Breaking Badis widely considered one ofthe greatest TV shows of all time, but it took a major risk with its final season.The five seasons ofBreaking Badshow the rise and fall of Walter White, an overqualified high school chemistry teacher, as he starts making crystal meth under the alias Heisenberg and becomes a major kingpin in the drug world. The show won multiple Emmy Awards, with Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul’s acting drawing the most attention. Their chemistry even saved the show’s most controversial episode, “The Fly,” a major risk that paid off forBreaking Bad.
Breaking Badwas never afraid to take risks in just about every aspect of the show, including killing child characters, using unusual storytelling devices, and introducing new twists at the last possible second. While some of the biggestmoments that definedBreaking Badhappened in the middle of the show’s run, with seasons 3 and 4 containing some of the most shocking reveals in the plot, it is season 5 that could have ruined the entire show. Season 5 is the finale ofBreaking Bad, with each episode feeling more devastating than the last.
The Vamonos Pest Storyline Included All The Best Parts Of Breaking Bad
Aftersome ofBreaking Bad’s biggest shocks happened in season 4, the final season began with almost all the characters reeling fromthe iconic death of Gus Fring. Gus was one of the best characters on the show, andBreaking Badcould havefocused on wrapping up each character’s story for the finale. Instead,Breaking Badintroduced a different cooking location and new antagonists. This may have seemed like a risky decision, but the risks paid off, with Jack and his terrifying family making excellent villains, while Walter and Jesse’s new cooking situation included the best things aboutBreaking Bad.
10 Breaking Bad Moments That Almost Jumped The Shark
Despite its signature realism, Breaking Bad challenged the audience’s suspension of disbelief multiple times throughout its five seasons.
After losing Gus Fring’s state-of-the-art lab, Vamonos Pest gave Walter and Jesse a new opportunity. Season 5 saw the two cooking meth inside other people’s homes while Todd pretended to fumigate them. On paper, the storyline sounded ludicrous, but it contained every element of themost perfect scenes inBreaking Bad.Walter and Jesse’s tension-filled partnership was the driving force ofBreaking Bad, and the ingenious solution for a location reflected how unstoppable the two had become. There’s even classicBreaking Badhumor when Skinny Pete convinces a music store owner that Vamonos Pest is the name of his band.
Finales are hard to get right, and manyexcellent TV shows have controversial finalesthat have overshadowed the entire show.Breaking Badhad to find a way to end that was both satisfying and explosive, giving all of its main characters a fitting ending. The show gave emotional resolutions for many characters without being afraid to kill some of the best of them, like Hank. As Jesse was supposed to die in the first season, his ending was especially harrowing.Breaking Badwas powerful until the last moment, and this perfect ending is part of what makes it so memorable.
Breaking Badgave the audiences emotional gut punches with every season.
There were severalalternate endings considered forBreaking Bad, but most of them boiled down to three possible fates for Walter White: he could either escape, die, or be convicted of his crimes. Leaving Walter to live or get sent to prison would have allowed for another season or a spin-off, softening the ending.Breaking Badgave the audiences emotional gut punches with every season, so keeping Walter alive would likely have been an unpopular choice, especially after it seemed that a violent pay-off was coming. Killing Walter wrapped upBreaking Badwhile giving audiences an explosive and satisfying ending.
Breaking Bad
Cast
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
