Breaking Bad is known for its grim and gritty outbursts of anger and
violence. In the chaotic story of a meth-dealing high school chemistry
teacher, time seems to collapse, and we feel as though the lives of the
characters are moving inevitably closer to their ends. This warped
perspective wends its way through virtually every aspect of the story,
intensifying the meaning we attach to the characters' precarious lives.
Hoping to cultivate a deeper understanding of the series, Breaking Bad,
Breaking Out, Breaking Even offers a new way of approaching the program
though its complex treatment of time. With its grotesque portrayal of
life on the brink of death, argues Gertrud Koch, we can best view
Breaking Bad as a black comedy between Chaplin's Monsieur Verdoux
and film noir. Koch takes readers through the ways in which this is
accomplished through the show's various visual elements and masterful
temporal and narrative structuring. Full of fascinating insights, the
book will appeal to the show's many fans, as well as anyone interested
in film studies, media studies, or popular culture.