Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad goes in the category of descent-into-terrifyingness that characterizes Native Son and Crime and Punishment and is simultaneously masterful and reprehensible and masterful precisely because it's reprehensible. By and large, the show traces Walter White's decline from human being to monster, yet, from time to time, his humanity creeps through and keeps you loving him. You just can't help it, and you hate yourself for it (you and Jesse both).

Ironically, part of what keeps Walt making the drugs is that it's something at which he excels (although most of what keeps him making the drugs is the power that it gives him). Perhaps even more ironically: without the order and excellence of cooking, Jesse descends again to using, rather than making, drugs.

It's been said before, but I'll say it again: the filming is fabulous--from the nature shots to the surprising angles to the flash-forwards that frame many episodes to the super-macro shots--it's artistic and beautiful.