People love corruption. Witness the response last month to the final episode of TV series Breaking Bad. The culmination of its fifth season attracted 10 million American viewers. Australia claimed the dubious honour, of leading the world in most illegal downloads of the episode. Somewhat appropriate, given Breaking Bad centres on corruption. Specifically, one man’s journey from high-school teacher to drug baron.

During the past few years, Breaking Bad has grown from a cult following to an international phenomenon. Part of its appeal is the unflinching presentation of an everyday guy’s descent into depravity. But Breaking Bad isn’t alone. Need more corruption? Ridley Scott’s latest film, The Counselor (released November 14), follows a lawyer who gets involved with drug trafficking.

Starring Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt, The Counselor sounds almost underwhelming. Why? Because we’re used to seeing role models, or those charged with preserving social boundaries, turning to the dark side. Be it on screen (Training Day, to Boardwalk Empire) or in real life (police corruption, to child-abuse atrocities), our suspicions about authority being misused are often vindicated.

Such pessimism breeds from that place in all of us, where we can revel in imperfections of others. We know our own flaws, yet can feel smug when we consider we’re not as bad as them. But that’s just excusing sinful behaviour we know we should correct in ourselves. As Galatians 6:7-8 honestly warns, if we continue to do that, corruption will be our own reward. What’s to love about that?