You should be watching Breaking Bad. You will thank me.

[SenorBeef]

This post (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14902722&postcount=285) inspired me to make a thread.


I am consoling myself by watching Breaking Bad on Netflix. Damn, what a good show! Why didn't someone tell me sooner?

So here I am telling you, all of you.

Breaking Bad is, in my opinion, the best thing that has ever been put on television. I know a lot of people feel the same. It is essentially flawless. It is intricately plotted, highly serialized, yet without any major plot holes. The characters change in interesting ways. The acting is superb - Bryan Cranston will win Best Actor for all 5 seasons of the show, but the supporting cast is also great. The cinematography is movie-like. Every detail in the show is thought out and executed with great care.

The premise is that a high school chemistry teacher - who is employed below his skill level - learns that he has inoperable cancer. He worries that he'll leave nothing behind for his family, and decides to use his chemistry skills to become a player in the meth market to build up a stash for his family.

And from there we have various whacky hijinks when it turns out that the meth industry isn't terribly safe or pleasant. I don't want to give away too much.

One of the great things is that unlike a lot of serialized shows, it doesn't revolve around a mystery. The writers don't have to try to shoehorn crappy explanations or just drop entire story threads because they were just stringing us along and had no idea what they were doing. The writers know what they're doing, and the series doesn't require weirdness or unexplained things to drive the plot. It's the opposite of Lost in this way.

What I will do is to recommend you watch the pilot. If you aren't hooked after that, you are a bad person. You can catch the first 3 seasons on netflix instant watch, you can buy the pilot episode for $2 on amazon instant watch (http://www.amazon.com/Pilot/dp/B0012QTT4O/ref=sr_1_2?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1332796385&sr=1-2) or $3 on iTunes (that's the HD version - amazon also has HD for $3). Buy the DVD of season 1 if you can get a good deal on it, rent it if they do that sort of thing, or find any way you can to watch it.

No spoilers, please, but feel free to gush about the show if you've seen it to back me up here.

[Morbo]

If it ends as well as it has been going, it will be my favorite show in the history of TV, surpassing The Wire (which surpassed The Shield).

I must say though that I am shocked that any Doper would not already be aware of its greatness.

[whole bean]

I have not seen every TV show ever made, but it is the best tv show I have ever seen, including The Wire.

[Covered_In_Bees!]

I agree with the OP. Breaking Bad is a great television series that more people should know about if they somehow don't.

[Bohomite]

I love Breaking Bad! A lot of my friends think it's depressing, but then they are all One Tree Hill enthusiasts!

[SykoSkotty]

I began watching last season, and it made me very sorry I didn't watch from the beginning.

The show is RIVETING.

[ExTank]

Awesom show. I literally do not know how they will top S4 w/o jumping a shark.

[Left Hand of Dorkness]

Hmmm...count me as a bad person. I thought the wife's character was an implausible caricature in the first episode, and later episodes didn't do much to change my mind. A scene in a later episode involving the judicious use of explosives triggered my Television Bullshit meter pretty badly. And several other sequences on the show seemed overwrought and gratuitously shocking in a way that just doesn't appeal to me. There are plenty of shows I'd much rather watch: for example, Justified, on the same network (I believe), is a far more nuanced show that I'd much prefer to see.

Edit: I apologize if that's a threadshit. Mostly I wanted to post in case folks are reading the thread for a recommendation--it's worth knowing the show isn't for everyone, even for folks who like the genre. And the show did have some good features. Certainly I'd take it over a lot of alternative, worse shows.

[Joey P]

I'm going to suggest that anyone that watches Breaking Bad downloads/listens to the Breaking Bad Podcast (from AMC, with actors and crew (including Vince) from the show). There's one podcast for each episode and IMO it makes the show twice as good. You'll hear them talk about little plot points you may have missed, hear about all the work they put into the cinematography and set, the time they devoted to actually acting out each scene etc. I really liked hearing them sit there and discuss some minor plot point that might weave through a few episodes that would go totally unnoticed by most casual viewers or sit with Vince while he discusses how him and the writers agonized about how to close up a plot hole.


Breaking Bad is very much up there with Six Feet Under and Twin Peaks for me.

[SenorBeef]

I began watching last season, and it made me very sorry I didn't watch from the beginning.

The show is RIVETING.

I should've mentioned this in the OP, but you absolutely don't want to start in the middle of the show - start from the beginning.

[Bryan Ekers]

yet without any major plot holes.

It's a good show, but I wouldn't go that far.

[SenorBeef]

That's actually a discussion I'd be interested in, in its own thread. Would you happen to want to make another thread discussing the plot holes of the show? I've watched most episodes 3-4 times and nothing comes to mind as a significant plot hole.

[TBG]

One of the great things is that unlike a lot of serialized shows, it doesn't revolve around a mystery.

The cold opens of season... 3? I think it was season 3... certainly revolved around a mystery.

[MPB in Salt Lake]

As someone who has never seen even 5 seconds of Breaking Bad (but who taught high school for several years) how does an average teacher find a customer base for wholesale amounts of methamphetamine?

[SenorBeef]

That's a big part of the story in the first couple seasons - he knows the chemistry, of course, but he has no way to break into the market. The pilot does a good job of demonstrating how he gets his start. I hate to spoil anything - I'd rather suggest you watch it.

[billfish678]

Dude,

Thats half of the story for the first few seasons.

And another vote for this show being one of the best of the best.

Like Senor Beef said.

[Critical Mass]

I only discovered the show this year. I was forced to stay in bed for a week due to a bad back.

I watched the entire series in a week. It was an intense injection of great tv and I was left with some withdrawl after watching the last episode.

I think the Sopranos was slightly better, but not much.

[Joey P]

As someone who has never seen even 5 seconds of Breaking Bad (but who taught high school for several years) how does an average teacher find a customer base for wholesale amounts of methamphetamine?
It's not a spoiler (IMO) but since someone else mentioned that it might be...
one of his students was a meth head so he teamed up with him. Meth heads have meth head friends that would by meth from them if they had it to sell.

But as SenorBeef said, it's explained pretty clearly in the first episode (and season).

[davidm]

I've been watching it since season 1 and it is one of my favorite shows ever. It nearly ranks beside Twin Peaks.

With a lot of shows, you can figure out where the plot is going halfway through an episode. Not with BB.

It's interesting how the mood of the show has changed along with the changes in the characters. It started out almost lighthearted, with Walt and Jessie almost a comedy team. Over the seasons it's gotten much more serious (although I think Saul can still be considered comedy relief) and the relationship between Walt and Jessie has changed considerably.

[voltaire]

There are plenty of shows I'd much rather watch: for example, Justified, on the same network (I believe), is a far more nuanced show that I'd much prefer to see.


Love 'em both, but Justified is on FX and Breaking Bad is on AMC.

[Chefguy]

As someone who has never seen even 5 seconds of Breaking Bad (but who taught high school for several years) how does an average teacher find a customer base for wholesale amounts of methamphetamine?

It's not a sudden jump. His increased involvement in the meth trade is a snowball that gains in size and momentum until it's a full-blown avalanche crushing everything in front of it. And it takes four seasons to get to that point.

[Marley23]

Now I can't read this thread because I don't want the show spoiled, but it's amazing. We started watching Breaking Bad a few weeks ago and I'm now getting to the end of season two. The things that impress me most are Bryan Cranston's acting and the dark comedy, which is reminding me a lot of Hitchcock lately - the echoes of Vince Gilligan's work on The X-Files are clear but I didn't get as much of that Hitchcock mix of desperate bumbling comedy in the midst of confusion and terror - and the way the show is a metaphor for masculinity. Another thing I've enjoyed since the first episode is the fact that the show went dark early. You might have expected Walt and Jesse to bumble along for a while and act under the impression that they weren't really hurting anybody (someone was going to be making and dealing that meth regardless). But no - took that away from them right in the first episode, when their misadventures in drug dealing quickly led to murders. That really set the tone for everything else. Walt says he started doing this for his family, but from the beginning it's been destroying it.

[Morbo]

Now I can't read this thread because I don't want the show spoiled, but it's amazing. We started watching Breaking Bad a few weeks ago and I'm now getting to the end of season two. The things that impress me most are Bryan Cranston's acting

<snip>

There is a another character that not only matches Bryan Cranston early, but IMO far surpasses his acting chops in later seasons. Truly, I can't recall ever seeing acting ability perfecting itself right in front of me like that. It's yet another treat from a show full of them.

[Max the Immortal]

I caught the first three seasons on Netflix. I'm really glad I did.

[Joey P]

<snip>

There is a another character that not only matches Bryan Cranston early, but IMO far surpasses his acting chops in later seasons. Truly, I can't recall ever seeing acting ability perfecting itself right in front of me like that. It's yet another treat from a show full of them.
This isn't a spoiler, I'm only spoiling it because of the way Morbo worded that quote and I know who he's talking about...
Having said that, whenever I run across this picture it always catches me off guard.
You just wouldn't expect to see him like that or those two hanging out all buddy buddy.
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm235716096/nm0348152

Also, another thing I recommend to anyone who likes this show...I know this is an odd recommendation, but go watch Malcolm in the Middle. For years before Breaking Bad was on I've been saying* how good of an actor Bryan is and even back then he was amazing. Malcolm may have been the main character but Bryan stole every single scene he was in. He showed a greater range of acting in that show alone then many actors show in their entire career.

*I'm not sure, but I'm willing to bet I've even said that on this board before BB aired. ETA the earliest I could find on this board where I said that was 1/19/2009, a year after the show started, but I'm not sure if I had started watching it at that point. I may have 'caught up' after S2 started.

[Marley23]

I see it's a no spoilers thread so I don't have to be ridiculous or take my chances. I will wait to see who Morbo is talking about, but I will say that Anna Gunn is doing good work here (as she did in Deadwood) and in the episodes I've seen recently I've become more impressed with Dean Norris as Hank.

[SenorBeef]

I'd imagine he has to be talking about Aaron Paul, who is just about as good as Bryan Cranston.

[Marley23]

He's very good, yes. It feels like the show has quietly built up a lot of depth.

[Max Torque]

I'm two episodes away from finishing season 3 on DVD. Great show, but I see it as more of a chronicle of how bad decisions lead to more bad decisions and things getting way out of your control.

Walter started out seeming like such a nice guy....

[Smeghead]

This is on my list, but I admit I've been a little reluctant to start it, since it's struck me as being kind of...bleak, I guess? That seems to be a theme in a lot of recent critically acclaimed shows. They seem to compete to see who can depict the most hopeless, depressing, miserable world for their characters to inhabit and be dragged down by, and I have a hard time finding that entertaining. Six Feet Under is the best example that I've actually watched. I finally had to quit because I just wanted to go hide in bed for a day after every episode. On the other hand, I quite like Justified, partially because even though bad things happen, and there's violence and unhappiness, the main character is, at the core, a good guy who's trying to make the world a better place. That seems like a very passe or naive attitude to take these days, but what can I say? I like my entertainment entertaining.

My point, I guess, is to ask people to tell me if my impression of Breaking Bad is, in this respect, right or wrong.

[Morbo]

I'd imagine he has to be talking about Aaron Paul, who is just about as good as Bryan Cranston.

Well, so much for me trying not to spoil it.

[Marley23]

This is on my list, but I admit I've been a little reluctant to start it, since it's struck me as being kind of...bleak, I guess? That seems to be a theme in a lot of recent critically acclaimed shows. They seem to compete to see who can depict the most hopeless, depressing, miserable world for their characters to inhabit and be dragged down by, and I have a hard time finding that entertaining.
You're right that there isn't a lot of happiness going around since you start with a cancer patient who becomes a drug dealer. Through almost the end of season two, I don't think it's that bleak. Maybe it's going in that direction. The comedy is very dark, but it might be more intrinsic to the show than it was to shows like The Wire and The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. I've seen most of Six Feet Under but I did stop watching the show somewhere in the middle and never fully caught up (I did see the last few episodes) because it did feel like an unending parade of angst and misery - and I guess it didn't help that there was much less action than shows that are about crime.

[UncleRojelio]

This board needs a "+1" button to vote up threads. Breaking Bad is indeed one of the greatest TV shows ever aired. That is all.

[SenorBeef]

This is on my list, but I admit I've been a little reluctant to start it, since it's struck me as being kind of...bleak, I guess? That seems to be a theme in a lot of recent critically acclaimed shows. They seem to compete to see who can depict the most hopeless, depressing, miserable world for their characters to inhabit and be dragged down by, and I have a hard time finding that entertaining.

I've been thinking about starting a thread to discuss this - whether bleak is inherently more interesting, or it's just that people who've decided to break from the TV pack by showing more intelligent, in depth, and adult-oriented entertainment try to buck the trend for the normal hero-always-wins-everything-is-fine nature of typical TV.

Anyway, Breaking Bad is fairly bleak - there's a lot of unpleasantness, and if you need to relate to the main character and consider him to be fundamentally a good guy, then it's probably not for you.

[SenorBeef]

Well, so much for me trying not to spoil it.

Well, I don't figure a compliment to someone's acting ability is really a spoiler, since there's not really anything specific needed to be said about the character.

[Joey P]

I'd imagine he has to be talking about Aaron Paul, who is just about as good as Bryan Cranston.
I see that now, but based on the way it was worded I thought it might have been the other character who showed up later. Besides, I like that picture.

Six Feet Under is the best example that I've actually watched. I finally had to quit because I just wanted to go hide in bed for a day after every episode.

A few years ago I decided to rewatch SFU. I only made it half way through, partially because I caught up to the point where I started to remember the episodes and partially because I found that I could only watch one episode a night and sometimes couldn't even bring myself to watch another one the next night. My brain just sort of needed a break after being drained like that. It was taking to long to watch the series. I absolutely looove SFU, but when I was only watching one or two episodes a week, after a while I just sort of forget about it. One of these days I'll do it again, but I'll dedicate a few months to it. It's an amazing show, but you really have to work through some parts of it. It's kind of emotionally draining.

[whole bean]

Hmmm...count me as a bad person. I thought the wife's character was an implausible caricature in the first episode, and later episodes didn't do much to change my mind. A scene in a later episode involving the judicious use of explosives triggered my Television Bullshit meter pretty badly. And several other sequences on the show seemed overwrought and gratuitously shocking in a way that just doesn't appeal to me. There are plenty of shows I'd much rather watch: for example, Justified, on the same network (I believe), is a far more nuanced show that I'd much prefer to see.

Edit: I apologize if that's a threadshit. Mostly I wanted to post in case folks are reading the thread for a recommendation--it's worth knowing the show isn't for everyone, even for folks who like the genre. And the show did have some good features. Certainly I'd take it over a lot of alternative, worse shows.

Caricature of what? I am no fan of Skyler, but she is a pretty complex character with a lot on her plate. At first, your window inot her wolrd is pretty small, but that's mainly because she is a secondary character. As for the explosives, though I don't disagree, I would be stunned if there weren't a similar "Hollywood" moment in Justified, or anything else on tv. There were certainly moments like this in the Wire.

[pbbth]

I watched the first 3 episodes of Breaking Bad and I just haven't been able to bring myself to watch any more of it. It is very uncomfortable for me to watch, which is weird because I have other shows I love that aren't light and fluffy.

[Ellen Cherry]

I am inspirational! ~*~* confetti ~*~*

Unfortunately, I can't read this thread because I've only seen the first seven episodes and I do NOT want the future spoiled. So la-la-la I can't hear you.

[Mr. Excellent]

Well, I don't figure a compliment to someone's acting ability is really a spoiler, since there's not really anything specific needed to be said about the character.

This discussion of Aaron Paul's character *is* a spoiler, though: I think the thing that most impresses me about his acting is how seamlessly he's reversed our moral expectations of Walter and Jesse. You go into the show thinking that Walter is a basically good guy, and Jesse's essentially a loser. But as the series progresses, you see that (a) Jesse Pinkman has a genuine moral core, and (b) that core is being steadily eroded by Walter White. Frankly, Jesse is much more of a tragic character than White is).

[Chefguy]

I've been thinking about starting a thread to discuss this - whether bleak is inherently more interesting, or it's just that people who've decided to break from the TV pack by showing more intelligent, in depth, and adult-oriented entertainment try to buck the trend for the normal hero-always-wins-everything-is-fine nature of typical TV.

Anyway, Breaking Bad is fairly bleak - there's a lot of unpleasantness, and if you need to relate to the main character and consider him to be fundamentally a good guy, then it's probably not for you.

It's difficult at times to keep in mind that it's dark comedy, rather than drama. Or maybe a dramedy. There's a lot of tension, to be sure, and it does turn somewhat bleak at times, but then something like the cousins come along, and while they're menacing, you have to laugh at the over-the-top badness.

[Enderw24]

I watched the first season. I stopped after that. I just couldn't get into it and never bothered with season two. I couldn't tell you why.

[Critical Mass]

It's difficult at times to keep in mind that it's dark comedy, rather than drama. Or maybe a dramedy. There's a lot of tension, to be sure, and it does turn somewhat bleak at times, but then something like the cousins come along, and while they're menacing, you have to laugh at the over-the-top badness.

I think these moments are well crafted ways of tying up loose parts of the plot that are no longer required. Such as the way Ted's character was written out of the series (conveniently tripping over carpet).

[well he's back]

haven't watched this yet, but intend to.

I always liked "Malcolm in the Middle", thought all the cast was excellent & look forward to watching Bryan Cranston in a different type role.

[kayaker]

Just watched season one. Very good show. I've never tried meth, though, and now I'm kinda curious. How many seasons have there been? Just ordered season 2 discs from Netflix.

[Joey P]

I think these moments are well crafted ways of tying up loose parts of the plot that are no longer required. Such as the way Ted's character was written out of the series (conveniently tripping over carpet).

First off, if anyone who hasn't seen this show is tempted to click on that spoiler...it's a HUGE spoiler. Probably the biggest one in this thread.

Having said that, I didn't have a problem with it but I know a lot of people did. Anyways. You'll notice that last season did that to a lot of things, part of the reason was that...they didn't know if there was going to be another season so they wrote and filmed it so that Face Off could be the series finale if it needed to be, with everything all wrapped up and no loose ends. As of right now, next season is scheduled to be the final season. It's going to be an extended season and split into two parts.

[Joey P]

Just watched season one. Very good show. I've never tried meth, though, and now I'm kinda curious. How many seasons have there been? Just ordered season 2 discs from Netflix.

4 Seasons so far with Season 5 set to be the final one.

[Revtim]

Yeah, this is my favorite show in a long time.

[pravnik]

I keep hoping they'll write in a part for Frankie Muniz as his estranged son.

[Joey P]

I keep hoping they'll write in a part for Frankie Muniz as his estranged son.

They've specifically said that as much as they'd like to have some of the MITM actors on they won't do it because it'll take away from the drama/darkness of the show. I have to say I agree. I don't remember if it was Vince or Bryan that said that but it made sense when I heard it.

I think there may have been one or two extremely minor one off characters from MITM that had extremely small roles on BB though. But Malcolm, Lois, Craig...not gonna happen.

[perfectparanoia]

This is on my list, but I admit I've been a little reluctant to start it, since it's struck me as being kind of...bleak, I guess? That seems to be a theme in a lot of recent critically acclaimed shows. They seem to compete to see who can depict the most hopeless, depressing, miserable world for their characters to inhabit and be dragged down by, and I have a hard time finding that entertaining. Six Feet Under is the best example that I've actually watched. I finally had to quit because I just wanted to go hide in bed for a day after every episode.

It is certainly bleak. It is one of those shows that I watch a few episodes of and then take a break with something cheery. Sometimes I can't go back for days.

That said, it is fantastic.

[kayaker]

Was the term "breaking bad" used prior to the show?

[Frylock]

Hmmm...count me as a bad person. I thought the wife's character was an implausible caricature in the first episode,

I had a lot of trouble with the characterization of the wife in early episodes. The scene with the birthday gift in the pilot is to my mind completely implausible and is basically a cheap shot at a stereotype. The show is capable of much better.

With that said, I'll say I feel the character came into her own to a great degree through the run of the show.

With that said I will also register that I think the show definitely doesn't do enough to evoke as much understanding of the wife's character as it ought. I constantly have the feeling I'm seeing her as Walt sees her and not as she is. That does bother me.

But no show is perfect. Breaking Bad is right up there.

and later episodes didn't do much to change my mind. A scene in a later episode involving the judicious use of explosives triggered my Television Bullshit meter pretty badly.
Not sure what this is referring to. Can you say more without spoiling it?

And several other sequences on the show seemed overwrought and gratuitously shocking in a way that just doesn't appeal to me.

I do know what you mean here. Another weakness, I agree! But this is probably just a difference in taste--it doesn't bother me as much as it does you.

[Frylock]

I've become more impressed with Dean Norris as Hank.

I think Dean Norris deserves awards for his performance to the same degree that Cranston does.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

I watched the first 3 episodes of Breaking Bad and I just haven't been able to bring myself to watch any more of it. It is very uncomfortable for me to watch, which is weird because I have other shows I love that aren't light and fluffy.

That's an interesting point. I think the "uncomfortableness" is part of the lure of the show for many of us watching it. There's been moments where I really, really wanted to look away from the screen but just couldn't.

So count me in with the rest of you that just recently started watching it and can't get enough. I'm on about the third episode of season two via Netflix so far. Fantastic show.

Favorite non lead character so far: Tuco. What a crazy badass. And his Uncle with that damn bell! Aggghh! Too bad Tuco is a goner. What a great episode that was!

[Marley23]

Was the term "breaking bad" used prior to the show?
Yes, although I've never heard it.

A scene in a later episode involving the judicious use of explosives triggered my Television Bullshit meter pretty badly.
Not sure what this is referring to. Can you say more without spoiling it?
I assume he means the scene in the first season where
Walt uses fulminate of mercury to create a big explosion in Tuco's office as they are negotiating.

[pravnik]

They've specifically said that as much as they'd like to have some of the MITM actors on they won't do it because it'll take away from the drama/darkness of the show. I have to say I agree. I don't remember if it was Vince or Bryan that said that but it made sense when I heard it.

I think there may have been one or two extremely minor one off characters from MITM that had extremely small roles on BB though. But Malcolm, Lois, Craig...not gonna happen.Yeah, I know they couldn't actually do it. It would be freakin' hilarious, and hilarity isn't exactly what they're shooting for.

Still, it would be freakin' hilarious. :D

[jabiru]

I love this show. It's certainly nothing I'd ever have chosen to watch, based on the brief storyline in the TV guide but my son (27) was watching it and I couldn't stop watching. Unfortunately for me, he also kept watching it while I wasn't a home, so I missed a fair bit. Now I have the first three seasons on DVD and am buying season 4 today, so I'll start watching it from the beginning.

[AuntiePam]

4 Seasons so far with Season 5 set to be the final one.

The season 4 DVD will be out in June -- June 12, I think.

When does the new season start? This fall?

[Bumbershoot]

The season 4 DVD will be out in June -- June 12, I think.

When does the new season start? This fall?

In July, according to this article (http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-la-lanews-aaron-paul-on-breaking-bads-20120319,0,1802702.story).(Warning: Spoilers in article!)

They started filming here in Albuquerque yesterday. I can't wait to see what happens next!

[interface2x]

The season 4 DVD will be out in June -- June 12, I think.It comes out on DVD tomorrow in Australia. Or today, if you're actually in Australia.

[Swords to Plowshares]

Watched season 1, not sure if I want to watch the rest. It's really visceral and intense, possibly too much for me.

[Joey P]

Watched season 1, not sure if I want to watch the rest. It's really visceral and intense, possibly too much for me.

IIRC as is typical with some of these shows the violence is there to suck you in but it backs off as you move forward. At least to a point. At the very least there's considerably less gore (not that there was that much to begin with). As you go into the following seasons the primary focus is the dynamic between Walt and Jesse with a secondary focus on Walt and his family life.

[Left Hand of Dorkness]

I assume he means the scene in the first season where
Walt uses fulminate of mercury to create a big explosion in Tuco's office as they are negotiating.
Yep, that's the scene. My thoughts on the scene were this:
You mean to tell me you can create an explosion strong enough to blast the windows of the room out onto the street, but not suffer fatal injuries, or at least irreversible deafness? I don't know a lot about explosives, and maybe this is plausible, but it sure doesn't seem plausible to me, and it really took me out of the show.
And yes, the birthday-gift scene in the pilot was so over the top that it gave me a bad initial impression of the show.

But yeah, I can definitely see where others like it, and how my quibbles with the show wouldn't matter to others.

[Swords to Plowshares]

IIRC as is typical with some of these shows the violence is there to suck you in but it backs off as you move forward. At least to a point. At the very least there's considerably less gore (not that there was that much to begin with). As you go into the following seasons the primary focus is the dynamic between Walt and Jesse with a secondary focus on Walt and his family life.

Violence and gore are one thing. It's just... I'm not sure if it's the editing or what but the stress Walt goes through and the situations just hits a lot harder. And the cancer therapy scenes are very hard for me to watch because I recently lost an aunt to brain cancer.

[needscoffee]

I'm one of the show's biggest fans, but I nearly stopped watching it in Season 2 because it was so relentlessly grim and miserable for awhile.

[mhendo]

Was the term "breaking bad" used prior to the show?I'm not sure exactly how old it is, but it was definitely around before the show.

I remember, in the 1990s, the characters on NYPD Blue would often say things like, "You gonna break bad with a cop?"

Anyway, just adding my voice to the love for Breaking Bad. I love it because of, not despite its bleakness. I was a huge fan of The Wire for the same reason, and i also think the cop drama Southland, which just finished its fourth season on TNT, is another example of how a somewhat bleak (some would say realistic) outlook can produce good television.

[Joey P]

Violence and gore are one thing. It's just... I'm not sure if it's the editing or what but the stress Walt goes through and the situations just hits a lot harder. And the cancer therapy scenes are very hard for me to watch because I recently lost an aunt to brain cancer.

I won't comment on the cancer aspect but if the stress of the situations Walt finds himself in are too difficult for you to make it through the first season the you probably won't survive the series. They only get more and more monumental. The hole he digs for himself is nothing compared to what happens in the following seasons. What's amazing is that they manage to do it without you going 'What a load of crap'. If people watched the show and said 'this is bullshit' then there wouldn't be people like you that have a hard time watching it. People watch Psych and Fawlty Towers and Malcolm in the Middle to see what kind of hijinks they'll get into this week. They watch Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under and Twin Peaks to go on an emotional roller coaster. Well, Twin Peaks probably falls somewhere in the middle now that I think about it. The funny thing is, if you take the jokes and physical comedy out of the sitcoms, there's a fine line between the two. If Vince & Co. didn't spend so much time working out the bugs and talking out every scene one wrong step would send them over the shark.
They've got one more season to tip toe through the mine field with, I'm excited to see how they do it. All we know so far as that they're going to break it up into two mini-seasons.

ETA, have you watched Six Feet Under? I'm guessing you'd have the same reaction, I suppose it's equally bleak, but it's an extremely different show and just as good. Though I guess some would say there's a lot more death in it.

[furt]

Just one more person chiming in to echo the OP. Breaking Bad is one of the finest works of visual storytelling I've ever seen; calling it a "TV show" is almost an insult. The Wire is the only rival I can think of.

But whereas The Wire was sprawling and Dickensian, Breaking Bad is more like ... I don't know, maybe Dostoyevsky or Flaubert: a tightly focused character study, and a profound meditation on morality and the nature of sin and evil.

[jabiru]

It comes out on DVD tomorrow in Australia. Or today, if you're actually in Australia.

Yep. Snagged my copy this morning.

[Marley23]

I finished watching season 2 last night, and I'm very interested to see where the show goes

In the wake of the plane crash - darn you, Q! - which really feels like it changes the scope of the show. It's a large divergence from the real world and I was not expecting them to continue to follow that thread in season 3. (I saw the first 5 minutes of the first episode of that season.) I thought it would just stand as an example of the unintended consequences of Walt's actions: he's killed two people himself, allowed Jane to die, and that contributed to the plane crash that killed 167 people. It feels risky to me, but we'll see how it plays out. When I stopped watching, they were identifying Q as the air traffic controller responsible for the crash, and I assume Walt will recognize him and realize how this relates to him. The show has an interesting habit of ending an episode or a season at a climatic moment and then unexpectedly picking up right afterward in the next episode or the next season. Season 1 ended in the junkyard after Tuco beat his associate to death for no specific reason, so I didn't think season 2 would start with Walt and Jesse in the car just moments later. Season 3 just started a few hours after the end of season 2. Rather than letting you catch up and figure out what the characters have been doing while the show was off the air, they keep you right there in the action.

[SenorBeef]

Regarding the end of season 1:


Not sure if this is really a spoiler, but anyway, the writer's strike meant the show came to an unexpected end a few episodes early, hence the ending to season 1 wasn't a planned season finale. Which is why the story basically just continued there at the beginning of season 2.


BTW, I would like to re-iterate, if you haven't watched the show yet, DO NOT click on any spoiler boxes.

[Marley23]

Regarding the end of season 1:
Right, I forgot about that. Still, they've done the same thing from episode to episode in at least a few cases and also at the end of season 2/beginning of season 3.

[Arrogance Ex Machina]

So, inspired by thread I went and watched the first season. Thanks, SenorBeef. :D

[davidm]

So, inspired by thread I went and watched the first season. Thanks, SenorBeef. :D
Keep going. You won't regret it.

[MaxTheVool]

To me the only question is whether, if BB really absolutely nails the 5th season, it will end up better than The Wire. It will be close...


One of my favorite quotes:

"This is a private domicile and I will not be harassed.... bitch!"

[AuntiePam]

So where do you folks who are new to the show usually get your TV recommendations?

I get mine here, and at Alan Sepinwall's blog. If a show has a weekly thread -- or even a season long thread -- I figure it's worth checking out. That's how I got turned on to The Wire and The Walking Dead. (And now, thanks to mhendo's comment about Southland, I'll be checking that one out as well.)

So I'm a bit puzzled at all the folks who are just now getting around to watching a show that's been on for four seasons and has won numerous awards (including Emmys for Bryan Cranston). We had threads on every episode starting with season one, and they usually stayed on the front page until the next episode aired. Where were you?

[interface2x]

I finished watching season 2 last night, and I'm very interested to see where the show goesIf you want your mind blown, I recommend you look at the episode titles for the season 2 episodes that have the images from the plane crash at the beginnings.

If you don't want to figure it out yourself, it's ...1. 737
4. Down
10. Over
13. ABQ

[Smeghead]

So I'm a bit puzzled at all the folks who are just now getting around to watching a show that's been on for four seasons and has won numerous awards (including Emmys for Bryan Cranston). We had threads on every episode starting with season one, and they usually stayed on the front page until the next episode aired. Where were you?

I've had it on my list for a while - literally. I have an actual list of shows I want to watch someday sitting on my computer. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. My TV watching time is limited. And to be honest, I prefer to watch shows that are over and done with rather than still ongoing, because I know exactly how much of a commitment I'm getting into, and I can find out if it's worth watching to the end before I start, rather than being disappointed, a la Lost.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

Here's a minor plot hole I discovered: Episode 8, season 2: When Jessie moves into his new place next door to the hot quasi-goth girl, he asks about cable TV and she tells him its "fully wired, all you need to do is call them to activate the service" or something similar. He brags to his homies about getting a big plasma TV, and when he finally does in Episode 8, he's getting a "searching for satellite" message for a long time, even after he invites the girl over...they touch hands as they stare at the message for several minutes.

Searching for satellite? Where's the goddamn cable TV? :D

[davidm]

Here's a minor plot hole I discovered: Episode 8, season 2: When Jessie moves into his new place next door to the hot quasi-goth girl, he asks about cable TV and she tells him its "fully wired, all you need to do is call them to activate the service" or something similar. He brags to his homies about getting a big plasma TV, and when he finally does in Episode 8, he's getting a "searching for satellite" message for a long time, even after he invites the girl over...they touch hands as they stare at the message for several minutes.

Searching for satellite? Where's the goddamn cable TV? :D <fan wank>Some people (incorrectly) use "cable TV" to refer to any kind of pay TV; satellite, cable, or whatever. When Jane said it was wired, she meant that the dish was installed and a wire was available inside the apartment.</fan wank>

[AuntiePam]

I've had it on my list for a while - literally. I have an actual list of shows I want to watch someday sitting on my computer. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. My TV watching time is limited. And to be honest, I prefer to watch shows that are over and done with rather than still ongoing, because I know exactly how much of a commitment I'm getting into, and I can find out if it's worth watching to the end before I start, rather than being disappointed, a la Lost.

That makes a lot of sense. Since you're enjoying Breaking Bad, you might add Durham County to your list. It's a Canadian series that ran for three seasons starting in 2007 I've only watched the first season so far, but I'm told that while the second and third seasons aren't quite as exceptional as the first, they're worth watching.

[Joey P]

Here's a minor plot hole I discovered: Episode 8, season 2: When Jessie moves into his new place next door to the hot quasi-goth girl, he asks about cable TV and she tells him its "fully wired, all you need to do is call them to activate the service" or something similar. He brags to his homies about getting a big plasma TV, and when he finally does in Episode 8, he's getting a "searching for satellite" message for a long time, even after he invites the girl over...they touch hands as they stare at the message for several minutes.

Searching for satellite? Where's the goddamn cable TV? :D

<fan wank>Some people (incorrectly) use "cable TV" to refer to any kind of pay TV; satellite, cable, or whatever. When Jane said it was wired, she meant that the dish was installed and a wire was available inside the apartment.</fan wank>

It's also possible he upgraded from cable to satellite as he was making more money based on the idea that he could get a ton more channels. Or at least more HD channels...or that having satellite seemed like a cool thing to spend his money on.

[SenorBeef]

This is kind of silly, but the most likely explanation is
The TV either defaulted to searching for a satellite signal, or he misconfigured it to look for one, and it was just the TV's status message

[Joey P]

This is kind of silly, but the most likely explanation is
The TV either defaulted to searching for a satellite signal, or he misconfigured it to look for one, and it was just the TV's status message

And no matter what the explanation is, if it wasn't intentional*, it's certainly not, in any way a plot hole. It would be a goof.

*We've come up with several logical explanations and there could be symbolic ones as well.

[Wesley Clark]

netflix has recommended this show before, but I never watched it. But decided to do so because people seemed to have positive reviews. So far, so good. I've seen 6 episodes in the last 2 days, and it is more interesting than I would've expected.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

I started watching BB from Day One, based on positive (p)reviews and my appreciation of Cranston, and I've steered several people toward the series. Two, in particular, have become absolute fiends about the show (one didn't even start watching until literally a year after I gave him the season one discs - now he won't shut up about it :)).

The show's strength -to me (other than the aforementioned stellar acting, writing, cinematography, etc.) is its ability to continually evolve. Each season is a progression of the season before, each holds several of its own unique and fascinating settings, characters, and stories. It does not tread water. And each character evolves (some de-volve) along a logical but fresh path.

In another thread I recently offhandedly compared the characters of The Walking Dead to Breaking Bad, noting the shallowness of even the major characters on WD and the deep, deep depth of even minor BB characters. Breaking Bad oozes excellence from every perspective.


mmm

[Joey P]

In another thread I recently offhandedly compared the characters of The Walking Dead to Breaking Bad, noting the shallowness of even the major characters on WD and the deep, deep depth of even minor BB characters. Breaking Bad oozes excellence from every perspective.

I've compared the two shows a handful of times as well, usually in the WD threads. It tends to come up when people (or myself) are poking holes in the WD plots, which is exceedingly easy. The thing I have to remind myself is that Vince puts a lot of effort into keeping his story pretty airtight whereas on Walking Dead you have to treat it more like a sitcom where if you start poking holes in it, it really stops being enjoyable, it's better to just sit back and enjoy it and not try to analyze it too deeply. In WD threads I tend to participate during the first hundred or so posts just to get a better understanding of what happened then I stop paying attention as people discuss it to death.

[billfish678]

. In WD threads I tend to participate during the first hundred or so posts just to get a better understanding of what happened then I stop paying attention as people discuss it to death.

In regards to a show about zombies thats pretty funny.

[Omniscient]

What I will do is to recommend you watch the pilot. If you aren't hooked after that, you are a bad person. You can catch the first 3 seasons on netflix instant watch, you can buy the pilot episode for $2 on amazon instant watch (http://www.amazon.com/Pilot/dp/B0012QTT4O/ref=sr_1_2?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1332796385&sr=1-2) or $3 on iTunes (that's the HD version - amazon also has HD for $3). Buy the DVD of season 1 if you can get a good deal on it, rent it if they do that sort of thing, or find any way you can to watch it.

I'm late to the thread, but I always find it bizarre that TV shows don't put their Pilots or the first 3 or 4 shows online for free. You'd think Amazon, iTunes, Hulu and the AMC website would have the Pilot of such a well regarded show out there for free all the time. Anyone who hasn't seen it yet is liable to be hooked and proceed to buy the rest of the season and maybe series.

Stuff like this baffles me.

[Arrogance Ex Machina]

So I'm a bit puzzled at all the folks who are just now getting around to watching a show that's been on for four seasons and has won numerous awards (including Emmys for Bryan Cranston). We had threads on every episode starting with season one, and they usually stayed on the front page until the next episode aired. Where were you?

I don't have a TV, I don't usually read Cafe Society all that much and even when I read CS I tend to skip all the TV show stuff. When I do watch TV shows it's usually from DVD, but I can go months without. I'd imagine I'm pretty rare case though.

This thread had a compelling topic and I was bored, so I checked it out, though.

[elbravoiv]

i LOVE breaking bad, but saying it's flawless is totally untrue... they fail to do their research a lot, there's a lot of things that just aren't realistic... shows like the wire are done so well that even the radio stations are actually the ones from the area ... what i love about breaking bad though is that it does get better and better and better ... season 4 finale was up there with wire episodes, i have high aspirations for season 5

[Joey P]

i LOVE breaking bad, but saying it's flawless is totally untrue... they fail to do their research a lot, there's a lot of things that just aren't realistic...
Can you give us some examples of them failing to do their research? Don't worry, I'm not going to take everything you say and fan wank it into submission, I'm just curious. Sure, there might be a slip here and there, but a lot? I haven't noticed that and the podcast sure makes it sound like they do plenty of research and try to make everything as realistic as possible (including filming in ABQ).

[Throatwarbler Mangrove]

I watched it, it's OK.

It might be because I skipped an episode somewhere, but what was the deal with Walt and those rich people and the woman with the Bentley (hopefully not a spoiler)? Did they have some kind of background or falling out or something? It was sort of alluded to that they did but I never quite got that part.

[Aspidistra]

Can you give us some examples of them failing to do their research? Don't worry, I'm not going to take everything you say and fan wank it into submission, I'm just curious. Sure, there might be a slip here and there, but a lot? I haven't noticed that and the podcast sure makes it sound like they do plenty of research and try to make everything as realistic as possible (including filming in ABQ).

Not to speak for elbravoiv but the one thing that bugged me personally was at the end of season 2


when Jane's dad flakes out at work and causes the air smash. I have friends who are air traffic controllers, and from their descriptions of their workplace I find it very hard to believe that an employee would be let back after a major trauma like that with no backup, no supervision on his first day. My friends have been "benched" occasionally for far more minor reasons than that


Having said that, it is an awesome show. Though as far as characterisation goes

I can't stand Skylar either. Hell, even Marie is more sympathetic than she is - shallow she may be a lot of the time but at least she loves her husband. But on the other hand, what sort of person would be expected to marry a closet psychopath like Walter? So I can't say that it makes the show any less to me

[Frylock]

Hrm... is Walter a closet psychopath?

I wouldn't have thought so....

I guess discussion of the point woud involve spoilers though.

[Joey P]

I watched it, it's OK.

It might be because I skipped an episode somewhere, but what was the deal with Walt and those rich people and the woman with the Bentley (hopefully not a spoiler)? Did they have some kind of background or falling out or something? It was sort of alluded to that they did but I never quite got that part.


IIRC the husband was a good friend of Walt's in college and they started a business together. Walt got out early and the business took off. They offered to pay for Walt's treatment which the White's 'accepted'. A few episodes later Skylar found out that Walt wasn't taking the money from them. Again, IIRC, it was just a plot device to get Skylar to realize that Walt had a lot of cash coming in that she didn't know about.

[JustinC]

This thread has reminded me to start watching Breaking Bad again; I can now hear "Mee-ster Whee-ight" being spoken by the young upstart chap, see the shenanigans in (and out of) the RV, appreciate the ethical Rottweiler and the funny, lively tortoise. It's not the easiest drama to watch but it certainly challenges your assumptions of the culture.

Personally nothing could beat The Sopranos for drama and BB doesn't quite reach the heights of Hill Street Blues but is as compelling as Six Feet Under although, for me, more difficult to watch without feeling slightly bleak and empty. I think I got most of the way through the 2nd series in the box set before being distracted by other, lighter shows. It may be the right time to tidy up my dvds.

[grude]

Breaking is slang for ejaculation or orgasm around here, which makes the title kinda funny.

[Onomatopoeia]

Over the past two weeks, my wife and I watched seasons 1 through 3 of Breaking Bad on Netflix. We started with 1 episode a night and by the time we were done, we were up to 3 a night.

After the last episode of season 3, my wife begged me to purchase season 4 so, dutiful husband that I am, I logged in to my Amazon account and saw that it was available for streaming so I plunked down my $21 and within minutes we were watching the 1st episode of season 4; that was this past Friday.

On Saturday, we watched episodes 2 through 5, and yesterday, we finished it up with an 8 episode marathon; we didn't even change out of our PJs! The least I can say about Breaking Bad, and especially season 4 is 'Wow!" I won't give anything away for those of you who haven't seen season 4 yet, but "WOW!"

Breaking Bad has to be one of the best shows I've seen in years. I look forward to season 5, although I'm not clear where they go from the end of season 4.

After this and Weeds, both of which are strongly rumored to be returning for their last seasons sometime this Summer, we currently have nothing to watch. We don't care at all for medical, legal, or law enforcement procedurals, nor can we stand reality shows, so I guess we're out of luck until BB and Weeds returns, unless there are other shows of this caliber we simply haven't heard of yet.

[Frylock]

In my view, Game of Thrones is of the caliber of Breaking Bad.

Completely different genres of course.

[Mosier]

Does anyone know a free or cheap way I can watch season 4 of Breaking Bad online? Netflix doesn't have it yet.

[Frylock]

Only way I know is through Amazon.

[AuntiePam]

[snip]unless there are other shows of this caliber we simply haven't heard of yet.

Justified, about to end its third season on the FX network. The tone isn't the same as BB but it's almost as dark, and the characterizations are excellent. Season two's Mags Bennett would give BB's Gus Fring a run for his money. Actually, I think Mags would win.

[standingwave]

I had passed on this show because it did sound bleak and depressing but a friend of mine had the discs and had been raving about the shows for years. So about a week ago, there was nothing interesting on DVD so I thought I'd give it a shot and popped in the pilot episode. I was blown away! What I wasn't expecting was the comedy. It's really a very funny show, almost as if the Coen Brothers decided to make a television show. Looking forward to Season 5.

[Idle Thoughts]

Giving this a bit of a bump because I've recently started it...recently being about two weeks ago, and I'm already about five episodes into season three.

I think I'm going to have to slow down and save season four for later, that way I don't have to wait a long time for all of season five to come out. I figure if I can streeeetch out season four (like, watch an episode a month), both parts of season five might be out by then. : p

Anyway, chiming in that it's among the best shows I've ever seen.

[Moonchild]

Just like you, Idle Thoughts. I took one hit of Breaking Bad with my wife last week. Really loved it, good times. We only watch shows we like together. But then I started doing it alone. :eek:

Was just gonna watch a tiny bit, maybe just one episode. But I couldn't stop, man. The stuff is so good, I just wanna do more and more. At first it was like this great buzz, all fun and happy, but now it just sucks me in and takes me to a bad place. I wanna stop, but I got laid off from work (with severence!) and now I just wanna lay around all day and watch it. The house is a mess and I have work to do, but I just can't... stop... watching.

I'm late into Season 2. And I need help.

In all seriousness, I'm in awe of the greatness of this show. I never thought anything would surpass Freaks and Geeks, but when you start messin' around with some dangerous stuff...

[madsircool]

I should watch this nonsense but the annoying arrogant thread title stops me.

[Tarwater]

I was stopped by a thread title once.

It's not a moment I'm proud of.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

I should watch this nonsense but the annoying arrogant thread title stops me.

What is that gash where your nose used to be?


mmm

[planetcory]

Breaking is slang for ejaculation or orgasm around here, which makes the title kinda funny.

Are you West Indian, grude? I haven't heard 'breaking' used that way in forever.

As for the show, I seem to be the only person who doesn't consider Skylar to be a ball-busting harpy. Apart from that thing she does later on, I thought her reactions were perfectly reasonable for someone in her situation.

[davidm]

I haven't considered her to be a ball busting harpy. I think that at times she was almost too patient with Walt, and at times gave him the benefit of the doubt when he didn't deserve it.

[SenorBeef]

I should watch this nonsense but the annoying arrogant thread title stops me.

Watch it anyway.







You'll thank me.

[Ellen Cherry]

So where do you folks who are new to the show usually get your TV recommendations?

I get mine here, and at Alan Sepinwall's blog. If a show has a weekly thread -- or even a season long thread -- I figure it's worth checking out. That's how I got turned on to The Wire and The Walking Dead. (And now, thanks to mhendo's comment about Southland, I'll be checking that one out as well.)

So I'm a bit puzzled at all the folks who are just now getting around to watching a show that's been on for four seasons and has won numerous awards (including Emmys for Bryan Cranston). We had threads on every episode starting with season one, and they usually stayed on the front page until the next episode aired. Where were you?

I finished all four seasons and here I am, finally! To answer your question, AP, I don't watch much TV at all. (HA and I work in television.) I got a Netflix account and started watching popular shows and have been through 30 Rock, Glee, How I Met Your Mother, The Walking Dead and now Breaking Bad. I turned my husband on to it and we have been living and breathing it for the past couple months. It was really hard to pace ourselves.

After the last episode we just stared at each other. I felt like James T. Kirk ...

GGGUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

[Ellen Cherry]

Oh and to fill the void after BB, last week I started Mad Men. It's good, but after every episode I feel a strange compulsion to climb a high tower and go on a misogyny-fueled killing spree. ;)

[interface2x]

In case anyone hasn't seen yet - Breaking Bad is set to return for season 5 on Sunday, July 15th.

[davidm]

In case anyone hasn't seen yet - Breaking Bad is set to return for season 5 on Sunday, July 15th.
And, as I understand it, it's only going to be 8 episodes. Then, a year later, they'll show the final 8. They're calling it one season that's being split in two but too me it's the equivalent of two short seasons. I have no idea why they're doing it this way.

[Siam Sam]

This is a very good show. But I'm not sure I like it better than Mad Men. They're both up there. (I haven't ever seen The Wire.)

[SenorBeef]

Is it confirmed that there will be a full year between the 8 episode runs? I was under the impression it would be a shorter period.

[goldmund]

Is it confirmed that there will be a full year between the 8 episode runs? I was under the impression it would be a shorter period.

Yup (http://blogs.amctv.com/breaking-bad/2012/05/season-5-premiere-announced.php?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter). :(

Well, not a full year, since the first 8 episodes will take a couple months to air, but, yeah.

[Ellen Cherry]

Yup (http://blogs.amctv.com/breaking-bad/2012/05/season-5-premiere-announced.php?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter). :(

Well, not a full year, since the first 8 episodes will take a couple months to air, but, yeah.

I will not be held captive by the capriciousness of network programmers .... BITCH!!

:p

[ExTank]

I should watch this nonsense but the annoying arrogant thread title stops me.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Chop off his head, stuff it with C-4, glue it to a tortuga, and send it back.

And watch Breaking Bad to get the joke.

Bring an evidence bag.

[Fiveyearlurker]

It will be interesting to see what they do with the remaining shows because it is almost like the story arch is somewhat wide open.

[davidm]

It will be interesting to see what they do with the remaining shows because it is almost like the story arch is somewhat wide open.I know. Apparently there's good money coming in from the car wash, and Skyler is fully capable of running it herself, so there doesn't seem to be a reason for Walt to continue cooking.

I have a guess as to what may happen. I think it may turn out that the car wash really does have environmental problems. Remember when they sent the phony EPA guy to make Bogdan think he had expensive environmental problems? Bogdan repeatedly asked for the regular guy. I think he may have been asking for the regular guy because he was paying that guy to overlook some real problems.

Those real problems will turn out to be very expensive to fix and Walt will have to go back to cooking in order to ensure his family's future.

Just a guess.

[MissSwitac]

Just a heads up to anyone who hasn't watched the show yet, I was browsing the tv schedule and American Movie Classics (AMC) channel is airing season 1 episodes next week. Not sure if they are airing in order or not, but maybe they'll re-air all the seasons up until the season 5 starts.
No excuses not to start watching it. JUST DO IT ALREADY!!!!

[SykoSkotty]

I caught this promo last night - starting next Sunday, June 10th, AMC will air the entire series of Breaking Bad. Set your DVR's because it's going to be on late and I believe they're doing three episodes each Sunday night, so the series will be all caught up by the time of the season 5 premiere in July.

[SykoSkotty]

Link to AMC's website with schedule:

http://blogs.amctv.com/breaking-bad/2012/05/late-night-encores.php

[MaxTheVool]

Davidm: That's an absolute textbook example of a spoiler box that should have some commentary outside it as to why there's a spoiler box.

[AuntiePam]

The season 4 DVD comes out June 5 (tomorrow). Amazon has it for $19.99.

[Mosier]

Davidm: That's an absolute textbook example of a spoiler box that should have some commentary outside it as to why there's a spoiler box.

What text would have been satisfactory? "spoiler" pretty much says everything that needs to be said.

[davidm]

Davidm: That's an absolute textbook example of a spoiler box that should have some commentary outside it as to why there's a spoiler box.What exactly should I have said in that commentary? :confused:

[Isamu]

I watched it and was enthralled up until the episode where there was a fly in the new high-tech drug lab. I stopped watching half way through that (boring, unsatisfying) episode and haven't come back to it yet.

[davidm]

I don't understand the hate for that episode, but I guess that's just me.

In any case, don't let one episode stop you from going on. If you liked what you saw before, why would you let one episode stop you from seeing the rest?

[Isamu]

I didn't know that dislike of that episode was a 'thing', but if it is a widely-held sentiment I can see why. The show built itself up on superb dialogue, action and story, but this particular episode was just symbolism (or so I guess - because I didn't get it), and so it bored me.

Why pause my watching of the show here? Because I don't want to skip any episode, and want to watch them all in order, but there are so many other consistently good shows out there that I don't have to go back to the boring episode yet. That's all :-)

[MaxTheVool]

What exactly should I have said in that commentary? :confused:

Beats me, I haven't read what you typed. Because if what you typed is "Well, I read some backstage info that says that X is what will be happening" I don't want to know. But if you said "well, what we saw in the last scene of season 4 was X, so I think they might do Y" then I'm interested. But there's no way for me to know without reading it. That's why one should generally preface a spoiler box with a very brief explanation as to why something is being spoiler-boxed.

[davidm]

Isamu,
As I recall, you could pretty much skip that episode without losing any continuity. But if that's your concern and you've already gotten part way through it, why not grin and bear sitting through the rest of it so you can continue with the series? It's worth it, believe me.

[kayaker]

I don't understand the hate for that episode, but I guess that's just me.

I recently watched the first three seasons and have season 4 on the way from Netflix. The episode in question was my absolute least favorite.

[Isamu]

Isamu,
It's worth it, believe me.

Thank you. I've avoided all spoilers so I didn't really know if it returned to form (but I expected it did). I'll get back to it one day.

[davidm]

I recently watched the first three seasons and have season 4 on the way from Netflix. The episode in question was my absolute least favorite.I wouldn't list it as one of my favorites, but I don't understand the absolute hatred some people have for it.

The interplay between Walt and Jesse is one of the highlights of the series, at least for me. The episode in question had lots of that and at least one line that I consider to be one of the show's classics.
Jessie: "Look, I like making cherry product, but let’s keep it real, alright? We make poison for people who don’t care. We probably have the most unpicky customers in the world."
The whole episode was about how Jesse understands what it is they're doing and the harm they cause, while Walt lives in denial by being obsessed with the purity of their "product"

[AuntiePam]

What exactly should I have said in that commentary? :confused:

Maybe "speculation, with a spoiler for season 4"?

This is a tricky thread, since the purpose is to convince people to watch the show, and it might be difficult to do that without spoilage.

I agree about The Fly episode. When I rewatch, I skip that one. But I'm glad I saw it once.

[kayaker]

The whole episode was about how Jesse understands what it is they're doing and the harm they cause, while Walt lives in denial by being obsessed with the purity of their "product"

But to take his obsession to the point where a single fly caused him to do the things he did was just not believable. The episode doesn't fit with the others.

[Tarwater]

"Fly" is one of my favorite episodes of the series. It distills everything I love about the show into 45 minutes and change.

[davidm]

But to take his obsession to the point where a single fly caused him to do the things he did was just not believable. The episode doesn't fit with the others.Walt is exhausted, and sick, and scared, and obviously mentally unstable. That's one of the main points of the series.

[davidm]

"Fly" is one of my favorite episodes of the series. It distills everything I love about the show into 45 minutes and change.If I had to pick my favorite, I think it would be a tie between "4 Days Out" and "Peekaboo".

[Sam Lowry]

There's a poster online for the new season. I don't think it reveals what will happen, but it looks awesome (http://www.vulture.com/2012/06/breaking-bad-poster-season-five-king.html).

[davidm]

There's a poster online for the new season. I don't think it reveals what will happen, but it looks awesome (http://www.vulture.com/2012/06/breaking-bad-poster-season-five-king.html).I have a guess as to the setting in that picture.
It might be the upper floor of the car wash.

[Siam Sam]

The fly episode was not our favorite, but we didn't mind it that much.

[kayaker]

Walt is exhausted, and sick, and scared, and obviously mentally unstable. That's one of the main points of the series.

Agree. Which is why it didn't work for me. I've known people in similar straits. Walt's behavior just wasn't right. Let's agree to disagree on this. I'm looking forward to viewing all of season four soon!;)

[davidm]

If you haven't seen some or all of it yet, or want to watch it again, it looks like AMC is rerunning the whole series to date starting tonight (actually early Monday morning).

It's late but you can set your DVR. I don't know if Comcast will have it on demand or not.

If you have DISH, they're apparently removing AMC from their lineup.

[InternetLegend]

I love this show, and I think I'd even love it if I didn't live in Albuquerque, about six blocks southwest of the Whites' house (I found this out one night when cutting through the neighborhood on my way to pick up a pizza - the crew stopped me while they finished filming a scene). I've patronized the car wash in the show for decades, and they've incorporated a beloved local burger chain and pizza place into the show. Saul's strip-mall storefront office is in the little corner mall where my pet-food store is located. The blow-up Statue of Liberty stayed up one entire weekend there. I'm going to miss driving by the coded black and yellow signs directing workers to the locations on my way to work. Even though we've experienced a filming boom in New Mexico, no one else has ever filmed in the Northeast Heights!

Ahem. It's also an excellent show, even though I'd obviously watch anything that's filmed here (I've seen every episode of "In Plain Sight", which is far inferior). I really like the way that the characters have developed over the years, even though I haven't ended up liking the actual characters in the same way I did the first season. I'll miss the series, but I really appreciate that it won't outlive its dramatic arc. This isn't the kind of story that can keep on going indefinitely.

[interface2x]

Wow, that's pretty cool, InternetLegend!

[Feyrat]

Soooo, I'm watching it due to this thread... finished season 1 and 2 eps into season 2.

I'm finding it really difficult to watch. There's no question it's quality, but the looming doom and the nature of the "protagonist" (as I will loosely refer to Walter) makes it hard to plow through.

IS there an actual discussion thread for this? I don't want to get into more detail in this thread.

[Sitnam]

The fly episode was not our favorite, but we didn't mind it that much.
By far the worst episode of any great show.

[needscoffee]

Soooo, I'm watching it due to this thread... finished season 1 and 2 eps into season 2.

I'm finding it really difficult to watch. There's no question it's quality, but the looming doom and the nature of the "protagonist" (as I will loosely refer to Walter) makes it hard to plow through.

IS there an actual discussion thread for this? I don't want to get into more detail in this thread.There are threads on many of the individual episodes, and some general threads.

Season 2 is quite grim, but it's worth it if you can stick it out.

[Feyrat]

There are threads on many of the individual episodes, and some general threads.

Season 2 is quite grim, but it's worth it if you can stick it out.

Okay, I will trust you on this! Right now I'm having to pause at least twice an episode to just walk away from the TV because I just KNOW something awful is about to happen... sometimes, it even does!