Breaking Bad - Season 2

Season one ended up just being a preview of the amazing places the series would end up going. Season two is all about Cranston's Walter White's transformation from a chemistry teacher making some bad mistakes as he deals with his own mortality into a grizzled husk where a man used to be. You can see his humanity drain away as he piles lies on top of lies to hide the drug money from his family and he starts stepping out of his comfort zone trying to expand the business. It gets to the point where you wonder if he's trying to make the money he needs as quickly as possible so he can get out fast, or actually turning into one of the drug lords who disturb him. I think at least two more seasons are planned, and whereas before I was curious where they could really go with a dying protagonist, I'm now stuck waiting to see what fascinating turn it takes next.

The show is a unique mix of incredibly shocking plot turns with a pace and tone that are very deliberate and realistic. You could probably edit each episode down to the standard length for an hour broadcast without cutting anything important, but to me the way it lingers helps enhance and punctuate the unbelievable moments that make watching the show great. When you have a chance to watch the characters squirm, it makes it all the more uncomfortable and gripping when stuff's happening. One of the things I like most about the series is the unique chemistry between Cranston and Jesse, the deadbeat former student who connects him to the world of crime, and he really comes into his own this year, by the end being in a completely different place from when he started as just a punk. The final scene of the season is hinted at repeatedly throughout the previous episodes, and while at first it was pretty baffling, it really perfectly captured the series' mix of realism and there being something strange behind it all, as it really drives home what the consequences of Walter's decisions are. I don't really hesitate to call Breaking Bad the best drama currently on television, and I'm already waiting for it to come back.