Time has passed and I can finally make sense of what happened on Breaking Bad this past Sunday. I’m not going to go into show reflection mode because we live in social media world and talking about something that happened on Sunday is basically like reflecting on the early 2000’s. What I’m going to talk about is the term that Breaking Bad may have inadvertently created, and when I say inadvertently I mean that I’m actually making a term up right now… but only because of Breaking Bad.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

So, the crazy twenty-minute train robbery that only Breaking Bad could have pulled off wasn’t the craziest thing that took place, anyone who was watching had the jaw drop moment right after Walt, Jessie, and homie from Friday Night Lights stole the meth. The kid from Friday Night Lights proceeded to shoot the lone witness to the train robbery… A kid.

Yes, a kid.

Breaking Bad took the next step on Sunday. They crossed the threshold and there is really no turning back at this point. To be honest, I didn’t even think it was possible, but it happened. In the world of bad guys I think there is one “thing” you can do to really validate how fucked up you are and how fucked up the repercussions will be. Breaking Bad went there, they shot a child.

For the record, this wasn’t a kid doing anything wrong; it was just an unassuming kid out on an unassuming dirt bike ride. The craziest part about this is that the child was shot not by, but because of, our main character – Walter White. Wasn’t Walter our “hero” at some point? How the shit did they just turn this around so much? How and why are we rooting for Walter still?

Back to the new term!

Happy Days brought us “Jump The Shark” (When a show has gone to far)

Indiana Jones 4 brought us “Nuke The Fridge” (When a movie has just gone to far)

And now:

Breaking Bad has bought us “Shoot The Kid” (When a show decided to cross the “holy shit what the fuck else could happen” line.

For the record, at least Breaking Bad has created a term that doesn’t mean you completely screwed up, but rather, that the characters are completely screwed.

Remember at the end of the movie Seven when Kevin Spacey was talking to Brad Pitt in his creepy voice saying “What I’m doing will be studied for years.” That’s how I feel about Breaking Bad. This show and the turns will be studied for years with people debating how and why certain things happened – and I’m okay with that.

If Breaking Bad somehow coins another term that is as heavy as “shoot the kid” my head may explode – and I’m also okay with that.