Breaking Bad

In Breaking Bad’s pilot episode, bummed-out and depressed high-school-chemistry teacher Walter White finds out he has lung cancer. This leads to a series of unexpected turns throughout season one, including but not limited to: cooking and dealing methamphetamine, lying to his pregnant wife, beating the crap out of kids who tease his disabled son, and using acid to decompose human bodies. Yes, that’s right: Bad is unexpectedly gory, but in a mature, even poignant, manner. You’d be hard-pressed to find a modern protagonist like Walter, who’s sympathetic in spite of his wrongdoings, and that’s what gives Bad its edge. Season two is on AMC now; No. 1 just out on DVD.