By Michelle Halloween
What a time we live in! To be able to witness captivating television shows that have even me putting my phone away to view without interruption. There are less than a handful of shows with five or more seasons that have done that for me. Every time I am in the mood to binge, and I cannot find worthy shows, I always come back to BREAKING BAD.
“Michelle, that’s not a horror though.” While that is technically true, BREAKING BAD offered a bountiful amount of gore and “hands to eyes” moments. Bodies being dissolved in acid, and the aftermath of not following the disposal rules correctly, led to one of the goriest scenes I have ever laid eyes on. Walter White is as terrifying as any stone cold murderer. His evolution from humble middle class suburban dad to the villainous Kingpin he became is addictive to watch.
Who ever thought Bryan Cranston could give a dangerous look that would make you say, “It's about to go down.” Man, did it ever. His craft from; I hate saying this, making exquisite meth to his precise calculations of how to murder even the most dangerous cartel leaders is cinematic fire! The character Jessie Pinkman’s journey through the seasons made me sympathize with one man I would never give the time of day to in real life. And talk about family turmoil and deep, dark secrets.
This past fall, fans were not only gifted with the mind blowing El Camino movie, but West Hollywood opened a temporary BREAKING BAD pop-up Bar. My husband, Chuck, is not a horror fan but, he does love BREAKING BAD as much as I do. So, for our 14-year anniversary, I took him to the pop-up. What better way than to celebrate than with a beaker full of Schraderbrau?
The BREAKING BAD Pop-Up requires reservations, which kept the crowd small. The hostess, waiters and bartenders all had on the infamous yellow hazmat suits, and when we were taken to the seats at the bar, the hostess asked if we are ready to “cook.” Only when it comes to BREAKING BAD is playing around with blue crystal meth exciting.
The cocktails were of course show-themed, and I chose the Seven-Forty-Seven Down, which was a smoky Old Fashioned. It was small, but it packed a punch. In fact, had I had one more, I would have been down. My Husband had the “He who knocks,” which was blue and spicy. We washed our hard liquor down with the Schraderbrau, which was a fine stout. Good job, Hank!
The meal options were bountiful, and we scarfed down our food because the photo ops were calling to us. But, upon our dining experience, we kept marveling at the replicas of Walter and Jessies infamous cooking lab. "Ooo, look there’s the tub of chicken fry batter that Fring used to transport meth!"
It is unanimous between my husband and I that the two seasons Gustavo Fring was boss, were the best two seasons out of an already epic run. So, the Los Pollos Hermanos photo op is one where we spent the most time, making sure to get the right pose.
So, yes, BREAKING BAD may not be in the category of my beloved horror genre. But, it is a staple TV show that I will probably binge for many years to come. I am grateful to the creators of the BREAKING BAD pop-up for a lovely evening full of conversations about our favorite moments of the show. And though it may have ended in 2013, BREAKING BAD still makes us laugh, grieve for characters lost, and shout every time Walter White gives that look.