I'm hardly in the minority when I say that AMC's Breaking Bad is a fantastic series. From its brilliant cast to its genius writing, Breaking Bad has revolutionised modern TV storytelling. Should budding scriptwriters, or any individual with a passion for the medium, search online for the best TV scripts to read and analyse, Breaking Bad's pilot script, written by show creator Vince Gilligan, makes an appearance on every single list.
A Breaking Bad script is a journey in itself, even before it is adapted for the screen. This week, I thought it'd be worthwhile to dive into one of these scripts. Specifically, we'll be analysing "Sunset" (s3–e6), written by John Shiban. To provide a brief synopsis: Walt continues to build a successful business relationship with his new assistant, Gale, while Hank tracks the infamous RV back to Jesse. I'll be paying particular attention to pages 41–50 (the start of Act Four), the point at which Walt and Jesse are trapped in the RV in the junkyard, unable to escape due to Hank waiting outside, who is set on arresting Jesse. I highly recommend you read the script ahead of this post, as it'll make my points a lot easier to follow. It's available online at https://www.scriptslug.com/script/breaking-bad-306-sunset-2010 (you'll also find other Breaking Bad scripts, along with a collection of Gilligan's Better Call Saul scripts, the prequel to Breaking Bad).
After studying various TV and film scripts, it has become clear that isolating the reader from the writer is not an option; the two must have a relationship with each other. Yes, you could argue that the same applies to other storytelling platforms, like novels, but only to a certain extent. Novels aren't necessarily collaborative; take, for example, books formatted as diary entries or letters, where fictional characters write without the intention of sharing significant details of their lives with others, even if we, the readers of this fictional work, have access to them. Scripts are different. A collaborative relationship between the reader and writer is established almost immediately. For Breaking Bad, the first reason for forming this relationship is to help those in charge of adapting the script understand the writers' clear vision for the story. While not exclusive to Breaking Bad, directorial notes are frequent throughout the scripts, "Sunset" being no exception. Take page 50, for example, where the script reads, '... we see our poor old RV is meeting its demise in a massive CAR CRUSHER. Old Joe works the CONTROLS, reducing our iconic meth lab to a load of scrap. In reality, this complicated process takes a bit of time. Therefore, we will play this in MONTAGE with lots of ANGLES, which will allow us to shorten the process editorially’. It is interesting to see how Shiban writes his script in accordance with the series' film budgeting while also using specific filming techniques to create this chaotic and, quite frankly, devastating image of the once iconic RV being destroyed once and for all. By capitalising shots, etc., with examples like 'CAR CRUSHER' and 'MONTAGE... ANGLES', we get to see just how technical Shiban and his writing team are, observing which points of filming were especially important for them. We are, in essence, seeing the story played out as the writers have done in their own heads. Page 41, at the very start of Act Four, makes that clear too when the script reads, 'We start HIGH OVER Hank's COMMANDER. As high as we can get. Looking down as Hank climbs out of his truck'. By placing the film angle 'HIGH OVER', Shiban reveals to the reader (and later viewer) how they wish to have Hank appear in a vulnerable state, thereby installing panic in the reader that something will happen to Hank as he goes to approach the RV. You'll notice too, throughout "Sunset", that the script's voice is, for the most part, active rather than passive; examples like '... we will play this in MONTAGE' and 'We start HIGH OVER...' are demonstrative of this, enabling the reader to feel more directly apart of the action.
In Act Four of "Sunset", Shiban does a great job of making the reader feel like they are trapped in the RV with Walt and Jesse. The script often relies on onomatopoeias, such as 'RATTLE-RATTLE, RATTLE' and 'CREAK' on page 42, to give its reader a very audible visual of what's happening around Walt and Jesse. It adds to the intensity of the situation, creating an overwhelming feeling in the reader as they wait, like Walt and Jesse, for Hank to bust into the RV. Further down the page, when the script reads, 'Is that the faint sound of Hank’s FOOTSTEPS trudging away from us? Where’s he going?', the reader is granted access into the characters' minds as they grow concerned at Hank potentially walking away from the RV. 'FOOTSTEPS' in particular stresses just how alert the characters are in their minds as their fates remain undetermined. Introspection is a common feature in Breaking Bad scripts. In "Sunset", Shiban often distinguishes the voices of the writer and the characters by placing the latter's thoughts in italics. On page 42, Walt 'MIME-SHUSHES him... Don’t give away that I’m HERE, stupid!!', revealing to the reader just how frustrated Walt is by Jesse, whose foolishness has landed them in this situation. 'Stupid' denotes a lack of maturity in Walt, and so when he calls Jesse 'stupid', he gives the reader the impression that, when facing certain crises, Walt cannot sustain a leadership role that shows him as calm and collected.
We discussed earlier how "Sunset" gives the reader insight into Shiban and his writing team's objectives surrounding the filming process. It's worthwhile mentioning how reading the script is like having a seat in the writers' room, where you observe how the ideas for the plot, character arcs, filming, etc. are formed and eventually transferred to the written page. I appreciate that the writers constantly keep the reader in the loop, not wanting them to fall behind as the narrative progresses. On page 44, the script reads, ‘Remember the FIVE BULLET HOLES in our RV door? The ones which have been here ever since the Pilot episode?’; the recollection of the 'FIVE BULLET HOLES in our RV door' is not only a reflection of the lack of continuity errors in the series (every moment, no matter how inferior it may seem, is accounted for), but also a reminder that the reader has been a part of this writing process from the start. Jogging their memory is as important as jogging the writers', and that really hits home how the story belongs to everyone. Several Breaking Bad scripts are written in a very colloquial, familiar voice, with the scripts often reading like a conversation between friends, thereby arguably making the scripts more inclusive for a larger group of people. "Sunset" has many instances of this, but we'll name just a few here: 'Are silently shitting bricks’ as well as 'The dude is smooth’, both on page 41, and '…ready to rip Jesse a new one the moment’, page 45. 'Shitting bricks' specifically is a great choice of words to describe Walt and Jesse's mental state during their entrapment in the RV, especially as it makes the former appear much more humane, more so than he appears to be at this stage of the story, for, as mentioned earlier, he manages stress by panicking rather than remaining calm and unphased. Using language like this certainly helps relieve at least a small bit of tension in such dramatic scenes, enabling the reader and writer to have a little fun with each other and not take everything too seriously all the time.
What's your opinion on the Breaking Bad scripts? How does your journey compare?
Check out Script Slug's Breaking Bad script library over at https://www.scriptslug.com/scripts/writer/vince-gilligan.
Bye for now!
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