Current TV Boxset Addiction

[Spikes]

Finally, Breaking Bad.

Just about to start the 3rd season...

[Colin YNWA]

Finally, Breaking Bad.

Just about to start the 3rd season...

Hope your enjoying it as much as everyone says you will and you've managed to stay spoiler free.

[SIP]

I miss breaking bad.   

[Spikes]

Finally, Breaking Bad.

Just about to start the 3rd season...

Hope your enjoying it as much as everyone says you will and you've managed to stay spoiler free.

It is most grand Colin, and I'm mightily enjoying it .

I caught a few early episodes when Spike(?) on Freeview did the complete rerun, so knew it was all good, man.
And for a series that had everyone talking, I'm pretty much spoiler free. So, each episode watched leaves me guessing as to what will happen next...

[radiator]

I miss breaking bad.   

Funnily enough, we caught an odd season 2 episode of Breaking Bad on TV while on holiday over Christmas (AMC were doing a marathon of every episode back to back), and subsequently rewatched the entire series from there over the next couple of weeks. We then immediately followed it up Better Call Saul - a show that we had given a try back when it first started, but didn't initially grab us in the same way. Needless to say, we're now halfway through season 2 and loving it.

It's certainly a different beast to Breaking Bad. It's nowhere near as propulsive and gripping, but has a charm and tone all of its own once you get into it - it's much more of a slower burn, I'm tempted to say more 'mature' in it's storytelling than BB. It's a beautifully crafted and filmed show, so assured and stylish, with a fantastic score, and Bob Odenkirk is just phenomenal in it - giving real dimension and nuance to what was previously a larger than life caricature. You root so hard for him to succeed, even though you know he's ultimately doomed to a desperate, squalid fate. The rest of the cast, both returning and brand new - are also uniformly amazing - I love them all. Chuck especially is such an interesting character who shares a fascinating dynamic with Jimmy. All the Mike stuff is also just superb, again imbuing an already likable character with real gravitas.

So for those of you who loved BB but have yet to dive in to BCS - or like me couldn't initially get into it - give it a shot - it really is something special, and actually gives me confidence that if Vince Gilligan wanted, he could build his own little Breaking Bad universe that could support multiple different shows, all with their own flavour and tone.

[Smith]

I second that.Season 1 was a bit slow,but season 2 was a lot better. 

[radiator]

I found the first two to three episodes of season one a little hard to get a handle on, but it clicked as soon as I settled into the groove of the show and the character relationships.

As I say, it takes a little mental readjustment coming from Breaking Bad, which is so balls to the wall literally from the first episode, but BCS isn't going for that same tone. I think its a bit like Mad Men - some people will love the slow burn and interpersonal drama, others will say its 'boring' or that 'nothing happens'. The actual plot of Saul season 1, on the face of it, certainly sounds quite dull, but for me it's the characters and dialogue that make it. So many great little character quirks and callbacks, setups and pay-offs. Quality writing.

[Keef Monkey]

Yeah, absolutely love BCS. I liked Breaking Bad quite a lot, but I think I get that much more absorbed watching Saul. There's something about the supreme confidence the writers obviously have in their character work, where they're comfortable enough to really take their time and let the characters live and breathe, that just sucks me right in every time. Agree with what you're saying about its percieved slowness too, I've had that conversation with colleagues, where they've complained that nothing happened in the latest episode when I felt like a great deal had gone on.

I forget all the details of the episode but one that comes to mind starts with a flashback of Saul having dinner with Chuck and his wife. I remember being absolutely blown away by that episode and thinking it was one of the best hours of telly in recent memory, then hearing people complain that nothing went on in it.

It might not have been action-packed in the sense that there weren't drug deals or shootings, but in a show that's all about character development and the way characters engage with and interact with each other that IS the action and that episode was packed to the brim with it.

Fantastic show, looking forward to more.

[SuperSurfer]

I never watch any series as I usually don't have the time.

Over the Xmas break I binge watched Walking Dead. Had only previously seen a short part of one episode. Still hooked (because I have a gap in work). Am in middle of season 3. I get some of the criticisms you guys made many years ago.

Fashionably late to the party.

[Smith]

I never watch any series as I usually don't have the time.

Over the Xmas break I binge watched Walking Dead. Had only previously seen a short part of one episode. Still hooked (because I have a gap in work). Am in middle of season 3. I get some of the criticisms you guys made many years ago.

Fashionably late to the party.

Same situation here,as mentioned before. 

[Hawkmumbler]

If anyone one want a distraction from the misery of the inauguration of president satsuma this Friday, fear none, VOLTRON season 2 debuts on Netflix and to say i'm hyped is kind of an understatement.

[Tjm86]

Decided to take advantage of my Amazon Prime subscription to watch the 100.  Something I'd seen around about but never really thought it worth shelling out on.  Bit of an odd beast that tries to be a YA version of Mad Max before morphing into a Matrix knock off.  Very high body count and some morally ambiguous choices from some of the main protagonists.  Just reaching the end of season 3 which brings it pretty much up to date.  Something to watch whilst waiting for something better to come along really.

[Tiplodocus]

Currently working my way through JESSICA JONES.

Caveat - I know nothing about the comic character.

Overall it's a thumbs up but Krysten Ritter is annoyingly limited... she does fine for most of it (surly and annoying with little bits of sly black humour creeping in) but when she has to do a big emotional episode (like the one where she goes off the rails and comes up with the brainless maximum security prison plan) she just doesn't cut the mustard. Especially when playing against Tennant.

Goodness, there's a lot of collateral damage - and gore aplenty. Some of it, like the excessive insistence on sexy scenes early on seems deliberately put there to say "Kapow! Comics aren't just for kids!".

The action while reasonably well handled suffers from the fact that Hollywood tends to have ALL characters be as strong as Jessica i.e. in any standard Hollywood fight scene people are knocked across rooms, flung easily through windows and people can make improbable jumps and survice. Any one of the dwarves from The Hobbit could have easily had her in a fight.

And one definite criticism from bingeing it so quickly; it looks cheap.  Very little in the way of flashy effects, action revolves around the same three or four locations, plot also feels pretty low level and personal without much scale or sense of bigger picture. 

[Dandontdare]

And one definite criticism from bingeing it so quickly; it looks cheap.  Very little in the way of flashy effects, action revolves around the same three or four locations, plot also feels pretty low level and personal without much scale or sense of bigger picture.

See this is why I liked it - it felt like real superheroing, unlike say Agents of Shield which just has to have bigger and more cataclysmic events season on season - I liked that JJ was so low-key, but I wouldn't say cheap.

Spotting the overabundance of prominent red & white EXIT signs in Netflix shows has also become something of an obsession of mine - JJ was the first time I noticed it.

[Tiplodocus]

I'll take back some of that "cheap" accusation. These last couple of episodes have featured new locations, daylight, explosions, near fire effects and a rather pleasing "punch each other through walls" set to. Maybe it was a blip like those Four episodes Daredevil spent lying on the couch recovering from his wounds.