Sure, Mad Men is interesting and cool. But I think the best show on TV is actually, Breaking Bad. (okay, I have to qualify this--Lost is not really a TV show, it's something else. I will keep you up at night. And it's not healthy for you. Also, The Wire is over, but that would easily be #1.)
Thanks to Kayla, I was finally able to get to the show after hearing some good things. What separates Breaking Bad is that it actually has a plot, as well as a tremendously interesting lead character.
The scenario (and I'm not giving away anything here): Walt is a high school chemistry teacher, who's far too qualified for his position. He is also dying of lung cancer. He is married and has a teenage son who has some developmental disabilities (it's not really quite sure what they are.) In order to protect them financially, Walt decides to use his chemist background to create crystal meth, and along with his partner (and former student), Jesse, sell it in Alburquque, NM. As the show opens, shit is already hitting the fan. And it doesn't stop. In this manner, it reminds me of The Shield (which I just finished watching the 7th and final season of.) Jesse and Walt are constantly under seige from different angles. Making matters worse is that they both have actual consciouses regarding their activities. It isn't like The Sopranos, where Tony is a complete sociopath.
Also, Bryan Cranston deserves the Emmy, or whatever awards go out for this stuff, for Best Actor. Hamm is great, but more so because the character is so fascinating. He merely has to look introspective. Cranston is all over the place, and he's really great. It's really an amazing performance.
What also separates BB is that Walt really goes through an amazing transformation through the 1st season, despite there only being 7 episodes. Again, I don't want to spoil things, but watching Walt go from a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher to the man he later becomes is probably the best reason to watch the show. But you're never positioned to sit there and think, "who is Walt?", like in Mad Men, which seems to want to be about itself and its style. (this may sound like a dig, but again, I really really like Mad Men. I just don't like when good stuff gets neglected because not like the other things out there.)
Before season 2 starts in March, you should give Breaking Bad a look. It's really great.
3 comments:
Is that a knock on LOST, Tommy? Please say no...
And you'll be pleased to know that Cranston did win the Emmy (breaking bad) for best actor, shutting down Hamm.
Here's how it is:
1. Friday Night Lights
2. The Wire
3. Lost
4. So You Think You Can Dance
5. Mad Men
It's just that Lost is something other than a TV show. I can't explain it. It's like a game. But I love Lost, like a crackhead loves the smack.
FNL hasn't been the same since season 1, which was one of the best seasons of television ever. The Wire is over, and the 2nd best television show I've ever seen. (After Homicide: Life on the Street). But that would've been #1.
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