blog post 6: it's finally over

Well, Breaking Bad is officially over… ☹ It was an amazing series and luckily had a “happy” ending. The people who “should” die end up dying. While people like Walt’s family and Jesse, who you might even consider Walt’s family, live. Lydia along with Todd and his “gang” are taken care of thanks to Walt’s mastermind. He of course comes up with a brilliant plan to take care of the people who screwed him over just like Gus.

So Walt? He does die, but with dignity. He finally admitted that cooking wasn’t for his family; he was doing it for him. He doesn't even try to find out what Jack did with his money. All he wanted to was kill him for killing Hank. He had no desire for money anymore. This is the biggest change we see in Walt the entire series. I think when he finally admits this to Skylar he can be at peace and so can Skylar. He’s finally doing the right thing. He is able to finally give every one closure. He can give Walt Jr. the money he wanted for college. He makes amends with Skylar. He saves Jesse’s life. I think when he is walking through the lab in the basements he finally lets go. He lets himself die. While he was wounded, he was ready to let go. I believe people who are ready to let go can.

I believe people who are part of the drug lifestyle will be stuck there until they can stop trying to justify why they do it and can admit they don't want the money anymore. Walt throughout the whole series tries to justify that he was doing it for his family. But they had all they money they needed about half way through the series. By then he was just doing it for his own pride. He wasn’t going to sell out. Once people can admit what they are doing is wrong and realize it is not worth the damage I think they finally leave the drug lifestyle behind.

Oh and Saul? Don’t worry, he gets his own series now.

blog post 5: now you can buy heisenberg's meth

So throughout the series “Blue Sky” is the main focus. Heisenberg’s signature product is this blue ice. Unlike most meth cooks, he actually has some serious knowledge about chemistry. People look for his blue product because they know of its outstanding purity.

Breaking bad “gear” is just about everywhere now; anything from beer glasses, to t-shirts, to now blue rock candy that looks like meth. But is blue rock candy maybe going too far? I definitely think it’s a little borderline. While this show does have typically an older audience, there are still some viewers who are younger. By no means is eating rock candy imply you do or will do drugs but just the principle of it is a somewhat questionable.

Does this mean we are too comfortable with the idea of drugs? While this is just harmless rock candy that you might gift to a breaking bad fanatic, it shows that society has become more comfortable with the idea of drugs and the lifestyle that is associated with it. I believe younger generations have become too comfortable with the idea of drugs or being arrested and the aspects of life that drugs can bring on. What makes breaking bad so controversial is how explicit they are about particular aspects of the drug world. They are very precise and open about how they make the meth and almost giving society ideas. While it is just a TV shows and it is just candy, it does give that small percentage of the population ideas in a sense.

blog post 4: not so happy ending

Breaking Bad is just about to end with only two episodes left. In this week’s episode we hit what most people would suspect to be the climax. We watch Walt finally get caught and everyone learn his secret. We also watch Hank, a big player throughout the whole series, die. For me watching Hank die was almost weird. Being an avid follower of the series it was almost surreal and kind of emotional. Along with Hank, his partner Gomez is killed as well.

Throughout the series you watch Walt’s actions ruin many lives. Walt makes bad choices one after another. This shows how the drug lifestyle can cause a butterfly affect on people’s lives. I believe that people often think that because they aren’t using the drug and only selling it they are superior or justified. Throughout every season you see Walt talk down to Jesse because he uses and calls him a “junkie”. But is that really fair? In this week’s episode you see that Walt’s actions in turn actually had worse repercussions that Jesse’s and he was the one actually doing drugs.

This episode goes to show that any participation in the drug industry has risks. I think that’s a big misconception in today’s society. People do not truly understand the effect drugs have whether taken or sold.

blog post 3: pilot - are drugs really worth it?

During the Pilot episode we watch a chemistry teacher transform into a meth cook in a single episode. Many people might have mixed feelings about what Walt was doing. He was trying to give his family a safety net since he would most likely pass soon from Cancer. But he was putting himself and his family in potential danger by involving himself with drugs. Having a close family member pass away this summer from cancer made me have sympathy for Walt since I understand what medical bills can do to the family. But Walt is unaware of what the drug world can do to oneself and the people are them. So is it really worth it?

I believe the writers wanted its viewers to sympathize with Walt even if they thought cooking meth was wrong. This episode was going to give the audience a chance to choose a side and establish an opinion about Walt. There are endless views and opinions about whether Walt's decisions were right, justified, or moral.

So does something justify the use, selling, and/or making of an illegal substance? I believe that no matter your opinion or feelings about the substance the bottom line is if it is illegal you have to respect the law or be prepared to take responsibility for the repercussions. I believe there is always another alternative. The Pilot episode makes viewers think about what is really their stance on the endless issues there are currently with drugs. Walt could have gotten a life insurance policy or a better job since he was well qualified? (But then of course there would be no series.) Do the risks out weigh the rewards? To some people in the real world they don’t. I believe there is an ongoing battle between morals and the law when it comes to an illegal substance today in the US and the Pilot makes its viewers think about just that.