Breaking Bad‘s fourth season cannot arrive on Netflix soon enough. Don’t expect any spoilers from me– but suffice it to say the season three cliffhanger left me on the edge of my seat– and that’s putting it mildly. Sigh. How do they expect me to wait?!
Walter White….what a fascinating character. For those of you who don’t know the premise [and I'm not giving anything away here], he’s a high school chemistry teacher whose otherwise mundane world gets spun on its axis when he receives a terminal cancer diagnosis. His wife is pregnant and his teenage son has cerebral palsy so he panics at the thought of leaving them financially devastated. So what does he do? Puts those science skills to good use and manufactures methamphetamine of the highest caliber!
Let me be very cautious how I word this lest I appear to be advocating drugs [whether it's producing, selling, or using] or criminal lifestyles….yet I empathize with Walt. What parent can’t relate to wanting to provide for their family and ensure their monetary stability? Although his intentions were good the way he chose to go about ‘conducting business’ is despicable, illegal, and endangering the very people he wishes to protect– so let’s be perfectly clear on that. The ends do not justify the means.
As you can imagine, the vast majority of Walt’s ‘colleagues’ are upstanding, law abiding citizens with impeccable morals. The show’s portrayal of somebody with nothing to lose– a man beyond desperation– can be just as dangerous as any hardened criminal. It’s endlessly fascinating to watch Walt’s development and the complexities of his character unfold as the storyline progresses. I cannot recommend this series enough.
…so now I’m watching Der Untergang [The Downfall] hoping to stop these Braxton Hicks contractions and get some sleep. Watching a cheerful film about the final days of Hitler & Co. in their Berlin bunker probably doesn’t strike most as something that would be calming, immersing myself in something that allows me to exercise my mind– versus these mindless television marathons– distracts me from how uncomfortable I am physically.
Can you tell I’m filled to the brim with glee tonight?
With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,
Sloane
