Breaking Bad

[MCAadROCKMiKEd7]

How many of you watch it?

[Randetica]

it's quite awesome and bryan cranston is one fantastic actor (y)

[Adam]

You should do this as a poll or everyone has to reply. But I watch it. I'm sure a thread already exists for it somewhere but when is it back?

[yeahwho]

There was a scene where Mike takes Jesse to the middle of the desert to dig up some collection cash, it lasted perhaps 3 minutes but involved multiple camera scenes of which no less than a half a dozen editing techniques were applied plus... a helicopter shot of the car ride, an ahead and behind view of the car ride, multiple side shots of the car ride then once they arrive at the collection site the crew employed no less than 4 angles of the barren desert locale with crane shots and added 360 degree rail shots along with the zoom up rail shots.

I felt within that 3 minutes I was in the desert with a hitman, you get involved.

The integrity of the cinematography alone blows my mind. The music is always top notch and these guys are ace actors with brilliant writers.

I love Breaking Bad, it's insanely detail oriented.

[Bob]

i don't like the actress who plays skylar though. she kind of has this smacking noise in her voice when she talks that i can't not notice. plus she looks really similar to a horrible roommate i used to have so there's that

i guess none of these things are her fault really but still

[Randetica]

i don't like the actress who plays skylar though. she kind of has this smacking noise in her voice when she talks that i can't not notice. plus she looks really similar to a horrible roommate i used to have so there's that

i guess none of these things are her fault really but still

good thing i get to see the german dubbed version then
shes still not my favorite actress either

[yeahwho]

I like it better than Game of Thrones... which I never knew was co-written by a 13 year old, check it out

http://gawker.com/5902076/snl-explains-the-nudity-in-game-of-thrones

[Randetica]

im starting to believe that walt jr and jimmy of south park are the same person

[NicRN77]

I've been watching from the beginning. great show. like Adam said, pretty sure there's a thread about this show already.

[silence7]

Best show on TV since the Sopranos. Granted, I only have basic cable and watched all the episodes of Sopranos on DVD.

As stated above by yeahwho, cinematography is amazing, and I always have this feeling like this could actually happen to somebody..

[Adam]

EDIT: sorta a sopranos spoiler

Think it'll end like the sopranos?

Walt: "Jesse, with a little tweak this blue meth can be used to cure cancer. It might kill the test patient so I'm going to have to try it on myself"
Jesse: "Mr White, I don't think that is such a bitchin' idea..."
**CUTS TO BLACK**

[Burnout18]

Hey, I just finished watching the entire series of The Wire and my god that was totally better than the sopranos, it was the best TV series I have ever seen.

How does BB stack up against the wire?? Similar with the world surrounding the drug culture, or am I way off?

[yeahwho]

Hey, I just finished watching the entire series of The Wire and my god that was totally better than the sopranos, it was the best TV series I have ever seen.

How does BB stack up against the wire?? Similar with the world surrounding the drug culture, or am I way off?

The Wire is the best TV series I've ever seen too. I remember watching the first episode thinking to myself why should I care anything about the denizens of inner city Baltimore housing projects?

Within two months I finished all 5 seasons of the Wire completely immersed. (y)

Breaking Bad doesn't have quite the same level of all encompassing social commentary, but it is just as addictive in another way and I started out watching it with an identical question to myself, why should I care anything about the motives and reasons of the crystal meth culture?

Because it's the places I don't go that usually effect me much more than I readily understand.

Breaking Bad is not quite as believable as the Wire but equal, maybe even more intense than the Wire.

[Bob]

breaking bad is much more of a story about the characters and the consequences of their actions than about drug or inner city culture, i feel...still amazing, just different

one thing i keep thinking about re: breaking bad (and i feel like i've typed this before, probably in that other breaking bad thread we keep alluding to) is that pretty much every bad thing that happens to walt and his family in the show stems from his decision to shoot down his (ex-)friends' charity when they offered to pay for his chemo.

they were like "we'll pay for it, no questions ask" and walt said basically "fuck you backstabbing jerks, i'm too proud for your money, i'm gonna sell drugs and lie to my family"

and then everything else happens. walt is kind of a cunt, really

but cunts make such interesting protagonists sometimes

[silence7]

Check out the websites if you haven't already..

http://www.savewalterwhite.com

http://www.bettercallsaul.com

[Randetica]

Check out the websites if you haven't already..

http://www.savewalterwhite.com

http://www.bettercallsaul.com

hah sick

[CKYGabe]

it's pretty badass, I live in Albuquerque, and get the opportunity to see people from the show hanging out around town. Steven Michael Quezada (Agent Gomez on the show) is a local here, grew up here and is using his Breaking Bad popularity to benefit the community.

Cranston does a lot of volunteering as well.

The show is great, I've seen all the episodes at this point and it's probably one of the most well written great shows I've ever seen

[alleyezonme6198]

Great show and I think there was a beastie boys song on one of the episodes, it was an instrumental and I'm pretty sure it was a season finale but don't quote me on it.

[Adam]

Great show and I think there was a beastie boys song on one of the episodes, it was an instrumental and I'm pretty sure it was a season finale but don't quote me on it.

Oh yeah, there was. Shambala I think.

[MCAadROCKMiKEd7]

Check out the websites if you haven't already..

http://www.savewalterwhite.com

http://www.bettercallsaul.com

Thats so awesome i've never seen those before hahaha.

Yeah Bryan Cranston is an amazing actor, my boyfriend and I watched an episode of malcom in the middle after watching seasons 1-3 of breaking bad in a row on netflix (first time we had even seen it, i havent even gotten to see season 4 yet!) and it was bizarre hahaha.

I read that season 5 comes out in may but im 1 season behind now im not sure when they will put season 4 on netflix until then i have to wait to watch the new season :/

What season did they use Shambala in? I didnt even realize that.

[Burnout18]

The Wire is the best TV series I've ever seen too. I remember watching the first episode thinking to myself why should I care anything about the denizens of inner city Baltimore housing projects?

Within two months I finished all 5 seasons of the Wire completely immersed. (y)



Breaking Bad is not quite as believable as the Wire but equal, maybe even more intense than the Wire.

Wow I was the same way, I was completely obsessed with it. The wire was just so intriguing. Refreshing new story arcs every season kept it fresh too.

[abbott]

so I just got invited to the Breaking Bad Golf tournament in ABQ, not sure who will be there, but the invite came from one of the camera guys/gripp or something like that.

[MCAadROCKMiKEd7]

im starting to believe that walt jr and jimmy of south park are the same person

Oh my god that is so fucking hilarious. As John C Reily said in step brothers to Will Ferrell "last time I laughed that hard I almost fell off my dinosaur".

[abbott]

So I think Bob's point is right on here. People have choices and sometimes choose unwisely. Should of taken the help and not become a drug dealer... seems hate lead to the decision and that seems to never work out for me.

[abbott]

See anyone tommrow in abq?

[abbott]

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/s320x320/542418_3418716270038_821174035_n.jpg

wish you were there

[MC Moot]

Breaking Bad as a sitcom... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6v-ApehVbc&feature=player_embedded):D

[yeahwho]

yeah bitch!! MAGNETS!

[Adam]

Breaking Bad's first 4 seasons, in 10 minutes (http://boingboing.net/2012/07/13/breaking-bads-first-4-season.html)

[Randetica]

Breaking Bad as a sitcom... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6v-ApehVbc&feature=player_embedded):D

lol how come this is funnier than most actual sitcoms?

[MCAadROCKMiKEd7]

yeah bitch!! MAGNETS!

MAGNET!!!!

[kll]

Man, that last scene last night with the wife in bed... chills... he's just taking what he wants now...

[MCAadROCKMiKEd7]

That bed scene made me think about how awkward id feel kissing on somebody like that, even though theyre just professional actors. Ive got some maturing to do lol.

[silence7]

Watched BB from the beginning, and I just love Walt's transformation from a naive teacher to this now BAD ASS that's in a totally different mindset..

Character evolution in this show is great.

Oh and Mike, OMG... That dude scares me. TOTAL bad ass! He's always one step ahead of everyone who opposes him.

[Adam]

Oh and Mike, ... He's always one step ahead of everyone who opposes him.

I think that will be key to a significant plot line this season too. The way he at first said no to Walt & Jesse.

I also think Skylar will snap, get Walt in trouble but that will put her behinds bar or kill her and Walt, Mike and Saul will be clever with Walt escaping somewhere else - like where ever that Birthday scene was shot.

[DandyFop]

I think really it's going to be that Walt makes it all lead back to Jesse, then it's up to Walt if he sells Jesse out to Hank or not.

I've just re watched all the seasons and for some reason I don't fully buy Walt all the time...he's supposed to be turning into an evil genius but really he acts like a completely irrational idiot a lot of the time and really should have been caught by this point. I do love the show but a second watching made this more clear.

I also kind of hate Walt Jr. He's such a convenience child that they throw in randomly. I wish he was more like a real teenage kid who acted out when something is going wrong in the family.

[Bob]

re: latest episode

remember that episode where there was a fly in the lab and walt refused to do anything until he killed it because it could contaminate the batch or whatever? how come it's suddenly ok to cook in houses that are infested with bugs now?

I COULD BE A BETTER METH DEALER THAN THESE CHUMPS

[kll]

That's what we said too, Bob! The fly seemed such a huge deal and now it's ok? Plus, how do you get the house fumigated if you spend the first 24-hrs or so NOT fumigating? Seemed like a clever idea at first, then the logistics and timing seemed so unrealistic.

[Bob]

i guess if you're a fumigator you could just be like "yeah it's gonna take 5 days" when you know it's only really gonna take 4. nobody's gonna call you on it, if they knew how to fumigate they'd be doing it themselves

probably

[yeahwho]

If there is any saving grace, fumigation tents are for affecting pests that inhabit the physical structure, such as woodborers and drywood termites.

Not for houseflies or ants, but for structure dwellers who physically live withing the framework.

Plus they've isolated the lab further with a plasticized tent within the house.

Really, it's probably been done several times before.

Genius. So genius I'm pretty sure the writers had heard of this technique firsthand.

[Bob]

i guess

plus, the fly episode was less about the fly and more about walt's own bullshit so who knows how much bugs can really screw with things

but still, i noticed something and wanted to post about it on the internet!

[kll]

If you have Breaking Bad "liked" on facebook, today's article from AMC was how Vince Gilligan explained the logistics of how they came up with the idea and how they made it as believable as possible.

At the end of the video, he basically says, fuck if I know if it would actually work...

http://www.amctv.com/breaking-bad/videos/inside-episode-503-breaking-bad-hazard-pay

[yeahwho]

It's cool we're thinking enough and care enough to say something. I'm convinced it's been done before. Been to too many AA/NA meetings.

On a Clear Day (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9LQUjbwGis)

[silence7]

I don't know how sealed their lab tent is, but they turned the foggers on with all their gear still in the house, in the tent.

I can see a future episode when Jesse forgets to close the tent, or close it tight enough, and the next batch gets people ill, or they die because of the poison. Reminds me of the saying "You don't shit where you eat." for some reason. You don't cook where you're killing bugs?

[yeahwho]

I do have a larger concern with this show outside of the technical cooking elements.

The story arc of Walter White and his complete change to ruthlessness as a criminal. Perhaps I should look to Mike for guidance, he seems to understand Walt the best as a "Time Bomb". The scene last week where Walt was home with the family doing family stuff while scenes of Scarface interspersed the conversation lost me. It seemed like a lesser Lefty (Al Pacino's other character) from Donnie Brasco, who loved wild kingdom shows.

Maybe it's a parody of a parody I'm just getting now as I post.

Walter never has books around, he does no research online, he isn't in libraries and seemingly has no hobbies outside of cooking Meth. That is the weirdest epiphany to have to a seemingly normal guy diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Especially after several high stress deadly failures that almost landed them in prison/graveyards.

Walter and Jesse are happiest cooking, much more happy cooking than being in relationships with family. The purity of science, chemistry and technology is their reliable bitch in a world that's messy. In the lab and in control.

Perhaps the Mike relationship will work. They do what they do, Mike will deal with distribution.

Or maybe, in the end the cockroaches will destroy Walter White!

[pshabi]

I just finished season 4 on Netflix. Anyone know of a place to watch the season 5 episodes online without having to enter credit card info?

Jonesin'.

[yeahwho]

Well there is only 2 more episodes this year. Having to wait another year waiting to see how this plays out is just as disappointing to me as maddening.

The opportunity to end this thing at an absolute peak is now. I could get religion, become a Luddite or join a manure powered commune...

Plus I feel as if the writing has hit a peak, a real stride in the past season and a few questionable elements are entering the storyline now. Especially with the Walter/Skylar relationship and the kids staying at Uncle narco's house.

Every episode ends with a cliffhanger and last nights show (spoiler alert) went great, the kid's fingerprints on the spider jar. And that dinner with Jesse, Skyler and Walt! WTF I love how Walt gets Jesse to stay over for dinner, "C'mon it'll be Fun"!

[pshabi]

Wait....there are only 8 episodes this season? I'm catching up on amazon for $2 an episode. I'm on season 5 ep 2. I've got last weeks and last night on my DVR.

Cool story?

[yeahwho]

Wait....there are only 8 episodes this season? I'm catching up on amazon for $2 an episode. I'm on season 5 ep 2. I've got last weeks and last night on my DVR.



Only 8 till the other final 8 summer 0f 2013. :(

Cool story?
You know the drill, cool story, great story. Joint is smoking hot I just wish they could make this all happen at once, while it is on fire. That would be greatness.

Rumors of a final episode directed by a famous director for the big screen have circulated, I think it's all rumor no substance. But the writing, acting and cinematography is top notch enough for the big screen.

[abbott]

so there is a candy store in albuquerque that sales breaking bad candy labeled "Meth Candy" few stories out yesterday about it.

I am not surprised because the candy store is fucked up. What I mean by that is this candy store is located in a historical district in this cool old adobe building and it called the Candy Lady and from the looks of it from the outside kids can't resist it, and I know I want my kids to go in and get some candy. While you are inside you will notice an 18 years old or older area with several adult toys for sale, visible from the entry. Seems fucked up to me that my kids are asking me, "hey whats that" when I take them to the candy store to find out it doubles as an adult toy store. Shit seems wrong. Anyway, they are making the news with the Meth candy that is blue colored rock candy.

Here is the story from boston.. http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/2012/08/21/shop-sells-meth-candy-honor-breaking-bad/BvHMg8SPfKCYgabsDbnrNI/story.html

[pshabi]

Holy shit, opening scene to this episode was off the damn chain.

"Say my name."

[pshabi]

Sick episode. Walt is outta control.

[Bob]

i have a facebook friend who simply cannot help but post spoilers about the latest breaking bad episode within minutes of the end of the episode that i'm sure he thinks are vague and harmless but in reality are pretty damaging when you go into the episode thinking "let's see if i was right about my guess as to what that meant" the whole time

for the latest one, his spoiler was (this is a major spoiler but if you're reading this thread without being caught up, you're an idiot, so you deserve this, this isn't a facebook feed):

"Usually when an old man falls over, it's funny.
Now I'm sad. Damn you AMC!"

literally no other way to interpret that than what it turned out to be. completely ruined that scene, which would have otherwise been pretty incredible

"shut the fuck up and let me die in peace"

.............thump


seriously considering unfriending him based on that alone, i don't actually like the guy much anymore anyway

[Adam]

You can kick people off your feed rather than just unfriending them

[kll]

i have a facebook friend who simply cannot help but post spoilers about the latest breaking bad episode within minutes of the end of the episode that i'm sure he thinks are vague and harmless but in reality are pretty damaging when you go into the episode thinking "let's see if i was right about my guess as to what that meant" the whole time

for the latest one, his spoiler was (this is a major spoiler but if you're reading this thread without being caught up, you're an idiot, so you deserve this, this isn't a facebook feed):

"Usually when an old man falls over, it's funny.
Now I'm sad. Damn you AMC!"

literally no other way to interpret that than what it turned out to be. completely ruined that scene, which would have otherwise been pretty incredible

"shut the fuck up and let me die in peace"

.............thump


seriously considering unfriending him based on that alone, i don't actually like the guy much anymore anyway

oh no!!! that scene was SO amazing... so bummed for you that you were half thinking of jackass friend's post during that time... definitely grounds for an un-friending... these last few episodes, i just sit there with my mouth hanging open, tears in my eyes and chills at just how brilliant and chilling they are... love, love, love these writers and actors!

[HAL 9000]

i have a facebook friend who simply cannot help but post spoilers about the latest breaking bad episode within minutes of the end of the episode that i'm sure he thinks are vague and harmless but in reality are pretty damaging when you go into the episode thinking "let's see if i was right about my guess as to what that meant" the whole time

for the latest one, his spoiler was (this is a major spoiler but if you're reading this thread without being caught up, you're an idiot, so you deserve this, this isn't a facebook feed):

"Usually when an old man falls over, it's funny.
Now I'm sad. Damn you AMC!"

literally no other way to interpret that than what it turned out to be. completely ruined that scene, which would have otherwise been pretty incredible

"shut the fuck up and let me die in peace"

.............thump


seriously considering unfriending him based on that alone, i don't actually like the guy much anymore anyway

If its any conciliation, your friends update unspoiled that scene for me because i didnt notice him fall until I read this and rewatched that bit.

[Bob]

If its any conciliation, your friends update unspoiled that scene for me because i didnt notice him fall until I read this and rewatched that bit.

funny that you mention that—i've actually gone and re-watched the scene myself and you're right, it's kind of incredible how much they tried to hide that emotionally powerful moment from the viewer. upon my second viewing, even though i knew exactly what was going to happen, i literally had to sweep my eyes across the screen a few times before i finally noticed where mike and walt were located, tucked behind some bushes in the lower right corner of the shot.

then, thump

RIP mike

kind of the extreme inverse of the minutely-detail-oriented cinematography that the show's been known for so far, now that i think about it. or, a perfect example of it, depending on how you look at it.


either way, i hate my shitty facebook friend, this would've been an amazing experience if i'd been allowed to have it unprejudiced the first time through

[yeahwho]

kind of the extreme inverse of the minutely-detail-oriented cinematography that the show's been known for so far, now that i think about it. or, a perfect example of it, depending on how you look at it.



I've never considered buying any TV Show, not even the Wire which I still consider to be the "best TV show" ever created.

But the "minutely-detail-oriented cinematography" of Breaking Bad is of such a high caliber I'm gonna break the bank and go for it. Sometimes the story is so gripping the visual technique is over looked or so intense the mind cannot process it all.

It's bad ass inspiring.

[yeahwho]

Crystal Blue Persuasion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN38vED24Eg)

Oh Shit.

To my other favorite W.W.

It’s an honour working with you.

Fondly,

G.B.

Yikes!

bullet points season 4 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_Points_%28Breaking_Bad%29)

[Echewta]

Another year to wait. Thank goodness SOA starts tomorrow.

[MCAadROCKMiKEd7]

SOA is pretty good, I never got fully into it im behind on A LOT of episodes! The walking dead is coming back up again too :D

"Say my name..." "Heisenburg."

[Yetra Flam]

Anyone watch?

[kll]

Yes! Blown away by how perfect the episode was. Really wasn't wise to watch just before bed as it kept me up all night - thinking.

Just beautifully done.

Thoughts?

[Kid Presentable]

First half of season 5 was like scooby doo with the massive conundrums that could be easily wrapped up in one episode (train heist?). I liked the pacing of this episode, and hope we get a nice endgame.

[Adam]

The train heist was an awesome episode.

Just watched S05E09. [Spoiler Alert]



I'm glad they didn't they didn't leave Hank-Walt confrontation for a few episodes, needs to be done.

I think Skylar is dead - maybe killed by Walt - in the 52nd Birthday flash forwards. I think Hank is somewhere out of the picture in flash forward too. Maybe DC or pulled off the case or promoted out of the way type of thing.

Not sure what the heavy gun is for. Seems to be good for cash since he bought it and left a $100 (I think) for the waitress at Denny's even though his meal was free.

So are they running until S05E13? Four more episodes - a lot to fit in.
Edit: just checked they are running to ep 16

[abbott]

I am going to break down and start watching this from the 1st episode. Have not seen one yet. I have a few friends who worked on the set and even did some business with Cranston, it was pretty funny. Not to mention its fucking filmed in my hometown.

Anyway I have a few breaking bad things sitting out in my garage. Nothing real special but I have a bag given out out the golf tournament and some limited breaking bad golf balls, they produced about 100 of each. Would be happy to trade for a nice vintage Beastie Tee shirt XL or some Mix-up beer glasses. You never know.....

Seems they would make a nice Christmas present, but I aint playing that shit again.

[Yetra Flam]

This was the episode.

[Adam]

Just watched it, first thing I did after waking up (Monday morning here in the UK).

It's rare that I've looked forward to the end of a program in as much as I want to see how it ends. Best TV series ever. I'm also watching Dexter at the same time and I just want it to end for the sake of ending because it seems tired but I know I only have one more episode to endure.

I cannot wait for next week.

[Yetra Flam]

What did you all think?

[Documad]

Absolutely perfect. And somehow I knew it would be even though I'm almost alway disappointed by TV shows I love.

[Bob]

so....hmm.

i liked the finale. i did. i don't want to give the impression that i didn't like it.

but.

i think i was expecting to walk away from the show feeling more...i guess i would say conflicted about the resolution?

what i loved about breaking bad is how goddamn morally complicated it was. the protagonist was a shithead, but you saw his journey through his eyes, so you never really got the sense that the show was holding your hand and telling you "this is how you're supposed to feel about things," like most shows do. it was up to you to decide what you felt about walt. he walked around acting like everything he did was in some way justifiable, but it was up to you whether or not you wanted to believe it, or if you did, if the ends justified the means, and so on.

so i guess i was expecting something similar from the finale, a mixed bag of results at best. but instead we got walt walking around like a badass hero, methodically solving all his problems, confessing his sins, eliminating the enemies that deserved death, sparing the ones that didn't, and then plopping down and dying without facing justice. it just kind of felt like the show was saying "things are ok now, you should feel good about this," when up until now it didn't condescend to you like that.

i dunno. it left a funny taste in my mouth. i liked it, despite myself, but i got the funny feeling that i shouldn't have liked it, if that makes sense.

one thing i can say confidently, though; i'm really bummed that we didn't get a little more resolution from jesse. the guy was about 40% of the show, a real partner in the plot, and the poor guy gets about 10 minutes of screen time in the finale. he kills todd (nice), has the chance to kill walt but doesn't, (also nice), then just kind of drives off into the night. what happens to him after that? for a finale that was so intent on tying up loose ends, i feel like jesse's story was kind of a big one.

and that machine gun thing. ain't no way that would have worked. that felt silly to me. but it hasn't been a tv show hell-bent on realism to date, i don't mind suspending my disbelief a little bit for that i guess.


so yeah. i liked it, but didn't love it. i think ozymandias set the tone for how the ending should have gone. not saying that should have been the last episode, just saying that the ending should have left us with a similar feeling.

[Waus]

I liked that Walt sort of set himself up to take the (posthumous) fall for Jesse's cook in duress. Of course, I thought there was bound to be some of Jesse's DNA there which would be kind of incriminating - but who knows, maybe he'll go see the vacuum repairman.

I think the big thing that I wanted to come out that didn't was Walt telling off Grey Matter about how important he was, what a genius he was, finally tipping his hand on just how prideful he was. Instead he remained stubborn.

I think the implied resolution for Jesse is that now he can be a craftsman. He's had everything he could want to indulge in and wants none of it - he won't sell his box for an ounce of weed anymore.

I wonder if Walt would've had the same confession to Skyler if he hadn't already secured the trust for Junior.

[Bob]

i'm also not sure at this point if he really meant that or not. if he really did come to terms with the fact that he was only doing it for himself, or if part of him still did think that this was all for the sake of his family (he did go to great lengths to get the money to walt jr, even after being told repeatedly to go fuck himself), and he was just telling that to skyler to give her the satisfaction of hearing it. he seemed to accept that his family hated him, which is why he stayed away, but he still wanted to wrap things up with them...

alright, maybe it's more complex than i originally thought (or i'm just thinking too hard)

[Dorothy Wood]

I had to stop watching the show because I didn't buy the premise. And every time I try to give it a shot, I get annoyed by something that seems really phony to me. Recently it was a scene at a car wash. I was just like you guys suck at running a car wash. Completely broke tge illusion. Couldn't concentrate on anything else.

[Lyman Zerga]

hope the end was not disappointing
havent had a chance to watch the last season yet, i wanna watch the first to last episode in one go

[Yetra Flam]

so....hmm.

i liked the finale. i did. i don't want to give the impression that i didn't like it.

but.

i think i was expecting to walk away from the show feeling more...i guess i would say conflicted about the resolution?

what i loved about breaking bad is how goddamn morally complicated it was. the protagonist was a shithead, but you saw his journey through his eyes, so you never really got the sense that the show was holding your hand and telling you "this is how you're supposed to feel about things," like most shows do. it was up to you to decide what you felt about walt. he walked around acting like everything he did was in some way justifiable, but it was up to you whether or not you wanted to believe it, or if you did, if the ends justified the means, and so on.

so i guess i was expecting something similar from the finale, a mixed bag of results at best. but instead we got walt walking around like a badass hero, methodically solving all his problems, confessing his sins, eliminating the enemies that deserved death, sparing the ones that didn't, and then plopping down and dying without facing justice. it just kind of felt like the show was saying "things are ok now, you should feel good about this," when up until now it didn't condescend to you like that.

i dunno. it left a funny taste in my mouth. i liked it, despite myself, but i got the funny feeling that i shouldn't have liked it, if that makes sense.

one thing i can say confidently, though; i'm really bummed that we didn't get a little more resolution from jesse. the guy was about 40% of the show, a real partner in the plot, and the poor guy gets about 10 minutes of screen time in the finale. he kills todd (nice), has the chance to kill walt but doesn't, (also nice), then just kind of drives off into the night. what happens to him after that? for a finale that was so intent on tying up loose ends, i feel like jesse's story was kind of a big one.

and that machine gun thing. ain't no way that would have worked. that felt silly to me. but it hasn't been a tv show hell-bent on realism to date, i don't mind suspending my disbelief a little bit for that i guess.


so yeah. i liked it, but didn't love it. i think ozymandias set the tone for how the ending should have gone. not saying that should have been the last episode, just saying that the ending should have left us with a similar feeling.

I know what you mean. I liked the ending a lot, but something about it seemed like Gilligan was trying to appease as many people as possible. It was the softest ending he could have possibly had with only the "bad guys" dying. I really did want to see Walt redeem himself, even though he didn't deserve it. And I think he did a little bit, admitting that he did it for himself.

The machine gun robot, yeah, I don't know. My roommate described it as "some Tom and Jerry shit" haha. I thought it was even more unrealistic that he got all the way from New Hampshire to New Mexico in a stolen car when the police knew where he was and were looking for him. But maybe that was a part of what seemed like a chain of freakish good luck for Walt - the car door being open, the cops passing by, the keys being in the car, the car starting right away.

Even though Jesse got away, he still seems kind of fucked. Where is he going to go? He has no money, and aren't the police still looking for him because of his association with Heisenberg?

[Tomtomtom]

http://puu.sh/4DOJu

[Yetra Flam]

Poor Huell :(

[Bob]

i'm guessing you guys haven't seen huell's rules yet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIzIpf80Yaw)

Even though Jesse got away, he still seems kind of fucked. Where is he going to go? He has no money, and aren't the police still looking for him because of his association with Heisenberg?

yeah, that's exactly it. the finale was such a methodical bulleted list of tying up loose ends, but jesse's fate was SUCH a huge one. he's free from nazi slavery, but that's about all he has going for him. what happens to him after that? i feel like he was too big a part of the show to be brushed off like that, but instead the finale only seemed to be concerned with him in terms of his relationship to walt.

i dunno, maybe it's just because jesse supplanted walt as the most interesting character in my mind (walt was for the most part always about 90% evil, while jesse seemed far more complicated), i'm disappointed that his story ended so casually.

the ending was very good for what it was, i just...think i wanted something else. but fuck me if i could write a better one

[Yetra Flam]

Lavell Crawford is awesome. I watched his stand up special before I realized he was on Breaking Bad, and I was legitimately belly laughing most of the time.
He said something that was particularly cool, about how laughter is healing. I never thought about it that way before, how comedians and entertainers can play such a positive role in strangers' lives.

[Bob]

ha, i didn't know he was a comedian. i guess it makes sense pairing him with bob odenkirk then.

speaking of, what do we think about this saul goodman spinoff? my first impression is that it seems uh...unnecessary, but breaking bad was good enough that i'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and see what it's actually like before i judge it.

[Dorothy Wood]

Ok so I tried watching again but I coukdnt get into it. I don't understand how stuff like stealing a baby and the family yelling at each other about lying makes sense. Or Walt calling after he stole his baby and saying all that stuff when they had obviously called the cops so it was probable the cops would be there.


I mean sure the show is creative but these ridiculous things that happen keep me from liking it. Maybe I'm being too hard on it. I don't know. I don't like Lost either.

[Nicodemus]

If you'd watched the entire series these things would make more sense. It's not the kind of show where you can just catch an episode here and there.

LOST shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breath as BB.

[Yetra Flam]

ha, i didn't know he was a comedian. i guess it makes sense pairing him with bob odenkirk then.

speaking of, what do we think about this saul goodman spinoff? my first impression is that it seems uh...unnecessary, but breaking bad was good enough that i'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and see what it's actually like before i judge it.

Yeah, I don't know. I don't really know how this whole spinoff thing is going to go down. Is this sort of going to be a prequel? I think it's unnecessary too.

[abbott]

At season 4 ep 3. Been seeing 2 a day.

[Bob]

Ok so I tried watching again but I coukdnt get into it. I don't understand how stuff like stealing a baby and the family yelling at each other about lying makes sense. Or Walt calling after he stole his baby and saying all that stuff when they had obviously called the cops so it was probable the cops would be there.


I mean sure the show is creative but these ridiculous things that happen keep me from liking it. Maybe I'm being too hard on it. I don't know. I don't like Lost either.

yeah that was kind of the climax of a seasons-long buildup. it's like you skipped to the end of citizen kane and went "rosebud's a sled, who cares? i don't get it, this movie is dumb"

[Dorothy Wood]

Nah, it's not like that. I know the storyline, I'm just not attached to it. I think it's badly written. The stakes were so high but the reactions from the sister and the son were to the lying? Like oh no so many lies, I'll never get over the fact that you're a liar. Why'd they take it so personally?

Also the butcher knife part was dumb, why would Walt tackle Skylar? Goofy shit.

It's just fuckin dumb to me, the whole premise of the show and the trajectory of the storyline. No offense, people I respect really love the show (I even bought Breaking Bad themed art for my bf for Xmas). It's just not my taste, too silly, too many outrageous twists. I find myself hating it. I tried not to hate it. I'll prob watch the last few episodes.

[Kid Presentable]

I was comfortable enough with the ending of Season 4 serving as the 'ender' ending; I thought it degenrated into utter self-parody with Season 5 (Part 1). It was still entertaining, though.

Season 5 (Part 2) was a slight improvement, but by that stage the show had well and truly jumped the shark.

The ending was approporiate. Good, even.

But given time to reflect, by season 5 it just abruptly became this un-obtuse quasi-CSI thing. It just felt dumb. A series of sleazy magician reveals. Condescending, even.

The true brilliance of the show was, to me, the writers' willingness to paint themselves into a corner, and ability to paint themselves out of it with genuine flair and brilliance. Much of the writing and narrative arcs were inspired, once upon a time.

Nothing in either part of season 5 captured that feeling for me. It just became a series of preposterous coincidences and deus ex machina claptrap.

I was a fan since day one, so I'm not mad. Just my opinion.

[Bob]

I was comfortable enough with the ending of Season 4 serving as the 'ender' ending; I thought it degenrated into utter self-parody with Season 5 (Part 1). It was still entertaining, though.

Season 5 (Part 2) was a slight improvement, but by that stage the show had well and truly jumped the shark.

The ending was approporiate. Good, even.

But given time to reflect, by season 5 it just abruptly became this un-obtuse quasi-CSI thing. It just felt dumb. A series of sleazy magician reveals. Condescending, even.

The true brilliance of the show was, to me, the writers' willingness to paint themselves into a corner, and ability to paint themselves out of it with genuine flair and brilliance. Much of the writing and narrative arcs were inspired, once upon a time.

Nothing in either part of season 5 captured that feeling for me. It just became a series of preposterous coincidences and deus ex machina claptrap.

I was a fan since day one, so I'm not mad. Just my opinion.

hmm. i see what you mean, to some extent. i think that some of the complaints i had about the finale were scattered all around season 5; the train heist, the magnet thing, and so on.

but i do think season 5 was needed, if only to have the moment where walt's delusions well and truly blow up in his face. the whole time, walt thinks he's helping out his family, and he thinks he's in control and successfully hiding himself from them, to the point where he's even convinced himself.

but that moment where he crosses the line and gets hank killed, and skyler can't handle him anymore, and his son finally learns who he is, and he has that moment in the house, where he still thinks he's in control, and that he has to protect his family, only to have that "wake the fuck up" moment where his wife is bleeding on the floor and his son is protecting her from walt with his own (disabled) body...i dunno, i feel like it was a reality that needed to crash down in order for the show to end properly.

if it had ended at season 4, i think there would have been too much "so what, that's it? his family never finds out about it?" going on with it. maybe season 5 did lay it on a little thick at times, but i do think the basic plot of it needed to happen, i wouldn't say it jumped the shark.

[Bob]

though i will say that i never quite bought todd as a villain, even after he shot the kid. he's landry! landry can't be evil!

[Dorothy Wood]

Yeah but Landry killed that dude remember? Then hid it and then everything was all party after that. That was dumb I hated that storyline.


I won't try to convince the fans that the show sucks...but I think it's pretty sloppy. Aesthetically good production value though. I'll give it that.

[Bob]

Yeah but Landry killed that dude remember? Then hid it and then everything was all party after that. That was dumb I hated that storyline.


that was terrible, yeah

[Waus]

but that moment where he crosses the line and gets hank killed, and skyler can't handle him anymore, and his son finally learns who he is, and he has that moment in the house, where he still thinks he's in control, and that he has to protect his family, only to have that "wake the fuck up" moment where his wife is bleeding on the floor and his son is protecting her from walt with his own (disabled) body...i dunno, i feel like it was a reality that needed to crash down in order for the show to end properly.

That was it! I thought Jesse's line where he said "He can't keep getting away with it!" was key. We genuinely wanted an almost masochistic catharsis where Walt would pay up, even if we empathized with him at first.

[abbott]

My buddy has the black hat

I told him don't take under 10k

Could it go for 50k

[abbott]

Sorry I'm full of shit

To many beers

[Kid Presentable]

To many beers!

[pshabi]

I think it's badly written.

Ha!!!!!! Good one.

[Lex Diamonds]

Sorry I'm full of shit

To many beers

To many beers!
I LOL'd.

Also on topic, I wish they had given Jesse more of a conclusive end to his story. He kind of just drives away from probably the most damaging, harrowing experience of his fucked up life and then it's all like "OK that's a wrap!", it wasn't really adequate closure for me.

[ProfJIM]

Ok so I tried watching again but I coukdnt get into it. I don't understand how stuff like stealing a baby and the family yelling at each other about lying makes sense. Or Walt calling after he stole his baby and saying all that stuff when they had obviously called the cops so it was probable the cops would be there.


I mean sure the show is creative but these ridiculous things that happen keep me from liking it. Maybe I'm being too hard on it. I don't know. I don't like Lost either.


I don't want to have to write out a giant paragraph right now, but that scene is in a long line of scenes that are later explained subtlety. There is a key scene later with Saul that explains why he was saying those things and why he called when he knew there would be cops.

You are missing things and then dismissing it because you didn't catch it.

[Lex Diamonds]

I don't want to have to write out a giant paragraph right now, but that scene is in a long line of scenes that are later explained subtlety. There is a key scene later with Saul that explains why he was saying those things and why he called when he knew there would be cops.

You are missing things and then dismissing it because you didn't catch it.
Word. The writing is a lot more subtle than most people realise; if you think something seems superfluous, chances are it's just you being a dumbass.

[Lex Diamonds]

so....hmm.

i liked the finale. i did. i don't want to give the impression that i didn't like it.

but.

i think i was expecting to walk away from the show feeling more...i guess i would say conflicted about the resolution?

what i loved about breaking bad is how goddamn morally complicated it was. the protagonist was a shithead, but you saw his journey through his eyes, so you never really got the sense that the show was holding your hand and telling you "this is how you're supposed to feel about things," like most shows do. it was up to you to decide what you felt about walt. he walked around acting like everything he did was in some way justifiable, but it was up to you whether or not you wanted to believe it, or if you did, if the ends justified the means, and so on.

so i guess i was expecting something similar from the finale, a mixed bag of results at best. but instead we got walt walking around like a badass hero, methodically solving all his problems, confessing his sins, eliminating the enemies that deserved death, sparing the ones that didn't, and then plopping down and dying without facing justice. it just kind of felt like the show was saying "things are ok now, you should feel good about this," when up until now it didn't condescend to you like that.

i dunno. it left a funny taste in my mouth. i liked it, despite myself, but i got the funny feeling that i shouldn't have liked it, if that makes sense.

one thing i can say confidently, though; i'm really bummed that we didn't get a little more resolution from jesse. the guy was about 40% of the show, a real partner in the plot, and the poor guy gets about 10 minutes of screen time in the finale. he kills todd (nice), has the chance to kill walt but doesn't, (also nice), then just kind of drives off into the night. what happens to him after that? for a finale that was so intent on tying up loose ends, i feel like jesse's story was kind of a big one.

and that machine gun thing. ain't no way that would have worked. that felt silly to me. but it hasn't been a tv show hell-bent on realism to date, i don't mind suspending my disbelief a little bit for that i guess.


so yeah. i liked it, but didn't love it. i think ozymandias set the tone for how the ending should have gone. not saying that should have been the last episode, just saying that the ending should have left us with a similar feeling.
I pretty much legit agree with 100% of this post. Nice brain, Bob.

[abbott]

i cant read all these post cause im in mid swing here.

no surprise I had to many beers, but I am working on balancing that shit out. or the recored 9 beers over 18 holes + an extra nine on Friday.

Who cares what someone I know has or dosn't, I just feel weak bragging about my friends shit. I just think its cool he worked on the show from the first episode and his stockpile is impressive. The hat is going on ebay soon.

[Dorothy Wood]

I stand by my opinion, and I did suspect Walt knew the cops were listening, but it doesn't change the preposterous level that much. Hey though, you guys can love the show, I don't. Everything will still be fine.

[TurdBerglar]

yeah I think the beatles are overrated

[ProfJIM]

meh

[Lex Diamonds]

If suspension of disbelief is an issue for you then don't watch TV shows. The way Jesse and his friends talk, and the supposed effects of the drugs are laughable. Doesn't mean it's not a great drama.

[Dorothy Wood]

Ok. We have differing opinions.

[TurdBerglar]

I've never seen this show. I don't really watch a ton of tv. so im not commenting on breaking bad.

but it seems like the tv shows/movies that are trying to be taken seriously are the most ridiculous and over the top. it's like you have to change or reduce logic in order to appreciate everything which is fine for a silly show but doesn't really work for me when the show is trying to be taken seriously. just over dramatic for the sake of being dramatic. it's like the actual story and plotlines are being masked by the absurdity because the actual stories and plotlines are kinda thin. or everyone is running out of ideas so they're trying to create alternate universes where crazy things happen all the time and you're just suppose to believe it without question.

but that's just how my brain works. if there's too much fantasy for the sake of fantasy im just like... this is such bullshit!

I couldn't stand lord of the rings because of that.

[Lyman Zerga]

why are there not all episodes of the final season on netflix?
annoying as shit

[ProfJIM]

The final season just aired. It won't be on netflix until closer to when its released on DVD/blu ray.

The last two seasons were really one season split in half.

[ProfJIM]

I've never seen this show. I don't really watch a ton of tv. so im not commenting on breaking bad.

but it seems like the tv shows/movies that are trying to be taken seriously are the most ridiculous and over the top. it's like you have to change or reduce logic in order to appreciate everything which is fine for a silly show but doesn't really work for me when the show is trying to be taken seriously. just over dramatic for the sake of being dramatic. it's like the actual story and plotlines are being masked by the absurdity because the actual stories and plotlines are kinda thin. or everyone is running out of ideas so they're trying to create alternate universes where crazy things happen all the time and you're just suppose to believe it without question.

but that's just how my brain works. if there's too much fantasy for the sake of fantasy im just like... this is such bullshit!

I couldn't stand lord of the rings because of that.

I'm sorry, but this is the stupidest thing I have ever read. No I'm not going to elaborate.

[Lyman Zerga]

The final season just aired. It won't be on netflix until closer to when its released on DVD/blu ray.

The last two seasons were really one season split in half.

oh ok, thank you
heard it is up on netflix UK though which makes no sense

[Bob]

I'm sorry, but this is the stupidest thing I have ever read. No I'm not going to elaborate.

as long as you're being helpful

[Dorothy Wood]

I don't think it's stupid, what turd said makes perfect sense.

It's not stupid, it's just different taste. And since when is naïveté a
better chacter trait than being discerning?

[ProfJIM]

I don't think it's stupid, what turd said makes perfect sense.




Yes to a person with problems with cognitive dissonance and suspension of disbelief not to mention a shallow understanding of the fundamentals of storytelling.

Not liking a genre like fantasy because you don't understand the merits of a certain genre and think it's "too fake" is a pretty dumb reason.

Really Turd, I'm just glad you don't write entertainment. It would be logical boring drivel.


Happy Bob?

[TurdBerglar]

my problem with fantasy is when it seems like there's no rules to their universe. anything can happen just for the sake of continuing the story. it seems like an easy way out. it only bothers me when the story is trying to be taken seriously. it's like... is that all you can come up with?

OH NO WE'RE IN A JAM! *magical/one a billion chance thing happens that fixes all the problems* PHEW THAT WAS CLOSE!

it's like a easy way to fix a problem within a story. if anything can happen then there's no challenge. the writer can just fucking have whatever happen. he doesn't have to jump through any hoops for it to work. he can create his own rules to bend to his needs to make the story work. he just has to make it extraordinary enough to wow people.



and now tv and movies are WAY over the top. especially the ones trying to be the most serious. it's so ridiculous. it's like... look at all these dramatic fucking assholes doing dramatic fucking things. they're just a bunch of assholes that you want to punch in the face! WHO DOES THESE RIDICULOUS OVER DRAMATIC THINGS! just the assholes on tv! there's no realism at all. it's just one absurd predicament the leads to the next absurd predicament. how the fuck can you relate to that shit? it's just really cheesy like 60's batman instead everyone has a serious look on their face.

it all seems very juvenile.

[Bob]

is there any fiction that you do like, then? it seems like that complaint would apply to literally anything. so long as the writer has control over the story, they could use anything to get their characters to do what they want, even if it's fully within the realm of possibility and laws of nature that real people have to follow

it just seems like a, er, difficult complaint, a real obstacle to enjoying any kind of fiction

[TurdBerglar]

when it becomes absurd while still trying to be taken seriously is the problem. I just find it to be very lazy when a writer is obviously creating and adjusting the universe to suit the story's plotline rather than creating the universe as an unbending part of the problem.

I love fiction especially science fiction. most of my favorite movies are science fiction. but in most cases those movies have rules that (for the most part) are based on reality.

fantasy can be great too, as long as it's not trying to be taken too seriously and there's some boundaries.

Jurassic Park vs Lord of the Rings. the dinosaurs weren't created by magic. someone didn't stumble upon this dino island that no one seemed to have noticed. they didn't escaped because of magic or flexible laws of physics and nature that the writer threw in just so they could have an escape or succeed. you see what im trying to say?

then there's things that are pure fantasy that I do enjoy. the green mile. I love the fucking movie. but just that one character is unreal and everyone within the story looks at him with wonderment just as the viewer is expected to. they don't look at him all like... oh we've got another one of these children from god healing people again. they're questioning reality and the unkown just as I would.

[ProfJIM]

Jurrasic Park spends a great deal of the movie setting up its own logic to explain how they were made, but it's completely made up. You can't actually make dinosaurs like that and is so loosely based on anything real. Its fantasy.

That's creating a universe to serve the story. That's storytelling. Why you accept this and dismiss another is weird to me.

Fantasy is the same thing, except instead of science its usually magic or some other old world belief. But really it's the same thing.

You don't seem to really grasp the concept of plot either. One event leads to the next. Just because it seems over the top to you doesn't mean in the story that the writer is telling, and what those events mean internally for the character that they couldn't or shouldn't happen.

[TurdBerglar]

it's based on being able to manipulate DNA. we can do that. it's far less of a stretch from reality. it's logic is based on science. yes there are holes but far less and much more realistic than the holes created by magic. its set up was so realistic that viewers were actually wondering if it was feasible to fucking clone a dinosaur.

[Dorothy Wood]

Yes to a person with problems with cognitive dissonance and suspension of disbelief not to mention a shallow understanding of the fundamentals of storytelling.

Not liking a genre like fantasy because you don't understand the merits of a certain genre and think it's "too fake" is a pretty dumb reason.

Really Turd, I'm just glad you don't write entertainment. It would be logical boring drivel.


Happy Bob?

You're mistaken if you think being unable to suspend disbelief is lack of understanding. It's the opposite, it's so much understanding that one doesn't tend to give a shit about the outcome of the story.

Plus I spent money and time learning to write for entertainment and I entertain people regularly. I know what a good story is. I graduated on top, and my graduating project was brought back to the stage for a best of the year revue, chosen from hundreds of scenes.

You are obsessed with fictional characters, that is fine. It is also fine to not care about fictional characters.

[Dorothy Wood]

And also, Breaking Bad lost me on the bathtub being eaten away by acid scene...that just simply never would've happened. Just a terrible idea, never would've happened. Wouldn't have even been possible to clean. No fumes...and, the acid eats through a floor but not a flimsy plastic tub? Please.

[cosmo105]

It's not the thickness of the plastic! It's because the plastic loaded with fluorocarbons which are resistant to hydrofluoric acid, unlike wood and such.

Reading some conflicting things, but apparently hydrofluoric acid isn't all that great at dissolving flesh anyway. I suppose it depends on the concentration. Lye is better at getting rid of a body (y)

[cosmo105]

also i never really got all that into BB but definitely can see how it became so culturally significant.



the wire was better

[Bob]

And also, Breaking Bad lost me on the bathtub being eaten away by acid scene...that just simply never would've happened. Just a terrible idea, never would've happened. Wouldn't have even been possible to clean. No fumes...and, the acid eats through a floor but not a flimsy plastic tub? Please.

see, this is frustrating to me, because i don't think it's a good reason to dismiss the show.

if breaking bad were a chemistry documentary, i'd say "sure, it's a bad show, it gets a lot of the science wrong and you shouldn't watch it" but it's not. the science isn't important, it isn't about the science, it's about the characters and their relationship with each other.

the hydrofluoric acid scene isn't supposed to be interesting because of the science facts it teaches you about chemistry, it's supposed to be interesting because of the things it teaches you about the characters. it shows how walt likes to take control of situations, and how jesse's hasty, lazy, and dismissive, and how he chooses to ignore walt's careful instructions and just dumps him in the bathtub. then we see the consequences of that choice, and how the characters grow as a result.

maybe the chemistry's wrong. who cares. it's a drama, not a documentary. i know art is open to interpretation and whatever but just...rggg, dismissing it because of scientific inaccuracies is almost definitely the wrong way to watch it, that bugs the hell out of me

if you dislike it because you don't think the characters behave realistically, and that takes you out of it, then that's fine; i would respectfully disagree with you on that point but respect your opinion about it all the same.

but the science, the science isn't important, it isn't the point, i would urge you not to worry about that or let it get in the way of your potential enjoyment of a fictional show

if i can have a law degree and still enjoy law & order SVU then there's no reason you can't suspend your disbelief for breaking bad :)

[Lyman Zerga]

would be great if they got the chemistry facts straight especially when the main character plays a chemistry teacher but it is still a fantastic show

[TurdBerglar]

the original law and order I liked. it's subdued compared to the newer law shows that are all trying to emulate the original law and order. the newer ones are all so over dramatic and campy. especially with their glaringly over done forensics and scenarios.

it seems in order to make a new show stand out from older ones they need to turn everything up a few notches rather than actually try something new. it's like 80's hair metal. HEY LETS DO ALL THE THINGS THEY DID FIFTEEN YEARS AGO BUT WAY OVER THE TOP! PEOPLE WILL NOTICE US!

[Dorothy Wood]

It's not the thickness of the plastic! It's because the plastic loaded with fluorocarbons which are resistant to hydrofluoric acid, unlike wood and such.

Reading some conflicting things, but apparently hydrofluoric acid isn't all that great at dissolving flesh anyway. I suppose it depends on the concentration. Lye is better at getting rid of a body (y)

I just mean there are probably plastic elements or fluorocarbons and preservatives in flooring and it ate through those just fine. Wood for building is not just plain wood, it's usually treated to resist degradation.

Anyway the whole thing seemed false and was gross for the sake of gross and annoying and ultimately boring to watch.

[Dorothy Wood]

see, this is frustrating to me, because i don't think it's a good reason to dismiss the show.

if breaking bad were a chemistry documentary, i'd say "sure, it's a bad show, it gets a lot of the science wrong and you shouldn't watch it" but it's not. the science isn't important, it isn't about the science, it's about the characters and their relationship with each other.

the hydrofluoric acid scene isn't supposed to be interesting because of the science facts it teaches you about chemistry, it's supposed to be interesting because of the things it teaches you about the characters. it shows how walt likes to take control of situations, and how jesse's hasty, lazy, and dismissive, and how he chooses to ignore walt's careful instructions and just dumps him in the bathtub. then we see the consequences of that choice, and how the characters grow as a result.

maybe the chemistry's wrong. who cares. it's a drama, not a documentary. i know art is open to interpretation and whatever but just...rggg, dismissing it because of scientific inaccuracies is almost definitely the wrong way to watch it, that bugs the hell out of me

if you dislike it because you don't think the characters behave realistically, and that takes you out of it, then that's fine; i would respectfully disagree with you on that point but respect your opinion about it all the same.

but the science, the science isn't important, it isn't the point, i would urge you not to worry about that or let it get in the way of your potential enjoyment of a fictional show

if i can have a law degree and still enjoy law & order SVU then there's no reason you can't suspend your disbelief for breaking bad :)

I don't know why it has to be frustrating for you that I find the show annoying. I have enjoyed certain things about the show, but overall I get irritated by the inaccuracies. I'm not sitting there trying to find inaccuracies, they just present themselves and are distracting.

SVU isn't really held up on a pedestal like Breaking Bad is, so watching is a different experience. Breaking Bad wants people to take it seriously, and I just don't. I don't like it. That doesn't make me stupid. And it doesn't make people who like it stupid, it's just different taste.

Let's see if I can explain another way...it's like when I was a kid, and playing Barbies. My friends would often want to have the dolls talk and do things, but I wasn't into that, I spent hours working on setting up their houses, or making clothes for them. I like details, I don't care as much about relationships and talking and blah blah whatever. So, to apply that to my adult interests: when I watch tv, I'm watching everything...the clothes, the hairstyles, the lighting, the music...character's faces, their body shapes, the cars they drive...and the physicality and practicality of a scene. And how it all relates to the truth of that scene. I find Breaking Bad to be lacking truth in a big enough way that I don't enjoy watching it. I'd rather watch something else*, or not watch t.v.


*Like, The Wire! I really do love The Wire, and it has some dumb things about it (Prez is a really bad teacher and the straight female characters are lame, etc.), but it has more truth and heft to the drama. Also it's funny sometimes.

anyway who cares

[ericg]

meth sucks.. the show sucks..
hal is so much better!

'He wouldn't say he cared at all if you asked him
You're heading for a fall brother, it goes right past him
In another world, he's in another place
You know the need for speed's just another form of greed

But when your Jones and your brains frozen
You're not thinkin' 'bout the choices you're makin'
You're just rollin' on and on, it's anybody's guess
'Cuz no one's at the wheel, at the front of that mess, yes

The sun is goin' down for me, it's goin' down for me
He and she are what I need, yes, they're what I need
But I'm gonna buy a ticket, I'm not gonna even pick it
I heard it, he said it, I heard it, but it went, but it went, something like

Visit, I wanna visit the world
So now I visit the world
With my time on this world

Because livin' when you're hungry is a dog in an alley
Now I mind my business 'cuz I'm rhymin' down in Cali
I ain't playin' when sayin', kings of the ghetto feel they losin' ground
Vato's goin' loco because everyone's brought down

This is a visit, then we dead, fade to dust stricken
I'm wearin' my Doc Martens 'cuz I'm always down for kickin'
This, my friend, the city pity, everywhere the enemy
Ready or not homey stompin', everyone in front of me

Jump up and down 'cus that's the 311 style
Cruise on by the frowners, float, follow me now with a smile
Lookin' at the ocean I see there's plenty
Lookin' at the river I see there's plenty

So visit, I wanna visit the world
So now I visit the world
With my time on this world...'

[Lex Diamonds]

SVU isn't really held up on a pedestal like Breaking Bad is, so watching is a different experience. Breaking Bad wants people to take it seriously, and I just don't. I don't like it. That doesn't make me stupid. And it doesn't make people who like it stupid, it's just different taste.
Total bullshit. To me Breaking Bad is ridiculous all the way through, and they clearly know it. Those guys (the writers) aren't dumb, although they do cater to dumb people in places. It's very entertaining, if not on the same level intellectually as The Wire, The Sopranos etc etc.

Anyway like the quote above shows, you're just hating cuz it's popular and you think you're cooler/smarter than everyone else. You're basically being Daria about the whole thing.

[Dorothy Wood]

Total bullshit. To me Breaking Bad is ridiculous all the way through, and they clearly know it. Those guys (the writers) aren't dumb, although they do cater to dumb people in places. It's very entertaining, if not on the same level intellectually as The Wire, The Sopranos etc etc.

Anyway like the quote above shows, you're just hating cuz it's popular and you think you're cooler/smarter than everyone else. You're basically being Daria about the whole thing.

I'm not hating because it's popular, I'm hating because I don't think it deserves so much critical acclaim. A friend of mine said something like "I finished Breaking Bad and had fun, but don't try to tell me that trash was art."

I've never personally attacked anyone in this thread for liking the show, but have been subject to personal insults for not liking it. That doesn't make sense to me.

[Nicodemus]

Maybe you just shouldn't post in a thread that's about a television show you aren't even interested in. That seems logical. It's a good way to avoid getting attacked on a message board.

[ProfJIM]

see, this is frustrating to me, because i don't think it's a good reason to dismiss the show.

the hydrofluoric acid scene isn't supposed to be interesting because of the science facts it teaches you about chemistry, it's supposed to be interesting because of the things it teaches you about the characters. it shows how walt likes to take control of situations, and how jesse's hasty, lazy, and dismissive, and how he chooses to ignore walt's careful instructions and just dumps him in the bathtub. then we see the consequences of that choice, and how the characters grow as a result.

maybe the chemistry's wrong. who cares. it's a drama, not a documentary. i know art is open to interpretation and whatever but just...rggg, dismissing it because of scientific inaccuracies is almost definitely the wrong way to watch it, that bugs the hell out of me



This.


I don't care as much about relationships and talking and blah blah whatever.


Plus I spent money and time learning to write for entertainment and I entertain people regularly. I know what a good story is. I graduated on top, and my graduating project was brought back to the stage for a best of the year revue, chosen from hundreds of scenes.

You are obsessed with fictional characters, that is fine. It is also fine to not care about fictional characters.

I'm sure the set design was great, Tim Burton.

Don't complain about personal attacks and then in so many words imply clearly that I'm stupid. You hold yourself and your opinion above me because you paid for your education and de-value whatever knowledge I may have picked up myself along the way. That's pretty snooty and rude. Obsessed with fictional characters? You mean the reason anything is written at all? There is only one story to be told after thousands of years of storytelling and it's mostly self discovery and human interaction.

If I want to discuss some black and white student film about a fat guy farting on a croissant, I'll defer to you. But if you want to get into a pop culture dick measuring contest don't expect people to wonder why you're even commenting about the subject in the first place.

You're certainly welcome to have your opinion, it's just that it seems you still have some weird dismissive tone.

You're right though, who cares?

tl:dr [/internet]

[abbott]

It is all good man

It's all good man

S'all good man

Saul Goodman

[Dorothy Wood]

Maybe you just shouldn't post in a thread that's about a television show you aren't even interested in. That seems logical. It's a good way to avoid getting attacked on a message board.

I'm interested in talking about why people are so interested in it. I don't think anyone needs to take my criticism of the show personally.

[Dorothy Wood]

This.






I'm sure the set design was great, Tim Burton.

Don't complain about personal attacks and then in so many words imply clearly that I'm stupid. You hold yourself and your opinion above me because you paid for your education and de-value whatever knowledge I may have picked up myself along the way. That's pretty snooty and rude. Obsessed with fictional characters? You mean the reason anything is written at all? There is only one story to be told after thousands of years of storytelling and it's mostly self discovery and human interaction.

If I want to discuss some black and white student film about a fat guy farting on a croissant, I'll defer to you. But if you want to get into a pop culture dick measuring contest don't expect people to wonder why you're even commenting about the subject in the first place.

You're certainly welcome to have your opinion, it's just that it seems you still have some weird dismissive tone.

You're right though, who cares?

tl:dr [/internet]

dude, you're the one calling people dumb and stupid. And you're practically yelling at me, your statements are dripping with attitude. I didn't call you stupid...I just think that you love fiction, and that you're taking it personally that other people aren't invested in the same kinds of stories you are.

I sound dismissive because I find your "you just don't get it" argument irritating. I get it, don't worry.


Actually, though, I don't get this:
"If I want to discuss some black and white student film about a fat guy farting on a croissant, I'll defer to you. But if you want to get into a pop culture dick measuring contest don't expect people to wonder why you're even commenting about the subject in the first place."

I don't even know what this means. I learned how to write for stage and t.v., mainstream shit. And who has a dick out? how do you measure a pop culture dick? I'm not even talking about pop culture, I'm only talking about not enjoying a show because I find it too implausible and I don't connect to the characters.

So far, all the "explanations" everyone is giving me are things I already know. I'm sorry if I sound like a dick, I'm just trying to make conversation. Guess I was out of line? didn't realize everyone would flip the fuck out over this.

[ProfJIM]

It's cool. You're not out of line. Just I guess a few of us really connected and it's hard to understand your position. You're in a thread about a pop culture show and then you had to mention to went to school, which made me feel like you were being braggy and I pictured a couple of the flim school nerds I can't stand that pretend they know everything and hate mainstream anything. Plus to me, some of your logic doesn't make sense. Then you said you "know story" but also said you don't care about characters...wat?

*shrugs*

Different tastes, just like you said.

[Dorothy Wood]

Regarding my training...if I was trying to be braggy, I would've brought it up right out of the gate and named names. I was trying to defend my intelligence and experience with a concrete example, that's all.




"Plus to me, some of your logic doesn't make sense. Then you said you "know story" but also said you don't care about characters...wat?"

Hmm. well, I guess I mean if the story was stronger I probably wouldn't be distracted by the character and practicality issues. Which brings me back to my original criticism, bad writing. Maybe it's purposefully schlocky/outrageous?...I guess that's possible.


really I am just here to shoot the shit and have a lively debate. I am a snob, sure, but I'm not mean.

[Bob]

first, sorry if i came off harsh in my earlier post (got drunk, sorry)

second, the reason i was frustrated is because it sounded like you were dismissing the show for bad reasons (found the science to be inaccurate, which isn't the point of the show), rather than reasonable ones (can't connect to the characters, don't think they behave believably, which is the point of the show, and i'm totally cool with you not liking it for that reason even though i don't agree with you personally)

it just kind of felt like someone voting for one president because the other one wears tacky suits or had big ears--not the point that one should be making their decision over!

but it sounds like you've got deeper issues with the show that do make sense to me so that's cool, it don't matter

[Lyman Zerga]

atleast she defends miley cyrus, you have to give her that!

[Lex Diamonds]

Maybe it's purposefully schlocky/outrageous?...I guess that's possible.
It is, and I believe I addressed that in my above post to you?

Either way, it's an entertaining and well thought-out show. It's not Pinter and it clearly isn't supposed to be. It's just a TV show designed to make as many people like it as possible. Which obviously means it isn't catered towards hypercriticism and won't stand up to it... so why bother? Just enjoy the good parts, fuck.

Also your friend who said "don't try to tell me that trash was art" is a pretentious douchebag. They watched it, and had fun. It's art, that's what art does.

[Dorothy Wood]

It is, and I believe I addressed that in my above post to you?

Either way, it's an entertaining and well thought-out show. It's not Pinter and it clearly isn't supposed to be. It's just a TV show designed to make as many people like it as possible. Which obviously means it isn't catered towards hypercriticism and won't stand up to it... so why bother? Just enjoy the good parts, fuck.

Also your friend who said "don't try to tell me that trash was art" is a pretentious douchebag. They watched it, and had fun. It's art, that's what art does.

You did address it, my apologies for not explicitly referencing you.

I understand that you find the show entertaining, and I have also found the show to be entertaining, but not entertaining enough to keep me watching. I feel like I've explained that in ten different ways.

There's a difference between pretentious and discerning. There's a difference between art and entertainment. It's clear that you don't think so, you generally criticize almost anything I say, and you believe you are the final authority, so we are at an impasse.

[Dorothy Wood]

first, sorry if i came off harsh in my earlier post (got drunk, sorry)

second, the reason i was frustrated is because it sounded like you were dismissing the show for bad reasons (found the science to be inaccurate, which isn't the point of the show), rather than reasonable ones (can't connect to the characters, don't think they behave believably, which is the point of the show, and i'm totally cool with you not liking it for that reason even though i don't agree with you personally)

it just kind of felt like someone voting for one president because the other one wears tacky suits or had big ears--not the point that one should be making their decision over!

but it sounds like you've got deeper issues with the show that do make sense to me so that's cool, it don't matter

Ok thanks for understanding. But you gotta admit they kinda set themselves up for being scientifically accurate, what with the periodic table font and all the lab stuff. And like randy said, Walt's a science teacher. Anyway....

[Lex Diamonds]

You did address it, my apologies for not explicitly referencing you.

I understand that you find the show entertaining, and I have also found the show to be entertaining, but not entertaining enough to keep me watching. I feel like I've explained that in ten different ways.

There's a difference between pretentious and discerning. There's a difference between art and entertainment. It's clear that you don't think so, you generally criticize almost anything I say, and you believe you are the final authority, so we are at an impasse.
Don't be so passive aggressive- there's no need to put words in my mouth. Why would I believe I was the final authority and then engage in a debate? That would be really stupid. I'm just applying my own aggressive logic in response to what you're saying, that shouldn't cause you to back down or launch a personal attack on me.

I genuinely think that television drama is included as one of "the arts", although you being an American I can understand why you would feel differently, the amount of bullshit you guys are subjected to. I know people in the UK television industry and they take their art very seriously, even if the end product is whimsical or "schlocky" or whatever you feel to call it.

[ProfJIM]

Both TV and American movie making are very important arts. They are part of our cultural fabric.

[Dorothy Wood]

Shut the fuck up, you arrogant piece of shit.

How was that? Still too passive? Am I saying the right thing yet? ;)

[ProfJIM]

(y)

[ProfJIM]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-i-helped-bring-real-science-breaking-bad

http://collider.com/breaking-bad-science/

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/23/144190095/the-science-behind-breaking-bad

[Bob]

is there not bad television in britain

[Burnout18]

The sopranos left such a bad taste in my mouth that expectations are very low for series finales. That being said, breaking bad was satisfying.

I thought it was more important that he found a way to get walt jr his drug money than anything else. Killing the Nazis and Lydia was just closure for the audience. And Todd surviving the shooting, just for jesse to kill him was, again, nothing but satisfying to see.

The wire remains my favorite show of all time. Walter white got way too lucky for way too long, but fuck it, breaking bad was great to watch! Excellent TV.

[abbott]

finished it on Monday. 1.5 months for the series. I liked it, but not sure how I will feel about it in a week.

[Lyman Zerga]

Breaking Bad as a sitcom... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6v-ApehVbc&feature=player_embedded):D

still makes me laugh. hard.


what i loved about breaking bad is how goddamn morally complicated it was.

to me way more important than all that 'realistic or not' detail questions


glad i finally got a chance to see the end and also be able to read this whole thread
wish that show could go on forever but i was pretty satified on how the end turned out

that a beastie boys song got used earlier was sweet too