Don’t hate me, but Breaking Bad
What's a TV series you've tried repeatedly to get into, but can't?
Submitted 2 days ago by Skavau@lemm.ee to Television@lemm.ee
Comments
RagnarokOnline@programming.dev 2 days ago
natecox@programming.dev 2 days ago
I love that show but it is kinda designed to be hard to watch. I don’t blame anyone for not being able to commit to it.
SamuraiBeandog@lemmy.world 2 days ago
First season is some of the best TV I’ve ever seen. After that the story lines get more and more unbelievable and the characters get less and less tolerable. Possibly the most overrated show of all time, imo.
Krudler@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I agree with that.
I feel like I could already sense the “holy fuck, this thing’s popular, let’s stretch this fucker out as long as we can” vibes in the writing and overall direction in early S2
Honestly by the end of it I was just so thrilled it was over, it was sort of a show that my wife and I watched together but I was fully disinvested by S3
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 2 days ago
I’m with you. I was with it until Skylar just got unbearably annoying. I’ve tried 4 times now to make it through
Bldck@beehaw.org 2 days ago
The first season is pretty bad. It feels so low budget, low stakes and boring.
I wonder if Better Call Saul would be a better entry point and then you’d be more invested in these characters and situations so you could deal with the slow pace of season one of BB
tmyakal@lemm.ee 2 days ago
If pacing is a problem with Breaking Bad’s first season, Better Call Saul offers no relief there. I love it, much more than I liked Breaking Bad, but the plot was a very slow crawl.
Vesker@lemm.ee 1 day ago
Same here. Tried it once, didn’t care for the pilot episode and lost interest. A couple years later, some people encouraged me to give it another try after hearing that I tend to love character dramas. I made it partway through season 2 before I stopped and realized this show just isn’t for me.
The subject matter holds no interest to me, and the characters aren’t likeable or compelling enough for me to get invested.
I can appreciate that Breaking Bad is a well made show, but I don’t understand all the universal love it’s garnered.
FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 days ago
Same. I made it all the way to season 3 but really couldn’t continue.
ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Same. It’s just not bingeable and I struggle to stick to any show that isn’t.
bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 days ago
Maybe it’s a product of its time, but I had a week off in 2009 and went through the first two seasons very quickly that week. IIRC, it being on Netflix in the early days let people binge it and contributed to its success while it was still airing which made it very popular. I’d venture to say it may be one of the first bingeable shows, but because that wasn’t a thing at the time, it didn’t follow the bingeable formula, so maybe that’s why it doesn’t feel like modern bingeable shows?
P00ptart@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Breaking bad. I’ve tried multiple times. Can’t do it. I just don’t like shows where they’re constantly at risk. Dexter was better but still hard to watch.
MerrySkeptic@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
The Mandalorian
There are cool moments (||Luke’s return||) but I find the writing to be mediocre.
At least it’s better than the Book of Boba Fett. That show is a disservice to the character of Boba Fett. He’s a remorseless assassin, not a mob boss with a heart of gold.
FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I’ll watch anything with Timothy Olyphant or Giancarlo Esposito in it, but I can see why you’d say that. The scooter race was laughable and enough with the same damn desert planet already.
Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 1 day ago
Holy shit the kids’ scooter gang was embarrassing. I know this shit is for the kids but come on
SchwertImStein@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 days ago
office (us), it’s cringe
SRo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 day ago
It’s supposed to be
the_crotch@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
It’s a shame too because the UK version is so good. NBC was like what if we took this really unique idea and turned it into a generic-ass American sitcom and sadly it worked for them.
4shtonButcher@discuss.tchncs.de 1 day ago
This one took me a long time to get into but was ultimately worth it
Krudler@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I’m honestly not familiar enough with it all to really know if I’m criticizing the right thing.
But over the years people have insisted that this show called the office is one of the wittiest, most clever shows ever
I watched a little bit to try to see what the hype was, and my feeling inside was that it wasn’t far removed from the type of humor that edgy teenagers think is grand. Lots of being provocative and inappropriate which is I guess… Funny? Hehehe gay. Hehehe race. Am I really that far off?
I can’t completely tar and feather it, there was some clearly humorous situations, but overall I just thought it was wayyyyy overblown.
theblips@lemm.ee 2 days ago
Your image of the show is pretty distorted, it’s not at all some edgy middle schooler show. The humor is (generally) in how much of a dumbass Michael (the boss) is and how much he ruins situations trying too hard to be funny, and the witty jokes are generally well performed one liners by Jim (John Krasinski) or malapropisms by Michael, like “I’m not superstitious, but I’m a little stitious” or “his cap was all pitated!”
The show repeatedly makes fun of Michael’s prejudice, too, like how he feels superior to the warehouse guys despite having the same education as them and not even earning that much more. It isn’t edgy to make fun of the stereotypical middle-aged white male boss being insensitiveKrudler@lemmy.world 1 day ago
No I think it’s bang on.
The show is what you said, some clever witty writing, peppered with way too much “omg let’s all squirm at how inappropriate this is and how close we get up to the line teehee”
Ashtear@lemm.ee 2 days ago
This was the show that taught me cringe-inducing humor is not at all for me.
Krudler@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Oh hell you just teleported me back to Reddit like 20 years ago with that term! Yes, cringe, that was it! And that was not for me!
Zahille7@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Yeah, The Office hasn’t really aged well, but it is what kick-started so many of those actors’ careers. Like Steve Carrell, John Krasinski, Ed Helms, Rainn Wilson, etc. I think that’s part of why so many people like it. That and nostalgia.
I will say Parks & Rec is probably way better in terms of how characters are, and their growth. Like Aubrey Plaza starts out as an annoying bitch but as the show progresses, she learns to be more open about her feelings and such.
theblips@lemm.ee 2 days ago
Parks is just more americanized, it isn’t “better”. Later seasons of The Office look and feel much more like it, as the writers pandered more and more to mainstream audiences
Okokimup@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Dr Who. People with similar tastes to me love it. I’ve seen episodes with several different iterations of the Doctor (please don’t @ me with your fave). It just doesn’t strike a chord with me.
Kyle@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
I like Doctor Who, but acknowledge it’s entirely BS. He says, “Time travel doesn’t work that way.” You must accept that no plot holes can be filled by a time machine that can go anywhere, anytime. There would never be a plot if he could go back and fix it anyway, so we are stuck in a world where everything happens for maximum drama only. I can see why it’s exhausting.
hopesdead@startrek.website 2 days ago
Severance
rezz@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Bro whaaat
Matth78@lemm.ee 2 days ago
I can understand even though I like it! I believe it’s because of the philosophical question I ask myself when watching it. I find the concept fascinating. Is the other you really you, or is one a slave. Notably with Helly when her innie don’t want to work for Lumon.
Matth78@lemm.ee 2 days ago
Breaking bad, soprano, dexter!
For the last two because it’s too slow paced! Breaking bad I believe having watched first season but couldn’t get into it.I watch the last of us but a lot episodes are also slow paced and if it wasn’t for short seasons and not watching it alone probably I would have dropped it.
At least house of dragons! Would really want to like it as it’s my kind of show.
Zahille7@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I recently started watching The Sopranos for the first time last year, and damn is it good. Some episodes are slow sure, but a lot of them are absolutely packed with story. So much so, I needed to take a couple minutes to process what I had just watched.
Also, there’s a very intense, pretty powerful scene like right in the middle of season 3 that kinda changes the entire dynamic of the show.
DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz 2 days ago
To me, The Sopranos has some of the most believable characters of any show I’ve ever seen. They’re all just so fucking stupid. But not in a bad writing kind of way. They’re as stupid as the average person and maybe a little more so. The show is full of miscommunication and unreliable gossip going around dozens of characters. It’s not witty dialog, it just feels real.
philophilsaurus@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
Twin Peaks
Ashtear@lemm.ee 2 days ago
Farscape.
I had a roommate that loved the show and some of the later season stuff seemed really interesting, but I just couldn’t get into it every time I tried to sit through the first season.
The funny thing is Claudia Black’s character was my favorite part of Stargate SG-1, and I also liked Ben Browder on it too. At least I saw enough of Farscape to catch the little wink-and-nod there.
pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 2 days ago
There used to be a fan edit version of Farscape edited down to a few key minutes per episode, and it was surprisingly good.
rezz@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Voyager.
TNG, and even more so DS9, make the downgrade in writing intolerable. I have willed myself through 1.5 seasons, and I can’t will it all the way to season 5 where it’s “great” but still less than DS9.
Vesker@lemm.ee 1 day ago
As someone who made it all the way to the final season before dropping the show when they started pushing the Seven, Chakotay, Doctor love triangle, I can say that you didn’t miss too much.
While there’s the occasional good episode, I found the quality of the show to have only improved marginally over the seasons.
Having watched through DS9 first, it was clear that Voyager had the B team of writers.
Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Game of Thrones. It was like a less interesting version of Lord of the Rings, with a few mins of porn sprinkled throughout each episode.
My take away was that if you want to watch LoTR, then watch LoTR. If you want to watch porn, watch porn. But pouring both into the same cup doesn’t make it good. …which is apparently an unpopular opinion.
SamuraiBeandog@lemmy.world 2 days ago
This is kind of a weird take, GoT is not even remotely similar to LotR in style, themes or narrative.
Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Medieval fantasy. The similarities may end there, but the point is it’s a mediocre medieval fantasy that leans heavily on tits to keep the audience watching.
OhStopYellingAtMe@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Lower Decks.
Jarix@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Lower decks Rick and Morty
undeffeined@lemmy.ml 1 day ago
Rick and Morty for me as well. Can’t stand Rick, his voice makes me uncomfortable and I really dislike how his treatment or Morty is supposed to be funny.
Lumiluz@slrpnk.net 1 day ago
I haven’t watched it in many years, but I do know that apparently him abusing of Morty is actually supposed to be bad and it’s a whole major plot point later on
Varyk@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
sopranos. a bunch of irritating assholes taking advantage of people for their own gain.
the show begs the audience to feel bad and root for selfish, harmful parasites. no thanks.
Zahille7@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I don’t think The Sopranos forces or begs the audience to sympathize with literal mobsters and criminals. At least I didn’t (all the time), although Johnny Sack is probably my favorite character. He just loves his wife so much, he literally doesn’t even look at other women twice. But God help you if he thinks you made a comment or joke about her.
My second favorite is probably Ralph Cifaretto, played by Joe Pantoliano. He’s just shitty and smarmy in every single scene he’s in and plays it phenomenally.
DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz 2 days ago
No The Sopranos doesn’t make the audience root for the mobsters. It’s a show that follows horrible people doing horrible things. There is great writing and very realistic dialog, but that has never tricked me into rooting for Tony or anyone else. Especially if you make it to the last season, I was personally rooting for Tony to get killed.
Varyk@sh.itjust.works 16 hours ago
Yes. Sopranos glorifies a weak-willed bully exacting revenge and exerting control through violence and intimidation. the fact that you mention you were not rooting for tony ny the end implies you understand that’s not the commonly held audience reaction.
that coward is the antihero of the show named after him, glorifying his life and his choices. fuck him, his wife and his shitheel buddies, I’m not interested in exalting the sliver of humanity in assholes who chose to hurt and exploit others for their own gain.
there’s plenty of that in the real world.
noxypaws@pawb.social 2 days ago
Anything with Nathan Fielder. I just can’t with that guy. He gets under my skin.
ScotinDub@lemm.ee 2 days ago
The expanse, tried twice…so far
BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Read the books instead… Unless you just didn’t like the concept or something.
Kyle@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
As a fan of The Expanse and James S.A. Corey. I get it. I love the show and think it’s great, but I know it is not for everyone.
Couldbealeotard@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I had to do it twice. The first season sucks. Could have been done in 2 episodes. The rest of the show is a lot better and I’m glad I powered through the first season.
lastunusedusername2@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
Downton Abbey
Widdershins@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I haven’t actually tried to watch it but I’ve been in the same room as handmaids tale. I saw an episode recently and the only thing of interest was the switchblades they had. There’s gotta be a better show where they wear funny hats.
shalafi@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Tried Andor 3 times, just couldn’t care. Which is weird as I’m a Star Wars fan from 1977 and Rogue One is my favorite of the movies. (Well, maybe Empire. Too close to call.)
Kyle@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
This surprises me, but it would make sense if you aren’t into character dramas. Is that the case?
After watching Andor, I didn’t like Rogue One as much because it was very clear that Andor was 100% Tony Gilroy, and Rogue One was 50% Tony Gilroy Style and 50% OG Star Wars style. I realized I didn’t like the classic Star Wars style, and whenever the soundtrack got more classic, I cringed.
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I don’t try repeatedly, there’s far too much TV available. The odds that a TV show will change my life if I just give it enough chances or put enough hours into it are just too low to bother.
aeternum@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 day ago
I’ve tried my damndest to get into Better Call Saul. Just can’t do it.
NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 2 days ago
Arrested Development
ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 2 days ago
Let me set my deflectors to maximum before I say this:
I’ve never watched… Umm… “Lightning Bug”…
I feel that at this point it won’t live up to its own hype and I’ll be disappointed every time someone mentions how great it is, so I just… Don’t.
remon@ani.social 2 days ago
Seinfeld. It’s just not funny.
FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Same with Friends, the laugh track is doing a lot of heavy lifting
Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 2 days ago
There are some clips with the laugh track removed, and they really illustrate how not funny that show is. It’s just a long slew of broken conversations with awkward pauses.
I have the same opinion of any show that relies on a laugh track - if you have to trick my brain into laughing because ‘everyone else is doing it’, then your shit isn’t funny.
courval@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I agree that Seinfeld is terrible but all other main actors save the show.
Jhuskindle@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Came here to say this. I love it’s always sunny and people insisted it’s similar but I just can’t. I’ve tried so many times.