Breaking Bad with The Office Intro Theme Song

So I found this on Funny or Die and it gives a lighter side to the show Breaking Bad. The video shows a few clips from the show being compiled and edited to The Office intro theme song. I found this very funny and showed a little innocence to the graphic show. I like how this kind of tragic comedy is trending and we can see certain "convergence" like this.

Breaking Bad Opening Credits (The Office Style) - watch more funny videos

The Use of Color in Breaking Bad by Austin Cox

"Breaking Bad' may be a whirlwind of meth, crime and exciting impulse, but it's also a world of color. Show creator Vince Gilligan has used color in "Breaking Bad" as a way to express meaning and symbolism through his characters and specific scenery. “We always try to think of the color that a character is dressed in, in the sense that it represents on some level their state of mind," said Gilligan to Vulture. And following the series finale of "Breaking Bad," we’re going to breakdown the colors of “Breaking Bad”.

Each of the characters in the show takes on a signature color, but as they progress from Season 1 to Season 5, the color continually changes, and adjusts. Color also represents themes and emotions dealt with by the cast of "Breaking Bad." Red is a main color for Jesse Pinkman, who consistently wears the color throughout Season 1, which symbolizes his aggression and tendency for anger while participating in the meth trade. Red also serves as a theme for aggression and violence throughout the series in general, when Jesse and Walt cook in an underground lab, the paint is a deep red.

Blue is another significant hue in "Breaking Bad." Blue is symbolic of purity, escape and security. The famous blue meth Walt and Jesse cook was of the highest purity ever cooked, and was never fully reproduced by any one else. Blue is also a color that Skylar often wears, when she is completely unaware of her husband's drug escapades. Like Skylar, her sister Marie has a specific color. In his interview with vulture , Gilligan stated, "Well, Marie would say purple is the color of royalty." Marie wears purple throughout the whole series, symbolizing her being misled. Whenever characters are wearing purple they are normally being misled or deceived. For example, Walt and Skylar were deluding Marie about who was behind the drug business.

White possesses a powerful meaning in "Breaking Bad." White serves as a color of purity, similar to blue. Although when characters wear white, their intention is pure despite their lack of knowledge or power. White is mostly used to contrast black, or the light against the dark in Walt's families tumultuous life. White versus black is featured in Season 5 Episode 14, "Ozymandias," with Skylar dressed in white contrasting with Marie's black outfit as Marie turns the tables on Skylar.

Despite the purity of white, beige is a symbol of wealth and conformity. The importance of beige is specifically highlighted in Season 1, Episode 5, "Gray Matter," when both Skylar and Walt show up to the party wearing dark hues of blue. The rest of the affluent guests are dressed in beige, white or neutral tones. Even Skylar's character recognizes the distinction between blue and beige notting, "Jesus, I guess we didn't get the beige memo." In Walt's search for financial stability, the color green obviously plays a large role on "Breaking Bad." Money is a huge symbol in this series, as is the color green. Green represents greed and envy, in the pilot of the series Walt is seen wearing a green apron as he cooks his first batch of meth with Jesse in the RV. The color remains, however, the clothing changes. As Walt's drug empire grows, the green color he wears displays his greed wealth that meth has provided.

The Legendary Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins' Fan Letter

Emmy Worthy

“Here's what happened when Bryan Cranston dominated with three consecutive wins, Aaron Paul became the youngest two-time drama winner ever and Vince Gilligan finally claimed a statuette”, said Aaron Couch of Hollywood Reporter; and he couldn't have said it better.

This series started nearly five years ago and although it was a struggle for this drama to take top notch, Bryan Cranston started paving that way with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Male Actor in 2008 caring him into two more wins. Not long after followed supporting actor Aaron Paul with two wins; and to finally bring it home for the final haul Anna Gunn won for Outstanding Supporting Actress along with Vince Gilligan finally getting the recognition that he should for Outstanding Drama.

It’s become such a phenomenon that even actors, such as the legendary Anthony Hopkins is showing his love for the drama by writing a fan letter to Bryan Cranston. Anthony starts off by telling Bryan that he’s just finished a marathon of “Breaking Bad” from the pilot to the very last episode, taking him two weeks to watch it and says how brilliant it was. He continues on saying, “But this work of yours is spectacular - absolutely stunning. What is extraordinary is the sheer power of everyone in the entire production. What was it? Five or six years in the making? How the producers (yourself being one of them), the writers, directors, cinematographers…every department - casting etc. managed to keep the discipline and control from beginning to the end is (that over used word) awesome.”

               
          As Anthony put it, “From what started as a black comedy, descended into a labyrinth of blood, destruction and hell. It was like a great Jacobean, Shakespearian or Greek Tragedy.” You can see why this drama series won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama, because it was so well written and it was over flowing with amazing actors and actresses. The entire production group made this series; it wasn't just one particular person; and what an honor it must be to not only be recognized by your peers but to know that this was such an amazing product and outcome. Congratulations and a job well done to these ladies and gentlemen that have taken this drama to the highest it’s ever been. 

Our Thoughts on the Final Episode

Katie Davis: I’ll start off by saying I’ve never watched one episode of “Breaking Bad” until this assignment. I took a weekend to watch the first two seasons and I have to say now I know what all this buzz and hype was about; it’s an addicting show. The first season seemed pretty predictable to me and then you get to season two and it becomes a game changer. All of these new characters are introduced and you start to actually get engrossed into Walter White’s life; I started developing empathy for him and his situation. My favorite part about this series had to be seeing Walt develop into this badass. In the pilot I never would have guessed that this push over husband would turn drug dealer and killer.

This show to me has become such a phenomenon because it was so well written and the actors couldn’t have been better. Each episode just leaves you wanting more and then each season leaves you hanging; the suspense was overwhelming. I wanted to see more but there just weren’t enough hours in the day, but then I was able to catch about fifteen minutes of the final episode. And of course we all knew it had to come to an end but the way they had Walter White die was perfect. I want to watch seasons three, four, and five now!

Lindsay Crook: Breaking Bad reached new heights and records with 10.3 million views to the finale of season five and the conclusion of the show. This isn’t just any ordinary show. In 2012, according to Neilson, Breaking Bad was the highest time shifted show beating out renowned shows like Sons of Anarchy and Mad Men. The increase in numbers and ratings have been astounding for Breaking Bad as it only had 1.4 million viewers. In the episode prior to the finale, there were 6.7 million viewers, which is a significant drop down from the finale episode ‘Felina’. Unfortunately, statistics have shown that over 500,000 people viewed the series finale through an illicit source or through illegal downloads which 18 percent of those downloads originated in Australia.

Eddy Cordek: The series finale to Breaking Bad was an entirely satisfying finale to me that answered many of the questions viewers had going in and put an end to the series rather than a cliffhanger. Unlike some other shows, there was no vagueness about Walter's ending that he died. He died right there in the meth lab

that Jack's crew built, even if we never saw anyone take his pulse or heard him draw one last breath. It was perfect in the sense that it concluded all the main threads we were concerned about, and now we can all move forward with the feeling that Breaking Bad is over. The finale never had to redeem Walter White, and it didn't. Breaking Bad never defended Walter's actions, and even Walter admitted the truth that he did everything for himself. But Walter did make efforts to clean up as much of his mess as he could and take care of his family as much as possible, further exploring the idea that within every good person, there's bad, and within every bad person, there's good. However, in the end, even when he was dying, he chose to be where he felt he belonged, and that was among the instruments that made him his greatest. There have been talks about adding on more to the series to have an "epilogue" of three new episodes on top of the spin off already in production. The link to the article goes more in depth with more plans for the show.

http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=29635

Evan Dulaney: I have been an avid Breaking Bad fan for quite some time. I was emotionally invested into the show and truly loved it. For the finale, I actually attended a Breaking Bad themed party complete with thematic food, drinks, and wagers (on who would kill who and who would die).

I found the episode itself to be perfection. It was nearly flawless. All of the questions were answered and loose ends tied. The writing was genius. The soundtrack fit perfectly. The cinematography was like artwork. One of the visually wondrous scenes occurred when Skylar was on the phone with Marie talking about Walt returning to town. When Skylar hung up, the camera moved to reveal Walt behind a support column in her house. The scene was almost awe-inspiring.

The acting in the episode was also perfect. Aaron Paul, who plays Jesse, performed particularly well. There is already speculation that Bryan Cranston (Walt) and Aaron Paul will win Emmy awards for this season’s performance. The two actors' "farewell" scene was quite memorable (seen below)

The ending could not have been any better. Walt died with the love of his life, a meth lab, at his side as Badfinger’s “Baby Blue” played. Jesse escaped from Uncle Jack and the Nazis, a pleasing sight for fans. There were no serious looming questions as the screen faded to black. Everything came together and ended perfectly. In all honesty, I almost shed a tear.

Austin Cox: The last chapter saw Walt cash in all his chips and exit the drug-dealing business in a blaze of glory by killing the nasty Aryan gang and setting his erstwhile meth-making partner Jesse free by using the massive gun we saw briefly last season. Say hello to my little friend.

Walt’s visit to his former partners was exceptionally suspenseful. Walt waiting in the shadows sent a shiver down my spine. I eased slightly as Walt instructed the pair on how to handle his money, but as Walt’s voice strengthened and lasers shone through the windows, I was back clutching the pillow. Fortunately the world-class hitmen turned out to be only Badger and Skinny Pete, and I was able to laugh. A great reminder that no matter how heavy this show could get, it never lost a sense of humor or failed to provide some comedic relief.

After a stop at Denny’s and the acquisition of a really big gun, Walt goes to give a proper goodbye to Skylar. Anna Gunn proves why she’s an Emmy winner by clearly showcasing with her facial expressions the inner conflictions her character faced. You could tell that even after everything, Skylar still cared for Walt in some capacity. His tears were trumped by the gaze he gave his son from a distance, watching his boy walk away from him, now a man, for the last time.

I loved the way that Walt stumbled upon Todd and Lydia in the café. Looking homeless and raving like a lunatic, Walt pitches a doomed business proposal and sandbags the villains with a pathetic cough. The whole meeting is a rouse to set-up a final showdown with Uncle Jack and for Walt to finally use the long-prepared ricin. Using Lydia’s predictability and fondness for artificial sugar, Walt delivers what I think is the most agonizing kill of the night, a slow decomposition that only becomes worse when Walt alerts her of the finality of the situation over the phone.         

The final showdown was quick and to the point. Walt’s trunk turret gun effectively wipes out New Mexico’s Nazi population in only a few rounds. I envisioned Walt’s decimation of the Nazis being a little bit bigger, but I wasn’t at all dissatisfied by the choice. It pains me to admit, but Uncle Jack went out like a badass, dragging his cig one last time and calmly playing his last card amongst coughs of blood. The blood splatter on the lens was a nice way to drive the kill home. The fan favorite moment had to be Jesse straggling Todd. Jesse howls and wrestles Todd with the endless reservoir of pain and hatred inside of him, not stopping till we hear Todd’s neck snap.

WALT KILLS UNCLE JACK AND THE NAZIS (excuse the poor quality)

That left only two men standing. Walt and Jesse stared each other down for what felt like an eternity before Walt slid over the gun. When Jesse screams, “tell me you want this,” it almost seems as if Walt will  go out in his blaze of glory, but that wouldn’t be this show. Instead, Jesse uses the leverage to prove that he is finally free, that he never has to listen to Walt again. Jesse refuses to let Walt use him one last time, and leaves him alone to die. Before he departs, the two men share a slight nod of recognition. No matter the feelings they have about each other, the two men shared something that no other living souls would understand or ever be able to take away from him.

In the last scene, Walt decides to inspect the Nazi lab. Walt turns to his one true love before he dies, the science. As he inspects the lab, his smile might reflect a man just happy to die amongst what he truly adored, or his smile could mean something more. Walt began this show as a teacher, and no matter how many times they cooked, he always pushed Jesse to apply himself more, to master his craft. Walt never lost the desire to teach, and as he inspected Jesse’s lab, I think he finally appreciated Jesse’s mastering of the craft. To me, that smile was the smile of a proud teacher watching his student finally graduate. 

And the Award Goes to...

And Breaking Bad won this years Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama.

Outstanding Supporting Actress

Anna Gunn won her first Emmy Award this year for Outstanding Supporting Actress.

Outstanding Lead Actor

Bryan Cranston's Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in 2008, 2009, 2010. Also his SAG Award in 2013 for Outstanding Male Actor in a Drama Series.

Outstanding Supporting Actor

Aaron Paul's Supporting Actor Emmy Awards in 2010 and 2012 for Breaking Bad.

Breaking Bad Spin Off

Breaking Bad, one of the most successful TV shows to date, has decided to run a spin off based on the most prominent sub character of the show, Saul Goodman. The character of Saul Goodman, played by Robert John Odenkirk, was introduced into the world of Breaking Bad in season two when Walter and Jesse seek legal advice. From what stemmed from a few episode appearances was an inclusion the main story line, showing in the vast majority of later episodes. As many Breaking Bad fans are grovelling over the completion of the TV series, a slight smile was brought to their face when AMC confirmed that there would be a spin off about the immoral Goodman.

The show will be labeled ‘Better Call Saul’, which was the name of an episode of the Breaking Bad series. Unfortunately for many Breaking Bad fans though, is the fact that this will not be a sequel or an ending to Saul Goodman. In fact, this will be a prequel before Goodman met the likes of Walter White. It is said to depict the evolution of the shady Goodman. One of the characteristics that made Goodman the appealing character he is in the series is his empathy towards Walter White throughout any situation imaginable. While he advises Walt throughout the majority of the show on how to hold up his drug ring and in the wake of murders, he continually makes jokes and is very blasé about the whole situation even when he realizes how deep he is in himself.

            Many critics believe that ‘Better Call Saul’ will be flop due to the lack of entertainment surrounding his character and the main characters of the show were the ones that really spiced things up (literally, with meth). Although this is true, Goodman was surrounded by some very interesting characters in the show including popular actor Patrick Kuby that are sure to be included. His presence along with other characters will surely add life to the show. Also, as shady as Goodman is, he is bound to have worked with some pretty shady characters throughout his time and this again will add to the shows appeal.

There has been no release date on the spin off yet but it is rumoured to be in the near future. One thing is for sure, despite how attracted or un-attracted people are to the idea of ‘Better Call Saul’, AMC has made a smart move due to the fact that there were over 10.3 million viewers tuning into the final episode of the program. These kinds of numbers are near impossible to beat with a spin off, but AMC will definitely get a lot of lay overs from their current audience and if their show is a hit, then they already have an active viewer base to generate another breathtaking show that hopefully breaks down Breaking Bad’s record.

The History and Story Behind Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad has been one of if not the best TV to ever be shown. Over time, the show has aired 5 seasons and 62 episodes with, each and every episode becoming an instant classic in itself. It all comes back to the main character, Walter White (Bryan Cranston), when he decides to give up his lacklustre job of being a high school chemistry teacher to begin making crystal meth to provide more money for his family before he dies in the wake of his recent diagnosis of cancer. With Walter deciding his new occupation, he attempts to keep it from his family, although over time and over the seasons, his wife and family gradually creep closer to the truth.  His choice to synthesise crystal meth was the beginning of a downward spiral into the dark world of underground drugs. His development as a small time dealer into a major linchpin in the drug production in of New Mexico had each and every viewer crawly back and impatiently waiting for the next episode to be aired.

The show was conceived by write Vince Gilligan, who spent many years writing the popular TV series, The X-Files. In a quote, Gilligan said he wanted to create a show where the protagonist became the antagonist. This idea sprouted when Gilligan and co-writer Thomas Schnauz joked about their current unemployment status and the solution to this was to “put a meth lab in the back of an RV and drive around the country cooking meth”.  After trying to air the show to numerous stations, many rejected Gilligan’s idea due to the fact that there was a show too similar to his called ‘Weeds’. Fortunately for Gilligan, AMC saw some brilliance in the program and aired the show in January 2008 and closing on September 29^th 2013.

In regards to the history of the chemicals involved throughout the show, most scenes and interactions are correct, from a chemical standpoint. As a professor at the University of Oklahoma, Donna Nelson helped produced Vince Gilligan with the accuracy of the chemicals used and the process involved with cooking crystal meth. Nelson approached Gilligan in the early stages of the show, expressing her love for the show and offering a helping hand on the chemistry side of things if it was ever need. After all, one of the main reasons for Gilligan creating this show was to achieve the hard task of taking a person from Mr. Chips to Scarface. After watching the show, Gilligan definitely did this with extreme creativity.

Comparing Series Finales: The Sopranos

The series finale to The Sopranos was maddening. First, Carmela (though there was a glimpse of a woman who looked like Tony’s sister Janice, and a large number of fans thought she’d be the one to off Tony), then, later, A.J. Except when A.J. arrived he was slightly behind a man who looked like he was there to whack Tony. The man sat at the counter and periodically eyed Tony and his family. The tension rose. Highlighted by a beautifully choreographed scene where daughter Meadow arrives but has all kinds of trouble parallel-parking out front, which prolongs the scene. Is she going to walk in just as the guy at the counter kills her father or slaughters her family? Will Meadow be the one to survive? Before she enters the diner, she is still parking, in an excruciating but now somehow funny scene – the man at the counter walks toward Tony and he just passes him. He heads to the bathroom. Next in the door – another two characters who could be hired thugs. But no. Then, finally, the camera slowed as Meadow marches across the street to the diner, and we see Tony looking down, the sound of the door pushed open is heard, he raises his head (apparently seeing Meadow) then touches the top of the counter jukebox just as Journey singer Steve Perry says, “Don’t stop…”  and the screen goes shockingly to black, with no sound whatsoever. The end! The series finale was one of the most controversial in all of television history. The uproar that followed was immense. Many were very anger with few actually very content. The creator of the show, David Chase, still to this day won't give any clarity on what actually happened but said that the viewers must use their imagination. Comparing this to Breaking Bad is pretty easy. IT DOESN'T COME CLOSE! A finale as iconic as Breaking Bad definitely blows The Sopranos out of the water. I felt fulfilled with Breaking Bad and left scratching my head when watching the ending to The Sopranos. I was a little mad too. It goes to show the polarity of the two shows' endings. Breaking Bad was a masterpiece while The Sopranos just didn't make the cut. So to see how bad it is, here is the final 4 and a half minutes of the show. Enjoy!......or not.

Also enjoy the infograpic of all of Tony Soprano's crimes in each season and episode for your amusement

Comparing Series Finale: Heroes

The show Heroes is a drama that examines what happens when otherwise ordinary people find out they have superpowers. All strangers at first, it is slowly revealed they they are all connected somehow as a greater conspiracy unfolds as well as a global danger of a nuclear bomb that they seem predestined to stop. As the mysteries of who they are and the dangers they face as individuals and a group unfold, they band together, one at a time, to save the world and possibly each other.
The show definitely doesn't come close to Breaking Bad in ways of violence, story, and hype. But the show had a very popular and controversial ending. The disappointing second and third Season of the show was going to be tricky for the series finale. The other seasons were followed by disappointment from the die hard fans. Fortunately, Season 4 is a fitting end to the series with a well-rounded plot, decent pacing and good acting from the majority of the cast. The Heroes series finale wasn't bad, it wasn't spectacularly good either, but the last few minutes were perfect. It needed to end with something major beyond taking down Samuel, and having Claire jump to her presumed death, to the media's eyes only, only to pop that arm back in the socket one more time was the best way they could have ended the series. It didn't end on a massive cliffhanger but it could set up something very intriguing, but could they deliver on that? The show did not perform as well as Breaking Bad but did have a similar fan base and following. The two shows had such a big cult following but the hype and anticipation went to Breaking Bad.
An expert review can be found from the website know as IGN here.

The series also had side stories and spin offs in the form of graphic novels. Some say these were more popular then the show itself. I own a few and it does challenge the show a little bit. For example it does goes more in depth of the story and covers a few plot holes. Some examples are shown.