Note, even though there is kind of a spoiler in my review concerning one character's ultimate fate that character does not play a major role in the series so it won't really be spoiling anything for the majority of Season 1 or the series. Also, I purposely did not review Season 2 because it would be hard to not lay out some major spoilers if I went into Season 2. Anyone who wants to read my review can still watch Season 1 and not be spoiled.

Breaking Bad revolves around the story of New Mexico high school chemistry teacher Walter White who in the beginning of Season 1 learns he has lung cancer. After reflecting on what life will be like for his family (including his pregnant, stay-at-home wife and his teenage son with cerebral palsy) after he is dead he decides that he must take action to ensure they are taken care of financially in his absence. While mulling over his fate during a ride-along with his DEA agent brother-in-law he spots the notorious “Captain Cook” escaping the ensuing drug bust from a neighboring home where “the Captain” was busy with a female companion. To Walt’s surprise, “Captain Cook” is none other than a former student named Jesse Pinkman. The two spot each other as Jesse is escaping.

It occurs to Walt that he has the knowledge necessary to cook meth and that he now has the other half of the equation in terms of someone who can distribute it in the form of Jesse whom he has leverage on. To make a long story short, Walt visits Jesse at his home and blackmails him into becoming partners. Jesse purchases a mobile lab in the form of an old, beat-up RV and Walt supplies the finest beakers and lab equipment that the local high school can provide and the two make their first batch of meth.

The only problem is that the amount Jesse is selling is not bringing in enough income to pay Walt’s medical bills and provide a future for his family. To make a real fortune in such a small amount of time they need a real supplier who can distribute large amounts. Enter Krazy-8. Jesse visits Krazy-8 to show him the product; the only problem is that Krazy-8 is the cousin of the “cook” who was busted in the raid that starts the season in which Walt spots Jesse. Together, the two cousins take Jesse hostage and force him to take them to the lab in the middle of nowhere where they force Walt to show them the recipe for the Meth (the finest, purest crystallization they have ever seen of course).

Without giving up too much at this point I will just say that some fighting ensues with Krazy-8 ending up tied up in Jesse’s basement. It is here, in my opinion that we see some of the best acting in Season 1 as Walt and Jesse split up duties with Walt having to kill Krazy-8 and Jesse having to dispose of Krazy’s dead cousin. The mental struggles each go through as they each try to muster the courage to “finish the job” is excruciating for both.

Much of the rest of the episodes in Season 1 revolve around Walt’s family issues as he finally reveals to them that he has cancer and begins treatment. We also get to meet former associates of Walt’s from graduate school where Walt was involved in work that might have changed his life drastically if he had stayed with it. We also get a peek into Jesse’s family when he returns home for a brief reunion. By the end of Season 1 Walt and Jesse find a new distributor but in doing so begin to dig a very deep hole for themselves in which they might not escape.

To me, this show is a very compelling watch. Season 1 is only seven episodes and I decided to give it a go after several people I know recommended it. I figured I could commit to seven episodes and bail if I didn’t like it. If I did like it then I figured I would catch up through Season 2 (13 episodes) over the summer. Well, I watched the first couple of episodes and went on a marathon all the way through Season 2 in a week. The show just started Season 3 and the episodes are approx. 1 hour each.

I think part of the reason the show is so compelling is that it hits on a topic that everyone sooner or later thinks about. Just what would I be willing to do if I knew my time was short and I could ensure through some illegal means that my family would be taken care of? I find myself wondering if I was in Walt’s shoes if I would do the same thing.

I also find other aspects of the show interesting. Watching Walt descend into the criminal life is an interesting psychological journey particularly when you see him begin to react to the adrenaline that sometimes comes with living so “close to the edge”. He is a far different man at the end of Season 1 than at the beginning. He changes even more in Season 2 and by Season 3 he is in many respects an entirely different person psychologically.

Jesse is also transformed in many ways. Seeing his family and how they interact with him and vice versa is very interesting. Watching Jesse struggle with disposing of Krazy-8’s cousin is both intriguing and terrifying. And in Season 2 there are episodes where the viewer gets to see a different, kinder side to Jesse, maybe what he could have been in a different life if things had gone differently.

The show does not only revolve around Walt and Jesse though. We get to see other characters like Walt’s brother-in-law and his wife as well as Walt’s wife and son and their struggles and personal victories. Even Krazy-8 is an interesting character to watch as he tries to convince Walt to let him go. Season 1 also introduces Tuco, a local meth distributor, and one insanely crazy and yet almost equally funny guy.

Through Season 1 and Season 2 I have found myself disliking characters I initially thought I would like and liking characters I thought I would dislike. Each has a rich role written for them and their interactions with one another are at time funny, sad, and grossly intriguing. And the show is full of little jokes and innuendos as well that sometimes resurface in the most obscure and unusual of circumstances.

Overall, Breaking Bad offers a lot of excellent writing, plot development, and character interaction. This is one show that I highly recommend. If you have the time to watch it I definitely recommend checking it out.