#1 - Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad
One of television's best shows is AMC's Breaking Bad, which is almost entirely focused on the drug trade. Namely, it's set on the drug dealer Walter White, who decides to create an inheritance for his family by cooking and selling crystal meth, using his extensive chemistry skills to do so. However, he realizes that he can't do it on his own, so he enlists one of his former students, Jesse Pinkman, to help him out. The difference between Walt and Jesse is that Walt has no interest in actually partaking in any of the meth, while Jesse is quite the drug addict. Jesse's relationship with most of his family has been strained by his use of drugs, though it did give him many new financial opportunities.
What makes Jesse's addiction interesting is that he is stuck in a circle of destruction. The death of his friend Combo leads him into taking up heroin, which is introduced to him by his landlady, Jane, with whom he also begins a relationship. Then she is killed in an overdose of heroin, and Jesse, believing himself responsible for her death, spirals even further into addiction. He's a tragic figure, really, but no less compelling. Will he ever recover from his addiction? You'll have to continue tuning in to Breaking Bad to find out. Do you want him to recover? Of course you do. But it's a journey, and, like Jesse, we have quite a long way to go.
I've only seen a few episodes, but how about alcoholic firefighter in Rescue Me? He seems to have had a very long run on that premise alone, as well. We don't get Nurse Jackie up here, I hadn't realized she was an addict as well. Great list, Sam. :)
"With the help of John Locke, Charlie kicked his habit in "The Moth," one of LOST's greatest-ever episodes."Thank you! Everyone cites S1EP4 – Walkabout as the episode that really drew them into LOST. For me, it was definitely "The Moth." Very good episode. Glad it gets some love.