Breaking Bad 101 : The Complete Critical Companion

AMC's Breaking Bad is among the most beloved, critically acclaimed American television series of our time. Created by Vince Gilligan, the series charts the transformation of high school science teacher Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) into a cold, calculating meth kingpin. Breaking Bad 101 collects esteemed critic Alan Sepinwall's (Uproxx) popular Breaking Bad recaps in book form, featuring new, exclusive essays and completely revised and updated commentary-as well as insights from and interviews with the creative masterminds behind Breaking Bad. The ultimate critical companion for one of the greatest television dramas of all time, Breaking Bad 101 offers fans Sepinwall's smart, funny, and incisive analysis of the psychology and filmmaking craft behind each episode and celebrates the series' unique place in pop-culture history.;Foreword by Damon Lindelof -- Season 1: Growth, then decay, then tranformation ; In-between ; Missing elements ; Apply yourself! ; The point of no return ; Enter Heisenberg ; The agreement -- Season 2: The devil in the details ; The captured ; Fugue state ; Descending ; Newton's third law ; Nothing but a $10 savings bond ; Slow and steady ; Everyone needs a good lawyer ; Warning light ; Damage repair ; All you get is one shot ; Know what's best ; Karma -- Season 3: A prayer to Santa Murte ; Seeing red ; Welcome home ; An effective motivator ; Close but getting warmer ; The learn'd astronomer ; Ruined. turned to shit. Dead ; Half the man ; Learning from the best ; Contaminated ; My last door ; No more ; Nowhere to go -- Season 4: Trust us ; Cold blood ; One slip-up ; Finger prints ; This genius ; Another coin flip ; Lucky cigarette ; Blood is thicker ; Dead men wwalking ; Zafiro Añejo ; Nothing left ; Predator and prey ; Lilies of the valley -- Season 5.1: The mysterious Mr. Lambert ; Tick, tick, tick ; A well-oiled machine ; Sink or swim ; Another boy on a bike ; Hydroflouric acid and methylamine ; This whole thing could have been avoided ; An honor working with you -- Season 5.2: The beginning of the end ; Fresh in her mind ; My brother's keeper ; Burn it down ; Back to burial grounds ; And despair ; Gray agin ; The moment of truth. "By the end of its fifth and final season, AMC's Breaking Bad was a phenomenon--already enshrined as one of the greatest television series of all time, and a genuine ratings smash. But Vince Gilligan's drama--in which high school chemistry teacher Walter White begins cooking meth after he's diagnosed with lung cancer, recruiting former student Jesse Pinkman to build an empire with a trail of meth, murder, and mayhem in their wake--came from much humbler beginnings. Few watched the early seasons, and even critics needed a while to be sold on the show's meticulous pacing and dark vision. But why is this show--a show about the criminal acts, conflicted morality, and emotional transformation of one Albuquerque man--one of the first series TV critics point to when discussing the post-millennium golden age of the medium? What's so special about Breaking Bad? Esteemed TV critic Alan Sepinwall is here to answer precisely that. Covering each and every episode of the series, Breaking Bad 101: The Complete Critical Companion collects Sepinwall's acclaimed recaps for the very first time. Diving deep into Walt's psychology and the show's filmmaking craft, Sepinwall takes readers inside the series with new, exclusive season one essays and completely revised and updated reviews. Sepinwall's commentary is supplemented by interviews with Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Michelle MacLaren, and many more of the creative masterminds of the show, providing Breaking Bad fans with behind-the-scenes details they won't get anywhere else. In each recap, Sepinwall uses his signature wit, humor, and sharp analysis to untangle the show's many webs and discover exactly what makes Breaking Bad so special. As Lost and The Leftovers cocreator Damon Lindelof says of the author in his foreword, "he can take something that's already great ... and transform it into something classic." The result is an essential primer on a show that has become one of the touchstones of modern television. Whether you're a fan looking for a fresh take on your favorite show, a newbie in search of a spoiler-free guide, a dedicated Walter White student, or someone just dropping in for your first class, Breaking Bad 101 will help you revel in the chemistry and decode the alchemy of the most explosive show of all time."--Dust jacket AMC’s Breaking Bad is among the most beloved, critically acclaimed American television series of our time. Created by Vince Gilligan, the series charts the transformation of high school science teacher Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) into a cold, calculating meth kingpin. Breaking Bad 101 collects esteemed critic Alan Sepinwall’s (Uproxx) popular Breaking Bad recaps in book form, featuring new, exclusive essays and completely revised and updated commentary—as well as insights from and interviews with the creative masterminds behind Breaking Bad. The ultimate critical companion for one of the greatest television dramas of all time, Breaking Bad 101 offers fans Sepinwall’s smart, funny, and incisive analysis of the psychology and filmmaking craft behind each episode and celebrates the series’ unique place in pop-culture history.
"AMC's Breaking Bad is among the most beloved, critically acclaimed American television series of our time. Created by Vince Gilligan, the series charts the transformation of high school science teacher Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) into a cold, calculating meth kingpin. Breaking Bad 101 collects esteemed critic Alan Sepinwall's (HitFix) popular Breaking Bad recaps in book form, featuring new, exclusive essays and completely revised and updated commentary-as well as insights from and interviews with the creative masterminds behind Breaking Bad. The ultimate critical companion for one of the greatest television dramas of all time, Breaking Bad 101 offers fans Sepinwall's smart, funny, and incisive analysis of the psychology and filmmaking craft behind each episode and celebrates the series' unique place in pop-culture history."--Publisher. AMC's Breaking Bad is among the most beloved, critically acclaimed American television series of our time. Created by Vince Gilligan, the series charts the transformation of high school science teacher Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) into a cold, calculating meth kingpin. Breaking Bad 101 collects esteemed critic Alan Sepinwall's (Uproxx) popular Breaking Bad recaps in book form, featuring new, exclusive essays and completely revised and updated commentary "as well as insights from and interviews with the creative masterminds behind Breaking Bad. The ultimate critical companion for one of the greatest television dramas of all time, Breaking Bad 101 offers fans Sepinwall's smart, funny, and incisive analysis of the psychology and filmmaking craft behind each episode and celebrates the series' unique place in pop-culture history. A'