, Columnist
'Breaking Bad: Canada'?
If "Breaking Bad" were set in Canada, Walt would be cooking meth to pay for his medical treatment in the U.S.
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I first came across thismeme a few days ago, from someone in my Facebook feed. The joke, for those of you who don't watch "Breaking Bad" (or are merely a bit thick), is that the show wouldn't make sense in Canada, because Canada has a comprehensive national health-care system. Thus the rationale for the launch of a mild-mannered chemistry teacher into the world of meth-cookery -- his cancer diagnosis and need for treatment -- wouldn't make sense.
Yesterday, I saw that someone at Slate had actually cited this meme in an article explaining why "Breaking Bad" is the best medical drama on television (because of its realistic treatment of illness):