What's the big deal?

dobman88

So I finished BrBa last night and I can't figure out why all the hype surrounded it. Season 4 + 5 were good but as a show from S1 Ep1 to S5 Ep16, it was pretty poor. I think they had the makings of a great comedy OR a great drama and they ruined it by trying to make it into both. I especially felt season 1 + 2 were fairly slow.

Everyone seems to be comparing it to The Wire and The Sopranos but BrBa doesn't get close to either imo (I have seen all of them). I even think more recent shows like Ray Donovan, The Following and Banshee were better than BrBa. I never found myself wanting more more more like the other shows and thought it was too predictable at times.

So, why do people think that it is the greatest show ever made and will change television forever? Most fans of the show seem to think that (the ones I spoke to anyway), even a few who have never seen The Wire or Sopranos said they don't need to "waste their time" now because they have seen BrBa. I am just looking for peoples opinions on the show, I am not asking people to tell me my opinion is wrong which has happened already.

Tell me why you loved it.

Runs away and hides waiting for torrent of abuse.

Wanderer2010

Hi Dobman88. I suppose like anything, people have different opinions on everything from clothes to tv shows etc. For me personally I feel Breaking Bad is an excellent drama purely from a script writing point of view and the complete change in Walter White from a fairly pathetic hen pecked picture of banality to an evil murdering drug lord, such a change will take some time to develop, hence a 5 season run but its done with such skill (the most dramatic moments in BB are often the little subtle things, like the clock ticking in the White household after a tense conversation, blood running into a drain, a child crying) and acted so finely that you are taken in completely by the story.

Of course this would only work if the actors were up to the task and I think Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul are extremely talented actors who immerse themselves 100% in the roles and its very interesting to see how Walt, Skyler and Jessie change so much as the meth business grows bigger and bigger and Walt has to take some drastic actions to save both his family and own skin. I dont think BB was ever marketed as a comedy, it was always going to be a very dark drama but Jessies one liners and Hanks macho character keep things at least a bit light amongst all the drama.

I actually agree with you about Season 1, it started very strong but had a very slow and tedious episode in Cancer Man and the action/drama ratio was a bit off kilter. Also, I think Season 4 was the weakest in terms of pace: some episodes were pure filler and it also had a few false cliffhangers (Jessies "kidnap" for one). Its not above criticism but some people here on the episode threads wouldnt have a bad word said against it and thats just being blinkered and biased. I think the fact that Gilligan had a say in when the show would end helped it develop in a way that didnt drag it out.

The best tv show ever? In my opinion yes, but that could change when another show comes out a few years down the line, these things chop and change all the time and everyone is entitled to their opinion. I dont think there are many quality tv shows out there these days so anything thats any way decent will always get elevated more than it perhaps deserves. OP, anyone who responds with a torrent of abuse is not worth your reply and needs to come to the terms with the fact that everyone has a different view

Son0vagun

There'll be no abuse OP.

mdwexford

Entitled to his option but BB had the makings of a great comedy and The Following is a better show, get a grip.

Imo it's behind The Sopranos and possibly The Wire also which I have yet to rewatch.

Mocha Joe

Stopped reading after "Ray Donovan, The Following and Banshee were better than BrBa".

There's always room for criticism and different opinions, nothing is flawless. That's just nonsense though, borderline trolling.

Buckfast W

I agree with OP i really don't get what the big deal is. Its the same theme running through all the seasons, oh iv'e made some money, oh iv'e lost it somehow, oh iv'e made more oh iv'e lost it again. Jesse seemed to have a crisis of conscience in every 2nd episode. To each their own but there are better programes out there.

SV

Buckfast W wrote: »

I agree with OP i really don't get what the big deal is. Its the same theme running through all the seasons, oh iv'e made some money, oh iv'e lost it somehow, oh iv'e made more oh iv'e lost it again. Jesse seemed to have a crisis of conscience in every 2nd episode. To each their own but there are better programes out there.

Pretty much every single succesful program follows that same premise.

Little Italy

I actually love the humour, or humor, as they would say in the states. Walt's art of BS is so funny and Skylar speaking "hood" to Jessie in season 1 is so cool and it's kind of endearing in a strange sense.

Hello_MrFox

Great series but i would not like to sit through it again. The Wire is far superior in that sense - but overall it is a fantastic program and theirs not much else to rival it - at least in the past while anyway.

Will I Amnt

The Following? LOL. Might as well throw in Revolution while you're at it :pac:

kellso81

I just finished it over the weekend too, and although i thought it was great television, I can't say I enjoyed it. Maybe that sounds silly but it was just so unendingly bleak! I actually found all the drug stuff light relief from the breakdown of Walt and Skylar's marriage, particularly when she was still ignorant from what was going on. It was very well made, but not something I'll ever watch again, whereas I have gone back for second viewings of the wire, which I just enjoyed far more.

mdwexford

BB is too bleak but The Wire isn't, really?

Hannibal Smith

God I can't think of a bettet tv show. The humour, the morality, the twists, the dialogue. Ive honestly never seen a tv show like it. I really loved the sopranos and in a sense in the end morality won over in the end in that....but breaking bad was on a different par all together. Never have I ever been so addicted to a tv show.

Season 1 was the building blocks. It was mundane in parts because they had to create Walt as an understandable character who was desperate and relatable. It never glamorised the topic, instead it showed in an often funny, a lot of times bleak but always as a pond life existence.

I really loved it. I cant think of a tv show I got so hooked on. Netflix has earned its keep

kellso81

mdwexford wrote: »

BB is too bleak but The Wire isn't, really?

Yeah, that's just the way I found them. I think it's because there's so much collateral damage to innocent and unsuspecting people in breaking bad, whereas in the wire most people were in the game.

Hannibal Smith

kellso81 wrote: »

Yeah, that's just the way I found them. I think it's because there's so much collateral damage to innocent and unsuspecting people in breaking bad, whereas in the wire most people were in the game.

But on the bright side. ..all the bad guys got it too

walshb

BB is excellent. I rate Boardwalk Empire higher!

snausages

I really liked the first two seasons, found season 3 not as good but enjoyed its unpredictability and Gus. Season 4 was very dragged out and some of the plot-stuff very contrived and iffy. Season 5 I did not enjoy at all bar one or two particularly good episodes.

cert2009

As OP said, its good, but nowhere as hype makes it out to be, only last 2 seasons were somewhat interesting, rest were way too slow, along with main characters, jesse asa main character was so annoying with all his hissy fits, not even realistic chracter, just absolutely hated his character, and the wives were really badly written, really boring when they were on screen

Only good characters where walter, saul, and the crazy drug lords

tony1980

dobman88 wrote: »

So I finished BrBa last night and I can't figure out why all the hype surrounded it. Season 4 + 5 were good but as a show from S1 Ep1 to S5 Ep16, it was pretty poor. I think they had the makings of a great comedy OR a great drama and they ruined it by trying to make it into both. I especially felt season 1 + 2 were fairly slow.

Everyone seems to be comparing it to The Wire and The Sopranos but BrBa doesn't get close to either imo (I have seen all of them). I even think more recent shows like Ray Donovan, The Following and Banshee were better than BrBa. I never found myself wanting more more more like the other shows and thought it was too predictable at times.

So, why do people think that it is the greatest show ever made and will change television forever? Most fans of the show seem to think that (the ones I spoke to anyway), even a few who have never seen The Wire or Sopranos said they don't need to "waste their time" now because they have seen BrBa. I am just looking for peoples opinions on the show, I am not asking people to tell me my opinion is wrong which has happened already.

Tell me why you loved it.

Runs away and hides waiting for torrent of abuse.

You lost me as soon as you said The Following is better!

teddyhead

I cant bring myself to finish series 5.
Its just so dumb. I just dont care about the characters anymore.

cert2009

teddyhead wrote: »

I cant bring myself to finish series 5.
Its just so dumb. I just dont care about the characters anymore.

Haha its true, vastly overrated, some of the worst main characters ever on a tv show

LoganRice

Jayzis it is a good show

Dirty Dingus McGee

Its a great show although it is overhyped (so was the Wire and almost any other show that has gained mass following over the last 6 or 7 years).The Walter White character is fascinating as the way his character turns from being an average guy to one of the most evil characters in television history is done very subtley throughout the course of the show.There is nothing Walter does that you wouldn't potentially consider doing yourself if you were in the same situation and even though he is utterly despicable towards the end you still empathise with him.

Saul, Hank, Mike and Gus were great charcters aswell as were Skinny Pete and Badger who provided great comic relief and I found the show overall to be quite funny.

snausages

See I didn't really find it subtle at all. He went from an unassuming guy driven to desperate measures and then into a guy that felt like something out of a comic book. His character arc was very on the nose, not convincing at all in the last two seasons. I don't care if that's an unpopular opinion or if people just think I'm posting it to get a reaction, it's how the show felt to me.

Prawo_Jazdy

I started watching the sopranos a while ago after finishing breaking bad and while it is great, just doesn't have the same intensity and story line. Most seasons end with out a massive finish and actually almost seem like the show could end at any time.

There's no cliff hangers and plots pop in and out of existence, seeming important when introduced and then sometimes never brought up again. Don't get me wrong it is fantastic, I was just expecting slightly more since so many people had it above breaking bad.

dr.fuzzenstein

Personally I loved it.
Why would someone complain "I don't know if it was a comedy or drama"?
Why does everything have to fit neatly into a box? Why would someone say "I thought this was a comedy, but there's dramatic elements in there, I can't handle it"?
That was exactly what was great about it.
The fact that there where some really funny bits in it (Hector Salamanca sh*tting himself nearly made me do the same from laughing) to some serious stuff about life-threatening illness, the breakup of a marriage, the mental torture of Jess Pinkman, the mental anguish of Skyler, etc...
It really was a show that made you laugh and at the same time really care for the characters.
I miss it a lot and I hope Better Call Saul will become a reality.
Here's a taster:
http://www.bettercallsaul.com/
He's so sleazy, you gotta love him. best lawyer since Lionel Hutz.

divtastic

Hannibal Smith wrote: »

But on the bright side. ..all the bad guys got it too

too right

teddyhead

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Why would someone complain "I don't know if it was a comedy or drama"?
Why does everything have to fit neatly into a box? Why would someone say "I thought this was a comedy, but there's dramatic elements in there, I can't handle it"?
That was exactly what was great about it.

Hmm. To me thats a sign that the writers are winging it and have no idea where they are going. The series had a great look and style. I think that allowed them to get away with poorly developed, inconsistent characters.

IvaBigWun

Strange that all the moaners have low postcounts

Breaking Bad is, easily, in the all time top 5 TV dramas

dr.fuzzenstein

teddyhead wrote: »

Hmm. To me thats a sign that the writers are winging it and have no idea where they are going. The series had a great look and style. I think that allowed them to get away with poorly developed, inconsistent characters.

:P;)

Greenmachine

Have to say I love Breaking Bad, even though I have yet to watch it all.
I could never get into the wire however no matter how hard I tried. Sorry OP.

sheroman01

I share the exact same opinions as OP. I really can't see how it is being lauded as the "best show ever". I get how some shows can be slow burning, but there seasons and strings of epsiodes that are just plain boring and dragged out. It just didn't do enough to grip me. I'm starting to think it's maybe down to the characters - Walter White and Skylar in particular were far too unlikeable for me. The constant cries of "I'm doing this for my family" was on repeat and grew tiresome. The main gist of the show, the whole "boring teacher to drug-lord" just seemed too contrived.

Trond

I wouldn't go so far as the OP but I don't think BB is anywhere near the best of all time.

Outside of Cranston I honestly think the quality of the other actors/actresses is very weak. Especially the lead female. Looking at all their respective careers since only adds more weight to the argument.