Non-cape tv show

[Rushy]

I finished the second season of The Sopranos. My opinion of it remains completely unchanged - it's like a mafia-themed soap opera where every week, some crazy shit is going down(unless it's about one of the kids, in which case nothing is) that usually comes out of nowhere and has barely anything to do with the episode beforehand.

It's entertaining, and the actors are really good, but I just wish it was going somewhere. Breaking Bad had a slow burn pace at times, but Walt always had *something* to strive for. Some kind of plan or an endgoal like "I have to reach this amount of money" or "we need to expand our business" or "blow half of Gus's face off as soon as possible because he's a fucking nut".
The very premise of the show - that he's dying of cancer - gives it a ticking clock aspect that The Sopranos completely lacks.

And it's mainly because Tony has no real drive to do anything if he doesn't have to. He's at his happiest when things are quiet and the money's rolling in, so the writers have to constantly find ways to piss him off. It makes me wish Uncle Junior was the main character. Dude is constantly on edge because his younger brother and then nephew are stepping over him. Every little slight pisses him off and pushes him into self-destructive action. Seems like a more natural setup for an ongoing show about mafia powerplays and the end of the "golden age".

Plus, let's face it, Dominic Chianese and his giant glasses are the best part of the show anyway.

[Rushy]

Also, RIP David Proval's character. I fucking loved that demented weasel.

[Kugelfisch]

Breaking Bad had a slow burn pace at times

Oh, so you have ADHD. That explains a lot.

[Le Redditeur]

Uncle Junior and Bob are the best Sopranos duo.

[Rushy]

Breaking Bad had a slow burn pace at times

Oh, so you have ADHD. That explains a lot.

Which chapter of the Silmarillion are you on?

[Kugelfisch]

Breaking Bad had a slow burn pace at times

Oh, so you have ADHD. That explains a lot.

Which chapter of the Silmarillion are you on?

I guess I understand what dig you're trying to go for but calling Breaking Bad, a show that has absolutely no breaks (no pun intended), that tries to spin out of control more and more to it's detriment, as something having a "slow burn pace" is ridiculous.

[Rushy]

I guess I understand what dig you're trying to go for but calling Breaking Bad, a show that has absolutely no breaks (no pun intended), that tries to spin out of control more and more to it's detriment, as something having a "slow burn pace" is ridiculous.

I guess you had a micro-nap during the entire third season when nothing happened.

But for the sake of argument, I'll be more specific. Breaking Bad constantly pushes forward from the pilot episode to season 2 episode 2, when Tuco dies.
After that, there's no direct threat to Walt and Jesse until Gus becomes Walt's enemy. That happens in the season 3 finale when Walt runs over the drug dealers.

Between those two points, what really happens? Jane and her heroin melodrama. The plane crash. The Twins going after Hank. Jesse's fat friend gets shot. Walt swatting a fly for an entire episode.

I mean, sure, it's not slow burn in a three-hour Kubrick movie sense, but it sure as shit isn't out of control and breakless.

[Kugelfisch]

But it's always eager to press for a problem to a surreal degree. Jesse goes full on heroine addict, Walt can't just fucking chill with the chemistry dude he should by all means value more as a colleague than Jesse, he is blackmailed by Jesse's new girlfriend and so on.

It's the most relief from the gimmick of "ultra dangerous psychopath threatens Walt" formula the show ever goes and even that has Mexican cartel guys show up at his house and shoot Hank in a parking lot.

If comical amounts of impending doom is your definition of "slow pace", I guess it's you that nods off any time there isn't an explosion for five minutes.

[Rushy]

What was so surreal about it? The character of Jesse is a meth addict from day one in spite of Aaron Paul's good looks. Jumping to heroin seems a natural development. Walt is a power-hungry dick who likes to throw his weight around. If he wanted colleagues, he would've stayed with that rich dude whom he established the company with.

And as you admit, it's relief from what would otherwise be a too ludicrous set of circumstances(jumping from Tuco to Gus). Not to mention the half of season 5 that was spent with Walt himself as the primary antagonist and cause of all of the characters' problems. But ofc you skipped that.

Anyway, I'd like to know what kind of alternative you have in mind for a show that is
A) A western.
B) On a time limit due to Walt's illness(no time skips).
C) Led by an extremely driven and humorless protagonist.

Say that you're writing season 3 and you want a break from "comical amounts of impending doom", whilst still fitting the aforementioned criteria? What do you do?

[Kugelfisch]

I'll offer you this and tell you what a slower pace would've been and how I would've written it.

First of all, Walt should've been happy instead of restless to work with a professional. The focus should move away from him entirely for a while. He didn't fully have his Empire business mindset at that point. Hell, at that point his entire setup was him finally wanting to work with a professional in production and distribution.

Jesse should have been given more time and he shouldn't freewheel so soon.
Have the Cartel guys show up at his place, because he's a dumbass and starts talking about what a big baller meth maker he was. Have him get restless.

Jesse should've had wanted to return to Walt, not the other way around. He should've killed the chemist guy out of desperation by his own volition, Walt should not know about that, maybe thinking it was the Cartel guys.

Walt should find out about it some way, get bitter, and because of that sent into the full downward spiral, control freak behaviour.

He should've had an actual break, is what I'm saying. A point of respite to get dragged out of, instead of getting himself into it.


The time limit is being pushed back by the show itself with his cancer receeding. In any case, it's a non-issue because it's never a 100% accurate diagnosis and the writers could have pushed it back as far as they pleased. They never intended him to die from it anyway after some point. As soon as Walt went full adrenaline junky they planned him to die a violent death instead.

There's a difference between being self-destructive and just plain careless.
Why wouldn't Jesse have grown from his experience? Yeah, he was some meth maker and user but has also been clean. He never was suicidal and never asked for being involved in the big league. He was fine with making shitty meth with a dumb gimmick to make money to party with his pals and get high. He never had ambitions beyond that a d wasn't suicidal.

Walt didn't care because he was a dead man walking but he had a goal. That goal got abandoned a bit too soon. He just is way too eager to get himself into the next helping of big trouble by forcing Jesse back into it and making an issue out of Chicken Shop guy.
Instead, the trouble should've found him.

As it stands, Walt goes from a meek science teacher to a full on adrenaline junky too soon.
Yes, he should've ended up with a massive superiority complex. But he just skips from point A to C.


I'm happy to discuss BB with you, because the show has merit. But don't think that applies to Better Call Saul. That's a total waste of time show. I can't even begin to comprehend how someone that thinks The Sopranos is too slow could like that mess.