Netflix has a plethora of iconic TV series to choose from on its platform, but for horror writer Stephen King it was a very particular scene from a show that made it stand out
Horror maestro Stephen King, the genius behind spine-chilling tales like Carrie and The Shining, has spilled the beans on his top telly pick of the 21st century, with a Netflix hit snagging the title. It was a quirky sartorial moment in the show’s opening act that first snagged King’s interest.
Chatting with Rolling Stone, King unveiled that Breaking Bad is the series he crowns as the unrivalled TV masterpiece of our time. He confessed: “I knew it was great from the first scene you see [Bryan Cranston] wearing jockey shorts.”
King admired the boldness, remarking, “I thought it was amazingly brave since they look so geeky.”
The five-season saga, which debuted in 2008, charts the life of chemistry teacher Walter White (portrayed by Bryan Cranston), who turns to cooking meth after a cancer diagnosis.
To settle his medical bills, he partners up with former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in the drug trade. In 2013, Breaking Bad smashed records, being crowned by Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed show ever, reports Surrey Live.
The show’s fame skyrocketed when it joined Netflix ahead of its second-to-last season in 2011. Fans can binge all five seasons on the streaming giant, but they’ll have to hurry – the entire series is set to vanish from Netflix in 2027.
Breaking Bad has spawned an expansive universe, including the prequel series Better Call Saul and the follow-up flick El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
In a nod to King, season four of Breaking Bad even sneaks in a cameo of one of his novels on screen.
Devoted followers flocked to Reddit to reveal that the book in question was, in fact, Everything’s Eventual – a 2002 compilation of 11 short stories and 3 novellas penned by the acclaimed author.
Further solidifying the connection, friedlock68 pointed out: “There’s also a scene where you can see a few of his books on Hank’s bookshelf. IIRC it’s when Walt Jr. is staying with Hank and Marie.
“That and the fact that Gray Matter is the title of an early King story makes me think Vince Gilligan could be a King fan, which would be cool since SK is a huge BB fan.”
Interestingly, similar themes are present in both Breaking Bad and Stephen King’s works, particularly in the parallels between Walter White and one of King’s most iconic protagonists, Jack Torrance from The Shining.
Both characters grapple with health concerns that bring out their darker side, ultimately dragging their families down with them as they spiral out of control.
As Slashfilm observed: “Jack and Walt are both everyman characters faced with the primal fears of men (not living up to your potential, letting your family down) and those stressors make them snap.
“Their descents are meant to be extra unsettling because of how closely they resembled ‘you’ at the story’s beginning.”
Breaking Bad is on Netflix
