With a record breaking 10.3 million views for the last ever episode, we finally say farewell to one of the most intense, action packed, and thrilling TV shows of all time. Breaking Bad, the American crime drama set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and created by Vince Gilligan, has given birth to a whole new meaning for the word 'bad'. With ten prime time Emmy awards to its name including: Outstanding Drama Series, and Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Drama (Anna Gunn as Skyler White) in 2013, Breaking Bad has wowed audiences with subtle tones of the Western Genre, and harsh treatment of the realities of cancer, cerebral palsy and addiction to illegal substances. The basis of characters such as Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), as an addict turned meth dealer, match perfectly with the anxiety and suspension that flowed from episode to episode awaiting resolution. In the finale of the show's fifth season, Bryan Cranston's shy cancer stricken High School chemistry teacher, turned drug dealing mastermind alias Heisenberg, finally got his comeuppance. The only thing left to resolve after five seasons of murder, kidnap, and cooking meth, was essentially the character's demise.
The character of Walter White, portrayed by Cranston (who also served as an executive producer on the later seasons) was exceptional to say the least. As each episode rolled on, Walter White embarks on a drug dealing enterprise after finally fulfilling his own inner demons of pride and regret, when creating the near perfection and purest ever crystal meth known as 'blue sky'. In each season, a number of dangerous events occur that test the relationship between Walt and his associate Jesse. The young meth cook is played left right and centre, until his entire world is destroyed by the greed and manipulation that Walt becomes a master of. The standards of performance and action grew with each season, and whilst the show could have been a bit more creative on the ideas that Walt comes up with to the hide the truth from his family (who he swears he is taking all the illegal actions for, so as to leave something behind for them after he has died), the tension between Walt and his wife Skyler was almost mirrored with that of Walt and Jesse. Neither partner understands what it is that Walt is really fighting for, and once his cancer subsided in Season 3, the audience knew the stakes could only get higher for Heisenberg, if he didn't let go of his pride and the fact that he secretly enjoyed being bad.
This seems to be typical of the show's creator Vince Gilligan who has notably turned the protagonist of a show's premise into the antagonist before, with his work on the SciFi series The X-Files. During each season of Breaking Bad, Walt comes up against the intense measures of: being hunted by D.E.A. Agent and Brother-in-law Hank Schrader (Dean Norris), constantly threatened by the crime family The Cartel, controlled by a mastermind in the form of Los Pollos Hermanos owner Gustavo Fring, and finally trying to escape a band of neo-nazi gun for hire's. Yet it is Walter White who aptly becomes 'the danger' that his wife Skyler fears will hurt her family. Similarly to Tony Soprano in the HBO series The Sopranos, although our protagonist is near evil, we can still relate to his actions. This resonates with Walt's horrific acts to keep his drug enterprise running, and keep his family under his thumb. In the finale we almost agree with Walt's own words: "It can't have been for nothing". It seems the show will be truly missed, especially from the reaction on Twitter with thousands of fans tweeting their thoughts and feelings followed by #goodbyebreakingbad. But regardless of this reaction, for those who have not watched the show week by week, year after year, a true mastermind of viewing pleasure has cropped up so that more viewers can enjoy the genius that was Breaking Bad. I refer of course to Netflix, just one of many online banks that exist so that audiences can watch hundreds of TV shows and films without the commercials, the breaks, and the urge to illegally download content that networks prefer to be seen when broadcast on TV/Online.
After harsh criticism over the last year to the Netflix original series House of Cards, actor, producer, and director Kevin Spacey stated this in response to those who would criticise the existence of Netflix, and other programmes that allow for different viewing options and the critical success that can follow:
"[In 1990] the film industry didn't believe that television could ever become its biggest competitor. I do not think anyone today 15 years later - [in terms of character driven drama] can argue that television has not indeed taken over.
"The warp-speed of technological advancement - the internet, streaming, multi-platforming - happens to have coincided with the recognition of TV as an art form.
"So you have this incredible confluence of a medium coming into its own just as the technology for that medium is drastically shifting. Studios and networks who ignore either shift - whether the increasing sophistication of storytelling, or the constantly shifting sands of technological advancement - will be left behind."
Having caught up for the final episode of Breaking Bad by using the free month trial that Netflix offers before it charges a relatively inexpensive £5.99 a month for its content, I couldn't be inclined more to support Spacey's views. Not only did House of Cards pick up nine of its fourteen nominations at the Emmy's this year, but for shows like Breaking Bad, audiences were indulged with even more original content. If you were watching the final episodes as they were uploaded week by week onto the server, you could also enjoy the show Talking Bad, a running commentary where the show's stars and producers gave their own personal insight into what was happening in each episode. During the Emmy awards, Spacey stated this in regards to the benefits of the online community in an interview with an L.A. Times reporter:
"More companies are going to step forward to do this kind of thing, so more shows will be produced, more actors will be hired, more work done. ... It's good for the economy as well,"
"I'm a big fan of 'Breaking Bad' and 'Dexter,'"
If influential members of the creative industries continue to support the online community as Kevin Spacey has, there can only be further growth in that market. Whether you believe in this type of viewing or oppose it in favour of the old broad/narrowcasting method, I would still urge anyone who has not seen House of Cards or Breaking Bad to take hold of the entertainment that Netflix offers. For aspiring filmmakers, it is quintessential that we gain wider support so that our films and methods of storytelling are not reduced by budget, studio systems, or online opposition. In the last ten years we have seen a rise in popular entertainment by using the very technology that has become available to all households. Whether it's a network produced series that goes straight to Netflix, or a fan film on YouTube, the landscape is never ending. My advice to those who wish to stay within the conventions of TV and the media industry...Break Bad!!!
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