neil-arsenal

(2012-05-01 16:54:52)

You MUST see this.

Fawlty Towers. The World at war.For me these were the two finest TV shows ever made. Sopranos? Yeh, itwas good. 24? A bit silly.So what about Breaking Bad? I was stunned by how good this actually is.Reminds me of 'Fargo' for some reason. Each episode leaves you beggingfor more.If I like a show I'll watch 2 or 3 episodes on the spin. With this Isomehow have gone through 3 full series in three days! I had work thenext morning and my wife had to call me to bed at 2.00am. I didn'trealise how long I had been watching it.The acting is brilliant, the way the show 'teases' you with images youjust know are going to make sense sometime is brilliant.The humour is very dark and it is a thriller first and foremost, butyou will laugh out loud on occasion.As a Brit I have to say some of the US series are very over rated butthis one isn't.Utterly brilliant TV show and can stand along the other two shows Imentioned.I can't give it more praise than that.

reneweddan

(2012-05-01 11:56:22)

Breaking Bad is Bringing good to our television

After the consistent awards this series has gotten, I caved in anddecided to catch up on the craze, and I am everything but disappointed.The story is about a high school chemistry teacher's introduction intothe darker side of life, drugs. His wife is pregnant, his friends aresuccessful, his son has cerebral palsy, and a couple other significantfactors that cause his break-down from everything he once knew.Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle), Aaron Paul, and RJ Mitte are mythree favorite actors in this series. Bryan Cranston has won numerousawards for his portrayal of Walter White. Aaron Paul is one of thefirst actors I've seen that pulls off the "thug" style without beingover-the-top or embarrassing. RJ Mitte portrays a kid with cerebralpalsy extremely well, I hope he gets enough recognition. Anna Gunn andDean Norris are both extremely talented in the series as well.The series seems as if it has a limited storyline, but every episodeleads to more potential, and it is bound to be a classic. The openingto the episodes are sometimes set in the future, which is creative andrefreshing from the normal openings.I cannot praise this series enough, let's just hope it continues to besuccessful. It's worth the time and money, perfectly perfect.

blendastompa

(2012-04-30 11:50:14)

Best Show So Far...

The third season has came to end, and all I can say, this is the best Isaw so far! The only show I watched beside Breaking Bad and had such acrushing storyline was Lost - but they messed it up ... Anyway, I canhardly wait the 4th season to start, till now it has wonderfulcharacteristics with magnificent acting, great storyline, outstandingphotography and a good direction. Recommended to everybody, who'd liketo watch an exciting, animated show, with lifelike and rough-and-readysituations and turns.The only reason I give a 9 out of 10, because this is not yetcompleted, not yet a finished story, but as the time passes, it getscloser and closer to it...Outstanding show.9/10.

NailToTheX

(2012-04-29 21:38:54)

99.44% Brilliance

To say this program has great writing is an understatement. BB has thebest writing I have ever had the pleasure of listing & reading (Ialways leave the captioning on). The acting is top notch by Cranston.It is also very good by Aaron Paul (Pinkman), Dean Norris (Hank), BetsyBrandt (Marie), RJ Mitte (Walt junior). Unfortunately, it feels likeAnna Gunn (Skyler) is the weak link. It is hard to know if the Gilliganis trying to make a somewhat awkward and unlikable character, or if itis just not hitting the mark. I prefer to think that the writing isintentionally odd for Skyler for some reason, and that we will get tolearn more in the episodes and seasons to come. The dialogue isabsolutely brilliant for the most part – it almost always rings true.The episodes are gripping (for the most part). The story is brutal andcomedic at the same time. I have to opt for a 10/10 because there isnot another program that comes close – even Dexter which I've beenenjoying for 5 seasons doesn't have the writing or acting to stand upto BB.

timberwolf24

(2012-04-27 16:17:24)

If I had a nickel for every time I saw Bryan Cranston half naked.

I just finished the series so now I'm waiting for season 4, but let metell you Bryan Cranston is one hell of an actor, from playing anover-stressed and over-worked comedic father in Malcolm in the Middle,to a serious dramatic bad a** father and a Methamphetamine cooker. Notonly is he phenomenal, but Aaron Paul definitely deserves an Emmy forseason 3, I'll poop my pants if he doesn't win.The main plot of the show is Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is a HighSchool Chemistry teacher that is diagnosed with cancer. He and hisfamily are already middle class and paying for Chemo-therapy isexpensive, so he hooks up with a former student (Aaron Paul) and startsto cook Methamphetamine, and he can do it perfectly since he respectsthe chemistry. And from there it just gets better and better.One thing I love about this show is not only the incredible acting andwriting, but the character development. I don't think I've seen a showthat focused this much on the dynamics of characters, which more showsshould do. You'll see Bryan Cranston go from an average father andteacher to a stone cold bad a** in the blink of an eye. Also Aaron Paulin season 3 blew my mind, he is emotional, intense, and comedic all atonce. This show deserves a perfect 10.

JohnW67

(2012-04-27 05:05:32)

Most entertaining show ever ?

Well, i started to watch Breaking Bad very late so i had to hurry tocatch up with AMC schedules.Knowing that, and needing to hurry, i watched like the 3 first seasonsin 2 weeks, with several episodes a day.I found first season pretty boring, because of the lack of violence andmajor events. But, let's face it, screenwriters & creator had to taketime to set a solid background for the show. In this season, you barelyonly learn about Hank's (main character) family & Jesse's (Supportingrole) past more than 'how to really cook good meths ?'.For the second season, the show offers lot more, especially inviolence, verbal and physic and some nice drug dealing.Then, after watching season number 2, i personally had hugeexpectations, wondering if Hank & Jesse would finally grow and becomethe most famous drug dealers. And so did they !They meet their boss, Gustavo (probably the best character in thatshow, in my opinion) and become more and more bad, starting killingpeople, even though they had a rule against that. 3rd and 4th seasonswill grab your guts and make you want for more.I won't say anything further, just advice people who might read thiscomment to watch Breaking Bad and they won't regret it.10/10.

urutsini

(2012-04-27 14:04:29)

A guilty pleasure

Disgusting, hyper-realistically gritty, painfully frustrating in that"I don't want to watch but I'll look through my fingers" kinda way . .. yet eminently watchable and extremely funny. I don't know how theyget through the situations they do but fate always lends a hand, albeitdigging a bigger hole each time.Every single aspect of this production is a little quirky - plot,script, casting, acting, cinematography, music. Nothing is straightlaced which makes it endearing. But that's not likely to be theadjective that comes to mind after the pilot episode . . . thinkTarantino does Weeds.Just remember not to eat anything beforehand.

mhogan7-4-50485

(2012-04-27 04:10:13)

Ch is not the symbol for any element!

In the opening credits, being that part of the show is focused onchemistry, letter combinations in the opening credit names thatcorrespond with element symbols are highlighted, with the first letterof the chemical element capitalized.The Director of Photography is Michael Slovis (if you read this, greatjob!). The two letters that are highlighted as a chemical elementsymbol are the 3rd and 4th letters of his first name (mine as well)...Ch.But Ch is not a symbol for any element! And we wonder why we are sobehind in science compared with other countries! Michael Hogan, PEChemical Engineer

Jordan Lapwood

(2012-04-26 12:56:24)

Hands down, best TV show ever made

Where do i start with Breaking Bad?! It's flawless, top notch acting?It's amazing cinematography? It's highly original plot? Breaking Bad isstill the only TV show to leave me wanting more after every episode andin my opinion, ranks up there with the greatest TV shows ever made.(This review will not go into detail about the plot) Let's start withthe acting. Bryan Cranston is simply amazing in Breaking Bad. I didn'tthink much of him at first, seeing him in Malcom In The Middle growingup. Cranston fully understands the character of Walter White as i haveseen from many interviews with him about Breaking Bad. He steps intoWalt's shoes and no one could portray this character better than him.His gradual descent into _____ (won't spoil anything) is something ihave never seen before in film as well as TV (He also won 3 Emmy's forthe role). The rest of the cast in Breaking Bad is amazing as well(Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandht, RJ Mitte, BobOdenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, Steven Michael Quezada and JonathanBanks)Breaking Bad has to be one of the most suspenseful shows ever made.Each season gets more and more tense, building up more and moresuspense leading explosive cliff-hangers and scenes leaving you on theedge of your seat (especially in seasons 3 and 4). Films classed as'Suspense-Thrillers' have nothing on Breaking Bad which is classed as adrama.I recommend Breaking Bad to everyone interested in an original,suspenseful and superbly made drama show. 10/10 :)

danielcheah

(2012-04-26 02:02:31)

Best TV Series

Breaking Bad - to me is the best TV series out there so far. Thatitself i still reckon is an understatement of how good this show is.It is pretty obvious : This show pretty much sums up what Breaking Badmeans, "turning to the darkside" - pretty much for good. I enjoyed howthe Director and the script writer gives you an authentic feeling tothis TV Series. At times, you can feel the characters in there, sharetheir sentiment - provided that you have been following this seriessince day one.Most of my mates complained that this TV series is "too slow -dramatic", at times I will admit, it is pretty dramatic - but in a goodsense of the word. It puts you in the front seat, witnessing how goodturns to bad, and bad becomes to worst. Breaking Bad is unique, andwhen I say unique, it is not your usual day to day TV series. Not yourusual "big bang theory, the mentalist, how i met your mother" series.Breaking Bad for me stands out among the rest, because every episode iscrafted to perfection.I doubt I will be able to put in words how good Breaking Bad is, andhow much I've enjoyed it. Name me a TV series that you reckon in thelast 5 years is good, and I'll assure you Breaking Bad is better.

CAL FORD

(2012-04-24 13:23:42)

Just unreal

The creativity of this series can not get better. To me it is like aTwin Peaks in it's complex nature of human psychology, but with avastly different theme and mood. I like to watch it at night, when noone is around. I hate drugs, and most of Hollywood's products, but thisshow stands alone, great, gritty as it gets, unique, and poetic. Agreat job at plot tie ins', surreal moments, dark side of human nature,imagery. I feel dirty watching the shows at times, but a dirty I like,a dirty we all have in us but suppress, a dirty that howls at the moonand sometimes, cautiously, needs to be expressed. -Cal_Ford @ hotmail .com

Neil Doyle

(2012-04-24 01:05:53)

Brilliant, quirky dark comedy with expert performance by Bryan Cranston...

BREAKING BAD is a seriocomic study of a middle-aged man, a high schoolchemist teacher, on the brink of losing it over a financially poormarriage and the fact that he's leading a double life that his wifeknows nothing about. As the harried man, BRYAN CRANSTON delivers asolid performance, full of realistic touches--laced with bitter humorand honesty--his superb work holding the whole episode together.Seems the need for cash sets up the idea for him to considerpartnership with an ex-student who deals in drug sales. After viewing anewscast showing stacks of easy money from a drug bust, Cranston getsthe idea to ask his brother-in-law, a DEA agent, if he can accompanyhim on one of the busts. While there, he spots an ex-student escapingfrom the scene and hooks up with him later to propose a partnershipwherein he'll make the drugs and the student will sell them.Meanwhile, a visit to the doctor because of a dry cough reveals that hehas lung cancer, something he doesn't want to tell his wife becauseshe's expecting a baby. Desperate for "easy money", he gets heavilyinvolved with the ex-student (another brilliant performance by AARONPAUL), and together they find themselves caught up in drasticcircumstances with two bodies to get rid of as soon as their drugactivities go awry. The sequence where Cranston lets the phosphine gas(while mixing ingredients) do the job of ridding himself of the two menin the van, is a model of suspense.There's a payoff in virtually every scene, full of unexpected twiststhat seem credible and always true to the characters. The suspense isalmost non-stop, the action scenes are briskly handled, the humor isdiabolic, and the dialog is always sharp as a knife. In an amusingbreakfast scene, with the wife buying things on the cheap and makingsubstitutions, the son remarks: "This bacon tastes like band-aids."It's as dark as a black comedy can get, but played so earnestly byBRYAN CRANSTON and the cast that the viewer is immediately hooked intothe story which begins with a bang.

piperhook

(2012-04-19 08:52:48)

bar none, the best series television has to offer...

if you haven't yet watched Breaking Bad, you are missing out on thebest writing, acting, pushing-the-envelope, gripping, thrilling dramaout there in t.v. land. absolutely superb and shocking. i'm so proud ofamc for taking a chance on this show. the second season was even betterthan the first and that's a tough nut to crack. i was a bit taken abackin reading the IMDb summary statement on this show - i don't find themain character to be in a "mid-life crisis" but rather a life & deathcrisis of provision for his family. i find him innately unselfish whichis in complete opposition to a mid-life crisis. not the greatest job insummary of such a stellar piece of narrative genius. i won't spoil further other than to say...get on itunes and rentseasons 1 & 2 soon! season 3 starts in just 2 weeks!!!

bluekarma06

(2012-04-18 21:03:32)

Some Fools just don't get Breaking Bad!!

Some of the idiots who are rating Breaking Bad poorly and knocking itfor stereotyping and poorly developed characters are just that..idiots.It is TV!!!! Of course most of it would probably NOT happen as it doeson the show but when you are condensing LIFE into a 1 hour segment fortelevision, it often WILL seem stereotypical! Yes, the lead characterand his partner escape death too many times to believe and yes, some ofthe BAD guys seem to far-fetched(the 2 Mexican Hit-man) to believe butthe show WORKS on so many levels if you approach it with a open mindand are WILLING to suspend some truths. I love the show and think thatother than a couple of "writer's liberties" the show is dead on andvery very entertaining! If you need absolute truth(all you who knockthe show) go read some Dali lama books!!

c-polys

(2012-04-10 18:28:44)

Potentials

Yes this series had potentials. The reason I'm using past tense isbecause that the damage is unfixable. Unlike to other reviews that youwill read i will stick to the essence of what people need to read andthat is facts. To begin with i will start with the pros. Character selection is themajor asset of this series. All roles are well played representingexactly the feelings that need to be transferred to the audience. Otherthan that, what i liked in this series is the photography. Niceoriginal shots that make you partially not to pay attention to thescenarios flaws.Yes the scenario is leaking from everywhere. First of all there is lack of focus. When i say lack of focus i meanwhat is this movie about? Is it a drama which speaks about a family mandoing whatever he can to provide? If this is the answer then 4-5episodes should be enough to present that. However the series is off tothe 4th season and i yet to understand why i am watching it. Definitelyis not for the suspense or the action. Neither for the cool chemistryinvolved.Second, the scenario does not convince me. Although that 70% of thestory is brightly written many scenes just do not sum up. What youwould expect from a chemistry genius related scenario is at least tojustify its actor's actions.Another con is the long meaningless dialogs. In every episode there areat least 3-4 dialogs that put you to sleep. Summing up what i would like to see from this series is: 1) Coolchemistry involved 2) More action 3) Less talkingand 4) please some suspense

red_identity

(2012-04-10 01:59:44)

Television rarely gets this great. Intriguing, clever, and wickedly entertaining!

I started to watch reruns of Breaking Bad because I had never watchedit before. How did I not find this show earlier, I don't know. I amproud to say that not many television shows, or even films, handle aconcept like this with such amazing depth and great writing.I remember that whenever Bryan Cranston would win the Emmy award againand again I would seriously wonder what was so great about this man. Ofcourse, things like this always happen. I can say that Cranston isgiving one of the best performances to ever hit the small screen. Thewriters have given him a character that rises and challenges him and hehas very admirably risen up to the challenge. He is undeniablypowerful. I also want to give a shout out to Aaron Paul, who next toCranston plays very well and has also risen above to create probablythe most unforgettable and sympathetic druggie in a long time. The restof the supporting cast also is great and are able to handle theircharacters magnificently well, especially Anna Gunn who has to dealwith Cranston's always-erratic behavior. The direction and writing in the show are top-notch and one is reallysurprised by how much you care and are involved by the characters. Thecinematography is of the quality of an Oscar-winning film, as is theediting and the other technical aspects of the show. I do not seemyself ever leaving this show because I know that the writers willnever let me or any of the other fans down. Long live Breaking Bad, andAMC for creating some of TV's best stories.

K L

(2012-04-09 03:00:07)

the best TV i've ever seen

if uve seen some and you like the general style then id say you are infor a special period in your life.when someone asked me what it is (really unknown in Europe at themoment), i said it's a bit of a genre of it's own, being a mix ofsuspense (The Unit type of thrill), and black comedy within tragedy;i.e. it has serious stuff in it as well / is thought-provoking.i really hope they will keep it up for the 4th season.p.s. id skip episode 4 of the first season though, and maybe the 3rdtoo, i don't remember about the third.p.p.s. many will disagree, but i think it's on par with The Wire, ifnot better :)

m_saikiran

(2012-04-08 17:16:33)

wow what a series,worth watching

First three seasons were awesome,Bryan Cranston did justice to hischaracter Walter white.Only point I dint like is skyler's relationshipwith ted(even though it was for short duration)apart from this allthree seasons are great. chemistry lecturer cooking meth to make moneyvery interesting.But I think fourth season is going out of track.....but I am waiting for what would be the end as gus and walter are tryingto terminate each other,also hank behind gus which would put walter infront of hanks gun.trust me give a try

MartinRiggs45

(2012-04-05 22:48:19)

Still gets me horny after all these years.

The show focuses on Walter White a guy who could afford a much nicercar than the one he drives. He could afford this because he's asuccessful drug manufacturer. At first he begins this dangerous careerto make money to pay for cancer treatment. However somewhere along theway the writers began to lean away from the whole cancer issue. Itseems to have disappeared as cases of terminal cancer so often do inreality. Along with the less than desirable vehicle Walt drives is hisless than desirable harlot of a wife Skylar. This dried out old box hasbrought Walter down from one high after another during the course ofthis unfortunate program. Walt's one friend seems to be a meth addleddegenerate wigger named Jesse. In short we have the tale of a guy withway too much money to have such a whore of a wife and a retarded bestfriend. Bob Odenkirk is awesome in this.

Zeke Pliskin

(2012-04-05 11:43:44)

Gripping, compelling drama/thriller with a dash of black comedy.

Now let's get one thing straight; this is a television program NOT forthe faint at heart. If you like your viewing saccharine, with easyanswers and everything wrapped up and snapped back to the beginning bythe end of the episode, Breaking Bad is not for you. The premise aloneshould be enough to tell you that; a cancer-stricken father who is achemistry teacher turns to illegal drug manufacture with anot-too-bright ex-student and struggles with his own mortality andmorality along the way, doing his best to hide the new career choicefrom his pregnant wife, son with cerebal palsy, medic sister-in-law andlaw enforcer brother. Yes, this isn't light-weight material by anymeans.I'm not a fan of these shows that rely on "inflated sense of tension"to pump up the viewer's adrenaline levels while covering for poorscripting; stuff like 24, Lost and Prison Break started out well-enoughbut quickly descended into this cheap shock tactic approach to keep theaudience hooked. Once I saw through this I stopped watching themcompletely and have been seeking out quality American shows that arewell-produced and equally well-written, and I am happy to say thatBreaking Bad is one of these.Bryan Cranston is perfectly cast as Walt, the man who has to make toughchoices to provide for his family. He so perfectly becomes thecharacter that it was not until later I realised he was previously castas Hal in Malcolm In The Middle. His emotional range is staggering;with a few well-timed gestures or vocalisations he can convey severalfeelings at once, and when Walt is in pain it is completely believable.Walt is a man of few words, but chooses these words very carefully, sowhen he speaks everyone on-screen and in the audience are listening.Cranston isn't just carrying passengers though; he's ably supported byAnna Gunn as his wife Skylar, who brings just the right amount of careand concern for her husband and baby as needed and RJ Mitte plays theson who has CP and gives a very accurate, non-condescending portrayalof the condition so different from the ham-handed "sympathy ploy"approach so overused by shows from the States. Dean Norris plays Walt'sbrother Hank, the all-American police officer who doesn't take any guffand flushes out drug dealers for a living, with his quirky kleptomaniacwife Marie (the lightest character in this show, amusingly) who ishandled with panache by Betsy Brandt. Rounding out the main cast isAaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, every inch the nervy, paranoid andstreetwise "cook" who becomes Walt's new partner and guide to the worldof drug trafficking.There's much to recommend. Tight, well-plotted scripts that make theunbelievable tangible and don't waste a line while doing so. Superb,inventive direction and settings that perfectly fit the mood of theshow, an interesting mixture of steadicam, handicam, point-of-view andcamcorder shots that appear to be captured by the cast themselves.Excellent choice of soundtrack; almost every episode ends with aclassic song and the musical cues throughout really add to theatmosphere without becoming overpowering; witness the searing,high-pitched noises when we see through Walt's eyes as he is in pain orbeing given bad news for an example.What is most remarkable is that the show never gives easy answers,never biases us towards the characters (we are given both sides of thedebate and left to make our own choices, which respects the viewersintelligence) and always does things that you will not expect. There isnot a single clichГѓВ© to be found here, no way of knowing exactly howeach person will react to the situations they are thrust into. Theseare complex, multi-faceted individuals with free will and their ownmotivations, who exist not as mere tools to advance the plot. The plotitself is always coherent and leaves very few loose ends. If you see anevent or object framed, however subtlety, you can bet it will come backlater on. Maybe not in the same episode, but as part of the story arc.And last but not least is the incredibly pitch black humour that cropsup every now and then, so dark it almost feels uncomfortable to laugh.If you liked the first season of Dexter but don't like the direction ithas now, Breaking Bad is for you. Not since I saw Firefly (a verydifferent kind of show) have I enjoyed a television program this much.If they can carry this program on for two or three more seasons andthen end it without dragging past the logical closure point - and withWalt the way he is, this is crucial - it will be one of the greatestdrama series of all time.If you haven't tried it, start from the pilot episode, keep an openmind, and you just might find your new favourite show. I know I did.