Breaking Bad - Season 02 [Blu-ray] [Region B]

I seldom watch films beyond 11pm but was compelled to watch it from 8pm to 2am! It's shocking but a film where far-fetched becomes believable & is definitely addictive. It took me a long time to get into Season 1 as this is, so I thought, not my kind of film. How wrong I was! By the end of the first season I was yearning for more & after watching action-packed Season 2 I have ordered Seasons 3 & 4. Superb acting by our two main characters: Walt & Jesse, & excellent, very realistic character portrayal which is enhanced by the contrast between the two of them. Amazingly, Walt's deep love for Jesse comes over very strongly in the last episode, or is it Walt's addiction to earning B . . .I . . .G money that that far exceeds his love of anyone now, even himself. I'm utterly amazed that he's still alive after the way he has starved his cancer-ridden body of food & water over such a long period of time/ This series has EVERYTHING, & is like no other on TV or Cinema . . . .BUY IT! (It is especially interesting if you know someone who dabbles or has dabbled in drugs - a sad but realistic representation in parts of today's drug culture & the way it can invade all levels of society!)

Continuing saga of a science teacher who has been diagnosed with lung cancer. He has a pregnant wife and 16 year old son. His story is the unlikely pairing of himself and an ex pupil. His brother in law is also a member of the DEA adding to the spice of the story line. Unlikely partners in crime, the teach driven by fear of dying early and leaving a pregnant wife and son penniless, joins forces with his ex pupil, an already established drug dealer to cook methamphetamine and sell it. The relationship of the teacher and ex pupil is well written and developed over the two series. There is dark humor and pathos, action and adventure. It had me on the edge of my seat at times. I found myself gasping at the twists and turns in the plot and having a wry chuckle at the antics of the two main characters. All the characters are rich and real, that's part of the reason for its success in my opinion. There are many laugh out load moments and I would recommend this unexpectedly good series. Can't wait for the next two to come out on DVD.

I think this whole show is the best thing since the Sopranos. Funny, sad, heartwrenching, disgusting, violent, incredibly poignant; the story of a good man going bad while you still like and sympathise with him. Characters with confused moral codes, trying to do the right thing in the light of their twisted and ambivalent ethics. Just like the Sopranos - murderers who are loving and loyal to their family and friends. Towering achievement. Don't watch it without seeing season 1 first. S2 is much darker than season 1, fewer belly laughs, but still absolutely the best thing. I watched it all over again straight after the first viewing, simply because there isn't anything else I want to see more than this. Now I'm suffering waiting for season 3!

After The Wire, Breaking Bad may well be able to claim that title. Great characters (I particularly love Hank, Marie and Jesse.) In this series we are starting to see the breakdown of Walter's moral code, and Jesse - the dropout, meth dealer - has become the moral centre of the show. By now, they've got into their stride with the business, and are seeing some real money, although that doesn't stop some dead bodies and various other awkward issues getting in the way throughout the series. Plus Hank - the brother-in-law DEA agent - has a hard-on for Heisenberg and his blue meth, and is determined to track down the faceless producer of this exceptionally good crystal meth. There's lots more family stuff happening, and the whole series is perfect for a tv binge. Go to the supermarket, fill a trolley, and lock the door all weekend, then get comfy on the sofa and press 'PLAY'!

There may be, let's be frank here, certain questions of morality, appropriate standards of behaviour for those in positions of trust or role models for the young, glorification of violence and anti-social activities, et all... that could be raised regarding "Breaking Bad" ............. but there again, the same could be said for "Macbeth", King Lear", "Troilus & Cressida", and a lot of the works of The Bard .................. BUT ......... all are spell-binding drama that make most contemporaneous stuff look sad and dated. I came to "..... Bad" with doubts, and after managing to avoid it for quite a while, mainly due to a failure to look beyond the basic premise of a school-teacher becoming a drugs baron. But my son persuaded me to at least give it a ten minute "try". And the large lady kept on singing......... and she aint stopped yet ! Excellent acting, directing, writing and conception. In short, brilliant.

Don't worry, this show isn't as dark as some reviews would have you believe. Some of the subject matter is obviously disturbing, but it's usually tempered with a streak of black humour (thankfully not the smug variety, where the writers are saying "look at us, we're so cruel and funny!"). Bryan Cranston (Walter) is hardly a household name here, but his performances in this show are absolutely brilliant. I particularly like the way he manages to squeeze humour out of the most unlikely scenarios, seemingly without any effort. Aaron Paul, who plays Walt's partner in crime, has also raised his game considerably and their antagonistic relationship is played to perfection. Breaking Bad is not a flawless show by any means. The decision to favour character over plot (a problem The Sopranos sometimes had) results in one or two episodes limping along without any real focus. Also Skylar's sister is not an interesting character and her scenes are often the weakest. However, there are a couple of really outstanding episodes in season two and I'm looking forward to seeing how this intriguing show develops.

It is not for everyone this story of a Chem teacher who thinks death is imminent and tries to provide for his family by becoming a Crystal Meth chemist nicknamed amusingly Heisenberg. He became corrupted in series one and it reaches a climax here and you wonder where it will go. There is one episode that will have you reaching for the remote to replay a moment of jeopardy for a main character who seems paralysed to act! Series 3 is even better if that is possible! The two leads have deservedly won acting awards and the whole thing is beautifully written and superbly directed and shot. It is not for the sensitive as it is completely full on! If you love Dexter you will love this. Congratulations to the Breaking Bad team - this is a highwater mark in creativity.

If you thought the first series was good, fasten your seatbelts for this one as lung cancer victim Walt develops his alter-life as crystal meth manufacturer while keeping it secret from his ever-suspicious bourgeois wife and hilariously unsuspicious drug enforcement cop brother-in-law. Existing characters are developed, and fascinating new ones introduced. It's darkly funny, deeply ironic and occasionally tragic while simultaneously providing a manifold critical commentary of US/western society and values. Plus, in this series, the script contains a suspense component that makes the whole thing positively gripping. Nothing comes near this superb series in TV past or present. Don't miss it!