Breaking Bad Season 4 - Is it worth it?

trotter_inc

We only got interested in Breaking Bad a couple of months ago and so far we've watched the first 3 seasons and for the most part we've really enjoyed them. At some points in Season 3 we thought the story was going no-where and that some episodes were just filling in time...especially the episode where Walt spent the whole thing looking for a fly in the lab...WTF!?

Anyway, we've just started watching Season 4 and christ it's dragging on, some of the scenes are far too drawn out with very little happening at all.

Is it worth continuing with the rest of the season? We used to look forward to watching an episode every night but at this point we're wondering if it's going to be a waste of time watching the reason of the season.

pedatron

You are the first person I've ever heard say that ever. Its most definitely worth it.

Celly Smunt

I can understand where the OP is coming from,although it's probably one of my favourite shows in the past few years there is a lot of filler in breaking bad.Even though it's filler,it's still relates with the over all story towards the end of the series.Stick with it,from now on shit gets real.

Kylo Ren

I feel very sorry for you.

trotter_inc

Keno 92 wrote: »

I feel very sorry for you.

What's your point??

sbsquarepants

That episode with the fly was the greatest pile of shíte i've ever seen!
But do stick with it, overall it's excellent.

Kevcol

Man, I wish I was as lucky as you not to have seen the end of season 4 yet. It's absolutely epic Definitely stick with it, it's well worth it!!

Pawwed Rig

Kevcol wrote: »

Man, I wish I was as lucky as you not to have seen the end of season 4 yet. It's absolutely epic Definitely stick with it, it's well worth it!!

I have never seen 1 episode of Breaking Bad. Gonna hit the boxset or netflix as soon as the exams are finished. By everything I've have heard I am in for a treat:D

old hippy

We're halfway through the incredible season 4 and I am quite taken aback that someone would find it boring...

Kevcol

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

I have never seen 1 episode of Breaking Bad. Gonna hit the boxset or netflix as soon as the exams are finished. By everything I've have heard I am in for a treat:D

You're in for a treat alright Honestly, I think each season just gets better and better. There are some episodes where they do some character building and it might seem like there's a lull but they are few and far between and well worth it in the end. I can't wait for the next half of season 5! Bryan Cranstons' script got stolen last week, just hope it doesn't come out over the net what's going to happen next!!

trotter_inc

old hippy wrote: »

We're halfway through the incredible season 4 and I am quite taken aback that someone would find it boring...

I've only watched the first episodes of season 4 and they just dragged on with very little happening apart from the guy getting his throat slit, they are miles away from what I would call incredible! But like most people are saying here it must get better I will keep watching

Kylo Ren

trotter_inc wrote: »

What's your point??

That you're not enjoying one of the greatest TV shows ever created.

December2012

Not everybody likes bottle episodes.

Keep sticking with Breaking Bad OP. the season moves slowly but well. I won't hype it up because I think expectations can affect somebody's enjoyment of tv.

I will say that I personally loved Season 4 and the episodes that you are about to watch.

The Fly episode is all about Walters mental state.

good podcasts to listen to are Breaking Good and the Breaking Bad Insider podcast.

trotter_inc

Keno 92 wrote: »

That you're not enjoying one of the greatest TV shows ever created.

You either didnt read my OP properly or you're generalising.

Mocha Joe

I loved The Fly episode. The problem with the show becoming so popular is a lot of fast-food TV idiots start watching and demand non-stop action. The action is only effective because it is built up so well and not mindless. Season 4 was incredible television.

theholyghost

I find the show draggy sometimes but when I start to get bored with it it tends to explode into action. The last few episodes of season four certainly do.

gimli2112

Watched 1&2 and thought it was good. Then felt it really got going in 3 to such an extent I watched the first two again.
Probably is a bit slow paced but in a good way imo.

The Fly was awesome I thought. The suspense over is he going to tell

jessie about jane

was pretty intense.
S'like everything else it's not going to be for everyone.

If you don't like it stop watching. You can get conned into thinking "must keep watching as everyone's telling me it's good".
I stopped watching
- The Wire (series 2)
- Oz (1)
- Sons of Anarchy (2)
Not that they're bad just not blown away by them.

I watced every series of Lost up to the last one before I realised . Still haven't seen the last series but gonna have to cross it off at some point.

Kylo Ren

trotter_inc wrote: »

You either didnt read my OP properly or you're generalising.

So you are enjoying season 4 then.

DMcL1971

I started watching Breaking Bad a couple of weeks ago. I have now watched the full five and a half seasons and I have to agree with pretty much everyone on here. It is fantastic.

It is quite slow in places and there were a few episodes I thought were a bit week. But the show continually builds up the tension as Walter slowly but surely changes. It's pace reminds be somewhat of Mad Men were quite often nothing much happens in a given episode but it all accumulates.

I feel the seasons have got better as they progressed. I was not really feeling it for the first two seasons but things started to hot up in season three. I am seriously looking forward to July and the last eight episodes.

trotter_inc

That's what I was hoping someone would say, thanks

theteal

I'm trying to recall what may be boring about season 4, I thought season 2 was the bad one, that really dragged on in places. I enjoyed everything after 2

DMcL1971

I think that the first episode of season 4 is a good example of what some people find annoying in Breaking Bad. Depending on your point of view it was either a really slow episode or an edge of the seat, whats going to happen next, kind of episode.

A large chunk of the episode is devoted to waiting for Gus to arrive, then wondering what he is going to do, then when he gets there he changes his clothes, then does his thing and changes his clothes again, all very slowly.

This takes up a significant amount of time and far more time than would be given to it in any other show. Depending on your mood this plays two different ways, you can be impatient and think, why is this going so incredibly slowly, why doesn't he just turn up do his thing and leave and then we can get on with the episode. Or you can enjoy the slow build up, wondering just what the hell will happen, why is he changing clothes, what is he going to do next, the whole time the tension and anticipation is building. Then when he has done his thing it allows a long period of time for the horror of what he has done to sink in, you then see the effect it has on all those present. You then have the gore of the clean up that is required. The slow drawn out action can give the scene far more impact than just some quick throw away violence.

ScrubsfanChris

Mocha Joe wrote: »

I loved The Fly episode. The problem with the show becoming so popular is a lot of fast-food TV idiots start watching and demand non-stop action. The action is only effective because it is built up so well and not mindless. Season 4 was incredible television.

Agree 100%
The people I know that say its a slow show are the same whos favourite show is something like CSI: NY :rolleyes:
If the OP thinks the show is getting too slow than I would suggest maybe think about quiting, because this is how Breaking Bad is. Its not for everyone, but try and stick with it, but at the same time dont compare it to any other show pace wise, except maybe The Sopranos.

Btw, "Fly" is a brilliant example of excellent character acting, a Bryan Cranston one-man-show

irish son

I'd stick with it OP, I agree that Season 4 was the weakest but its still very good, its more of a slow build up to a big pay off season than the rest.

Richy06

Some people just aren't happy unless there's tits and explosions. Or exploding tits. Pacing and character development are why you have 'boring' episodes.

If you want whoosh cuts and the aforementioned ballz to the wallz action, go watch CSI.

D-FENS

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Btw, "Fly" is a brilliant example of excellent character acting, a Bryan Cranston one-man-show

I would have said a two man show, as it's a great episode, along with the other "filler" from S2 - 4 Days Out - for showing the strength of Walt and Jesse's relationship, which for me has always been the backbone of the show and one of the main reasons for it's appeal (Gilligan copped this early on when he scrapped the original plans to kill off Pinkman in S1).

OP, in your case I think you should stop watching, becuase you should be addicted by now.

gnfnrhead

I didnt want to make a new thread.

Doing another rewatch and just finished Season Four yesterday. The last four or five episodes are just so fcuking amazing! It was a struggle to not just watch them all one after the other and stay up half the night like the first time.

For me, Season 4 is where it went from great to brilliant. Not sure what the hell is after brilliant but it's Season 5 anyway.

the_monkey

_the fly_ was a great episode, watch it again.

Kold

If you have the attention span of a 4 year old then no, it probably isnt worth it.

Joziburg

WATCH IT!!!

I'm really looking forward to the 2nd half of Season 8. When does it start, sometime this summer for the US I thought I heard? :pac:

tommy2bad

Stick with it, the payoff is not action but a study in Corruption. BB is so well written that an episode like 'the fly' is a chance to enjoy a little break from plot development and just enjoy the characters.
At times it can seem like it's channeling Becket but that's not exactly a bad thing. We are too used to TV shows that are designed to amaze or shock, BB isn't like that, it's more tragedy where once things are set in motion the end is inevitable due to the flaws of the characters rather than because of a 'jumping the shark' event.
and yeah season 4 rocks as drama.

Ardent

Agree with OP, waaayy too much filler. But, overall, a really good TV series.

Mocha Joe

Ardent wrote: »

Agree with OP, waaayy too much filler. But, overall, a really good TV series.

You serious? No there isn't too much filler.

trashcan

Mocha Joe wrote: »

You serious? No there isn't too much filler.

Got to agree. Are peoples attention spans really so short, have we become so conditioned by crap TV that we need an explosion or a shooting etc every two minutes, or the whole thing becomes "Boring". What nonsense. The two episodes that could be accused of perhaps not driving the plot forwards (the Fly and Two days out) were both about the relationship of the two main characters, as pointed out already, and it's precisely this kind of writing that raises BB above the ordinary. If that's not for you, well, not to worry, there's countless versions of CSI, or Ciminal Minds, or loads of other rubbish to be watching.

trotter_inc

trashcan wrote: »

Got to agree. Are peoples attention spans really so short, have we become so conditioned by crap TV that we need an explosion or a shooting etc every two minutes, or the whole thing becomes "Boring". What nonsense. The two episodes that could be accused of perhaps not driving the plot forwards (the Fly and Two days out) were both about the relationship of the two main characters, as pointed out already, and it's precisely this kind of writing that raises BB above the ordinary. If that's not for you, well, not to worry, there's countless versions of CSI, or Ciminal Minds, or loads of other rubbish to be watching.

I'm the OP who started this thread. I don't watch much TV at all (none of the ones you mentioned above anyway) but when I do I like it to be interesting and I like to see some development of the plot in each episode. If I sit down to watch some evening to watch an hour of TV I want it to be interesting, the "Fly" episode was "boring" and far too drawn out. You can talk about character development all you like but watching someone trying to catch a fly for an hour is "boring".

After watching the full season, it really is by far the best of them, but I stand by my original post that some of the earlier episodes have too much filling in.

tommy2bad

trotter_inc wrote: »

I'm the OP who started this thread. I don't watch much TV at all (none of the ones you mentioned above anyway) but when I do I like it to be interesting and I like to see some development of the plot in each episode. If I sit down to watch some evening to watch an hour of TV I want it to be interesting, the "Fly" episode was "boring" and far too drawn out. You can talk about character development all you like but watching someone trying to catch a fly for an hour is "boring".

After watching the full season, it really is by far the best of them, but I stand by my original post that some of the earlier episodes have too much filling in.

You are wrong!:p
If you only watch TV occasionally and as distraction then BB is not for you. Anymore than if you only read for 10 minutes at a time War and Peace is for you.
It's not that kind of show.
Dose that mean that it boring or full of filler? No, it just means that you don't have the time to dedicate to appreciate the subtlety and cleverness of a plot that isn't just about what happens next.

trotter_inc

tommy2bad wrote: »

If you only watch TV occasionally and as distraction then BB is not for you.

You know me so well :P

I actually thoroughly enjoyed all 4 series Breaking Bad :P

Grimebox

I didn't even realise there was an issue with the fly episode until I started reading about BB online.

tommy2bad

trotter_inc wrote: »

You know me so well :P

I actually thoroughly enjoyed all 4 series Breaking Bad :P

I don't know you from Adam, it was a generic 'you'.

'the fly' was when I became engrossed in BB, so I'm a little precious about it.

gnfnrhead

tommy2bad wrote: »

If you only watch TV occasionally and as distraction then BB is not for you.

I very rarely watch TV but Breaking Bad is my favorite show and I will defend it against people who say Dexter is the best.

Grimebox wrote: »

I didn't even realise there was an issue with the fly episode until I started reading about BB online.

I'm not surprised about it. I thought it was slow, but not boring.

Turtyturd

Never knew there was much criticism of 'Fly' either...I remember the tension in it being great.

trashcan

trotter_inc wrote: »

You can talk about character development all you like but watching someone trying to catch a fly for an hour is "boring".

After watching the full season, it really is by far the best of them, but I stand by my original post that some of the earlier episodes have too much filling in.

Well, if you really think that's what the episode was about...............

To be clear, I'm not saying it's my favourite episode, far from it (probably the last two episodes of series 3 take that honour.) but I do think it was legitimate, and more than watchable. And what have you got against character development anyway ?

Mr.Prodston

I genuinely thought the fly was a brilliant episode!

leggo

In a TV world where people complain about shows like 'Lost' not tying up loose ends, or 'The Walking Dead' for not fleshing out characters enough to understand the motives behind their decisions...there exists Breaking Bad and episodes like 'The Fly', thank god.

An entire hour, delivered at a key point in the story, that instead of moving the plot forward instead takes time to touch up on the ever-changing dynamic of the two leading characters, explain Walt's continued neurosis which is crucial if we are to appreciate his continued descent into sociopathy and, at the same time, answer the calls of fans who want some resolution to Walt seeing Jane die (a year after it happened! They could've easily glossed over it and very few would've noticed!) It's an episode that changes nothing at all and yet, at the same time, changes everything.

Some will appreciate that for the masterpiece that it was, others will see it as 'boring'...just a guy trying to catch a fly. That's why, I suppose, for some there is Breaking Bad, and for others there is Geordie Shore.

GBXI

Just thought I would reply to this thread as I am in a very similar situation to where the OP is/was.

I am at SO4 E03 and so far I think BB is as good as it was hyped up to be. However, I agree with the OP that overall the 1st 3 episodes of S04 are a little dragged out and that the fly episode of S03 was overall, dragged out too. I will temper that by saying the writing and acting in the fly episode was superb.

Now I am not as clever as the writers and producers of this show, and I am all about character development believe me, but there is the odd episode where it feels a little like filler or the writers/producers not knowing where to go with things. You can have a whole episode about character development, with no violence/sex but it's no good if it's not engaging and the writing top notch.

Overall though, hugely enjoyable. I am the type who doesn't watch much TV but when I do I usually only watch shows that are very highly regarded. Saves time!

allybhoy

Im after watching season 1-3 with the missus in roughly 2 weeks or so, we are now on to season 4 and two episodes in it's definately slower paced than before but im sure it will pick up soon.

This might upset the fanboys, but episode 2 in particular was probably the weakest episode of all the seasons ive seen so far. The whole 48-72 hour house-party thing in Jesse's was rubbish and could have been cutdown completely, i know it was to show he was on a downward spiral and then the meeting with the girl from AA about her brother etc but those scenes took up nearly 30 minutes. The pizza cutting, vacuum cleaner, and the video game dialogue was just annoying\ pointless. Another thing that irk'd me slightly was the fact they couldnt get the rights to the original music in the party scenes so they played like cover versions of well known rap songs and everyone was dancing like your grandad, it just felt so staged. The final scene with Walt and Mike was class though.

Mocha Joe

allybhoy wrote: »

Im after watching season 1-3 with the missus in roughly 2 weeks or so, we are now on to season 4 and two episodes in it's definately slower paced than before but im sure it will pick up soon.

This might upset the fanboys, but episode 2 in particular was probably the weakest episode of all the seasons ive seen so far. The whole 48-72 hour house-party thing in Jesse's was rubbish and could have been cutdown completely, i know it was to show he was on a downward spiral and then the meeting with the girl from AA about her brother etc but those scenes took up nearly 30 minutes. The pizza cutting, vacuum cleaner, and the video game dialogue was just annoying\ pointless. Another thing that irk'd me slightly was the fact they couldnt get the rights to the original music in the party scenes so they played like cover versions of well known rap songs and everyone was dancing like your grandad, it just felt so staged. The final scene with Walt and Mike was class though.

Andrea(the girl Jesse meets at AA) and her brother become a very big part of how the plot of season 4 goes.

snausages

pedatron wrote: »

You are the first person I've ever heard say that ever. Its most definitely worth it.

Really? Just have a look through the threads when season 4 was airing, everyone found it dull until about episode 6 or 7 or so. I think people's memory of that season must be really foggy if they don't remember how poor 'Open House' and 'Thirty-eight snub' were.

Season 4 contains both the high and low points of the series. When it switches over to Gus it becomes immense. But it's also the season where you can really tell they struggled to find something to do with some of the characters, like Marie and Walt Jr.

snausages

GBXI wrote: »

Now I am not as clever as the writers and producers of this show, and I am all about character development believe me, but there is the odd episode where it feels a little like filler or the writers/producers not knowing where to go with things. You can have a whole episode about character development, with no violence/sex but it's no good if it's not engaging and the writing top notch.

Overall though, hugely enjoyable. I am the type who doesn't watch much TV but when I do I usually only watch shows that are very highly regarded. Saves time!

It's a great series, one of my favourite on TV atm. But it's prone to some self-indulgent stretches. It ain't exactly HBO no matter how hard it tries to be.

Season 4

I think the worst example of the above has to be when Walt Jr is consoling Walt after he gets the crap beaten out of him by Mike. Really badly scripted scene with some awful hammy acting by the usually great Bryan Cranston

Grimebox

snausages wrote: »

It's a great series, one of my favourite on TV atm. But it's prone to some self-indulgent stretches. It ain't exactly HBO no matter how hard it tries to be.

Season 4

I think the worst example of the above has to be when Walt Jr is consoling Walt after he gets the crap beaten out of him by Mike. Really badly scripted scene with some awful hammy acting by the usually great Bryan Cranston

What do you mean "it ain't exactly HBO"?

snausages

I'm saying that it doesn't reach the heights of Sopranos or Deadwood or any of the other HBO greats. It's still really good but absurdly over-hyped. With some of the comments ITT calling viewer's patience into question during the slow bits you'd swear it was beyond criticism. There's a big difference between a slow, measured telling of events and the tedious padding which is common enough in BB.

leggo wrote: »

Some will appreciate that for the masterpiece that it was, others will see it as 'boring'...just a guy trying to catch a fly. That's why, I suppose, for some there is Breaking Bad, and for others there is Geordie Shore.

It's this kind of over-praise and sneering condescension from the show's fans that I think does more to damage the show's reputation than buttress it.