Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are important to Breaking Bad, but Vince Gilligan's the godfather.
Every time his cast – whether it's the lead Cranston or the suddenly popular Dean Norris (who plays Hank) – talks about the show, they can't stop from gushing about Gilligan's scripts, his ideas, and the disastrously brilliant turns the show takes.
So, Vancouverites, consider yourselves lucky. Gilligan will be attending the 2013 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) as a member of the event's Film and TV Forum on Friday, Sept. 27 – just two days before his series's finale.
"Vince was a writer on Vancouver's very own X-Files, and I am sure Vancouver fans of Breaking Bad will give him a heroic welcome as one of our own," said Forum director Bre Hamilton.
Gilligan till take the stage at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts for his segment, which is titled "One Last Cook" (brilliant, by the way). Prior to his appearance, the audience will get to screen his own favourite episode of the series.
Tickets are $25 each and available online from VIFF's ticket office.
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Breaking Bad enters its final five episodes...
Vince Gilligan has said very little of consequence about the final season or episodes of Breaking Bad – there are currently five left – and that's very much his style. The show has always been cryptic about its future and any plots it may weave, but it's become clear (after last Sunday's episode "Confessions") that nothing will be left unanswered.
"Then you think to yourself, 'What's the ending Walt wants? What's the ending Skyler wants? What's the ending Jesse wants?'" Gilligan told website Digital Spy on August 27.
"You try to play a very deep game of chess, and the trouble is for me that I'm not a chess player. You try to think through, if Walt does this, and then does this, then the counter-move is this – you try to think 20 moves ahead, and you try to attack it from a lot of different angles. What's fitting for the character, what's fitting for the story, versus what's innately satisfying for the viewer.
"And it was tough. It was a tough year, year and a half. There were very dark days where I would have a little anxiety attack and I'd say to the other writers, 'We've screwed up, we've taken a wrong turn, is there time for us to go back and reinvent?' Luckily, we never really had to reinvent. My writers would talk me off the ledge, they'd say, 'It's not that bad, we're headed in the right direction, it'll be alright'. And you know, now that it's all said and done – and I may get the shock of my life when the final one airs – but at this moment in time, I feel very good about the ending, I feel very satisfied by it."
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