Your typical, Primetime Emmy Award-winning television show doesn’t include drug deals, almost 270 murders, and the biggest drug empire in the southwest. Yet Breaking Bad has won ten Primetime Emmys since its creation in 2008, including the 2013 award for Outstanding Drama Series. But what is it about this show, revolving entirely around illegal activities and getting around the law, that is so appealing, especially to teenagers?
Breaking Bad is about high-school chemistry teacher Walter White who learns he has lung cancer. He is sure that he will die, so he starts making meth with his former high school student Jesse Pinkman so his family will have money when he is gone. Although this may seem a bit far-fetched, many students seem to enjoy how real the show is. Junior Andrew Kirkham believes that teenagers enjoy the show so much because it’s able to seem real to people while not being boring.
“I think the relevancy has a lot to do with it,” Kirkham said, “and not that a lot of teenagers are doing meth and watching it and that’s why it’s relevant. No, the issues addressed throughout the story provide the relevancy to a lot of current issues. At the same time, however, the show understands how to keep things interesting while staying in the bounds of reality.”
Kirkham’s example of this is the end of season two, in which a plane crashes in White’s city and traumatizing many people there. Kirkham believes that this relation to current events is what makes Breaking Bad so intriguing, it’s so much like the real world, but so far away.
Another distinct feature of the show is the current trend of the “anti-hero”, where the main character is not the stereotypical good guy. White is exactly that, starting illegal activities for his family but spiraling out of control until he’s the man you love to hate, or don’t hate at all.
“There is no clear line between the good guys and the bad guys,” junior Stephen He said. “Even though Walt is the main character, he is a selfish and terrible person. It makes you think about who to root for, and whether or not you should be rooting for them after all. That’s how the world is. Nothing is cleanly divided, there’s grey area in everything.”
Although it seems as if everyone would hate White, a large portion of the fan base loves his as he’s murdering people left and right for no good reason and putting his family in extreme danger. His genius inventions win over fans at home while making characters in the show hate him.
Extreme development is not left only to White, though. Detail and complexity is found in all characters, even minor. He commented that he has never felt indifferent towards a character, he has had strong opinions about everyone to come through that world.
So how, specifically, does this get teenagers to watch it? Sophomore Nick Larimore believes it’s not only because it’s so well written, but because White “breaks bad” and does something so dangerous, Larimore thinks that aspect appeals to teenagers incredibly. He thinks because it’s so easy to talk about.
“After I watch an episode of Breaking Bad, I always discuss it with my friends,” He said, “and every time I understand something about the episode that I missed or didn’t get the first time around. There is a ton to discuss, and even the most fundamental aspects of a show, like whether a character is good or bad, is debatable.”
The much anticipated series finale aired on Sep. 29, 2013 to a crowd of over 10 million viewers. Most fans loved the ending, they think as Larimore did, that the way in which is tied up all the loose ends was incredibly satisfying and that the show is in a class of its own. While fans are sad that the show is over, they’re glad for the experience.
“There won’t be anything quite as special in a very long time,” Kirkham said.
