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[Fracas]

I've been marathoning Breaking Bad, and I finished it a few minutes ago. I've got to say, after a fairly lacklustre season 4, season 5 REALLY brought me back in. Super writing and pacing all around.

I especially have to commend ep 14, Ozymandias. The payoff to everything at this point in the series is just perfection. The shootout, the neo-nazi gang's kidnapping of Jesse, the absolute breakdown of Walt's family, all capped off by Walt's call to Skyler at the end. Holy shit. The whole episode is something I feel really exemplifies the whole theme of Breaking Bad.

 

[No Love]

Yes, but The Sopranos ending is better. And as a whole. Breaking Bad is definitely one of the best TV series ever made, though.

 

[Komo]

Yes, but The Sopranos ending is better.

Pretty much this. The perfect ending Loved every minute of Breaking Bad, but that ending was kind of expected.

As for Ozymandias, though. I actually remember yelling at the end because it shocked me so much. I don't think any other TV show's done that before. I'll agree that it was probably one of the best TV episodes I ever watched. Ended up watching it around three times during the wait for the next week's episode, lol.

 

[ohNOitsRO]

Yup. So sad the show's over.

 

[elrechazado]

Yes, but The Sopranos ending is better.

Yeah but the shield's ending is the best

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Not fit to lick The boot heel of The West Wing's Two Cathedrals.

 

[ZeroX03]

 

[MormaPope]

The Sopranos ending versus The Shield ending.....

They're actually pretty similar, but the end result is entirely different.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Powering through Mad Men season 5 atm and I better not have just been spoiled.

Godammit.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Writing wise I'm a fan of The Suitcase from Mad Men

In the technically aspect I'm a fan of the third episode of True Detective with the long tracking shot.

edit: the fourth episode, as Sculli pointed out.

 

[teruterubozu]

"Crawl Space" is my favorite. That tension buildup was insane.

 

[ZeroX03]

Powering through Mad Men season 5 atm and I better not have just been spoiled.

Godammit.

The picture I just posted from Season 4?

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Writing wise I'm a Fan of The Suitcase from Mad Men

In the technically aspect I'm a fan of the third episode of True Detective with long tracking shot.

That's the fourth episode of TD.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

The picture I just posted from Season 4?

Oh yeah. Now I remember. For some reason I picture some Peggy/Don hookup.

 

[Moppeh]

Ozymandias is pretty great. Ep 5 of True Detective shits on it imo, but I understand why people love it so much. If I enjoyed Breaking Bad as much as everyone else, I probably would adore it too.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Whitecaps.

 

[terrene]

The Sopranos was more consistent and bit better overall -- it just dug deeper and made you feel more. And it definitely had the best ending to a show I've ever seen. It remains, in my mind, the finest TV show ever produced.

However, I do have to agree with the OP; Ozymandias is the greatest single episode of television I have ever seen.

God, when did TV start whipping movies' ass in terms of compelling drama/characters/story? It's really awesome to think of those two great shows and how much fun it was to watch them the first time through. Such amazing work.

 

[Servbot24]

That would actually be Crawl Space.

 

[Mariolee]

That would actually be Crawl Space.

Crawl Space was great, but Ozymandias was so much better.

 

[bobawesome]

I loved every second of it. A shame that I felt the next two episodes were pretty weak in comparison.

 

[RoKKeR]

Absolutely.

That or Fly.

 

[TTOOLL]

I have to agree, I've never felt so anxious watching anything before that. I literally felt sick, I had just had lunch and almost puked watching that shit.


edit:

I loved every second of it. A shame that I felt the next two episodes were pretty weak in comparison.

Yeah, but for me Ozymandias was the season finale and the rest some kind of epilogue so it's ok in my book.

 

[blame space]

love this damn episode

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Absolutely.

That or Fly.

Now you've called down the thunder.

(Ozymandias, Crawl Space, and Fly are all top 5 best episodes of that show, though)

 

[RustyNails]

I completely agree. This episode was absolute bonkers.

Bryan Cranston was on a different level completely.

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

It's damn good

but Of Mice & Lem - The Shield is even better

 

[Prompto]

Yup. Probably my favorite as well.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

It's damn good

but Of Mice & Lem - The Shield is even better

I feel like that episode serves essentially the same purpose as Ozymandias did (in that it finally cracks everything apart beyond the point you can even try to piece it back together again) but I think Ozymandias is better crafted. Then again, I like Breaking Bad better than The Shield, so I'm fairly sure that bias is coming to bear.

Essentially - I bet some people think the one episode is better than the other depending on which show you think is the superior show.

And yeah, the episode of Mad Men that's being referenced was fucking gold, too.

You know which single episode of television has always stuck with me? It wasn't even a show I particularly liked all that much - that one episode of E.R. where Dr. Greene just cannot catch a break. Love's Labor Lost. Between that and the movie Miracle Mile, Anthony Edwards is the king of slow-motion nightmares with no happy endings in sight.

 

[terrene]

Absolutely.

That or Fly.

Fly? Really? It was made to save budget and nothing happens in it that develops the plot. You can literally skip it while watching the series and not miss anything. I didn't dislike it or anything but it's kinda filler.

 

[CrankyJay]

I'm ashamed to say I've never seen The Shield. Is it on Netflix?

 

[WorldStar]

i gave up on this show half way through season 2

boring as fuck

 

[Mikef2000]

God, when did TV start whipping movies' ass in terms of compelling drama/characters/story? It's really awesome to think of those two great shows and how much fun it was to watch them the first time through. Such amazing work.

I'd say the turning point was The Sopranos along with HBO just blowing every other network away with their quality shows and movies. They raised the bar and everyone else had to step up their game.

 

[shadyspace]

For the love of God OP, no. Just not at all. Shield has got like at least five episodes on it, let alone The Sopranos.

 

[teruterubozu]

I'm ashamed to say I've never seen The Shield. Is it on Netflix?

Not US Netflix. It's on Amazon Prime though.

 

[Jigorath]

It's on the same level as "Final Grades" from The Wire. Television at it's absolute finest.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

It's on the same level as "Final Grades" from The Wire. Television at it's absolute finest.

I almost feel like bringing the Wire into this would be kinda unfair.

 

[CrankyJay]

Not US Netflix. It's on Amazon Prime though.

Excellent. I have that.

 

[Zaph]

Yeah but the shield's ending is the best

.

The whole series had a fantastic arc (not easy for so many episodes), topped off by a perfect ending.

BB and The Shield constantly switch places 2 & 3 in my head (The Wire at 1 obv).

 

[shadyspace]

I almost feel like bringing the Wire into this would be kinda unfair.

The Shield, which is better than The Wire, has already been brought up so no sense in not bringing The Wire up.

 

[lamaroo]

"Jacob's Ladder" from Rectify makes the short list. What a tremendous episode that was, amazing season one finale.

Sold Under Sin is fantastic as well, from Deadwood.

 

[DOWN]

AMC have pretty much defined the last 7 years of TV. Their stuff has made more waves than HBO, it seems.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

The Shield, which is better than The Wire, has already been brought up so no sense in not bringing The Wire up.

silliness.

 

[elrechazado]

The Shield, which is better than The Wire, has already been brought up so no sense in not bringing The Wire up.

Yeah the wire is great but the last season is hot garbage

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Yeah the wire is great but the last season is hot garbage

ridiculoso

 

[MormaPope]

AMC have pretty much defined the last 7 years of TV. Their stuff has made more waves than HBO, it seems.

LOL nope at that if you're talking about TV in general. The Sopranos brought in wayyyyy more viewers than Breaking Bad and Mad Men, not to mention Six Feet Under and The Wire were also airing at the same time.

Speaking of which, we all forgot to mention Six Feet Under in this conversation. We all fucked up there.

 

[Xe4]

The Shield, which is better than The Wire, has already been brought up so no sense in not bringing The Wire up.

 

[TheXbox]

Even though there are episodes of other series that I've preferred (The Inner Light, a couple BSG episodes), I can't really argue with Ozymandias. It is that fucking good. There's not a single thing you could take away from it. Every individual aspect of that episode is perfect; the pacing, the performances, the writing, all of it. Flawless.

The only criticism I've seen leveled against it is that it makes the ensuing finale look poorer by comparison. That says something about it.

 

[MarauderShields]

The Shield, which is better than The Wire, has already been brought up so no sense in not bringing The Wire up.

Truth bombs being dropped in this thread.

 

[DOWN]

LOL nope at that if you're talking about TV in general. The Sopranos brought in wayyyyy more viewers than Breaking Bad and Mad Men, not to mention Six Feet Under and The Wire were also airing at the same time.

Speaking of which, we all forgot to mention Six Feet Under in this conversation. We all fucked up there.

I'm 100% sure I said within the last 7 years.

 

[Jack Remington]

Breaking Bad didn't start out better than The Wire, but it surpassed it by the end, IMO.

Rating series in their totality, I'd go:

Six Feet Under
The Shield
Breaking Bad
The Wire
Mad Men

In that order.