Breaking Bad Season 1 Review (Glen Hanley)

Diagnosed with lung cancer, high-school chemistry teacher Walter White teams with ex-student Jesse to cook meth in an RV, using science -- and sudden violence -- to secure their first batch and escape two lethal dealers.

One body dissolves in acid while another dealer lies captive. Walt and Jesse scramble to erase evidence, and Walt faces whether he can kill to keep the fledgling operation -- and Jesse -- safe.

Chemo looming, Walt chains wounded Krazy-8 in Jesse's basement, weighing murder against morality. A smashed dinner plate decides his darkest step yet.

Walt's diagnosis rocks the family while flashbacks reveal how Gray Matter upended his career. Resentment nudges him further into crime as Hank's DEA war stories fascinate Walt Jr.

Ex-partners Elliott and Gretchen offer to fund treatment, but pride makes Walt refuse. Cash-strapped, he reignites the meth venture while Skyler digs into Jesse's drug past.

Shaved and reborn as Heisenberg, Walt crashes Tuco's lair with explosive mercury fulminate, swapping chemistry for intimidation. The violent payoff bankrolls chemo but draws Hank's attention.

Under pressure from a dangerous new customer, Walt and Jesse race to expand their operation, hatching an audacious plan for crucial supplies as Walt struggles to keep his double life from collapsing.