Crime and Punishment: Greed, Pride and Guilt in Breaking Bad Pablo Echart and Alberto N.

Garca
Abstract Although Breaking Bad (AMC, 2008-2013) is one of the most critically acclaimed T !eries of the last decade, it has "een the su"#ect of little academic research$ This %a%er aims to figure out the moti&ations fueling 'alter 'hite(s "eha&ior, one of the most com%elling characters in contem%orary %o%ular culture$ The disco&ery of 'alter 'hite(s cancer ser&es as a catalyst (a %articularly a%%ro%riate chemical term) for him to un&eil his true )inner self($ The serious nature of his disease, the associated medical costs, and his feeling of failure as "oth a father*hus"and and in the %rofessional s%here, are esta"lished as the dri&ing force "ehind his infamous "eha&ior from the &ery start of the series$ +o,e&er, "eyond the strategies that underlie the initial sym%athy that e&ery &ie,er feels for this )ordinary American guy(, Breaking Bad di&ulges other -eys that allo, us to understand the transformation from )Mr Chi%s into !carface(, follo,ing the %remise descri"ed "y Breaking Bad(s creator, ince .illigan$ As ,e ,ill e/%lore, the %rogressi&e moral and criminal decline of 'alter 'hite is s%urred on "y the contradictory tension "et,een t,o radical emotions that "ecome )rationali0ed( in order to #ustify his actions, ,hich "ecome increasingly less defensi"le1 an increasing %ride, and the guilt that fades as the narrati&e unfolds$ 2n summary, ,e ,ill analy0e the moral and narrati&e mechanisms that hasten 'alter 'hite(s self-destruction once he "ecame a,are that he ,as facing the end of his o,n life$ Key Words: 3rea-ing 3ad, 'alter 'hite, T emotions$ ***** 1. ntroduction 'hen consciously coming face to face ,ith ,hat is to "e the end of one(s life, it can "e said that there is a uni&ersal need 4 reinforced "y 5udeo-Christian tradition 4 to re%ent and %lea for forgi&eness for the errors one has committed, and for the harm caused to others$ 6ilms and 7iterature are full of characters ,ho, li-e Tolstoi(s 2&an 2litch, feel the urgent need to amend for the errors of a lifetime ,hen confronted "y their death$ This is also the starting %oint of Breaking Bad1 'alter 'hite recei&es the ne,s that he is suffering from terminal cancer and as is often the case, the %ro/imity of death forces this character to ta-e stoc- of his life and instills in him the need to series, character arc, moral disease,

Crime and Punishment

__________________________________________________________________ follo, a different %ath$ 3ut the %ath that 'alter chooses is some,hat %eculiar in that it in&ol&es a radical in&ersion of the aforementioned &alues1 %ride and a su%%ression of the feeling of guilt re%lace the need to re%ent and that of forgi&eness$ 8nder this %remise, ,hich ,ill "e the o"#ect of our analysis, Breaking Bad sets out on a descent along the road to hell$ A #ourney full of errors, a"surdity and failure, ,hich ne&ertheless does not a%%ear to "e a"le to com%ete ,ith the su"#ecti&e %leasure that 'alter ta-es from the sensation of %o,er and of the li"eration from any moral restrictions$ !. Greed: "oral Choices in a #and o$ Plenty To some e/tent, the most recently acclaimed American fictional series offers a critical reflection on the identity of The 8nited !tates of America$ 2f Deadwood, for e/am%le, offers a re&isionist &ie, of the gestation of a nation in the format of a 'estern,1 The ire closed the circle "y condemning the social and %olitical decom%osition that a%%ears to "e "eyond redem%tion$2 2n this climate of deconstruction series li-e Breaking Bad or !ad !en de&elo% the tale of the rise and fall of indi&iduals ,ho fall &ictim to their o,n decisions, "ut ,hose moral decline is rooted in the chimera of culturally acce%ted %ersonal achie&ement$ As analy0ed "y 7isan an 9or%, series li-e Breaking Bad, !ad !en or Boardwalk Em"ire coincide in that they re&ol&e around a main character ,ho em"odies the %er&ersions dra,n from the em%hasis on the ideal of success that is rooted in the myth of the )American 9ream$(3 6or her, 'alter 'hite 4 li-e 9on 9ra%er or ):uc-y( Thom%son 4 res%ects the narrati&e of the rise in society of the sel#$made man in its cynical or disillusioned state, as they "rea- ,ith the moral restraints associated ,ith such an archety%e$ Thus, ,e find oursel&es confronted ,ith characters ,ho are totally dedicated to their ,or-, ,ho sacrifice themsel&es in the search for %rofessional e/cellence and ,ho demonstrate an o&er,helming ,ill to satisfy the material needs of their family$ ;et, at the same time they are %re%ared to use illegal and immoral means to reach their o"#ecti&es, that em"ody the a"solute ideal of success, and as such, the fulfillment of a ,orth,hile life$ 'alter 'hite to some e/tent re%resents the li&ing image of failure$< 6rustration and misfortune a%%ear to ha&e accom%anied him for decades1 his son ,as "orn ,ith cere"ral %alsy= he ,as left out of the undenia"le %rofessional success of his t,o initial %artners= he has t,o #o"s "oth ,ell "elo, his ca%acities= and moreo&er, he can(t e&en ensure the financial sta"ility of his family no, that lung cancer is threatening to ta-e his life a,ay from him$ This illness acts as a catalyst ()2 am a,a-e>( he yells in the %ilot e%isode) and %reci%itates a "rutal transformation that, as .illigan states, constitutes the core of the series$? 'alter sets out to "ecome master of his destiny, "eginning ,ith the need to %ros%er, ,hich in -ee%ing ,ith the myth, is ,ithin the reach of each and e&ery one of us$ As such, 'alter(s greed acts as a %rete/t 4 "asing its moral #ustification, as ,e shall see, in his %athological %ride and a sense of guilt that is e&er more tenuous 4 on

Pablo Echart and Alberto N. Garca

__________________________________________________________________ ,hich a dee%er transformation of his character occurs$@ Cooking metham%hetamine allo,s him in the first instance to earn )easy money( (1$1$) "ut also, it allo,s him to demonstrate his %rofessional ca%acity 4finally he can sho, that he is the "est at something 4 and this "ecomes a meta%hor of his %ersonal e&olution1 )Chemistry is the study of matter, "ut 2 %refer to see as the study of change$( (1$1$) 3eyond this need, the tortuous "ut lucrati&e drug trade "ecomes addicti&e to 'alter, e&en ,hen his cancer remits significantly and, as such, his life is no longer in immediate danger$ 'alter al,ays finds a reason to continue des%ite the enormous toll that he must %ay1 in the eyes of the s%ectator, a dehumani0ation deri&ed from his %rogressi&e loss of moral scru%les= in his o,n eyes, the constant distancing of that he most lo&es 4 or at least this is ,hat he says 4 and that he tries to %rotect ,ith a tight -nit and unsustaina"le ,e" of lies, his family$ +ere the true irony of the series crystalli0es1 it is %recisely the initial 0eal of 'alter to amass a fortune for the good of his family that unleashes the domestic hell and the e&entual ru%ture of the family unit$A Moreo&er, 'alter not only reaches the %oint that !-yler detests him (to the %oint of ,ishing him dead, as seen in cha%ter ?$<) "ut he also gets her caught u% in and %er&erted "y his e&il tra#ectory$8 The destructi&e s%iral in ,hich 'alter 'hite has entered can only "e understood in the light of the dar- gratification that 'hite*+eisen"erg recei&es in e/change$ A com%ensation related to the emotional restitution of his long hurt %ride$ %. Pride and the $amily alibi Although the dri&e to earn money that ,ill ser&e for the good of the family is a genuine o"#ecti&e in the initial cha%ters of the series, it is soon con&erted into a mere e/cuse$ The leaning to,ards the ,orld of drugs and the re%rehensi"le actions that this entails are #ustified "y 'alter ,ith this mantra1 the need to %ro&ide for the family$ 'alter, already a master of self-dece%tion, is occasionally su%%orted "y !-ylerB (3$B$) and "y the guiding influence of .us 6ring, ,ho hel%s to clarify any dou"t or remorse (3$?$)1 'alter 'hite1 2 ha&e made a series of &ery "ad decisions and 2 cannot ma-e another one$ .us 6ring1 'hy did you ma-e these decisionsC 'alter 'hite1 6or the good of my family$ .us 6ring1 Then they ,eren(t "ad decisions$ 'hat does a man do, 'alterC A man %ro&ides for his family$ 2n reality, the e/aggerated accumulation of Money is consistent ,ith 'alter(s %ride, ,hich led him to re#ect the charity and to see- recognition$ The first season em%hasi0es the former$ 2n addition to re#ecting the economic aid offered "y his inla,s to %ay for his treatment (1$<), his refusal to acce%t the succulent offer of em%loyment that is made "y his e/ %artner, ,hich ,ould ha&e ena"led him to a&oid

<

Crime and Punishment

__________________________________________________________________ any illegal acti&ity fore&er, is fundamental1 it is here that it "ecomes clear that his %ride is more im%ortant than his lo&e for his family$ 'alter a%%ears to follo, the famous Duote of .eorge !and to the letter1 ECharity degrades those ,ho recei&e it and hardens those ,ho dis%ense it$F 7i-e,ise, 'alter e/%eriences the %leasure of an e&er-increasing narcissism$ +is &irtuosity in chemistry and his intelligence earn him the re&erential res%ect of -on occasion accom%anied "y fear4 his ri&als$ 6rom "eing a figure lam"asted "y the rest and "y destiny, 'alter "egins to feel the %leasura"le sensation of ta-ing hold of the reins of his life, of )"eing in control,( as he states in front of another %atient that ,as ,ea-ened "y cancer (<$8)$ Although money no longer "ecomes a need, 'alter remains addicted to the "usiness in ,hich he can demonstrate to the rest of the ,orld that his artistr% is insur%assa"le$ As Tangney and 6ischer e/%lain, )emotions such as shame, guilt, %ride and em"arrassment are founded on social relationshi%s, in ,hich %eo%le not only interact "ut e&aluate and #udge themsel&es and each other$ !elfconscious emotions Gsuch as %rideH are "uilt on reci%rocal e&aluation and #udgment$(10 As such, the e&er more %athological %ersonality of 'alter demands %u"lic recognition, he needs others to "e a,are of his talent$ This is ,hat finally allo,ed him to be someone$11 2t is sufficient to com%are the scene in the %ilot ,here he hides from his students in the car ,ash ,ith the e/cessi&e reassertion ,hen confronted ,ith some thugs at the end of the fifth season1 ):o,1 say my name> G)+eisen"erg(, says the manH ;ou(re goddam right>>( (?$A$) This same %ride not only mar-s 'alter(s internal conflict "ut also, it is determinant as to ho, his relationshi%s ,ith the characters that surround him e&ol&e$ +is relationshi% ,ith 5esse ,a&ers during the fourth season ,hen 'alter sees his leadershi% threatened and he "egins to feel e&"endable$ 2t is the same %ride that leads him to nearly gi&e himself a,ay in a %olice murder case (the assassination of .ale), as he can(t tolerate that his genius and coo-ing craftsmanshi% is attri"uted to another chemist (<$?)$ I&en Mi-e ma-es a reference to this 'alter(s %athological %ride, situating it as the source of all his trou"les112 'e had a good thing, you stu%id son of a "itch, ,e had 6ring (J) ;ou could ha&e shut your mouth and coo-ed and made as much money as you ,ould ha&e e&er needed$ 3ut no, you #ust had to "lo, it u%> ;ou and your %ride and your ego, you #ust had to "e the man> 2f you(d done your #o", -no,n your %lace, ,e(d all "e fine right no, (?$A$) +o,e&er, ,here the com%le/ dri&e of his %ride is most e&ident is in his relationshi% ,ith his family$ 9uring the first t,o series the relationshi% ,ith !-yler is strongly "ased on the other face of this %ride1 shame$ As catalogued "y Tangney and 6ischer, these are )emotions of o%%osite %olarity($ At the outset of the story, the 'alter(s moral com%ass indicates ho, re%rehensi"le his actions are and consistent

Pablo Echart and Alberto N. Garca

__________________________________________________________________ ,ith the classical res%onse to shame, he )tries to hide or esca%e from the o"ser&ation or #udgement(13 of others, in this case that of his ,ife and son$ As it turns out, and as .illigan admits, 'alter is a genius ,hen it comes to deceit1 )'alt(s su%er%o,er is that of "eing the "iggest liar in the ,orld$ There is no "etter liar in the ,orld of Breaking Bad and the %erson that he is most ca%a"le of decei&ing is in fact he himself$(1< +o,e&er, "y the end of the second season t,o e&ents occur that alter 'alter(s self-image1 !-yler disco&ers his continued farces= and his cancer tem%orally remits$ 3oth these facts4 intert,ined ,ith the rest of the story, as is logical 4 %ro&o-e a ne, %sychological t,ist in 'alter, and as is a norm throughout the series, his %ride im%oses on the shame or guilt (as ,e ,ill analy0e in the follo,ing section)$ As is the emotional leitmoti& of Breaking Bad, 'alter 'hite rationali0es his emotions ada%ting them to the ne, scenario, and al,ays gi&ing %reference to his %ride o&er his feelings of guilt$ The 0enith of this transformation (that in the fifth season ,ill deri&e into domestic %sychological terror) ta-es %lace in cha%ter <$@$ ,hen !-yler dou"ts the %hysical integrity of her hus"and, accusing him im%licitly of "eing ,ea-$ An irate 'alter res%onds1 ;ou clearly donKt -no, ,ho youKre tal-ing to, so let me clue you in1 2 am not in danger, !-yler$ 2 am the danger$ A guy o%ens his door and gets shot, and you thin- that of meC :o> 2 am the one ,ho -noc-s> (<$@$) 2n this sense, Luo and 'u defined a suggesti&e analogy "et,een this character and !atan in Paradise 'ost,1? and it is clear that 'alter adheres to the %hrase of Milton(s 9emon1 )3etter to reign in +ell than to ser&e in +ea&en$( 3ut to reign in hell it is necessary to act ,ith malice$ Accordingly, the %rogressi&e dehumani0ation of the %rotagonist is dri&en "y his e/aggerated %ride that, as the story unfolds, "ecomes released from all the moral constraints that are im%osed "y an emotion that is so human, the sense of guilt$ 9e%ri&ed of this sensation, 'alter is con&erted into a remorseless man$ &. Guilt and the birth o$ a 'u(erman) $rom "r White to *eisenberg As ,e ha&e e/%lained, Breaking Bad narrates the story of a monster that is fighting to cast off his human mas-$ This metamor%hosis is %rogressi&e and in fact, 'alter initially a,a-ens certain com%assion such that the s%ectator can em%athi0e ,ith him1 during the first season, the sic- 'alter is the )identifia"le su"ur"an dad under enormous %ressure$(1@ The challenge of the series %recisely lies in the e/tent to ,hich the &ie,er(s interest in the luc- of a character that is e&er more re%ulsi&e can "e maintained, and ,ith ,hom the "ond of a shared moral code is %rogressi&ely lost$ As the monster "egins to ta-e o&er, 'alter(s %ride "egins to crush his moral conscience, his sense of guilt$

Crime and Punishment

__________________________________________________________________ This is clearly e&ident through the "loody acts that he "egins to commit$ They are e&er more outrageous and se&ere, and yet the chemistry teacher al,ays finds a ,ay to #ustify them$ The first im%ortant &iolent act comes in the third cha%ter of the series, ,ith the death of Lra0y-8$ Mn this occasion, as occurs throughout the first t,o seasons, all these assassinations ha&e an air of a mere instinct for sur&i&al1 -ill in self defense or "e -illed$ The "ig change comes later, not "y chance, once his cancer remits (2$B$) and 'alter demonstrates the strength of +eisen"erg(s %ersonality ,ith that )!tay Mut of my territory( that he "ello,s in the hard,are store (2$10$)$ !oon later, in cha%ter 2$12$, 5ane dies$ 2n this case there ,as no %hysical threat to his life (as occurred in the earlier deaths) "ut he still refuses to hel% her and he is fully a,are that he has left her cho-ing to die$ 'hat is interesting in this e&ent is the contrast in the ,ay it affects the %rotagonists1 ,hile 5esse(s sense of guilt "ecomes e&er more a%%arent (3$A$), 'alter a%%ears to "e e&er more immune to the moral conseDuences of his actions$ 9uring %art of the series, 'alter 'hite e/hi"its a conscience that admits the e&il in his actions, and as a conseDuence, he on occasions e/%resses a strong sense of guilt$ This e/%lains his enraged res%onse to such good ne,s as the remission of his illness (2$B$)$ 'alter res%onse is to cause himself %ain (furiously smashing his -nuc-les in the "ath) and in that moment, ,e sense that he cannot su%%ort the guilt of all the %ain that he caused$ :o longer can he argue that mitigating circumstances #ustify ,hat he does is for a greater good gi&en the imminence of his death$ This is the feeling that "ecomes e/%licit in )The 6ly(1 )!-yler and +olly ,ere in another room$ 2 can hear them on the "a"y monitor$ !he ,as singing a lulla"y$ Mh, if 2 had #ust li&ed right u% to that moment$$$and not one second more$ That ,ould ha&e "een %erfect (J) 2(m saying that 2 li&ed too long$( (3$10$) +o,e&er, as ,e e/%lain, his e/aggerated %ride further com%licates the #ustification of his moti&ations$ +is rules change, reada%ting to the ne, situations of the %lot ,ith a single, constant emotional as%ect1 that his %ride o&errides his guilt$ 1A This is the "ig difference ,ith Nin-man$ 5esse %ercei&es the stain of his actions and he "ecomes the moral &oice of the %air from ,hen he -ills .ale (3$13$)$ 6rom then, the sense of guilt ma-es him more human and enhances his em%athy ,ith the s%ectator, unli-e 'alter ,ho is increasingly more distanced morally from the audience$ 2n the third season, Mr 'hite ste%s u% a le&el "y running o&er .us 6ring(s t,o henchmen and orchestrating the liDuidation of .ale$ 2n the fourth he %uts in danger a child (%oisoning 3roc-) and an elderly lady (the neigh"or that he uses as to ensure the %ath is clear in <$13$), and in the fifth, as ,ell as terrifying !-yler, and running o&er and -illing Mi-e, his reaction to the death of the child on the motor"i-e is &ery significant1 %ro#ecting along ,ith 5esse a com%assion that %ro&es to "e false

Pablo Echart and Alberto N. Garca

__________________________________________________________________ ,hen #ust moments later ,e see him ha%%ily ,histling (?$@$)$ 'alter is no, a merciless and guiltless man, a su%erman ca%a"le of constructing his &ery o,n &alue system$ +. Conclusion )5esse, you as-ed me once, 2f 2 ,as in the meth "usiness or the money "usiness$ :either$ 2(m in the Im%ire 3usiness$( (?$@$) Although there are still eight cha%ters to go in order to finali0e the descent into hell of 'alter 'hite, his moral decom%osition cannot "e re&ersed$ !urrender no, no longer seems to "e a &alid o%tion$ 2ndeed, as s%ectators, ,e -no, that on the one hand, his cancer returns and 'alter is on the run (than-s to the flashfor,ard in cha%ter ?$1$), and on the other, that +an- has disco&ered the identity of the mysterious +eisen"erg (the scene ,ith ,hich cha%ter ?$8 closes)$ +o,e&er, in accordance ,ith the com%le/ emotional ,e" that ,e ha&e studied in these %ages, the megalomania e/%ressed and confirmed to 5esse(s face demonstrates that 'alter(s am"ition and %ride has no limits$ :either the family nor the %ain caused, not e&en the millions of dollars that he has accumulated can detain him from forging on,ards and u%,ards$ 2n reality, only one issue remains to "e clarified, to determine if 'alter suffers an anagnorisis that "rings him face-to-face ,ith the unfathoma"le de%ths of his malice and of the damage that he has %ro&o-ed, or ,hether "y contrast, he ,ill self-destruct and die ,rithing in the ecstasy of the most %o,erful drug1 that of an arrogance that ma-es him "elie&e that he is a"o&e any moral la,$

,otes

Oo"ert 'esterfelahaus and Celeste 7acroi/, )'aiting for the 3ar"arians1 +3M(s Deadwood as a Nost-B*11 Oitual of 9isDuiet(, (outhern Communication )ournal A< (200B)1 18-3B$ 9aniel 'orden, ):eo-li"eralism and the 'estern1 +3M(s Deadwood as :ational Allegory(, Canadian Oe&ie, of American !tudies 3B (200B)1 221-2<@$ 2 Marsha Linder, )Oe-,iring 3altimore1 The emoti&e %o,er of systemic, seriality, and the City(, *ilm +uarterl%, @2 (2008-0B)1 ?0-?A$ 3la-e 9$ Ithridge, )3altimore on The ire1 the tragic moralism of 9a&id !imon,( in ,t-s not T.. atching /B0 in the Post$Tele1ision Era, eds$ Marc 7e&erette, 3rian 7$ Mtt and Cara 7ouis 3uc-ley (:e, ;or-, Ooutledge, 2008), 1?2-1@<$ 3 7isa an 9or%, EThe Dramati2ation and Criticism o# the ,deal o# (uccess in American (ociet% on American Tele1ision3 A Case (tud% o# the 4e"resentation o# (uccessF in Mad Men5 3rea-ing 3ad and 3oard,al- Im%ire, MA Thesis, (8trecht 8ni&ersity, 2011), A0-A2$ < This idea is &ery clearly reinforced &isually through the dull form of dressing or the fact that he dri&es an e/ceedingly una%%ealing car1 a Nontiac A0tec, considered "y The Dail% Telegra"h in 2008 as the to% of the list of the 100 most ugly cars in history$ ? Immanuel 3urdeau, )In las entraPas de Breaking Bad(, (o *ilm 01 (2013)1 ?2 @ Again reflected in his a%%earance1 he ado%ts a more aggressi&e loo- (that includes sunglasses and a sha&ed head), he assumes the identity of +eisen"erg (a tri"ute to the cele"rated .erman Nhysicist ,ho, among others acti&ities, led the :a0i(s attem%ts to "uild an atomic "om")= and finally, he changes his Nontiac for a much flashier and stunning s%orts car$ A 2ronically this effect is again e&ident in 'alter(s a"sence at such an im%ortant and sym"olic moment as the "irth of his daughter (2$12), ,hich he misses as he has to ma-e an im%ortant drug deli&ery that is crucial to "e a"le to ta-e a ste% u%,ards in the "usiness$ Another une/%ected turn of e&ents in this under,orld ,ill %re&ent him later from attending 'alter 5unior(s "irthday (<$10) and, as antici%ated in the flashfor,ard in cha%ter ?$1$, he ,ill also cele"rate his ?2 "irthday alone$ 8 'alter is -ic-ed out of his home and although he later manages to return, he ,atches as his children a"andon the family home to mo&e into that of their aunt and uncle$ This mo&ement of se%aration-reuniting-se%aration is also e&ident in his relationshi% ,ith !-yler1 she "rea-s u% ,ith him (and "etrays him) ,hen she disco&ers his dealings, and later they get "ac- together to launder his money, efficiently remo&ing any trace of its origins in the drug "usiness, and finally, she again a"andons him, "oth due to the danger and the threat of death that 'alter(s %resence im%lies to them, as ,ell as out of the fear and horror that she feels ,hen she disco&ers the monster that her hus"and has "ecome$ B !-yler also #ustifies her foray into the criminal ,orld "y using the same #ustification as 'alter1 to defend the moral and %hysical integrity of the family$ +o,e&er, the sense of guilt e/%erienced "y one and the other are radically distinct$ 10 5une Nrice Tangney and Lurt '$ 6ischer, eds$, (el#$Conscious Emotions. The Ps%cholog% o# (hame5 Guilt5 Embarrassment and Pride (:e, ;or-1 The .uilford Nress, 1BB?), 3-<$ 11 Again, the im%rudent change of car ser&es as a &isual reference in this sense$ 12 An accusation that logically, further triggers 'alter(s %ride and causes him to act irrationally and to -ill Mi-e$ 13 Tangney and 6ischer, (el#$Conscious Emotions, 10$ 1< 3urdeau, )In las entraPas(, ?2$ 1? Michelle Luo and Al"ert 'u, )E2n +ell, Q'e !hall 3e 6reeF1 Mn Breaking Bad(, 'os Angeles 4e1iew o# Books, 13th 5uly 2012, retrie&ed on ?th A%ril 2013$ R htt%1**lare&ie,of"oo-s$org*article$%h%CidSA@1Tfullte/tS1U 1@ Alan !e%in,all, The 4e1olution was Tele1ised3 The Co"s5 Crooks5 (lingers and (la%ers ho Changed T. Drama *ore1er (2012), 3?@-?A$ 1A This moral decline is not linear, as the more humane 'alter at times struggles to "rea- through to the surface and o&erthro, his other ego$ 2n fact, there is a %ainful moment of ,ea-ness in cha%ter <$10$, ,hen he "rea-s into tears "efore his son$ This is the last time that 'alter 'hite considers any alternati&e to his criminal life$ +o,e&er, a ne, turn at the end of the follo,ing e%isode (regarding the money that !-yler gi&es to 3ene-e) forces him to again forge on,ards and as is "y that stage "ecoming the norm, his %ride su%ersedes any other moral consideration$ Bibliogra(hy 3urdeau, Immanuel$ )In las entraPas de Breaking Bad($ (o *ilm 01 (2013)1 ?0-?8$ 9or%, 7$5$ &an$ )The 9ramati0ation and Criticism of 2deal of !uccess in American !ociety on American Tele&ision1 A Case !tudy of the Oe%resentation of !uccess in !ad !en, Breaking Bad and Boardwalk Em"ire(, Nh9$ diss$, 8trecht 8ni&ersity, 2011$ Ithridge, 3la-e 9$ )3altimore on The ire1 the tragic moralism of 9a&id !imon($ 2n ,t-s not T.. atching /B0 in the Post$Tele1ision Era, edited "y Marc 7e&erette, 3rian 7$ Mtt and Cara 7ouis 3uc-ley, 1?2-1@<$ :e, ;or-1 Ooutledge, 2008$ Linder, Marsha$ )Oe-,iring 3altimore1 The emoti&e %o,er of systemic, seriality, and the City($ *ilm +uarterl% @2 (20080B)1 ?0-?A$

Luo, Michelle and Al"ert 'u$ )2n +ell, E'e !hall 3e 6reeF1 Mn Breaking Bad($ 'os Angeles 4e1iew o# Books, Accessed A%ril ?, 2013$ Rhtt%1**lare&ie,of"oo-s$org*article$%h%CidSA@1Tfullte/tS1U !e%in,all, Alan$ The 4e1olution was Tele1ised3 The Co"s5 Crooks5 (lingers and (la%ers *ore1er (2012)$ ho Changed T. Drama

Tangney, 5une Nrice and Lurt '$ 6ischer$ 2ntroduction to (el#$Conscious Emotions. The Ps%cholog% o# (hame5 Guilt5 Embarrasament5 and Pride, edited "y 5une Nrice Tangney and Lurt '$ 6ischer, 3-22$ :e, ;or-1 The .uilford Nress, 1BB?$ 'esterfelahaus, Oo"ert and Celeste 7acroi/$ )'aiting for the 3ar"arians1 +3M(s Deadwood as a Nost-B*11 Oitual of 9isDuiet($ (outhern Communication )ournal A< (200B)1 18-3B$ 'orden, 9aniel$ ):eo-li"eralism and the 'estern1 +3M(s Deadwood as :ational Allegory($ Canadian 4e1iew o# American (tudies 3B (200B)1 221-2<@$

Pablo -chart is 7ecturer in !creen,riting and Academic 9irector of a Master 9egree in !creen,riting at 8ni&ersity of :a&arra (!%ain)$ +e has %u"lished a"out +olly,ood comedy and filmma-ers li-e 'oody Allen, 9a&id Mamet and Naul Auster$ Among his %u"lications it stands out the monogra%hy 'a comedia rom6ntica del /oll%wood de los a7os 89 % :9 (+olly,ood(s Oomantic Comedy of the 30s and <0s), %u"lished in the leading !%anish %u"lisher CVtedra$ Alberto ,. Garc.a is an Associate Nrofessor of 6ilm and Tele&ision !tudies at the 8ni&ersity of :a&arra (!%ain)$ +e is co-editor of 'andsca"es o# the (el#. The Cinema o# 4oss !cElwee (200A), and author of El cine de no$#icci;n en !artn Patino (2008)$ +e runs the %o%ular ,e"log E9iamantes en serie,F focused on American and 3ritish T series$