Cooking with Walt and Jess!



Walt and Jesse contemplate their next catastrophe.

 "Any action, necessary or otherwise, generates repercussions. If the action is necessary, we can usually handle the repercussions. The Law of Unintended Consequences suggests that repercussions proliferate beyond what we are able to anticipate; and if our action is unnecessary, the consequences may well sweep us away." ~Robert Fripp

Talk about consequences.

I am speaking about AMC's Breaking Bad season 3, easily the best drama on TV,  (season 4 begins July 17, 10 EST). All the main characters have to deal with the unintended consequences of their actions. To summarize: Walter White, the central character, needed extra cash because he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Being a chemist and seeing the ridiculous money that criminals made, he decided, after much rumination, to "cook ice." That is, to create meth. But, he needed a partner who knew the drug trade on the streets and he picked Jesse, an ex-student from his high school chemistry class, a true fuck-up drug dealer and user. Both of them are terribly flawed people who near redemption and then watch it slip away, or worse, explode like the dangerous chemicals used to make the profitable recreational poison.

Mention meth and an audience goes running. Nay, stay and be enthralled. This does not glorify meth, rather it shows the incredible talents of a solid cast as they deal with the intense blow-back and collateral damage of really bad choices; even if those choices were then deemed "necessary" and now have become obligations due to the really dangerous individuals of the Mexican drug cartel. It's a mess, but you can't stop watching.

The writing and directing are impeccable. The best is on TV right now, folks. Breaking Bad is a knockout.