Breaking Bad, The Sopranos or The Wire

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by marke, Nov 24, 2012.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    I didn't find any of the characters annoying in the context of the story that is.
     
  2. Evil-link

    Evil-link Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austria
    I see, that's fine
     
  3. Tristero

    Tristero In possession of the future tense

    Location:
    MI
    I enjoy watching Game of Thrones for the most part, but it relies a lot more on spectacle, violence and sex, sometimes in a gratuitous way. (I have a pretty strong stomach for the dark stuff overall, but there have been times where they went over the top with the shock value, particularly where Ramsay Bolton was concerned.) As you say, it's compelling world building, good entertainment to get lost in, but it doesn't have the same kind of thematic depth or character development as shows like Mad Men or The Wire.
     
    Evil-link likes this.
  4. Evil-link

    Evil-link Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austria
    absolutely agree with everything you said.
     
  5. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    We all have preferences. At 1st, hearing that someone's considering selling their box set of the Wire seemed practically blasphemous! But than as I continued reading the thread I realized I feel the same way about about another series that's considered one of the greatest; Breaking Bad. I've NEVER felt that compulsion to watch any episode more than once. Honestly couldn't say how many times I've watched the Sopranos, Deadwood, or Band of Brothers (a few box sets I own) but with BB, it was always one and done. I feel the exact same way about Better Call Saul. While recognizing that these are high quality shows, they simply don't click for me. BUT....I'm curious as to why he bought the Wire box set in the 1st Place!?
     
  6. Evil-link

    Evil-link Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austria
    I wouldn't call Breaking Bad and even less Better Call Saul high quality shows, more like good hyped Shows.
     
  7. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Yeah it's kind of weird to see a weird guy( character actor ) playing a sort of heroic hoodlum with morals, but still a hoodlum. :)
     
    George Co-Stanza likes this.
  8. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    The show I've watched the most, four times :agree: ( yeah I don't have life:))is Breaking Bad. so guess that's my favorite TV series.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2018
    George Co-Stanza likes this.
  9. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    I'm a THE WIRE fanboy but I acknowledge it's a big ask: sixty-ish hours of immersion in a growing series of organizations: cops, gangs, unions, schools, city hall and the newsroom, with a couple wild cards thrown in: Bubbles the heroin junkie and Omar the stick-up artist. By Season Five you're expected to recognize about eighty people on sight.

    And the show does not engage in the usual rehash scenes, where everything is conveniently explained for a neophyte. You've been paying attention or you haven't. A friend starting watching with me midstream and I was surprised how much background I had to provide. And we were only in Season Two.

    That said, I've never seen a series that took more advantage of its length to invest in its characters. The story arc of Bubbles would be an Oscar-caliber movie of its own. There are several fan-edited "Super Cuts" of THE WIRE characters on You Tube, each compiling the appearances of an individual character through all five seasons.

    But what I found most satisfying was the dialog, sort of a Shakespearean cornerboy. The scene where pit boss D'angelo explains chess to cornerboys Wallace and Bodie: "The pawns, man, they out quick. They be out the game early." Omar dropping a broken mantle clock on the counter of Prop Joe's legitimate repair shop, explaining "It's outta time." Avon musing over his hospitalized, comatose brother, wondering how anyone can avoid being, just once, "a little slow, a little late."

    Damn, now I'm going to have to re-up and watch it all again!
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2018
    Complier, MartinR, Scotian and 4 others like this.
  10. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    This.
     
  11. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    I think you've convinced me to watch it all again as well. The writing and acting in this show is just mesmerizing in conveying realism, and one thing you didn't touch on is the way it makes the city of Baltimore its own character. I had friends living there when I was living in DC, and I'd often visit them for the weekend. Baltimore is a scary place that is hard to understand, and this show managed to make a character of it, every bit as effectively as it made a character of Bubbles or Omar or Prop Joe, or any of the homocide detectives. Really an amazing achievement. I still would rate Sopranos higher but The Wire is head and shoulders above BB.
     
    Dave S, JimW and Dave Hoos like this.
  12. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Nuff said!!!
    I was expecting a ten year anniversary box set out, still time ...Christmas, nice.
     
  13. Dave Hoos

    Dave Hoos Nothing is revealed

    And you've convinced me to rewatch it now too. Not that I needed an excuse.

    Of the three shows listed in the OP, I have The Wire on top, just ahead of The Sopranos. I have Breaking Bad a fair way below those two.

    My personal favourite is Deadwood, and I will never forgive them for ending the show several seasons too early.
     
  14. TheSeldomSeenKid

    TheSeldomSeenKid Forum Resident

    There was a change in Management at HBO at the time, and the new President did not want to let the Series continue(thus never having a proper ending). All the Sets were torn down, so could not resume the Series even a few years later.

    Good news though according to Kim Dickens on Talking FOTWD Show, now that her character had been killed off, she mentioned that a Deadwood Movie is going to be made as she has been contacted, although not officially verified yet, so let's hope it will get done.
     
    Dave Hoos and JimW like this.
  15. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    This rumor's been swirling around for a long time! Don't get me wrong, I am all in on a Deadwood project of ANY kind! I also heard the sets had been destroyed but than I heard (HERE!!) that they weren't and have been used in other projects, so who knows? As recently as last year I read an interview with W. Earl Brown (Dan) where he said he read the script submitted to HBO by David Milch for the new project and that it brought him to tears! Keeping my fkg fingers crossed!;)
     
    Dave Hoos, JimW and TheSeldomSeenKid like this.
  16. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Deadwood
    Actors getting old, project getting delayed ..not enough pull to get it made. Original series, I re-watched it awhile back and it was damn good. Guess this is as good as it's gonna get !!!!!!
     
  17. I watched 1.5 episodes of Breaking Bad. That's enough.
    The Soprano's is the best tv show I've seen. Wonderful character development.
     
    mr. steak and GregM like this.
  18. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    I couldn't make it past the first BB episode for about two years. Seeing Cranston marching around in his tighty whities was exactly the campiness I didn't need in a crime drama about methheads. But that's just part of the frivolity you have to accept with this show, and eventually I was able to appreciate it all, even with the amateur touches and campiness. I think some people really admire that. To me it's not as bad on repeat viewing as the halting, painful speech that both Jesse and Walt descend into for long stretches of the show. Jesse with constipated look on face: "So...like..[fill in overly sarcastic impression that mischaracterizes what Walt told him here]...and...like...that's it...man?!" Seriously, I think my 6-year old could have written large portions of this show.

    Agreed on Sopranos. Just otherworldly writing.
     
  19. jlocke08

    jlocke08 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington
    The statements here regarding campiness and poor writing could not be more misguided. The level of writing and character development and progression makes this show number 1. If you’ve only watched 1.5 episodes, I suggest you try again. Just skip past the parts you didn’t enjoy and keep going. It only gets more awesome.
    As for the other two, I put The Wire a couple of degrees ahead of Sopranos.
     
    GMfan87' likes this.
  20. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    While I'd never say BB was bad, I have to admit I've never been a huge fan. Just not my kind of Crime Drama I guess. Also, while I watch it and recognize it's very well done, Better Call Saul isn't must-see TV for me either!
     
  21. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Breaking Bad movie in the works apparently.
     
    mrstats likes this.
  22. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    2 hour film.
     
    mrstats likes this.
  23. the pope ondine

    the pope ondine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia

    I don't know why they would do that, they wrapped it up pretty well....
    deadwood I get they needed to wrap things up and never got the chance
     
    Dave Hoos likes this.
  24. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Agree.What could be accomplished in 120 mins. Vince Gilligan is writing the script.
     
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2018
  25. Brenald79

    Brenald79 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    Spooks did a good movie after the show aired.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine