A Bloodline & Breaking Bad comparison
I think one of the aspects that makes Bloodline compelling in a Breaking Bad kind of way is that the whole time you're watching it, you start to know the characters and begin to understand what makes them act the way they do. Just like we see why Walter White begins his 'career' making meth, we start to see the family dynamics of the Rayburn family and how it starts to unravel when Danny comes home.
The compelling part is that we start to identify with the characters. I think many of us can relate to huge medical bills Walter White faced, limited medical options, the thought of leaving his family in debt, juxtaposed with seeing the piles of cash Hank showed in the drug bust video that Walt saw in the first or second episode of the series. Who hasn't seen news coverage of a huge drug bust where it is mentioned that thousands in cash was found with the drugs, and think, "Damn, I bust my ass working all week at job where nobody appreciates me anyway, and for what? To scrape by until I get sick and then die, leaving my family finances in ruins while people like this break the law and rake in the bucks?" Thankfully, for most of us, it's just a fleeting thought, but still, we recognize those feelings and so can cut Walter a little slack for what he decides to do.
In Bloodline, we see the family before Danny arrives. They seem like the perfect upper middle class family. Actually, only the parents are upper middle class--the children are more middle class, working at respectable jobs, but not getting rich by any means. They look happy as they prepare for a huge party to celebrate 45 years of operation for the Rayburn Inn, the beautiful inn that sits oceanside and seems to have a steady, and repeat business. The inn and the family are so well known and respected on the island that there is soon to be a pier named after them.
John, the second oldest, works as a detective with the count sheriff. He's married with a son and daughter. And a dog. Perfect family.
Meg is the youngest and the most educated, but her dad paid for her to go to law school. That becomes a bone of contention later on as Danny throws that in her face--that Dad paid for her education, but wouldn't pay for Danny's culinary education.
Kevin is the youngest brother, and owns a boat yard. I have no clue what kind of living something like that would provide, but hints are tossed out that he's barely scraping by. It wouldn't take too much for the boat yard to go under. He's married, no kids yet, and he's outgoing but has a temper, plus he tends to drink too much. Still, he's not the black sheep by any means. That role falls to Danny. The oldest in the family, he disappeared for a a long time. It doesn't really say where he's been and why he was gone, but we do know that there was some communication still as John stepped up and paid Danny's tuition to culinary school.
It seems like John has stepped up more than once to help Danny, except for one time, and it's that one time that eats away at Danny. It seems he tried to run away from the gnawing ache of being left out and slighted, and not fitting in with his own family, but finally he decides to confront them. I don't think he consciously decided to get even, but as he's faced with their rejection, he reacts in a way that is creepy and yet...sort of pathetic and sad at the same time. On one hand, you can understand why the others in the family don't really want him around, but at the same time, you feel so bad for Danny.
The same as Walter White's perceived betrayal by his business partners long ago. It seemed like it was long forgotten, but viewers find out that it was the spark that lit the fuse. The very slow burning fuse that eventually became the show, Breaking Bad.
In Bloodline, the fuse was lit when the siblings were all children, and it's been burning oh so slowly ever since. Danny's return causes the fuse to burn hotter and faster. Just like we saw a flash-forward in the very first scenes of Breaking Bad, we see a flash-forward in Bloodline. A very dark, foreboding flash-forward. And, as it does in Breaking Bad, it compels you to keep watching to find out how the characters ended up in that situation.
When we first meet these people, with the exception of Danny, we can't imagine any of them doing anything terrible. I'm pretty sure anyone who met Walter White before he became "Heisenberg", would have said he was a nice guy. Law abiding. Good teacher. Great husband and father. Heh.
As John says in an ominous voice-over in the first episode, "We aren't bad people, but we did a bad thing...Please don't judge us."
The compelling part is that we start to identify with the characters. I think many of us can relate to huge medical bills Walter White faced, limited medical options, the thought of leaving his family in debt, juxtaposed with seeing the piles of cash Hank showed in the drug bust video that Walt saw in the first or second episode of the series. Who hasn't seen news coverage of a huge drug bust where it is mentioned that thousands in cash was found with the drugs, and think, "Damn, I bust my ass working all week at job where nobody appreciates me anyway, and for what? To scrape by until I get sick and then die, leaving my family finances in ruins while people like this break the law and rake in the bucks?" Thankfully, for most of us, it's just a fleeting thought, but still, we recognize those feelings and so can cut Walter a little slack for what he decides to do.In Bloodline, we see the family before Danny arrives. They seem like the perfect upper middle class family. Actually, only the parents are upper middle class--the children are more middle class, working at respectable jobs, but not getting rich by any means. They look happy as they prepare for a huge party to celebrate 45 years of operation for the Rayburn Inn, the beautiful inn that sits oceanside and seems to have a steady, and repeat business. The inn and the family are so well known and respected on the island that there is soon to be a pier named after them.
John, the second oldest, works as a detective with the count sheriff. He's married with a son and daughter. And a dog. Perfect family.
Meg is the youngest and the most educated, but her dad paid for her to go to law school. That becomes a bone of contention later on as Danny throws that in her face--that Dad paid for her education, but wouldn't pay for Danny's culinary education.
Kevin is the youngest brother, and owns a boat yard. I have no clue what kind of living something like that would provide, but hints are tossed out that he's barely scraping by. It wouldn't take too much for the boat yard to go under. He's married, no kids yet, and he's outgoing but has a temper, plus he tends to drink too much. Still, he's not the black sheep by any means. That role falls to Danny. The oldest in the family, he disappeared for a a long time. It doesn't really say where he's been and why he was gone, but we do know that there was some communication still as John stepped up and paid Danny's tuition to culinary school.
It seems like John has stepped up more than once to help Danny, except for one time, and it's that one time that eats away at Danny. It seems he tried to run away from the gnawing ache of being left out and slighted, and not fitting in with his own family, but finally he decides to confront them. I don't think he consciously decided to get even, but as he's faced with their rejection, he reacts in a way that is creepy and yet...sort of pathetic and sad at the same time. On one hand, you can understand why the others in the family don't really want him around, but at the same time, you feel so bad for Danny.
The same as Walter White's perceived betrayal by his business partners long ago. It seemed like it was long forgotten, but viewers find out that it was the spark that lit the fuse. The very slow burning fuse that eventually became the show, Breaking Bad.
In Bloodline, the fuse was lit when the siblings were all children, and it's been burning oh so slowly ever since. Danny's return causes the fuse to burn hotter and faster. Just like we saw a flash-forward in the very first scenes of Breaking Bad, we see a flash-forward in Bloodline. A very dark, foreboding flash-forward. And, as it does in Breaking Bad, it compels you to keep watching to find out how the characters ended up in that situation.
When we first meet these people, with the exception of Danny, we can't imagine any of them doing anything terrible. I'm pretty sure anyone who met Walter White before he became "Heisenberg", would have said he was a nice guy. Law abiding. Good teacher. Great husband and father. Heh.
As John says in an ominous voice-over in the first episode, "We aren't bad people, but we did a bad thing...Please don't judge us."
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