Breaking Bad is Good

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Mon May 11, 2009 4:33 pm

Breaking Bad is one of the best shows on TV and Brian Cranston is incredible (I never realized he was Tim Whatley in Seinfeld). The show has impressed me by evolving Walt from a good-hearted chemist trying to provide for his family to a ruthless drug kingpin. We're seeing Walt slowly drift towards the dark side and I can see him killing somebody (not out of self defense this time) this season or the next. He has changed and that change is keeping the show exciting.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon May 11, 2009 4:49 pm

It sure is. We're about a month behind on the show, but thank the FSM for TiVo. We really enjoyed the first season and have enjoyed what we've seen so far. It's a very tense show - I honestly have no idea where it's going but watching it all unfold makes me uncomfortable. I didn't realize just how good of an actor Brian Cranston is. He's definitely not the bumbling Dad on Malcolm in the Middle for us anymore. He's freakin' hardcore.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon May 11, 2009 5:15 pm

I have to agree. The whole deal about giving him to bottle back had me on the edge. Then you throw in the advice to the guy picking up cooking supplies followed by confronting the leader in the parking lot and making sure he knew this was Cranston's territory was brilliant. I love seeing this chemistry teacher bone up and make the bullies and drug kingpins turn tail and run when they read his mental state. It has become obvious he is not to be f**cked with.

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Mon May 11, 2009 5:17 pm

And the "doing if for the family" excuse gets thinner and thinner.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon May 11, 2009 5:18 pm

I also find this to be one of the best written and best acted shows on television (right behind Mad Men, IMHO). Last night's episode was amazing. However, I don't see it as Cranston developing a backbone or standing up for himself, but rather Cranston becoming his worst fear. This isn't a positive change for him. Rather, he's turning into something he doesn't want to be. It's a tragic story arc that will either play out badly or with redemption at the end.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon May 11, 2009 5:21 pm

hepcat wrote:I also find this to be one of the best written and best acted shows on television (right behind Mad Men, IMHO). Last night's episode was amazing. However, I don't see it as Cranston developing a backbone or standing up for himself, but rather Cranston becoming his worst fear. This isn't a positive change for him. Rather, he's turning into something he doesn't want to be. It's a tragic story arc that will either play out badly or with redemption at the end.

It isn't what he wants to be but he is so smart and is becoming so streetwise that he knows it is what he must do. If he wants to survive...well for a little while anyway.

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Mon May 11, 2009 5:21 pm

This is definitely on my list of shows I need to get around to watching on DVD, as is Mad Men.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon May 11, 2009 5:25 pm

Rip wrote:
hepcat wrote:I also find this to be one of the best written and best acted shows on television (right behind Mad Men, IMHO). Last night's episode was amazing. However, I don't see it as Cranston developing a backbone or standing up for himself, but rather Cranston becoming his worst fear. This isn't a positive change for him. Rather, he's turning into something he doesn't want to be. It's a tragic story arc that will either play out badly or with redemption at the end.
It isn't what he wants to be but he is so smart and is becoming so streetwise that he knows it is what he must do. If he wants to survive...well for a little while anyway.

I'm not so sure. That may explain his actions on the street, but his aggressiveness with friends and family this season is becoming more frequent. There's no reason for him to assert himself domestically, so I believe he's changing against his will. It's a Jekyll and Hyde situation that he's going to have to acknowledge and confront eventually.

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Mon May 11, 2009 5:35 pm

I agree, Hep. He knows he's been a pushover his entire life and is sick of seeing his son not want to use his name and looking up to his brother in law. Walt has created an alter ego and it's beginning to take over.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon May 11, 2009 7:04 pm

Yea, I never thought about that. I know I love how he is playing the edge. Brilliant acting. I had serious doubts about Malcom's dad being able to shake that role and do this one well. If he doesn't win a shelf full of awards then they don't really mean anything.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue May 12, 2009 9:35 am

They've already picked up a few awards along the way:

Breaking Bad has received critical acclaim in addition to two Emmy Awards for its first season. It won the award for best editing, and Bryan Cranston won for best actor in a drama series.

Two Sheds · Post by **Two Sheds** » Wed May 13, 2009 5:32 pm

I skipped all of the comments in this thread for fear of spoilers. I just wanted to say that I'm only two episodes into the first season and I agree completely: this show is good.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Thu May 14, 2009 1:02 am

So how long will it be before he kills the wife's boss?

pengo · Post by **pengo** » Thu May 14, 2009 6:17 am

i loved the music video at the start of one of the episodes...

also whats up with the stuff at the start of some episodes that makes no sense to the episode, seems like a peek into the events of somewhere in the future.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu May 14, 2009 9:57 am

pengo wrote:i loved the music video at the start of one of the episodes...

also whats up with the stuff at the start of some episodes that makes no sense to the episode, seems like a peek into the events of somewhere in the future.

I read an article a while back on Mexican Narcocorridos music. It's a fascinating subject, albeit a rather deplorable one. It's traditional Mexican folk music with lyrics that usually glorify the drug trade and the criminals behind it. Sometimes they'll even send messages to drug lords via the songs.

And yeah, I believe the intro stuff to every episode is meant as foreshadowing of things to come. Although sometimes the scenes reflect the aftermath of previous episode's escapades.

stevemn · Post by **stevemn** » Thu May 14, 2009 9:58 am

This is the only TV show that I actually watch. As a college chemistry teacher, the science is pretty much true to life.

The awesome music video/song is Negro and Azul by Los Cuates de Sinaloa. DLded the song from itunes.

Mookee · Post by **Mookee** » Tue May 26, 2009 12:11 am

This show is fucking incredible - easily the best thing on TV right now.

Bryan Cranston should be showered with roses.

WAW · Post by **WAW** » Tue May 26, 2009 10:10 am

Not just Cranston, Aaron Paul just nails Jesse . I thought at first Breaking Bad was about Walter White's bad luck. Now I see it's about him becoming an evil evil man.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue May 26, 2009 10:43 am

Yeah, I was going to mention that Aaron Paul is fantastic as Jesse in this show. This season has really seen him grow into his role. At first I couldn't stand the character or the actor. But Paul has taken him from a poorly written caricature of the rich suburban kid who wants to be a gangsta to 3 dimensional character I feel sorry for at times.

Oh, and Sunday night's ending? whoa...that was some emmy level emotin' on Cranston's part.

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Wed May 27, 2009 9:19 am

Wow, I just finished Sunday's episode and it blew me away.

Spoiler:

rabies66 · Post by **rabies66** » Wed May 27, 2009 11:58 am

The ending this week literally had me on the edge of my seat. Can't wait to see the fallout from this week's episode and how they wrap it up for the season.

Spoiler:

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Wed May 27, 2009 12:19 pm

Spoiler:

rabies66 · Post by **rabies66** » Wed May 27, 2009 2:20 pm

Yep. There are so many situations in the show that seem to be coming to a head all at once, that I have absolutely no idea how it will end this season. And even if I thought I did, they've consistently shown themselves to be unpredictable.

Spoiler:

The cast has all been fantastic, and Cranston is absolutely amazing. I watched one of the early episodes from last season last night with my wife, and his character is almost unrecognizable from what he is now.

Best show ever.

pengo · Post by **pengo** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:38 am

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 9:51 am

Spoiler:

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:38 am

hepcat wrote:
Spoiler:
GAH! i still wanna know who the people in the body bags are! I'm guessing we'll find out next season.

Spoiler:

pengo · Post by **pengo** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:08 pm

Spoiler:

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:31 am

The whole season was top-notch. Absolutely tremendous. It's amazing to me how many people have just never even heard of the show at all. I feel like the season finale was missing something...I didn't feel as though it had the punch I was looking for. Maybe it was because it ended with the focus on another character and how his relation to the other two was part of the bigger story.

And yeah, there are definitely some nuggets for next season. I think that pengo is absolutely right -- there's no way that guy is going to be happy with what he now knows. He was hesitant to go into business in the first place.

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:57 am

It will be a tough call. On one hand Walt is tied to the cops, so you'd think he must die. On the other hand he's providing the best product this guy has ever seen. Oh the dilemma!

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:24 am

Season 3 starts tonight.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:47 am

DVR ready and couch cushions fluffed.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:54 am

I'll take a look. Thanks for the heads up.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:34 pm

Good lord, the mexican brothers that are after Walter are freakin' great. They should have their own horror film franchise...

So far, so good this season. I'm diggin' the chaos in his household.

And more of the restaurant franchise owner/drug kingpin can NEVER be a bad thing. That guy needs an emmy for his work.

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:54 pm

I loved the opening scene for the season with them crawling into the evil shrine to get protection or supernatural help to kill Walt. They haven't spoken a word and they are still terrifying!

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Mon Apr 26, 2010 11:56 am

I just watched this series over the last four days (DVDs of S1 and S2 showed up on Thursday, I had been recording S3 eps on my DVR and had to watch them in AMC low-def). Fantastic stuff. The acting is top-notch, the writing is even better, the subject is fascinating, and the snippets of humor are that much more enjoyable because of how dryly they are doled out. If you enjoy subtleties in your drama, this is the show for you.

It helps, of course, because of some of the parallels between the show and things going on in life (no, I'm not cooking meth or otherwise involved in illegal activities — just going through some of the same crossroads/frustrations as Walter).

I didn't watch all the DVD special features, but one of them talked about how TV is becoming The Medium for dramas and character-based media while theaters are becoming the venues for action-packed thrillers and how 3D is the logical extension for what the theatre experience provides vs. the slow-roll out of characters you want to come back to week after week that TV provides. Was an interesting conversation.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll be busy loaning out my DVDs in the next few weeks while trying to get local friends on board with the show. It helps that a buddy of mine from that last dozen years is a dead-ringer for Jesse.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sun May 09, 2010 11:28 pm

It's my humble opinion that Gus is one scary son of a bitch. I'm also of the feeling that he's much more dangerous than the two dimensional drug lords on 90 percent of all television shows.

...and I still want the mexican cousins to get their own horror film franchise.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Sun May 23, 2010 11:50 pm

*That* was a fun episode. Really enjoyed the first half of it, especially.

pengo · Post by **pengo** » Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:23 pm

http://entertainment.todaysbigthing.com/2010/05/31" target="_blank

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:42 am

pengo wrote:http://entertainment.todaysbigthing.com/2010/05/31

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:37 am

tonight's episode

I did not see that coming.