Breaking Bad Season 5 Thread

[RastaRocket]

Originally Posted by StevenOtero

Plenty of ways to obtain an episode

Haha yep, watching the first 4 seasons.

[AbeBeta]

Yep. Only show that is better is The Wire.

[trickblue]

Finished watching Season 4 last weekend... ready for the fifth and final!

Great show...

[superpunk]

Best show on TV might force me to get cable again.

[EMMITTnROY]

Okay, I'm really not trying to toot my own horn around here, but I just got hired as a new Entertainment writer for the newspaper in Bethany, Oklahoma, and my first article was a review of The Amazing Spider-Man, so I posted my review in that thread. And my second article? A writeup on Breaking Bad, so I'm posting it in this thread.

Breaking Bad: Why You Need To Catch Up On The Best Show On Television

You are officially on the clock. This Sunday at 9pm (Oklahoma Standard Time), the best show on television kicks off its sure to be epic final season. Which means you have precious little time to catch up and see what all the hype is about and why I’m about to make a really bold statement: with apologies to “Dexter”, “Mad Men”, “Game of Thrones” and “Modern Family”, there is currently no better series on television than “Breaking Bad”. So how did a show about a high school chemistry teacher who finds out he has cancer and uses his smarts to start a meth lab with the idea of leaving a lot of cash for his family once he dies become the greatest thing on TV? For those who won’t just take some new entertainment writer’s word for it and need specifics, the following are the top five reasons why you should be watching “Breaking Bad”.

1. The acting. There’s a reason why Bryan Cranston won three straight Emmys for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (coming in September: a fourth straight win, book it). If you are having a hard time believing that the goofy dad from “Malcolm In The Middle” has the acting chops to pull off a morally ambiguous chemistry genius who becomes a serious drug dealer, nobody would fault you. But then again, nobody thought that the Fresh Prince would be nominated for two Oscars when he was making fun of Carlton’s dance moves 20 years ago either. Cranston’s turn as Walter White is the most critically acclaimed and most revelatory performance on the boob tube since James Gandolfini was a therapy bound mafia boss on “The Sopranos”. And it’s not just Cranston. Playing White’s partner in crime, Jesse Pinkman, former “Big Love” alumni Aaron Paul has won an Emmy himself for Best Supporting Actor. The entire cast is sensational, and they stand toe to toe with the cast of “Mad Men” and “Game of Thrones” as the best ensemble in the biz.

2. The writing. How many times have you been watching a show, and a line of dialogue or a plotline that causes you to abandon any sort of suspension of disbelief just makes you roll your eyes? If you’re a fan of any “CSI” series that stars David Caruso, this happens about ten to one hundred times an episode. But I can count on a closed fist the number of times you’ll roll your eyes in response to any of the brilliant writing in “Breaking Bad”. The story feels organic and real, it’s never forced or emotionally manipulative. Any mystery or dangling plotline that is keeping you guessing is always addressed and tied up in a completely unpredictable, but always believable, fashion. For all the prospective writers out there, watching “Breaking Bad” is like taking a master’s class, but without all the awful homework.

3. Brainy entertainment. Rare is the television show that is smart enough to tickle your mind on a deep level while simultaneously entertaining the thrillseeker within. Fellow AMC award winner “Mad Men” is an example of a slow burning show that’s appreciated because of its smart writing and production values, but sometimes it’s as fun as getting a tooth pulled. On the other end of the spectrum, the “True Blood”s and “Real Housewives of New Jersey”s of the world are trashy fun, but have as much brains as Dorothy’s straw-stuffed friend. “Breaking Bad” is the perfect storm of intelligent writing that slowly builds to big payoffs while constantly brimming with high stakes moments, criminal plots, hilarious bits of dialogue and mesmerizing performances.

4. The storyline. Television has long been fascinated with the criminal underworld, but it’s never quite been done like this before. Audiences are used to seeing morally void psychopaths preying on innocent victims, not sweet natured high school teachers dying of cancer delving into darkness. Just as in real life, the deeper Walter White gets his hooks into the drug business, the more dire the consequences. We watch White work his way up the drug food chain, and as he climbs that ladder, the scarier his enemies become, and the more he himself “breaks bad”.

5. Moral ambiguity. One of the most fascinating aspects of “Breaking Bad” is how it is consistently causing the viewer to question its characters’ motivations and actions. Better yet, you can’t help but to imagine yourself in the same situations as these people and wonder what you would do in their circumstances. It’s a theme that “Breaking Bad” thrives on: are these good guys or are these bad guys? Heroes and villains used to be so easy to classify. Sheriff Andy Taylor, definite good guy. The One-Armed Man, definite bad guy. As for Walter White, mild mannered high school science teacher and loving husband and father by day, violent and calculating drug kingpin by night? I’ve watched every single second of “Breaking Bad” since its premiere 4 years ago, and I still have no idea whether he’s a good guy or a bad guy. But I sure do love trying to figure it out.

The clock is ticking. Rush down to your local video store immediately (if you can find one). Borrow the DVD’s from that friend who has been bugging you to watch this show for the past two years. Shift your priorities on your Netflix queue. Sorry, Season 9 of “Project Runway” can wait. Catching up on the best series on television cannot. Tick tock.

[The Ominous]

Comic-Con Poster....hmmm interesting.

[StevenOtero]

Originally Posted by The Ominous

Comic-Con Poster....hmmm interesting.

Cover to a bomb shelter or old missile silo?

[superpunk]

Good review EmmittnRoy

[EMMITTnROY]

Originally Posted by superpunk

Good review EmmittnRoy

Thanks man, appreciate your taking the time to read it and the kudos. Love the Mercury av.

[The Ominous]

Originally Posted by StevenOtero

Cover to a bomb shelter or old missile silo?

Yeah, I thought the same thing. It also looks like a junk yard magnet. Of course the first thing I thought was that it was the Dharma hatch from LOST. haha

[Dodger]

It's definitely one of the best shows on tv, and my DVR has been waiting months to record it.

[mldardy]

Originally Posted by AbeBeta

Yep. Only show that is better is The Wire.

Don't know about this but it's close. BB is closing the gap.

[The Ominous]

Originally Posted by EMMITTnROY

Okay, I'm really not trying to toot my own horn around here, but I just got hired as a new Entertainment writer for the newspaper in Bethany, Oklahoma, and my first article was a review of The Amazing Spider-Man, so I posted my review in that thread. And my second article? A writeup on Breaking Bad, so I'm posting it in this thread.

Breaking Bad: Why You Need To Catch Up On The Best Show On Television

[View Full Quote]

You are officially on the clock. This Sunday at 9pm (Oklahoma Standard Time), the best show on television kicks off its sure to be epic final season. Which means you have precious little time to catch up and see what all the hype is about and why I’m about to make a really bold statement: with apologies to “Dexter”, “Mad Men”, “Game of Thrones” and “Modern Family”, there is currently no better series on television than “Breaking Bad”. So how did a show about a high school chemistry teacher who finds out he has cancer and uses his smarts to start a meth lab with the idea of leaving a lot of cash for his family once he dies become the greatest thing on TV? For those who won’t just take some new entertainment writer’s word for it and need specifics, the following are the top five reasons why you should be watching “Breaking Bad”.

1. The acting. There’s a reason why Bryan Cranston won three straight Emmys for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (coming in September: a fourth straight win, book it). If you are having a hard time believing that the goofy dad from “Malcolm In The Middle” has the acting chops to pull off a morally ambiguous chemistry genius who becomes a serious drug dealer, nobody would fault you. But then again, nobody thought that the Fresh Prince would be nominated for two Oscars when he was making fun of Carlton’s dance moves 20 years ago either. Cranston’s turn as Walter White is the most critically acclaimed and most revelatory performance on the boob tube since James Gandolfini was a therapy bound mafia boss on “The Sopranos”. And it’s not just Cranston. Playing White’s partner in crime, Jesse Pinkman, former “Big Love” alumni Aaron Paul has won an Emmy himself for Best Supporting Actor. The entire cast is sensational, and they stand toe to toe with the cast of “Mad Men” and “Game of Thrones” as the best ensemble in the biz.

2. The writing. How many times have you been watching a show, and a line of dialogue or a plotline that causes you to abandon any sort of suspension of disbelief just makes you roll your eyes? If you’re a fan of any “CSI” series that stars David Caruso, this happens about ten to one hundred times an episode. But I can count on a closed fist the number of times you’ll roll your eyes in response to any of the brilliant writing in “Breaking Bad”. The story feels organic and real, it’s never forced or emotionally manipulative. Any mystery or dangling plotline that is keeping you guessing is always addressed and tied up in a completely unpredictable, but always believable, fashion. For all the prospective writers out there, watching “Breaking Bad” is like taking a master’s class, but without all the awful homework.

3. Brainy entertainment. Rare is the television show that is smart enough to tickle your mind on a deep level while simultaneously entertaining the thrillseeker within. Fellow AMC award winner “Mad Men” is an example of a slow burning show that’s appreciated because of its smart writing and production values, but sometimes it’s as fun as getting a tooth pulled. On the other end of the spectrum, the “True Blood”s and “Real Housewives of New Jersey”s of the world are trashy fun, but have as much brains as Dorothy’s straw-stuffed friend. “Breaking Bad” is the perfect storm of intelligent writing that slowly builds to big payoffs while constantly brimming with high stakes moments, criminal plots, hilarious bits of dialogue and mesmerizing performances.

4. The storyline. Television has long been fascinated with the criminal underworld, but it’s never quite been done like this before. Audiences are used to seeing morally void psychopaths preying on innocent victims, not sweet natured high school teachers dying of cancer delving into darkness. Just as in real life, the deeper Walter White gets his hooks into the drug business, the more dire the consequences. We watch White work his way up the drug food chain, and as he climbs that ladder, the scarier his enemies become, and the more he himself “breaks bad”.

5. Moral ambiguity. One of the most fascinating aspects of “Breaking Bad” is how it is consistently causing the viewer to question its characters’ motivations and actions. Better yet, you can’t help but to imagine yourself in the same situations as these people and wonder what you would do in their circumstances. It’s a theme that “Breaking Bad” thrives on: are these good guys or are these bad guys? Heroes and villains used to be so easy to classify. Sheriff Andy Taylor, definite good guy. The One-Armed Man, definite bad guy. As for Walter White, mild mannered high school science teacher and loving husband and father by day, violent and calculating drug kingpin by night? I’ve watched every single second of “Breaking Bad” since its premiere 4 years ago, and I still have no idea whether he’s a good guy or a bad guy. But I sure do love trying to figure it out.

The clock is ticking. Rush down to your local video store immediately (if you can find one). Borrow the DVD’s from that friend who has been bugging you to watch this show for the past two years. Shift your priorities on your Netflix queue. Sorry, Season 9 of “Project Runway” can wait. Catching up on the best series on television cannot. Tick tock.

Your review forgot to mention how the cinematography has an aesthetic impact on the show itself. The beautiful Albuquerque sunsets and the city is a character by itself. The underworld of ABQ is a character, and that's why Vince Gilligan chose this amazing city. Give respect next time. Albuquerque is to Breaking Bad like Baltimore is to The Wire.

[masomenos]

It is a junk yard magnet.

That's Larry Hankin standing in the middle.

Also know as, this guy:

[The Ominous]

Originally Posted by masomenos

It is a junk yard magnet.

That's Larry Hankin standing in the middle.

Also know as, this guy:

Yeah I right away recognized Junkyard Joe, but didn't quite realize what the object in the middle was.

Oh and EmmittnRoy I was being half sarcastic in my post about Albuquerque, as Breaking Bad tends to also show the nasty side of this city and I know a lot of people are put off by the horrid stuff in the show. That was a great review and if I had never seen Breaking Bad I would definitely watch it after reading that!