LIFE AS TV: Breaking Bad; 24 May

LIFE AS TV: Breaking Bad; 24 May “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” – CS Lewis

Trivia: What is the Golden Age of Television and when was it?

What is “long-form narrative”?

Facts and Figures  262 Industry award nominations  110 awards  58 Emmy Nominations  16 Emmy Wins

1. Aesthetic: Is it well made? A. Story/plot

B. Screenplay

C. Cinematography

2. Worldview: What is its message? Do we live in a world where terrible people go unpunished for their misdeeds? Or do the wicked ultimately suffer for their sins? – Vince Gilligan

A. What elements reflect a fallen worldview? i. Key Question: How does the series reflect moral relativism and/or secular dogmatism: “The message to the audience is that the weight of the world is on this man’s shoulders.” – Bryan Cranston

ii. In what ways does the series challenge/contradict the Christian worldview?

iii. In what ways is the series inconsistent with itself and its own claims? “our job isn’t to lie to the audience, our job is to find the truth in the character” – Bryan Cranston

B. What elements reflect a Christian worldview? i. What are the elements of this film that reflect Christian truth?

ii. How are the true parts of the show dependent on a Christian view of reality?

iii. Are there images of Christ/salvation/redemption in this film?

3. Personal: i. How do I feel after watching this show? What does it make me want to do?

ii. In what ways is the personal impact of this series good? In what ways is it bad?

NYT Interview with Vince Gilligan “If there’s a larger lesson to ‘Breaking Bad,’ it’s that actions have consequences,” Gilligan said during lunch one day in his trailer. “If religion is a reaction of man, and nothing more, it seems to me that it represents a human desire for wrongdoers to be punished. I hate the idea of Idi Amin living in Saudi Arabia for the last 25 years of his life. That galls me to no end.”

He paused for a moment and speared a few tater tots in a white plastic-foam tray perched on his lap.

“I feel some sort of need for biblical atonement, or justice, or something,” he said between chews. “I like to believe there is some comeuppance, that karma kicks in at some point, even if it takes years or decades to happen,” he went on. “My girlfriend says this great thing that’s become my philosophy as well. ‘I want to believe there’s a heaven. But I can’t not believe there’s a hell.’