Breaking Bad on AMC (2 Viewers)

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Breaking Bad in the running for #2 but can't catch The Wire

Deadwood beats them both.

oofone great season and one mediocre season doesn't compete, IMO but I did like the show a lot.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Does anyone who watches this show like Hank?

Love Hank. He's about the only character on the show worth rooting for.

Hank treats everybody like crap and puts his family's life at risk with no consideration at all. If he dies I'll be

Hank is one of the few likable characters in the show.This is another area that separates this show from The Wire, IMO. Wire doesn't have annoying characters in it like Skylar or Flynn or Hank's wife, etc.

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

wow, this thread really went south quickly.

 

[Dvorak]

Breaking Bad in the running for #2 but can't catch The Wire

Deadwood beats them both.

oofone great season and one mediocre season doesn't compete, IMO but I did like the show a lot.

Calamity Jane's scenes beat just about anything on TV.Hector's trip to the DEA topped those, handily.

 

[parrot]

Does anyone who watches this show like Hank?

Love Hank. He's about the only character on the show worth rooting for.

Hank treats everybody like crap and puts his family's life at risk with no consideration at all. If he dies I'll be

Hank is one of the few likable characters in the show.This is another area that separates this show from The Wire, IMO. Wire doesn't have annoying characters in it like Skylar or Flynn or Hank's wife, etc.

I don't know. If the bullet had killed Kima the series certainly wouldn't have been any worse for it, IMO. I think Kima and her nagging wife, not to mention Beady, were plenty up there in the annoying department.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

BB may have the best character ever on tv though in Saul Goodman.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Really thought Jesse was going to trash his stereo system at the end.

Hard to believe the homeless dudes didn't steal it.

 

[Abraham]

BB may have the best character ever on tv though in Saul Goodman.

Saul is awesome. When you need a criminal attorney, you need a CRIMINAL attorney.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Oh and this exact same setup (must set up a dummy corp / get a business) was done in Weeds. So either this is actually what you need to do and you can honestly get away with it or they stole it from that show. How can one purchase a business for a few hundred thousand dollars in cash without having a job and when the IRS comes to you can you explain where this cash came from?

IRS wont care. They will be running millions of dollars through the car washes books and paying taxes on it. IRS will be happy.

So the IRS doesn't care if you purchase a business with drug money as long as you later pay taxes on it? Good to know.

Pretty much. What the IRS notices are changes to account balances, not what is purchased. If Walt was able to secure a loan through Saul then the IRS would be none the wiser.

 

[SacramentoBob]

The characters in the Wire are much more realistic than the Breaking Bad characters.

 

[SacramentoBob]

Also, President Obama likes The Wire. Never heard him come out in support of Breaking Bad. Check and mate.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

BB may have the best character ever on tv though in Saul Goodman.

Walt: “What are you offering me?”Saul: “What did Tom Hagen do for Vito Corleone?”Walt: “I’m no Vito Corleone.”Saul: “No ####! Right now you’re Fredo!” “I’m just gonna call you Skyler if that’s ok. It’s a lovely name, reminds me of a… big beautiful sky. Walt never told me how lucky he was, prior to recent unfortunate events. Clearly his taste in women is the same as his taste in lawyers: “Only the very best, with just the right amount of dirty.”

 

[jdoggydogg]

Breaking Bad in the running for #2 but can't catch The Wire

Deadwood beats them both.

oofone great season and one mediocre season doesn't compete, IMO but I did like the show a lot.

In no universe did Deadwood have a mediocre season. I'd give you two great seasons with a final good season. That's it.

 

[Walton Goggins]

The Wire is also a lot less far-fetched, in fact it was almost never far fetched.

Hamsterdam wasn't far-fetched? Or McNulty just happening to be the guy who discovered the body in the bay? Or Herc's camera? Loved The Wire, but there was plenty of far-fetched stuff.

There was a study done at Dartmouth some years ago looking at the possibility of drug free zones in the U.S. And such things occur overseas, it is hardly far-fetched conceptually.McNulty finding the body is a coincidence in story telling. He was on the boat patrol, he had opportunity and capability to find a floater.

Did they study the possibility of setting up a drug free zone in the middle of an inner city and keeping it a secret for any length of time?And I would say debris landing in Walt's pool was just as much a coincidence of story-telling as McNulty finding this floater that just happened to tie into all this other stuff.

I think you're seeing what you want to see.

Pretty sure that is what the arts are all about guy.

Not when you're critiquing said arts, guy.

Serious Business

Not sure what you're saying here; you roll in say things like "The Wire is superior in almost every way..." and then start listing those ways, and then get pissy because someone questions if you are being completely fair? Get over yourself,guy.

I actually explained myself quite well in answering your initial volley. You seem to really be wrapped up in grading things that are subjective in nature. If you like Breaking bad better, I'm fine with it. Really I am. Goggins>any chance you stop :stalking: me any time soon? You've taken the word dooshbagery to a whole new level lately, not really surprising.

Not stalking, I'm a regular poster on this thread. You aren't. I also don't leave personal messages in your inbox as you seem to do. Think you need to spend more time preparing for the Rangers game instead of messing up another thread.

 

[Walton Goggins]

Breaking Bad in the running for #2 but can't catch The Wire

Deadwood beats them both.

oofone great season and one mediocre season doesn't compete, IMO but I did like the show a lot.

As for Wire vs BB I can't see how you can compare them. Wire works as a separate show each season whereas you can't just pick out one season of BB and take it as a separate show. That's taking nothing away from either show, they just aren't the same so comparing them doesn't really seem to work.

 

[Walton Goggins]

BB may have the best character ever on tv though in Saul Goodman.

Saul is awesome. When you need a criminal attorney, you need a CRIMINAL attorney.

Can never have enough Saul

 

[Charlie Frown]

Nan you guys shut up about the Wire. Or at least use spoiler tags. I just started season two.

 

[ArcticEdge]

The Wire is also a lot less far-fetched, in fact it was almost never far fetched.

Hamsterdam wasn't far-fetched? Or McNulty just happening to be the guy who discovered the body in the bay? Or Herc's camera? Loved The Wire, but there was plenty of far-fetched stuff.

There was a study done at Dartmouth some years ago looking at the possibility of drug free zones in the U.S. And such things occur overseas, it is hardly far-fetched conceptually.McNulty finding the body is a coincidence in story telling. He was on the boat patrol, he had opportunity and capability to find a floater.

Did they study the possibility of setting up a drug free zone in the middle of an inner city and keeping it a secret for any length of time?And I would say debris landing in Walt's pool was just as much a coincidence of story-telling as McNulty finding this floater that just happened to tie into all this other stuff.

I think you're seeing what you want to see.

Pretty sure that is what the arts are all about guy.

Not when you're critiquing said arts, guy.

Serious Business

Not sure what you're saying here; you roll in say things like "The Wire is superior in almost every way..." and then start listing those ways, and then get pissy because someone questions if you are being completely fair? Get over yourself,guy.

I actually explained myself quite well in answering your initial volley. You seem to really be wrapped up in grading things that are subjective in nature. If you like Breaking bad better, I'm fine with it. Really I am. Goggins>any chance you stop :stalking: me any time soon? You've taken the word dooshbagery to a whole new level lately, not really surprising.

Not stalking, I'm a regular poster on this thread. You aren't. I also don't leave personal messages in your inbox as you seem to do. Think you need to spend more time preparing for the Rangers game instead of messing up another thread.

Oh snap!

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

Nan you guys shut up about the Wire. Or at least use spoiler tags. I just started season two.

my favorite part of that season is toward the end, when Stringer Bell fights the robot hookers.

 

[Fiddles]

Funny the actress that plays skylar was in deadwood. That's a damn fine resume right there. I would put those 2 under the wire. You just can't touch the wire. All 3 are amazing though.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Goggins>any chance you stop :stalking: me any time soon? You've taken the word dooshbagery to a whole new level lately, not really surprising.

Not stalking, I'm a regular poster on this thread. You aren't. I also don't leave personal messages in your inbox as you seem to do. Think you need to spend more time preparing for the Rangers game instead of messing up another thread.

Oh snap!

Too bad Goggins doesn't know the difference between PMs and a profile comment. I'll leave you one too...wait for it...ETA: Done

 

[dude]

the wire > BB

 

[SacramentoBob]

Accepting all profile comments.

 

[Big_Russel]

Nan you guys shut up about the Wire. Or at least use spoiler tags. I just started season two.

It's not like we said that ;spoiler: Mcnulty commits suicide. Or that Cutty kills Avon. :/spoiler:

 

[Raider Nation]

Nan you guys shut up about the Wire. Or at least use spoiler tags. I just started season two.

It's not like we said that ;spoiler: Mcnulty commits suicide. Or that Cutty kills Avon. :/spoiler:

I couldn't believe it when Omar slashed Bunk's throat in the interrogation room. How the hell did he get a knife in there??

 

[Daywalker]

Breaking Bad in the running for #2 but can't catch The Wire

Deadwood beats them both.

oofone great season and one mediocre season doesn't compete, IMO but I did like the show a lot.

As for Wire vs BB I can't see how you can compare them. Wire works as a separate show each season whereas you can't just pick out one season of BB and take it as a separate show. That's taking nothing away from either show, they just aren't the same so comparing them doesn't really seem to work.

You compare them by which one were you more excited to see come Sunday. This past season of BB brought anticipation levels that were last reached when the Soprano's was on.

 

[Abraham]

Watching "One Minute" on Netflix right now.

Perhaps the best episode of a TV show ever.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Watching "One Minute" on Netflix right now.Perhaps the best episode of a TV show ever.

Mad Men's "Shut the Door, Have a Seat" holds that title.

 

[Sebowski]

Has anyone compared Breaking Bad to The Wire yet?

Think the consensus was The Wire and BB were very close up until this past season of BB. There was a five week run where BB challenged anything ever filmed. Season four of The Wire is marvelous but this past season of BB surpassed it. IMO this past season of BB is tops with season four of The Wire the second best season of television ever. Overall BB the best ever with The Wire a close second.

The Wire is superior in almost every way. Much better character development, you get to know several characters over several seasons and there is a lot of people to root for and against. Breaking Bad was one main character, a couple of secondary characters and then a lot of characters who never really broke through. Gus was probably the most intriguing character but Mike was a guy that we probably could have known better while Skylar is someone we really knew too much about. The writing and story telling in the Wire is unmatched, it was synthesized to the degree that you felt compelled to be involved in the story. The Wire is also a lot less far-fetched, in fact it was almost never far fetched. The Wire's only real reach was the serial killer angle which failed badly but Breaking Bad had the airplane and the body parts in the pool, Walt running the drug dealers down out of no where, Gus sensing a bomb on his car and brainless Gus adjusting his tie. Breaking Bad has more imagination but it also lacked realism at times but that is what 2011 television does best I guess. Yeah it was great, yeah it is the best show on TV right now and yes it is as well shot as any show ever...but it lags behind the Wire IMO. Better than the Sopranos? That might be a better conversation. Related more to whitey? Sure, a lot of people still miss some of the nuances in the Wire which hurt its mainstream appeal and also made the critics pass it over when it should have swept everything at the awards shows.

This last season though can definitely compete with anything, ever, as far as being just brilliant TV. Had every season been that complete I think there might be an argument for it being as good or better than the Wire. But the Wire resonates like Breaking Bad never will, the social and economic implications alone make it as well-thought and presented as any information in any medium. Like Shakespeare maybe, something profound and complex to the degree it is a living thing onto itself.

I love The Wire. Amazing in a PC age that show did not clean up. It's very close which one is my fav. If The Wire was the best show ever we would have a 20 page thread saying so. We don't. We have a 20 page thread saying BB is the tops. The Wire is tremendous but BB is much more accessible and therefore since it's so close between the two it's actually not close. BB is the best show ever.

1. I contribute to this 20 page thread quite a bit, I love Breaking Bad, and I think Cranston's performance is easily one of the more amazing acting performances I've ever seen. And I think The Wire is the better show overall and it's not close.2. Accessibility is a silly criteria. I assume that's self-evident.

And most importantly ...

3. Regarding the bolded, you are absolutely correct. We don't have a 20 page thread about it. We have a 45 page thread.

But other than that, great argument.

Here's an idea:How about you Wire dorks post about it in the 45 page thread then, and quit junking up this one?

Here's an idea:How about you let people have whatever discussions they choose that happen to stem naturally from the main thread topic, and just scroll past posts if they don't interest you instead of whining about them?

I tend to agree with this line of thinking, but The Wire is still on my to-do list and I'm getting spoilers out the yin yang right here. Trying to scroll through, but some sneak up. Start a Wire vs. BB thread or put it to rest already.

 

[ArcticEdge]

BB may have the best character ever on tv though in Saul Goodman.

Saul is awesome. When you need a criminal attorney, you need a CRIMINAL attorney.

Can never have enough Saul

What about Skinny and Badger..? They need to bring those guys back.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Listened to the podcast for last weeks episode....here's a few points that I pulled out

1. It was very ambiguous as to whether or not Ted actually died. They didn't really say either way

2. The scene in the open field was actually spliced together to provide the dramatic sun/cloud/shade effect. There was about 60 seconds in the middle that was taken out

3. The "A-Team" are actually two comedians in real life. The big dude was on Last Comic Standing

4. The original mention of "the disappearer" in episode 4 was shot after the fact when they realized that Walt would be referencing it later in the season.

Did he do well?

 

[Harry Manback]

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman and Walter White respectively.

 

[ArcticEdge]

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman and Walter White respectively.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Walt Heizenberger definitely did it. No doubt about it. It will be interesting to see how he did it. remember the coffin shot in crawl space?? That was the death of Walter White (who would not have hurt a child).

Understandably, there is an unwillingness to believe Walt, the main character we still believe is still good deep down, will do anything reprehensible. But he already has. He will do whatever it takes to survive. The territory this show wants to mine is a man's descent into darkness. Maybe there will be some redemption eventually, but for now the assumption should be that he will committ evil and do whatever it takes to protect himself.

Just finished the last episode - Walt is who we thought we was.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

So what if, and this is a crazy theory so hear me out, there's no hidden mystery behind the whole poisoning? It's already been spelled out for us in the narrative (Walt helping Jesse figure it out, we knew Gus was going to give a "response," etc.) Is there a reason this particular plot point has to be treated (by us) differently than every other?If that's the case and next week everything moves along under the assumptions that have already been made clear (but we never see a flashback to Gus or Tyrus poisoning the kid,) is this going to turn into a Sopranos/Members Only jacket thing that will be debated forever? I'm taking everything at it's face. I took the Gus thing at the end as Gus thinking about how Jesse said the kid was poisoned. That tipped Gus off. Ricin is undetectable, so the doctor's couldn't have figured it out (that quick, at least.) Jesse knowing it was poison means Jesse figured out the poison he was hiding was gone and figuring out it was Gus' response. But Jesse not accusing Gus outright and being pissed at him, was a tip off to Gus that Jesse was hiding something. He just put two and two together as he walked to the car. Then was just simply pondering the situation and what might be the next steps (for him and as well as anticipating Walt and Jesse's next move.) Then he was returning to the hospoital to confront Jesse, maybe?Maybe the whole "coincedence" of Gus not going to the car was just meant for dramatic effect, not to show Gus as omniscient.

I think you're reading too much into this - he knew the only reason Jesse would know about ricin would be if he were planning to kill him and that Walt was the one who had synthesized it. He knows Walt is capable of making a bomb so he decided to be safe and not take his car.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Kind of a weak way to show the poisoning too. Was no reason to do the close up. It was obvious when they showed the plant.

You would like to think that the audience picked it up from the first shot, but there may be some people that need it spelled out.

That really bugged me. Should have just had a shot of the backyard and then fade to credits...

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

The writing on this show makes me wonder how Gilligan ####ed up The Lone Gunmen so bad.

 

[Raider Nation]

I think it would have been more dramatic if Gus died after Skyler sits on him. Or if Flynn bored him to death.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Why is there another season? Seems like the perfect end. Walt's provided for his family with the car wash. There's no more lab. Walt doesn't have any distribution. DEA will consider the case closed.Loved the episode, but think a fifth season will feel forced.

As much as I love the show I hope that was the final episode.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Why is there another season? Seems like the perfect end. Walt's provided for his family with the car wash. There's no more lab. Walt doesn't have any distribution. DEA will consider the case closed.Loved the episode, but think a fifth season will feel forced.

Walt isn't finished yet. He'll be drawn back to distribution for buttloads of cash, which will catapult him onto the Feds radar. Plus there's Mike. He could end up as an assassin or a henchman. And then there's Hank, who I fully expect to be walking next season. At least his laundry lab theory is going to be validated. And last but not least, Jesse might finally wake up and be mad.

The 5th is going to be an anti-climatic downer if that happens.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

And I'm left being sympathetic to gus who , it appears, was Going to let walt live.

Gus was never going to kill Walt once his BIL was onto him. At some point Walt realized it too but simply wanted to 'win' at any cost.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

You can question whether Huell (who until now has been depicted as a clumsy oaf and not in any way an A-Teamer) would be able to successfully lift the cigarette (or swap in a different pack) without Jesse noticing, and also about how Walter White might have gained access to Brock and gotten him to eat the berries. But overall it's the much more plausible angle of the two - and makes several seemingly-sketchy moments last week more logical in hindsight. I buy Gus's Spidey-sense moment much more if he played no role in the poisoning and is wondering why Jesse is telling him about it in such an accusatory way than I did when I was under the mistaken belief that he did it. (Though Gilligan gives a good argument for why he thinks Gus's reaction works either way.)

It's also possible that Huell's behavior is simply part of an act to make him seem incompetent so he can pull off things like that when necessary without drawing suspicion. After all, the other half of the 'A-Team', Bill Burr's character, is very good at his job.

 

[Raider Nation]

Rhymes is on a nice little HIPPLE run...

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Well clearly, they need money at this point. BUT...They don't have a lab to cook in, and don't have the capital to get it going again. I'm sure the car wash will go under soon since they don't have all of the illegal $ coming in. That coudl be the red flag that actually tips Hank off (i.e. it was doing great, then all of a sudden it's bankrupt). My guess is that alot of the last season will be Walt just trying whatever he can to clear up his mess (money, tie to Gus, Jessie, Saul, marriage, etc).

I'm probably 100% wrong though, I always suck at predicting these things

Why would it go under when Skyler was saying it would be profitable in a month or two and that it was in operation for 30 years?

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

Why is there another season? Seems like the perfect end. Walt's provided for his family with the car wash. There's no more lab. Walt doesn't have any distribution. DEA will consider the case closed.Loved the episode, but think a fifth season will feel forced.

As much as I love the show I hope that was the final episode.

Well, we know it isn't. Also, it can't be. Walt doesn't win in the end.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

And if the goal is to ultimately have Walt become Scarface, you can't have Scarface's boss around anymore.Exactly. At a certain point, you have to kill off Robert Loggia so Al Pacino can rise to prominence.

So it's going to be that predictable then? Jesse kills kingpin Walt?

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Why is there another season? Seems like the perfect end. Walt's provided for his family with the car wash. There's no more lab. Walt doesn't have any distribution. DEA will consider the case closed.Loved the episode, but think a fifth season will feel forced.

As much as I love the show I hope that was the final episode.

Well, we know it isn't. Also, it can't be. Walt doesn't win in the end.

We know that but I think it's going to be disappointing TV.

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Rhymes is on a nice little HIPPLE run...

Rhyming...complete.

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

Why is there another season? Seems like the perfect end. Walt's provided for his family with the car wash. There's no more lab. Walt doesn't have any distribution. DEA will consider the case closed.Loved the episode, but think a fifth season will feel forced.

As much as I love the show I hope that was the final episode.

Well, we know it isn't. Also, it can't be. Walt doesn't win in the end.

We know that but I think it's going to be disappointing TV.

It's just hard to see where that pessimism is coming from. They haven't let us down yet. I certainly think the inevitable showdown with Hank has awesome potential.

 

[Raider Nation]

/BBwithdrawal