Facing life’s dangers through “Breaking Bad”

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Tyler White

Walter White giving some good advice.

Television has made a major comeback in the past few years. Many shows come and go, leaving us with unforgettable memories and  giving us excuses to stay up late on weekdays. But beyond all the shows which offer a sweet escape from reality, there is one show that grounds you hard, teaches you life’s unfairness and shows you that good guys don’t always win.

“Breaking Bad” is the undeniable king of television. No show has ever reached a point where you can feel its characters coming to life and where you want to shout at them through the tv screen. The unpredictable, heartbreaking and mind-twisting events of the series are marked with indelible ink on the minds of anyone who spared a night to watch at least two episodes of the epic show.

But beyond all the admiration, many people, parents mostly, argue that “Breaking Bad” is a bad influence on their teenagers because of the dark and realistic portrayal of drug content and street life. As a fan of this show, I have to defend its reputation and significance just like Walter White protects his money. 

Primarily, “Breaking Bad” is not about drugs. It doesn’t glorify drugs in any way. It discusses the consequences of drug use and drug manufacturing. So for all the worried moms and dads out there, don’t worry guys. I’m sure that your kid will not want to become a junkie in any way because of this show. Just watch the show’s first season, and you will understand why.

The characters are incarnations of demons with hearts of stone. No one would want to be like any of the characters on the show. After all the lies, murders and betrayals, it would be hard for anyone to show the least sign of sympathy for the them. But then again, why would we be watching this show if it just represents the nature of evil?

“Breaking Bad” uses its characters’ misfortunes to teach viewers the consequences of their actions, showing you evil so you can separate it from the good. It is extremely effective. Today’s teenagers are more likely to follow a rule that says ‘’If you do this, then….” than a rule which simply says “don’t do this.” So, in this case, watching “Breaking Bad” is like taking life lessons from con men…extremely effective.

But the show’s greatest advantage is the realistic interpretation of injustice. One day, each of us will have to cope with the fact that bad things happen and that there is nothing we can do about it; “Breaking Bad” exposes you to real life. One day when danger knocks on your door, you will have no choice but to answer it, and “Breaking Bad” prepares us a little more for this knock.