RichC2

Also, the blu-rays for Season 1 and Season 2 are $15 a piece at Best Buy right now, you can use this coupon: http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US...on_exp0731.pdf to drop them down to $10.

I personally really enjoy Breaking Bad despite its over reliance on coincidence, but can see where the dislike would come from. It's currently my favorite show on tv.

Throwing Copper

Thank you. Much appreciated.

My AMC employee discount isn't even that good.

MikahC

I watched the pilot episode of Breaking Bad and dropped it. I was hooked on Mad Men immediately. Why? Don Draper and his crew were a lot more interesting to watch to me. It's tough to objectively describe why you don't like something because any of the components you don't like probably also exist in shows you do like.

Blind buying 3 seasons is "nuts"? Sounds like the same thing over and over. Anyone who doesn't live as you do has something wrong with them ("nuts" "troll" etc). I blind bought all 7 seasons of Buffy. Same for X-Files. Why? Because I could. Enjoyed the heck out of them too.

I'm at a loss as to how one would think someone with 6,000 posts of history to look up is trolling.

Shady12

Just goes to show some things aren't for some people. I was utterly transfixed from the beginning of Breaking Bad. I tore through the DVD's a couple months ago and still on season three going through the weekly re-runs on AMC. I'd heard of the show before but had no idea what it was about. I guess I need to watch Mad Men sometime..never seen an episode. Walking Dead..I watched it when it was on a marathon several months ago. Was pretty decent, not great. Will check out season two, whenever that is. I'm looking forward to that AMC Western this fall. And I hope that sci-fi first contact show in development for AMC gets the green light at some point.

Geofferson

People seem to get really turned off on the subject matter of Breaking Bad (i.e., crystal meth) and understandably. Several people I've mentioned it to never bothered to watch because of this. It took some convincing on my part to get them to watch -- now they are all hooked

That'sAllFolks

I liked the show from the beginning ... and it got better with each subsequent season. But the end of season 3, it was definitely my favorite show on TV. There are alot of good serialized dramas out there on the cable stations, but not since Buffy was I really excited to watch the next week's episode.

Mike86

I agree with this reasoning and I can understand too I guess why some people might feel that way. Honestly though the show is just interesting enough where I look past that aspect and really enjoy the hell out of it. I know some people I've asked if they've seen the show have had kind of a weird reaction when I tell them what the show is about though.

Robot Rock

I gotta be honest, the show didn't really kick in for me until the season final of the first season.

Nefarious

I'm actually a little surprised by the number of people arguing this is the best show or possible best show. For me it's a very good Tier II show. We immediately liked it and we watch it every week and look forward to it. But if/when the show ends I'm not going to be torn up about it.

OP: I'd say if you aren't into it by 3 eps in then let it go. Don't sell them just yet unless you need to get your money back. Move on to other shows and maybe pick them up and try again later.

Tier I: The Wire; Mad Men; Treme; Game of Thrones; Deadwood; Rome; The Sopranos; Boardwalk Empire; Dexter

Tier II: True Blood; Breaking Bad; Sons of Anarchy; The Shield; Big Love; Tudors; The Borgias

RichC2

I get what you're saying, but in all honesty I don't know how Dexter can be considered Tier I (Boardwalk I can kind of get at least (phenomenal production values), though that one doesn't even rank for me.), it's a popular show but save for Season 4, it's one of the sloppier serials out there. Plus it really just isn't all that well made to begin with.

Nefarious

I'm giving Dexter Tier I mainly for seasons 1 & 4. I agree with your assessment and it probably is more Tier II when I really look at it as a whole.

spainlinx0

The Shield is Tier 2? You're out of your fucking mind.

Nefarious

Compared to The Wire it is clearly a Tier 2. Any show, supposedly grounded in reality, that relies that heavily on temporary suspension of disbelief cannot expect to be Tier 1.

spainlinx0

I just think as an overall show the Shield is easily stronger than Boardwalk Empire, and at this point, better than Game of Thrones. I know people are excited about Game of Thrones right now, but the show is not perfect, and some of the flaws are especially glaring to me from reading the books.

Gunde

You seem to really prefer realism. Nothing wrong with that but The Shield and Breaking Bad are both VASTLY superior to anything else in your Tier II

PacMan2006

Out of curiosity, what makes "The Wire" so "real?" Are you suggesting that everything that happens in that show is completely realistic to how the real world works?

I mean, this is all entertainment, so nothing is ever completely "real." Even documentaries and reality shows aren't totally "real."

Nefarious

The Wire certainly sensationalized various elements. But you could likely find a real life example of every individual/character in The Wire and the story would be extremely close to what was portrayed on the show. Find me a Vic Mackey or Shane Vendrell in real life. Cops that have gotten away with that much in those extreme situations.

I'm not saying The Shield isn't enjoyable TV. But it didn't broaden my horizons or make me critically think, either. It's the popcorn, blockbuster action movie. If that's your Tier 1 type, more power to you. It's not for me.

I wasn't attempting to hijack this thread. There are numerous other threads here where The Shield vs The Wire, etc. have been discussed ad nauseum.

PacMan2006

Well, to be fair, if a cop got away with the things Vic Mackey pulled off, we wouldn't know about it. He'd have gotten away with it, right?

And often, characters and TV shows are less about being real, and more about being a microcosm of certain elements or people in life.

I think for me, I care less about the realistic framework of a show and how it mimics real life, and am far more interested in how extraordinary circumstances impact everyday, ordinary people. And through that, you can get honest depictions and complex interactions and relationships under the pressure cooker of cooking and selling meth or, as you mentioned, the daily actions of a dirty cop like Vic Mackey.

Listen, you like what you like and that's good. But I think if your main criteria for quality TV is realism, you're missing a hell of a lot of great programming.

FatTony

I enjoyed the first three seasons, but I think the praise for it is absolutely overblown. It reminds me a lot of shows like Firefly and Freaks & Geeks, where all the superfans out there are almost doing the show a disservice by overselling it to people like me who had previously heard nothing about it. Again, it's a good show - well acted and very well made - but it's nowhere near as great as it's made out to be.

bluetoast

By that same token, show me a forensics expert that can get away with what Dexter does (or even have the number of opportunities that he is presented with).

Nefarious

I already admitted that it does belong more in Tier 2 than Tier 1 as I originally had stated. But I wouldn't have put it past the writers of either show to have them join forces at some point.

I hold The Wire, Mad Men, Deadwood and Treme above all else. I could actually see someone arguing successfully for The Sopranos to be in Tier 2.

dolphinboy

Well, we are past the 1/2 way point of Season 2 and my wife and I just aren't feeling it yet, so if you all want to tell me I'm an idiot, troll, with no taste in television, let 'er rip.

Obviously people have different tastes, but we actually aren't surprised that people like it, I think we feel more surprised that it's considered the best television show on right now by so many people.

kstublen

I'll gladly take the Blu-rays off your hands if you're done with the show.

PhantomStranger

I think the odd subject matter of the show draws in a certain element. Like you, I watched up through the middle of season 2. The show was okay, but not essential in my estimation, so I dropped it at that point. The acting is very good, which does help ground the show.

northmoor

I really like Breaking Bad. I remember wondering about it when I watched the first few eps, but somewhere there in season 1 I was hooked. I remember being pissed at the Writer's Strike, which caused it to end early after only 7 Episodes.

If you're not hooked by the midpoint of season 2, then perhaps it's not for you. I was always very intrigued by the whole regular-guy deciding to break bad thing. I don't think I'd rate it as "the best" show ever, but it's up there in the top 10 or maybe 20 for me.

Interesting to read the comments on the tiers. I guess Friday Night Lights didn't rate for many? I'd certainly have that in the top tier, as well as The West Wing, and others. I guess I'll need to watch Treme, as some are placing it in some outstanding company.