Morally ambiguous show has crime, drugs, Latino stereotypes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a lot
The show revolves around making and selling illegal drugs; some characters have substance abuse disorders and are seen using drugs in a graphic way. Drugs are glamorized, as Walt is touted by the dealers as an artist for his skill at making methamphetamine. Also drinking and prescription drug use.
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Audible language includes words like "ass" and "bitch," "f--k," "d--k," "pr--k," "p---y," and "bulls--t." Middle finger used as a form of insult throughout.
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Frequent graphic/gory violence. Shooting and threats of shooting; other physical scuffles, beatings, and attacks; explosions (some with horrifying results); poisonings; accidental deaths. Children are killed off-screen. Corpses are shown.
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In one scene, a bare-breasted woman leans out a window. Walt and his wife have some intense sexual encounters, but nothing graphic is shown. Oral sex and sex work are implied when characters visit a strip club.
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Walt leases an expensive Chrysler car (often called a "modern gangster car") when his drug business begins to thrive. Stevia appears prominently in the fifth season. The fictitious brand "Los Pollos Hermanos" appears throughout and merchandise with its logo exists in real life.
Positive Messages
very little
Although Walt's actions are (at least initially) motivated by his desire to provide for his family, the show's takeaways are pretty grim overall. Good and evil are constantly muddled, bad things happen to "good" people for no reason, many characters commit crimes in the name of revenge, and there's no reward for doing the right thing.
Positive Role Models
very little
The main character is a terminally ill chemistry teacher who decides to make methamphetamines as a way to earn quick cash for his family -- eventually becoming a drug kingpin. Although you can sympathize with his motives at first, his methods are questionable at best and rapidly deteriorate as the show progresses. The people who surround him get caught up in the consequences of his decisions, often to their detriment.
Diverse Representations
very little
Women are portrayed as nagging or always ruining the fun of the men (usually their husbands or partners). Every Latino character in the show is involved in the drug trade, which perpetuates stereotypes. Characters make racist comments about Mexicans and immigrants. Walter aligns himself and seeks help from a neo-Nazi gang. On the plus side, Walter Jr. has cerebral palsy and is played authentically by R.J. Mitte, who has the same disability.
Parents need to know that Breaking Bad isn't intended for kids. Its intense, morally ambiguous characters and storylines are meant for mature audiences. Main character Walter White (Bryan Cranston) starts out as an essentially good person who's driven to extreme negative behavior (manufacturing methamphetamines and more) by depression and desperation. Over the course of the show, his good side becomes less and less evident as he eventually turns into a drug lord. There's a good bit of swearing (including "f--k"), frequent violence (sometimes extremely graphic), and some sexual content (a woman is shown topless; intercourse, sex work, and oral sex are implied but not shown). Latino characters perpetuate stereotypes, and women are portrayed as nagging. The making and abuse of drugs are core to the series.
This is like the ultimate crime show that was ever made on AMC because this show does give some ideas on how you could possibly get away with some crimes even though it’s very likely that you would still get caught irl.
First off let me start by saying this show is one of the best series to ever air. It is truly a masterpiece and large step forward in television. It proved shows could feel as realistic and quality as television and was able to engage audiences and build a world of it's one using this technique. But it's true that the show is very dark. It deals with dark issues, drug dealing, drug addiction, murder, and more. But you have to admit with all this, the message isn't lost. Anybody can be evil. The shows portal of drugs and violence doesn't necessarily hold back. The violence can be strong at times, but isn't on the level of brutality such as other shows like Game of Thrones and The Wire. The drug content is pervasive, though the use of drugs isn't as frequent as you'd think. The entire show still revolves around drugs but as long as your kid knows drugs are not to be messed with, this should be fine as consequences of drug use are present. The sex and nudity is also very tame compared to other TV-MA shows. There is basically no nudity in the entire series and sexual content is rarely shown, it's mostly implied. The language is however frequent, but children start to hear pervasive coarse language in their daily lives as they grow older either way. Overall it is a fantastic show, and though it deals with dark issues and strong violence, it holds a strong (still dark) message about humanity that if your child can understand, they must watch this show.
What's the Story?
In BREAKING BAD, Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is a Phoenix high school chemistry teacher working a second job to support his wife, Skylar (Anna Gunn), and their teenage son, Walt Jr. (R.J. Mitte), who has cerebral palsy. Desperately hard up for money and constantly put down by those around him, Walt reaches the breaking point when he's diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. He connects with former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to start making and selling methamphetamines in order to raise money for his struggling family. As the seasons progress, Walt's original intent to provide for his family blurs with greed as he becomes a successful drug lord.
All of the characters in this gripping show are complex and flawed (many very deeply), and they all make mistakes and sometimes baffling choices. In Breaking Bad, the line between "good" and "bad" isn't clear; in fact, nobody comes off looking particularly good here, including Walt's DEA agent brother-in-law, Hank (Dean Norris), who's brusque and often insensitive. But Cranston's award-winning performance is one of the best things about the show. Forget the spacey, clueless dad of Malcolm in the Middle: Here he transforms into one of the most iconic anti-heroes in recent TV history. The rest of the ensemble, particularly Paul, Giancarlo Esposito, and Gunn, match Cranston's prowess. The show has tight direction and the writing is intelligent, even as it deals with amoral characters.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it's interesting to explore what happens when good people go bad. Is Walt's behavior in Breaking Bad justified? How do you think you'd react in a similar situation?
Why is it important to have access to health care and dignified salaries? Does Walt's difficulty in paying for exorbitant health care costs justify his actions?
Why are the Latino characters portrayed in a negative way? How could the show have avoided stereotypes without losing Latino characters?
What's the impact of anti-heroes like Walt on the greater culture?
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
