Saddam Hussein

Re: Just Watched
« Reply #560 on: August 06, 2014, 04:46:52 AM »
I watched the first few episodes of Breaking Bad, partially to stop friends and family from constantly pestering me with "Did you watch Breaking Bad yet?  Did you watch Breaking Bad yet?," but mainly because I've heard so many good things about it that I finally had to see what the fuss was about.  I'm sure that most of you have probably already watched the show, so I won't bother writing elaborate reviews for it or anything.  We all know by now that it's a great show.

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Offline spoon

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #561 on: August 06, 2014, 05:09:31 AM »
Breaking Bad is pretty great. If you aren't convinced after the first couple episodes, rest assured. Every season is better than the last, in my opinion.
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Offline Foxbox

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #562 on: August 06, 2014, 05:15:29 AM »
Breaking Bad is pretty great.

It is really great and I love the whole thing.

I watched the first few episodes of Breaking Bad, partially to stop friends and family from constantly pestering me with "Did you watch Breaking Bad yet?  Did you watch Breaking Bad yet?," but mainly because I've heard so many good things about it that I finally had to see what the fuss was about.  I'm sure that most of you have probably already watched the show, so I won't bother writing elaborate reviews for it or anything.  We all know by now that it's a great show.

What did you think, and will you continue watching?

Saddam Hussein

Re: Just Watched
« Reply #563 on: August 06, 2014, 05:50:16 AM »
It's great, I'm definitely going to watch it all.  My one main issue with it so far - and yes, I know that this is a really original criticism and I'm literally so brave for pointing it out - is the wife, Skyler.  It's not because I'm sexist and I can't stand to see a strong female character who challenges her husband or whatever accusation it is that the actress herself has made; it's because she's an incredibly unlikable character with nothing interesting or enjoyable to her.  Any time she appears onscreen, the smile drops right off my face, because I know it's just going to be another killjoy moment.

Ghost of V

Re: Just Watched
« Reply #564 on: August 06, 2014, 06:14:26 AM »
What makes Breaking Bad so good? I watched a few episodes and felt it was too melodramatic. It was hard to take seriously. Are the artsy camera angles supposed to evoke some sort of emotional reaction from me? Because all I feel is disdain.

Saddam Hussein

Re: Just Watched
« Reply #565 on: August 06, 2014, 06:56:09 AM »
Vauxy is literally a poor man's Rushy.

Ghost of V

Re: Just Watched
« Reply #566 on: August 06, 2014, 07:10:32 AM »
No really. I don't see the appeal. What exactly is so amazing about Breaking Bad?

Re: Just Watched
« Reply #567 on: August 06, 2014, 07:45:19 AM »
Compelling story centered around a character that's easy to empathize with. Great acting across the board.

And yeah, fuck skyler. Designed to be annoying, which makes it worse.

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Offline rooster

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #568 on: August 06, 2014, 10:14:42 AM »
I grew to like Skylar more as Walt became more of an asshole.

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Offline Particle Person

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #569 on: August 06, 2014, 12:24:37 PM »
It's great, I'm definitely going to watch it all.  My one main issue with it so far - and yes, I know that this is a really original criticism and I'm literally so brave for pointing it out - is the wife, Skyler.  It's not because I'm sexist and I can't stand to see a strong female character who challenges her husband or whatever accusation it is that the actress herself has made; it's because she's an incredibly unlikable character with nothing interesting or enjoyable to her.  Any time she appears onscreen, the smile drops right off my face, because I know it's just going to be another killjoy moment.

Have any of the plot elements been spoiled for you by the internet? 

What makes Breaking Bad so good? I watched a few episodes and felt it was too melodramatic. It was hard to take seriously. Are the artsy camera angles supposed to evoke some sort of emotional reaction from me? Because all I feel is disdain.

Yes, the emotional appeal of the show is in its many artsy camera angles. You're just not sophisticated enough to understand them.

No really. I don't see the appeal. What exactly is so amazing about Breaking Bad?

The artsy camera angles.

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #570 on: August 06, 2014, 09:16:57 PM »
The angles weren't that "artsy".

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Offline Particle Person

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #571 on: August 06, 2014, 09:26:56 PM »
The angles weren't that "artsy".

No, I have no idea what he's talking about.
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Offline Roundy

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #572 on: August 07, 2014, 02:04:17 AM »
It's great, I'm definitely going to watch it all.  My one main issue with it so far - and yes, I know that this is a really original criticism and I'm literally so brave for pointing it out - is the wife, Skyler.  It's not because I'm sexist and I can't stand to see a strong female character who challenges her husband or whatever accusation it is that the actress herself has made; it's because she's an incredibly unlikable character with nothing interesting or enjoyable to her.  Any time she appears onscreen, the smile drops right off my face, because I know it's just going to be another killjoy moment.

I felt that way about Marie (Hank's wife).  I was pretty much indifferent to Skyler for a long time.
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Offline Ghost Spaghetti

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #573 on: August 07, 2014, 04:09:51 PM »
Breaking Bad is pretty great. If you aren't convinced after the first couple episodes, rest assured. Every season is better than the last, in my opinion.

I thought S4 dragged a little in the middle, then it picked up in a big way.

I started off hating Skyler, but she became better as


[SPOILERS]




She became more and more drawn into Walt's world. When she started to become as scheming, manipulative and dark as Walt had become. I've just started S5 and am enjoying the refreshing return to the feel of the earlier seasons, with Walt and Jesse cooking by themselves, without the 'support' of the Cartel behind them. Also, Mike's great.

Saddam Hussein

Re: Just Watched
« Reply #574 on: August 07, 2014, 04:15:13 PM »
We have actual spoiler tags, you know.

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Offline rooster

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #575 on: August 07, 2014, 04:17:29 PM »
Yeah, sure. Hate the woman who is trying to get by with a shady, downright villainous husband and only like her when she helps him out against her morals.

Pfft, men.  ::)

Saddam Hussein

Re: Just Watched
« Reply #576 on: August 07, 2014, 04:28:18 PM »
Yeah, sure. Hate the woman who is trying to get by with a shady, downright villainous husband and only like her when she helps him out against her morals.

Pfft, men.  ::)

Irrelevant.  Her worth as a character is the issue, not her worth as a human being in RL terms.  Don't be like those people who say "What do you mean GTA is sexist?  The men in these games are terrible people, therefore the games aren't sexist!"

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Offline Ghost Spaghetti

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #577 on: August 07, 2014, 04:34:51 PM »
Yeah, sure. Hate the woman who is trying to get by with a shady, downright villainous husband and only like her when she helps him out against her morals.

Pfft, men.  ::)

Although her frustration with Walt is entirely justified, when the main drama in an episode is about Walt and Jesse trying to survive psychopathic druglords, Skyler's complaints just come across as whiny.

She became really good in her own right when she started to take control, to use her financial skills, start juggling the lies to Hank and the family, holding off the IRS... basically being an active character rather than one merely acted upon.

Offline Blanko

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #578 on: August 07, 2014, 04:37:08 PM »
Yeah, sure. Hate the woman who is trying to get by with a shady, downright villainous husband and only like her when she helps him out against her morals.

Pfft, men.  ::)

Well, it can be generalized simply as being "this character is annoying when she's not sympathetic towards the character the audience is sympathetic towards." That sexist implication is just a side effect of how the characters happen to be.

Honestly though, I think Breaking Bad just has a major issue with one-dimensional characterization. Contrast that with something like Mad Men where nearly every character can be either a massive cunt or genuinely likable depending on the circumstances, and none of it ever feels out of place.

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Offline rooster

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Re: Just Watched
« Reply #579 on: August 07, 2014, 04:43:13 PM »
I was just teasing.

I thought all of her complaints were justifiable personally, from her POV Walt is changing drastically and she has no idea why. And Walt's family life becomes more important to the story in the last season.

I don't see it as a sexist issue either. I just think it's easy to forget how everything plays out in Skyler's life when we see everything Walt is doing. She's confused, frustrated, depressed, etc.

As far as characterization goes, Mad Men does a much better job with it. I felt that BB could have done Walt's downward spiral better. It seemed like a switch was a flipped and he turned psycho.