“Breaking Bad” returned to AMC tonight for the eight episodes that will finish the sage of chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-making-drug-lord Walter White. I didn’t watch the show when it first aired, but caught up with it by binge-watching the first four seasons last summer. I was hooked worse than a meth-head by the brilliant storytelling and acting and cinematography and twists and turns.
There was one other element that drew me in — an obvious attempt to get the science right. The person responsible for that has been Dr. Donna Nelson, an organic chemistry professor at the University of Oklahoma, who has served as science adviser for “Breaking Bad.” Today on my America Weekend show, I asked Dr. Nelson:
- How she became involved in the show and what she contributes;
- Whether all organic chemistry professors know how to make meth;
- Whether “Breaking Bad” has made more students register for her classes;
- What it was like to visit the set and see the chemistry of the people who make the show.
Listen to our conversation here.