Latecomer to Breaking Bad - just binged watched the entire series..my thoughts..

[SeanF]

They kinda made it impossible not to root for Walt at the end when his nemesis in the finale were fucking Nazis. Probably my biggest problem with the show was their introduction as the "big bads" they didn't hold a candle to Gus. 

Gus is one of the best villains I've ever watched.

[Tears of Lys]

While we're tearing WW a new asshole, don't forget about how he SHOT AND KILLED MIKE!!!!

Mike was worth 10 Walters, and to see him being suckered and gunned down was truly gut-wrenching.

[DanteGabriel]

While we're tearing WW a new asshole, don't forget about how he SHOT AND KILLED MIKE!!!!

Mike was worth 10 Walters, and to see him being suckered and gunned down was truly gut-wrenching.

More or less share the "Walt was a monster and it was always there" school of thought, and I'll co-sign this one. I loved Mike. Really happy he gets more time in Better Call Saul.

It was remarkable how much Hank changed in my conception as the show went along. He started out as an unlikable meathead, and ended a pure hero in a show filled with morally grey characters.

 

[cdawnb]

I thought I was the only one who hated him. It's nice to know I'm not alone. 

 

When in first started watching BB,  it was because someone told me I had to watch this really cool show about how this guy was taking control of his life and how much I would love this character.

I  didn't like him from the first episode.  I mean I understood why he was frustrated with his life and I felt bad about his cancer diagnosis but he just didn't seem like a very nice guy that I would want to root for.  I only watched a few episodes before I stopped. 

I ended up finishing the series and absolutely loving it, but I always hated Walt.

[Gears of the Beast]

It kinda hurts to see all this Walt hate...if he were a real person I might feel compelled to offer an impassioned defence but instead all he'll get is this tepid post. 

[SeanF]

Jessie fucked everything up with Gus and got Hank killed, though. "Walt is the devil" lmao what? If you can't handle gray characters why are you even reading asoiaf? 

brb I hate Walter for poisoning Brock and being about 90% sure he will be okay, but I do love Jamie Lannister. These forums at it's best.

Walter isn't grey.  He's black as pitch.

I enjoy him, but I enjoy him as a villain.

[Crixus]

Agree with those who think Walter was a dick from the start. Egotistical and bitter, and petty. I felt for his family and Jesse and everyone he wrecked; never for him. 

Cranston is a fucking great actor. 

[sifth]

I don't believe Walter was always a monster, but slowly became a monster as the series went on. To be perfectly honest part of me wishes Gus was kept alive until the final season, since he was easily the shows best villain; asides from Walter himself that is.

[Dolorous Gabe]

To be honest, I think those who hail Hank as the hero of Breaking Bad are missing the point just as much as those who were on Walt's side all the way through. There are no heroes in BB. The comparisons between Hank and Walt are just as interesting as the contrasts.

I don't think that Walt was absolutely bad from the start, but had the potential to become so through the bitterness about how life has treated him. After the cancer is confirmed, it triggers a reaction where he convinces himself that his motive is to make money to leave his family (and in his head that is entirely accurate) but he is equally motivated by the bitterness that has been growing in him for many years. He's an amazing character and Bryan Cranston was unbelievably brilliant!

Breaking Bad is an incredible achievement and actually gets even better on repeat viewings. You will have missed things on just one viewing. I've watched it through 3 times now.

Only The Wire is arguably superior.

[Mark Antony]

Yeah Hank was hardly a hero. His actions in 5b were super selfish in my eyes. He should have spilled the beans about Walt the second he found the book on the toilet instead he tried to save his own job and got killed for it. I also remember him willing to sacrifice Jesses life in 5b just to catch Walt. Hank was an asshole. 

[Dolorous Gabe]

I don't believe Walter was always a monster, but slowly became a monster as the series went on. To be perfectly honest part of me wishes Gus was kept alive until the final season, since he was easily the shows best villain; asides from Walter himself that is.

It needed Gus out of the way for Walt to start achieving the level of success he always wanted, which was also ultimately to be his downfall (the money).

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

It kinda hurts to see all this Walt hate...if he were a real person I might feel compelled to offer an impassioned defence but instead all he'll get is this tepid post. 

^^^Kind of this. I think it's a testament to both the writing on this show and the acting ability of Bryan Cranston that the character remains sympathetic (or even gray) for as long as he does. That being said, I think hate for the character was the intended endgame. If you seek out some Vince Gilligan interviews, he's often quoted as saying that one idea that was central to the show from the start was making the viewer fall in love with Walt, only to see how far he could push him over to the other side and still have viewers root for him. 

[Martell Spy]

^^^Kind of this. I think it's a testament to both the writing on this show and the acting ability of Bryan Cranston that the character remains sympathetic (or even gray) for as long as he does. That being said, I think hate for the character was the intended endgame. If you seek out some Vince Gilligan interviews, he's often quoted as saying that one idea that was central to the show from the start was making the viewer fall in love with Walt, only to see how far he could push him over to the other side and still have viewers root for him. 

Yeah, they pretty much stripped all excuses for finding Walt sympathetic. I've heard people claim they were with Walt all the way, but I don't quite believe them. Even if you believed the "it's for the family" explanation, it's later revealed to be a lie. And there's numerous situations like the train ending.

There's qualities to admire in Hank, like bravery and actual dedication to family, unlike Walter's fake dedication. However, I started hating him after the pot janitor incident. And yeah how he used Jesse was awful.

[Maltaran]

Agree with those who think Walter was a dick from the start. Egotistical and bitter, and petty. I felt for his family and Jesse and everyone he wrecked; never for him. 

Cranston is a fucking great actor. 

Indeed. If he had been a decent guy in S1, he'd have accepted Elliott's offer to pay for the chemo and never got into meth in the first place.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

Indeed. If he had been a decent guy in S1, he'd have accepted Elliott's offer to pay for the chemo and never got into meth in the first place.

I don't think that makes him indecent, it just makes him prideful. I can relate turning to an illegal activity to empower yourself, or to make a living, or finance your recovery, or insure your families financial well-being. It's the depths that Walt sinks to that make him eventually despicable. Using loved ones and friends to further his own sense of power and ego. That's the bit that's unforgivable. 

[Winterfell is Burning]

While we're tearing WW a new asshole, don't forget about how he SHOT AND KILLED MIKE!!!!

Mike was worth 10 Walters, and to see him being suckered and gunned down was truly gut-wrenching.

Yeah, I like Mike as a character, but the idea he's "good" or much better than Walter is non-sense: he was a very dirty and crooked cop who eventually became the main henchman for a murderer and drug dealer, and despite knowing he was a threat, was outsmarted by Walter at every turn.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

Yeah, I like Mike as a character, but the idea he's "good" or much better than Walter is non-sense: he was a very dirty and crooked cop who eventually became the main henchman for a murderer and drug dealer, and despite knowing he was a threat, was outsmarted by Walter at every turn.

I think Mike was infinitely more likeable than Walt, in that he didn't bother trying to justify himself. He was much more honest and genuine than Walt. A bad guy for sure, but somehow more of a straight shooter. He took care of his people for one, whereas Walt spent them like chips.

[Crixus]

There's definitely an element of wishful thinking in Walter turning to a life of crime, complete with that utter disregard for law and consequences; there is freedom in having undeniable time bound confirmation of your mortality. The genius of the show lies in the unflinching way they depicted the almost inevitable consequences of such a situation. 

[Werthead]

I think it was a great show, but definitely not the best show evaaah (or even of the last decade). It's a little too narrowly focused on a very small cast and after a while it drains the story possibilities. The adventures with Gus went on for probably half a season too long, Jessie's character arc kind of exhausted itself a while before the end and the last villains being Neo-Nazi white supremacists felt rather bizarre and out of left field, especially as they were given exactly zero development, character or personality compared to Gus or the twins or Tuco or Krazy-8.

It's still great, of course. The actors are all excellent, the dialogue is tremendous and the gradually darkening atmosphere of the show was done well. I don't rate Walter's character arc though. He was a total dickhead in Episode 1 and got a fair bit worse but not dramatically. He just gained in confidence. I think the show actually failed in Vince Gilligan's suggestion that if Walter goes from Mr. Chips to Scarface, he more goes from a nasty, arrogant and manipulative middle-manager to Scarface which is a lot less of a stretch.

Having just finished a rewatch of The Wire, I have to say that that show's place in the pantheon as Best Show Evaaah was not really in any danger from Breaking Bad (the two shows being rather different though). I'd probably also still rate Rome, and the first half of BSG as being better. Actually, Fargo S1 as well, in which Martin Freeman basically does Walter White's complete morality arc in the first episode alone and does so brilliantly.

There's definitely an element of wishful thinking in Walter turning to a life of crime, complete with that utter disregard for law and consequences; there is freedom in having undeniable time bound confirmation of your mortality. The genius of the show lies in the unflinching way they depicted the almost inevitable consequences of such a situation. 

That's an excellent point. Breaking Bad is unusual in that it follows through on the logical consequences of its narrative and does not pull any punches at all. In that sense it is better than BSG, which started wimping out on its premise before the final season even started and ended in a manner completely tonally detached from where it started. The only other shows which follow through in the way BB does are probably The Wire, Deadwood and Blake's 7.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

and the last villains being Neo-Nazi white supremacists felt rather bizarre and out of left field, especially as they were given exactly zero development, character or personality compared to Gus or the twins or Tuco or Krazy-8.

 

I thought Todd was pretty well fleshed out, which was kind of the shows modus operandi as far as antagonists go. I mean who other than Mike in Gus's operation was developed? Same with Tuco, really, other than his uncle.