodes, but the good really outweighs the bad, and the characters are a big part of the good.

The BB main characters, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, are very interesting to follow. Walter starts out as a pushover but gradually becomes a hardened criminal. He really does become a villain, but because we've followed his story for so long and gotten to know him the most, I can never completely be against him. I was rooting for him win, lose, then win again at various parts of the story. Like I said, he does become a villain, a vial one at that, but getting to know him and his reasoning does hold back my hate for him. He and his story are a rollercoaster.

Jesse, on the other hand, is actually someone I rooted for more and more as the series progressed. Yes, he has been a criminal since the first episode, but he was never a supervillain; more of a petty thief with a heart of gold. He tries to act big, but his conscience keeps him human, and I never found myself actively rooting against him. There were times I wish he would realize the circumstances around him more, but he matured as the series progressed, and he is probably my favorite character in BB.

The side characters are mostly really good, too. To keep it brief, Hank is the real hero who tries to do what is right and not runaway from his problems, Mike is the cold but intelligent and modest killer with so much charisma, and Saul Goodman is comic relief done right. He just might be the most likeable lawyer in history (I realize that's not really saying much, but just trust me on this). He still deserves everything that happens to him, but I like him a lot, and I'm glad we got to know him more in BCS.

However, not everything in BB was pleasant to watch. Some storylines, plot points, and episodes were not greatest (I'm looking at you, Fly), but I was willing to overlook those low points because I did not think they were that bad and could usually find some enjoyment in them. That said, there is a recurring, permanent part of the show that never goes away that I legitimately just hate, and I know that it's the most obvious answer in the world for anyone who has watched Breaking Bad, but I fall in line with it, too, and I believe there's is a good reason why it's the go to answer for anyone asked what is their least favorite part of the show. That part: Skyler White.

What can I say? Hearing her sing "Happy Birthday" ruined her character for eternity. Jokes aside (well, maybe I was only half joking), I feel the need to explain myself on this one and provide a little bit of context. I actually did not hear much about Skyler during the years I was not watching BB. I can only recall one time, just one, where a friend brought her up, and all they said was "Yeah, I don't like her". Going into the show, I was not expecting much from her at all. I thought she would just be clueless about Walt's identity as Heisenberg like Danny Phantom's parents were. When the show started, I did find her a bit controlling and naggy but not to an excessive extent, and certainly not enough to the point of hating her. I actually did not mind her at first and thought her actions were mostly justified and came from a place of heart. However, after Holly is born... oh boy.

Without going too much into spoilers (still, spoiler warning), I will say this: I don't like nagging, I don't like hypocrites, and I certainly don't like a nagging hypocrite. My gosh, the choices this woman makes are baffling to say the least. She starts off petty and maybe a little reasonable, but she really goes off the deep end as the series goes on. She claims she wants to stop Walter from his criminal actions but goes along with them, she hates the idea of killing but suggests offing Jesse when he becomes a problem, and she says she hopes Walter faces some sort of justice despite her partaking in a fraudulent video of Hank on top of all the illegal activities she does, and those are just the things that come off the top of my head. And the reason she claims she goes along with Walt's criminal activity in spite of supposedly not wanting to: "I don't want our children knowing their father is a drug dealer." Lady... think about that. Think about all that is wrong with that. It is a very stupid idea. If you really want to protect your children, you turn their drug-dealing father in to the authorities, not aid and enable him on his endeavors. And the final cherry on top: she will be there every time to nag about how wrong Walt is, and nag she will do in excess. I realize that Walter, Gus, Tuco, Jack, etc. are worse people, but they never deny their wrongdoings. Skyler plays the victim, thinking everything she does is justified. She could have just left Walter at any time. He really made no attempt to stop her from leaving, but she stayed and partake she did. I think Walter Jr. said it best: "If all this is true, and you knew about it, then you're as bad as him."

Okay, that's enough on that. Wow, I didn't realize Skyler would take up this much on the blog. Says a lot, don't it?

To conclude, I was very pleasantly surprised with this show. That said, I do think I enjoy Better Call Saul a little more, but that could be a blog for another day. The good way outweighs the bad, and I highly recommend it.

So, have you watched Breaking Bad? What do you think? Maybe could chat about it down bellow!

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