This is a rare feat for TV shows to achieve; the tendency is usually for an exceptionally good show to have the trajectory of a strong first season, a couple other subsequent seasons of high quality material, and then a sad decline into irrelevancy before trying to salvage a compelling conclusion. I’ve also heard other series with five-season formats be compared to Shakespearean tragedies that play out in five acts, with the story’s climax coming in Act III. The Wire could be said to follow this design, considering its fifth season that underwhelmed its audience.
Breaking Bad, on the other hand, while maintaining this five-act arc, seems to be getting more and more technically impressive, narratively airtight, and emotionally and dramatically satisfying. It’s possible that its thematic climax indeed came at the end of Season 3, when Walter, through Jesse, actively kills his first relatively innocent victim. But Season 4 witnessed the murderous chess match between Walt and Gus, which culminated in its own explosive finale.
Season 5 is heading towards Walt versus The World, whether it’s Mike, Jesse, or Hank. The first two seasons seem less significant because of their scope; they’re meant to set up the character of Walter and the progression of his character’s metamorphosis is brought on by the scope of his ambition, so the stakes are naturally going to be higher. As the second half of Season 5 approaches, the tension is building to a fever pitch, which is exactly where its creators want it to be.
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