PROJECT TWO: INTERTEXTUALITY

Breaking Bad (2008 - Present) - Genre: Television

FOUR HORIZONTAL INTERTEXTUAL CONNECTIONS

Twin Peaks (1990 - 1991) - Genre: Television
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098936/

Twin Peaks was important, not necessarily because it influenced the story of Breaking Bad, but because it laid the groundwork for shows like it to be made in the first place. Twin Peaks was the first television show to follow a consistent story arc across an entire season (as opposed to each episode being self-contained), and without it, Breaking Bad may not have existed at all.

The X-Files (1993 - 2002) - Genre: Television
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106179/

The X-Files's relevance to Breaking Bad is two-fold: not only did it help develop and expand the television storytelling devices pioneered by Twin Peaks, but it also featured as one of its head writers (later on, at least) Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad.

The Sopranos (1999 - 2007) - Genre: Television

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141842/

Tony Soprano might have been the spiritual ancestor of Walter White. Although Walter White starts off as a likable character, by the end of the fourth season, he has essentially become a villain. And yet, the audience roots for him anyway. This sort of anti-hero character was probably inspired by The Sopranos.

The Wire (2002 - 2008) - Genre: Television
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306414/

Whenever one thinks about television shows about the drug trade, it's impossible not to mention The Wire. The dramatic peek into the dark underbelly of Baltimore's drug scene is reminiscent of Breaking Bad's.

FOUR VERTICAL INTERTEXTUAL CONNECTIONS

-Traffic (2000) - Genre: Film

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181865/

The visual style of the show was heavily influenced by this film: in scenes that take place in Mexico, digital color grading is used to give the picture a tan, dusty look. In Breaking Bad, this same technique is used.

-Scarface (1983) - Genre: Film

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/

Breaking Bad's story of an insignificant man's rise to the top of a massive drug trade is not a hard parallel to draw between it and Scarface. In fact, it is referenced at one point in the show's fifth season: Walter White is shown watching the film with his teenage son, at one point saying "Everybody dies in this movie." Since the show still has half of a season left to go, and knowing the show's creators, this is probably foreshadowing.

-United States healthcare policies

If the United States had a healthcare system like that of, say, Great Britain, then this show could not exist. The entire premise of the show is that Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. He knows that he cannot afford the treatment, and starts cooking meth in order to afford his treatment and support his family after his death.

-New Mexico

The show takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the city and its surrounding geography play a major role in both the visual style and story of the show (the threat of the Mexican cartels looms over the DEA through much of the show's run).

TWO PUBLIC TERTIARY TEXTS

Emily Nussbaum - Television Critic, The New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2012/08/27/120827crte_television_nussbaum

"The show has shed its original skin, that of the antihero drama, in which we root for a bad boy in spite of ourselves. Instead, it’s more like the late seasons of “The Sopranos,” the first show that dared to punish its audience for loving a monster." 

Erik Kain - Contributor, Forbes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/11/21/six-reasons-why-breaking-bad-is-the-best-show-on-television/

"But there’s something so much more addictive and alluring and real about the misadventures of Walter White that just wasn’t present with that other famous anti-hero of modern television, Tony Soprano. Unlike Tony, we don’t know what to expect. And we can’t wait to find out."

ONE PRIVATE TERTIARY TEXT

https://twitter.com/Anthanylolol/status/263116047941521412

"S/O to the guy dressed up as Walter White and dropping bags of blue rock candy"