Okay, so I fully expect some backlash for the length and content here, sorry its just ideas I have written down over the past few days since i finished watching, and warning, don't have the all-out praise for it you all seem to... here it is:
So I got into breaking bad finally, after abandoning it mid first series due to basically being grossed out… i was also mysteriously unhealthy at the time, and it made me uncomfortable with all the cancer stuff.
Anyway, I have listened to the hype too much I think, because while I enjoyed it very much, I was a bit disappointed compared to my expectations and the critical reviews ive read.
My main issue is the end of the second season, that felt like a HUGE copout to me, the way they indicated something horrible had gone on at their home and whatever ALL SEASON, and in the end it was so tangentially related to the current action it was absurd and amazingly disappointing imo… And am i crazy, or do those people not need biohazard outfits to skim his pool?
Also, speaking of dragging, the arc of these longer narratives/stories… in the first four episodes or even the first season, we had a huge turnover with the death of the drug dealer and turn to tucho or whoever etc… since then (end of s02e01) its felt so much slower, and characters like the the pollos hermanos owner (whille downright awesome in every scene) bother me in their lack of forward progress or narrative structure in relation to expectations (i.e. finales, etc)… And they could, i mean who doesnt expect these relationships to sour… for example, when you first saw tucho, did you think it would end well? Or when walt saw the lab that had been set up in the laundry and got the tour, did you not KNOW it was going to phase him out? Or what about minutes later when introduced to his intellectual equivalent, errr i mean assistant?
Although I will say this seasons finale was better, and had more of a climactic aspect that i appreciated… certainly left me wondering what will happen next more than the other two season finales.
And the twins idea seemed pretty dumb to me (silent twin assassins? Mexican Matrix Reloaded, anyone?), plus it just seems like an 80s bad guy sort of thing … but my best friend loved them so who am i to say….
The show is clearly "outside the box" and i love its bringing something distinct and new to the table in that regard… i think if i watched it weekly id appreciate its narrative arc more than as i watched it, essentially all 3 seasons at once (and certainly of note, progessively longer seasons, perhaps part of my reaction and feeling of a slowed pace for the arcs).
Finally, i wanted to mention one other gripe: you can disagree, surely some will, but … I hate the way the writers seem to spin a wheel to randomly assign the "asshole of the week" as i call it, who that episode will act with no respect or appreciation for anyone but themselves, and be obnoxious to all those around them…. truly it feels like they throw a dart to pick someone to act blatantly irrational and out of character, if not all around mean and evil … it was the wife for about half of season two with the cheating subplot… I mean i get it, but imo bad writing there, only somewhat redeemed by her recent actions and "entering the fold"…. but its everyone and seemingly totally random, even the kid with palsy sometimes. its just kinda weird and not consistent with anything but peoples bad moods, which seems like lazy and boring writing to me… flip-flopping motivations and sentiments/interactions between characters that rapidly maybe be a "kind" of real, but its without narrative justification (beyond the obvious everyones got problems and an excuse, especially this family.. but even that to a degree always rang false to begin with; hes the protagonist of the show, hes not gonna die….)… no one wants to watch indecisive assholes, even if we all are ourselves…. so i find it a bit unreasonable and bad in a characterization sense, and from a story-telling standpoint, the way someone in the show is always throwing a tantrum or acting like an asshole nearly all the time in what my opinion, comes of as a forced effort to "stir the pot" or add to the drama.
But really, I'm only expressing my dislikes, i really enjoy it quite a bit, and will tune in weekly next year for sure.
P.S. Love most of the actors, and odenkirk was a great addition to the equation, dont know if it was always intended when he first appeared, but glad he stuck around…. same goes for the PI and pollos hermanos.
PPS RE the bad writing wife subplot, it was a fine idea for her to almost need to rebel or what have you, but the whole subplot from all angles was too obvious when it didnt need to be, and i just didnt like its execution at all… the silent treatment, him making a move on the principle lady, the wife throwing her pencil cup across the room to get the guys attention, husband with an eery smile glued on and 5 course breakfast and expecting no one to notice, her with the melodramatic 'well i fucked him, now lets eat' .. really who didnt see that coming about 5 episodes before it happened, if not earlier… and who were we supposed to side with, the cancer-ridden protagonist breaking the law for, and sticking by, his obnoxious preggo unfaithful wife and retarded son, or the wife cheating on her cancer ridden husband, retarded son, and brand newborn witha guy committing essentially the same level of crimes? … hmm let me think.
Finally, can someone tell me what 'breaking bad' means? Is that like a meth or drug thing? If it was mentioned in the first few episodes i forget from years ago when i watched the first 4 …. is it supposed to be a negative form of "breaking even" or something?… if so, somehow it seems like the wrong antonym or whatever to me… sounds good, alliteration and all, but seems like breaking even is an odds/betting idea, and i associate it more with high and low than bad or good….
EDIT: Shit and im the top of a new page too, now im really gonna get it...
So I got into breaking bad finally, after abandoning it mid first series due to basically being grossed out… i was also mysteriously unhealthy at the time, and it made me uncomfortable with all the cancer stuff.
Anyway, I have listened to the hype too much I think, because while I enjoyed it very much, I was a bit disappointed compared to my expectations and the critical reviews ive read.
My main issue is the end of the second season, that felt like a HUGE copout to me, the way they indicated something horrible had gone on at their home and whatever ALL SEASON, and in the end it was so tangentially related to the current action it was absurd and amazingly disappointing imo… And am i crazy, or do those people not need biohazard outfits to skim his pool?
Also, speaking of dragging, the arc of these longer narratives/stories… in the first four episodes or even the first season, we had a huge turnover with the death of the drug dealer and turn to tucho or whoever etc… since then (end of s02e01) its felt so much slower, and characters like the the pollos hermanos owner (whille downright awesome in every scene) bother me in their lack of forward progress or narrative structure in relation to expectations (i.e. finales, etc)… And they could, i mean who doesnt expect these relationships to sour… for example, when you first saw tucho, did you think it would end well? Or when walt saw the lab that had been set up in the laundry and got the tour, did you not KNOW it was going to phase him out? Or what about minutes later when introduced to his intellectual equivalent, errr i mean assistant?
Although I will say this seasons finale was better, and had more of a climactic aspect that i appreciated… certainly left me wondering what will happen next more than the other two season finales.
And the twins idea seemed pretty dumb to me (silent twin assassins? Mexican Matrix Reloaded, anyone?), plus it just seems like an 80s bad guy sort of thing … but my best friend loved them so who am i to say….
The show is clearly "outside the box" and i love its bringing something distinct and new to the table in that regard… i think if i watched it weekly id appreciate its narrative arc more than as i watched it, essentially all 3 seasons at once (and certainly of note, progessively longer seasons, perhaps part of my reaction and feeling of a slowed pace for the arcs).
Finally, i wanted to mention one other gripe: you can disagree, surely some will, but … I hate the way the writers seem to spin a wheel to randomly assign the "asshole of the week" as i call it, who that episode will act with no respect or appreciation for anyone but themselves, and be obnoxious to all those around them…. truly it feels like they throw a dart to pick someone to act blatantly irrational and out of character, if not all around mean and evil … it was the wife for about half of season two with the cheating subplot… I mean i get it, but imo bad writing there, only somewhat redeemed by her recent actions and "entering the fold"…. but its everyone and seemingly totally random, even the kid with palsy sometimes. its just kinda weird and not consistent with anything but peoples bad moods, which seems like lazy and boring writing to me… flip-flopping motivations and sentiments/interactions between characters that rapidly maybe be a "kind" of real, but its without narrative justification (beyond the obvious everyones got problems and an excuse, especially this family.. but even that to a degree always rang false to begin with; hes the protagonist of the show, hes not gonna die….)… no one wants to watch indecisive assholes, even if we all are ourselves…. so i find it a bit unreasonable and bad in a characterization sense, and from a story-telling standpoint, the way someone in the show is always throwing a tantrum or acting like an asshole nearly all the time in what my opinion, comes of as a forced effort to "stir the pot" or add to the drama.
But really, I'm only expressing my dislikes, i really enjoy it quite a bit, and will tune in weekly next year for sure.
P.S. Love most of the actors, and odenkirk was a great addition to the equation, dont know if it was always intended when he first appeared, but glad he stuck around…. same goes for the PI and pollos hermanos.
PPS RE the bad writing wife subplot, it was a fine idea for her to almost need to rebel or what have you, but the whole subplot from all angles was too obvious when it didnt need to be, and i just didnt like its execution at all… the silent treatment, him making a move on the principle lady, the wife throwing her pencil cup across the room to get the guys attention, husband with an eery smile glued on and 5 course breakfast and expecting no one to notice, her with the melodramatic 'well i fucked him, now lets eat' .. really who didnt see that coming about 5 episodes before it happened, if not earlier… and who were we supposed to side with, the cancer-ridden protagonist breaking the law for, and sticking by, his obnoxious preggo unfaithful wife and retarded son, or the wife cheating on her cancer ridden husband, retarded son, and brand newborn witha guy committing essentially the same level of crimes? … hmm let me think.
Finally, can someone tell me what 'breaking bad' means? Is that like a meth or drug thing? If it was mentioned in the first few episodes i forget from years ago when i watched the first 4 …. is it supposed to be a negative form of "breaking even" or something?… if so, somehow it seems like the wrong antonym or whatever to me… sounds good, alliteration and all, but seems like breaking even is an odds/betting idea, and i associate it more with high and low than bad or good….
EDIT: Shit and im the top of a new page too, now im really gonna get it...
