Conclusion

            

                All of the evidence analyzed stems from the two-minute introduction scene of "Crazy Handful of Nothin'" provided on the blog. You could interpret this evidence in many ways. You may think it captures the violence of the show. Others may think it reveals another side to Walt's personality. Both of these interpretations would be correct. Because this clip is able to convey so many vital details, I believe it is the most important of all introductions of both past and future episodes. This clip sets the tone of what is to come in the series and shows what changes to expect in Walt's character. As noted on the Evidence page both his physical appearance and demeanor change in a matter of minutes. Walt states he wants no violence when, as he's voicing this, we see him clearly causing just that. While other introductions foreshadow events to come and reflect on those of previous episodes, no other reveals a change as drastic as this. The writers did a stellar job of showing the evolution of Walt's complex character in a short amount of time. 

                Critics agree this episode (as a whole) is of vital importance to Season 1. Alan Sepinwall from The Star-Ledger states: "Cranston's [Walt's] performance alone is enough to keep me watching for a while." Along with this, John Leonard from the New York Magazine argues: "Cranston's Walter is already a winner." Both critics acknowledge the key importance of Walt's character in this episode— something we can all agree with. The reason this scene is so important is because of the transformation of Walt's character.

                My evidence pieces are set apart from other reviews due to the narrow topic focus. Most reviews (including the ones mentioned above) focus on the episode at large. I chose to focus on only the importance and analysis of the details contained within the introduction scene. The reason being, in a matter of minutes, it sets the tone for the entire episode. In doing this, I acknowledge I provide no specific evidence from other introduction scenes. I am completing this as a college English project and just do not have the time to go into that much detail. Instead, I propose this as a challenge to you. I ask that you compare and contrast this clip with other Breaking Bad introductions. I am confident you will agree with me based on the evidence I have provided, and in the process expand your knowledge on the topic.

       By using a narrow focus I am encouraging you to keep the importance of the introductions in mind while viewing the show. This will allow you to have a much greater understanding of the series at large. You can apply the same techniques I have demonstrated in the Evidence portion of this blog to other introductions and aspects of the show. The conflicting imagery and dialogue in the intro of "Crazy Handful of Nothin'" are enough to capture our attention and keep us wondering about what's to come. Introduction scenes can't get much better than that.

             

Works Cited

Leonard, John. "Breaking Bad -- New York Magazine TV Review." NYMag.com. 13 Jan. 2008. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. http://nymag.com/arts/tv/reviews/42756/.

Sepinwall, Alan. "Sepinwall on TV: An experiment that's part comedy, part tragedy.” NJ.com. 18 Jan. 2008. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. http://blog.nj.com/alltv/2008/01/sepinwall_on_tv_an_experiment.html.