Why Don’t I Like Breaking Bad?
Kate Warner / University of Queensland
I have a confession to make—I don’t like Breaking Bad. It’s shocking but true. I have a PhD in TV studies, I really like watching television, I have thoroughly enjoyed the increase in well-made television over the last 15 years but I do not like Breaking Bad. I feel as though I am out of step with my culture. So I have decided to dedicate this column to working out why I do not like the show.
For those who have missed the hype Breaking Bad (2008-2013) is a critically acclaimed AMC serial. The main character is Walter White, a chemistry teacher who, on discovering that he has cancer, decides to make money by manufacturing methamphetamine. Eventually, after many travails and learning how to be effectively violent and murderous in the drug industry, Walter declares that he is in the ‘empire’ business. The plot follows how the increasing violence affects Walt, his drug-making partner Jesse, and his family—his wife Skyler, son Walt Jr., brother-in-law Hank Schrader and sister-in-law Marie.
A reason that I am confused about why I dislike the show is because I can see that the show is ‘good’. It is brilliantly acted, wonderfully scripted and the cinematography is amazing. It’s not that I dislike ‘anti-hero’ shows. I liked The Wire and Deadwood. I wrote a significant part of my PhD on Oz. When Breaking Bad first aired I found it fascinating and enjoyed the dark humor. But as it went on I grew to like it less and less. My problems seem to fall into four categories. 1, I don’t like the gender issues. 2, I don’t like the characters. 3, I don’t like the lack of community. 4, I don’t like the racism. These are issues of taste, issues of structure and issues of society.
Gender Issues
Problematic representations of gender are one of the more discussed reasons for disliking Breaking Bad (Hudson 20131; Kovvali 20132). Even Anna Gunn, who played Skyler White, entered the debate by publishing an article about the vitriol she had suffered because of her character’s unpopularity (Gunn 2013).3 Skyler had been the subject of a great deal of hate and there were many Internet forums devoted to this. Anna Gunn attributed this to society’s conflicted attitudes about “women and wives” and that the hate of Skyler was because parts of society could not cope with women who thought for themselves (Gunn 2013). Skyler is one of only a very few female characters4 and this limited number of women means that their representation is also limited.
One of the show’s obvious and central concerns is masculinity; it is clear that issues of what it is to be a man are at the center of Walt’s problems and are what make Hank such an unattractive person. In response to this kind of masculinity the women are not much better—they are not able to be. I can see and acknowledge the skill that has gone into representing these social and personal problems but at this point in time I have consumed enough stories about how hard it is to be a man. I don’t care anymore. Hundreds of years of literature have explored this and I have seen it too many times. Bored now.
Character
The issue of gender does lead on to the issue of character. The show is at least partly about the horrors of current American models of masculinity. The show’s characters demonstrate how unlikeable these dysfunctional models make people. However, this unlikeability is often seen by critics as a positive. Breaking Bad is seen as a brave and artistic show because it dares to have characters that no one likes. I do understand the artistic bravery of this decision. I just don’t want to spend time with these people. They annoy me.
A clear example of an unlikeable character is Hank, who I disliked from the beginning. I understand that I was supposed to grow to respect him towards the end of the series as the stalwart defender of the law. I didn’t. Hank’s character is bullish, macho, rude and condescending. This representation of masculinity was unpleasant. The excuse of toxic masculinity does not actually make the character forgivable.
Interestingly, I don’t think that Walt is unlikeable because he cooks meth or even because he murders people. There are aspects of the character that are fun: he has a sense of humor, he’s the underdog, he is clever and inventive in surprising ways. However, he keeps stuffing up. He does things for reasons of pride and greed that he would have been wiser not to do. Walt isn’t an unlikeable character because he is bad. He is unlikeable because it is disheartening to watch someone make the same mistakes over and over again.
Community
Breaking Bad has an unusually small central cast and—in my opinion, annoyingly—the characters do not get to interact with one another. The White and Schrader families interact but beyond that characters only interact with Walt. It is telling that Marie does not even meet Jesse until the 58th (out of 62) episode. I am sure that this depiction of social isolation was a deliberate choice but it resulted in a show that I had a hard time being interested in.
Historically, television has been great at showing the creation of communities because the same characters return again and again to the same spaces but this does not happen in Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad is, in many ways, about the failure of community. The lack of interaction that the central characters have with people outside their specific worlds is indicative of a lack of community.
Admittedly, there are representations of how people’s actions affect others. For example, the plane crash over Walt’s home, resulting in the death of hundreds of people, is shown to be a direct result of his actions. But this plot strand is largely forgotten by most of the characters after the start of season three and while dramatic it does not show actual people’s grief. Even when the show represents the community’s hurt about the crash, as in the high school assembly, it then mocks this grief by presenting its most facile aspects and by using it to embarrass Walt.
Racism
I argue that the show is quite racist in its depiction of Mexicans.5 It was this issue that caused me to give up the show in anger halfway through season three.6 Since the beginning of season three a pair of Mexican hit men have been stalking Walt. They are represented as silent, stylish, frightening and mystical. They seemed to me to be potentially very interesting characters. I had, at this point, a level of faith in the show that it could develop characters from these stereotypes and they would become more than mere colorful sketches. But this does not happen—they were killed by Hank in self-defense and in order to further Hank’s character development.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM-rwAZCZJk[/youtube]
There is a tendency on Breaking Bad for Mexican characters to be other worldly—to be exotic and odd and not normal. Alternatively they are vicious criminals or hapless peasants. In seasons three and four some of the action takes place in Mexico but Mexico is always either a place of violence or magic, not a place where ordinary people live. The undeniably beautiful cold open of season three in particular needs some analysis. Not from an aesthetic perspective but from a social one. Mexicans in this section are alien and inexplicable. They practice strange religions and are inscrutable. They actually fit almost perfectly with Edward Said’s description of ‘Orientalism’ though referring of course in this case to Mexicans rather than Arabs (Said 1995).7
Overall I am not arguing that people who love Breaking Bad are wrong or mistaken. I appreciate the quality and complexity of the show, but there are good reasons for not liking it that are not only matters of taste. Many of my objections are rooted in how I understand the world—not just what I like but what I want to like. It is political. It’s not a knee-jerk reaction to violence; I don’t have a huge problem with that. It’s a reaction to how the society is represented and also to the meaning of entertainment. I don’t want to watch horrible people doing horrible things to one another unless there is some underlying theme that I can relate to or at least some charm. I just don’t find that here.
Breaking Bad is about the failure of society. It represents a society that creates only people who are evil or stupid or uncaring. There are no good people in Breaking Bad. I am capable of watching and enjoying shows about the dystopia of the current world but I need some hope. I am not entirely cynical—I think the world can be improved. Because I think that while people can act badly there is still a hope that they can act well. Breaking Bad does not.
Image Credits:
1. AMC’s Breaking Bad
2. Walt’s wife Skyler White, played by Anna Gunn
3. Walt’s brother-in-law Hank Schrader, played by Dean Morris
Please feel free to comment.
- Hudson, L. 2013. ‘Die Like a Man: The Toxic Masculinity of Breaking Bad.’ Wired. [↩]
- Kovvali, S. 2013. ‘Breaking Bad’s Big Critique of the Macho (and Its Problem With Women).’ The Atlantic. [↩]
- Gunn, A. 2013. ‘I Have a Character Issue’. The New York Times. New York. [↩]
- The characters are: Marie Schrader, Skylar White, Jane Margolis (season 2), Lydia Rodarte-Quayle (season 5) Gretchen Schwartz and Andrea Cantillo. [↩]
- Not necessarily Hispanic people because I think that the issues with Gus Fring, a non-Mexican Hispanic man, are different. [↩]
- I have since watched to the end of season five in the hope that I would grow to like the show again. [↩]
- Said, E. W. 1995. Orientalism. London: Penguin. [↩]
Hi Kate, thanks for the read. Breaking Bad has been on my watch list for a few years but I have only just gotten to it now. We are living in a golden age of television, the amount of viewing options is incredible. I have had several people urge me to watch this show over the years, but like you I could only make it about halfway through. As you say, the technical standard in modern television is amazing. BB had great locations and some nice camera tricks, and the acting/sound etc were all high. I’m old enough to remember a time when even quality TV shows had more than their fair share of wobbly sets, dodgy costumes, muddy lighting and sound etc etc. From this perspective, watching a show made in the last 20 years is a treat. Shows like Battlestar Galactica were stunning to watch.
However, none of this could save BB for me, for the reasons you outlined. I just couldn’t watch any more after a certain point, the characters were completely infuriating in their decisions and lack of judgement. Walt also becomes a completely different character, almost Lynchian in that he becomes something unrecognisable from his former incarnation. The problem with that is that it makes his previous life appear to lack credulity. Does getting lung cancer explain why he becomes such an a-hole towards women? Why were fundamentally decent people like Skylar and Gretchen ever attracted to a guy who seems to be a complete sociopath?
The reality is that two incompetent wannabe drug kingpins like Walt and Jesse would have been killed or jailed within the first 5 minutes, such is their level of ineptitude. That they survived and thrived doesn’t reflect well on the writing. I’ve loved many shows over the years, and characters like Stringer Bell and Al Swearengen leave Walter White in the dust when it comes to complexity and nuance.
I just can’t stand watching Walter Being an idiot when he is much smarter than that. I’m in mid season 3 and am just tired of someone so intelligent be pulled apart by his choices that are the epitome of stupid.
Okay, let me say this first. I myself am American of Mexican descent. I understood some of the points, but overall I found it terrible. Why? Because the person writing this obviously doesn’t really care about racism. All the gender crap going first, and then the racism was on the back burner for her. It was like, “yeah the racism was bad, but THE GENDER ISSUES ARE WHAT REALLY MATTERS.” That’s sick. Racism should always go first above any other kind’ve injustices. The gender argument is NOTHING compared to what minorities go through. Minorities face injustices every day of their lives. Don’t put racism on the back burner. It should’ve gone first. I myself didn’t see any gender injustices in the show, I only saw awful women who cheated on their husbands, stole, were racist, and were overall terrible human beings. That doesn’t mean every woman is. That’s like saying the show was sexist because all the men in the show were pieces of crap so it represented men badly. Obviously not. Everyone knows only those specific people were bad. Let’s stop making everything about gender, and worry about the REAL problem aka racism. That’s what we really need to focus on and fight. If the racism went first it would’ve brought a lot of light to it, but no. You put something that’s nonexistent first. People who only read the first paragraph, and left could’ve recognized a real problem. I don’t know. I think this person who wrote it is one of the “fake wokes” who only care about themselves, and their problems. They’ve obviously never faced racism.
Wow you are so on point and this was very enlightening. The show is called breaking bad and is centred around one Man. Yes praise Skyler. #wokelivesmatter. You are absokute fucking garbage no one gives a fuck about gender roles and toxic masculinity. Fuck you. I did not like Life of Pi because I identify as a lion and I felt as a cat I wasn’t represented enough by that stupid tiger. Are you fucking retarded??? As a homophobic sis gender straight man should I rage online about the statue of David??? Fuck PC culture and all the bundles of sticks such as you.
One can get a PhD in TV studies? If so, heaven help us.
That said, the one soul, General Pop, isn’t exactly thrilled with your review. Though a tad over the top, he/she is not exactly wrong. Meaning, why does very nearly all now have to be about gender and race? For why the show is one the worst things ever on the TV is that it singularly failed to depict the reality of meth addiction. You, way too many others, well, if the women had been as you wanted, does that make the problem of producing 200 lbs/wk of meth go away? I wouldn’t call it a toxic masculinity but I’ve a rather substantial problem with the idea, he’s got cancer, may die in a bit, needs a nest egg for his family, so it’s okay/understandable to produce and sell poison.
So you get that point, recall Gus. Sure, we can say he did all those things to deflect law enforcement authority, which is true, but simply posit that Walt volunteers at the homeless shelter, helps out the aged and disabled when it comes to their need(s), etc., does that make the 200 lbs/wk any less worse? Also applies even if he was the most gentle soul ever, say, the show had it so no violence was perpetrated owing to him, his associates, or more generally, as a consequence of meth production and/or use.
Next, for the worst timing ever, show on the TV during an era of meth addition, i.e., maybe a show with not a thing that any human could latch onto and say, gee, the meth making and distribution wasn’t so bad. Maybe you might have a taken a criminal law related course, as some things are simply malum in se. Would have been a rather better title for series, by the way, Malum In Se.
Lastly, given the topic of the show, what were you expecting re Mexican characters? May not like Hank’s DEA partner, but he was a positive rep for Latins, so too those three gals who Walter persuaded to help clean the lab beneath/below the laundry, who as a consequence of now knowing too much Gus sent out of the country, so too some of Gus’ non-meth related workers. Safe to say that of all things wrong with the show, creating a distorted/false image of all Mexicans as narco drug lords and/or their associates was not one of those things.
If anything, well, read up on some of the Mexican cities/towns just on their side of the border. Quite literally death zones and all owing to drug distribution. What every American, whose substance use isn’t limited to Humboldt/Mendocino sensimilla and/or Kona gold, need well and truly understand. Their use of those other things quite simply kills, that reality is patently undeniable, so what’s their f’ing excuse? We gonna make a TV show about them? Their blatant hypocrisy, when they stand in front of the mirror and say, I did something good today, don’t I feel good about myself.
Thanks for helping to confirm my decision not to give Breaking Bad a chance, even at this late date. I watch a lot of TV, but I study reviews first, to avoid wasting my time, and no review of Breaking Bad, no matter how glowing, has ever tempted me in the slightest to watch it. Then everyone started saying it was the best show in the history of TV, so I kept reading reviews and commentary, and still decided to give it a miss. I don’t mind violence at all, antiheroes are fine, and I don’t need a show to have “morally upstanding” characters or to have an underlying message. But everything I’ve read about this show convinces me that I would not care at all about any of the characters or what happens to them — which is what I DO need from a show. My candidate for best show ever — The Wire.
I read this review with much interest. I agree on everything. Perhaps, the fact that Breaking bad it is considered one of the best TV series, among the most watched ever, has created many, too many expectations in me.
Breaking Bad is called brilliant, a true masterpiece. Why? Personally, I watched the first two episodes forcing myself to do so, almost forcing myself to resist.
In my opinion, everything is too slow. For a while I hoped that it would evolve, and lead me to be able to compare Breaking bad to the first series of Fargo, but it did not. A couple of episodes made me laugh (when the groggy Mexican slams into the tree and when water, food, bucket, and toilet paper are thrown at him. Otherwise, it’s like a flat encephalogram. Even the splatter scene of the ceiling collapse with the shower of human limbs did not arouse an emotion in me. Very predictable. I repeat myself, all too much slow, caricatured, exaggerated. Okay, it want to point to the decadence of this society, and the theme would be interesting, but something is missing. I don’t have much desire to watch the third episode but I’m about to, and if I don’t find a reason to continue this time as well, then stop arrivederci e grazie (goodbye and thank you to Breaking bad). Also because of losers longing for redemption, good guys aiming to become bad guys to the point of brushing against the gates of hell, and empty inside, sleazy, pain-in-the-ass women, like the protagonist’s wife who practices manual sex on him by keeping an eye on his eBay ad frankly I’m sick and tired of it
I dont know i just started watching breaking bad and its just really enjoyable for me i love it sdark humour and i really like the characters. Idk but u can have your opinion ig.