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The Golden Age of TV Dramas, From Most to Least Trumpy

Characters like Breaking Bad's lucky ‘ol Walt get to live out every Trump-ish dream while the rest of us can only watch.

Evan Spiller

Television

Walter White, Heisenberg, and Time Out of Mind: The Legacy of 'Breaking Bad'

An examination of how AMC's Breaking Bad played with the conventions of time, character, and attitude.

Books

Three Years After 'Breaking Bad', Bryan Cranston Still Hasn't Shaken Walter White

The coldblooded meth kingpin turned out to be the role of Cranston's life.

Nicole Brodeur

Interviews

'Breaking Bad'-Style Cocktails and Chemicals

Ever wanted to cook it up yourself, ala Walter White-style?

Culture

"This Is a Cautionary Tale": An Interview With Dan Gilroy of 'Nightcrawler'

PopMatters speaks with Nightcrawler writer/director and Academy Award nominee Dan Gilroy about writing antiheroes, watching local television news, and questioning the pervasiveness of fear mongering media.

Film

Lucifer Is Free to Roam: (In)Justice and Retribution in 'Hannibal'

Hannibal, unlike much-hyped pulp revival shows like True Detective and Fargo, refuses to give its audience neat answers on matters of right and wrong.

Ryan Peters

Television

In Defense of a Second Season for 'Halt and Catch Fire'

Women are the alpha-characters in Halt and Catch Fire. There may be no better dynamic duo of smart leading females on TV today than Donna and Cameron.

Television

Dave Porter: Breaking Bad OST

One of the biggest contradictions in the soundtrack business is that the right music perfectly adheres to the scenes, and it does it so well that it disappears or, better, becomes one thing with the pictures

Music

In Defense of the Phrase 'Spoiler Alert'

Hey, did anybody else have the Good Wife plot twist spoiled for them last week? Thanks to Google, Time and the Associated Press, I did.

Television

Toy Fair 2014: Sons of Anarchy, Skylanders and More (Photos)

While Activision didn't have a new Skylanders game to show off, they did have new toys and MEZCO's line expands to include Sons of Anarchy as well as Breaking Bad.

Events

Back Away Slowly, Walter White, Sgt. Suzanne 'Pepper' Anderson's Got Her Own Big Gun

Unassuming high school chemistry teacher faced with insurmountable medical expenses turns to manufacturing illegal drugs to make ends meet? Sorry Bryan Cranston, Angie Dickinson and William Shatner got there first.

Television

In Defense of the Influence of 'Difficult Men'

Brett Martin's latest book serves as a reminder of how enlightening dealing with darkness in television can be.

Culture

What Is It About TV These Days?

Can it still be called television if there's no network? Or even no actual, physical television?

Internet

FRAME-BY-FRAME: Breaking Bad S05E10/11 - “Buried / Confessions”

In a final season where the ultimate end-game is up for grabs, every character's motivations are up for dissection. Whether anyone can have the ending he seeks, however, remains the ultimate question.

Television

Pop Ten

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 1: 100 - 81

The 25 Best Classic Progressive Rock Albums

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The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '90s - Part 1 (100 - 81)

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 5: 20 - 1

The 50 Best Albums of 2019 So Far

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The Golden Age of TV Dramas, From Most to Least Trumpy

Characters like Breaking Bad's lucky ‘ol Walt get to live out every Trump-ish dream while the rest of us can only watch.

Walter White, Heisenberg, and Time Out of Mind: The Legacy of 'Breaking Bad'

An examination of how AMC's Breaking Bad played with the conventions of time, character, and attitude.

Three Years After 'Breaking Bad', Bryan Cranston Still Hasn't Shaken Walter White

The coldblooded meth kingpin turned out to be the role of Cranston's life.

'Breaking Bad'-Style Cocktails and Chemicals

Ever wanted to cook it up yourself, ala Walter White-style?

"This Is a Cautionary Tale": An Interview With Dan Gilroy of 'Nightcrawler'

PopMatters speaks with Nightcrawler writer/director and Academy Award nominee Dan Gilroy about writing antiheroes, watching local television news, and questioning the pervasiveness of fear mongering media.

Lucifer Is Free to Roam: (In)Justice and Retribution in 'Hannibal'

Hannibal, unlike much-hyped pulp revival shows like True Detective and Fargo, refuses to give its audience neat answers on matters of right and wrong.

Emmys 2014: For good and bad, it’s a ‘Breaking Bad’ night

In Defense of a Second Season for 'Halt and Catch Fire'

Women are the alpha-characters in Halt and Catch Fire. There may be no better dynamic duo of smart leading females on TV today than Donna and Cameron.

Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Vince Gilligan do a ‘Breaking Bad’ autopsy

Dave Porter: Breaking Bad OST

One of the biggest contradictions in the soundtrack business is that the right music perfectly adheres to the scenes, and it does it so well that it disappears or, better, becomes one thing with the pictures

In Defense of the Phrase 'Spoiler Alert'

Hey, did anybody else have the Good Wife plot twist spoiled for them last week? Thanks to Google, Time and the Associated Press, I did.

Toy Fair 2014: Sons of Anarchy, Skylanders and More (Photos)

While Activision didn't have a new Skylanders game to show off, they did have new toys and MEZCO's line expands to include Sons of Anarchy as well as Breaking Bad.

Back Away Slowly, Walter White, Sgt. Suzanne 'Pepper' Anderson's Got Her Own Big Gun

Unassuming high school chemistry teacher faced with insurmountable medical expenses turns to manufacturing illegal drugs to make ends meet? Sorry Bryan Cranston, Angie Dickinson and William Shatner got there first.

In Defense of the Influence of 'Difficult Men'

Brett Martin's latest book serves as a reminder of how enlightening dealing with darkness in television can be.

What Is It About TV These Days?

Can it still be called television if there's no network? Or even no actual, physical television?

FRAME-BY-FRAME: Breaking Bad S05E10/11 - “Buried / Confessions”

In a final season where the ultimate end-game is up for grabs, every character's motivations are up for dissection. Whether anyone can have the ending he seeks, however, remains the ultimate question.

Introducing Madison Cunningham, a Young and Timeless Talent

Lily Kershaw Dreams of Finding True Love and Meaning in 'Arcadia' (premiere + interview)

Electropop's Kid Nobody Invite You to "Watch the World As It's Ending" (premiere)

London Singer and Producer, MEI Fights Back Against Invisibility on "DIM: Don't Ignore Me" (premiere)

David Dondero Goes Post-Apocalyptic With "Easy Chair" (premiere)

Lost Dog Street Band's Benjamin Tod Readies Release of Second Solo Album With "Saguaro's Flower" (premiere)

The Pressure Kids Tell the Tale of "No Land Left in Hollywood" (premiere)

Delush Reminds Us to Appreciate the Good Times on "The Greatest Gift" (premiere)

Noise Rock's Buildings Urge You to "Sit With It" (premiere)

Kapil Seshasayee Addresses Bollywood Misogyny with "The Item Girl" (premiere)