Breaking Bad: Season 05 (Episode 1-8)

Breaking Bad is my favorite show on TV, and I think Season 5 (Part 1) is the best set of episodes yet.The writing on this show is sharp. The first episode, "Live Free or Die", gives us a flash-forward look at where Walt is one his 52nd birthday (its an intriguing scene that sets up where the series is heading). The first few episodes deal with the aftermath of the events of Season 4, and then the show quickly moves into new territory. With his lab destroyed, Walt must find a new place to cook. He must also find new suppliers and new distribution for his product. Walt's solutions to all of these problems are genius, and that's a testament to the genius of the writing staff on the show.I think that two characters in particular really add to the greatness of this season: Mike, who is given more screen time a has a more important role in the story; and Lydia, an interesting new character who is played to perfection.In addition to the writing/acting, the show has really excelled in its camera work. The production uses the vast desert landscapes of New Mexico to their advantage and are able to shoot wider than any other TV show I've seen. The directors and cinematographer Michael Slovis also aren't afraid to put the camera in unique places that give the viewer a very unique perspective. The narrative this season also allows for a number of great montages, many of which feature the aforementioned point-of-view shots as well as some stunning time-lapse photography.In terms of the blu-ray, picture and audio quality is fantastic. There is also an audio commentary for every single episode. Another great addition is "Inside Breaking Bad"; a short 3-5 minute feature for each episode - it's a nice way to recap the events of that given episode, while also hearing from the show's writers/actors.Please Note: This Blu-Ray set includes only the first half (8 episodes) of the Fifth Season... if you want the final episodes, then you'll need to purchase this too: Breaking Bad: The Final Season (+UltraViolet Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]FAVORITE EPISODES:5.03 - "Hazard Pay"5.05 - "Dead Freight"5.08 - "Gliding Over All"

For a long time now, television programs have been making great strides in terms of quality, production values and acting. Some of the shows we've been seeing in recent years really are prime examples of what can happen when you marry exceptional stories to inspired acting. The old bias against "the ghetto of television" is being eroded more with every passing year, and one show that deserves a large amount of credit for that turnaround is Breaking Bad.Bryan Cranston is so wonderful as chemistry teacher turned meth kingpin Walter White that his performance could easily obscure the other actors in this series...but the majority of them are so perfectly cast that you just can't help but marvel how wonderful they are. From Dean Norris as DEA agent (and brother-in-law to Walter) Hank Schrader to Walt's long-suffering partner in crime Jesse Pinkman, a heart-breakingly vulnerable Aaron Paul, this show rarely misses. And even the odd average bit of acting you see here and there ends up being elevated by how truly magnificent the material is.Breaking Bad gets a lot of comparisons to Scarface. Never having watched that movie in its entirety, (I have a hard time with Al Pacino's accent) I can neither confirm nor deny the validity of that statement, but what I CAN tell you is that this is a gripping tale of a seemingly mild-mannered man who, through a twist of fate, discovers the villain within and discovers too, his genius, and we see just how much he will let go of in pursuit of the gratification of his ego. Conversely, his partner Jesse, who starts the series as a petty drug dealer, finds that as Walt becomes increasingly distant from his morality, Jesse realizes just how close his always was.From the cat-and-mouse between Walt and Hank to the complex relationship that exists between Walt and his wife and children, to the string of adversaries that Walt faces in his rise to the top, there is nothing in this show that isn't handled beautifully. If it seems like I'm gushing, it's because I am. I can't say enough good things about this show. It is, by turns, suspenseful, blackly humorous, and touching, often all at the same time. Very few stories strike this balance, and even fewer do it as well as Breaking Bad.If you haven't seen this series yet, whether it's because you've felt like you just couldn't fit in one more, you haven't made the time, or you haven't any idea what all the fuss was about...do yourself a favor: watch it. Very few things in life live up to the hype. This does.