Series Overview
Breaking Bad follows protagonist Walter White, a chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife and teenage son who has cerebral palsy. White is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of two years left to live. With a new sense of fearlessness based on his medical prognosis, and a desire to secure his family's financial security, White chooses to enter a dangerous world of drugs and crime and ascends to power in this world.
The series explores how a fatal diagnosis such as White's releases a typical man from the daily concerns and constraints of normal society and follows his transformation from mild family man to a kingpin of the drug trade.
Seasons
5
Episodes
62
Runtime
47-58 minutes
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Key Themes
Character Analyses
Walter White
Heisenberg
A chemistry teacher diagnosed with terminal cancer who transforms into a ruthless player in the drug trade, motivated initially by a desire to provide for his family but increasingly by power and pride.
Jesse Pinkman
Cap'n Cook
A former student of Walter White who becomes his partner in the meth business. Unlike Walt, Jesse struggles with the moral implications of their actions and serves as the show's moral compass.
Gustavo Fring
The Chicken Man
A Chilean-American businessman and drug kingpin who uses his legitimate businesses as a front for his methamphetamine empire. His calm, methodical exterior masks ruthless calculation.
Skyler White
Walter's Wife
Walter's wife who transitions from an oblivious spouse to a reluctant accomplice, demonstrating complexity as she navigates the moral implications of her husband's criminal activities.
Hank Schrader
DEA Agent
Walter's brother-in-law and a DEA agent who relentlessly pursues the mysterious "Heisenberg" without knowing his quarry's true identity. His straightforward morality contrasts with Walter's descent.
Saul Goodman
Criminal Lawyer
A criminal lawyer who represents Walter and Jesse. His flamboyant personality and flexible morality provide both comic relief and practical assistance to the protagonists' criminal enterprise.
Thematic Analyses
The Transformation of Morality in Breaking Bad
This analysis explores how Breaking Bad portrays the gradual erosion of moral boundaries and the psychological impact of crossing increasingly serious ethical lines.
Read Analysis
Power, Pride, and Self-Destruction
An examination of how pride and the pursuit of power drive the characters' decisions and ultimately lead to their downfall, particularly in the case of Walter White.
Read Analysis
Family as Motivation and Casualty
An analysis of how family relationships serve as both motivation for characters' actions and victims of the consequences, focusing on the White and Pinkman families.
Read Analysis
Visual Symbolism in Breaking Bad
A deep dive into the show's visual language, including color schemes, shot composition, and recurring motifs that reinforce character development and themes.
Read AnalysisCharacter Relationships
Breaking Bad features complex character dynamics that evolve dramatically throughout the series. Explore the intricate relationships between key characters:
Walter & Jesse
A complicated mentor-student relationship that evolves from mutual necessity to manipulation, with elements of a toxic father-son dynamic.
Read Relationship AnalysisWalter & Skyler
A marriage that transforms from traditional and somewhat stifled to a power struggle as Skyler discovers Walter's criminal activities.
Read Relationship AnalysisWalter & Hank
Brothers-in-law representing opposite sides of the law, with Hank unknowingly pursuing Walter while Walter manipulates and eventually confronts him.
Read Relationship AnalysisWalter & Gus
A tense relationship between two calculating individuals, moving from business partnership to deadly rivalry as their egos and ambitions clash.
Read Relationship AnalysisWriter Resources
Apply the storytelling lessons from Breaking Bad to your own character development and narrative crafting.
Anti-hero Template
Create morally complex characters inspired by Walter White's transformation arc.
Download TemplateCharacter Evolution Guide
Learn techniques for crafting believable character transformations over long-form narratives.
Read GuideVisual Storytelling Workshop
Video workshop on using visual elements to enhance character development and themes.
Watch WorkshopConflict Development
Tools for creating multi-layered conflicts between characters with opposing values.
Access ResourceRelated Media
Better Call Saul
Spin-off/Prequel
Following the transformation of Jimmy McGill into the morally challenged lawyer Saul Goodman before his appearance on Breaking Bad.
El Camino
Sequel Film
A Netflix original film that follows Jesse Pinkman's story immediately after the events of the Breaking Bad finale.
The Sopranos
Similar Themes
A crime drama exploring the personal and professional life of a mob boss, featuring similar anti-hero elements and moral complexity.
Mad Men
Similar Character Focus
A period drama with a similar focus on character development and the exploration of identity through a complex male protagonist.