Breaking Bad redux

[Shapecharge]

So the wife and I watched it all finishing it up Monday night. I had several friends who's judgment is solid on these things tell me I was really missing something by not seeing this. We took a couple of months to get through it. I know not everyone will agree but I thought this was superb story-telling. I try to be cool with the superlatives but this series has moved the bar for me. I have stood by my claim that Six Feet Under was some of the best television I've see but now I think Breaking Bad has slightly edged it out. If one measure of a show's success is it's ability to make you think about it even days after you've watched an episode then BB is definitely a success. It's the first time I've watched a series that exemplified the law of unintended consequences...despite WW's near genius level IQ he couldn't quite game everything...even though I wanted him to. I'm a little crestfallen that we've finished it. For the last couple of months it's been a big part of our evening...just a couple of episodes here and there. Shit now it's back to InkMaster. Dang.

[Bram]

I absolutely loved it, if you need a little reminder and you have Spotify, look up the Breaking Bad playlist that someone created.

Game of Thrones for me is the only other show I can think of currently that has run for multiple seasons and has kept me engaged, and the new season starts in less than two weeks.

[Grandpa's Spells]

This show was awesome. Watch Better Call Saul next

[Turdacious]

So what's your rating Shape?

[johno]

I'd guess both hands are wrist-deep in his ass and he can't respond.

[Mickey O'neil]

I agree with Shape. It's the greatest show I've ever watched. I can't tell you how many times I watched the ending scene. I was, and still am, sad that I finished it. I would binge watch six or seven episodes then not watch for several days just so I could stretch it out. I never wanted it to end. I plan on watching the whole series again soon.

[Shapecharge]

Episode 14 of the 5th season, titled "Ozymandias" got the writer a primetime Emmy and has been considered by some critics as one of the single greatest episodes of a dramatic series ever filmed. We watched it again last night and it was just as powerful the second time around.

I think watching it the way we did as opposed to the 5+ years it took for normal viewing made it a bit more visceral. I was constantly having some fucked up dream about the show because it was usually the last thing we did before we went to bed. It's like I know this guy. Still bummed that it's over.

Jesse to me anyway, was the real weak link in the whole operation. As Gus previously told Walt, "you can never trust a drug addict" and his words to me proved true. Suspending disbelief for a little bit and imagining this whole scenario as something real, perhaps it would all come crashing down anyway but Walt's eventual misplaced loyalty to Jesse hastened his complete destruction. Walt's intellect and awareness of danger let him down in the end...if he would have slowed things down for a moment and thought through it he would have realized there was no possible way for Hank to know where the money was located.

We did watch the first episode of Better Call Saul...hopefully this will ease the pain a bit.

Turd, I have only devised my rating system for movies.

[baffled]

I thought the first two episodes sucked, so I gave up.

[Shapecharge]

Baff, brother...you convinced me to watch Homeland...let me do the same to you with Breaking Bad. I just can't believe you won't dig it. Please give it a go.

[Boris]

Let me start by saying that I understand that I am getting old, so my tolerance for certain entertainments is diminished...

I watched the first 1.5 seasons and had to stop. I think it's well done. The main actor and the DEA agent are great.

BUT, I can't spend an hour watching one guy in chemo and the other battling PTSD. I can't spend hours watching meth ruin peoples lives. I can't spend hours watching a middle aged teacher struggle to keep his life and family together emotionally and financially, and throw away every moral compass he has. None of that shit is entertaining to me. Not to say I didn't enjoy it at all - it just hits a little too close to home for me.

It's not that I don't waste time on other things, but damn, I don't know if there's a television show that exists that I want to spend more than a season or two on.

[Shapecharge]

Boris...totally understand your point of view. A guy I know told me he can't watch it either...his brother died of a heroin overdose. He lived through all that and had no desire to relive it, fictional or not, and that makes sense to me. Your point(s) are valid brother.

[baffled]

Okay, I'll try again.

[Cave Canem]

This show was awesome. Watch Better Call Saul next

This.

I watched BB through one time and thought it was awesome. That being said, I recently tried to watch it again and gave up after a few episodes. Not quite as gripping the second time through.

[vern]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzhW20hLp6M[/youtube]