Breaking Bad: Season 2

I just finished season two of AMC's Breaking Bad, as season three debuts in March.
Bad is essentially a better version of Dexter or a serious version of Weeds. Our protagonist Walter, played spot on by Bryan Cranston, is a more effed up version than either cable protagonist on those shows, all the while remaining a mild-mannered chemistry teacher.
What makes BAD so good is the ho hum nature it adopts for 99% of an episode, which is punctuated by 1% of mind boggling crazyness. It's similar to THe Sopranos in this dynamic, except that Tony's crime family life shared equal time with his domestic family. The ratio isn't that way on BAD, even though at points you want to see more of Walt and Jesse (Aaron Paul). This pair of drug lords represent one of the best duos on television, and are two of the most dysfunctional characters on television.
In this season it looked like Jesse was settling into some sort of groove, but his salvation (a relationship with his landlord) was also his undoing. It turns out his lady friend was also a druggie and while they brought out the best in each other, conversely they dragged out the worst too (leading to the lady OD'ing).
Paul is excellent this season, essentially lifting the show on his back (with his relationship and an episode where he plays babysitter) while Walt gets bogged down in a constant fight with Skylar. THe marital struggles between Walt and Skylar are insufferable. Inevitable, but just so boring and drawn out. Ultimately she leaves him in the finale, except at this point we don't care and wish it had happened long ago.
This season also saw the exit of Tuco (or however it is spelled) and the introduction of Saul, who is essentially a wacked out version of Tom (Robert Duval) in the Godfather. This skeezy lawyer is now offering counsel to Walt and Jesse, with ingenious and hilarious results.

This season felt like a long transition between the highs of season one and what seems to be an explosive season three. Part of the transition feel stems from the expanded roster of episodes in season two, which saw a six episode increase to 13. Essentially the show dealt with the limitations of the dynamic, by curing his cancer and finally leaving Walt to deal with what he wants in his life and from his meth cooking.
I liked this season, but didn't love it compared to season one. I am very hyped for season three.

Must See Strike TV!

Unless you’re a reality television junky the prospects of scripted entertainment not returning to television until next fall has you freaked out. Besides reading books or throwing down serious cash at the movie theatre, where will we find our entertainment? Sure, you could browse the internet to find amusing videos like this youtube clip, but with my suggestions you won’t have to spend hours watching bad clips for that one big payoff.

Maybe I’ll be just reiterating stuff you’ve heard before and ignored, but look at the strike as a chance to expand your horizons. Everything I recommend won’t be gold, but hopefully you’ll find a nugget or two that will help weather the storm.

The first thing you need to do in order to make it through this television drought is to hit your movie rental stores. You’re going to need to stock up for this dry season, so be prepared to shell out two to three dollars per DVD.

The first show I’d recommend is Extras. The entire series just became available on DVD, and it’s definitely worth renting. I went through all the twelve half hour episodes that make up the series in about four days, and capped it off with the ninety minute extra special series finale on the fifth day. The show chronicles the career of acting extra Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais), as he goes from a nobody to a sitcom star. The other main characters are Millman’s agent, Darren Lamb (Stephen Merchant), who is absolutely hilarious, and Millman’s best friend and fellow extra, Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen), who keeps the show grounded The show is riddled with cameos that are absolutely hilarious, such as when Daniel Radcliffe announces that he’s, “done it, intercourse wise.” If you’ve ever seen any version of The Office and hated it, than Extras probably isn’t for you. If, on the other hand, you’re a devoted follower of The Office, than Extras is the perfect fit to fill the void.

If you need something to fill the void left by Heroes, and want something to compliment Lost, than its time to try Battlestar Galactica. Don’t let the fact that Battlestar is a Sci-Fi channel original scare you away or lead you to underestimate the show. This show is a legitimate drama, and is entertaining with numerous twists and turns, while not becoming overly complicated like Lost. But it’s not just the writing, because Battlestar has a respectable cast, which is headlined by Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell. Your viewing experience starts with a three hour Battlestar movie that kicks off the series, and from there the first 33 episodes are available on DVD.

. If you’re a fan of Law and Order: SVU or Without a Trace, than now is the time to start renting The Wire. The show is depressingly real, but it’s also really entertaining. The first four seasons are available on DVD, with the fifth and final season currently airing, but start from the beginning to achieve optimal enjoyment.

If you don’t want to tryout DVDs than your options are limited, but there is still hope. Psych and Monk both returned to USA on the 11^th, and new episodes air every Friday. Psych is a cute comedy about a fake psychic detective, and Monk is an equally cute comedy about a detective with OCD. Breaking Bad debuts the 20^th on AMC, and has been met with promising reviews. Breaking stars veteran television actor Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle), as a terminally ill chemistry teacher that decides to try his hand in the crystal-meth game. Lost returns at the end of the month, with eight episodes scheduled for release. A few other shows like 30 Rock and My Name is Earl have released new episodes in 2008, but don’t expect many more and just enjoy what the networks have to offer.

There are countless other shows available on DVD that I could recommend, but I’ll just rattle of a quick list with my rationales...

· All three seasons of the emmy winning comedy Arrested Development. Arrested is one of the five funniest shows I’ve ever seen, with writing and acting unmatched by anything on television today.

· The first three seasons of Gilmore Girls. With Rory still living at home the show still had pop, and had yet to become a caricature of itself.

· The first three seasons of Scrubs. The current version of Scrubs is not funny, and an embarrassment to those first three years that were hilarious and moving.

· The first four seasons of West Wing. The show without Sorkin was boring, but with Sorkin it was tight, funny, and made me cry from time to time.

· Sesaons three through ten of The Simpsons. Sure, new episodes are still available, but they pale in comparison to these eight seasons that are really strong.