I stayed up until 7:30am finishing Breaking Bad because Im incapable of doing anything in moderation. Its not my favorite show of all time (I dont think anything will ever surpass Buffy or the first ten years of The Simpsons) but I do think its one of the best written, and one of the most interesting to study. So much of what we read and watch has to do with celebrating human strength, often to an unrealistic degree. Most stories are about the celebration of overcoming struggle and impossible odds and creating unlikely heroes. I think this show more than any other is about human weakness and frailty -- every single person here is incredibly weak, and showcases weakness in a different way. Its one of the only times a piece of fiction has ever managed to make me uncomfortable -- I recognized a lot of my own particular kind of weakness in Walter, especially in the way he would verbally attack Jesse and Skyler when he felt judged or threatened. . And I think the reason I had such strong visceral negative reactions to Jesse is because his particular kind of weakness clashing against Walts is very similar to the worst fights Ive had in my life with the worst people Ive known -- situations where I was abusive and became a monster depending on whose perspective it was. (And the fact that I added those last six words to that sentence shows that I also have Walts problem of being able to justify anything I say and do). Everyone Ive spoken to condemns and justifies different people than I do, and I think its really interesting to examine the reasons why. This is the most fascinating and nuanced exploration of different perspectives of morality and right and wrong that Ive ever seen on television. With so many of our cultures shared stories being about creating heroes, I think its wonderful to have a story that showcases that the very concept of heroism can easily become synonymous with sociopathic behavior and how damaging that rigid sense of personal justification can become. This is fiction at its best, and the reason I value its importance in my life to the degree that I do.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 17:40:18 +0000
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