On the box

There’s a show on television.

You haven’t watched it before – but your friends swear by it.

They make references to it all day. They liken you and the people around you to the characters from it.

This puts you off said show – and you continue watching reruns of that sitcom you don’t like, not realising what you’ve missed.

For me – Breaking Bad was this show.

Until recently, I had remained largely ignorant to AMC’s gritty drama program, which centres on a high school science teacher (played masterfully by Bryan Cranston), who, after discovering he has terminal lung cancer, starts cooking methamphetamine to ensure his family’s security.

What starts as a story about a normal family man who was dealt a bad hand, rapidly evolves, as Walter (Cranston) continues to delve deeper and deeper into darkness.

Aiding Walter is one of his old students, small time drug manufacturer Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul).

What could play out as a strange fusion of the Odd Couple meets Underbelly is completely turned on its head by writer/director Vince Gilligan.

These two well-defined characters are tested and warped by their experiences and this is also brought to life by the casts impressive acting and conviction.

From the beginning it seems very unlikely that the mild-mannered Walter and the impulsive Jesse could work together at all, but the overwhelming question of the entire series: “How far would you go?” really adds to the suspense and helps drive the plot forwards. Breaking Bad is that kind of show that keeps you on edge so long you start to get anxious.

Despite its unusual premise, Breaking Bad is a program grounded in reality.

The setting of suburban Albuquerque adds to its careful authenticity.

Its quiet suburbia clashes brilliantly with the barren wastes of the desert.

The prominent themes throughout the series’ run of life, death, normalcy and the drug trade are a volatile combination that are often confused and mixed, with surprising results.

There is never a moment in the show where Walter’s actions are predictable – as a result, the tension is always there.

There’s no wonder that the show is lauded in critical acclaim – it has been likened to shows like the Sopranos and both Cranston and Paul have won Emmys for their work.

This show is unlike anything I’ve seen for a long while – it is highly addictive.

So if for some reason, like me, you were put off by all of the hype that surrounds this truly amazing program, go out and pick up the first few seasons on DVD.

Catch up to where the rest of us are at (the last half of the final season is set to begin later this year) and then you’ll begin to understand what everyone is talking about.

Breaking Bad can be found on Foxtel’s SHOWCASE network.