13 Years Later-A Breaking Bad Retrospective (2 Viewers)

[Saint Jack]

January 2021 marks thirteen years since Breaking Bad premiered on AMC. At the time, just a fledgling network with one season of Mad Men and constant reruns of movies from the 80s, BB helped elevate the network in a cable version of HBO quality shows, along with FX.
I think it’s because it premiered within months of The Sopranos ending, but it still feels like it’s the new show in town, even though it’s rightfully considered one of the greatest dramas of all time.

 

[CapitalCitySaint]

Wow. I feel old because it doesn't feel like that long ago.

 

[Zack Lee]

Interesting thread timing to me because I just rewatched the whole series. Finished the last episode and El Camino just two days ago.

It is still the ruler that I measure a series with. The last season was odd to me. Why Uncle Jack let’s Walter live when he takes his barrels of money was a little bizarre. You just killed DEA five minutes before so killing is nothing to you. But you take millions off a guy and let him walk away to haunt you another day. Dumb red neck.

 

[Saint Jack]

Interesting thread timing to me because I just rewatched the whole series. Finished the last episode and El Camino just two days ago.

It is still the ruler that I measure a series with. The last season was odd to me. Why Uncle Jack let’s Walter live when he takes his barrels of money was a little bizarre. You just killed DEA five minutes before so killing is nothing to you. But you take millions off a guy and let him walk away to haunt you another day. Dumb red neck.

I just started again a few days ago. About to finish Season 1.

 

[Zack Lee]

I just started again a few days ago. About to finish Season 1.

its hard for me to choose a favorite between 2, 3, and season 4. The heart of this series was so awesome. I payed a lot more attention to the shots chosen this go round. Like every time they did one of those beneath the ground cleaning shots. Like cleaning up the bath tub. Seemed like they happened every time Walter and Jesse had crossed another line in the sand and were symbolic of the bigger and bigger messes they were making.

 

[zeetes]

weird. i just restarted it too.

 

[Boy_of_wonder75]

That's really interesting because, like others here, I 've recently re-watched the series, too. I found Walter far less likable this time around and felt far more sympathy for Skyler.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

also interesting, while i did not recently rewatch, I did think about BB on the dog walk this am, specifically in reference to WandaVision (no spoilers for finale which i have not seen yet) bc i was thinking of stories where there were 2 villains but there was still a pro/antagonist dynamic
(no, Skylar wasn't a villain - Walt vs Gus)

 

[Zack Lee]

also interesting, while i did not recently rewatch, I did think about BB on the dog walk this am, specifically in reference to WandaVision (no spoilers for finale which i have not seen yet) bc i was thinking of stories where there were 2 villains but there was still a pro/antagonist dynamic
(no, Skylar wasn't a villain - Walt vs Gus)

Im not sure what technically constitutes a protagonist these days but I have for quite sometime realized that squeaky clean characters are just not that realistic or interesting. Wally Lamb writes those character masterfully. They have despicable elements but ones we all can identify with some kind of way. And the books with those characters are Page turners like you rarely see elsewhere.

The Boys also has that going on big time. And the one character who, thus far, is squeaky clean (Starlight) is by far the most boring character in the show. They really have to turn her out.

 

[Saint Jack]

That's really interesting because, like others here, I 've recently re-watched the series, too. I found Walter far less likable this time around and felt far more sympathy for Skyler.

I think Skyler is gonna get a nice re-evaluation as the years go on. She, and the actress, were unfairly criticized.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Im not sure what technically constitutes a protagonist these days but I have for quite sometime realized that squeaky clean characters are just not that realistic or interesting. Wally Lamb writes those character masterfully. They have despicable elements but ones we all can identify with some kind of way. And the books with those characters are Page turners like you rarely see elsewhere.

The Boys also has that going on big time. And the one character who, thus far, is squeaky clean (Starlight) is by far the most boring character in the show. They really have to turn her out.

so as i see it or talk about it - the protagonist is the person(s)/thing(s) the story is told through
then the antagonist is the one interrupting the story - in opposition
in simple terms, it's a hero story if the protagonist is doing more harm than good (opposite for the villain)

like in Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche is protagonist because she is our lens and is hero because she is (trying to) create a new life for herself
Stanley is antagonist bc he is on opposition to Blanche and villain bc he stops her from her heroes journey
BUT if Stanley was our protagonist, Blanche would definitely be villain

Walter starts as hero, but becomes villain when violates his hero journey (providing for his family) and sets off on a self-destructive path

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I think Skyler is gonna get a nice re-evaluation as the years go on. She, and the actress, were unfairly criticized.

hear that @zeetes ?

 

[zeetes]

I think Skyler is gonna get a nice re-evaluation as the years go on. She, and the actress, were unfairly criticized.

terrible actress.

 

[Mamba]

I think Skyler is gonna get a nice re-evaluation as the years go on. She, and the actress, were unfairly criticized.

The actress was criticized? Man, she was outstanding!

The only two acting performances I didn’t like in that show were Walter Jr. & Steve Gomez. Both of them were too wooden.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

The actress was criticized? Man, she was outstanding!

Dude people HATED Skylar
and quite often actors suffer blowback from ‘fans’ hating a character