The complex of narrative of a modern television series on the example of Breaking Bad Vince Gilligan Cover Image

Narracyjna złożoność współczesnego serialu telewizyjnego na przykładzie Breaking Bad Vince’a Gilligana
The complex of narrative of a modern television series on the example of Breaking Bad Vince Gilligan

Author(s): Zuzanna Lewandowska
Subject(s): Media studies, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology
Published by: Uniwersytet Adama Mickiewicza
Keywords: Breaking Bad; Vince Gilligan; TV series; contemporary television; quality television; post-network era; quality drama; narrative complexity;

Summary/Abstract: The formula of the contemporary TV series, as a product of quality television, differs significantly from the traditional series in terms of its narrative structure and ways of building a plot line. This article presents an analysis of the Breaking Bad series’ “narrative complexity”, which is the most distinguishing feature of the modern TV series. “Narrative complexity” can be understood not only as a series of innovative narrative devices, such as cold opens, flash backs and flash forwards, but is also based on the multiplicity of plot lines present in each episode, constituting a whole story over the course of the seasons. Looking at the ways used to construct a plot and the narrative techniques adopted in Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad, that is, his use of parallels and symmetries, and the plot’s focus on the development of the series’ (anti)hero, the show can be interpreted as a “result drama"and “mirroring drama”. Th rough its use of the above listed features of “narrative complexity”, the show meets the standards for a contemporary, quality television series.

  • Issue Year: 16/2015
  • Issue No: 25
  • Page Range: 43-52
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: Polish