Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

You can also say The Sopranos got that way after the 3rd season. I really thought every season after that got progressively worse and lazy and only the last half of the last season redeemed The Sopranos. Johnny Cakes/Vito nonsense, AJ's whiny bitchfest every other episode, etc. It's still one of my favorite shows ever but it clearly dropped off in quality for a while before regaining much of what it had in it's first 3 seasons in the last half of the last season.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Question for those who watched and loved the Wire--what are your thoughts about the way it was filmed and the overall aesthetics, as that's not something I ever hear anyone discuss.

I only watched about 2.5 seasons of the show--I may try and jump back in but I wasn't an overall fan of how the show seemed to be much more about the plot/cases than its characters (I feel like I know more about what makes secondary characters like Skylar or Hank tick more than I ever did with principles like McNulty)--but I never think about the Wire as being anything special to look at. I'm sure that was the intention, maybe to give it more a documentary feel.

Granted, you can't compare shots of the inner city to sweeping shots of the Albuquerque desert, but there was nothing memorable that stood out visually when I think back on the Wire.

Colors, too, stand out to me far more on Breaking Bad than the Wire (for example, Marie's house is much more littered with purple tones, a choice intentionally done by Vince Gilligan to depict certain character emotions or hit certain emotional beats with the audience).

Again, I never saw all of the Wire, but Breaking Bad seems to not just shoot the actors, but use the camera, editing, and wardrobe, colors and more to specifically tell the story in a way the script cannot do. Personally, I never got that same impression with The Wire.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Speaking of The Sopranos, is it just me or was it a bit weird that every season some of Tony's previously never mentioned lost childhood friends would magically get out of prison? Every season premiere like clockwork. I'm currently midway through season 5 on that one though and it's inching towards my top 5. Even though they stole Edie Falco from Oz.

Oz used to be my number one show, to the point where I even saw most of the episodes twice over. But as mentioned earlier, the stuff after halfway through season 4 really brought it down. Also the editing looked like it was done on iMovie but I kind of like that. What else I really loved about it was that virtually everything occurred inside the prison walls. Anything outside was either directly related to something in the prison such as the reason for incarceration. Everything else they learn from the news on TV.

We never see the home life of McManus or Sister Pete, and that itself is impressive, that it is contained all within those walls.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

:thumbsup:

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

:thumbsup:

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

I agree with you on this. Breaking Bad is beautiful to look at. I've heard someone refer to the cooking scenes as Meth porn because the show makes the process of making meth look beautiful and intoxicating. Breaking Bad definitely is striving to be visually striking.

The way The Wire was shot was nothing special. I think most shots were bordering on pedestrian, but I think that was intentional. The main crux of The Wire is that what we were seeing was the way things are. I think if it took a more artful approach to how it was shot, it would add a barrier to the immersion I felt when watching those stories.

The other show mentioned in this threat, The Shield, I think also had a very deliberate style of shooting. That show had a very palpable grain and darkness to it, and a lot of the shots felt cramped and low to the ground. Things that mirrored Vic.

Just different approaching to story telling. But yes, Breaking Bad is crazy interesting to look at.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

I'm sure we will see more BB threads in the next following year, because the show is that great. Is BB better than the Bible?

Now about the question by the OP, it's all about Lost bitches!!!!

No, seriously, different shows, we have to wait until BB is finish to rank it. I was late to The Wire party, just watched the entire series this year, and it became and instant classic for me, top 5 or top 3 even.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Everyone is talking about the ending. Am I alone in thinking that while the ending is important, a bad ending won't totally destroy how I view the show?

I think Sons of Anarchy has gone off the rails, and I've ditch that show, but those initial seasons are ones I still hold in high esteem. I think the first season of Deadwood is sublime. The second season is great, and the 3rd season to be enjoyable, but weak. However, that 3rd season doesn't hurt my view of the 1st at all.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

I love Breaking Bad and have since the pilot aired. And while I agree that it's the best show currently on TV, it doesn't make my All-Time Top 5.

Too often the story has been driven forward by near dei ex machina and coincidences. That never happened on The Wire, where everything unfolded so beautifully organic. And it was so much more complex and interwoven.

And it hasn't surpassed The Shield in terms of excitement, intensity and acting.

Breaking Bad might be the most visually beautiful show ever though.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Sons of Anarchy has sort of the same trajectory as Oz. Sons went off the rails earlier (and who knows may subsequently recover), but the first season and most of the second season really were great.

Sometimes the ending does ruin everything. That's where I stand with LOST. With other shows, the ending matters much less. I think the expectations created by those hucksters running LOST substantially tainted that product for me, though. I read a lot from them while watching the show, and I feel angry at the crap they said compared to what we got more than anything.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Yes I can see were you're coming from, but by then I was already hooked into all the drama so I wasn't looking at it with a bias eye..

But I plan on sitting through the Wire and Oz again soon.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Seriously though, The Wire may be excellently acted, but it's boring as shit.


I can't even finish the first season because it's so dull.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Has it surpassed "the most boring, pretentious show on TV"?

I'd say yes.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Do you like Mad Men?

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Whoa, you guys have Dragon Tattoo on your side. I'm glad I'm in the The Wire is better camp. Although I do think Breaking Bad is an excellent show.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

The Wire and its not even close. I can't speak for seasons 3 through 5 of BB but the first two season were boring as shit. Breaking bad isn't even the best show on its own channel.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Yes.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

To be fair, nothing can compare to Small Town Security.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

I can't believe people are calling the Wire boring. I could watch those characters 24 hours a day.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

I don't get it either. I will agree that it started off slow but never boring and once we got into the towers with the Barksdale crew and wire tapping that shit took off and never looked back. I loved Season 2 the first time I saw it. I know most were like WTF happened to the Barksdale crew when that season aired but the way it turned out was just as exciting.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Yeah, the boring stuff is baffling to me to. But different strokes.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Suddenly my "very good but flawed" comment doesn't seem so bad! :banana:

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Yeah it does. LOL delusion at it's finest because a handful of people said it was boring means that is a lot of people. -rolleyes-

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Dude, it's called an opinion, get over it. I'm allowed to think that The Wire isn't the greatest show to ever grace television.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Calling the show very good but flawed is a low blow! How fckinf dare you!!!! I'm so angry I spelled fucking wrong that first time!!!!!

P.S.-I haven't seen The Wire yet but I'm going with bootsy. He is the purveyor of all that is great after all.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Dude, I know it's called and opinion and yours sucks.

Talk about getting defensive and misinterpreting. I'm just laughing because you are now trying to justify your opinion as it's fact because a few people said the show was boring by stating 'well since I said it was very good but flawed that means everyone else does too'.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

-rolleyes-Not even close to funny but nice (not really) try.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Unless Breaking Bad takes a huge dump in it's ending run...

Breaking Bad >>>>> The Wire

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Your reading comprehension skills need some work, methinks. I never said "well since I said it was very good but flawed that means everyone else does too". I said the show was very good but flawed, and you jumped on me for it with the same vitriol as if I had assaulted your mother. Then, other people said things like "it's mediocre" and "the most boring, pretentious show on TV" and all I said was that in comparison to those comments, mine don't seem so bad.

If you can't even bother to read the actual content of a post, then please don't try to respond to it. All you do is make yourself look bad.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Hey, you got I was trying to be funny. You can read!:thumbsup:

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Obviously you can't because nowhere did I say you were funny.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

And you can't read again.:sad:

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Your logic is extremely flawed. You say that the show is very good but flawed(ironic) and so far haven't mentioned anything positive about the show and said it wouldn't be in your top 10. Then add to that every negative comment about the show from other posters you've backed and supported to the max. If it is very good then I would think that you would have something positive to say about it. Which leads me to believe you don't you really think it's that good so I don't even know why you would state it's 'very good but flawed' in the first place. Just say you don't like it and move on instead of trying to sugarcoat it.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

And you can't either. I guess we'll go back and forth like a tennis match saying each other can't read. I don't mind I can do that all day if you want. You are just looking to pick a fight for no reason. So if you want to do that let's go. What else do you have.

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Is English your first language? I don't see how you're misunderstanding me so crucially.

I said it was very good but flawed, that is correct. I said I wouldn't put it in my personal top 10, which I have already said is hardly an attack on it. We all have different tastes and different opinions. I find myself drawn to different shows (which I listed at the request of another poster) than The Wire. I never said you couldn't put it in your personal top 10.

As for mentioning anything positive, I'd say calling it "very good" IS positive. Or perhaps "very good" means something different to you? That fact I find flaws in it doesn't negate the very good portions of it.

As for other posters making negative comments, I did not support them in the slightest. All I said was that compared to their aggressively negative comments, mine don't seem so bad. That's it, that's all. No malice was intended on my part towards The Wire or you, bootsy.

And yet you still take the time to single me out and attack me and my opinions, attacking me for things I didn't even say.

tl;dr:

http://freethoughtblogs.com/rockbeyo...tivational.jpg

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Damn, bootsy fucks up almost every thread he posts in. :sad:

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

This GIF will metaphorically explain what this thread has turned in to:

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

:lol: Quiet, you!

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

No, I was done

Re: Has Breaking Bad surpassed The Wire?
 

Look man I'm not going to take too many more of your smart ass comments about reading from you and Jules. If this had been me saying this to you I would have been suspended for a month. I don't really feel you set a very good example of a moderator at all and I've stated this before. If you are going to be a moderator I would think you would have a little more restraint of making the comments you do and I've seen you do it to others as well.

Anyway, YES I can read English what kind of silly comment is that. Just because I called you out for your opinion and your logic doesn't mean you have to go to the smartass comments. I haven't said you can't have your tastes and your opinions what I'm saying is if the Wire is a very good show you haven't really backed that up in this thread. All you've done is agree with everyone that is posted a negative view of the show. That doesn't sound like a person that thinks that the show is very good but has flaws.