lessons learned from breaking bad
Jon Carr | Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 11:51PM 
Over the past week I have immersed myself in an all out Breaking Bad marathon. During our travels, several people had recommended the series and I finally broke down to watch all three seasons. For those unfamiliar with the show, here is the description from Amazon:
Popular water-cooler drama about an unremarkable and uncharismatic chemistry teacher, Walter, who discovers new passion in his life after he learns he has terminal cancer. Once a successful chemist, Walter now teaches apathetic high school students and works part-time at a car wash to help support his family - wife Skyler, who earns a modest income buying and selling items on eBay, and son Walter, Jr., a strong-willed 17-year-old suffering from cerebral palsy. Realizing he has nothing but his family left to live for, Walter's new sense of purpose reinvigorates him into a man of action as he turns to an exciting life of crime to provide for the ones he loves.
These marathons can be trouble for me because it tends to become addictive and many of my important daily activities fall by the wayside (like updating the blog). The series proved incredibly well done and worthy of its recent Emmy nomination. While a bit off topic, I have compiled a list of the things I have learned after my 32-hour marathon.
10. Never trust a drug addict.
The story revolves around two main characters, Walter and Jessie. Walter has cancer and is struggling with medical bills. Jessie is Walter’s former student and is struggling with drug addiction. Walter is consistently getting Jessie out of trouble because of his drug addiction. While this trouble is what drives the story lines forward and creates the drama that brings me back, Jessie’s addiction has led to many near death encounters for both of the main characters. Jessie’s actions has led to a consistent string of disappointment. As Gus Fring, the major drug distributor tells Walter when they meet, “Never trust a drug addict.”
9. It is best not to have a brother-in-law who is a DEA agent if you are going to manufacturer large quantities of drugs.
This one is pretty self explanatory but adds an extra level of tension to the show.
8. Good writing is what makes this show sing.
Most movies and TV shows are pretty predictable but with Breaking Bad, there have been numerous times I have been blindsided by a dramatic event. It is refreshing. Breaking Bad was created by Vince Gilligan, who was heavily involved in the X-Files. The X-Files was one of my all time favorite shows.
7. There is a future for all of my time lapse work.
This show is built on a few of my favorite things including wonderful writing, beautiful cinematography (including scenic time lapse), and compelling characters. The show utilizes some beautiful time lapse imagery and makes me feel better about the hours I have invested in this technique.
6. If you are going to launder money it is good to have someone on the inside.
Walter is seeking out legit businesses to launder his money and it is important to have someone on the inside who can be trusted to look the other way. It is also important to invest in a business that isn’t way out of left field. If it is out of the ordinary, it will raise suspicions with the IRS.
5. It is alway a good idea to have a clean up man if you lead a life of crime.
Mike is the cleaner for Saul Goodman, the corrupt lawyer for Walter and Jessie. He reminds me of the Harvey Keitel Winston “the Wolf” Wolfe character from Pulp Fiction. Mike has been instrumental in keeping Walter and Jessie safe during their steep learning curve in the drug world. Always good to have someone watching your back.
4. I love the dynamic between the two main characters, Walter and Jessie.
Such an odd couple but it seems to work. There are many layers to their relationship and it has been fun to see the characters develop over the three seasons to become king pins in New Mexico. So much drama.
3. Story is king.
I am one for high production value but it ultimately comes down to the story. If I am engaged in the story, all the other details fall by the wayside. The production value of Breaking Bad is top notch but it is the engaging story that brings me back and keeps me watching.
2. If you follow your passion, success will come.
While it can be argued that Walter isn’t passionate about drug manufacturing, he is very much passionate about science. He makes a significant amount of money and while it does ultimately come with a pretty severe cost, he does reach the pinnacle of his profession. This is one I struggle with especially as we gear up to return to the States. Do I come back and get a “safe” job with a good salary and benefits or do I follow my passion of filmmaking with no guarantees.
1. Manufacture and sales of Crystal Meth probably isn’t the best profession.
Crime, murder, and drug manufacturing isn’t a very safe way of live but it sure makes for some fun television.
Now that I have watched the entire series, I promise to get back to my day to day activities. I know I can change. I won’t disappoint you this time. You can trust me. I will be more active on the blog after getting over this addiction although I do have three seasons of Dexter in my suitcase calling my name.
When in doubt refer back to lesson number 10, never trust an addict.
Reader Comments (9)
Nice to see you around here. I will get off my high horse on this one because we bought all the DVD's on the streets of Cambodia for roughly $15 USD. A discount I feel a little guilty about.
Season two is amazing. We will have to discuss when you catch up. Good to hear from you.