The Interior Landscapes of Breaking Bad

Edited by Erin Bell; Cheryl D. Edelson; Will Gray and Matthew Paproth - Contributions by Erin Bell; Marco Bohr; Cheryl D. Edelson; Will Gray; Elizabeth Lowry; Tyler McCabe; Dana Och; Matthew Paproth; Russell A. Potter; Frances Smith; Fabio L. Vericat and Lisa Weckerle

Already acknowledged by Metacritic and the Guinness World Records as the highest-rated series in the history of television, Breaking Bad has elicited an unprecedented amount of criticism. Writers both popular and academic, columnists as well as eager commenters, have addressed every imaginable topic, from the show’s characterization and major scenes, to fine details such as Walt’s knack for picking up habits from those he kills, and the symbolism inherent within the cars that characters own.

This book considers another perspective, one relatively unexplored to date. By considering the series from the perspective of its interior spaces, two possibilities emerge. Firstly, the spaces become a tangible record of their characters’ inner lives, one that provides something like an objective correlative or photographic negative of their thought processes and approach to the world. They provide more, and richer ways to trace the course of character, action, and themes throughout the series. Secondly, Breaking Bad’s spaces are not simply acted upon or within: they interact with characters as well. Interpreted through the theories of Judith Butler, Michel de Certeau, and many others, the series’ homes, labs, RVs and elevators take on new significance.

The collection plumbs the interior spaces of Breaking Bad from many angles. Ultimately, these diverse perspectives enrich an appreciation for the series and its innovative handling of interiors (both literal and metaphorical). They also suggest new ways of reading the series, ensuring it can continue to be explored by academics, students, and fans well into the future.

Lexington Books

Pages: 208 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-4985-9789-0 • Hardback • May 2019 • $111.00 • (£85.00)

978-1-4985-9790-6 • eBook • May 2019 • $105.50 • (£82.00)

Subjects: Performing Arts / Television / History & Criticism, Social Science / Gender Studies, Social Science / Popular Culture

The Interior Landscapes of Breaking Bad

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Already acknowledged by Metacritic and the Guinness World Records as the highest-rated series in the history of television, Breaking Bad has elicited an unprecedented amount of criticism. Writers both popular and academic, columnists as well as eager commenters, have addressed every imaginable topic, from the show’s characterization and major scenes, to fine details such as Walt’s knack for picking up habits from those he kills, and the symbolism inherent within the cars that characters own.

This book considers another perspective, one relatively unexplored to date. By considering the series from the perspective of its interior spaces, two possibilities emerge. Firstly, the spaces become a tangible record of their characters’ inner lives, one that provides something like an objective correlative or photographic negative of their thought processes and approach to the world. They provide more, and richer ways to trace the course of character, action, and themes throughout the series. Secondly, Breaking Bad’s spaces are not simply acted upon or within: they interact with characters as well. Interpreted through the theories of Judith Butler, Michel de Certeau, and many others, the series’ homes, labs, RVs and elevators take on new significance.

The collection plumbs the interior spaces of Breaking Bad from many angles. Ultimately, these diverse perspectives enrich an appreciation for the series and its innovative handling of interiors (both literal and metaphorical). They also suggest new ways of reading the series, ensuring it can continue to be explored by academics, students, and fans well into the future.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 208 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-4985-9789-0 • Hardback • May 2019 • $111.00 • (£85.00)

978-1-4985-9790-6 • eBook • May 2019 • $105.50 • (£82.00)

Subjects: Performing Arts / Television / History & Criticism, Social Science / Gender Studies, Social Science / Popular Culture

Author

Erin Bell is assistant professor of English at Baker College in Allen Park, Michigan.

Cheryl D. Edelson is professor of English at Chaminade University of Honolulu.

Will Gray holds a PhD in literature from the University of St Andrews.

Matt Paproth is associate professor of English at Georgia Gwinnett College.

Table of Contents

Introduction: "There's No Replacement for Displacement"

Cheryl D. Edelson

Part I: Outside In

Chapter 1:

“We’ve Got Rot:” Water, Pollution, Purification, and Transformation in Breaking Bad

Erin Bell

Chapter 2:

Breaking Free: Confinement and AMC’s Breaking Bad

Matthew Paproth

Chapter 3:

“I am the danger:” Walter White the Gravedigger

Will Gray

Chapter 4:

Jesse’s House is Not a Home: Space, Place, and the Myth of the Private Domicile in Breaking Bad

Dana Och

Chapter 5:

Capital Flow and the Representation of Space in Breaking Bad

Marco Bohr

Part II: Inside Out

Chapter 6:

Cooking up Trouble: Gendered Spaces, Sublimated Violence, and Perverted

Domesticity in Breaking Bad

Elizabeth Lowry

Chapter 7:

An Elevator of One’s Own: Performativity and Masculinity in Breaking Bad

Frances Smith

Chapter 8:

The Myth of the Frontier in Breaking Bad: Breaking Out, Breaking In, and Breaking Free

Lisa Weckerle

Chapter 9:

The Sound of a Moral Drama

Tyler McCabe

Chapter 10:

Reading Rooms: Spatial Literacy in Breaking Bad

Fabio L. Vericat

Coda: Desert Interiors: The Natural Conceits of Breaking Bad

Russell A. Potter

Reviews

This focused, yet diverse collection shows how years after the conclusion of Breaking Bad the series remains compelling and thought-provoking. These essays cover familiar Breaking Bad topics such as masculinity, economic inequality, and the American frontier, but all framed within one of the most important themes of the series: the landscape. From interiors of physical spaces to those of characters, the theme of space provides insight on a variety of topics. This collection is a valuable contribution to television studies and the continuing body of Breaking Bad scholarship.
— Jeffrey Bullins, State University of New York Plattsburgh

“Stay out of my territory” warned Walter White in Breaking Bad. However, despite the warning, a group of scholars have intruded into Mr. White´s territory where the many spaces of his life and surroundings are explored in an highly interesting and enlightening fashion.
— Vidar Halldorsson, University of Iceland