“Breaking Bad is my favorite series.” That’s definitely something you have heard at least once in your life. We even have to include ourselves on the list who have said it several times.
We know you’re thinking, “Do you like every series you watch?” Well, no, but we happen to go over the ones we actually enjoy. That isn’t a crime, right?
In the case of Breaking Bad, it is particularly in our top ten just with “Sherlock” and “Vikings.” If you haven’t watched it, spoiler alert: There are many reasons to go do it now.
The series is one of the best rated in all countries it is available, and critics along with fans really love it to the point of giving it a solid 4.9 out of 5 and similar scores based on other systems.
When it was released, people didn’t actually expect to enjoy a serial drama with crime and thriller all together. However, it was a great surprise for everyone.
Now, what makes it so good? And if it is that popular, does it mean it made lots of earnings? We will be answering all your questions. So, don’t worry; we will be more than happy to help you learn a bit more or decide to watch it once for all.
A Tragic Masterpiece: Plot Summary
The tragic part isn’t what you think, but you will need to prepare your heart if you decide to bring this series (or maybe you already died with us a bit after doing so).
To get an idea and cover the basics, here’s what you must know about the plot.
Walter H. White, a chemistry genius, works as a high school chemistry teacher in Albuquerque. He has always been a hardworking man with a moral to admire and take as an example.
However, when he is diagnosed with terminal Stage III cancer, his life changes dramatically with the fatal diagnosis. He has only a few months to live and, of course, nothing he can do to change it.
Worried about his family (wife and teenage son) and how their future will develop without him, he decides to leave his job along with his morality behind.
Walt decides to use his chemistry knowledge to make and sell the best crystal methamphetamine in the world and guarantee the best future for his family’s financial security as he has nothing to lose.
He teamed up with Jesse Pinkman to sell his “blue meth” signature, his former student, for the journey.
They become very wealthy quickly as a result of the quality of the drug. However, his brother-in-law, Hank, works for the DEA and grows curious about Walter.
As Jesse and Walt’s standing in the drug industry increases, the latter becomes a dangerous criminal while Jesse becomes a hot-headed salesman.
Hank is always on Walt’s tail, and as expected, nothing is easy in this drug trade and industry.
With drugs, relationships, a protagonist you expect to die at any moment, and many dangers (not only based on justice); you can expect a great time.
Cast Members & Production Involvement
With the plot set, what can we tell you about the people making it possible?
This thriller and the neo-western TV show were created by Vince Gilligan, who was also the executive producer.
For the latter role, Mark Johnson and Michelle MacLaren shared the responsibility.
In terms of producers, Stewart A. Lyons, Sam Catlin, John Shiban, Peter Gould, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Melissa Bernstein, Diane Mercer, Bryan Cranston, Morila Waley-Beckett, Karen Moore, and Patty Lin were included.
Got a lot of people there, right? It doesn’t end yet.
The cinematography was handled by Michael Slovis, Reynaldo Villalobos, Arthur Albert, John Toll, and Nelson Cragg.
Meanwhile, editors Kelley Dixon, Skip Macdonald, Chris McCaleb, Sharidan Williams-Sotelo, and Lynne Willingham did amazing jobs.
Finally, we have High Bridge Entertainment, Gran Via Productions, and Sony Pictures Television involved in production for the companies involved. The latter also took the role of distributor.
The original network of the film was AMC, and running time went from 43 to 60 minutes.
But who were the people involved to star in the small screen for this big series?
The cast was outstanding, and although some actors and actresses saw their popularity increase with the series, most of them were involved in the industry years prior.
That being said, we have these for the main cast:
- Bryan Cranston as Walter White.
- Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman.
- Anna Gunn as Skyler White.
- Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader.
- RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr.
- Dean Horris as Hank Schrader.
- Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman.
- Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez.
Other members like Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito, Charles Baker, and Jesse Plemons were part of the secondary and recurring cast.
Making Millions? – Money & Reception
Many people associate the popularity of a series based on how long it runs.
In the case of Breaking Bad, you have five seasons to binge and 62 episodes full of adrenaline, feelings, and great black comedy.
But based on these five seasons, many people believe it wasn’t that big until they do their research, read an article like ours, or talk to someone who makes them understand how wrong they are.
In our opinion, having fewer seasons compared to others that run for years can be the best to do for some TV shows like this one.
Now, you must know that it is hard to know how much a TV series grossed since people consider popularity based on views and general critics.
This means we need to focus on this rather than the regular numbers.
Based on critics’ sites and reviews like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, it is a big series.
For Metacritic, the first season scored 73 out of 100, but this score just increased for the second season to reach the 84 mark.
The third season along with the fourth season and fifth just surpassed expectations, and unlike most shows, they just got better. This is why the website has them with 89, 96, and 99 out of 100, respectively.
In the case of Rotten Tomatoes, the score is a bit different in terms of how it changed.
For the first season, it was set at 86 and went up to 97 for the second, 100 for the third and fourth, and97 for the final season.
On average, the series has an incredible score set at 97%, and it is considered one of the best TV shows of all time by them and the general critics.
We would love to know how much the companies like AMC earned from the series, but that will be a mystery (for now, at least).
Cast Salary: Was It a Lot?
What happens with the cast? Did they make lots of money out of it?
Salaries always vary based on the season and the series popularity. Thus, we will be going to some of them based on an episode as well.
In the beginning, the main cast, like Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston, was paid about $20,000 per episode.
However, by the end of the series, they were making about $225,000 per episode.
You need to consider that most of the main actors have the benefits of getting paid based on the show’s earnings (or films when they apply).
Although this information wasn’t disclosed, there has been mention of earning a specific percentage from the final show grossing.
In terms of other benefits, making their careers go to the next level is a big achievement.
What about the rest of the cast? We won’t be able to tell you about that.
The information regarding how much other members and recurring actors were earning is a mystery.
In addition, we would like to estimate the series’ earnings; however, we will also owe you this.
6 Not So Bad Facts About Breaking Bad
- The show went through a lot before being able to be produced since many networks passed on it. This includes the big company HBO.
- The iconic meth sold by Walter and Jesse is actually rocked candy.
- The number of episodes (62) has a special meaning since the 62nd element on the periodic table is Samarium, and it is used for treating certain types of cancer. You guessed it! Lung cancer is included, like the one Walter was diagnosed with.
- The police and DEA wanted an actual meth cook named Walter White in 2016 in Alabama.
- “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” was released in 2019, and it is a sequel that works as an epilogue for the series.
- There’s a Colombian television remake of the series called “Metástasis.”
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