"It Had Never Been Done on Television Before"
January 17, 2018 10:48 PM Subscribe
The Oral History of Breaking Bad To mark the 10-year anniversary of the premiere, Esquire spoke with Breaking Bad’s creators, actors, and broadcasters to reflect on this little-show-that-could, its groundbreaking approach to antihero storytelling, and its ascent from hidden gem to cultural phenomenon.
Ten Years Later, Albuquerque Is Still Breaking Bad’s Town
Ten Years Later, Albuquerque Is Still Breaking Bad’s Town
Though it premiered a decade ago, AMC’s seminal drama has an ongoing hold on the southwestern city—and the tourists who don’t want to let Walter White go.Breaking Bad Premiered 10 Years Ago — Here's What the Cast Is Up to Now
Whether you're a die-hard fan of the AMC drama...or you've only caught a few episodes here and there on Netflix, you might be curious about what the show's core cast is up to these days. From scoring Oscar nominations to starring in even more twisted TV shows, read on to see where Bryan Cranston, RJ Mitte, and more ended up.
They did that superbly with the title of the finale episode:
Jesse Plemons plays the lead role in the first episode of season four of Black Mirror. He was Todd, that dead-eyed neo-nazi in BB. At the very end of the episode Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman in BB) does the voice-over of the asshole gamer.
posted by adept256 at 11:34 PM on January 17, 2018 [19 favorites]
The episode title, "Felina", is inspired by the character Feleena from the song "El Paso" by Marty Robbins, which plays a major role during the episode.[4] The writers changed the name from Feleena to Felina so that it would also be an anagram of Finale.[5][6] Moreover, the word Felina can also be broken up into three different symbols of chemical elements found in the periodic table: iron (Fe), lithium (Li), and sodium (Na). Since iron is a predominant element in blood, lithium is sometimes used in methamphetamine production, and sodium is a component of tears, the title was interpreted by some as "blood, meth and tears".Don't forget to come join us over on the Better Call Saul fanfare page. The season four premiere is on April 10, so don't start slicing your cucumbers just yet.
Jesse Plemons plays the lead role in the first episode of season four of Black Mirror. He was Todd, that dead-eyed neo-nazi in BB. At the very end of the episode Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman in BB) does the voice-over of the asshole gamer.
posted by adept256 at 11:34 PM on January 17, 2018 [19 favorites]
Have also really enjoyed Bryan Cranston in the first season of Sneaky Pete, and in the third episode of Electric Dreams (“Human Is”), two projects on which he also has Producer credits.
posted by darkstar at 12:02 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by darkstar at 12:02 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
I heard this podcast with R J Mitte, who plays Flynn, a few years ago. He has an amazing life story. He supported his family by selling homemade sandwiches at school when they were going through tough times. And there were some bad times, with his disability (so many expensive operations) and family situation. But he's such a positive guy, he's beyond all that now, and pretty well set up with the BB money. He was a runway model for Vivienne Westwood, which isn't surprising, he's got the look.
He doesn't need the crutches to walk, he just used them during the audition. Apparently it was a surprise when he first walked onto the set. They decided to keep the crutches though.
He's currently making a flick in Australia called 'Standing up for Sunny'.
He's a big disability advocate too. Remember how Flynn sets up that proto-gofundme for Walt's cancer? There wasn't much acting involved because that's exactly what R J is like in real life. He's so positive and optimistic, listening to him makes you want to get up and do something.
posted by adept256 at 12:40 AM on January 18, 2018 [13 favorites]
He doesn't need the crutches to walk, he just used them during the audition. Apparently it was a surprise when he first walked onto the set. They decided to keep the crutches though.
He's currently making a flick in Australia called 'Standing up for Sunny'.
He's a big disability advocate too. Remember how Flynn sets up that proto-gofundme for Walt's cancer? There wasn't much acting involved because that's exactly what R J is like in real life. He's so positive and optimistic, listening to him makes you want to get up and do something.
posted by adept256 at 12:40 AM on January 18, 2018 [13 favorites]
I get called "bitch" every single day. I have been called "bitch" more than anyone on the planet, and that is very exciting. I'm very proud of that fact.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 1:15 AM on January 18, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by vibratory manner of working at 1:15 AM on January 18, 2018 [7 favorites]
If I had to make a list of the ten best episodes of any TV shows that I've ever seen, Ozymandias would probably be on it. Season 5 was difficult to watch; it felt like a letdown at first because they ripped away some of the things that let you keep rooting for Walt (if you still we're), and he behaved more like an egomaniac and a sadist than ever. Before the finale of season 4, I watched each episode holding my breath and thinking, "will he get away with it?" In season 5, it became, "oh no, can't he be stopped?" The events of Ozymandias were inevitable, but the show really made you wait for them. I can't think of another show in which everything disintegrates/pays off so tragically and painfully.
posted by heatvision at 3:42 AM on January 18, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by heatvision at 3:42 AM on January 18, 2018 [6 favorites]
Holly crying "Mama" during "Ozymandias" (an on-set improvisation by the extraordinarily young actress, or actresses) was one of the most devastating moments of television that I've ever seen.
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:19 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:19 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Vince Gilligan On The Toughest Jams The ‘Breaking Bad’ Writers Put Walter White Into
Most shows that try to do big arcs without a plan fail, often miserably (cough BSG cough). BrBa is the exception that proves that rule -- it's amazing how often the writers started with an image or idea without a plan, and then built towards it.
And while it's in the article, but I think it's worth calling out: this was the first real "Binge Watch," and that had a lot to do with it's commercial success. In both timing and content, it was perfect: Netflix was on the ascent, and the show is one giant arc, compelling the viewer from one episode to the next. It's no accident that Seasons 1-3 show up on Netflix, and then Season 4 on AMC sees viewership more than double.
posted by Frayed Knot at 6:59 AM on January 18, 2018 [7 favorites]
Most shows that try to do big arcs without a plan fail, often miserably (cough BSG cough). BrBa is the exception that proves that rule -- it's amazing how often the writers started with an image or idea without a plan, and then built towards it.
And while it's in the article, but I think it's worth calling out: this was the first real "Binge Watch," and that had a lot to do with it's commercial success. In both timing and content, it was perfect: Netflix was on the ascent, and the show is one giant arc, compelling the viewer from one episode to the next. It's no accident that Seasons 1-3 show up on Netflix, and then Season 4 on AMC sees viewership more than double.
posted by Frayed Knot at 6:59 AM on January 18, 2018 [7 favorites]
My Los Pollos Hermanos t-shirt is ready for the anniversary.
posted by fuse theorem at 7:00 AM on January 18, 2018
posted by fuse theorem at 7:00 AM on January 18, 2018
My then-girlfriend (now wife) was watching the show and kept talking about how good it was, but it was somewhere in season 3, I think, and I didn't have a television of my own, and I wasn't going to ask her to sit and re-watch the whole series with me just so I could catch up, and I wasn't watching that much television anyway, and and and.
fast-forward to season 5 and the hype around the show was insurmountable and I said to myself, "Here's the plan: the second that show is over I'm going to watch all of it so I can't be spoilered any more than I already have."
I ended up watching the entire series front-to-back over 17 days while preparing for and recovering from a minor surgery. It was one of the most intense 17 days of my life. I'm pretty sure that if this show came packaged in pill form the note on the bottle would say, "there is NO WAY you should be taking 4 of these a day. Cut that out."
Unfortunately as a result of the compressed viewing schedule (and some post-surgery pain meds) the whole thing is one big blur and there's no way I could pick out a favorite episode. It's all one episode. I don't think I'll ever have it in me to re-watch on a longer timeline, but that's okay. I have my own personal experience with it.
posted by komara at 7:17 AM on January 18, 2018 [17 favorites]
fast-forward to season 5 and the hype around the show was insurmountable and I said to myself, "Here's the plan: the second that show is over I'm going to watch all of it so I can't be spoilered any more than I already have."
I ended up watching the entire series front-to-back over 17 days while preparing for and recovering from a minor surgery. It was one of the most intense 17 days of my life. I'm pretty sure that if this show came packaged in pill form the note on the bottle would say, "there is NO WAY you should be taking 4 of these a day. Cut that out."
Unfortunately as a result of the compressed viewing schedule (and some post-surgery pain meds) the whole thing is one big blur and there's no way I could pick out a favorite episode. It's all one episode. I don't think I'll ever have it in me to re-watch on a longer timeline, but that's okay. I have my own personal experience with it.
posted by komara at 7:17 AM on January 18, 2018 [17 favorites]
AMC produced an "interactive" website for the show before anyone really knew what it was about. It was posted here to Metafilter, and I somehow got into a fight with someone after he managed to insult his own mother. Not sure what any of that means.
posted by Brocktoon at 8:00 AM on January 18, 2018
posted by Brocktoon at 8:00 AM on January 18, 2018
Did anyone else not ever get around to Breaking Bad for one reason or another and then start watching BB only after watching Better Call Saul?
posted by lagomorphius at 2:25 PM on January 18, 2018
posted by lagomorphius at 2:25 PM on January 18, 2018
It always puzzles me that Aaron Paul and Dean Norris both pretty much failed to springboard from Breaking Bad into equally-good roles in other shows/movies.
Aaron Paul did the Need For Speed movie immediately after Breaking Bad and it bombed; Dean Norris was the lead antagonist in the Under The Dome series, which was awful.
Were they not getting good offers? Making bad choices of what offers to accept? Or was Breaking Bad a lightning-in-a-bottle environment that got once-in-a-lifetime performances from them?
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 3:33 PM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Aaron Paul did the Need For Speed movie immediately after Breaking Bad and it bombed; Dean Norris was the lead antagonist in the Under The Dome series, which was awful.
Were they not getting good offers? Making bad choices of what offers to accept? Or was Breaking Bad a lightning-in-a-bottle environment that got once-in-a-lifetime performances from them?
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 3:33 PM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
I'm midway through a BrBa rewatch and part of the reason I'm watching it is that it spoiled me for most other shows. It set the bar so high that I can't bear to watch everyday drama. Fortunately, there's a lot of other good stuff out there (Six Feet Under, The Wire, Black Mirror, Mad Men, many others). Unfortunately, I feel like I've watched it all.
Anyway, I thoroughly recommend a rewatch, it's a different show when you know exactly how awful Walt is going to get.
posted by AFABulous at 5:18 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Anyway, I thoroughly recommend a rewatch, it's a different show when you know exactly how awful Walt is going to get.
posted by AFABulous at 5:18 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yeah, we're re-re-watching the AMC 10th-anniversary marathon. Feels like on each rewatch it becomes more apparent: Walt was a shit right from the start.
Also, I always forget until the next rewatch how bleak episodes 2 (what do we do with this dead body?) and 3 (what do we do with this live body) are. Those 3 first episodes are a hell of a start to the story.
Somewhat self-linky (I took over from scody partway through the run): FanFare has rewatch posts for the entire series.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:35 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also, I always forget until the next rewatch how bleak episodes 2 (what do we do with this dead body?) and 3 (what do we do with this live body) are. Those 3 first episodes are a hell of a start to the story.
Somewhat self-linky (I took over from scody partway through the run): FanFare has rewatch posts for the entire series.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:35 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Vince Gilligan On The Toughest Jams The ‘Breaking Bad’ Writers Put Walter White Into
This always felt to me, from listening to the Insider podcast, almost like a game they were playing in the writers' room to keep themselves stimulated: to set an immovable flag way off in the distance, then work out how to get there in a satisfying way.
This also relied heavily on them having a strong institutional memory of the show's history: an ability to reach back and remember people, meetings, conversations, locations, objects that they'd used earlier and bring them back into focus again. The show's constantly calling back to itself.
It's surprising to me that there are relatively few loose ends that they didn't pick up and weave back in. The one that stands out most is that at one point it's suggested that Gus has a family -- he cooks a meal for Walt that "the kids won't eat". That got quietly dropped in favor of making Gus appear more insular; and I suspect also to allow the nature of his relationship with Max to remain somewhat ambiguous.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:58 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
This always felt to me, from listening to the Insider podcast, almost like a game they were playing in the writers' room to keep themselves stimulated: to set an immovable flag way off in the distance, then work out how to get there in a satisfying way.
This also relied heavily on them having a strong institutional memory of the show's history: an ability to reach back and remember people, meetings, conversations, locations, objects that they'd used earlier and bring them back into focus again. The show's constantly calling back to itself.
It's surprising to me that there are relatively few loose ends that they didn't pick up and weave back in. The one that stands out most is that at one point it's suggested that Gus has a family -- he cooks a meal for Walt that "the kids won't eat". That got quietly dropped in favor of making Gus appear more insular; and I suspect also to allow the nature of his relationship with Max to remain somewhat ambiguous.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:58 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
I had limited TV time when Mad Men was happening and it was my fave-so I couldn’t watch Breaking Bad until the last season, but my sister was obsessed with it. I almost totally caught up in time for the last episode, but was worried I wouldn’t finish in time to watch with everyone else. So, my sister GLEEFULLY volunteered to explain the entirety of Ozymandias on the phone to me-which she did pretty much scene by scene in real time-and it was the most exciting storytelling experience of my life (don’t worry I ended up having time to watch it)
posted by Kemma80 at 7:49 PM on January 18, 2018
posted by Kemma80 at 7:49 PM on January 18, 2018
Those 3 first episodes are a hell of a start to the story.
I thought it was notable how immediately on attempting to sell drugs, Walt finds himself committing murders.
posted by thelonius at 7:50 PM on January 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
I thought it was notable how immediately on attempting to sell drugs, Walt finds himself committing murders.
posted by thelonius at 7:50 PM on January 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
It always puzzles me that Aaron Paul and Dean Norris both pretty much failed to springboard from Breaking Bad into equally-good roles in other shows/movies.
Aaron Paul did the Need For Speed movie immediately after Breaking Bad and it bombed; Dean Norris was the lead antagonist in the Under The Dome series, which was awful.
Were they not getting good offers? Making bad choices of what offers to accept? Or was Breaking Bad a lightning-in-a-bottle environment that got once-in-a-lifetime performances from them?
Probably the lightning-in-a-bottle. This is something that I noticed first with Star Trek; the actors who got the most work after the series were the ones who got the most before the series, i.e. Shatner and Nimoy. That's generally been true of the sequel series as well; probably the busiest DS9 actor before and after was Rene Auberjonois, who was already generally well-known from Benson and had been the original Father Mulcahy in M*A*S*H. I've been plowing through The Office, and besides Steve Carell and Mindy Kaling, probably the busiest actor has been Ellie Kemper, thanks to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. (John Krasinski has been doing stuff like 13 Hours, which strikes me as the sort of movie that Jim Halpert would make fun of; I'd rather pay money to see Threat Level Midnight than a fucking Benghazi movie. I was surprised and amused to realize that Phyllis Smith was the voice of Sadness in Inside Out, though.) The myth of the big break leading to a lifelong career is probably just that.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:05 AM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
Aaron Paul did the Need For Speed movie immediately after Breaking Bad and it bombed; Dean Norris was the lead antagonist in the Under The Dome series, which was awful.
Were they not getting good offers? Making bad choices of what offers to accept? Or was Breaking Bad a lightning-in-a-bottle environment that got once-in-a-lifetime performances from them?
Probably the lightning-in-a-bottle. This is something that I noticed first with Star Trek; the actors who got the most work after the series were the ones who got the most before the series, i.e. Shatner and Nimoy. That's generally been true of the sequel series as well; probably the busiest DS9 actor before and after was Rene Auberjonois, who was already generally well-known from Benson and had been the original Father Mulcahy in M*A*S*H. I've been plowing through The Office, and besides Steve Carell and Mindy Kaling, probably the busiest actor has been Ellie Kemper, thanks to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. (John Krasinski has been doing stuff like 13 Hours, which strikes me as the sort of movie that Jim Halpert would make fun of; I'd rather pay money to see Threat Level Midnight than a fucking Benghazi movie. I was surprised and amused to realize that Phyllis Smith was the voice of Sadness in Inside Out, though.) The myth of the big break leading to a lifelong career is probably just that.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:05 AM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
I watched BrBa through season 4, after season 5 had already been aired. So I knew how it all ended terribly for Walt from spoilery bits and pieces I had heard online.
So it was that I reached the last episode of Season 4, "Face Off" -- which was an achingly well written and acted episode -- in which Walt and Jesse were delivered from their nemesis and seemed to be semi-reconciled at the end (albeit due to Walt's duplicity).
Knowing what season 5 portended, I stopped there. I just didn't want to experience the story arc of season 5. I've heard wonderful things about season 5, but still don't want to watch it.
In my headcanon, the series ends at the end of season 4, with Jesse getting control of himself and Walt sitting by his pool, having narrowly emerged from all of those harrowing experiences, but still intact. I like that, and am not sure I will ever want to take it from there.
posted by darkstar at 9:15 AM on January 19, 2018 [3 favorites]
So it was that I reached the last episode of Season 4, "Face Off" -- which was an achingly well written and acted episode -- in which Walt and Jesse were delivered from their nemesis and seemed to be semi-reconciled at the end (albeit due to Walt's duplicity).
Knowing what season 5 portended, I stopped there. I just didn't want to experience the story arc of season 5. I've heard wonderful things about season 5, but still don't want to watch it.
In my headcanon, the series ends at the end of season 4, with Jesse getting control of himself and Walt sitting by his pool, having narrowly emerged from all of those harrowing experiences, but still intact. I like that, and am not sure I will ever want to take it from there.
posted by darkstar at 9:15 AM on January 19, 2018 [3 favorites]
I only caught the 3rd and part of the 4th seasons during its original run, so now I'm finally getting to watch the whole thing from the start thanks to AMC's 10th-anniversary marathon. It really is very, very good. Walter really was a dick all along. Somehow I've managed to avoid all but some vague spoilers about the ending, so I'm going to bail out of this thread now until the marathon is over.
posted by homunculus at 10:45 AM on January 19, 2018
posted by homunculus at 10:45 AM on January 19, 2018
Walter White was an asshole from the start, but he definitely didn't abandon his original goal (protect the family) until much later on, which I see as a requirement when sealing his fate. They slow-burned and chipped away at him across several seasons.
posted by Brocktoon at 2:38 PM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Brocktoon at 2:38 PM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
In one of the Fanfare threads, someone mentioned that Giancarlo Esposito spoke Spanish phonetically, so his accent is terrible. I only have the slightest grasp of Spanish myself, but now that I'm paying attention, it's like nails on a chalkboard. The scene where he meets the cousins in the desert (to tell them that Hank is their real target) sounds like a level 1 Duolingo lesson.
posted by AFABulous at 7:52 AM on January 20, 2018
posted by AFABulous at 7:52 AM on January 20, 2018
Huh, the AMC marathon isn't on. It usually starts at 3:00 PM. Fuck, did they change the schedule and show it this morning?
posted by homunculus at 3:38 PM on January 20, 2018
posted by homunculus at 3:38 PM on January 20, 2018
Yep, AMC changed the schedule to mornings. No idea what happened yesterday. Fucking rat bastards.
posted by homunculus at 8:40 AM on January 21, 2018
posted by homunculus at 8:40 AM on January 21, 2018
It's on Netflix, yo.
posted by AFABulous at 12:30 PM on January 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by AFABulous at 12:30 PM on January 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Heh, oh yeah. Duh. Thanks for reminding me. Actually I realized I had seen the end of Season 4, I just got confused by the beginning of Season 5, which is all new to me. Walt is just plain sinister now.
posted by homunculus at 10:00 AM on January 22, 2018
posted by homunculus at 10:00 AM on January 22, 2018
Entire Breaking Bad Series in 1 Minute
posted by fuse theorem at 6:45 PM on January 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by fuse theorem at 6:45 PM on January 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
In the psychic battle between Walter White and Heisenberg, only one will be remembered, while the other will simply fade away.
The Evolution of Walter White From Good Guy Punchline to Powerful Door Knocking Heisenberg
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:06 PM on January 22, 2018
The Evolution of Walter White From Good Guy Punchline to Powerful Door Knocking Heisenberg
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:06 PM on January 22, 2018
Oh man I love this show so much. I wasn’t interested at first because why do I care about some middle-aged man selling drugs? I’ve seen the Sopranos, what could this possibly add?
But I saw an episode of the third season by chance and immediately went back to watch from the start. I always thought Walter was a bitter, arrogant man and didn’t get the hero-worship some fans had of him, so to me the whole thing played like Macbeth. Amazing stuff.
Also Jesse Plemons will forever be known as Meth Damon to me. (based on an AV Club comment I think? or someone here?)
posted by harriet vane at 4:43 AM on January 25, 2018
But I saw an episode of the third season by chance and immediately went back to watch from the start. I always thought Walter was a bitter, arrogant man and didn’t get the hero-worship some fans had of him, so to me the whole thing played like Macbeth. Amazing stuff.
Also Jesse Plemons will forever be known as Meth Damon to me. (based on an AV Club comment I think? or someone here?)
posted by harriet vane at 4:43 AM on January 25, 2018
I couldn't get through more than two episodes of the Sopranos. I don't remember exactly why. I think everyone just annoyed me. I grew attached to Jesse in Breaking Bad very quickly. He's responsible for his crimes, but he sure never wanted things to go as far as they did and he was seriously scarred by killing Gale. Even killing random cartel dudes in self-defense was deeply disturbing to him. I think he would have been content cooking meth with whatshisface and partying indefinitely.
posted by AFABulous at 10:06 AM on January 25, 2018
posted by AFABulous at 10:06 AM on January 25, 2018
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(Plus, neat play on words of the title: Metástasis referring to uncontrolled cancerous growth, and is also the name of a type of chemical reaction.)
posted by darkstar at 10:56 PM on January 17, 2018 [4 favorites]