One of the great series to emerge during television’s ongoing golden age, “Breaking Bad,” stimulated reams of fan trivia along with many hours of binge-watching. Did you know that John Cusack was considered for the role of Walter White? That’s on page one of the introduction to Breaking Bad FAQ, a book that summarizes the Russian novel-scaled plotline and serves up as much series-related minutia as author Rich Weidman could find.
I think craggy-looking Bryan Cranston was the better choice for a character who embodies the wearisome sense that his life is already past—until he makes a Faustian bargain with his conscience. As Weidman explains about the appeal of anti-heroes, most of us “secretly romanticize the idea of ‘breaking bad’ now and then to declare our independence from the mind-numbing routine.” And unlike many other screen anti-heroes, we get to watch White’s devolution step by step over many seasons.
Breaking Bad FAQ summarizes the careers of key players, including series creator Vince Gilligan (he got his start writing for “X-Files”). The term “breaking bad” is Southernspeak for “raising hell” (Cranston admits he had no idea what it meant when he signed on). FAQ includes pocket descriptions of many references in the plot including fulminating mercury and White’s alter ego namesake, Werner Heisenberg. More interesting than the trivia is Weidman’s analysis of “Breaking Bad” as a parable set against the bankruptcy of the American Dream.
