Catching Up On AMC's Breaking Bad

On Sunday, March 21, Breaking Bad returns for a third season and I can't wait to see what's going to happen to my favorite drug dealer this season. If you haven't watched this Emmy award-winning series on AMC, I would really suggest you catch up on probably the best drama this side of the pay Cable networks like HBO and Showtime. The fact alone that this series is not on those networks is a breakthrough sand offers hope that networks will move away from the same old cop  procedurals and bring us some television with bite.

And Breaking Bad has bite.

Not since the Sopranos has there been a show that illuminates the real underworld of criminal activity. Too many programs make criminals two-dimensional and place the scenarios on the far side of reality, but Breaking Bad offers a real glimpse into the world of crystal meth and the thruth to this show is that Walter White can, and does live in every neighborhood in America.

Bryan Cranston has won 2 Emmys for his portrayal of the middle-aged chemistry teacher who once diagnosed with cancer decides to "break bad" to try to take care of his family. So far, we have seen this character make astonishing transformations as he gets deeper and deeper into the world of crime while at the same time rationalizing that he will get out as soon as he meets his goal.

I think in Season Three, Walt will make his goal, but now will come the real dilemma of getting out. Walt might be too addicted to the lifestyle he has created and we will definitely see this come to head as the DEA and those nice drug dealers from Juarez close in on the infamous Heisenberg. It is definitely :"must see TV."

Get caught up below before Breaking Bad Season Three premiere.

Here's a quick look at the major players in Breaking Bad:

Walter White (Bryan Cranston):

Straight from the first episode, Walter White is the middle-aged chemistry professor who decides to "break bad." After learning that he has terminal lung cancer, Walt ponders how he is going to support his wife, son, and new baby and more importantly, how they will survive without him. After going on bust with his brother-in-law, Walt sees one of his former students escape. Later on, Walt tracks down this student, Jesse Pinkman, and suggests that they go into the crystal meth business together.

Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul):

Jesse Pinkman was once known as Captain Cook for his chili pepper spiced crystal meth until he narrowly escapes a bust. Tracked down by his former chemistry teacher, they go into partnership to become dealers of some primo glass.

While Jesse is the "streets" part of the operation, he is mostly a complete failure as more and more Walt needs to bail this junkie out of trouble. After his girlfriend overdoses and dies in Season Two, Walt rescues Jesse and sends him off to rehab.

Skyler White (Anna Gunn):

Skyler White is the crumbling rock in Walt's life. Having to deal with an disabled son and a newborn baby, she finds that support from her husband is slowly disappearing. She tries to be understanding of his cancer, but his new secretive life and lies forces Skyler to reevaluate their relationship.

When she finds out that Walt has a second cellphone, this becomes the last straw. At the end of season Two, she confronts Walt and he promises to tell her the truth but it is too late.

Walter White, Jr. (RJ Mitte):

Born with cerebral palsy, Walt Jr. tries to lead a normal life as a teenager despite his illness and crutches. at school, he tries to distance himself from his father and creates his own identity in Flynn.

Despite his father's mentoring, Walt Jr. leans more towards his Uncle Hank, who is a gun-toting, quick drinking DEA agent who loves to share his exploits with anyone who listens.

When his father goes in for expensive surgery, Walt Jr. creates a website to help his father which Walt Sr. uses to start to clean up his drug money.

Hank Schrader (Dean Norris):

Where Walt is the wolf-in-sheep's clothing, Hank is the wolf that is on his heels. Hank is a DEA agent who leads an investigation into the blue-colored crystal meth produced by Hank and Jesse.

Hank and Walt get along well, but I have a feeling that Season Three might bring some changes for these two.

Marie Schrader (Betsy Brandt):

The wife to Hank and the sister to Skyler, Marie lives in a world that borders on helping those around her and meddling too far into their affairs.

Whereas Skyler looks at the world through black and white lenses, Marie tends to have a little gray in her vision and this comes to a head when Marie gives her sister a stolen tiara for the baby shower.

She also keeps trying to promote Walt Jr.'s website even though Walt would like this to remain low key so he can funnel funds into it.

So we got Walter White, a middle-aged chemistry teacher who has kind of let life push him over. His teen son has cerebral palsy, his wife Skyler is pregnant, and he has a second job where he washes the tires of the very students who attend his class. He just kind of shrugs life along until he learns he is dying of cancer.

This knowledge puts Walt's life in perspective. He has no money for the future and only thing he knows, and knows well is chemistry. So, he decides to use his knowledge of chemicals to make money.

he decides to start making crystal methamphetamine.

Enter now Jesse Pinkman, a failed white trash junkie who sees himself as the king of crystal, even though he is just a bit player in the ABQ. Being a former student of Walt's, the two make an uneasy alliance to start producing meth.

And not just typical meth, but high-grade, uncut primo scante.

Well, there first problem is having supply and no demand. This leads to the death of their first contacts and the first sniff of the DEA into their operations as the duo kill a snitch who belongs to Walt's brother-in-law Hank.

After initial missteps, the two part ways. Walt starts taking expensive chemotherapy and Jesse tries to cook his own meth. Eventually, these two realize they need each other.

Back together again, it is time to cook some more dope. The same problem exists. Supply, no demand. So Jesse gets an introduction to the baddest mofo in the ABQ, Tuco. Tuco likes the dope, but not Jesse. So he beats him up and takes the crystal meth.

Walt starts losing his hair and his look on life. He is slowly changing, becoming more attuned to the violent world he is embracing. He confronts Tuco demanding his money back, plus interest.

Tuco laughs and Walt blows his place up. The two strike a mutual deal for more meth. Pounds of meth. Jesse gets out of the hospital and explains to Walt no they have demand and no supply. Walt sets up a plan to steal some super high grade chemical to make some blue-colored meth.

Tuco likes the meth. Tuco is crazy. Tuco kills one of his henchmen in front Of Walt and Jesse. Now Tuco is paranoid and Walt and Jesse hatch a plan to poison him with some ricin-flavored meth. Tuco kidnaps the duo and takes them to the desert where they escape and Tuco and Hank have gun battle. Tuco dies.

Walt creates a web of lies for his disappearance to Skyler. Jesse's money get seized by the DEA and he demands money from Walt to avoid homelessness. He then rents an apartment from a recovering drug addict named Jane. The two fall in love and start getting high together. On the streets, "Heisenberg" is a growing name among the drug trade. Walt and Jesse fall in with Saul, a crooked lawyer who becomes their legal counsel and advisor.

Walt makes a huge batch of crystal meth and strikes a large deal but Jesse is now a strung out heroin addict. He wants Jesse to go clean, Jane wants the money, so she tries to blackmail Walt. Jane ends up choking on her own vomit while Walt looks on. Jesse, believing he has killed her, seeks Walt's help. Walt comes to the rescue and places Jesse in rehab.

As things are looking good for Walt, Skyler leaves him. And then two planes fall from the sky.

Whereas Season One of Breaking Bad dealt with the dawn of Walt's emergence into a life of crime and Season Two showed as some of the ramifications of Walt's decisions, Season Three of Breaking Bad is all about consequences and just what price Walt has to pay for the decisions he has made for his family.

Since Walt's decision to "break bad" in Season One, we have seen this character slowly slide into a world that is spiraling out of his control and we watch in eagerness. It is this train wreck that we eagerly wait to happen, a collision between the family he has to juggle and the dangerous world he tries to keep separate. More than in the first two season, this year we will see the veil fall and both world's come colliding together for our favorite drug dealer.

Skyler hardens up, Walt loses his mind, Jesse deals with the death of his girlfriend and the boys from Juarez have come to town with their shit-stomping boots on.

This is the best show currently on television and Season Three should bring another Emmy to Bryan Cranston,

Don't miss the premiere on March 21.

If you would like to catch up on Breaking Bad, AMC is running a few marathons before the premiere on March 21 of Season Three. If you are like me who likes to watch shows in one giant fest, then I would suggest ordering them from Amazon.

You can buy the DVDs or get digital media access which will give you all of Season One for like ten bucks.