Joe Mikolay's Blog - Posts Tagged "breaking-bad"
Breaking Bad- Post Mortum/Introduction
I'm a bit late to the party, but I really just wanted to throw my two cents in on Breaking Bad- namely for people who haven't yet watched it.
I'm not fond of lists consisting of "best this" or "favorite that" but I will say that Breaking Bad is my personal favorite drama show from start-to-finish.
Naturally, you can't really make such a judgement until a show's run has ended. But I, admittedly, watch a LOT of TV. And I like to think I have pretty discerning taste.
Among my favorite dramas that have ended are Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica (2003), LOST, Angel, and Spartacus.
I won't go into too much, but the acting, writing, directing, score, cinematography and pretty much everything else involved in Breaking Bad are all top notch.
Another of the understated reasons I think Breaking Bad tops them is because there was absolutely no fat, or filler episodes. It's got a laser focus straight through all 62 episodes.
Out of the other shows listed, only Spartacus can also make this claim. (BTW- if you haven't watched Spartacus yet either, then get to it. The whole series is on DVD/Blu Ray now. My selling pitch for it is "It's like Game of Thrones on cocaine and steroids").
This is obviously due to not having to fill out 22 episode network orders. BSG had 12 episode seasons, but it also had some ups and downs.
I'm gonna cut myself off now before I start ranting. But, before I do, I wanted to mention that Vince Gilligan liked to say the primary story arc of Breaking Bad was "Mr. Chips turning into Scarface."
If you're like me, and have no idea who Mr. Chips is (short of looking it up on Wikipedia) I'd say a clearer description of the main arc is a modern retelling of Dr.Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Or, perhaps, Frankenstein- if Dr. Frankenstein and the monster were the same person.
If you a fan of either of those stories- or gothic horror in general- don't let the hundreds of people on your case about watching it discourage you.
Just check it out, and see for yourself.
I'm not fond of lists consisting of "best this" or "favorite that" but I will say that Breaking Bad is my personal favorite drama show from start-to-finish.
Naturally, you can't really make such a judgement until a show's run has ended. But I, admittedly, watch a LOT of TV. And I like to think I have pretty discerning taste.
Among my favorite dramas that have ended are Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica (2003), LOST, Angel, and Spartacus.
I won't go into too much, but the acting, writing, directing, score, cinematography and pretty much everything else involved in Breaking Bad are all top notch.
Another of the understated reasons I think Breaking Bad tops them is because there was absolutely no fat, or filler episodes. It's got a laser focus straight through all 62 episodes.
Out of the other shows listed, only Spartacus can also make this claim. (BTW- if you haven't watched Spartacus yet either, then get to it. The whole series is on DVD/Blu Ray now. My selling pitch for it is "It's like Game of Thrones on cocaine and steroids").
This is obviously due to not having to fill out 22 episode network orders. BSG had 12 episode seasons, but it also had some ups and downs.
I'm gonna cut myself off now before I start ranting. But, before I do, I wanted to mention that Vince Gilligan liked to say the primary story arc of Breaking Bad was "Mr. Chips turning into Scarface."
If you're like me, and have no idea who Mr. Chips is (short of looking it up on Wikipedia) I'd say a clearer description of the main arc is a modern retelling of Dr.Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Or, perhaps, Frankenstein- if Dr. Frankenstein and the monster were the same person.
If you a fan of either of those stories- or gothic horror in general- don't let the hundreds of people on your case about watching it discourage you.
Just check it out, and see for yourself.
TV Snobbery
I'll admit it- I'm a TV snob.
It all really started with 'The Office' back in 2004. It was among the first sitcoms I can remember that ran without a laugh track. It was followed shortly after by '30 Rock'.
Among the benefits of not having a laugh track is that there is more room for the smaller (sometimes funnier) moments that follow the big laugh moments. I often get more out of a subtle little joke than the flashier set-it-up-and-punchline-it-out style.
Nowadays, the only sitcoms I can watch are the good ones that don't have laugh tracks. 'Community', 'Parks & Recreation', 'New Girl', and 'Suburgatory' are at the top of my viewing lists now. Along with them are HBO comedies like 'Getting On'.
In fact, I can't even tell if a laugh track show is funny anymore, because I find the laugh tracks so distracting. Not to mention irritating- I mean who wants to be told when they're supposed to laugh?
I tried watching 'Big Bang Theory' and 'How I Met Your Mother' but found I could barely get through one episode. Maybe they're just not my taste, but maybe the laugh track kills them for me.
It's not so different when it comes to dramas. There are very few 22 episode network shows I watch anymore. 'Person Of Interest' and the surprisingly good 'Arrow' spring to mind.
I have no interest in anything that starts with 'CSI' or 'NCIS' but, even if I did, the 22 episode count and network restrictions would turn me off. It just allows for too much bloat in storytelling.
As a matter of fact, the newest shows on network TV that I like have the shorter episode counts and push some boundaries. 'Hannibal', 'Almost Human' and 'Sleepy Hollow' are at the top of that list.
Most of the dramas I watch regularly air on cable and run from 6 to 12 episodes per season. 'The Walking Dead' and 'Justified' are two of the basic cable shows I enjoy.
HBO can be counted on for pretty great dramatic stuff as well, like 'Game Of Thrones' and 'True Detective'.
Even PBS and BBCA seem to have found a better formula for dramas than the networks with things like 'Sherlock' and 'Orphan Black'.
Anyway, just felt like sharing. So, until next time, keep reading!
It all really started with 'The Office' back in 2004. It was among the first sitcoms I can remember that ran without a laugh track. It was followed shortly after by '30 Rock'.
Among the benefits of not having a laugh track is that there is more room for the smaller (sometimes funnier) moments that follow the big laugh moments. I often get more out of a subtle little joke than the flashier set-it-up-and-punchline-it-out style.
Nowadays, the only sitcoms I can watch are the good ones that don't have laugh tracks. 'Community', 'Parks & Recreation', 'New Girl', and 'Suburgatory' are at the top of my viewing lists now. Along with them are HBO comedies like 'Getting On'.
In fact, I can't even tell if a laugh track show is funny anymore, because I find the laugh tracks so distracting. Not to mention irritating- I mean who wants to be told when they're supposed to laugh?
I tried watching 'Big Bang Theory' and 'How I Met Your Mother' but found I could barely get through one episode. Maybe they're just not my taste, but maybe the laugh track kills them for me.
It's not so different when it comes to dramas. There are very few 22 episode network shows I watch anymore. 'Person Of Interest' and the surprisingly good 'Arrow' spring to mind.
I have no interest in anything that starts with 'CSI' or 'NCIS' but, even if I did, the 22 episode count and network restrictions would turn me off. It just allows for too much bloat in storytelling.
As a matter of fact, the newest shows on network TV that I like have the shorter episode counts and push some boundaries. 'Hannibal', 'Almost Human' and 'Sleepy Hollow' are at the top of that list.
Most of the dramas I watch regularly air on cable and run from 6 to 12 episodes per season. 'The Walking Dead' and 'Justified' are two of the basic cable shows I enjoy.
HBO can be counted on for pretty great dramatic stuff as well, like 'Game Of Thrones' and 'True Detective'.
Even PBS and BBCA seem to have found a better formula for dramas than the networks with things like 'Sherlock' and 'Orphan Black'.
Anyway, just felt like sharing. So, until next time, keep reading!
