Why 'Breaking Bad' Is The Best Show Ever And Why That Matters

Forbes ^ | 9/16/201 | Allen St. John

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Twenty three minutes into Episode 514, entitled “Ozymandias” after a Shelley poem, Breaking Bad made television history. Except that most fans didn’t notice. They were instead ready to cry, scream, vomit, or hurl a waffle iron at the plasma TV, or some combination of the above.

[woofie]

In this Seasons opener
Hank (who is just figuring it all out after using the bathroom and finding the book) steps out on the patio where everyone is gathered and talking just as someone (Skylar”) says about Walt “Aren’t you the devil” about some little thing he had just done

[Ransomed]

“The three minute Windy montage probably turned more kids off drugs than 30 years of dumbass “this is your brain on drugs ...” commercials.”

Well that still doesn’t explain all the pro-gay messages and extended sex scenes the writers cram between all the brilliant anti-meth/crime themes.

So there.

Freegards

[Salamander]

I missed that.

Maybe I haven’t deleted it from the DVR yet.

[I admit I don’t follow every little word spoken...surely I’m not the only person who FReeps and watches the show at the same time?]

[FredZarguna]

Wife and I get to New Mexico with the kids pretty frequently to spend a week or two. I am so happy that the original scheduling and labor situation for Breaking Bad made a Kali location impossible. If Breaking Bad had been filmed and located in California as originally planned it would have given up too much of its character. Too many people in California; too many shows already done there.

New Mexico has an otherworldliness -- genuinely, the "Land of Enchantment" that few other places, in my experience, have. [Although we've always liked Las Vegas, New Mexico and Santa Fe a lot more than Albuquerque.]

[Salamander]

WHAT pro-gay messages/extended sex scenes?

Seriously!

Ain’t no way I’m re-watching this series so where/what were they?

Did NetFlix cut them out or what?

[FredZarguna]

It’s time gay phrenologists had a show that indulges their fantasies, too.

[Salamander]

*If* I was 100% sure my gas tank was full, my car was flawless and there was a *lot* of bottled water in the trunk, I’d love to go get lost in those gorgeous deserts.

:)

[Salamander]

Now I suspect y’all are just jerking my chain.

Bald men = pro-gay agenda?

[Ransomed]

You must not be squinting hard enough. They have to be there somewhere. Any modern show that has such blatant pro-drug, sex, and crime messages has to have pro-gay aspects too. Birds of a feather and all that.

It’s just common sense, right?

Freegards

[Vision Thing]

I’m sorry to hear about your young relatives who are destroying their lives with drugs, but I suspect watching Breaking Bad had no influence on their bad decisions. More than likely, they probably could care less about Breaking Bad, mainly because Breaking Bad is not targeting them. I know of no teenager nor college student who likes Breaking Bad. I’m guessing it’s because they lack the maturity to appreciate it. Also, it’s neither a glamourous nor a cool show.

Instead, Breaking Bad is a tradgedy.

Pot heads and drug abusers aren’t into tradgedies. Instead, they’re into shallow feelings.

Breaking Bad is not a shallow show.

I’m drug free, and proudly so. Part of why I like Breaking Bad is how it looks down on drug users. It corresponds to how I view them.

[Dagnabitt]

“pro-gay messages and extended sex scenes”

“Breaking Bad” not “Brokeback Mountain”.

Try to keep up.

[Salamander]

So my DVR check showed no season premier of BB ‘kept’ but “Sleepy Hollow” from yesterday is on there.

May I watch this series, in peace?

:)

[FredZarguna]

TTIWWP.
Just as GGLiddy, who's claimed this look was sexy for years.

[Salamander]

My face is smashed up against a 55” LED Samsung.

I’m just not seein’ it.

:-P

[woofie]

Somehow when I think of Breaking Bad I dont think of gay sex so I must not be properly attuned.....

The only sex scene I can think of is Jesse and his girlfriend in bed where she chokes on her own vomit

[PieterCasparzen]

TV does not now nor has it ever influenced me.

I believe every single person on earth has a choice to make and responsibility for that choice.

True.

TV may not influence you, but does it influence others ?

Of course, you correctly point out that "others" can not "blame" the TV for their sins.

I concur with all this so far.

In Christian love I would remind you of the various Bible verses which exhort us to not induce others to sin; to not put stumbling blocks in the path of our brother.

Oddly enough, one of those passages is 1 Corinthians 8, where Paul is discussing the eating of meat sacrificed to idols:

1 Corinthians 8

"1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)

6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."

Now, of course BB is not meat; but the principle taught at the end of this passage is that just because I can handle a particular sinful temptation and not give in to it, I should not use that to think it acceptable to subject my brother to the same temptation. If there are practices in society that are very much a temptation to sin - even though we are able to resist that particular temptation ourselves - we should not be supporting those practices if they cause others to sin. Of course we do not live in a perfect world, so there is always temptation around everyone. In spite of this, however, this passage tells us that we will be held accountable if we promote such practices as pose a stumbling block for others.

This was a very difficult teaching for me to come to terms with; it is still difficult for me. So am no one to boast about my thinking on it. God bless.

[FredZarguna]

Talk about making bad choices.

[Salamander]

[Salamander]

Yeah.

That was real erotic.

[Ransomed]

Walt walks into a room. He is holding a large pair of antique calipers and an Erlenmeyer flask. Hank, Mike, Gus and Huell are all tied to chairs. They look at him with trepidation. Fade to black while ‘She Blinded Me with Science’ plays in the background.

That was an actual scene from Breaking Bad. This show’s depravity knows no bounds.

Freegards