The final season of AMC's Breaking Bad starts on August 11.
I was a relative latecomer to Breaking Bad. I'd seen the pilot when it first came out, and (foolishly) got turned off by the dad from Malcolm in the Middle and what seemed like a preposterous storyline. My bad.
Fast forward a couple of years, and I heard Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) interviewed by Teri Gross on NPR's Fresh Air. That, and a host of critical acclaim and I figured it was time to give the show a second look.
When someone tells you Breaking Bad is the best show ever on television - they aren't kidding. Everything about the show is great - casting, plotlines, dialog, music. Even the cinematography is superb. (By way of comparison, you can watch all six seasons of The Sopranos and never see a shot that is particularly interesting from a visual perspective.)
As someone who knows a little bit about organic chemistry, the creators got the meth-cooking just about right, without actually giving you any real hints how to make the stuff. (Note, I hope it doesn't ruin it for anyone, but a chemist of Walt's abilities could pretty easily synthesize methylamine himself - no need to rob trains.)
If you haven't seen the show, and are curious - check it out via Netflix streaming. The first four seasons are available here in the US, and also - I believe - in the UK. (Season five is on the iTunes store.)
I was a relative latecomer to Breaking Bad. I'd seen the pilot when it first came out, and (foolishly) got turned off by the dad from Malcolm in the Middle and what seemed like a preposterous storyline. My bad.
Fast forward a couple of years, and I heard Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) interviewed by Teri Gross on NPR's Fresh Air. That, and a host of critical acclaim and I figured it was time to give the show a second look.
When someone tells you Breaking Bad is the best show ever on television - they aren't kidding. Everything about the show is great - casting, plotlines, dialog, music. Even the cinematography is superb. (By way of comparison, you can watch all six seasons of The Sopranos and never see a shot that is particularly interesting from a visual perspective.)
As someone who knows a little bit about organic chemistry, the creators got the meth-cooking just about right, without actually giving you any real hints how to make the stuff. (Note, I hope it doesn't ruin it for anyone, but a chemist of Walt's abilities could pretty easily synthesize methylamine himself - no need to rob trains.)
If you haven't seen the show, and are curious - check it out via Netflix streaming. The first four seasons are available here in the US, and also - I believe - in the UK. (Season five is on the iTunes store.)
