View Full Version : The Wire, The Sopranos, or Breaking Bad?
CringeFest
06-25-21, 10:26 PM
These three shows to me are the greatest ones to exist, to me the sopranos is probably the best one because of the intimate quality. Both The Sopranos and The Wire are very intellectually stimulating, it's cool how with the wire they show cross sections of many aspects of the city. Breaking Bad is basically like the televised version of smoking crystal meth.
Which one is the best to you? Do you have any other series that you think are just as good or better?
Haven't seen The Sopranos yet, but The Wire is my #2 TV show and Breaking Bad is my #3, so there you go.
Flicker
06-26-21, 04:36 AM
Breaking Bad is okay, not quite The Shield level but almost as good as The Americans. But all these are entertainment. The Wire is something else. It's a real solid sociological thesis on the interdependence of various fields of Baltimore's politics, economy, culture and society, and, by extension modern urban life. And it's more about anti-narratives (plots that go nowhere, police work that doesn't progress) than the other series' adventures. It hardly goes on the same shelves. It's entertaining at a meta-level, like Samuel Beckett.
I enjoy Spielberg or McTiernan as much as any other person. But Ettore Scola is a whole different thing.
CringeFest
06-26-21, 05:45 AM
Haven't seen The Sopranos yet, but The Wire is my #2 TV show and Breaking Bad is my #3, so there you go.
I am just livid that you aren't telling me your #1 :mad:
CringeFest
06-26-21, 05:51 AM
Breaking Bad is okay, not quite The Shield level but almost as good as The Americans. But all these are entertainment. The Wire is something else. It's a real solid sociological thesis on the interdependence of various fields of Baltimore's politics, economy, culture and society, and, by extension modern urban life. And it's more about anti-narratives (plots that go nowhere, police work that doesn't progress) than the other series' adventures. It hardly goes on the same shelves. It's entertaining at a meta-level, like Samuel Beckett.
I enjoy Spielberg or McTiernan as much as any other person. But Ettore Scola is a whole different thing.
While The Sopranos isn't quite as complicated or realistic as The Wire, it has a pretty deep social element (yet not sociological). I really dig the juxtaposition of tough guy mobster psychology with the more "liberal" and gushy aspect of psychiatry, along with all the conversations about identity politics which were picking up in the 90's. Imagine what the sopranos would look like now adays...
xSookieStackhouse
06-26-21, 06:31 AM
The Sopranos
I am just livid that you aren't telling me your #1 :mad:
The Shield
Stirchley
06-28-21, 02:14 PM
These three shows to me are the greatest ones to exist, to me the sopranos is probably the best one because of the intimate quality. Both The Sopranos and The Wire are very intellectually stimulating, it's cool how with the wire they show cross sections of many aspects of the city. Breaking Bad is basically like the televised version of smoking crystal meth.
Which one is the best to you? Do you have any other series that you think are just as good or better?
The Sopranos has always been my #1 show. Huge fan of The Wire & The Shield.
The Italian sensation Gomorrah is a fantastic show. Final season got delayed, but it will appear one of these days. Gomorrah is like The Sopranos, but without any humor.
Breaking Bad is okay, not quite The Shield level but almost as good as The Americans.
I hated The Americans. Love Breaking Bad.
Another terrific series is Six Feet Under.
Austruck
06-28-21, 06:08 PM
Another terrific series is Six Feet Under.
One of my personal favorites of all time.
And let's face it: FEW series can match that series finale for beauty, plot tie-ups and general satisfaction.
Might be time for a rewatch. <3
Stirchley
06-28-21, 06:56 PM
One of my personal favorites of all time.
And let's face it: FEW series can match that series finale for beauty, plot tie-ups and general satisfaction.
Might be time for a rewatch. <3
I’ve seen it 3 times. As recently as last year. :)
Austruck
06-28-21, 08:14 PM
I’ve seen it 3 times. As recently as last year. :)
I'm sure I've seen it that many times too. Never gets old. This week is my usual rewatch of HBO's John Adams series. Next week I might take another run at The Sopranos.
Gotta admit, most of my favorite series of all time have come from HBO.
Stirchley
06-30-21, 01:56 PM
I'm sure I've seen it that many times too. Never gets old. This week is my usual rewatch of HBO's John Adams series. Next week I might take another run at The Sopranos.
Gotta admit, most of my favorite series of all time have come from HBO.
John Adams is something that doesn’t appeal at all. Not a fan of period stuff.
No one surpasses HBO. Not even close.
Did you ever see the two-season Enlightened with Laura Dern or The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow on HBO? I highly recommend both of them.
John Adams is something that doesn’t appeal at all. Not a fan of period stuff.
No one surpasses HBO. Not even close.
Did you ever see the two-season Enlightened with Laura Dern or The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow on HBO? I highly recommend both of them.
FX is better
American Horror Story
American Crime Story
The Americans
Damages
Fargo
Justified
The League
Legion
Nip/Tuck
Rescue Me
The Shield
Sons of Anarchy
The Strain
You're the Worst
Stirchley
06-30-21, 02:25 PM
FX is better
American Horror Story
American Crime Story
The Americans
Damages
Fargo
Justified
The League
Legion
Nip/Tuck
Rescue Me
The Shield
Sons of Anarchy
The Strain
You're the Worst
Fargo, Justified & The Shield all good. That’s it for FX.
Austruck
06-30-21, 03:18 PM
John Adams is something that doesn’t appeal at all. Not a fan of period stuff.
No one surpasses HBO. Not even close.
Did you ever see the two-season Enlightened with Laura Dern or The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow on HBO? I highly recommend both of them.
Saw The Comeback. Kudrow is so delightful in anything she does. :)
No period stuff? Not even Deadwood? Another of my absolute faves, which I rewatch several times a year.
If we wait long enough, even The Sopranos will become period stuff. :D
Stirchley
06-30-21, 03:25 PM
Saw The Comeback. Kudrow is so delightful in anything she does. :)
No period stuff? Not even Deadwood? Another of my absolute faves, which I rewatch several times a year.
If we wait long enough, even The Sopranos will become period stuff. :D
I watched Deadwood only for yummy Tim Olyphant. Good show, but definitely not a fave.
True on The Sopranos. Someone here commented recently that it’s amusingly dated or something to that effect. Can’t remember her exact words.
CringeFest
06-30-21, 09:26 PM
True on The Sopranos. Someone here commented recently that it’s amusingly dated or something to that effect. Can’t remember her exact words.
Gabagoo (3047)
This is a compelling sci-fi sequal of the primitive and inferior series "The Supranos" of the early 21st century. In the year 10,000, Melika Cazzamblanca (the niece of a suprano family counter-agent twice removed) finds a soylent green DVD tucked away in a trash can. Shocked and Intrigued, she starts a Deli and a crack den which then orbits the star Xenon XXIV.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dxux08dW0AAl8_P?format=jpg&name=small
Edits: I can't effing spell.
Stirchley
07-02-21, 02:09 PM
Austruck, did you like Veep? I’m not a comedy fan per se, but this show was so hilarious. Probably the funniest show for me since The Office UK.
Austruck
07-02-21, 03:05 PM
Austruck, did you like Veep? I’m not a comedy fan per se, but this show was so hilarious. Probably the funniest show for me since The Office UK.
For some reason, this show never interested me, so I've never watched it. I'm not a fan of political humor in most any form, and since I lean probably a lot further right than anyone associated with Veep, I gave it a pass. :D
Stirchley
07-02-21, 03:10 PM
For some reason, this show never interested me, so I've never watched it. I'm not a fan of political humor in most any form, and since I lean probably a lot further right than anyone associated with Veep, I gave it a pass. :D
I don’t think of it as political humor, per se. It’s about a bunch of very selfish egoists all trying desperately to get to the top of the heap. Having said this, maybe it is political humor. :rolleyes:
Austruck
07-02-21, 03:27 PM
I don’t think of it as political humor, per se. It’s about a bunch of very selfish egoists all trying desperately to get to the top of the heap. Having said this, maybe it is political humor. :rolleyes:
Then maybe I'll give it a watch. I tend to get easily annoyed at political jabs (because they're usually cheap shots, from either side), so I assumed a show like this would be loaded with them.
Stirchley
07-02-21, 03:39 PM
Then maybe I'll give it a watch. I tend to get easily annoyed at political jabs (because they're usually cheap shots, from either side), so I assumed a show like this would be loaded with them.
We don’t know which side of the aisle these people are. Probably Democrat, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t recall any kind of political jab.
Serena (the Veep) cares only about herself. She cares not one whit about the country in her scramble to the White House. It’s very black humor, which I think is hilarious, but if you don’t skew that way you won’t like the humor. (The show is based on British shows, which are also hilarious, but I think Veep is funnier.)
Austruck
07-02-21, 03:49 PM
I'll give it a whirl then. I do love Julia Louis-Dreyfuss....
Gideon58
07-02-21, 05:08 PM
Then maybe I'll give it a watch. I tend to get easily annoyed at political jabs (because they're usually cheap shots, from either side), so I assumed a show like this would be loaded with them.
Veep was brilliant...I watched it from pilot to finale twice...there aren't a lot of shows I can say that about.
Stirchley
07-02-21, 05:50 PM
Veep was brilliant...I watched it from pilot to finale twice...there aren't a lot of shows I can say that about.
Same. I actually watched each episode twice before I moved on to the next episode.
CringeFest
07-02-21, 06:42 PM
For some reason, this show never interested me, so I've never watched it. I'm not a fan of political humor in most any form, and since I lean probably a lot further right than anyone associated with Veep, I gave it a pass. :D
Are you a nationalist? I'm curious why someone would admit they are kinda far to the right on a forum where there are lot's of left-wingers.
I'm pretty strictly an anarchist, which basically makes everyone here my sworn political enemy.
:D
Austruck
07-03-21, 12:41 AM
Are you a nationalist? I'm curious why someone would admit they are kinda far to the right on a forum where there are lot's of left-wingers.
I'm pretty strictly an anarchist, which basically makes everyone here my sworn political enemy.
:D
You make it sound like I'm admitting I'm a serial killer. :D :D Is it something I should be ashamed of? I don't think so. I'm just a boring conservative with strong libertarian leanings on various topics. But I hate putting labels on myself because I come to my beliefs on each issue individually.
Also, I'm not a nationalist. I don't have any desire to live in any other country but this one, but hey, half of that could simply be laziness. :D
crumbsroom
07-03-21, 01:48 AM
The Wire, by a mile.
I watched the first Season of The Sopranos, and it was fine, and I should probably eventually watch the rest. But I haven't been in love with what I've seen so far.
Breaking Bad is a lot of fun. And has some things to say. And created a lot of good characters (of which Skyler is definitely one). It's a show that deserves to be loved. And I did love it while it was on. But I haven't thought about it once since it ended because it turns out it didn't actually matter that much to me.
Mad Men is probably the only other long form show like these that I think even competes with The Wire. But still, probably not even close. The Wire had the power to make even me fall in love with the notion of narrative, and narrative has long been my sworn enemy. I can't stress how much of a revelation that is when you gave up on such a thing ever being interesting again.
CringeFest
07-03-21, 01:56 AM
The Wire, by a mile.
I watched the first Season of The Sopranos, and it was fine, and I should probably eventually watch the rest. But I haven't been in love with what I've seen so far.
Breaking Bad is a lot of fun. And has some things to say. And created a lot of good characters (of which Skyler is definitely one). It's a show that deserves to be loved. And I did love it while it was on. But I haven't thought about it once since it ended because it turns out it didn't actually matter that much to me.
Mad Men is probably the only other long form show like these that I think even competes with The Wire. But still, probably not even close. The Wire had the power to make even me fall in love with the notion of narrative, and narrative has long been my sworn enemy. I can't stress how much of a revelation that is when you gave up on such a thing ever being interesting again.
Yeah, to me Breaking Bad and the The Wire are a clear tie. The Sopranos was the inspiration for both of those shows. The most obvious evidence is meado smoking crystal meth in the first season (1999).
Austruck
07-03-21, 02:23 AM
We don’t know which side of the aisle these people are. Probably Democrat, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t recall any kind of political jab.
Serena (the Veep) cares only about herself. She cares not one whit about the country in her scramble to the White House. It’s very black humor, which I think is hilarious, but if you don’t skew that way you won’t like the humor. (The show is based on British shows, which are also hilarious, but I think Veep is funnier.)
Am watching now. Three episodes in. VERY funny. Thanks for the double-nudge. :D
crumbsroom
07-03-21, 02:26 AM
Yeah, to me Breaking Bad and the The Wire are a clear tie. The Sopranos was the inspiration for both of those shows. The most obvious evidence is meado smoking crystal meth in the first season (1999).
Soprano's supplied the template for legitimately thoughtful, novelistic story telling in television. And due to not having the same time restrictions of movies, it could really spend its time revealing character and story revelations. The content of what was in the show is almost irrelevant to its influence. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lost, whatever some might want to think of those shows, were similar in laying the groundwork for stuff like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Wire. And because of this, Sopranos' is undeniably a game changer.
I just wasn't in love with that first season though.
CringeFest
07-03-21, 02:39 AM
You make it sound like I'm admitting I'm a serial killer. :D :D Is it something I should be ashamed of? I don't think so. I'm just a boring conservative with strong libertarian leanings on various topics. But I hate putting labels on myself because I come to my beliefs on each issue individually.
Also, I'm not a nationalist. I don't have any desire to live in any other country but this one, but hey, half of that could simply be laziness. :D
Nope, not at all, was just curious about what you meant. I'm pretty extreme in terms of open-mndedness, i don't condemn anybody for whatever opinion they have.
Now, if you stepped on my toes, that's a whole other matter;)
Austruck
07-03-21, 12:31 PM
Now, if you stepped on my toes, that's a whole other matter;)
As Mel Brooks said, Tragedy is if I cut my finger. Comedy is if you walk into an open sewer and die.
xSookieStackhouse
07-05-21, 06:40 AM
theres The Many Saints of Newark its a prequel of the sopranos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXMzT-D3SJo
Stirchley
07-05-21, 02:19 PM
Am watching now. Three episodes in. VERY funny. Thanks for the double-nudge. :D
You’re welcome.
My fave thing is that each of the predominant characters has his/her own shtick. Sue is curt & unfriendly, there’s the know-it-all guy, Jonah is absurdly Jonah, one guy is a sex maniac (he is so gorgeous), Selina’s manservant is hilarious & on it goes.
A black male character is added later on (Richard) & he is hilariously incompetent. He’s supposed to be a political aide, but turns out one of his degrees is in veterinary medicine. :p
Austruck
07-05-21, 06:08 PM
I love how, at least once in every episode so far, she goes by the desk and asks if the president called. "No." :D No other commentary needed.
Stirchley
07-05-21, 06:18 PM
I love how, at least once in every episode so far, she goes by the desk and asks if the president called. "No." :D No other commentary needed.
Exactly. Succinctly hilarious.
Austruck
07-05-21, 06:45 PM
Exactly. Succinctly hilarious.
I'm kinda curious if we ever get to see the actual president. :D
Well, we should let this get back to the original topic. I definitely AM going to do a Sopranos rewatch again soon.
CringeFest
07-06-21, 12:24 AM
I'm kinda curious if we ever get to see the actual president. :D
Well, we should let this get back to the original topic. I definitely AM going to do a Sopranos rewatch again soon.
I've already been doing it, you might want to put on the subtitles or find them, a lot of the humor and political intrigue is revealed through the wierd urban terminology.
Hasidim but i don't believe em'!
Austruck
07-06-21, 12:46 AM
Oh, I always watch everything with subtitles/closed-captioning on. :D
Stirchley
07-07-21, 01:31 PM
I'm kinda curious if we ever get to see the actual president.
Wait & see. :)
Oh, I always watch everything with subtitles/closed-captioning on. :D
Heck, yes. I will not watch anything without subs. I actually started this with The Wire. I was missing plot points since it’s human nature to mumble. Suddenly dawned on me to turn on subs. Well, duh. :rolleyes:
Austruck
07-07-21, 02:46 PM
Wait & see. :)
Heck, yes. I will not watch anything without subs. I actually started this with The Wire. I was missing plot points since it’s human nature to mumble. Suddenly dawned on me to turn on subs. Well, duh. :rolleyes:
I started with subtitles when I started watching the Outlander series on Starz. Those Scottish accents are sometimes rougher than British ones for me to decipher. Now I just leave them on with everything. :)
Stirchley
07-07-21, 02:55 PM
I started with subtitles when I started watching the Outlander series on Starz. Those Scottish accents are sometimes rougher than British ones for me to decipher. Now I just leave them on with everything. :)
Scots are Brits, as you know, but I do know what you mean. :cool:
Austruck
07-07-21, 03:20 PM
Scots are Brits, as you know, but I do know what you mean. :cool:
Definitely different accents, though. Maybe I should have said Scots versus ... Londoners?
Those Scots spit all over people with those rough consonants, almost as much as we Germans do. :D (I'm Scottish and German--I somehow got stuck with language heritages that make you feel like you're coughing up phlegm all the time.) :D
Braking Bad had higher highs and lower lows whereas Sopranos was more consistent.
The Wire has ambitions that exceed its grasp. It stumbles as the seasons go on.
Breaking Bad has a complete arc.
CringeFest
11-21-21, 04:38 PM
The Wire has ambitions that exceed its grasp. It stumbles as the seasons go on.
Breaking Bad has a complete arc.
More specifically, what dont you like? I loved the whole thing and I only felt they slipped when marlo's gang was telling him that Omar was trying to meet him in street, marlo's reaction was kinda unconvincing but that added to the humor of the show.
More specifically, what dont you like? I loved the whole thing and I only felt they slipped when marlo's gang was telling him that Omar was trying to meet him in street, marlo's reaction was kinda unconvincing but that added to the humor of the show.
The show is ambitious in giving us changing points of view. We're on the streets. We're on the docks. We're in the newsroom. It's just that not all of these stories are of equal quality. It's cool that it is attempting to show systemic corruption from multiple angle, but the execution falls off. It is really, really hard to come up with an angle that's a winner. Michael Jordan was a great basketball player and forgettable baseball player. Sam Kinison was a talented comedian, but then he decided he was also going to be a rock star. Likewise, it's really hard to find a show that is a hit from one angle.
CringeFest
11-21-21, 06:15 PM
Six Feet Under is a fabulous series about an emotionally unstable family running a business and talking to dead people, HBO certainly knows how to deliver high quality stuff. Nip tuck is next on my list because i've heard lots of good things about it...you all made John Adams sound pretty sexy too. Speaking of period shows...what's ya'lls take on "Rome"? Looks appealing. Clavdius is pretty spectacular, an old BBC series from the 70's on the romans.
StuSmallz
11-21-21, 06:20 PM
Breaking Bad, since it was instantly one of my favorite shows from the start, while I never loved the other two quite as much.
Stirchley
11-22-21, 01:26 PM
The Wire has ambitions that exceed its grasp. It stumbles as the seasons go on.
Disagree. It was brilliant from start to finish.
Six Feet Under is a fabulous series about an emotionally unstable family running a business and talking to dead people, HBO certainly knows how to deliver high quality stuff. Nip tuck is next on my list because i've heard lots of good things about it...you all made John Adams sound pretty sexy too. Speaking of period shows...what's ya'lls take on "Rome"? Looks appealing. Clavdius is pretty spectacular, an old BBC series from the 70's on the romans.
Six Feet Under is terrific. Seen it 3 times I think.
I generally avoid period series. Claudius on the BBC was sensational back in the day, but I couldn’t watch it now. Way too clunky & old-fashioned.
StuSmallz
11-30-21, 11:51 PM
Disagree. It was brilliant from start to finish.Eh, I didn't like The Wire as much as BB; I mean, don't get me wrong, it was an ambitious, well-written show (at least for the most part), but it was also kind of a slow, low-energy experience in general, which prevented it from engrossing me the same way that Bad did.
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