What makes Breaking Bad so popular?

It's not fantasy like Game of Thrones.

The writing.

The acting.

Just minor little things like that.

Don't even think about watching it, OP. It'll be way over your head.

Certainly not the bitch Skyler.

I tried watching it for a season, and that was all I wanted to see.

It's very well done, but it's not to my tastes.

Yes, writing, acting, production values--everyone is working at the top of their game.

Also, its original. Sure, it features cops, but it's not a cop show. It's not a mystery of the week, or a show where people are constantly typing furiously in front of a monitor.

And, for the very serious subject matter (meth cooking, cancer) it has a lot of humor.

OP--do yourself a favor and don't start this show if you don't have time for epic binges. Yeah, it's that good.

The first season is not that great, but it gets better.

Say my name

I was hooked right from the opening credits. I needed to know why he was running in the desert in nothing but his underoos.

Everything r5 said. It was a rare occurrence of everyone involved being at the top of their game.

It's a good show, but it's all empty calories. There's not really much there, but it's a fun ride. However, it has one of the worst finales of all time.

It's about the tragic consquences of being the only Western country without single-payer health insurance.

[quote] However, it has one of the worst finales of all time.

First time I've ever read that.

IMO the finale was great. The penultimate episode Ozymandias was the best.

Why, everyone will praise your taste in television and think you're smart if you tell them that you like it! What's not to love?

[quote]I might watch it. What makes it so popular?

Have you time-traveled back to 2010?

If you don't have a lot of time to watch the whole series, you can always watch the Canadian version -

Yeah, people I respect said it's the best thing ever, and I finally binge-watched Series One this year. People were right. Saved up Series Two for the holidays; and so much more awaits beyond. Lucky me.

I miss Lydia, the tattooed lady.

It's typical American over rated shit. It's the very definition of a show with a small vocal fanbase that likes to shout and pretend it's bigger and better than what it actually is. Overhyped to the nth degree. It doesn't hurt that America produces tons of mindless shit each year which by default makes the show look better than it actually is. It was also on Cable and people love to tout that old chestnut that just because it's on cable it must automatically be better than....Network. Gasp.

Just read the wiki page 'Breaking Bad is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time' By whom? The sad fuck with no life that hordes seasons and binge watches it. What a horribly pretentious comment usually indicative of tvtropes.

It's an edgy, trashy male soap opera that is the very definition of style of substance and bandwagon jumping tv.

R17 chose to ignore the awards BB had garnered.

R18 Please tell me you don't actually believe all that BS about awards and ceremonies? All it is is a PR farce and political jockeying to promote the latest thing. Emmys, Oscars, etc. are a complete sham and mean almost as much as Caitlyn Jenner being named sexiest woman of the year. It's just a show for narcissistic Hollywood to play the show pony and pat their own backs and to crow about their egos.

BB is certainly up there with The Wire, Sopranos and West Wing.

It features a Datalounger.

I don't know, OP.

I watched seasons 1-4 and stopped. It is relentlessly ugly to look at, the production values are low to the point where some of the homes characters are meant to actually live in look like show houses the crew just rolled up in to film two hours before.

The characterisation - with the exception of unlikeable white het male mid-life crisis fantasy identification figure Walt -is paper thin to the point of stereotype.There is zero character development for anyone but Walt from 1-4.

If you enjoy Walt and his hapless protégé snapping and bitching at each other in scenes which go on and on, you're in luck OP, as there are many, many, many of them.

R22 Bitch!

And it is so fun watching Marie wear purple.

The best show that I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

Fargo is almost as good.

Binge watching Breaking Bad was beyond fun.

Can't wait for Better Call Saul to come back.

.....oh, and Fear The Walking Dead. Lots of good tv coming back in February.

I really disliked Skyler in Season 1 - she was so controlling and condescending to Walt and primarily interested in her feelings that I almost didn't blame the bad road he took. I'm almost through Season 3, and she's grown a bit on me (her anger at Walt is perfectly understandable). I gather there's a huge hate campaign about her character in general which seems mostly like a bunch of misogynists who love to identify with characters like Walt, Tony Soprano, etc.

I do find Jesse tiresome sometimes (though I did like it when he bought the family house right under his parents). And while there is a lot of excellent stuff on this show, I wouldn't say - so far - that it's the best thing ever.

R17 vehemently deprecates BB and all who enjoy it. R17's nomination for a better TV series would therefore be of some interest. Unless R17 thinks that TV drama itself is an inherently worthless pastime, devoid of merit at any level, and therefore supported only by troglodytes incapable of discernment.

If nothing else, it adds to the viewing experience of "Better Call Saul," which is a terrific series.

Better Call Saul is, so far, a snooze fest for me. Breaking Bad was awesome, so I gave BCS a chance. But the first season was pretty boring, so I don't think I'll watch the second.

R17 is a pretentious, joyless, friendless sad sack who will be having a lonely frozen dinner for Christmas.

Breaking Bad was a terrific show, OP. Great acting, great writing, very funny and sometimes quite suspenseful. It had it all.

I got into it very slowly, I had it on as background noise after Mad Men. Then I started looking up when something interesting was happening, then I started watching whole episodes and got hooked.

I watched a new French/British series on The Esquire Channel called Spotless. It was pretty good. Some of the critics have called it a cross between Breaking Bad, Dexter and Wallander

That sounds promising, thanks, R33. I'll take a look at it.

Bumping because series 3-6 saw me through winter. A few episodes a day, addictive as Walt's cooking.

As to OP's query, why so popular? Because: vivid distinctive characters; plot which always pulled the rug; insanely memorable scenes, some the best I've seen on TV, or anywhere.

Main character Walt unusual in that he's an Everyman who is also very bright, at least the equal of anyone else in the series. He never - quite - entirely loses audience sympathy.

There are moving scenes, but cliched TV sentimentality is pretty much absent.

Some vivid characters verged on the human cartoonish (a la Sopranos), which allowed for natural comedy. Saul the lawyer was ever a joy with his Chandleresque patter, and Jesse had his moments. Conversely, Marie had me shouting at the screen so much did I hate her.

Plot contrivances and implausibilities didn't matter too much because the drive, invention, suspense and surprise were so compelling. As the series grew it became Dickensian, expressionistic, in manner. Dark and disturbing for sure, but riveting.

Gay interest? I thought we might go there with Gale or Gus, but (spoiler) never quite did. Whatever. I laughed, I cried, I shouted at the screen. One day I might do it all again. Bravo.

It's a wonderful fantasy for white middle class dudes.

[quote]Gay interest? I thought we might go there with Gale or Gus, but (spoiler) never quite did.

It's sort of implied that Gus is gay, isn't it? It's been a while since I saw it but isn't Gus's boyfriend murdered or something? I think it's in keeping with the show's tone and it's general audience demographic that they're never explicit about that, though.

Enya is a huge BB fan.

It's surprising how many details about meth, meth usage, people on meth, etc they got WRONG.

Trust me. I know.

r39 it had nothing to do with meth anymore than the Sopranos had to do with the mob. It was just a backdrop for the adventure: middle aged man's fuck you revenge fantasy to the Bullshit.

The Sopranos was about Tony's relationship with his mother, and how his life turned out (psychopathy) as a result.

I never saw it.

I haven't seen any of them, R20.

R42 must live in a cave

Oh, do so not go the the trouble of watching it, OP. Buy the Cliff Notes version, as you've done for anything challenging.

Breaking Bad is hardly "challenging", though. It was marketed at ComicCon.

Um, it's fucking awesome! Better call Saul!

r17 is so far off base it's hard to imagine what his/her/zir's frame of reference is.

Some of the old BB threads on DataLounge from 2010/2011 are still available, if anyone's just getting into the show now and curious to read posters' comments on episodes .

R43, What part of "—I guess I watched something else" do you not understand.

Just bumping this because I recently binged the entire BREAKING BAD and enjoyed it for what it was. Definitely compelling TV and the very expression of a perfect binge-watch. It's a little empty when you finish it all... it was like a really great meal that you savor and then shit out and forget it. It doesn't linger with me like THE SOPRANOS, SIX FEET UNDER or NIP/TUCK. That being said, I think BETTER CALL SAUL is actually more dynamic and interesting (just finished S1). That monologue about fathers and sons that Jonathan Banks gives near the end of S1 topped anything ever on BB... some of the greatest acting I've ever seen. Totally brilliant and perfect. I'm excited to see the next 4 seasons of BCS (it's been renewed for S5 apparently). I'll be curious to see if they bring back the BB cast and make it a meta-sequel (Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul both confirmed they'd return if asked). If it lasts long enough, BCS could actually become a sequel if it goes beyond the end of BB. Anyway, both are good to great shows, but I do prefer BCS.

It's very simple premise spins out a tragedy of the first order. It's the rare--and possibly the only--contemporary serial drama that actually had a point and added up to something, unlike all the other so-called "Second Golden Age of Television" wanna-bes.

[quote] What makes it so popular?

c'est moi, c'est moi, c'est moi

R52 "Tonight, let it be Schraderbräu. Schraderbräu!" 🎶

What makes Breaking Bad so popular, OP?

I watched the entire series just to get the answer to that question, and I was just as puzzled afterwards as I was before I watched it. I myself hated it. Lots of gratuitous violence, like blowing shit up just for fun, and stupid character interactions that beggared belief.

But hell - I didn't make it through 10 minutes of Sons of Anarchy either, and everybody loved that too.

Love love love it! A struggling middle class white guy who feels everyone else is getting ahead while I’m living a hand to mouth mundane existence that would be pointedly meaningless if I got sick leaving me broke and dead too soon. I loved its take on modern American capitalism, law enforcement, subjective morality and drugs. It spoke to the sickness at the heart of American life with fantastic writing and plot development. Top 3 shows of all time.

It’s a good show. It takes you away with the story.

After binging that while binging Ray Donavan, I robbed a grocery story and got 5 years in the big house.

It just happened to make people talk about it. Doesn't mean it's good.

BB is fantastic! I have never seen Sopranos or Dexter but I have considered binging them. Which one should I binge first?

Even I loved the Sopranos.

R58 binge The Sopranos. Great acting and writing, one of the top five shows in the modern era, and maybe of all time.

And the finale--I loved it!

R22, that's exactly why I liked it. The show both in content and set felt like a throwback. Nothing flashy about these people, their homes, their lives. I loved the show. However, I do know people who got up to ep 4 and gave up. Seems like that was the cut off. This is the rare show that gets better as it goes along.

Agree with all those who loved The Sopranos.

Sopranos is a little dated and the whole mafia thing seems so overplayed at this point. Too specific. BB was new and unique.

[quote] I do know people who got up to ep 4 and gave up. Seems like that was the cut off.

I can appreciate that. The first several episodes were so unsympathetic and unappealing if BB hadn't been scheduled to immediately follow Mad Men it's very questionable I would have stuck with the series long enough to get to the good stuff. Too much time wasted with Walter Jr, cancer doctors, and ugly old guys in tighty whiteys.

I am rewatching now. Down to the last few episodes. I missed so much the first time around. Beautiful setups that took several episodes if not seasons to pay off. It's even better on rewatch.

Ozark on Netflix. It’s the new Breaking Bad.

I'm going to guess very few people here ever saw the BB minisodes.

Coming from a country with universal health care, I read Breaking Bad as a treatise on the monstrousness of the US health care system. If not for that, none of the more obvious monstrosities of the plot would have occurred.

Finally watching this , it’s okay but no one is likeable. He goes through all that just to keep that bitch wife happy?

Why are most 'out' homosexuals on Tina?

Loved it. It was stunning visually and insanely suspenseful. And I have no desire to ever watch it again. Whereas The Sopranos, Mad Men, The Comeback, and Six feet Under I can rewatch OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

I have no idea what that means.

"i have no desire to ever watch it again."

Because it was complete unto itself. It had the simplest yet most profound of premises--every single moment contributed toward fulfilling its theme--and it's the ONLY show that was about SOMETHING (other than the second season of The Killing). The Sopranos, Mad Men, and all of the other heavy-hitters of the purported "Golden Age" of TV (insert eyeroll emoji here) ended up being about nothing. Sure, some great performances, well-written episodes and moment-to-moment memorability but no payoff (and I thought the Sopranos and Mad Men's were complete dodges and utter disappointments...but nothing comes from nothing).

^^^last episodes were complete dodges...

Jesse pinkman was a little Bitch and he almost ruined season 5!

I'd gladly be his bitch, R73.

R74 you like skinny junkies wannabe gangsters who cry all the damn time over kids he barely knew?

We just started watching this, and it’s really good. People in the Ray Donovan discussions were always comparing Abby Donovan to Skyler and now I know why. I should have had some empathy for her, but it was impossible.

Still haven’t gotten to the last half of the series yet, so don’t spoil it for me.

You mean like this, R75?

This should make you feel better R73.

Every bad thing that's happened to Jesse Pinkman

R76 same here I have been binge watching for the first time. The ending of season 4 was awesome It have been a great series finale but I am Loving season 5 I am up to episode 12. Lydia is great , (finally a great actress on the series )but jesse pinkman is beyond annoying I am wishing Walter had killed his whiny bitch ass a long time ago.

R17 is a crystal meth addict.

There's PR hype, there's popular taste and there's quality work. BB managed to maintain top-notch acting, writing and directing for all five seasons. NOBODY is able to pull that off in episodic TV. (AbFab, por ejemplo - the finest comic writing ever for two seasons, absolute dogshit for seasons 3-4.)

Another example: Mad Men. Amazing for two seasons, absolute shit for two more.

Making two hours of storytelling work is tough; making 120 hours work is damn near impossible.

[quote] Coming from a country with universal health care, I read Breaking Bad as a treatise on the monstrousness of the US health care system. If not for that, none of the more obvious monstrosities of the plot would have occurred

Well, you read it wrong. His treatment was experimental. That's why his insurance wouldn't pay for it. I'm sure the NHS of almost every country that has it wouldn't have paid for it either. And in the end, the treatment wasn't successful. It was only life prolonging, NOT a cure. And he made enough money the first year to fund that treatment. He kept making meth because he wanted to. Because of the power it gave him

The show makes a convincing case not only for the end of the war on drugs, but for war crimes tribunals for those who perpetrated it and capital punishment for those convicted.

R83 is your solution a huge wall?

My solution is completely legalizing and deregulating ALL drugs and declaring the DEA a terrorist group.

I loved it. I binged it and Ray Donavan at the same time. Towards the end, I found I had to force myself into social situations so as to return to a normal mindset. After watching so much psychopaths, I mean, I was off, a bit.

[quote]It's not fantasy like Game of Thrones.

Not fantasy? Honey, it was a god damn comic book come to life. There wasn't a lick of reality in the whole series, but it was entertaining.

Just 31 seconds as an example....

[quote]There wasn't a lick of reality in the whole series

Compared to every crappy reality TV show and that stupid sitcom Bryan Cranston was wasted in, it might as well be a documentary.

R87 or Hank somehow killing the cousin from cartel while he’s been shot and dying using the cousins own gun lol God I hated Hank , skyler and jesse

Watching the finale they made everyone unbearable, but Jesse, the retarded son, the two lame sisters skyler and marie. Ugh it was a great show but from episode 12 on in the last season it was bad.

Did anyone else find Jessie off putting with his constant anger and yelling.

R91 and crying and wailing ,and being a complete fucking pussy.

r80 it is the epitome of premium mediocre.

[quote]that stupid sitcom Bryan Cranston was wasted in

Hey man, don't put down Malcolm In The Middle.