Thank you cable television for another gritty, envelope pushing series. Shows like Breaking Bad, Dexter, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, The Shield, and others have definitely given me a new appreciation of the medium. I almost feel sorry for the traditional networks as their hands are tied by the ratings system and don’t have the latitude to work with that the cable networks do. I say almost, because there is apparently still no shortage of people who will tune in to the inanity that constitutes the majority of the broadcast networks’ lineups.


While Breaking Bad does require a health dose of willing suspension of disbelief at times, I am thrilled that there are shows out there tackling not so family friendly subject matter. I feel this show does an admirable job of examining topics like the choices we are presented with and tempted to take when life throws us curveballs. Bryan Cranston does a wonderful job with his character as does most of the rest of the cast. I also love the overall production design and the camera work. Some of the storylines are a little far-fetched, but remember folks, this is fiction…not a documentary.


I must admit my extreme bias regarding this series. I was born in Albuquerque and have lived here all my life. The hospital I was born in is right across the street from one of the motels the series regularly shoots at on Central Avenue (Route 66 as it passes through the city.) I am a ‘Burque Boy through and through and it fascinating and a little mind-blowing to see some of my past and present stomping grounds in a TV series. I know that for all you folks in ‘real cities’ that have seen production after production filmed in your sandboxes, this is probably no big deal, but I admit getting a thrill out of seeing ABQ represented, even if it is for the very real meth problem here. There are actually a great deal of productions shot here, but they are usually depicted as being somewhere else.

Despite its high production value—quite impressive for basic cable, particularly a scene involving a dead drug dealer and hydrofluoric acid—I just couldn’t get into this.

It was much too dark for my taste, and while I found the idea of a meek high school chemistry teacher “breaking bad” and becoming an ass-kicking, meth-cooking, drug-dealing cancer patient interesting, it wasn’t ultimately all that believable.