Early Breaking Bad.

[lightofdaye]

So based on fervent recommendation of my f-list, I've started watching Breaking Bad. I borrowed the first season set from sister in April and splashed out for the whole run recently.

I'm nine episodes in, seven of the first season and 2 of the second. Now usually when I review things it ends up being just a list of things that annoyed me. Especially HP or GoT where I am perpetually unable to stop saying 'but in the books...'. I can't really do that to Breaking Bad. As of now, I've not seen much to complain about. It's like I don't find each individual scene or episode thrilling, it still manages to end up making me want to see the next episode. The only complain I can make is the first two episode of season 2 have used the flash forward opening is a very general indistinct way. It worked well in the first and sixth episodes of season 1 but those were resolved in the same episode.

Now, I'm not great at the whole depth thing, so this isn't going to be as detailed a look as some other had but here are some thoughts in no specific order (spoilers for the first nine episodes):

• The first season is only 7 episodes long, it was supposed to be 9 but they had to shave a few episodes off because of a writer's strike. I think you can see this. The final episode doesn't really feel like a big stakes finale another show might do.


• All the characters seem real and gel well together. There's no one really I dislike at this point. Hank especially is a character I think I'd hate in real life, ultra-masculine, crude dickhead but in the show he basically likable. It helps that he's legit law enforcement, and genuinely cares about Hank and his family


• The show's dry humour and dark humour is fantastic. Jesse's reaction to Walt's 'I'm awake' line in the pilot and the bathtub through the ceiling bit.


• It's adorable how much Jesse is inspired by Walt, even as they fight and argue a lot. The episode where he tries to cook with Badger for example is guy. Quoting Walt and trying to live up to his standards. Amd echoing the 'well we'll put a pin in that' line in series 2. Badger as well is like a foil to Jesse in that episode. What he'd have been like without Walt's influence.


• Walt and to a lesser extent Jesse, are really bad criminals. Walt just raids the school for all the supplies he need to start up and its only basically the fact that Hank in his brother in law and has serious blinkers about suspecting him that he makes it out of s1. Now that Hank has found and shot Tucco just trying to find Walt by following Jesse's car. I don't know how they're going to keep going without being busted.It's probably more explainable than I think 'oh its a coincidence. Tucco just happened to boost my ride...' or something.
  
• the whole concept of BrBa is very... american. I don't know if that affects my viewing or not. But.. well Cancer would be serious in the UK but... NHS. No-one's going to have to turn to dubious means to fund treatment.
  

Comments

[lunalelle.livejournal.com]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/if-breaking-bad-had-been-set-in-the-uk

:)

[tamlane.livejournal.com]

That's brilliant.

[lightofdaye]

Exactly! :)