I wrote this two months ago on October 1, 2020. It never left the notes app on my phone, but I am finally nearing the end of this year’s rewatch, so I figured it would be a good time to actually post this.
Seven years ago today I started a 10 day binge of all of Breaking Bad. The finale had aired two days prior. I had tried the show previously, but wasn’t feeling it. People would just not stop talking about it though. I decided to give it another shot. I’ll never forget the rush of those 10 days.
Every year since, I rewatch Breaking Bad in October. Not in 10 days, I’m not a freshman in college who can afford to bomb an astronomy test anymore, but I still watch it all the same.
Of course, Breaking Bad has spawned some of the critically best television out there, not only within itself, but also in Better Call Saul and El Camino. It means more to me than some incredibly well written and shot TV though.
During the 10 day binge, my then ex-girlfriend and now wife, were rekindling our relationship. Her love of the show and my rapidly growing obsession became a point of connection for us. We’ve watched Better Call Saul with our dear friend Kevin every week it airs. We drove over an hour away to see El Camino in a movie theater. For better or worse, I see my own relationship dynamics with my brother in Saul and Chuck. All the Breaking Bad things are intrinsically tangled together with my own marriage and friendships (however healthy or unhealthy that may be).
So now that it is October once again, I dive back into the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico and watch a broken man build an empire. I am certainly not the biggest fan out there, but I’d wager I’m one of the more rigidly scheduled ones.