The really great TV thread

[snaz16]

New season of Breaking Bad starts tonite,and to admit I just started watching this about a month ago,based on my sons urging. I Dl'd via DTV and have 5 shows to go on season 4 ,and so want to watch the opener tonite,but going to do my best to resist until I get thru season 4.....friggin show is addicting!

[JRod]

Holy s***... I downed Breaking Bad seasons 1-4 in the span of a week.

Between Mad Men and BB there isn't better TV on any where else. AMC has replaced HBO for creating legendary dramas. Not so long ago The Sopranos and HBO were on top. Now it's AMC. Just goes to show you that great story telling will always be rewarded. Too bad those in Hollywood never seem to get this.

[Aristo]

I just got to season four of Breaking Bad on Netflix, and while i really like the show, it is a long ways from great TV.

The ridiculousness of how Walter gets out of jams in continually annoying. He should have been killed many, many times. I also have not enjoyed the story of his marriage and family, as he is needlessly trashing them. He does it for no gain.

That said, I do find myself watching it whenever I get a chance, and I look forward to catching up to season five soon.

But their are way too many plot holes and unrealistic character decisions to call this show great. Worse, it lacks any characters to root for.

[pk500]

I just got to season four of Breaking Bad on Netflix, and while i really like the show, it is a long ways from great TV.

The ridiculousness of how Walter gets out of jams in continually annoying. He should have been killed many, many times. I also have not enjoyed the story of his marriage and family, as he is needlessly trashing them. He does it for no gain.

That said, I do find myself watching it whenever I get a chance, and I look forward to catching up to season five soon.

But their are way too many plot holes and unrealistic character decisions to call this show great. Worse, it lacks any characters to root for.

You're missing the point: Walter has descended into a spiral of evil and is taking his family with him. His altruistic early intent has disintegrated into dangerous hubris that will end badly.

He has no blueprint for this kind of life even though his entire professional career has been governed by the rules of science. That creates incredible conflict. His life is spiraling out of control, and he has no scientific formula to follow. That's why he makes so many odd decisions, yet his superior intellect and ability to think rationally -- like a scientist -- help him escape countless jams.

Walter White is the most unorthodox meth king you could ever create. How do you build an archetype for that?

Of course, there are no characters to root for in a show like this. That's the point of "Breaking Bad." Everyone is bad, everyone is tainted, everyone has evil ranging from dabs to broad brush strokes.

"Breaking Bad" is great because it's not the cliched, tired story of good versus evil. It's a story of evil synthesizing in all of its various shades. And that's what makes it the greatest show on TV right now.

[JRod]

I just got to season four of Breaking Bad on Netflix, and while i really like the show, it is a long ways from great TV.

The ridiculousness of how Walter gets out of jams in continually annoying. He should have been killed many, many times. I also have not enjoyed the story of his marriage and family, as he is needlessly trashing them. He does it for no gain.

That said, I do find myself watching it whenever I get a chance, and I look forward to catching up to season five soon.

But their are way too many plot holes and unrealistic character decisions to call this show great. Worse, it lacks any characters to root for.

You're missing the point: Walter has descended into a spiral of evil and is taking his family with him. His altruistic early intent has disintegrated into dangerous hubris that will end badly.

He has no blueprint for this kind of life even though his entire professional career has been governed by the rules of science. That creates incredible conflict. His life is spiraling out of control, and he has no scientific formula to follow. That's why he makes so many odd decisions, yet his superior intellect and ability to think rationally -- like a scientist -- help him escape countless jams.

Walter White is the most unorthodox meth king you could ever create. How do you build an archetype for that?

Of course, there are no characters to root for in a show like this. That's the point of "Breaking Bad." Everyone is bad, everyone is tainted, everyone has evil ranging from dabs to broad brush strokes.

"Breaking Bad" is great because it's not the cliched, tired story of good versus evil. It's a story of evil synthesizing in all of its various shades. And that's what makes it the greatest show on TV right now.

Exactly. This is what Mad Men does so well, the characters are incredibly layered. One evil thing is balanced out by something that surprises us.

Yes, it's Star Trek in a way, as he always gets out of terrible situations but each time he does he creates more chaos.

I'm also tired of the predictable bad/good dynamic that predictable dramas use. BB destroys this model. Gustavo Fring was a prime example of this.

As I watch the show, I have a sense that we are watching a kingpin being born both in power and evil. But then what else can they do? As PK said, it's all out of control.

[Aristo]

Actually, the no one to root for part is not a big deal. It keeps my wife from watching, but I'm still in.

My problem is that there is a HUGE suspension of belief that Walter white is the only guy that can make the perfect meth, and that the perfect meth is worth so much that Gus has not whacked him.

When he took to disappearing, the level of suspension of belief that he woud not be found out is gargantuan. It made no sense.

The inability of every single witness that Hank has spoken to to connect Walter and Jesse is astoundingly improbable.

How Walter's car disappeared from the scene when he and Jesse were trapped inside the RV while Hank was calling in a warrant was just ignored.

They actually had an open house to sell Jesse's home with a meth lab in the basement that the realtor never caught. She just never checked the basement, because realtors don't do that.

The amount of BS Skyler puts up with, long before she knew the truth, is completely out of character for her.

So I get the meditation on Walter's descent into evil, but it's awfully easy to sink when you are given a free pass time after time. His character has not come close to earning any his accomplishments.

That said, I've actually enjoyed the show. But I think it gets a huge pass for all of the cheating the writers do to get from point A to point B.

[RobVarak]

To me, the engine of the entire series was in Season 1 when Walter and Skylar attend the part of his former girlfriend and business partner. There was more to this than just providing cover about who was paying for his treatment.

Walter was not just another R&D chemist who burned out and ended up teaching HS. This was a world class expert in crystallography who was, one way or another, denied the wealth and fame that he was due.

This provides deep roots for his megalomania as well as an explanation for his more MacGyvery moments. Granted, some of his escapes have been luck or happenstance, but that's one of the main themes of the show as well.

[wco81]

Show had to deal with the writer's strike in season 1 and then uncertain status for a couple of seasons so they probably had to make harder pivots than was ideal.

Interesting thing about Walt's trajectory is that he made decisions under extreme duress, starting out with the original decision to go into crime. But he had to escalate at each step, getting in deeper than he could anticipate. What started out as surviving against some small-time hoods has grown into an international conspiracy.

He tried to get away in season 4 but found he was out of money and saw a death sentence hanging over not just him but his family. So he had to escalate and "win." But this last victory has made his wife catatonic at his evil?

[pk500]

The amount of BS Skyler puts up with, long before she knew the truth, is completely out of character for her.

Her husband had terminal cancer. I think any spouse would give their mate a pass in that situation.

Skyler is far from pure and innocent. No spoilers, but her actions in Season 4 prove she's nearly as enamored with criminal activity as Walt.

[greggsand]

It took me a bit to warm up to Breaking Bad, but season 4 was so great, I overlooked some of the stuff that bugged me.

What I love about it: It's basically all a "prequel" about a good guy who turns evil, but the turn to evil was at such a sneaky pace, one doesn't realize how horrible he is until he's built a resume of terrible things. Initially, it seems out of sheer survival, but then turns into sheer greed.

BTW, Walter's "I'm the one who knocks!" tirade is right up there with Marlo's "My NAME is my NAME!!" speech from The Wire - instant classic TV moments.

[pk500]

BTW, Walter's "I'm the one who knocks!" tirade is right up there with Marlo's "My NAME is my NAME!!" speech from The Wire - instant classic TV moments.

ABSOLUTELY!

[Naples39]

Maybe Aristo would prefer Breaking Bad if it was like this?

[JRod]

Naples just ruined BB. Hahaha.

[Aristo]

At least the nonsensical plot development would be more acceptable.

And I like Breaking Bad. I'm on season four, which I am trying to wrap up so I can start watching the season five episodes I have on Tivo.

[sportdan30]

I've watched 4 seasons of Breaking Bad on Netflix. I'm now going to watch the last season on AMC, however the first episode is no longer available to record. Does anyone have a suggestion where I can watch it? Directv does not have it on demand nor does my father's cable provider.

[TheTruth]

I've watched 4 seasons of Breaking Bad on Netflix. I'm now going to watch the last season on AMC, however the first episode is no longer available to record. Does anyone have a suggestion where I can watch it? Directv does not have it on demand nor does my father's cable provider.

Amazon instant or iTunes - if you want to pay.

[sportdan30]

Didn't even think of that. Duh! I'll go the iTunes route. Thanks!

[vader29]

What started out as just wanting to watch the first episode of Breaking Bad to see what all the fuss was about ended up being a marathon that saw me finish the first four seasons on netflix in a little over a week and finished catching up on the current season today, great show! Sucks that there are only 3 shows left and then we have to wait until next summer for the second half of season 5.

[RallyMonkey]

Include me as another guy way late to the BB party. I'm only through 11 episodes so far but this show has more individually brilliant moments than any show I can remember and they mesh together to form hour after hour of pure genius. I don't know how you guys that watched it from day one made it week to week, much less having to deal with the breaks between season. Awesome....awesome.

[pk500]

Include me as another guy way late to the BB party. I'm only through 11 episodes so far but this show has more individually brilliant moments than any show I can remember and they mesh together to form hour after hour of pure genius. I don't know how you guys that watched it from day one made it week to week, much less having to deal with the breaks between season. Awesome....awesome.

Hand in air as proud viewer of this show from the first live second of Episode 1, Season 1. Ranks right up there with "The Wire" as the greatest TV show I've ever seen.

Glad you cats are jumping on board the BB train. It's sublime drama.

[Diablo25]

If you have HBO and aren't watching Newsroom you are missing a fabulous show. If you liked West Wing you will love this show. Thanks for your time.

[vader29]

Do you really want to live in a world without Coca Cola?

[RobVarak]

Do you really want to live in a world without Coca Cola?

A television show just made me say, out loud to myself, "But what about Kaylee?!?".

This is not my finest moment.

[dbdynsty25]

Hand in air as proud viewer of this show from the first live second of Episode 1, Season 1. Ranks right up there with "The Wire" as the greatest TV show I've ever seen.

Glad you cats are jumping on board the BB train. It's sublime drama.

Just "obtained" season 1 to watch on the treadmill at the gym on the ipod...so we'll see how it goes. Probably not the best way to watch the show, but it is what it is...need some entertainment.

[pk500]

SAY MY NAME. YOU'RE GOD DAMNED RIGHT.