Breaking Bad and Narrative Complexity

Abstract

In this paper I deal with the phenomenon of narrative complexity in TV serial production, and as an example I will discuss Breaking Bad. Pointing to this phenomenon as a creative revolution, characterized by a new visual style, I will discuss its self-reflexivity. This means that the mechanics of producing narrative are realized by making the audience follow not just the plot of the story, but also recognize formal aspects of the construction of the storyworld, its characters, and relations. I will illustrate the paradigm shift in television studies from a cultural approach to textual analysis, which focusses on formal aspects of producing the serials. My approach to Breaking Bad will apply both approaches. In cultural analysis, I will focus on the masculinity in crisis which is taking place within the context of American neoliberalism. After that I will deal with the mechanics of visual narrating which is a crucial component of Breaking Bad. Article received: April 28, 2018; Article accepted: May 10, 2018; Published online: October 15, 2018; Original scholarly paper How to cite this article: Đurić, Dubravka. "Breaking Bad and Narrative Complexity." AM Journal of Art and Media Studies 17 (2018): 49−58. doi: 10.25038/am.v0i17.269