If you have never watched Breaking Bad, it is time to get cracking. It is unquestionably one of the greatest television shows ever produced, thanks in large part to stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul—and all previous seasons are now available for you to watch before the show’s final eight episodes air later this year.
If you’ve never seen it, here’s a quick rundown: Walter White (Cranston), a mild-mannered chemistry teacher, finds out he is dying of cancer, and he’s concerned about his family’s future. He’s really good with chemistry, and he comes up with a formula for meth that becomes extremely popular on the streets.
What starts as a way to put some money in his bank account before death comes a-knocking turns into a tragic thirst for power. What happens as a result of his choices has provided five seasons of incredible storytelling.
Season 5 picks up after Walter has killed drug lord Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), and Walter’s ego is out of control. This leads to tension with his apprentice (Paul) and wife (Anna Gunn), and far too many close calls with his in-the-dark lawman brother-in-law (Dean Norris).
God bless the folks who hired Bob Odenkirk to play sleazy lawyer Saul Goodman. There’s been talk of Saul getting his own show, and I say: Make it happen!
Interesting trivia note: Both John Cusack and Matthew Broderick were offered the role of Walter White, but declined.
The final eight episodes of Breaking Bad begin airing Aug. 11 on AMC. Start cramming if you haven’t watched the show yet. It’s not to be missed.
Special Features: This package is loaded. Audio commentaries that feature Cranston, Paul and series creator Vince Gilligan abound. You get deleted and extended scenes, and a ton of behind-the-scenes stuff. A lot of work went into this one.