quote:

Originally posted by Echtermetzger:
It's like watching skeletons at first....just the framework, the basic bones of the show. After a couple of seasons, the characters are fleshed out and the story arcs that develop with them carry you to places we haven't seen.

Good description. Unlike many, I liked the first season, showing what an awkward nerdy loser Walter was, what a classless, brash dickhead Hank was, etc. And of course as many of us knows, these personas don't last...

Vince Gilligan is right up there with David Chase as TV Genius of all time. As a former executive producer and writer for the X-Files, Gilligan really brought his A-game to all facets of production in BB. This thread is timely because my son is back from college for the summer, and as a fan of cable episodic TV (Game of Thrones, Sopranos, Deadwood, etc), he wanted to re-watch BB all over again. We are currently finishing season two, and it is interesting all of the little intricacies we missed the first time around.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I tried to watch it a while back. I didn't even make it through the first scene, I kid you not. First episode, first scene- click.

If my father in law had not kept telling us we needed to check it out and I would have just tried it by chance I am pretty sure this is where I would turn it off.
I am still wondering how anyone in management watched the pilot and felt it a good idea to continue the series.

I just finished watching the series a second time. I still don't think the way it ended was all that fantastic. Walter really manages to fuck up Jesse over the course of the show.

I watched it all the way through. I give the whole thing c+ season
b season 2
3,4 c-
Season 5 c+

I too am watching it for the first time and think it is great. Walter is a real piece of work.

I love movie reviews on Sig forum, it's often such a review of the OP.

I loved it, one of the best series I've watched in years.

Meth and everything about it is gross and dirty. I had less than zero interest at first, and wasn't all that impressed after several episodes. Ultimately, however, I grew to like it as well or better than most TV shows ever made. BB, The Wire, Deadwood, The Sopranos, all of them are fantastic in their own right, full of excellently written and acted deplorables - for the most part - with moments of wisdom and redemption and the like.

It wasn't as good as The Sopranos.

But it was very good. Give it a try at least through the first season.

Don't get hung up on details - for example the disparity you perceive between the house and the pool (although I don't even think that is inexplicable). The show is about the people, and in particular about Walter's arc through the story. It is almost a true tragedy in the Greek drama or Shakespearean sense.

I made it four episodes. I don't understand how so many people made it to episode five.

I agree with most of the comments here. You really have to gut it out through the first season or two which lays the groundwork for boring Walt and his family. If you keep watching until the end, I think most people will see that it's the best series since Sopranos (I liked it more than Sopranos). The series is about the evolution of its characters, obviously Walter White specifically. There really isn't a better show out there worth binging on if you haven't seen it yet.

quote:

Originally posted by aparoche:
I agree with most of the comments here. You really have to gut it out through the first season or two...

You guys are nuts. I'm glad you guys enjoy it but like most things, it's not for everybody.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by aparoche:
I agree with most of the comments here. You really have to gut it out through the first season or two...

You guys are nuts. I'm glad you guys enjoy it but like most things, it's not for everybody.

I guess I can understand because I did the same thing as many people here did... watched one random early episode and gave up on it. Then watched it again and binged it when I couldn't find anything else worth watching. Got hooked on it once I got past the story building in season one.

But true, not for everyone... a lot of people loved Lost and I couldn't stand it. Still glad I didn't watch it after hearing about the awful ending.

I also never watched Game of Thrones but binged it last year and loved it.

And yep, some of us are crazy but Netflix and no commercials and the way it jumps from one episode right to the next makes it very easy to binge shows these days.

I would say my three favorite series of all time -- X-Files, Sopranos, and Breaking Bad.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Maybe folks just hyped it up so much. Heard some many people say it is the best show since the Sopranos. Not even close.

My first time weighing in on BB, so you didn't hear the hype from me

But, IMO, better than the Sopranos. I thought the Sopranos started out well but got progressively worse; the characters didn't develop, and some became cartoonish.

On the other hand, the characters in BB got better as the show progressed. The character arc of Walter evolves from a meek science teacher to a murderous criminal mastermind. Jesse started out more of a minor character. I read somewhere that his character was never intended to be a major character, but Aaron Paul was so good that they reconfigured the show to make him one.

I posted earlier than I'm on my 2nd round of BB, just watched the middle 2nd season episode introducing Mr. Goodman. The ride begins .

Para, consider giving it another chance, I swear it's right up your alley. Crime drama tour de force with excellent writing. They certainly don't churn these out everyday...

I sure hope you all are right.
Currently binge watching while we are stuck here in the hospital. Not getting any better. But we are holding out.
Man I really dislike Hank with every passing episode and just roll my eyes whenever he enters the scene. I got excited for a moment and thought he was having a heart attack in the elevator and would be no more.

I only have a certain amount of waking hours in my life. There are enough great movies and TV shows (and books, and family activities, and hiking, and shooting, and internet forums, ....) that I can't even watch all the ones I want.

No matter how good the writing (eventually, it sounds like) or acting I have no interest in wasting my time on a drug manufacturer. The rest of you can enjoy it for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
I sure hope you all are right.
Currently binge watching while we are stuck here in the hospital. Not getting any better. But we are holding out.
Man I really dislike Hank with every passing episode and just roll my eyes whenever he enters the scene. I got excited for a moment and thought he was having a heart attack in the elevator and would be no more.

I initially felt the same way, but as the show develops, and his character does too, you will see there are good qualities about Hank.

I would love to ask Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, and Dean Norris if Hank's persona was partially modeled after George Patton. A person who wants to do good things, but whose insecurities causes them to overcompensate, and behave outlandishly, to cover up.

My wife and I liked it a lot. Binge watched the whole thing over a few weekends.
The devolution of Walter, who never did any drugs at all, showing how the drug world can tear you down despite your supposedly good intentions.
Funny how we finally started watching it. My wife grew up with Pat Cashman and he invited us to a taping of the 206. They did a spoof called Breaking Ballard. We didn't really get it so we started watching Breaking Bad the next night and got hooked.

quote:

Originally posted by onegeek:
I only have a certain amount of waking hours in my life. There are enough great movies and TV shows (and books, and family activities, and hiking, and shooting, and internet forums, ....) that I can't even watch all the ones I want.

No matter how good the writing (eventually, it sounds like) or acting I have no interest in wasting my time on a drug manufacturer. The rest of you can enjoy it for me.

Please, don't stop now. Enlighten us with your superior moral consciousness and teach us the error of our ways.