Breaking Bad: The Complete Fourth Season

The acclaimed AMC original series about the savage evolution of chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston)—from desperate cancer victim to independent meth cook to ferocious player in the drug business—remains one of the smartest, sharpest, most dramatically daring shows on television. The first three seasons observed the collateral damage caused by Walter's decision to manufacture and sell illegal drugs—which brought attention from gangs and cartels to bear on not just himself but also his friends and family, eventually even turning his young partner Jesse (Aaron Paul) into a killer. The 2011 fourth season charts the toll that crossing that line takes on Jesse, as he spirals into self-destruction simply to avoid facing himself. Series creator Vince Gilligan reminds viewers that every act of violence has consequences that reverberate far beyond the perpetrator and the victim—every moral line that Walter crosses costs him a little more of his humanity and this season he becomes as ruthless as the criminals competing for his share of the drug trade. An Emmy-award winning series (three years in a row for lead actor Cranston), Breaking Bad is rightfully hailed as one of the best shows ever made for TV. Compiling all 13 episodes on DVD and Blu-ray, extras include uncensored episodes, episode commentaries, numerous behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted and alternate scenes, and a gag reel. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)