We’ve started rewatching Breaking Bad (2008), our first revisit since watching it nearly a decade ago.

Fun fact: Breaking Bad was actually the very first TV series I ever watched in full—every single episode. And I’m not talking about those that aired on TV; I mean the ones I binged through streaming services.

I liked it. I liked it a lot. But my favorite characters, without question, were Saul Goodman and Mike Ehrmantraut. I first got interested in Better Call Saul simply because Saul’s name was in the title—then I found out Mike was a main character there too, which sealed the deal.

You might find this surprising, but I really didn’t like Walter White. Not as a character, and not as a person in real life either. (In one of his interviews, he mentioned that his favorite scene was when he shot Mike—and since I adore Mike, that really stung.)

Now that I’m rewatching the show, I’m starting to appreciate it on a deeper level. Walter still probably won’t be my favorite character, and Mike and Saul will remain my heroes, but I can now fully admire the sheer skill of the writers and creators. Every moment, every detail of the storytelling, feels meticulously crafted—and I appreciate every second of it.