Originally Posted by BWillie:
Just finished season 2 and I thought it was even better than Season 1. This is set up to go multiple seasons. Very Breaking Badlike. Seems like it's actually the wife that may end up being more of a Walt character.
In the B.B. comparisons, I was one of the Skyler critics, and Laura Linney’s character absolutely embodies what I was missing in Breaking Bad. This is a layered character, as flawed a family member as her husband is, with ambitions that may outdo his, and strategy that may be stronger than his. She is also allowed to be an obstacle in his path at times without being the cliche woman who causes a man’s downfall or the mom who objects to everything while hugging her children in a hiding place, a victim of her situation. I look forward to more from both of them. [Reply]
I just finished it last night, hell of a good show IMO. Acting is top notch writing is better. Really good stuff.
The stuff with Buddy really hit home. Along with Buddy, all the relationships were allowed to grow with the show, holistically. There weren't any relationships other than the real estate agent that weren't built upon from the first season. That is a sign of excellent writing. So many times, the relationships exist because of necessity not story telling and virtually every one built with the story than being of necessity. That's hard to find.
Originally Posted by TinyEvel:
Just finished season 2. So good. This show is awesome. the acting, the writing. What are the criticisms of the show you're talking about?
I don't know what criticisms are out there, but there are a few to be had.
1. Same with the first season - the numbers never work. So much so that it's a distraction. It's fine. I'm sure the chemistry doesn't work in BB, and probably the money either. But I'm not a particularly good numbers guy, but that stuff isn't working.
2. The timeline of things - especially in a small town - is far too accelerated. I get it, but none of that shit is happening in those timeframes. Again, it's fine. That's why TV is so much more compelling than real life, but in reality, if we are waiting 6 weeks for a contractor and everyone is dead, the story isn't very good. But the point stands. As a guy that's had to get some of this stuff done, yeah, not happening.
3. This is probably just the mood I've been in the past couple days, but this show might have some tone problems. Man, every character's life in this show SUCKS. After Buddy died, everything was just fucking melancholy. It got to where I'd not want to watch an episode. They kind of played out the "we have to get this done now" feeling and (naturally things came together) it was just an exercise in misery. Again, I had a shit mood when I watched a few of those episodes, but they could have taken a couple of the characters in different directions and helped interject some not-slavery level life suckage. Part of it is Bateman's character - some of it could have been when he was going to get out could have lightened up some. Maybe if some of the ancillary characters would have lightened up, it would have fucked up the story and made the ending events not hit as hard. I don't know. It was all just really heavy and I think it lost some of the desperation in a few episodes.
All that being said, I stand by my points above that it is a great goddamned show and I appreciate the opportunity to participate, but it's not perfect. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TinyEvel:
Just finished season 2. So good. This show is awesome. the acting, the writing. What are the criticisms of the show you're talking about?
The narrative of the Shell's being just as big of a threat as the Cartel, and how they depicted and the tropes and stereotypes how everyone was represented from Osage Beach to the Cartel "thugs". [Reply]
Originally Posted by Buehler445:
I just finished it last night, hell of a good show IMO. Acting is top notch writing is better. Really good stuff.
The stuff with Buddy really hit home. Along with Buddy, all the relationships were allowed to grow with the show, holistically. There weren't any relationships other than the real estate agent that weren't built upon from the first season. That is a sign of excellent writing. So many times, the relationships exist because of necessity not story telling and virtually every one built with the story than being of necessity. That's hard to find.
I don't know what criticisms are out there, but there are a few to be had.
1. Same with the first season - the numbers never work. So much so that it's a distraction. It's fine. I'm sure the chemistry doesn't work in BB, and probably the money either. But I'm not a particularly good numbers guy, but that stuff isn't working.
2. The timeline of things - especially in a small town - is far too accelerated. I get it, but none of that shit is happening in those timeframes. Again, it's fine. That's why TV is so much more compelling than real life, but in reality, if we are waiting 6 weeks for a contractor and everyone is dead, the story isn't very good. But the point stands. As a guy that's had to get some of this stuff done, yeah, not happening.
3. This is probably just the mood I've been in the past couple days, but this show might have some tone problems. Man, every character's life in this show SUCKS. After Buddy died, everything was just ****ing melancholy. It got to where I'd not want to watch an episode. They kind of played out the "we have to get this done now" feeling and (naturally things came together) it was just an exercise in misery. Again, I had a shit mood when I watched a few of those episodes, but they could have taken a couple of the characters in different directions and helped interject some not-slavery level life suckage. Part of it is Bateman's character - some of it could have been when he was going to get out could have lightened up some. Maybe if some of the ancillary characters would have lightened up, it would have ****ed up the story and made the ending events not hit as hard. I don't know. It was all just really heavy and I think it lost some of the desperation in a few episodes.
All that being said, I stand by my points above that it is a great goddamned show and I appreciate the opportunity to participate, but it's not perfect.
#3 for me for sure. That much stress would cause anyone/everyone to fold. Your kids could be kidnapped/killed at any moment, but everyone seems fine letting them go about their days.
That being said, I've been a Bateman fan since I was a child and that isn't likely to stop. He's not carrying this piece, but he does a nice job.
Ruth and Jacob and wonderful characters that have grown throughout. Brilliantly done. [Reply]
Season 2 built pretty well on the first season, and it's an improvement.
I didn't care for the last episode that much. It was a little too predictable, imo, but it does set things up well for the next season. My main worry is:
Spoiler!
Ruth knows everything now. She's absolutely demonstrated a pretty clear loyalty to Marty... but for how long? She is, after all, a Langmore. She's also probably going to feel bound to get revenge on the cartel for her daddy.
I'm really, really happy to see the detective die. He was an interesting character, but damn he was loathsome.
In the last episode though, was Wendy talking about Marty when she told the cartel lady they had a threat or did I completely misinterpret that?
Spoiler!
Although in the past, she already betrayed him with an affair. Marty started making major, impactful decisions without her. The cartel lady mentioned keeping her best interests in mind while talking one-on-one with her. I also thought I remember a conversation between Jacob and Marty with Jacob saying something about becoming afraid/scared of the one you love or something of that nature. Plus the filming made it seem ominous between them at the end of the last episode.
Good show. Laura Linney is fantastic and her character seems primed for a Walter White style transformation. Season 3 is probably going to be about Marty trying to get out from under her. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCUnited:
I finished season 2 last night. Fantastic series.
In the last episode though, was Wendy talking about Marty when she told the cartel lady they had a threat or did I completely misinterpret that?
Spoiler!
Although in the past, she already betrayed him with an affair. Marty started making major, impactful decisions without her. The cartel lady mentioned keeping her best interests in mind while talking one-on-one with her. I also thought I remember a conversation between Jacob and Marty with Jacob saying something about becoming afraid/scared of the one you love or something of that nature. Plus the filming made it seem ominous between them at the end of the last episode.
You know, I didn’t take it this way at all, but I’m wondering if you are right about this. I assumed they were talking about Ruth’s Dad. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Cow Pollinator:
You know, I didn’t take it this way at all, but I’m wondering if you are right about this. I assumed they were talking about Ruth’s Dad.
Man, I thought it was obvious, but my wife who's much smarter than me and paid way more attention to the show and is usually more observant to the female swing in power didn't pick up on it. So, I naturally questioned myself.
EDIT: Plus the cartel lady made it point that there was no coming back from what Wendy was planning to tell her, like it was super serious, not just some hillbilly causing a fuss. [Reply]
Interesting theory, but I think it was about Ruth’s dad and that the cartel lady was telling her that your soul changes when you have somebody murdered (Ruth’s dad). [Reply]
Originally Posted by Great Expectations:
Interesting theory, but I think it was about Ruth’s dad and that the cartel lady was telling her that your soul changes when you have somebody murdered (Ruth’s dad).
Yeah, you're probably right. I'm probably just rebelling against a, imo, somewhat predictable finale. Still a fantastic season altogether though. [Reply]