# My Review of the First Episode of Breaking Bad (Long) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 6, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362 "2011-09-06T05:54:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/81 "2011-09-07T20:57:36Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > People get over it. I don’t like this show. Nor do I care for most other contemporary television. Yes, I understand the programs. It’s not that I don’t want to think. I just don’t find them to be entertaining. Well, then, I guess there’s nothing more to say to you regarding BB. I couldn’t give a shit less if you like it, but let’s not pretend it’s terrible just because you didn’t find one episode entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/82 "2011-09-07T21:03:02Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > \*\*Two Many Cats: \*\*Have you ever watched _Deadwood_ or _The Wire_? If so, I’m just curious what you thought of them. If not, give 'em a shot. They’re not new shows - both are over and done with - but if you don’t like either of those, I don’t think any other modern TV shows will do it for you. No I haven’t watched either of those. Perhaps I will. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/83 "2011-09-07T21:14:37Z")
I leave you in peace. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/84 "2011-09-07T21:15:39Z")
**Two Many Cats** , you seem to want to have it both ways. You’ll make negative, _objective_ assessments about certain shows that are generally regarded as high quality, but at the same time you want to use “I just don’t _like_ it” as the ultimate justification. Unless you’re God, “I don’t like it” doesn’t necessarily lead to something being “rotten stew”. I’d rather watch an old episode of _The A-team_ than _Deadwood_, but that’s because of my own quirks. (I’d also rather watch _Breaking Bad_ over both, but that’s another story.) Some things are good that I don’t like, and some things that I like aren’t good. Objective quality and subjective taste are two separate issues. It’s only because you’re repeatedly confusing the two that you’re copping snark. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/85 "2011-09-07T21:19:12Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > **\** \* Some things are good that I don’t like, and some things that I like aren’t good.\*\*\* \ I couldn’t (and haven’t) said it any better. Nicely done. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/86 "2011-09-07T21:20:26Z")
Actually, an A-team / Breaking Bad crossover would be great, especially the chase scene, involving a camper full of meth and corpses being pursued by the A-team in their van. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/87 "2011-09-07T21:22:16Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Actually, an A-team / Breaking Bad crossover would be great, especially the chase scene, involving a camper full of meth and corpses being pursued by the A-team in their van. Who would win? B.A. or Walter if stuck in the RV? ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/88 "2011-09-07T21:23:31Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Who would win? B.A. or Walter if stuck in the RV? Based on brute force or ability to act? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/89 "2011-09-07T21:46:17Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > Based on brute force or ability to act? Walt has the brains and the volatile chemistry, Baracus is strong and fast. Can Walter blind B.A. before B.A. rips his throat out? Yeh, I think B.A.'s got this one. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/90 "2011-09-07T21:55:26Z")
Walter starts dazzling B.A. with a jargon-filled monologue; B.A. becomes confused, but before he can figure out what’s going on, Walter has gassed him. Walter leaves the R.V. only to find Murdock clucking like a chicken. Hannibal puts a gun to Walter’s head and says through cigar smoke and clenched teeth, “I love it when a plan comes together…” ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/91 "2011-09-07T21:58:38Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Why not just quit searching for good? Seems like you’re just wasting your time. Hey, you were the one who said I shouldn’t just dismiss these programs without watching them. Thank you for leaving me in peace though. That was nice. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/92 "2011-09-07T22:06:12Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > No I haven’t watched either of those. Perhaps I will. Thank you. As long as some harsh language and graphic violence aren’t a problem for you, I’m confident you’ll enjoy both of them. I mean, I love _Breaking Bad_, but I can see how someone might not immediately appreciate the show judging only by the pilot episode. It’s the sort of show that you have to allow more time to let it suck you in. I remember liking the pilot well enough, but I was still skeptical that they could successfully pull off a whole series based on such an absurd premise. With further viewing, you (might?) start to learn to embrace and enjoy the absurdity. But I think the first episodes of _Deadwood_ and \*The Wire - _with their basic storylines being much more conventional_ - \*make it easier to immediately gauge your interest in them. The writing, directing, acting, cinematography, its all really top notch. You simply can’t _not_ give those two shows a shot and say there hasn’t been much good on TV in the recent past. HBO is really where its at for very good TV these days - the average quality of it’s shows blow network and basic cable out of the water. (Which reminds me - another good one is \*Boardwalk Empire, \*which has the upcoming second season starting up later this month.) ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/93 "2011-09-07T22:13:52Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > No, I can give television plots a lot of leeway. If I find the program entertaining. This program to me was not entertaining. End of story. If all you had said in your OP was “Breaking Bad isn’t entertaining to me” then I’d be fine, that isn’t what you said. You can’t state all of the _objective criticisms_ you did, and then when pressed on them throw up your hands and say “hey I just don’t like it.” > [@](#): > > Perhaps the objective difference between contemporary television and what came before is actual entertainment value? No, because “entertainment value” is 100% _subjective_, if you can concede that I’ll move on with no problems. It shouldn’t be that hard. The ancient Romans loved forcing people to hack each other to death with swords and impale each other with tridents for entertainment value. All but a few sociopaths would not find that entertaining if done with real live humans today, but reprehensible and repugnant. Obviously there is no objective measure of “entertainment value” other than perhaps _popularity_. But popularity is fluid and not static. Gunsmoke was once very popular, most of the younger generation would find it boring and stale. Breaking Bad and Mad Men are super popular right now, obviously some of the Gunsmoke generation wouldn’t agree (I do agree, though.) ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/94 "2011-09-07T22:17:56Z")
Actually **voltaire** I cannot even imagine she could hope to enjoy the Wire. It is really not a traditional police procedural at all, it is a slow paced show that takes a long time to develop. Each episode has a ton of things happening in it but at the same time it takes a massive amount of time for the Barksdale gang’s activities to get unraveled, and these are almost full hour long episodes (since it ran on HBO, no commercials.) Also, cinematography just wasn’t a big thing for shows like Gunsmoke or Bonanza, so I don’t believe she will appreciate that as an art form, if you look at her list of shows she enjoyed I don’t know that any were particularly compelling from a cinematography perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/95 "2011-09-07T22:36:17Z")
In some respects, it’s strange to even consider Breaking Bad and Gunsmoke to be the same kind of entertainment at all - Breaking Bad is essentially a 30 hour (and counting) movie that just happens to be presented in 45 minute chunks. Criticizing one episode for not wrapping up all the characterizations in a neat little bow at the end of it is absurd, since it has the time to extend them over many, many hours. It’d be like calling one of Charles Dickens’ episodic novelettes crap because it doesn’t tell the whole story in one outing. There’s more coming, folks! ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/96 "2011-09-07T23:12:55Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > \*\*Two Many Cats: \*\*Have you ever watched _Deadwood_ or _The Wire_? If so, I’m just curious what you thought of them. If not, give 'em a shot. They’re not new shows - both are over and done with - but if you don’t like either of those, I don’t think any other modern TV shows will do it for you. Seriously? **Two Many Cats** is going to hate both of those shows. They’re completely not to her taste. They use a style of storytelling that she doesn’t like at all. In fact, I can’t think of anything I’d recommend less to her based on the list of shows that she finds entertaining. Based on her list - I might recommend these shows from the past 5 years, but they’re all long shots to some degree or another - _My Name Is Earl_ (not great, but has some of the same vibes as the goofy sixties comedies) _The Middle_ (see above) longer shots: possibly the first season of _Human Target_ (the second season, again, you’ll hate) again, possibly _Sherlock_ the latest BBC adaptation _Pushing Daisies_ (which bounces back and forth across between quirky and silly and can definitely rub people the wrong way) _Chuck_ and/or _Reaper_ (both maybes and might strike you the same way that Psych did) I think there are some episodes of _Modern Family_ that you’d like, but I don’t think you’d like the series as a whole. still longer shots: _Arrested Development_ reminds me of _Soap_. But YMMV; probably does. And _Better Off Ted_ has some things that you may find funny (depending, again, on what you liked about _All in the Family_). But no, they’re not making shows like _F Troop_ these days. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/97 "2011-09-07T23:27:46Z")
another maybe - _Raising Hope_ ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/98 "2011-09-08T07:54:07Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Seriously? **Two Many Cats** is going to hate both of those shows. > They’re completely not to her taste. They use a style of storytelling that she doesn’t like at all. In fact, I can’t think of anything I’d recommend less to her based on the list of shows that she finds entertaining. Without going into much detail, (since I want to go to sleep) I’ll just say that I think you and others are jumping to conclusions about what her tastes are, based only on a few examples of what she does like and the fact that she didn’t like the _Breaking Bad_ pilot. Don’t listen **TMC**! 😉 Check out at least one episode of _The Wire_ and _Deadwood_. They are both required viewing in order to make sweeping generalizations about modern TV shows. But if for some reason they are not at all to your liking, I think you’ll be better off saying they’re just not for you. If you give a detailed review trashing them, judging by the way your _BB_ review was received, you might just get flamed all to hell and back! 😃 P.S. If you like sci-fi at all, you also might consider checking out _Fringe_. That’s sort of a combo of episodic story arcs and a series-long story arc. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/99 "2011-09-08T08:09:35Z")
…you can lead too many cats to milk, but you can’t make them drink. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362/100 "2011-09-08T08:17:15Z")
I think modern TV has more of a cynical and somewhat nihilistic bent to it than older shows. Compare the new BSG with the 1970s incarnation: despite the same premise, the new version lacked a lot of the innocence of the original, and arguably, some of its charm. I suspect that’s what **Two Many Cats** is reacting to, and _The Wire_ and _Deadwood_ will be “more of the same” in that regard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-review-of-the-first-episode-of-breaking-bad-long/595362.md?page=6)