The Tragedy of Breaking Bad--It had to end..but what an ending...

With the final season of Breaking Bad coming out this Tuesday, I wanted to not only review it, but also give me humble take on the show. First off, the show does in fact leave your mind blown. It truly is one of a kind. From the first episode to the last, all 62 episodes are clearly designed to lead to the next, culminating in the series finale that leaves us wondering how a nice, brilliant family man could become so deadly. The series arch of episodes is so brilliant that this may truly be the best show that has ever hit the TV market. But that debate is for another blog. What I wish to do is review the show as a tragedy. For many years, literary buffs have called “Death of a Salesman” the last American tragedy. This can no longer be true. Walter White played by Bryan Cranston is clearly a tragic figure we not only pity, but also relate to quite well. Most American's want to work at a job they love, have a great family and make enough money to get by should something come up. When the show begins, Walter White has little control over any of those things, the only exception being the upcoming birth of his daughter. Once Walter decides he needs 750k to help his family survive once he dies, he begins his descent into tragedy. He will do whatever it takes to not only stay alive, but also help his family—or so he claims. As the episodes pile up, as well as the body count, we see a man that is obsessed with controlling his product, using every excuse to not only stay alive, but also thrive in his environment. Walter not only has a body that literally adapts to having cancer, but he adapts his intellect and product and becomes a drug kingpin. He does not simply “break bad” one day. No, he slowly descends into utter darkness, day after day, choice after choice. What sets this story and show apart from any other is the silence and how it furthers the tragedy of Walter White. For most shows, there is some kind of “soundtrack” for the introduction or theme music. This is not the case with Breaking Bad. Yes, there is an elemental table shown in each episode, but it lasts only 5 seconds before the episode continues. In its stead are extreme moments of silence. In fact, almost all of the season finales end with moments of brilliant and tragic silence. When Jesse shoots Gayle, the gunshot is heard, but tragic silence after. The same can be said as Mike falls to the ground dead, with the quiet flow of the river in the background. When Jesse and Walt shake hands, knowing they have survived the horror of Gus, Walt falsely thinking, “I won.” The biggest “jaw dropper” would have to be Hank discovering “W.W.” is in fact Walter White while emptying his bowels. The sheer denial on his face becomes haunting because of the silence Vince Gilligan wants. These moments of silence are everywhere and throughout all the episodes, a deliberate attempt by a director at the height of his craft: we are silently watching a man tragically become not just a drug kingpin, but also a killer that delights in “Breaking Bad.” We cannot stop his descent, we can only silently watch in horror as a brilliant chemistry teacher withers away, not just neglecting and endangering his family, but his very soul. What truly brings this to a crescendo is when Vince Gilligan does bring in music, most notably, as the show literally ends. Walt has been shot and falls to the ground dead, with “Baby Blues” playing softly as the series comes to a halt. The music means something when Walt dies. Vince Gilligan wants us to know and hear the music, whereas before, we were to be haunted by the silence and destruction of a soul; it's almost as if the death of Walter White is the beginning of happiness, with music the breath of new beginning and spring coming around the corner. We don't need to be haunted by the silence of a decaying soul; we are now free of the “blues” that made the show. Amazing stuff! And that's the point: when there is “noise” or violence, it stands out that much more! From Jesse's killing of Gale to the bomb that kills Gus. The noise becomes so much more powerful because of the silence that preceded it, making the final frame—Walt smiling—that much more powerful. He quite literally “did gain the whole, but lost his soul.” People will continue to argue that Breaking Bad is in fact the greatest TV show to ever be aired. That is a tough call; as the show ultimately focuses on only one person, while other shows, most notably The Wire, focus on whole cities or tragic problems that are not being handled. What most can agree on is this: enjoy the artistic brilliance—on every front—of Breaking Bad.