Why is Breaking Bad a great show?

[Carl-Richard]

Give me your best explanation. Best explanation gets a cookie (laced with meth).

[Leo Gura]

It's a great premise and the hero is not a cliched good guy fighting bad guys but a slow descent of a good guy into corruption.

Well written. Believable and interesting characters.

Edited 1 hour ago by Leo Gura

[bazera]

It's also full of tensions and something important happens in almost every episode so it keeps you very engaged.

Characters aren't black and white and require your rethinking and reassessing them over time. Almost all characters have a very interesting development archs and satisfying endings so it doesn't leave much questions in the end.

It shows you how appearances can be deceiving in people, Wolt appears as a kind decent chemistry teacher but inside he's a egomaniac killer, when Jessy appears as a criminal drug addict but is kind-hearted and decent when things go south.

It shows you what people can do under survival pressure and how messy it can get. 

Also, as dark as the show gets, it still has a humorous aspect to it and is also fun to watch.

As Leo said, it's well written.

But I think Better Call Saul is even better  Don't miss out on that one.

[enchanted]

Rewatching the show right now.

It's one of the greatest shows ever made due to the cinematography, acting, screen play, character development. 

I loved the themes that are thoroughly explored: crime, family, death, illness, corruption. Good vs evil and the overlap of the two. 

It's funny too at times. 

 

 

[Harikrishnan]

We all have a Walter in us. 

[PenguinPablo]

Breaking Bad is essentially a modern-day Shakespearean tragedy, and it’s hard to think of a work in the gangster genre that executes its premise better.

What sets it apart is how it breaks from the traditional archetype. Instead of an egotistical, uneducated sociopath like Tony Montana (or Tony Camonte in the 1932 version), it presents the inverse: an underachieving genius who feels betrayed by life. Walter White’s transformation is not abrupt but gradual—driven by a growing desire for relevance that slowly reshapes every aspect of his identity.

The cinematography reinforces this evolution, but what makes the story especially compelling is Walter’s relatability. He exists within a lower-middle-class reality and carries a persistent sense that he deserves more. Intellectually, he is far above average, yet his life feels misaligned with his potential—creating a tension that fuels his descent.

In contrast, characters in Scarface, Goodfellas, or even are often experienced from a distance. Their stories feel voyeuristic, offering a glimpse into a mindset most people will never inhabit—similar to the appeal of true crime. These characters are compelling, but fundamentally alien.

Walter White is different. He begins as a meek, overqualified chemistry teacher who has been worn down by life, circumstance, and missed opportunity. This grounding makes his transformation far more engaging. When he finally decides “enough is enough,” he doesn’t fully understand what he’s stepping into. Instead, the reality of his choices unfolds incrementally, revealing the consequences alongside him.

That progression—both psychological and situational—is what makes his story not just dramatic, but deeply human.

@bazera

That's the interesting part. At the start you think of Jesse as the criminal but he is really so innocent compared to what Walter becomes. 

Makes you question every day people. 

Are the people in prison the worst of the worst, callous evil sociopaths, or are there more of those amongst us?

Like Walter White. 

It's easy to pretend nice. 

But how do you really evaluate a person? 

With Walter it doesn't become apparent until we ride along with him for a couple of seasons. 

Otherwise, he is this unassuming nerdy middle aged chemistry teacher.

Edited 42 minutes ago by PenguinPablo
Made ideas less scattered and repetitive