Cramming Bad
April 10, 2013 11:50 AM Subscribe
I haven't had a chance to watch Breaking Bad...I know, I know...how can I ingest the series in the most time-efficient way possible?
...it's in my queue but I just haven't gotten around to it. But say you only had a few days to catch up but couldn't actually watch all the episodes (but could watch a season or 2) - what would you do? What synopses would you suggest? Which seasons/episodes are vital and must be watched? How would you "Cliff's Notes" the series most effectively so as to be able to have a coherent discussion about it with other watchers?
...it's in my queue but I just haven't gotten around to it. But say you only had a few days to catch up but couldn't actually watch all the episodes (but could watch a season or 2) - what would you do? What synopses would you suggest? Which seasons/episodes are vital and must be watched? How would you "Cliff's Notes" the series most effectively so as to be able to have a coherent discussion about it with other watchers?
This post was deleted for the following reason: poster's request -- cortex
You could try, but it's not really that feasible for the show. There aren't that many episodes -- if you really wanted to and had evenings and weekends free, you could catch up in a week or two. Otherwise, just start with the beginning and warn people you've only watched a certain amount.
posted by jeather at 11:57 AM on April 10, 2013
posted by jeather at 11:57 AM on April 10, 2013
Here's the thing about Breaking Bad. If you're like most people, you will not be able to stop watching. It's that addictive. If you haven't watched anything, you probably have at least a solid 40 hours of Breaking Bad ahead of you. Lucky. I would definitely not skip episodes - I would watch season 1 and 2 (20 episodes total) and then would decide what to do with seasons 3, 4, and 5a. I will bet that by that point you will want to take the time to watch every episode, even if you only get three hours of sleep a couple nights ;)
posted by emily37 at 11:57 AM on April 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by emily37 at 11:57 AM on April 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Try meth, maybe?
Seriously, don't do this. The core of the show is the gradual transformation in Walt & Jessie's characters. The arcs of character development span whole seasons and the suspense as we (and the characters) discover what they're made of is really more significant than summaries of the plot. Those you can get from wikipedia. Just start watching the first season. See if you're not hooked within a few episodes.
posted by R. Schlock at 11:59 AM on April 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
Seriously, don't do this. The core of the show is the gradual transformation in Walt & Jessie's characters. The arcs of character development span whole seasons and the suspense as we (and the characters) discover what they're made of is really more significant than summaries of the plot. Those you can get from wikipedia. Just start watching the first season. See if you're not hooked within a few episodes.
posted by R. Schlock at 11:59 AM on April 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
The Breaking Bad Wiki has very good episode summaries, though that's all it is .. episode summaries. You won't understand why people love the show from reading about it.
I think you should give season 1 a shot. It only has a few episodes, and it will at least give you a background on the main characters.
posted by alligatorman at 11:59 AM on April 10, 2013
I think you should give season 1 a shot. It only has a few episodes, and it will at least give you a background on the main characters.
posted by alligatorman at 11:59 AM on April 10, 2013
IMO, give it the time it deserves, its not going anywhere. Unless there's some really compelling reason why you can't just watch it all in order just watch as much as you can, when you can. Its not a race.
As chatongriffes says, this isn't a monster of the week kind of show. Every episode is part of the overall arch/story.
posted by missmagenta at 12:00 PM on April 10, 2013
As chatongriffes says, this isn't a monster of the week kind of show. Every episode is part of the overall arch/story.
posted by missmagenta at 12:00 PM on April 10, 2013
I definitely would advise against skipping anything.
Breaking Bad falls into the "serialized story" rather than "episodic" category of TV show. I can't for the life of me think of a standalone episode that would make sense seen out of context- each episode flows directly from the previous and into the next to tell a single story.
posted by mkultra at 12:01 PM on April 10, 2013 [4 favorites]
Breaking Bad falls into the "serialized story" rather than "episodic" category of TV show. I can't for the life of me think of a standalone episode that would make sense seen out of context- each episode flows directly from the previous and into the next to tell a single story.
posted by mkultra at 12:01 PM on April 10, 2013 [4 favorites]
The most efficient way to watch Breaking Bad is to get yourself a cooler of water, a three-day supply of funyuns, and a five gallon bucket and a roll of toilet paper, and just plop down in front of netflix and power on through them.
You really can't skip. There are too many pieces to the story to do that. You'll lose 90% of what makes that show so great.
posted by phunniemee at 12:04 PM on April 10, 2013 [4 favorites]
You really can't skip. There are too many pieces to the story to do that. You'll lose 90% of what makes that show so great.
posted by phunniemee at 12:04 PM on April 10, 2013 [4 favorites]
Yet another vote for, don't skip any.
If you absolutely positively must skim any time at all, I think you can skip the show's lone bottle episode, "Fly," and be okay. But you really don't want to do that either, as it was directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper) and is very, very good.
posted by jbickers at 12:06 PM on April 10, 2013
If you absolutely positively must skim any time at all, I think you can skip the show's lone bottle episode, "Fly," and be okay. But you really don't want to do that either, as it was directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper) and is very, very good.
posted by jbickers at 12:06 PM on April 10, 2013
I’m at work so I can’t properly link to it but The AV Club had an article about the “10 Essential Breaking Bad Episodes” that they posted before the season five premiere. That’s as good a place to start as any.
This might not be an option for you but I’d suggest watching the episodes with someone who has seen them already so you can ask questions. My fiancée watched all of the first season before we watched season five together and I filled in the gaps as needed.
Absolutely watch all of season one.
posted by Diskeater at 12:06 PM on April 10, 2013
This might not be an option for you but I’d suggest watching the episodes with someone who has seen them already so you can ask questions. My fiancée watched all of the first season before we watched season five together and I filled in the gaps as needed.
Absolutely watch all of season one.
posted by Diskeater at 12:06 PM on April 10, 2013
How would you "Cliff's Notes" the series most effectively so as to be able to have a coherent discussion about it with other watchers?
I don't know that this can really be done. The show is very much about arc, very much about the journey, and you'll miss that if you skip ahead. It spends a lot of time building and building, so if you miss the build, you're missing a lot of the draw.
Also, it's a show with a tremendous economy of plot - while it's not afraid to spend time letting a moment draw out, the actual plot contains no wasted elements. There's no wheel-spinning. Everything is important.
The good news is that the seasons are short - season one is seven episodes, seasons two, three and four are thirteen each, and five is eight episodes so far. You're still looking at fifty-four episodes, but it goes by quickly.
If you don't mind me asking, what's the hurry?
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 12:07 PM on April 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
I don't know that this can really be done. The show is very much about arc, very much about the journey, and you'll miss that if you skip ahead. It spends a lot of time building and building, so if you miss the build, you're missing a lot of the draw.
Also, it's a show with a tremendous economy of plot - while it's not afraid to spend time letting a moment draw out, the actual plot contains no wasted elements. There's no wheel-spinning. Everything is important.
The good news is that the seasons are short - season one is seven episodes, seasons two, three and four are thirteen each, and five is eight episodes so far. You're still looking at fifty-four episodes, but it goes by quickly.
If you don't mind me asking, what's the hurry?
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 12:07 PM on April 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
It sounds like you're not interested in being caught up by the time the show comes back on (in which case you'd have plenty of time), but that you're, uh, going to a Breaking Bad convention this weekend or something and need to develop as much Breaking Bad knowledge as possible in three days? Is that right?
Even if that's the case, I'd still just start at episode 1 and blast through as many as you can get through, in order. If you jump around you won't have a clue what's going on and won't enjoy it.
posted by theodolite at 12:20 PM on April 10, 2013
Even if that's the case, I'd still just start at episode 1 and blast through as many as you can get through, in order. If you jump around you won't have a clue what's going on and won't enjoy it.
posted by theodolite at 12:20 PM on April 10, 2013
If you seriously don't want to watch the whole show but do want to read short spoiler-filled episode summaries and discussion of basic "themes": Wikipedia!
posted by steinwald at 12:23 PM on April 10, 2013
posted by steinwald at 12:23 PM on April 10, 2013
One of my favorite thing about Breaking Bad is the way it manages to pack critically-important, nailbiting new developments into every episode without making it feel forced or tiresome. I recently rewatched episode 1 and was shocked to realize how far it brought the plot and character development; by the end it was at a point that I would've pegged from memory at around the middle of season 1. It moves FAST, and everything that happens is important.
posted by contraption at 12:29 PM on April 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by contraption at 12:29 PM on April 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
The thing that makes Breaking Bad such a fantastic show is how tightly the plotlines are written. Nothing is a dead end, nothing is a red herring. Everything they show you is important, if not immediately then eventually, and so you had better pay attention to every last detail. And yes, it's FAST paced, and the character development is crucial to understanding the conflicting interests and motives driving all their actions. Don't skip - my bet is you won't be able to anyway, once you have the first episode down you'll be addicted.
posted by keep it under cover at 12:35 PM on April 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by keep it under cover at 12:35 PM on April 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Alright. Not to thread sit but your passion on the subject is obvious. I promise I won't skip any! Thanks, guys!
posted by buzzkillington at 12:41 PM on April 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by buzzkillington at 12:41 PM on April 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
It would probably be easier to ask which episodes you can get away with skipping than which episodes you should see. I can only think of a couple you might be able to skip. But if I rewatched them again I might be reminded of important developments from those episodes that just slipped my mind as being from THOSE episodes.
posted by Green With You at 12:44 PM on April 10, 2013
posted by Green With You at 12:44 PM on April 10, 2013
Nthing watching from the beginning. Don't rip yourself off. The show is worth it.
posted by Currer Belfry at 12:46 PM on April 10, 2013
posted by Currer Belfry at 12:46 PM on April 10, 2013
Alright. Not to thread sit but your passion on the subject is obvious. I promise I won't skip any! Thanks, guys!
Success! Enjoy them! I'm currently rewatching the series for the fourth time, and I still find clever little details I hadn't picked up on in previous viewings. It's a very well-done show.
posted by phunniemee at 12:47 PM on April 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Success! Enjoy them! I'm currently rewatching the series for the fourth time, and I still find clever little details I hadn't picked up on in previous viewings. It's a very well-done show.
posted by phunniemee at 12:47 PM on April 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Glad to see you'll watch them all! If you started skipping episodes, I bet you would have changed your mind soon anyway. I recently re-watched, and it kept surprising me all over again with how detail packed all the episodes are. I'd be like, "oh, yeah, this episode starts with X, and I can't believe they bring it all to Y by the end of 48 minutes!"
posted by peep at 1:02 PM on April 10, 2013
posted by peep at 1:02 PM on April 10, 2013
Not only would I add yet another vote to watch them ALL (the photography alone is something not to be missed) but I also highly endorse reading episode recaps along the way to really get all you can out of it. I have an eye for detail and the good reviewers still ALWAYS point out awesome stuff I've missed. Alan Sepinwall (at HitFix), AV Club, and New York Maganize's Vulture site are ones I frequent.
posted by lovableiago at 1:02 PM on April 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by lovableiago at 1:02 PM on April 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
It's piling on at this point, but, yeah, this is such a tightly written and beautifully produces series that nothing is extraneous. All killer, no filler! (I hate myself for saying that.)
I've watched it through three times, and never got bored; I saw new things in it each time.
So, as you have already agreed, sit back and enjoy. Work, sleep, eating, and relationships are all overrated.
posted by The Deej at 1:11 PM on April 10, 2013
I've watched it through three times, and never got bored; I saw new things in it each time.
So, as you have already agreed, sit back and enjoy. Work, sleep, eating, and relationships are all overrated.
posted by The Deej at 1:11 PM on April 10, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
These are not 30 minute monsters that are solved by the end of the episode. To me the thing that makes the show worth talking about is the arc and that comes with time. I started watching Season one a while ago and ended up watching the whole season in a weekend, not because I felt I had to slog through it but because I really cared about the characters.
posted by chatongriffes at 11:56 AM on April 10, 2013 [9 favorites]