English Composition 1
Comparison/Contrast Essay
June 24, 2025
Comparison of TV series Breaking Bad and Power
Television series offer a great escape to another world for many viewers worldwide.
Television dramas surrounding drugs and crime are a particular hit for many people due to their
captivating and intense plots, dynamic characters, and overall theme of crime and punishment.
Breaking Bad and Power are two of the most prominent shows in the crime and drugs genre.
Although both shows follow men who rise to Power through illegal drug operations, they differ
in many significant ways. This essay compares the TV series Breaking Bad and Power in terms
of their main character’s personalities and motives, their internal moral conflicts, their
approaches to drug operations, and the role of law enforcement in each series.
Breaking Bad follows the story of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who
turns into a paramount Meth drug lord after being diagnosed with cancer to leave behind some
money after he passes away. As the show's main character, Walter White undergoes a
remarkable metamorphosis from a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher into cooking
methamphetamine. What started as a means to provide money for his family after death leads to
Walter White being led by pride, power, and control, which tears his family apart. On the other
hand, Power follows the story of James St. Patrick, alias Ghost, a wealthy nightclub owner living
a double life as a drug kingpin with his best friend, Tommy. Unlike the main character in
Breaking Bad, who starts as a law-abiding citizen, the main character of Power, Ghost, begins in
the drug game and has ambitions to leave it behind to live a legitimate life. While Walter White
is drawn deeper into crime over time, Ghost wants out but is repeatedly pulled back by people