Monday, September 30, 2013

Some thoughts on Breaking Bad ! *spoilers beware*

Breaking Bad is over !

There has been no other TV show that has left me spellbound as much as Breaking Bad. I have watched a fair bit of TV series (Sherlock, Homeland, 4 seasons of Fringe, 4 seasons of Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, House of Cards to name a few) and I think Breaking Bad is not only better in terms of casting but is superbly supported by the script, content and direction.

There is no rooting for one in Breaking Bad - This is what makes it totally, totally special. I mean with GoT you take sides (Starks are good, Lannisters are evil, Khaleesi should win cos well she is Khaleesi etc.), but with Breaking Bad your take on the characters keep swaying from one episode to another. You wish Walter was dead when he points to the hiding Jesse, but then you feel sad when he is ready to pay 10,000$ for one hour of time of a total stranger just cos he feels so alone (this was my most saddening moment of the entire series). You are emotionally tied to those characters, thanks to some brilliant writing/directing and the characters portraying the pain with such reality.

Humor at intense moments - I mean who would have thought Skinny Pete and Badger would make a special appearance in the finale or Huell going shit scared looking at Jesse's brain all over or those countless Saul moments (belize, rabid dog, 2 steps away from sainthood etc.) when Walt/Jesse is in dire need of help. Brilliant stuff this from Vince and the writers. This dark humor quotient was there all along the series - the ignorant Jesse at the beginning of the series, Skinny Pete & Badger adding to the madness and finally followed by Saul and Huell..

I think the main success of Breaking Bad lies in how simple it was for the audience to connect with the characters. For instance, in Sopranos, with italian-sque mafia story, it was pretty difficult to follow the lines. you tend to lose what they are trying to convey. I think House of Cards has all it takes to equal Breaking Bad in terms of quality and may even better it.

All said, I think the excitement of waiting a week to know what lies ahead and watching it with the whole world added another dimension to the excitement. I feel as someone who is going to start watching the series now at one go, he/she might not feel the same excitement as those who watched it first. Monday mornings are going to be dull again..

With Breaking Bad done, I can't wait for the spin-off series on Saul Goodman "Better Call Saul" to begin. Bring it on, bitch !!

Some of my fav lines by some of the characters -

Walt - "I am the one who knocks", "Say my name", "Heisenberg", "We are family", "Tread lightly"
Jesse - "Magnets, bitch", "Science, bitch", "Yo!, Mr. White", "Say the words"
Skyler - "I fucked Ted" (this was giving back to White where it hurts)
Saul - This list is endless. I love almost all the scenes of Saul. "Better call Saul", "Send him to Belize", "this guy is punctual, with a captial P", "I didn't know you were a big moose lover (when Jesse says he would choose Alaska)"
Hank - "I am ASAC Schrader and you can go fuck yourself", "I don't know who I am talking to (when he discovers White as Heisenberg)", "You are the smartest man I have seen, but you are too stupid to see. He has made up his mind 10 mins ago", "Jesus Christ, Marie"
Flynn - "Have an A1 day", "Why are you still alive", "You asshole (addressed at Walt)"
Uncle Jack - "Heart wants what the heart wants", "cry baby rat", "That fancy phone of yours, where does it say this exactly", "it looks blue to me"


finally, last but not the least -
Holly - "Momma"

This is definitely the last -
Salamanca - "Ting Ting Ting" :)




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