BOSSTUMES – noun. Poorly executed costumes with swag.
“Sitting around, smoking marijuana, eating Cheetos and masturbating do not constitute ‘plans.’” – Walter White
Bosstumes No. 1 – Breaking Bad
Tag Archives: Breaking Bad
Mandatory Viewing: A Screen Guide
Megan Furborough, Screen Editor, tells you the two shows that you should be watching now Breaking Bad is over.
I know, it’s hard – how will you spend your days now? But don’t despair as this handy guide will show you just two of the quality series available to tear your attention away from frivolous course reading and essays.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Image credit: CW
With seven seasons, there’s certainly enough of Josh Whedon’s cult show to sink your teeth into.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the story of an American teenage girl, Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who is the ‘chosen one’ – the slayer. It is her job to protect the world from vampires, demons and other evil creatures. Despite this description, Buffy is not a sci-fi show. The creatures are ways to tell a story that has deeper meanings and metaphors, and it’s the problems the young characters face that are the real monsters.
The main cast – including Alyson Hannigan and David Boreanaz – are fantastic and form ‘the Scooby gang’, aiding Buffy in her fight against evil. The show’s tone ranges from painfully funny to heartbreaking (seriously, the finale of season four left me moping around the house for weeks) all with a massive dollop of pop culture and feminism.
What’s not to love about a series described by its creator as “My So-Called Life meets The X Files”?
Homeland
Image credit: ABC
With the third season of the drama having just started over at Channel 4, this is the perfect time to get into the American thriller-drama. The premise of the show revolves around a CIA officer’s, played superbly by Claire Danes, belief that Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a recently released prisoner of the Afghanistan war, has been ‘turned’ by Al-Qaeda.
The problems arise when Brody becomes a celebrated war hero and no-one believes Carrie’s hunch, all whilst she attempts to hide her bipolar disorder from the CIA. Plus they begin an affair with each other. Complicated is an understatement.
With a story like this, the suspense could fade fairly quickly, but the high standard of acting and the quality of the writing mean that the twists don’t seem unrealistic and you become invested in the characters. The show invites the audience to view events with both sides of the moral compass and you can’t be sure if any character is truly a good or bad guy – in the almost uncomfortably authentic world of Homeland, nothing is truly what it seems.
So there you have it, two ways to numb the pain caused by the gaping hole Breaking Bad has left in our lives. And even if you never watched the show and are sat wondering who exactly is breaking what and why everyone’s so fussed, give these shows a try. The procrastination potential is well worth it.
Megan Furborough, Screen Editor
What are your post-BB picks? Tell us on Facebook, Twitter or by commenting below.
Same Old, Same Old: Are Spin-Offs Killing TV?
With spin-offs recently announced for Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, Ife Omotola asks whether we should be worried about cookie-cutter TV.
In an attempt hold on to their viewership, many studios resort to making spin-offs when the lure of the original has dulled. Wikipedia has a whole page dedicated to listing TV spin offs – of which there is a surprisingly long number – but what does it say about the future of creativity in television when everything is simply a by-product of something earlier?
Image credit: CBS
One thing I’ll say for the television industry is that they know a good thing when they see it: Grey’s Anatomy, for instance, is in its 10th year with no signs of slowing down.
That’s not to say that the descendant shows can never be as good or as creative as the shows they originated from; some series go beyond mere spin-offs and end up spawning what is best described as a franchise – Law and Order and CSI are just two which have become lucrative empires.
Besides, the independence of spin-offs is not impossible to achieve, as sometimes the brand new premise can have nothing to do with the original. It’s not uncommon for a sequel series to appear years, if not decades after the original, whereas others run simultaneously (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin off Angel did for about 3 years resulting in quite a few ‘crossover’ episodes).
A common tactic when writers or executives attempt to derive one show from another is to take a popular or controversial character from an ensemble cast and make them the focus of their own show.
Image credit: AMC
The Breaking Bad spin-off, for instance, will focus on slimy lawyer Saul Goodman. This provides another way for a popular show to have an opportunity to explore the origin or mythology without risking deviation.
At the same time, it’s common for a spin-off to fail to overshadow its predecessor. They are not guaranteed success simply because it was held by original, and many a promised program has been pulled because market research showed that it would not have the support of the viewing public.
Whatever your opinion on spinoffs, be it that they are by-products of creative inspiration, an expansion on the story, or that they symbolise the death of originality, one cannot deny that there’s no signs of them slowing down. With more shows inspiring their own (Vampire Diaries, Breaking Bad, Grey’s Anatomy to name but a few), we must embrace the concept and hope that it means we can relive a small part of what we love about our favourite shows, even after their demise.
Ife Omotola
Do you think TV studios should be investing in new shows rather than rehashing ideas? Or are spin-offs a way of expanding TV’s creativity? Tell us your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter or by commenting below.
Headshot: Bryan Cranston
Before Breaking Bad, there was Malcolm in the Middle, pants, and Power Rangers. Marcus Beard examines the unlikely rise of Bryan Cranston.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico a man stumbles out an RV into the desert in nothing but a tired pair of tighty-whities. Hyperventilating, panicking, he says farewell to his wife, son, and unborn child before bringing a pistol up to his temple.
Image credit: CW
In South-Californian suburbia, a man stares at himself in the mirror, in nothing but a tired pair of tighty-whities. Upon declaring “I’m so full of bacon, my body’s meant for shakin’”, he busts out some funky, funky moves, his flabby stature showcased in all its jiggly glory.
Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of two middle-aged family men has touched us millennials students in very different ways. First as the dopey, lovable father of three Hal, in seminal single-camera sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, and then as terrifying criminal genius Heisenberg – or, Walter White if you’re just starting with the series.
But what of his early career? Getting his start in youth stage acting groups and moving up the ranks in the San Fernando Valley, Cranston’s angular visage graced many TV dramas and sitcoms throughout the 80s, albeit in hilariously minor roles. Perhaps you’ll recognise his high-pitched but still intimidating growl as ‘Snizard’ in a 1994 episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (“Curse you and your power bolt!”).
In the same year a novacaine-loving dentist first tormented Jerry Seinfield in his long-running sitcom. The hilariously incompetent recurring Dr. Tim Whately (who often appeared in Seinfield’s paranoid daydreams) secured Cranston many more appearances on prime-time cable shows, and eventually his role alongside Frankie Muniz.
Image credit: AMC
It was in one of these prime time shows, the X-Files, that writer Vince Gilligan saw Cranston portray a nasty anti-semite tormented by radio-brain waves (a standard late-90s sci-fi plot) that, by the end of the episode, grabbed audience’s sympathy.
So, when it came time to cast for Gilligan to “turn Mr. Chips into Scarface” with a chemistry teacher driven by ego, power and money to kill, intimidate and manufacture drugs in Breaking Bad, Cranston was the only one who could strike the balance of empathy and maniacal genius.
He also happened to be a-ok with being introduced wearing nothing but tighty-whities.
Marcus Beard
Was Cranston the right choice for Walter White? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or by commenting below.
Breaking Bad: The Debate
Not a single social occasion has gone by in the last two weeks without somebody mentioning the ending of Breaking Bad, usually resulting in irate splutters of disbelief (“What do you mean you haven’t seen it?!”).
So to avoid further cat fights, we’ve gathered a few of the dominant opinions from Screen Editor Rob Harris and News Editor (and naysayer) Louis Doré, who ask: is it really worth the hype?
Rob says:
After five years, 62 episodes, seven Emmys and what must have been millions spent on psychiatrist’s fees, Breaking Bad is finally over. With expectations for the final season driven skyward by a legion of critics and dedicated fans alike, anything less than a work of genius from creator Vince Gilligan would have left scores across the globe grabbing their pitchforks and torches before storming AMC headquarters.
Image credit: AMC
Through the manipulation of the prior four series’ undulating storyline of triumph and catastrophe, the final season instead tackles anti-hero Walter White (Bryan Cranston) at his very lowest, with little prospect of ever fighting his way back to the top of Albuquerque’s criminal underworld.
And it’s not just been Walt who has shifted from season to season. Jesse (Aaron Paul) sees such an intense change that each episode will leave you in agony over the memory of how he used to be nothing more than a small-time, naïve kid.
Be it recurrent shots of characters and landscapes or a muttered line of foreshadowing in the very first episode, nearly everything drips with such significance that you cannot help but grit your teeth, put on season one and start the whole experience again.
In its last moments, once all the chaos, complications and revelations put before you sinks in, Breaking Bad achieves something that not many would have expected – it makes you smile. Not from laughter or from joy, but from an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. To those of you who are bogged down mid-season or are even yet to start, there is only one thing I can say to you: it’s more than worth it.
Louis replies:
Breaking Bad has finished its run as one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows of all time. No doubt you would have heard of the IMDb-topping Ozymandias episode, read the hesitant claims among critics that this is the greatest show in recent history. It is all just hype.
Image credit: EW
Simply due to its subject matter, it cannot compare to the greater shows that came before it. The formulation of one of the greatest villains ever before our eyes was a fantastic feat, but Walter White cannot compare in complexity to characters such as Omar from The Wire, or C.J. Cregg from The West Wing.
The problem arises from the farcical nature of the show – from the beginning it has revelled in going from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again, throwing the gleeful viewers’ trust out the window and cauterizing nerves in the process. The Vince Gilligan smash cut has been used so often, it is now not relatable.
I have struggled to keep emotional connections with the characters in the show, not because of poor acting or scripting, but because they can verge on the caricature. This is not to say the characters are hollow, but I don’t believe this farcically fantastic story could be true. Jesse could be argued to be the breakout character simply due to believability.
It is worth your time, it is one of the best things you can possibly watch at the moment, it deserves every Emmy it has won. Aaron Paul is sublime, and everyone should watch the show. But then watch The Wire, The West Wing and The Sopranos.
[poll id=”50″]
Is Breaking Bad your baby in blue? Or do you side with Louis, and think the show’s just too unrealistic? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or by commenting below.
Breaking Bad: Remember My Name
It was an emotional farewell this week to Vince Gilligan’s masterful Breaking Bad, but how might Heisenberg’s legacy live on in our viewing culture? Jonathan Blyth gives his verdict.
Over the last six years, through countless plot twists, genre shifts and film homages, (and one long bottle episode about a fly), Vince Gilligan and co. have charted the progression of one man’s ascent into criminal godliness, and descent into evil.
The current era of television, often called the Golden Age of Drama, has been obsessed with tortured protagonists since Tony Soprano. Breaking Bad stands as the most critically acclaimed of this era of anti-villains, with three Emmy wins for Bryan Cranston in his role as Walter White. So now that Walt is leaving our screens, are we going to see an end to this style of character?
Tension drives conflict. Conflict drives drama. Drama makes for, who’d have guessed it, good drama. And whilst tension and conflict can come from external sources, the last few years of television have clearly shown that the best drama comes from internal struggles.
Some of Breaking Bad’s most compelling scenes have come from observing Jesse and Walt wrestle with their own innate villainy, or watching characters make tough choices between their priorities. For those of you who are already well acquainted with the series, compare these scenes to the finale of season two. This mostly superficial, externally-driven event is widely considered Breaking Bad at its weakest.
Homeland has a similar problem. Most of the large-scale CIA thriller scenes feel like an add-on to the real show, a 24 knock-off left in to drive up viewers. Homeland’s strongest sections are those concerning Damian Lewis and his personal struggles, similarly to Breaking Bad being most emotionally compelling when it deals with the internal.
Ultimately, shows such as Homeland, Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire will continue to provide drama based around villainous protagonists, and thus we are unlikely to see an end to this style of character. However, Breaking Bad has been one of the most watched and talked about shows of the last six years; what will fill its place? What will the next era of television be?
The significant surge in horror and surrealist based shows over the last two years, including American Horror Story, The Following, Bates Motel and more recently the critically acclaimed Hannibal suggests that viewers are keen on seeing a darker, stranger tone in televised drama for the next few years.
Or will Agents of Shield, created by the critically adored, fanatically loved, and consistently cancelled Joss Whedon begin a push towards more relaxed shows dominating our screens? Despite already being a cultural and critical darling, Game of Thrones seems the most likely to replace Breaking Bad as the show of choice for television connoisseurs and the average viewer alike.
We cannot be sure of where television will go after Walter White and company (or whoever is left alive) leave our TV’s and Netflix queues. Perhaps in five to ten years we will see a show claimed to homage the Breaking Bad era, as Breaking Bad itself does to 70s exploitation cinema.
All we can be certain of is, one of the greatest shows ever created has finished, and its impact will be felt for years to come.
Jonathan Blyth
How did you feel to see Breaking Bad go? Tell us on Facebook, Twitter or by commenting below.
Nerding Out On: American Drama
I’m going to lay this down and back away guiltily: I think American TV is superior to ours.
Oh sure, we’ve had the likes of The Office, Peep Show, Spaced, Sherlock and Black Books, but who can honestly think of a British show that has the complexity and visceral power of modern American drama? I certainly can’t. That’s not to say I blame a lack of talent – if anything British writers have proved again and again to be some of the most innovative in the world.
But the fact remains that we live in a country with a production culture that is neither conducive nor encouraging to creating really memorable drama.
Lack of upfront funding, short seasons and a far smaller and more centralised group of production companies mean that writing and producing long plot arcs is particularly difficult. In America, shows can run for 12, 13 or even 20 seasons. Sometimes, this can result in derivative crap, but other times it can lend a freedom and vitality to a show that makes it practically canonical.
More than anything, what American TV does well is that it establishes an emotional rapport with its audience. The reason that people are still watching in Season 8 isn’t purely down to successful writing, it’s also a consequence of having an exceptionally solid sense of what people are watching for. It’s brand management at its best and most refined, and we ought to take note.
The Classic
This might be cheating a bit considering it hasn’t yet finished, but given that it could easily warrant a Nerding Out On of its own, I don’t care. Breaking Bad is the best TV series of all time, period. The only show that comes close to its greatness is The Sopranos, but even that might soon be eclipsed by its final half-season.
Why? For the simple reason that it has never put a foot wrong; every episode is perfectly crafted, complex, surprising and daring. In Walter White, Vince Gilligan has created one of the best protagonists of any drama, TV or otherwise. He is an embodiment of American confliction; alternatively loving, sympathetic and brutish. Nor in fact do any of the characters feel clichéd. Special mention has to go to Gus Fring, played by Giancarlo Esposito – you won’t find a more horrible or polite villain anywhere else.
The Cult Favourite
If you lived through the nineties and you were above the age of 16, then you probably couldn’t miss Twin Peaks. Nonetheless, for the younger and the unacquainted amongst us, let me introduce the strangest detective drama you’ll ever see. If dancing dwarves, mysterious apparitions and a personified log all sounds a bit much, trust me, you’ll get used to it. Though only two seasons were ever made, it’s impossible not to become invested in the plight of Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and his attempts to understand a high school student’s brutal murder. What David Lynch succeeds in doing here perhaps more than he ever did is to make his surrealist style approachable and fitting; the characters are thoughtful, their dialogue is witty and the subplots frequently moving. It also has a corker of a theme tune.
The Runt
The massive anti-climax that was Scandal is testament to the fact that wherever good TV happens, bad TV will follow. The promise of a decent cast led by Kerry Washington and the production team behind Grey’s Anatomy fell flat on its face when it combined to make this steaming bowl of incomprehensibility. It was all the cast could do to make a decent turn out of the script, which was so erratically put together that it wasn’t always clear if we were watching a political drama or a montage of people speaking in run-on sentences. The lesson to be learnt from Scandal is that trying to recreate a previous show’s success will inevitably fail, because the power of drama lies in its ability to keep us guessing.
The Verdict
Whilst I sincerely hope that one day the Brit industry catches up with its counter-part across the pond, until that time I must declare myself a televisual traitor. We are a nation that produces short-lived and therefore poignant brilliance, but we have yet to create a sustained drama that really flexes our abundant talent. Unless the BBC can create a robotic David Suchet, we need to start investing time and money into new talent before the best are cherry picked by Hollywood. Actually, Suchet as Robocop might have something in it – let me write that down…
Jess O’Kane, Senior Screen Reporter
exeposedev 