Breaking Bad (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

[gosub]

Did Maths til Uni...Never saw != (everyone would use equals with a line through it)

As mentioned, it's a programming thing.

its on a scientifc calculator and used to be in the a level sylabus

 

[Ted Striker]

Cool, anyone else want to add to the debate?

 

[Orang Utan]

=

 

[Smyz]

It's a keyboard-friendly alternative.

 

[Fez909]

!= is a programming thing, and even then it's not universal.

ANYWAY, Ted Striker and Orang Utan are talking the most sense on this segment of BB, even if I don't entirely agree with everything they're saying.

Series 1 for me was boring, except the first and last episodes. The middle bit had to happen, but it was slow and there were lots of mundane shots of Walt coughing and whatever else. It really kicked off at the end of Series 1 and from then on it had been consistently good. Series 4 ending was perfect for me and I was gutted when I found out that they were doing another (I'd rather be left wanting more than have an unsatisfactory ending). But 5 pt 1 was great and allayed all my fears.

It's not better than the Wire, though I think it's better than Sopranos (in story/entertainment terms, rather than drama).

Killing does not equal drama, but nor does talking nor anything else. Drama is how something is performed, not the act itself. You could make having a shit seem dramatic, or being asleep. It's the context that the act happens within and around. So "killing != drama" is both correct and pointless to state.

 

[belboid]

I thought the last episode was incredibly tense and dramatic. Every time Jesse (it is spelt that way, btw - no 'i' involved) appeared I was afraid he was gonna be offed. And his realisation and struggle with what to do to destroy Walt was far more dramatic than any boring old bang bang your dead.

The Soprano's is still the series to best tho, almost never a wrong note, and no character as dull as Walt Jr. Wire comes clse, as does Deadwood - which would be the best show ever, were it not for it being cancelled before the final season.

 

[yardbird]

I've not watched The Wire, but if it's as good as BB (or better) then something tells me I may be sorted as the nights draw in.

The person who did the casting for BB must be chuffed - can't think of a bad choice.

 

[magneze]

So "killing != drama" is both correct and pointless to state.

Context is everything, it made sense in the context in which it was said.

 

[Fez909]

Context is everything, it made sense in the context in which it was said.

It did, apologies.

 

[SpookyFrank]

The person who did the casting for BB must be chuffed - can't think of a bad choice.

IIRC both Jesse and Gus Fring were never intended to be recurring characters, but they were kept in the show because the actors were so good in their roles.

 

[Fez909]

IIRC both Jesse and Gus Fring were never intended to be recurring characters, but they were kept in the show because the actors were so good in their roles.

Jessie was meant to be killed off in series 2 I think.

Someone asked him what he would have done if that had happened (on a recent AMA on Reddit) and he said he thinks his career would have been over and he'd have been sat at home crying watching the rest of the show! I imagine if it wasn't true he would have responded differently.

 

[Fez909]

Series 1 (I just checked)

Jesse was originally supposed to be killed off in season 1 of Breaking bad, if that had happened what do you think you would be doing right now with your career?

My career would be over. And I would be a sobbing mess watching week to week on Breaking Bad.

 

[Orang Utan]

Context is everything, it made sense in the context in which it was said.

No, it didn't! You used programming language that doesn't make any sense. Why would an exclamation mark indicate the negation of what it precedes?

 

[yardbird]

I've saw something with 'Jesse' in - I kept waiting for the character to say bitch!

 

[magneze]

No, it didn't! You used programming language that doesn't make any sense. Why would an exclamation mark indicate the negation of what it precedes?

I blame George Boole.

 

[Dan U]

repost?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

No fucking way

That's amazing

 

[magneze]

 

[Superdupastupor]

repost?

i cant remember when but there was an episode where Ww and flynn were watching scarface and walt said 'everyone dies in this movie, don't they?'

 

[Grandma Death]

Arguably for sure. The Sopranos and The Wire were consistently better, throughout. Just my opinion though... Not to say I didn't enjoy last night's episode!

I've started but not watched the entire series of the wire. The sopranos though I've seen five times. I think BB is definitely up there with the sopranos but it's different in one way. I think BB is much faster paced. It has its weak spots though. Mainly around the credibility of some of the storylines. I think the writing in the sopranos though is head and shoulders above BB in my opinion.

 

[girasol]

I've started but not watched the entire series of the wire. The sopranos though I've seen five times. I think BB is definitely up there with the sopranos but it's different in one way. I think BB is much faster paced. It has its weak spots though. Mainly around the credibility of some of the storylines. I think the writing in the sopranos though is head and shoulders above BB in my opinion.

The Wire is great because it seems real, you don't doubt for a minute all that stuff really happens, might as well be a documentary , The Sopranos is more about the characters and family/relationships. Both are superb at what they do. Why was breaking bad so promising? It started off as a critique on the health system, as well as a look into meth manufacturing, which was fascinating. Not sure what it ended up as... Feels like it got lost along the way somewhere.

On a side note, my favourite seasons of The Wire are 1 and 4...

 

[xslavearcx]

whats all this breaking bad hate thats starting to break out here??

the wire season 5 was utter shite. the characters weren't really up to much on the wire in comparison to BB. it wins on the realism front and in its exposure of the inner workings of various aspects of the city of baltimore and so on but all that means is that its not really directly comparable to BB (kinda like trying to say who the best football player in the world is when comparing a defender with a striker say). I'd say the sopranos and BB are more comparable by being more about characters, and maybe its true that overall there are better characters on sopranos, there are no walter juniors for instance. But at the same time, there are no comparable character transformations, the main characters start of as gangsters and remain so at the end, tony soprano has a wee guilt trip here and there and in the realm of phantasy seems to think of alternatives in the theraputic arena, but ultimatetly he remains the same till the very end. The main character of breaking bad, walt, has a vast change throughout the seasons, as do many of the other main characters. Id say for me this makes it superior to the sopranos in regards to the characters..

 

[King Biscuit Time]

Cool, anyone else want to add to the debate?

Yeah - ! may have a meaning in programming, but it's function on the scientific calculator that gosub mentioned is to provide the factorial of a number.

5! = Factorial 5 = 5x4x3x2x1 = 120.

And those barrels of cash are never getting dug up.

 

[girasol]

whats all this breaking bad hate thats starting to break out here??

the wire season 5 was utter shite.

Yep, it wasn't great... But Breaking Bad starts to break badly on season 4 (well, not strictly true, but I started to get bored by it around then, and I like the play with words, whereas I could have kept on watching The Sopranos for another while yet)

Having said that, all three rate amongst my favourite tv shows of recent times, so, nothing is perfect, and nothing wrong with critiquing a tv show, even if you like it. No need to be offended in its behalf

 

[xslavearcx]

ha yeah thats a bit mad getting offended on its behalf. theres been quite a few columns out lately saying that BB is good but not in the same league as sopranos, wire etc so i think im just reacting to that somewhat

 

[Yata]

What you're experiencing is frustration at having to wait for the next episode and shouldn't be confused with any kind of lack of enthusiasm for the current season of Breaking Bad. I recommend you read all the wikis, amas, twitters relating to BB for the last year and obsess over what might happen in Sundays episode. You should see an immediate improvement in your mood sometime around 5-6am Monday morning.

 

[belboid]

Season 5 of the Wire was great, and, unless you're only interested in the wizzbang, ooooooh drugs, aspect of BB, this last season has been great too. Great character development, great climax building sequences and tension. All it needs now is a good ending...

 

[wayward bob]

What you're experiencing is frustration at having to wait for the next episode and shouldn't be confused with any kind of lack of enthusiasm for the current season of Breaking Bad. I recommend you read all the wikis, amas, twitters relating to BB for the last year and obsess over what might happen in Sundays episode. You should see an immediate improvement in your mood sometime around 5-6am Monday morning.

for anyone pining there's talking bad on netflix too.

 

[Jon-of-arc]

Season 5 of the wire was weak...er than the other series. Still great tv (better than most things by a country mile) but the fake serial killer plot stretched the credibility of the show (arguably the hamsterdam plot line was also far fetched, but it was done so well that you didn't notice) and the newsroom stuff was a boring sideline, un compelling and not as well realised a depiction of a workplace as other institutions depicted.

I agree with girasol about the convincing ness of the characters in the wire. You just totally lost yourself in so many of them, understanding their motivations and worldview. I could find myself watching episodes and pinching myself to remind me that the people I was watching weren't real, as my mind played over some of the decisions they made and the tragic outcomes. Especially series 4. One of the shows greatest achievements.

Dunno why the BB hate is going about. It's a show that has slowly moved its main character on, with expert pacing. Walt is a different person at the end of each series than he is at the start, his actions having profound effects on his personality, almost imperceptible at the time, yet slowly turning him into a monster. It's not the most convincing character study ever, but I don't think it's supposed to be. The writing is primarily plot driven, and it does this brilliantly, but he characters could hardly be called weak. Cranstouns over-acting could spoil another show, but he's note perfect as Walt.

 

[belboid]

I really liked the newsroom stuff, certainly it was far far better done than in The Newsroom. The basics were all down right, from the boringness of most of a days (honest) work, to how they'll cover for crap and make stuff up for good copy. Twas great, gave it a real, y'know Dickensian aspect.

And there isnt really any BB 'hate' - just a couple of people who (wrongly) say this series isn't as good as other ones.