Last Night

Last night Carol and I watched the most intense episode of a TV show that we have ever seen in the history of our lives.

And collectively I am talking about 118 years between us.

Breaking Bad. The show aired on Sunday night but I was watching football and medicating intense allergy symptoms, so I knew I would not stay awake until 10:00. We DVR'ed it.

Got home last night and dialed it up when the time was right.

We have invested a lot in this show. I used to watch it randomly on Tuesday nights. Tuesday night is my free night. Carol bowls on Tuesday nights so I get to watch all the sick and twisted shit that she does not enjoy.

I make a religion out of it.

I stumbled across Breaking Bad and watched random episodes. Somehow I got Carol to watch an episode or two and, surprisingly, she dug it.

Actually it is not surprising. The show is not all about violence, the story is unique and the acting is fantastic.

At the beginning of this year we made The Commitment. We decided to watch all five years of the show in chronological order.

It took forever because we did it through the mail with Netflix, but we got it done. And we enjoyed it tremendously.

Which set us up for the finale. This year is the final year. Eight episodes which began in August.

We are six episodes in now and blown away entirely. After last night I am almost afraid to watch the last two episodes. If the intensity level keeps ramping up I will be left with my head lolling against the backrest of my recliner with blood running out of my eye sockets.

The Sopranos finale disappointed me. It was too artsy. Left too much up to the imagination. Up until then I worshipped that show. The last episode left me asking WTF? As it did millions of other fans.

That ain't gonna happen with Breaking Bad. Episode six raised the bar so high that episodes 7 and 8 have to be positively transcendent. I think they have made a commitment to blow the fans' minds and I believe that is the way to go out.

Leave you with your tongue hanging out, your mind blown and your emotions twisted around upon themselves.

Carol and I were exhausted after watching episode 6. Every time we squirmed uncomfortably at what was going on, we were slapped in the face with even more intense emotion. We were talking to the screen. "What the hell is Walt doing?" "Is the evil bad guy really going to kill Hank?" "What the hell are they going to do to Jesse?"

That was entertainment. That is what I want when I watch a movie or a TV show. I want to be so wrapped up in what's going on that I cannot even imagine returning to my dull and boring life when it is all over.

Breaking Bad has been and continues to be an amazing show. If you have avoided it because of your Puritanical stand against violence, you have missed out on a unique story and premium acting.

In short, you are a fool.

The next two weeks will blow my mind. I know it. I expect it. I relish the anticipation and I fear the final outcome.

I have theories about how the story will end but episode six proved to me that I cannot take anything for granted.

That is what entertainment is all about. When you are not sure if the good guy will win or the bad guy will win or if innocent family members will die or if justice will be served or avoided, then you are where your mind needs to be to make you feel alive.

I love this show and I will miss it hugely.