Breaking Bad, did it ever almost "jump the shark"?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by kevintomb, Jun 4, 2014.

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  1. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    I didn't read the whole thread, but wasn't being completely over the top part of the essence of this show? From the opening scene in the first episode? It was like a wild amusement ride with crazy, funny, dark connections: I loved Jessie's crazy friends rapping about the Star Trek transporter, but perhaps I already said that here.
    It had such a crazy pace that it set a new standard for non-stop entertainment, hi-jinx and insanity. That's why I loved it!
     
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  2. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    No. Wait for the media to become available. I did wait for BB series to finish then I binged watched it all.
    Definitely BCS is a quality show and it's nice to see the characters back story related to BB. BCS, prefer season 3.
    Just curious on others opinions.
    Anybody I know has never heard of BCS.
     
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2018
  3. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    Certainly I can understand if you slightly differ w/ D.V.D. thing, and I see Lear as a genius too. HSB.. fine, just didn't hit pay dirt with me..
     
  4. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    With strength ... it is all tied in, super so far overall. Thankful it's there..
    Vince Gilligan is a master in so many ways.
     
  5. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Would have preferred BCS to cut to the chase with s1&2 and condensed it into Season 3.
     
  6. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    that's ok .. personally I'm enjoying the development of each character the way he does it.
     
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  7. JimW

    JimW In the Process of Becoming

    Location:
    Charlottesville VA
    I wasn't differing actually- just pointing out that when considering "the best ever," we often forget how powerful some things were long ago. But it's almost impossible to compare, given the huge difference in production values and the cultural context.

    Just you mentioning Bogey, Cagney and Edward G. struck that nerve (and Bogey is probably my all-time fave actor).

    But when I think about it, for me anyway, Hill Street Blues was the most innovative, most powerful series that I've experienced. It wasn't as thrilling as BB, as realistic (though close) or as complex as The Wire. But it's gritty realism set the stage for the more realistic contemporary shows- as well as showing that story arcs could last a whole season, if not more. And it's display of a plethora of cultural issues was and still is unmatched imo.

    Just like All in the Family was a more revealing look at our culture- and also a force of change- that Seinfeld never achieved.

    I'm not saying that means they're better (though for me, they are), just that many great older shows are never even considered in our current idea of "best ever." They're really "best of contemporary."

    Older films seem to get more respect. But then, that could be while TV is getting better, cinema is getting worse. Not to say there aren't still great films, but there seems to be a lot more dross.
     
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  8. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    Then there was MASH and Carole Burnett...
    Yep, so often seems older is better, certainly not always as we know..
    The scripts were generally much better, actors better, production value, etc..
    Anyway, I digress - Great! We can agree on Humphrey Bogart as the best Actor ever.
    I started a H.B. thread here somewhere in Visual, prob on 2 or 3.. Got some superb
    classic radio shows!
     
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2018
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  9. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    That other series that was on for a few years was absolutely BRILLIANT!
    It was called: "Rectify" .. geese, another stone cold favorite. Really deeply touched me.
     
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  10. etzeppy

    etzeppy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas, US
    It "touched me" too. There are have been a number of great TV shows in the recent past that I absolutely loved. However, I can't think of any that "touched me" the way Rectify did. There was just something about it.
     
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  11. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    Oh yeah, certainly I try and implore folks to watch it .. most don't. Sad. It is just has devastating performances, and the living vicariously, trying to possibly imagine what Daniel is going through.. the show just kills me. Never been to prison.. and the Kermit parts tore me up. The friendship.. especially the hospital dream sequence :p.
    The ending was just perfect... like B.B.
     
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  12. JimW

    JimW In the Process of Becoming

    Location:
    Charlottesville VA
    Well- you guys have convinced me. Looks like it's on NF, so I'll give it a go. I've never even heard of it before.
     
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  13. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    I agree with much of this.

    Mike was and is definitely a great character. The Half-Measures speech is definitely one of his best moments ever, as is the interrogation scene with Hank and Gomez early in Season 5. "Forget your handcuffs?"
     
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  14. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    And even though Gomez had zero instincts (he doubted every Hank theory had, most of which turned out to be right), he did have some great lines.

    When the second cousin is dying, his delivery of the "burn in hell, you piece of ****" line is perfect.

    The "Hey" to Dennis the lawyer.

    And my favorite, in the aforementioned interrogation scene, where he tells Mike, "One of your guys is gonna roll on you, and then we'll definitely remember the handcuffs."
     
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  15. mrbobdobalina

    mrbobdobalina Forum Resident

    Location:
    Not here
    Plus it has the incredibly beautiful Abigail Spencer in it. That's almost reason enough right there to watch it. And she's brilliant as Amantha.
     
  16. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    I liked his timing in playing the butt of Hank's humor, too. Like after Hank survives the assault by the Tuco cousins and is lying in the hospital bed. He motions for Gomez to come to the edge of the bed and put his ear to Hank's mouth. Sure enough Hank just calls him an *******, but Gomez plays it to perfection.
     
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  17. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    All good comments.. :righton:
    G R E A T fun thread.
     
  18. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    Oh yeah, absolutely a very intense actress. She played that role so well, with the wide range of emotions that would wipe a person out with all she had going on.
     
  19. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    For sure, the actor that played Gomez did a really good job. Gomez the DEA agent seemed to have awful instincts, however. Even if the interrogation scene with Mike, he overplays his hand early, which leads Mike to play the "you want to state that to the camera?" card. Even Hank knows it and puts his hand over his face a little and glances at Gomez almost in a "you just overplayed your hand" kinda way.
     
  20. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Breaking Bad series available again on Blu Ray/DVD. New cover box by the looks of it.
     
  21. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    I wonder if they use the nice 4k transfers seen on Netflix or the kinda crappy ones used on previous blu-rays.
     
  22. NettleBed

    NettleBed Forum Transient

    Location:
    new york city
    IMO jumped completely in the last season; everything from the neo-nazis onward. Ozymandias was probably the worst episode of the series. Breaking Bad? How about "breaking character" so that the ending Vince Gilligan wanted could be shoehorned into the narrative? So sloppily done.
     
  23. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Same old, new shiny box methinks.
    So much for the Anniversary.
     
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  24. Yes, any story that takes half a decade tends to get convoluted. Overall it was worthwhile.
     
  25. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Hollywood Reporter named Breaking Bad the #2 best show of all time:
    The X-Files - Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows

    Rolling Stone named it the #3 best show of all time:
    100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time – Rolling Stone

    Empire magazine put it at the #2 best show of all time:
    The 50 Best TV Shows Ever

    And IGN placed Breaking Bad as the #4 show of all time:
    Top 100 TV Shows of All Time - IGN.com

    But perhaps the experts here are far more thoughtful, insightful, and intelligent than these other critics.
     
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