Breaking Bad: Seasons One Through Three

As some of you are aware, I am a huge fan of Mad Men and Walking Dead on AMC.  I have heard repeatedly that Breaking Bad is even better than these shows.  Luckily, AMC started showing the entire show, two episodes at a team each week.  I finally finished season three.  This is by far the best show on television.  I want to take a look at the main characters and why they are so good.

Walter White
One of the best characters on television.  He was a chemistry teacher who finds out he has lung cancer.  He decides to start cooking meth in order to secure his families financial needs once he is gone.  He is rational and at times can be very cold.  He kills a drug dealer (Krazy-8) and then later kills the drug dealers that Jesse planned to kill.  At the end of season three he is about to be killed by his new boss, Gus.  He says he will give Jesse up and just needs to call him.  Instead of double-crossing Jesse, he orders him to go kill the new cook.

What fascinates me about Walter is how he created a new persona called Heisenberg.  As the show continues this persona keeps growing.  I love the way his voice will change when he becomes Heisenberg.  There were times when I really thought he would kill Jesse or at least have him killed.  Fortunately, the father/son bond between them keeps Walter from becoming Heisenberg altogether.

Jesse Pinkman
Jesse is a character that you want to root for, but then he will do something so stupid that you also just want him to take a bullet to the head.  It was great to see him kick his drug habit, but then he falls back into it.  I really thought he would let Walter down when it came to shooting Gale. 

I love that he still calls Walter "Mr. White."  He has respect for him, especially when it comes to the cooking.  He just does not think Walter has the street smarts.  He is the comedic half to the group and he is great for a funny laugh by calling someone a bitch.

I wonder what he will do when he finally finds out that Walter could have saved Jane from dying?  I really thought he was going to tell Jesse whenever he was sleep deprived and rambling about meeting her dad. 

Hank Schrader
Walter's brother-in-law, who is a DEA agent.  He inadvertently introduces Walter to the meth world.  He took Walter on a ride as they were busting someone called Captain Cook.  They go inside to arrest the guy (Krazy-8's cousin) and Walter sees his old student, Jesse, flee.

Later, while Hank is helping to search for Walter, who has been kidnapped by Tuco, he stumbles upon Tuco and kills him.  This gets him promoted and sent to El Paso, where he will try to battle the Mexican cartel.  He almost dies in an explosion and he decides to stay in New Mexico.  He then becomes hooked on the Blue Meth case.  He tracks it to Jesse and almost catches Jesse and Walter, but then a phone call tells him that his wife was in a car accident.

Once he finds out that it was a fake call and that the RV is destroyed, he goes to Jesse's place and beats the crap out of him.  He gets suspended by the DEA.  Gus decides to give the Mexican assassin twins permission to kill Hank.  Gus then calls Hank to warn him.  Gus kills one of them, wounds the other, but is hurt badly himself.  By the end of season three, he is in a hospital bed getting a hand-job from his wife.  He will return home to continue his physical therapy. 

Skyler White
She suspected Walter of doing something bad.  Eventually she kicks him out and starts banging her boss.  I really believe she took the high road on Walter because she wanted to screw Ted.  It had nothing to do with her not wanting to accept evil drug money. 

Notice how now that she and Ted are boinking, she has no problem with Walter's income.  Especially if it helps Hank get better.  I keep hoping that Ted will get arrested for embezzlement or something.  That would be funny.

Walter Jr.
This is the one character I really hate, but I understand that he is necessary.  He has cerebral palsy.  He goes by the name Flynn, which pretty much makes him a weirdo.

He looks up to his father and would probably go into business with him if Walter just asked him.  I loved when Hank takes Walt Jr. to see the skanky meth heads at the motel.  Also, another great Walt Jr. moment was when he says his mom is being such a bitch.  I actually do a great imitation of him, which is probably pretty horrible.

Anyways, as I said, he is a necessary character.  If you do not have him, then the bond between Jesse and Walter would be less likely.  Walter loves his son, but he did not get to do all those fun father/son bonding things with him that he probably envisioned.  Playing catch, teaching him to drive (without using both feet), and whatever.  When Walter teaches Jesse about the art cooking meth, it is like teaching his own son.

Saul Goodman
My absolute favorite character.  The shady lawyer who helps Walter and Jesse get into the real drug business.  I am guessing the writers of the show envisioned him as the real world version of Lionel Hutz from The Simpsons.

He enjoys getting hand-jobs from his Asian "chiropractor."  He changed his name to a Jewish sounding name because "the brothers" trust a Jewish lawyer over an Irish lawyer.  We at least get to see some of his integrity.  He would not give up the whereabouts of Jesse to his PI (who actually works for Gus), he then gives him a fake address.

Mike the PI
I like Mike.  He has a very dry sense of humor.  He also reminds me of Vic Mackey.  When he tells the story to Walter about how he used to be a cop, I figured that was a slight nod to Vic.  What happened after he gave up his desk job...move to New Mexico and become a PI?  Maybe.

I am excited to see where season four will go.  Will Walter and Jesse make it out of this mess they are in with Gus?  Will Hank learn to walk?  Will Walter Jr. be an annoying piss-ant all season?  Will Saul get a good woman and become an honest lawyer?  Haha, doubtful.