Genre Crime drama, Serial drama, Thriller, Neo-Western, Black comedy, Tragedy
Created by Vince Gilligan
Showrunner Vince Gilligan
Starring
Main characters
Bryan Cranston as Walter White, a high-school chemistry teacher who, shortly after his 50th birthday, is diagnosed with Stage III lung cancer and turns to making meth to secure his family’s finances. As his shady business progresses, Walter gains a notorious reputation under the alias of “Heisenberg”.
Anna Gunn as Skyler White, Walter’s wife who was pregnant with their second child before his diagnosis and who becomes increasingly suspicious of her husband after he begins behaving in unfamiliar ways.
Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, Walter’s cooking partner and former student.
Dean Norris as Hank Schrader, Marie’s husband, Walter and Skyler’s brother-in-law and a DEA agent.
Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader, Skyler’s sister and Hank’s kleptomaniac wife.
RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr., Walter and Skyler’s son, who has cerebral palsy.
Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo “Gus” Fring, a Chilean high-level drug distributor who has a cover as an owner of the fast-food chain Los Pollos Hermanos.
Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman, a crooked strip mall lawyer who represents Walt and Jesse.
Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, works for Gus as an all-purpose cleaner and hitman, and also works for Saul as a private investigator.
Laura Fraser as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, a high-ranking employee of Madrigal Electromotive and a former associate of Gus Fring.
Jesse Plemons as Todd Alquist, an employee of Vamonos Pest Control who becomes an associate of Walt and Jesse.
Recurring characters
Steven Michael Quezada as Steven “Gomey” Gomez – Hank’s DEA partner and best friend, who assists in tracking down and learning the identity of Heisenberg. In comical situations between him and Hank, Gomez serves as the “straight man”.
Matt Jones as Brandon “Badger” Mayhew – Jesse’s drug-addicted, dimwitted friend who often serves as the series’s comic relief.
Charles Baker as Skinny Pete – A loyal friend of Jesse’s and a fellow pusher who worked with Jesse.
Rodney Rush as Christian “Combo” Ortega – Also a friend of Jesse and a fellow pusher.
Jessica Hecht and Adam Godley as Gretchen and Elliott Schwartz – Co-owners of Gray Matter, a company that they co-founded alongside Walter, who left the business prior to its major success. Gretchen was a former flame of Walt’s and partially the reason he left.
Raymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca – A sociopathic Mexican drug kingpin who becomes Walt and Jesse’s meth distributor.
Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca – A former high-ranking member of the Juarez Cartel who is now unable to walk or speak because of a stroke, communicating with the help of a bell. He is the uncle of Tuco, Marco, and Leonel Salamanca.
Christopher Cousins as Ted Beneke – Skyler’s boss and president of Beneke Fabricators who begins developing financial problems, resulting in an intervention from Skyler.
Krysten Ritter as Jane Margolis – Jesse’s apartment manager and girlfriend, who is a recovering addict.
John de Lancie as Donald Margolis – Jane Margolis’s father, an air traffic controller.
David Costabile as Gale Boetticher – A chemist hired by Gus Fring to work alongside Walter.
Daniel Moncada and Luis Moncada as Leonel and Marco Salamanca – Two ruthless and taciturn hitmen for the Juarez Cartel who are the cousins of Tuco Salamanca and the nephews of Hector Salamanca.
Javier Grajeda as Juan Bolsa – A high-ranking member of the Juarez Cartel who acts as the mediator between the Salamancas and Gus Fring.
Emily Rios as Andrea Cantillo – Jesse’s second girlfriend, who is also a recovering addict. She has a young son named Brock.
Jeremiah Bitsui as Victor – A loyal henchman to Gus who serves as his enforcer along with Mike.
Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt – Gus’s enforcer along with Mike during season 4.
Lavell Crawford as Huell Babineaux – Saul’s bodyguard who also handles problems Walter needs fixing.
Tina Parker as Francesca Liddy – Saul Goodman’s receptionist.
Bill Burr as Patrick Kuby – A hired con man of Saul’s who handles various sensitive tasks involving verbal intimidation, coercion, and misdirection.
Michael Bowen as Jack Welker – Todd’s uncle and the leader of the Aryan Brotherhood, a white supremacist gang.
Kevin Rankin as Kenny – Jack’s second-in-command.
Composer Dave Porter
Country of origin United States
Original languages English, Spanish
No. of seasons 5 No. of episodes 62 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers Vince Gilligan, Mark Johnson, Michelle MacLaren,
Producers Stewart A. Lyons, Sam Catlin, John Shiban, Peter Gould, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz,
Melissa Bernstein, Diane Mercer, Bryan Cranston, Moira Walley-Beckett, Karen Moore, Patty Lin
Production location Albuquerque, New Mexico
Cinematography Michael Slovis, Reynaldo Villalobos, Arthur Albert, John Toll, Nelson Cragg, Marshall Adams
Editors Kelley Dixon, Skip Macdonald, Chris McCaleb, Sharidan Williams-Sotelo, Lynne Willingham
Running time 43–58 minutes
Production companies High Bridge Entertainment, Gran Via Productions, Sony Pictures Television
Budget $3 million per episode
Original release Network AMC
Release January 20, 2008 –September 29, 2013
Related shows: Talking Bad; Metástasis, Better Call Saul, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
“I have never watched anything like it. Brilliant! Your performance as Walter White was the best acting I have seen – ever.” — Anthony Hopkins, in a letter to Bryan Cranston
Yeah, Breaking Bad finished its run almost nine years ago, and I’m late to the party. I remember watching an episode—the first one—when it came out, and had a vague memory of a high school teacher and some meth head in an RV in the desert. It didn’t seem real impressive. Ironically, Bryan Cranston was one reason I didn’t stick around. He was the dim, affable, and totally psychotic father in “Malcolm in the Middle” and he was so convincing in that role that I had trouble imagining him as anything other than a sinister but likable goof. Even in a lightweight role like that, Cranston turned in compelling work, and he was the most memorable character in that series.
The quote from the top came from a private letter Hopkins sent Cranston after he had watched all 62 episodes of Breaking Bad. Because it singled out other members of the cast for similarly high praise, Cranston shared it with them, and it inevitably leaked. It’s out there and I’m not invading anyone’s privacy by sharing a second (and final) quote from that letter:
“If you ever get a chance to – would you pass on my admiration to everyone — Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, R.J. Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Steven Michael Quezada — everyone — everyone gave master classes of performance … The list is endless.”
If you asked me who the greatest living actor is, my response might be Anthony Hopkins. He knows a thing or two about great acting. He’s on my short list of the best actors living or dead, along with Gandolfini, Burton, the Redfords, Bergman, Hepburn, Olivier, Foster and Streep.
OK, add this performance to that list. His portrayal of Walter White is transformative, incandescent, eternal. It can be subtle, it can be over the top. He can be tender, he can be in a towering rage. He combines gentle companionable humor with utterly merciless coldness. It is an incredible performance.
What made this show so extraordinary was that Cranston, for all his brilliance, only barely stands out. As Hopkins notes, the rest of the cast were extraordinary, as well. Take Giancarlo Esposito, for instance. His Gus Fring is one of the most compelling portrayals of a cool, suave implacable villain I’ve ever seen, right up there with Hannibal Lector and Wayne Pygram’s Scorpius. Anna Gunn plays Walter’s wife, and she is utterly convincing as a strong woman who finds herself married to a man who turns out to be a complete stranger.
Dean Norris is Hank Schrader, White’s brother in law who works for the DEA. Anyone watching Norris’ towering and unforgettable performance will be stunned to learn that in the first season, he was included to be the show’s butt monkey—comic relief. He turns in one of the best Les Miserables relentless and determined cop to be seen anywhere.
The last one I’ll mention (and nearly all the cast is worthy of mention) is Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman. You would have to search for a long time to find a character as complex and conflicted as Jesse. His performance very nearly matches that of Cranston’s.
But it doesn’t stop there. The plot has many twists and turns, and none of them feel contrived. The pacing and timing over 62 episodes is as nearly flawless as you can get, and the cinematography and direction give this dark, violent (and often funny) show an overwhelming force.
In truth, I think Breaking Bad may be a greater epic dramatic triumph than The Sopranos. Certainly it has a stronger climax. You’ll never forget it.
This is truly a show for the ages.
Now on Netflix.