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The final eight episodes of "Breaking Bad" begin airing this Sunday on AMC.
After nearly a year-long hiatus, meth kingpin Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and partner in crime Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) return for what should be a dramatic series end.
Since we last saw the two on screen, the show has spiked in popularity.
Not only has the series been available for binge viewers on Netflix, but everyone seems obsessed with it.
Celebrities from Seth Meyers to billionaire Warren Buffett have declared themselves huge fans of the hit AMC series.
The media went crazy when Cranston walked around this year's San Diego Comic-Con dressed as his "Breaking Bad" character.
"The Simpsons" even did a tribute to the show.
If you're not on board with the frenzy, you may wonder why America is so enthralled with two meth cooks.
Fans who have tried explaining the series to a non-viewer have probably had a difficult time relaying the show's bizarre premise in a single sentence.
After re-watching all five seasons, we've compiled a list of what makes creator Vince Gilligan's show one of the best on television.
The concept of the show sounds ridiculous, but it's brilliant.
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Imagine your high-school chemistry teacher.
Now, imagine that same person — who probably leads a somewhat normal life — cooking meth for money after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer.
After his 50th birthday, Walter White (Bryan Cranston) "breaks bad," joining up with former student and drug dealer Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to cook and distribute methamphetamine to provide for his family well after he's gone (and later to support his medical expenses).
You watch the show's main character slowly change from the protagonist to the antagonist.
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We can't think of another television series that introduces a sympathetic main character who slowly becomes diabolical, greedy, self-centered, and cruel.
That's what happens with Walt as we watch the drug business turn a timid, stumbling chemistry teacher into an overly confident, malevolent kingpin — aka Heisenberg — who wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet through someone's head. Even as Walt becomes increasingly violent, however, because of the viewer's attachment with the chem teacher from the start, it's easier to sympathize with him as opposed to other characters, like Walt's wife Skyler and his DEA brother-in-law Hank Schrader who continuously try to bring him down.
If Walt's character was introduced as a villain from the start, it may have been more difficult for viewers to turn a blind eye, or back up many of his actions.
The tumultuous relationship between Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul's characters.
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Walt and Jesse have a love-hate relationship as the older teacher easily and often gets agitated and frustrated with the younger, inexperienced chemistry flunk.
As the series progresses, the viewers see the two develop a sort of father-son bond, with Walt becoming much closer to Jesse than his actual son, Walt Jr. (He once accidentally refers to his own son accidentally as Jesse.) Jesse becomes very protective of his former teacher when others threaten his life.
The chemistry translates off screen as well.
Anytime these two head out in public together, the pair always deliver a series of must-see photos.
Also, if you've watched the gag reels for "Breaking Bad," it's easy to see just how well the two get along. Paul has said that Cranston is a giant prankster on set.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider![]()
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