I started season 3 Saturday morning, and as expected, I flew through the season, now on episode 10. I also love the Giancarlo Esoisito character. He has just a calm coldness to him and probably appreciates Walt's anal minded behavior. I also find the Saul's henchman to be fascinating as well. Like nothing phases him. I found myself sympathizing with Walt, and really hating the way Skylar treats him, but now I see Walt and Jesse as both assholes.

Now I'm a bit depressed knowing I only have a handful of episodes left.

That's what I incorrectly assumed he was talking about. After that episode ended, I rewound that scene at least 4 times.

The first episode I caught live was the penultimate episode of Season 3. It sucked having to wait a week to see that episode.

That scene was awesome and unexpected. However, the build up to the other showdown (and the execution) I mentioned was unparalleled. Not since The Shield have I had a 'holy shit' moment like that where I thought about it long after the show had ended.

Finished watching season 3 yesterday. The holy crap moments were indeed out of this world crazy. I understand why some didn't like The Fly episode, but I think it served a purpose. Obsession, Fear, and Upcoming changes were the themes in that episode.

I'll watch Season 4 episodes On Demand this weekend in time for the new episode on Sunday. I'm psyched to finally catch up.

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it and are catching up. Season 4 has been a bit of a slow burn so far, but it seems like things are gearing up for some crazy stuff...

Almost forgot the most shocking thing about season 3. I stepped out of the room and my mother said "if you rewind it, then please fast forward through the hooker giving blowjobs".

Hey, she's gotta have her root beer one way or another...

Alright, I've watched the first three episodes of Season 4 and this show keeps getting better. I'll stop posting here and go to the individual episode threads.

Mods, please go ahead close this if you want to.

I've just finished the first 3 episodes of Season 1. Criminy, I'm sorry I waited so long. It's great so far. It's going to be tough to catch up without spoiling them by reading episode threads.

unlearn how to read then......at least temporarily.

I got in to Breaking Bad back in June after a lot of contemplation from reviews and the upcoming promos I saw on AMC.com for Season 4. Needless to say it more than paid off. It's become my all-time favorite drama. I always wrote it off (without watching it) as some show about meth heads without knowing the full scope of what was going on. Needless to say I could kick myself now but this is one of those shows where the wait between seasons is KILLING ME. I didn't watch Season 4 every week because I couldn't handle the week between shows.

And, as amazing as this show is there has only been one scene in all 4 seasons that "bugged" me:


It really blows Season 5 is going to be its last.

I agree with both of you guys. I hate that scene because it jolts me out of the realism that the show creates in terms on tension, character development, etc. At the same time, I think had that particular character died in another way, we would've went, "That's it?"

So I guess it's damned if you do, damned if you don't. I still think it's too over the top for what this show typically establishes, but I get why they did it.

I loved it. It's just a television show after all. Moving on!

I just blind-bought S1 & S2 from Amazon based on laudatory comments from a friend who likes many of the same shoes I do, as well as comments from this board. I'm looking forward to seeing what's behind the door very soon.

Week to week? WTF? Come back in a year and then feel the pangs of withdrawal! The wait between season 3 and 4 was brutal.

I can only imagine. I'm already feeling it and who knows when Season 5 will premiere.

uncle stevie (king) just listed it as his #1 favorite pop culture thingy of the year...

I love being completely blindsided by a show. I was familiar with the premise and knew it got a lot of love, but for whatever reason I never got around to tuning in. Then it shows up on Netflix Streaming and after watching the pilot, I must have tore through the first 3 seasons in about a month. For me, with my other obligations, that's a feat. I just couldn't wait to see the next episode.

It seems like each episode was able to give me chills and an 'Oh, shit!' moment. The way each storyline was set up and the payoff was always amazing to behold. Having death and destruction rain down on Walter at the end of S2 was so beautiful. I love how metaphorical this show can be, and having the finale be the culmination of everything he had laid waste to over the season was truly epic in my mind.

In the beginning I thought Jesse was going to turn me off of the show. I can't stand those hip-hop from suburbia mannerisms in a character, but the writers and Aaron Paul really pulled it all off and had him go from this moronic douchebag, to truly the heart of the show. What Walter puts him through over the 4 seasons and especially the final shot of the S4 finale makes my heart break for him. Jesse puts on the front of a hard ass, but he's dying inside. He has become one of my favorite characters in recent memory.

Walter - self-centered, narcissistic, egotistical, Walter. In the beginning, I rooted for him to succeed and be able to provide for his family. Then that need goes away and step-by-step he becomes a man who I wanted to shake and say, "Asshole! You're fucking everything up. Walk away." But he's got the taste and can't walk away. The scene when he's drunk at the dinner table telling Hank that the kingpin is probably still out there just turned my stomach. And again, the final shot of S4 makes me almost wish for his downfall. I saw Cranston win Emmy after Emmy and I thought, 'What kind of stuff is he doing on this show?' Now, I know. Now, I know.

And then there's Gus. Such a great, great villain and I thought his final scene in S4 was crazy, heart stopping and completely keeping with his character. A great way to close his character arc. And Saul. I love how he's so slimy and self-serving, but he has never been wrong, has he? He's always able to take care of everything and I don't think he's had a single misstep. It would have been so easy to make him slimy, creepy and a fuck-up, but they went the other way. Genius. And Mike, the cleaner. I'm very happy they were able to sideline him so we will hopefully see him in S5. (Is the son going to college soon? He I could without, but I did like his scene when Walter, in a stupor, calls him Jesse.)

Some great scenes I often think about is the opening to S3 with everyone in the village crawling to that shrine. To me, that was as scary as any horror movie. I didn't understand what was going on and the imagery was so creepy. Walter standing over Jesse's girlfriend in the bed. Late in S4 with Walter laughing maniacally in the crawlspace. The way it was all framed and shot had me so on edge, I thought everything was just going to implode from there. On that note, the camerawork in this show is second-to-none, especially how they shoot the NM landscape.

I missed out on four seasons of threads so I'm dumping it all here. I was fortunate to be able to watch this whole show at will, whenever I wanted. So while I'm looking forward to S5, I'm not looking forward to the wait - either to the premiere, or week-to-week.

Great write up CharlieK.

I'm so jealous of anyone watching Breaking Bad for the first time.

But tell us, what do you think of Skyler?

(That's a hot topic in the threads )

Breaking Bad has ruined all other Tv shows for me.
I find myself not wanting to watching anything I used to watch.
Blue Bloods was deleted from my season pass ... it used to be a decent time filler show, but this season I found myself almost screaming at the tv .. it was time to dump it.
Parenthood is another show that has me shaking my head.

Mad Men, Justified and Breaking Bad ... they have set a new standard.

Yeah, now that my favorite shows are winding down for the season I have to look for something new...I'm thinking about Treme.

Thanks. This is definitely a show where I wish I could watch it for the first time all over again.

Skyler annoyed me in the beginning because I wanted Walter to succeed and I wished she would have just left him alone. But I think that's often the case when your protagonist is doing something in secret and their spouse is being purposefully kept out of the loop. They have to provide conflict, but I didn't think she was especially shrill.

But once Ted was introduced and that storyline developed I started liking her more. And when she first met Saul and the Car Wash storyline unfolded, I liked how savvy and no-nonsense her character became. I saw her as essentially running on a parallel track (downward) to Walter.

I really like Hank. I've liked pretty much every storyline they've had with him. Through much of S4, I was hoping for a Hank v. Gus/Mike/Jesse showdown.

I just started season 3. Damn, Skylar is a c-word. I'm not as far as you guys but I thought the episode with