The Wire is an excellent series, though I find it hard to watch. I've only seen it all the way through once, but I'd highly recommend it. Well written and acted; the show truly inhabits the city it represents. Hmm, TheGodBen, maybe I'll give House of Cards another try if you take Orange is the New Black for another spin? The pilot is a good starting point, but the episodes after show the world coming together in a way I didn't expect. The inmates are brilliantly characterised, and there are excellent moments of drama and humour.
Orange is the New Black and House of Cards are both pretty good. I know The Shield has been mentioned, too, and I'd give that one another recommendation.
House of Cards is very enjoyable, Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are fucking brilliant. Really liked it and can't wait for season 2. Sons is really good fun but you have to suspend some disbelief there. The Wire is where it's at though if you haven't seen it.
If you haven't watched "The Wire" then do so though for me am looking at Damages on Netflix for my new show with Breaking Bad ending though I will watch Orange is the New Black probably.
Damages is awesome, more so the first and third seasons. Just like Breaking Bad the weakest is the second season.
Damages had a fantastic first season, an okay seasond season and a somewhat interesting third season. Now I'm on season 4 and I've been stuck there all year. I can't finish it because it's so boring.
I've already taken up drinking. I'll be focusing my attention in Survivor and South Park. I'm still a big fan of both and have neglected them this past week. I will be at a wedding this weekend and have a long drive on Sunday, do I might not see the finale until the second showing or god forbid, Monday. I hope I can make it back on time though. Either way, I can't wait.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't think Orange was a bad show at all, it seemed quite good from what I saw. I just wasn't interested in that world or the story it was trying to tell. I had a similar reaction to Mad Men, which I could tell from the first episodes was a fantastic show, but I had no interest in continuing with it past the third episode. The Shield is another great anti-hero show in a similar vein to Breaking Bad, but it has a slow start. I felt that the first season tried too hard to be edgy, and the show was very episodic for the first couple of years, but once it gets going it's an amazing ride. It also has one of the best endings for any show I've seen. The Wire should be shown in schools. It's that good. I'll also throw out a recommendation for Boardwalk Empire. It's pacing is glacially slow at times, but the show does an incredible job of recreating 1920s America and has a diverse cast that support several running plots at a time. It's not so much a gangster show as it is an examination of life during that time period centred around gangsters.
Vince Gilligan had some interesting things to say about his characters in a Q&A in the L.Times today. All of this pertains to stuff we have already seen so no spoilers. His take on Walt's feelings about "family": (for any who thought Walt's reaction to Hank's death had more to do with losing his drug empire than feelings for Hank) This implies that Walt's turning in Jesse out in the desert was based on the heat of the moment and not a lasting hatred: As for redemption for Walt:
Just saw the Conan episode that was dedicated to Breaking Bad and it was great! It had the entire cast. I thought that Giancarlo Esposito should have been there but he wasn't. Some highlights... - Bob Odenkirk was a writer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien back in 1993 - 94. - Jonathan Banks is just as scary and intimidating as his character Mike. I don't think he was acting when he played Mike. - Los Cuates de Sinaloa played their song "Negro Y Azul (The Ballad of Heisenberg)". [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUmpTKXpIdM[/yt] - Then there's this... [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQY54grM0MM[/yt]
I've personally only seen Jonathan Banks in one other interview-type situation other than the Conan episode (which may be evidence that he disdains interviews, or maybe just hasn't been asked to give many due to playing almost exclusively supporting roles in his career, or maybe just that I don't watch enough TV). It was fairly recent, one of those "catch 'em on the red carpet outside the pavilion" deals, with Bob Odenkirk as co-interviewee. Banks displayed a kind of bemused stand-offishness then, too, but I interpreted it as a reaction to Odenkirk, who was jumping on every question, talking a mile a minute and not really allowing Banks to get a word in edgewise. Of course, it was pure assumption on my part that Banks actually wanted to get a word in edgewise.
Jonathan Banks is a really nice guy. Check out this. He also did an interview with the AV Club where the interviewer's five year old daughter wanted to ask him a question and he answered it in the sweetest way possible.
Orange Is The New Black is a fine show but it's no Breaking Bad. Only show on right now even in the same ballpark is GoT.
Honestly, I think Breaking Bad has ruined television for me. Every show I ever watch from now on will have to be compared to it, and no show can ever measure up.