--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Forty-five years since I made my first…" description: "\"Forty-five years since I made my first paycheck, and I'm telling you that 'Breaking Bad' is as good as it gets.\" — Jonathan Banks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/jonathan-banks-15550_bad_forty-five-years-since-i-made-my-first-p_1835264.jpg" --- # Forty-five years since I made my first paycheck, and I'm… ![“Forty-five years since I made my first paycheck, and I'm telling you that 'Breaking Bad' is as good as it gets.” quote by Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/jonathan-banks-15550_bad_forty-five-years-since-i-made-my-first-p_1835264.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/jonathan-banks-15550_bad_forty-five-years-since-i-made-my-first-p_1835264.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/jonathan-banks-15550_bad_forty-five-years-since-i-made-my-first-p_1835264.jpg) > “Forty-five years since I made my first paycheck, and I'm telling you that 'Breaking Bad' is as good as it gets.” [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker claims the series is the pinnacle of TV quality, reflecting personal experience and admiration. **In simple terms:** Breaking Bad is the best TV show. Key Takeaway Value high‑quality storytelling. Themes television quality personal experience Mood enthusiastic confident Type critical personal opinion When to use this quote - binge‑watching - media criticism - creative inspiration Key Concepts narrative excellence cultural impact Questions to Reflect On - What makes a TV show “as good as it gets”? - How does personal history shape media preferences? A Different Perspective Subjective taste may differ; others may prefer different genres. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) [Breaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking/) [Breaking bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-bad/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [Forty-five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forty-five-66721/) [Gets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gets/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Gets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-gets-1755569/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Paycheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paycheck/) [Paycheck Telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paycheck-telling-2305803/) [Since](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/since/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Paycheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-paycheck-2305802/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [“You know, Young, this is as good as anything gets. I wonder if this is it? Is this the very best day I'll ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-giles/you-know-young-this-is-as-good-as-anything-gets-i-wonder-if-this-is/) [Gail Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-giles/) > [But being a father is as good as it gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-woodland/but-being-a-father-is-as-good-as-it-gets/) [Gary Woodland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-woodland/) > [Dick in ass is as good as it gets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-davis/dick-in-ass-is-as-good-as-it-gets/) [Hunter Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-davis/) > [So here I am. This is as good as it gets. 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I met Enid Cassandra Morgan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fogel/no-individual-has-done-more-to-help-me-pursue-a-career-in-science/) [Robert Fogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fogel/) > [Forty-five years ago, when I was 18, I came to San Francisco by boat and took two weeks to get here. I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadashi-yanai/forty-five-years-ago-when-i-was-18-i-came-to-san-francisco-by-boat/) [Tadashi Yanai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadashi-yanai/) > [People are not used to seeing an older woman on screen, unless she's playing a character role. Why can't they make a movie about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-griffith/people-are-not-used-to-seeing-an-older-woman-on-screen-unless-she-s/) [Melanie Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-griffith/) > [It's not that I don't enjoy a good mystery that comes and goes in a hour. I do, but God, 'Breaking Bad' and 'Saul'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/it-s-not-that-i-don-t-enjoy-a-good-mystery-that-comes-and-goes-in-a/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [I love 'Boardwalk Empire,' but there were moments where I thought it didn't have the constant through-line that 'Breaking Bad' did and 'Better Call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/i-love-boardwalk-empire-but-there-were-moments-where-i-thought-it/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [I still have my first paycheck. It was just, I think, a dollar or two that I got when I started as a songwriter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-still-have-my-first-paycheck-it-was-just-i-think-a-dollar-or-two/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [George Jones, Johnny Paycheck all them dudes they're respected and they were twice as crazy as I'll ever be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-williams-iii/george-jones-johnny-paycheck-all-them-dudes-they-re-respected-and/) [Hank Williams III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-williams-iii/) > [We have held forums here at the White House on workplace flexibility, and the first major bill signed into law by President Obama was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/we-have-held-forums-here-at-the-white-house-on-workplace-flexibility/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [As a prosecutor, I got a paycheck for coming to work every day. I didn't get a promotion when I won, and I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-grace/as-a-prosecutor-i-got-a-paycheck-for-coming-to-work-every-day-i-didn/) [Nancy Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-grace/) ## More by Jonathan Banks > [I was a latchkey kid from the time I was 7 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/i-was-a-latchkey-kid-from-the-time-i-was-7-years-old/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [I say this to young actors: You don't get into this because you think you're average. You get into this because you think, 'I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/i-say-this-to-young-actors-you-don-t-get-into-this-because-you-think/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [I probably carry a fair amount of sarcasm in my daily life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/i-probably-carry-a-fair-amount-of-sarcasm-in-my-daily-life/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [The funniest guy I've ever worked with - it's just one of those things, again, where we look at each other and just laugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/the-funniest-guy-i-ve-ever-worked-with-it-s-just-one-of-those-things/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [From the time I could visually perceive film or TV, I was just enthralled by it. I thought it was the most wonderful thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/from-the-time-i-could-visually-perceive-film-or-tv-i-was-just/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [You can never know your lines well enough, and you better listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/you-can-never-know-your-lines-well-enough-and-you-better-listen/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [God bless my mother - she's long gone now, but she'd work all day and go to school at night. She started out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/god-bless-my-mother-she-s-long-gone-now-but-she-d-work-all-day-and-go/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [I like my wife. I'm stupid in love with my wife and always have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/i-like-my-wife-i-m-stupid-in-love-with-my-wife-and-always-have-been/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [In my junior year, I saw 'Zorba the Greek' with Anthony Quinn, and I was transported by it. I wanted to live, laugh, travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/in-my-junior-year-i-saw-zorba-the-greek-with-anthony-quinn-and-i-was/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [I do always get cast in these world-weary parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/i-do-always-get-cast-in-these-world-weary-parts/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [It really bothers me that Stephen Cannell has died. I had lunch with him about eight months before he died, and... I really liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/it-really-bothers-me-that-stephen-cannell-has-died-i-had-lunch-with/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [We've all been the brunt of jokes at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/we-ve-all-been-the-brunt-of-jokes-at-times/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [Never equate yourself with whatever success may be and how fleeting that is. The only thing you can do every day is become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/never-equate-yourself-with-whatever-success-may-be-and-how-fleeting/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [I have no trouble walking around. 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