Arguably the greatest TV drama ever made, Breaking Bad came to Comic Con this year for the first time and I was fortunate enough to be there. It’s always awesome when the panels include something special for the fans, and the cast and crew of Breaking Bad certainly didn’t disappoint in their SDCC debut.
Most shows don’t have a cast that takes the stage dressed in
drag and hazmat suits while holding blue meth and babies.
So many juicy tidbits were dropped during the panel, including awesome anecdotes like how Jesse Pinkman was intended to be killed off at the end of the first season as a way to facilitate Walter White’s continuing moral degradation and further immersion and growing status in the New Mexico drug trade.
Other hints at season 5 included news that the new season will showcase the link between Gus Fring’s drug empire and Germany, that Walt’s meth-making circle of trust will grow and the show’s tone will be eerie and full of tension, and that the overall theme will be that of “winning and staying on top.”
As opposed to “winning” and hitting rock bottom.
However, by far the best moments were when creator / writer / exec producer Vince Gilligan shared his insights into the genius of his show, and when star Bryan Cranston closed out the panel by earnestly thanking fans for their support, which resulted in an immediate and thundering standing ovation.
Because the show is so damn remarkable, not even a cape and cowl could make it better.