The great thing about Breaking Bad is it just keeps getting better and better. The plot and character development gets esp. intricate as season 3 unfolds, and is just nuts in season 4. Season 1 and 2 had quite a few incidences that I felt played more into shock value and were cartoonish... that vibe is pretty much lost where things stand now.
Breaking Bad doesn't do this to me consistently. For me, Walt often acts in ways that aren't consistent with his character, forcing me to drop out of my belief int the plot and see it as a production rather than something that I am 'living'. Walt isn't the only one that has this affect on me.. The whole show causes me to see, every so often, that all it is is a show rather than a piece of art, like many of the other great series of recent times
Having said that, I still enjoy it and have watched to the end of the last season, even if I don't consistently 'buy' it
I forced my self to sit through 6 hours of the wire before I declared it mind numbingly dull and realized I wasn't going to get what others were getting out of it, but I've loved pretty much all of breaking bad.
It's ok to accept that it's not for you, even if a lot of people claim its the best show ever
It's also a testament to how great the writing for the show is now that no one is pointing out how poorly written Walt's background and motivations were initially. People - myself included - just don't care, because there is so much else going on.
Give it a shot. So many great shows require you to give them the benefit of the doubt at one point. I think I watched the Mad Men pilot three times, and it finally clicked, and now I couldn't be more thrilled that I am following the best TV show ever to air on television.
A guy presumable goes from working in a billion-dollar company to a K12 chemistry teacher, and we're somehow not supposed to try to understand the prior history, which to me is paramount to wrap our heads around Walt's thoughts and state of mind.
It feels that they really nailed it at that point. The tension, sound, cinematography, etc.
EDIT: I agree, The Wire is better.
Personally, I watch it for subtle stuff, great scenes and the main plot(this can be annoying as episodes can end with unexpected cliffhangers).
Give it a try if it steers up your curiosity and you like the style.
The plot changes gradually, unpredictable, and awesome in my opinion.
The best part about Breaking Bad is that each season just gets better and better. Season 4 was hands down the best single season of TV ever.
So yes, you should definitely try to get through season 2. You haven't even met Gus yet. I hate to use so much hyperbole in one post but he is the biggest badass in TV history. Far ahead of number 2: Marlo Stanfield.
I'm the only person I know that really dislikes Breaking Bad. I watched the first season in a single marathon session and loved it, but somehow everything fell apart in the second season. I've tried to get through the second season several times, but the plots keep getting dumber and dumber, in my opinion.
Is it worth powering through season two, or are season two style of plots consistent with the rest of the series?
Edit:
A minimal spoiler example of the type of writing that really got on my nerves: Walt sneaking out of a hospital and breaking into his own house in 2.3.