Say my name.

Before watching the critically acclaimed show Breaking Bad, I had the misconception that HBO was the only company worth my time when viewing “prestige” television. I was wrong. I judged Breaking Bad by its cover before even attempting to get through chapter one. I am pleased to say that I corrected this mistake and just recently finished the show. Did it stutter occasionally? Yes.

However, the pros heavily outweigh the cons; let’s discuss and see what this week’s pick scores on the Cent Scale.

First and foremost, it must be said that the main protagonist, Walter White, may very well be one of the best-written characters to grace the small screen. Walter’s complexity and depth by the end of season five are genuinely remarkable. Bryan Cranston is so good in the role that by the end of the show, you are essentially rooting for someone that has indirectly or directly arranged the deaths of around 300 people. What makes Walter so interesting in the first couple of seasons is how he is entirely out of his element when entering the Methamphetamine business. My initial draw to the show is how we see an everyday family man interact with individuals with little to no moral compass. Simultaneously, Walter still has to go home every day to a wife and son who accept and even expect Walter’s mediocrity, without the slightest idea as to what Walter actually does outside of his personal life.

This family dynamic is the backbone of the show and part of why Walter is so easy to root for even after every horrid action he has done. When Walter starts at the very bottom of the social food chain, whether at work or home, Walter is content with his averageness. A lot of people can connect with this on a deeper level. Whether you don’t feel like you are living out your life with purpose or if you feel like your potential is long gone. Walter represents all those who yearn to break out of the societal shackles that grip the everyday man. This familiarity allows you to root for Walter rather than pray for his downfall.

Walter isn’t the only character that is brilliantly written and executed. Every side character, whether it be Jesse, Hank, or Skyler, do great work in making Walter’s charade more lived-in and authentic. Each of these characters raises the stakes by showing what Walter will lose or have to come to terms with when he eventually is forced to face the music. However, let’s not talk about the characters who Walter protects; let’s talk about the enemies who threaten everything he has worked so hard to maintain. The villains of Breaking Bad are violent, imposing, and calculated. Each has unique characteristics and strengths that contrast very well with the mild-mannered Walter.

For example, the ruthless and cracked-out antagonist Tuco Salamanca. Actor Raymond Cruz steals every scene he’s in when his character Tuco is on screen. He is one of the more physically imposing threats that Walter has ever faced and is a wild card in every sense of the word. His chaotic demeanor makes Tuco contrast perfectly with Walter and helps him to understand why working with others in this business is always going to be a gamble.

A standout scene showcasing how abrupt Tuco’s actions are occurs when one of his goons tells Walter off just before leaving a deal. In hearing this, Tuco beats his underling to death in front of Walter for the remark, despite the goon directing it towards Walter, not Tuco. In moments like these, we can see Walter being shaped into the man he will become. The constant senseless violence in this line of work makes Walter desensitized to the death and destruction he experiences. This moves me to a significant point, there would be no “Heisenberg” (Walter’s criminal alias) without the villains throughout the show’s plot. With each villain that Walter overcomes, he learns another trait or tactic that allows him to stay two steps ahead of anyone in his way.

With all those pros discussed, there are bound to be some cons, right? With most shows that exceed more than one season, there will eventually be a bump in the road. Whether it be action, few and far between, or plot points that fail to push the story forward. Season two of Breaking Bad is the winner of this unfortunate title. Not entirely terrible, but definitely not on par with the rest of the show; this season has moments that drag and fail to capitalize on the tension set in motion with the very start of season two. This isn’t an issue that would carry the show’s quality down, but its qualms are just enough to keep it from being the “masterpiece” that many claim it to be.

*Spoiler Alert*

If you haven’t seen the show by now, and don’t mind spoilers, continue reading. Did the show do justice to Walter and give him a fitting sendoff? Yes, I believe it did. Walter tells Jessie several times throughout the show that his mind is his real weapon. He has repeatedly showcased this by outwitting every enemy that stood in his way. It is no different in the show’s finale. With Walter showing up to a meeting that is presumably a trap, he turns the tables on his former partners with a self-made Gatling gun in his car’s trunk. It’s a tense and satisfying payoff for arguably the most irredeemable villains the show has produced. With this fitting final hurrah, Walter realizes that he has been shot by a stray bullet with his own contraption; he lies down and lets everything that has chased him for so long catch up to him. There were some decisions made behind the scenes where some supporting character’s outcomes were left for the viewer to decide, which works well in some cases, but here it felt a tad odd. Regardless, as far as an ending to the man that calls himself Heisenberg, a fitting ode it is.

In conclusion, Breaking Bad has one of the most compelling and three-dimensional characters ever put on television. Walters’s journey is so captivating and emotionally raw that you root for him from start to finish, despite witnessing firsthand the death and destruction his actions caused. Only one thing can allow such a connection between audience and character, a complete understanding of the material and the motivations that keep them going to the very end. All these reasons and more are why I am giving Breaking Bad this Cent Score.

Cent Scale: 4 cents

Not a masterpiece, but as close as one can get.

Make sure to tap the thumbs up button down below and subscribe if you want to be notified for new posts each week. A big thank you to all of those continuing to check out these posts, I will see you all next week with a Video Game post on Gaber’s Two Cents.