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Atualmente você já pode estar assistido muitas séries e até julgar alguma delas como a melhor de todos os tempos ou algo assim, mas nenhuma série em exibição é tão boa comparada à Breaking Bad. A série criada por Vince Gilligan, produtor executivo de X-Files, no momento é o crème de la crème da televisão americana, comparada as melhores produções da história.

Não ouse comparar a Lost, isso nunca, jamais. A série queridinha do público brasileiro perde e feio. True Blood? Bem, talvez. Só que com um roteiro e qualidade técnica superiores, além de situações muito mais dramáticas.  Eu compararia Breaking Bad a Mad Men, a sua parceira de emissora, só MUITO menos mórbida e com Bryan Cranston, que dá dez à zero em qualquer Jon Hamm.

Breaking Bad, a primeira vista nem tem um grande diferencial ou algo que chame tanto a atenção de todos. Um professor de colegial que descobre ter câncer no pulmão inoperável, pai de família e casado com uma mulher grávida e desesperado começa a vender anfetamina. Isso até lembra Weeds e atualmente Hung (série que deve ter larapiado Vince Gilligan), mas é bem diferente e por isso que impressiona.

A primeira temporada da série pode nem ser uma maravilha (é boa), mas tem uma coletânia de cenas perfeitas. A minha preferida é quando o Walter Whiter, personagem de Cranston, vai visitar um traficante e oferecer seu produto. Quando tudo começa a dar errado e o traficante reagir de forma errada, Walter pega um pedaço de “pedra” que até parecia com meth, explode todo o local e ainda por cima sai vitorioso andando pela rua.

Essa temporada é marcada pela introdução de tudo e como ela teve poucos episódios (somente sete), tudo ocorre de maneira rápida, mas mesmo assim marca, e rende à Bryan Cranston o prêmio de melhor ator de série dramática no Emmy de 2008, desbancando Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall, Gabriel Byrne, entre outros.

Mas realmente é em sua 2ª temporada que Breaking Bad mostra seu total potencial. E o mais interessante é que a série nem preciso inovar muito, só dar sequência na história do professor com câncer que produz anfetamina.

Boa parte da melhora da 2ª temporada vem da descentralização em Walter e divisão de tempo de câmera com os outros atores. Aaron Paul, que esse ano foi indicado ao Emmy por seu papel na série, esteve perfeito, chegou ao seu auge em Peekaboo que, aliás, foi seu episódio de submissão ao prêmio e o que o faz o favorito a levar a estatueta para casa. Anna Gun, que interpreta Skyler, também foi ótima durante as duas temporadas e até agora não foi indicada a nenhum prêmio como seus companheiros de elenco por não ter material suficiente, mas um dia terá.

Durante a segunda temporada em praticamente todos os episódios foram liberados fragmentos de cenas, como flashfowards, de fatos que não faziam sentido dentro da série, só que na season finale ganharam um que poderá mudar completamente o rumo da série, só que o “como” é meio difícil imaginar.

Vince Gilligan desafia nossa imaginação com aquele cliffhanger e nos deixa ainda mais ansiosos pelo próximo passo na vida de Walt que está com sua doença tomando rumos inesperados, um bom dinheiro, sem uma mulher ou filhos e um avião caído no quintal de sua casa, o que será que Vince quer que nós esperemos?

Breaking Bad is an AMC drama series about Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a chemistry teacher with his pregnant wife Skylar (Anna Gunn) and his son Walter jr. (RJ Mitte) with cerebral palsy, who is diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer. Interested in leaving an inheritance with his family before his death, Walter enters the drug trade on the production side, using his chemistry knowledge to cook remarkably potent crystal meth with Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), a former student of his.

Episode 1: Pilot Let’s see it that way: “Weeds” in adult form, less humor, more drama, more minutes per episode. Bryan Cranston is a hell of a great actor in this series and his character gives us in these 56 minutes more than a lot of characters in one whole season. The story is simple, but great written and wonderful executed. It is boring for maybe ten seconds, but the rest is worth watching.
But maybe the story is going a little bit too fast. Already in the first episode Walter learned that he will die, partnered up with Jesse, making meth and pissing off Jesse’s old partners. A little bit more about Walter’s family or even Jesse and it would be a really wonderful and great pilot with a lot of dark drama. 8,5/10

Episode 2: Cat’s in the Bag … Interesting episode, which concentrates more on Walter and Jesse. A little bit Skylar and the rest of the characters are missing somehow. The story about Krazy 8 (Maximino Arciniega) who still lives is very interesting and gives Walter some great character developments. Even Jesse is a likable character somehow, even with his drug use. The scene with him and Skylar was great and the scene afterwards with the body in the bathtub going down the floor at the end was disgusting and hilarious at the same time.
I am just asking myself, why the producers cut the beginning of the episode a few minutes after the first scene, which was the scene before the intro. 8,5/10

Episode 3: … And the Bag’s in the River Awesome episode. Though only the scenes with Walter and Krazy 8 are scoring, but they are scoring big time. The talk between the two is just awesome written and played by the two actors. A right decision to spend so much time on the two. And Walter killing Krazy 8 afterwards was a big shocker, even when it was a bit predictable, and a great character development for Walter. And after three episodes Walter and Jesse don’t understand each other, they aren’t even real partners; it looks like they can’t work together.
Like I said, great episode. 9/10

Episode 4: Cancer Man A really calm episode. Nothing much happened, the storyline does a break and we have a lot of family meetings with Walter and Jesse. And I liked it that way. I didn’t know that we will see Jesse’s family, even if it was for the first and last time, but this gave him much character development. Just Walter’s family situation is the same as always, with the exception of the rest of the family learning about Walter’s cancer. A few words about Krazy 8, his companion and a probably new kingpin for the main plot at the beginning and I will give 7,5/10 for this episode.

Episode 5: Gray Matter A great episode. Jesse is serious and tries to get to a normal life, looking for a job, just to be screwed and finally getting back to cooking meth on its own (wow, he learned something from Walter, so he is not that stupid). But Walter’s story was great; I loved the sit-down with the family (though the talking pillow was kind of hilarious), it gave such wonderful dialogs and wonderful acting. Only Walter’s choice to do the treatment came a bit fast, but finally he and Jesse are back to business and cooking, after this story was on rest for two episodes. 9/10

Episode 6: Crazy Handful of Nothin’ Good start, lame middle part, great ending. Well, at least we don’t have to see all the aftereffects of Walter’s chemical treatment. And I don’t know if he is out of character at the end of the episode or if this is part of the main story coming into speed. The rest was a bit average and not really interesting, only Hank (Dean Norris) is now on to get to the new king pin and his side blows to Walter not being a criminal (or something like that) was actually funny. 7/10

Episode 7: A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal A really good episode. I love, how Walter goes criminal more and more. Now breaking and entering in a hilarious scene; even Jesse gets more and more likable. Both of them clearly make a good team. The deals with Tuco (Raymond Cruz) are somewhat between hilarious as well and total thrill, you never know if he is going to pull a gun and shoot around, like he pulled out his fists and beat his comrade. The side plot with Skylar and Marie (Betsy Brandt) was just filler, but gave the both an own story.
For a season finale not really a season finale (damn writers strike), but the authors did a good job at the end – Walter and Jesse are completely in now. 8/10

The season average is 8,2. The series has everything what I need: great actors, great characters, a story which is told very fast (though there are some filler stories and even a filler episode) and a great look. So it definitely is one of the best TV shows at the moment and it probably was the best show in 2008. Bryan Cranston is just awesome in his role.

Spoilers for The Tudors, Kings, and Breaking Bad to follow…

The Tudors (Season 3, Episode 1): King Henry and his church reforms have returned. Sadly, the actress playing Jane Seymour in season 2 (Anita Briem), couldn’t make it to this go around. In her place is Annabelle Wallis, who looks more comfortable in the role, and does a fine job making the role her own from the start of this new episode. Henry’s newest Queen means to sway his majesty back into Catholic favor, but it seems he’s not too interested in her political views. After two aborted marriages, it seems Henry is no longer interested in the musings of the fairer sex (as though he ever were), and tries to put the mussel on Queen Jane as fast as possible. Her plans to bring Henry’s oldest daughter back into the fold works out in the end, but at the cost of Mary’s own beliefs, which is something the former Lady Seymour didn’t anticipate. I imagine Jane is in for many rude awakenings now that she’s the queen of man whose word means nearly nothing. Mary will probably be a bigger part this season than she’s been since the first few episodes of the series, which is good news for Sarah Bolger, who is one of my favorite actresses on the show.

Another interesting addition to court this season is Sir Francis (Alan Van Sprang), who was apparently a big part of the historical Henry’s life, so it’ll be interesting to see what the show does with their relationship. It may be that he’s wearing an eye patch, or the fact that he looks like the guy who played Kano in the Mortal Kombat movie, but I’m interested in what this cycloptic Englishman has up his sleeve. James Frain’s Thomas Cromwell is still hanging in as Henry’s chief adviser, but this season premiere gave the first glimpse of Henry losing favor with his Lutheran council. I love James Frain, but as with all the great actors closely surrounding Jonathan Rhys Myers in this show (sans Henry Cavil), he’s going to have to go sometime.

This episode set many wheels in motion, the rebellion, Mary and Elizabeth’s bastardizations, and Henry’s latest marriage, so I can’t wait to see where it all leads.

Kings (Season 1, Episode 4): Silas has given up “serenity,” and this episode shows what that can lead to. Ian McShane plays a pissed off man in power better than anyone I’ve seen, and here he’s on the money the whole way. Sure everyone outside of his direct servants, and the shows golden boy David Shepard (Chris Egan), are confronting his decisions at every bend, but he still manages to put everyone in their place, for now. This episode featured Shepard’s younger brother played by Tom Guiry, who you may remember starring in the 93′ film The Sandlot, but he was also one of the title characters in the short lived “The Black Donnellys.” He is so far the most annoying character to appear on the show, and his acting here is indicative of his previous show being canceled, hopefully we won’t have to endure much more from him.

This episode expanded on The King’s son, Jack Benjamin (played by Sebastian Stan), and his budding relationship with his uncle William Cross (played by Dylan Baker). The two mean to take the kingdom as their own, and they have recruited some of the cast’s stronger characters to help them along. Wes Studi’s General Linus Abner has apparently become sick of The King, and made his new allegiance known at the end of this episode. Cross also attempted to bring Reverend Samuels (Eamonn Walker) into the fray, but so far that doesn’t seem to be working out. I imagine Samuels will back a different choice as new king, David Shepard being the obvious guess, and the one I’m going with.

The main action in this episode centered around Port Prosperity, and a hostage situation with the King’s daughter (Allison Miller). This is where Guiry was mostly in action, so I wasn’t too taken in by the drama in these scenes, or the quivering jaw of Guiry. The whole situation with Shepard’s family has been played out enough, and I hope the resolution they came to at the end of this episode, “Don’t talk to any of us again,” will be the last we hear of it. The mom from Freaks and Geeks (Becky Ann Baker), who plays the mother Shepard, is fine at what she does, but I can do without her whiny presence for awhile.

I don’t think McShane is going to live throughout the rest of this season, but then again the show itself may not either, so I’ll enjoy his work while I can.

Back to cooking…

Breaking Bad (Season 2, Episode 5): This show has some of the best characters, dialogue, and direction of any show I’ve ever seen. It has the quality of a pay cable show, but is commercial television. Few shows have reached such heights on commercial TV, in fact, The Shield is the only show I could even consider putting in the same league as far as the stipulations are concerned. Yes there are certain characters who are annoying, Jesse (Aaron Paul) for instance, but all the other characters are there to call them out on their stupidity. I love how aware this show is, which is more than I can say for many others.

This episode featured some heavy development, most notably, Walt (Bryan Cranston) asking Jesse to kill. When I started watching this show, I never thought Walt would become a calculated murderer, but his decision making has reached that point. Perhaps he’s been pushed by the cold treatment he’s been getting from his own family, which is something else I didn’t really see coming, but he has become the monster he feared. I’m not sure how many seasons this show will last, but the rate everything develops seems accelerated compared to any other serial I’ve ever followed.

It was nice to see Hank (Dean Norris) back this episode. A character who seemed to just be a jester of sorts, who gets fleshed out rather well here. He brews his own beer apparently, and is now experiencing panic attacks. His wife is a delusional kleptomaniac, who ignores the fact that their moving to Texas, and is already looking at real estate in Washington D.C. There hasn’t been any indication that they’ll ever have reason to move there, but she acts if Hank was commissioned to go there already. Skylar (Anna Gunn) has been busted for her smoking cigarettes while pregnant, and I don’t care if it was only “three and a half,” I’m still pretty disgusted with her character. No matter how you compare this to what Walt does, at least Walt has been acting in the interest of his family, while Skylar was/is being completely selfish.

There are a few questions that are still on my mind. What scenario led to the beginning scene of episode 4? Has there ever been a more creepy laugh than the one echoing while Jesse’s partner got robbed? If so, who, what, and where? How does this show constantly improve upon its own greatness?

The Play’s The Thing

This Saturday, March 7 from 10 pm – midnight on 89.3 KPCC, L.A. Theatre Works’ The Play’s the Thing will air Sight Unseen by Donald Margulies, starring Adam Arkin, Jordan Baker, Randy Ogelsby and Anna Gunn (Gunn currently stars in the world premiere of Margulies’s Time Stands Still at the Geffen Playhouse).  In Sight Unseen, Jonathan Waxman is a hugely successful artist who receives exorbitant prices for his works – sight unseen. But a rendezvous with his original muse and lover causes him to re-evaluate the success that now controls him. This Obie Award-winning drama explores the artist’s role in society, the commerce of art, and the complications of love and memory.  The broadcast includes an interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies. 

Next Saturday, March 14 from 10 pm – midnight on 89.3 KPCC, L.A. Theatre Works’ The Play’s the Thing will air Halcyon Days by Steven Dietz, starring Anne Archer, Ed Begley, Jr., and Richard Masur. Senator Eddie Bowman cannot see the point of invading a miniscule Caribbean island to rescue a bunch of overly tanned medical students. But as the 1983 invasion of Grenada gets underway, the Senator finds himself at odds with a mysterious foreign-policy specialist who cultivates roses, the President’s sexy new speechwriter – and his own son. The broadcast includes an interview with playwright Steven Dietz.

L.A. Theatre Works’ radio theater series, The Play’s the Thing, airs locally every Saturday night from 10 pm to midnight on 89.3 FM KPCC Southern California Public Radio, and is streamed at www.kpcc.org for one week following each broadcast.

To get a full schedule,  go to the L.A. Theatre Works website at www.latw.org and follow the link through the “Radio Theatre Series” heading and then “Episode Guide” or go directly to www.scpr.org for KPCC.

The series can also be heard on 89.7 WGBH in Boston; 91.5 FM WBEZ in Chicago; 94.9 KUOW in Seattle; 93.5 FM KRTS “Marfa Public Radio” in Texas; 90.5 FM KUT in Austin; 88.9 FM KUNM in Albuquerque; 91.5 FM, Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan; 94.1 KPFA in Northern California; 91.1 FM KRCB in Sonoma County; 89.1 KUOR in Redlands; as well as on many other public radio stations nationwide.  Selected programs from LATW are also heard internationally over BBC World Service, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Telefis Eirann (Ireland), Radio Hong Kong, and Radio New Zealand.  The L.A. Theatre Works Audio Theatre Collection is available in bookstores, libraries, through their catalog, digitally on itunes, overdrive.com, audible.com, and on the L.A. Theatre Works website at www.latw.org.

Additional support for the series is provided by AudioFile Magazine.  Listeners can visit their website at www.audiofilemagazine.com to view 65 reviews of LATW plays and hear sound clips from them. 

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The Play’s The Thing

This Saturday, February 28 from 10 pm – midnight on 89.3 KPCC, L.A. Theatre Works’ The Play’s the Thing will air Oedipus the King by Sophocles.  Harry Lennix stars as Oedipus, the king who unwittingly kills his father and marries his mother, in this vivid new translation by Greek scholar and director Nicholas Rudall. The broadcast includes a Q & A session with translator and director Nicholas Rudall.

Next Saturday, March 7 from 10 pm – midnight on 89.3 KPCC, L.A. Theatre Works’ The Play’s the Thing will air Sight Unseen by Donald Margulies, starring Adam Arkin, Jordan Baker, Randy Ogelsby and Anna Gunn (Gunn currently stars in the world premiere of Margulies’s Time Stands Still at the Geffen Playhouse).  In Sight Unseen, Jonathan Waxman is a hugely successful artist who receives exorbitant prices for his works – sight unseen. But a rendezvous with his original muse and lover causes him to re-evaluate the success that now controls him. This Obie Award-winning drama explores the artist’s role in society, the commerce of art, and the complications of love and memory.  The broadcast includes an interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies. 

L.A. Theatre Works’ radio theater series, The Play’s the Thing, airs locally every Saturday night from 10 pm to midnight on 89.3 FM KPCC Southern California Public Radio, and is streamed at www.kpcc.org for one week following each broadcast.

To get a full schedule,  go to the L.A. Theatre Works website at www.latw.org and follow the link through the “Radio Theatre Series” heading and then “Episode Guide” or go directly to www.scpr.org for KPCC.

The series can also be heard on 89.7 WGBH in Boston; 91.5 FM WBEZ in Chicago; 94.9 KUOW in Seattle; 93.5 FM KRTS “Marfa Public Radio” in Texas; 90.5 FM KUT in Austin; 88.9 FM KUNM in Albuquerque; 91.5 FM, Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan; 94.1 KPFA in Northern California; 91.1 FM KRCB in Sonoma County; 89.1 KUOR in Redlands; as well as on many other public radio stations nationwide.  Selected programs from LATW are also heard internationally over BBC World Service, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Telefis Eirann (Ireland), Radio Hong Kong, and Radio New Zealand.  The L.A. Theatre Works Audio Theatre Collection is available in bookstores, libraries, through their catalog, digitally on itunes, overdrive.com, audible.com, and on the L.A. Theatre Works website at www.latw.org.

Additional support for the series is provided by AudioFile Magazine.  Listeners can visit their website at www.audiofilemagazine.com to view 65 reviews of LATW plays and hear sound clips from them. 

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Am 8. März geht es mit “Breaking Bad” wieder weiter. Staffel 2, mit 13 neuen Episoden, auf dem amerikanischen Kabelsender AMC.

Breaking Bad handelt von einem sich abmühenden Chemielehrer an der Highschool, der eine Frau und einen körperlich behinderten Sohn hat. Um sie zu versorgen, hat er einen Zweitjob bei einer Autowaschanlage. Als bei ihm Lungenkrebs festgestellt wird, gerät sein Leben aus den Fugen. Nach einem Schlüsselerlebnis mit einem aufgeflogenem Methamphetamin-Labor in den Nachrichten, wobei 700.000 Dollar sichergestellt wurden, beschließt er diese Droge selbst herzustellen. Diesen Entschluss fasst er, um seine Familie nach seinem Tod finanziell abzusichern und begibt sich damit in die gefährliche Welt von Drogen und organisiertem Verbrechen. Dies zieht eine Fülle von Problemen nach sich, die extremer Lösungen bedürfen.

Hier eine kleine Promo:

 Und hier gibt es noch 6 neue Wallpaper von Staffel 2 zum herunterladen

Viel Spaß!

Breaking Bad, 1×02  9,5/10

Wie auch schon der Pilot, konnte Folge 2 auch in jeder Beziehung überzeugen. Nach dem Schluss von Folge 1 konnte man schon annehmen, worüber es in der 2ten Folge ging. Sie mussten die 2 Leichen irgendwie beseitigen. Nur blöd, dass einer der zwei Gangster noch lebte. Desweiteren kommt seine Schwangere Frau ihm langsam auf die Spur. Er konnte sie aber mit einem “Bei dem Typ kaufe ich Mariehuana” rausreden. Der vielleicht lustigste Moment in Folge 2, als seine Frau sich im Internet über seinen Kumpel informiere “What is a Milf?”.  Als wäre das nicht alles schon schlimm genug, zerstört sein junger “Laborpartner” auch noch das halbe Haus, weil er anstatt eines Säurebeständigen Behälters, die Leiche in der Badewanne auflösen möchte. Ich warte gespannt auf Folge 3.

» Die Drama-Serie „Breaking Bad“ handelt von einem Chemielehrer an einer Highschool, bei dem Krebs im Endstadium diagnostiziert wird. Da er um die Existenz seiner Frau und seines behinderten Sohnes fürchtet, benutzt er seine berufliche Erfahrung, um sich einen illegalen Nebenverdienst zu sichern. Das schnelle Geld soll ihm ein eigenes Drogenlabor bringen, in dem er Methamphetamine herstellt. «

Momentan wird in den USA im TV Bereich gestreikt, mich als großen Serienfan trifft das natürlich sehr. Umso erfreulicher, dass ich diese Serie “entdeckt” habe. Vor kurzem wurde erst der Pilot ausgestrahlt. Ich war von der ersten Minute an begeistert. Bryan Cranston, der mir schon in “Malcolm Mittendrin” der “King of Queens” gefallen hat, überzeugt hier auf ganzer Linie, wie auch die Story und eigentlich alles. AMC hat hier eine phantastische Serie geschaffen, die auch mit ihrer ersten selbst Produktion “Mad Men” bei Zuschauern und Kritikern punkten konnten. Ansehen ist pflicht. Insgesamt hat die erste Staffel 8 Episoden.