Ok, I'll weigh in.
I'd never seen a single episode until 3 days ago (maybe 4, hard to keep track), but AMC was airing the entire series, all 5 seasons, in one marathon session. I thought I'd watch a couple of episodes to see what all the fuss was about. Got hooked, devoted my entire DVR to it and watched everything I managed to record. I only just finished watching the grand finale.
First, yes, it was very well written from a compelling story point of view. The characters were nicely developed -- and I say that as someone who missed quite a few of the earliest episodes. But I saw enough to fill in backwards and get the idea. The two main themes -- first, Jesse's progression from bad to better and Walt's from good to evil; and second, how far the Law of Unintended Consequences can take you. The writing did manage to keep the story on a high wire for the entire duration. I did get a little weary of watching the process of cooking meth, but that is a minor complaint. I probably wouldn't have minded that so much had I not watched the whole thing in one go. Kind of like eating an entire box of chocolates in one sitting. (Not that I've.... errrr... ever done that.)
For the most part, the story held together quite well, which was a great feat for such a lengthy run. There were a few jarring notes, but they were minor. Example: When Walt makes the "confession" DVD implicating Hank as Gus's partner in running the cartel, one of the points he made that was meant to be persuasive was that Walt and Skyler paid Hank's medical bills. I wondered, why would Hank be Gus's partner for any reason other than profit? And if that was the case, why did Walt and Skyler need to pay for Hank's medical care in the first place? Seemed to me that the fact of Walt and Skyler's paying for Hank's care would have been more persuasive to show that Walt was lying on the DVD. But we must always suspend disbelief somewhere in watching these fictions, so I did, and let it pass. Or maybe I missed something.
There were some magnificent performances, but there is no question that the success of the series rests on Bryan Cranston's stellar performance as Walt. His nuanced portrayal of a man stepping down from respectable and good to pragmatic and monstrous (but with ostensibly justifiable reasons!) was great fun to watch. Walt was unrelentingly creative and singular in his goal to keep his business going, which was in terrific keeping with his character, and so entertaining for the viewer. Obsessive, perhaps a bit OCD. A portrayal that will become iconic. No wonder the man has his pick of projects now.
I'll watch the series again, particularly to fill in the earlier episodes I missed. I quite liked it.
I'd never seen a single episode until 3 days ago (maybe 4, hard to keep track), but AMC was airing the entire series, all 5 seasons, in one marathon session. I thought I'd watch a couple of episodes to see what all the fuss was about. Got hooked, devoted my entire DVR to it and watched everything I managed to record. I only just finished watching the grand finale.
First, yes, it was very well written from a compelling story point of view. The characters were nicely developed -- and I say that as someone who missed quite a few of the earliest episodes. But I saw enough to fill in backwards and get the idea. The two main themes -- first, Jesse's progression from bad to better and Walt's from good to evil; and second, how far the Law of Unintended Consequences can take you. The writing did manage to keep the story on a high wire for the entire duration. I did get a little weary of watching the process of cooking meth, but that is a minor complaint. I probably wouldn't have minded that so much had I not watched the whole thing in one go. Kind of like eating an entire box of chocolates in one sitting. (Not that I've.... errrr... ever done that.)
For the most part, the story held together quite well, which was a great feat for such a lengthy run. There were a few jarring notes, but they were minor. Example: When Walt makes the "confession" DVD implicating Hank as Gus's partner in running the cartel, one of the points he made that was meant to be persuasive was that Walt and Skyler paid Hank's medical bills. I wondered, why would Hank be Gus's partner for any reason other than profit? And if that was the case, why did Walt and Skyler need to pay for Hank's medical care in the first place? Seemed to me that the fact of Walt and Skyler's paying for Hank's care would have been more persuasive to show that Walt was lying on the DVD. But we must always suspend disbelief somewhere in watching these fictions, so I did, and let it pass. Or maybe I missed something.
There were some magnificent performances, but there is no question that the success of the series rests on Bryan Cranston's stellar performance as Walt. His nuanced portrayal of a man stepping down from respectable and good to pragmatic and monstrous (but with ostensibly justifiable reasons!) was great fun to watch. Walt was unrelentingly creative and singular in his goal to keep his business going, which was in terrific keeping with his character, and so entertaining for the viewer. Obsessive, perhaps a bit OCD. A portrayal that will become iconic. No wonder the man has his pick of projects now.
I'll watch the series again, particularly to fill in the earlier episodes I missed. I quite liked it.
