Hooked

I started watching the American tv drama series 'Breaking Bad' just under a month ago and since then my brother and I have managaed to rinse through about 3 series already. The Emmy Award-winning show stars Bryon Cranston ( Most reconisable for his role as Hal in 'Malcom in the Middle') who plays the role of Walter White, a middle aged man living an under-adverage life as a chemistry high school teacher,who is diagnosed with lung cancer and give only a limited time left to live. what would you do if you were given only a few more months to live? Probably not set up a crystal meth lab with your ex-student.Walter and Jessie Pinkman (Aaron Paul) partner up and start 'cooking' in an old motor home in the middle of the Albuquerque dessert. seems legit.

Its no wonder this series has won six Emmy awards, as well as Cranston being nominated for a Golden Globe award. not only is the story line original and inticing, but the use of editing and camera work also adds together with the impecible acting of the cast to make 'Breaking Bad' the success that it is.

I love the use of establishing shots of the dessert, heat rippling across the orange sand, crimson sunsets and clouds of dust, the whole mise en scene of the film is beautiful. editing is all up to a high standard, with each scene and cut seamlesssly moving on to the next, I find myself thinking 'oh, that was smart what they did there' but perhaps thats just my media trained brain! I am also fond of how each episode usually starts with a short scene from the future or the past, which draws me in and leaves me wondering- a narrative hook to keep the audience interested.

The acting also does not dissapoint. Cranston has done well in transforming from his shallow character from 'Malcom in the Middle' in to a very diverse personality portrayed in Walter, who is a believeable and relatable character. Each character has their own personality- Jesse brings aspects of comedy to the show with his 'gangster' ways and nievety; as well Walters wife Skylar white (Anna Gunn) and his DEA broth-in-law Hank Schrader (Dean Norris).

The story lines in the early episode have done well in developing action and drama- events such as killing two drug dealers and dissolving the evidence in a bath of acid... However the show has subtly developed over the series and is now capable of making episode with less action and more meaning, but still being successful.

So if you've become bored of what the dreary and boring British televion has to offer, check out Breaking Bad!