To even question if Breaking Bad is the best show of all time would be absurd. There is only one correct answer here: it is. 

Breaking Bad, an action-packed television show directed by Vince Gilligan, first aired in January 2008 on AMC. The show is based on an extremely overqualified high school chemistry teacher, Walter White [Bryan Cranston], who found out he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Walter, who made barely enough money to supply for his family, was hopeless and in need of  finding a way to pay for his cancer treatment. He decided to “break bad” and started cooking methamphetamine with his old student, Jesse Pinkman [Aaron Paul]. Walter knew the risks of being caught, especially because his brother-in-law, Hank Schrader [Dean Norris], was a DEA Officer, but he still went through with his scandalous operations. 

Now, you’re probably wondering how I could make such a bold claim of why Breaking Bad is the best show of all time when there are other top tier television shows like The Wire, The Sopranos, or Sons of Anarchy. But, when I tell you that Breaking Bad has every single aspect of a perfect television show, I am not lying to you. 

The series offers perfect cinematography, plot, characters, pacing and acting. But,  most importantly, is how accurately they depict and dissect the drug empire in the southwest. 

I also wanted to mention that Breaking Bad is the only TV show in the history of television that has an episode rated 10 out of 10. It is also tied for the highest rated television show on IMDB, if I didn’t convince you enough. The stats say it all…

Throughout the entirety of the series, Gilligan throws in several small details and easter eggs that the viewers don’t notice in their first round watching it. 

A prime example of this is how Walter White tended to wear very light colored clothing at the beginning of the show: powder blue collard shirts, khaki pants and gray coats. As the show went on, Walter’s wardrobe slowly became darker. You can see the powder blue collared shirt turn into a black one, and his khaki pants turn dark brown. This is a very slight, but important visual representation of the path that Walter White is falling down. As he falls deeper into the drug world, the darker his clothes got. 

One of the wildest aspects of the show, which I still find confusing, even after watching the series four times through myself, is how the producers create such an amazing antihero. Even though this man has committed 33 different types of crimes including murder, money laundering, theft, arson, and most famously known for the manufacture and distribution of a schedule-one controlled substance, you still feel a sense of empathy for Walter.

In the first episode you meet this caring and timid man focused on providing for his wife, son, and cancer treatment. As the seasons go on, you are still rooting for him, even though you see episode by episode the horrifying and monstrous acts that Walter white is committing. All you want for him is to beat his cancer, go back to his family and pull out of the drug business, or as Walter White calls it, ¨the empire business.¨ But he got so sucked in by the money, that sadly, there was no going back for him. 

Those who have watched the show know what I am talking about, and why the show is getting the amount of recognition it deserves. To any person who is still considering watching this television series, please, take my advice and indulge yourself in your next binge session. Now, get comfortable, relax, and watch Walter White’s master plan unfold right in front of your eyes.