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Reviews
The Sopranos: Made in America (2007)
Masterful
For years, the only thing I knew about The Sopranos was the controversial ending, when the screen abruptly cuts to black and the audience is left to interpret what that means. But nothing could've prepared me for what I was about to watch. Simultaneously frustrating and brilliant, the final episode truly captures what The Sopranos has been about this entire time. Whether Tony dies in that diner or lives to see another day, it doesn't matter. As Tony himself said, a man like him has 2 endings: dead, or in jail. Tony may have survived that night but in the end, it makes no difference. His fate was sealed from the first episode, the only thing that can change is how often the miserable cycle of his life repeats itself.
The Sopranos is interesting because a lot happens, but no one really changes. There is no "arc", no redemption, no salvation. The characters try to better themselves but it never lasts, everyone is ultimately doomed from the start. Any effort towards self improvement is inevitably crushed by the world they find themselves in. Christopher gets sober but is pushed back into addiction by his supposed friends, who then betray him. Carmela considers leaving Tony, attempts to get a divorce, tries to be more independent by working, but always comes back to Tony and the subservient life she's used to. Vito is given the chance to live a "perfect" life where he can express himself without fear, but he basically chooses to dig his own grave because he can't stand being away from the Mafia lifestyle. Even characters like Meadow, a girl with so much talent and ambition, will inevitably fall into the same cycle as all the other women in her life. Tony... I don't even need to explain this one, Dr. Melfi says it all when she decides to stop treating him. And that's what the finale really means. Tony could live another 10, 20, 50 years and it would make no difference. His life would be defined by constant paranoia, anger, and misery. He could receive therapy from Dr. Melfi for the rest of his life, and he still wouldn't change. He could wake up from 100 comas, and he wouldn't be any better of a man. There is no way out.
Better Call Saul: Nippy (2022)
unexpected
I can understand why some fans were disappointed with this one, but i personally thought this episode worked extremely well in this season. Firstly, it (seems) to have wrapped up the Jeff storyline, and I absolutely loved the way Gene handled this dilemma. Getting vacuumed again would be superfluous, and having Gene kill Jeff would make no sense for his character. Gene was able to solve his problem by returning to his Slippin Jimmy roots, which was entertaining and even a bit heartwarming. It was nice to move away from the sadness and intensity of the last several episodes. Second, all 6 seasons have been leading up to this. The audience has been waiting all these years for the show to finally reach the Gene timeline, and I was not disappointed. After all, Gene's existence seems to be pretty lonely and bleak. Seeing him be passionate about something, and seeing those glimpses of his past (returning to his schemes, the mention of Walter White, the real emotion he felt while talking about his brother) really helped to connect this timeline to the rest of the show. Lastly, I think this episode's greatest strength was the uncertainty. For much of the show, the viewer has known that Saul has to survive into Breaking Bad, as do other major characters like Gus and Mike. But Gene's fate is uncertain, no one knows what will happen to him. For the first time, I felt genuinely nervous about his character's future. Even though a shoplifting scheme sounds extremely tame compared to other things that have happened in this show, it was still able to keep me on the edge of my seat.
This episode reminded me a lot of the Breaking Bad episode "Fly". Maybe they seem unimportant, but they're not just filler episodes. I think "Nippy" serves an important purpose in this show, and one that will likely become more apparent as it comes to an end.
Better Call Saul: Axe and Grind (2022)
patience is a virtue
Perhaps i will come back and change my mind about this rating if the rest of the season ends up being disappointing, but i really enjoyed this episode and thought it was possibly the best from this season. I understand the complaints about this season being slow, and i would agree that some of the scenes have seemed unnecessary. However, the plot of this season is not one that can be rushed through. Both saul and kim's plan for howard and lalo's plan with gus cannot be shown over the course of a single episode. I expect, or at least hope, that the payoff will be well-worth the "slowness" of this season. It seems clear to me that the writers are building up to something very significant. I personally found this episode engaging and definitely enjoyed watching it, and i can't wait for the next one. This show has always been quite slow, especially in the earlier seasons. I also think that with most of us watching one episode a week as opposed to binging it, the "filler episodes" become a lot more noticeable (even though there really isn't filler in this show, every episode has some sort of significance to the overall plot).
Breaking Bad: Ozymandias (2013)
a perfect episode
Ozymandias is the greatest episode of tv ever made. It is also the most disturbing and gut wrenching episode of Breaking Bad. Scene after scene, you are left amazed by the quality of this episode, while also being horrified by its sheer intensity and cruelty. Everything that has built up over the course of this show finally explodes in this episode, and it is hard to process at times. It seems like every awful thing that could possibly happen, happens. Ozymandias is a transformative episode, both for the characters and the show itself. Nothing is the same, or will ever be the same, after this.
Even though I have rewatched Breaking Bad many times, I have only seen this episode once. I doubt I will ever watch it again. It honestly left me feeling sick for a long time afterwards; but that is part of why it is the best episode ever made. No other tv show has had such an emotional impact on me, it is by far the most compelling episode I have ever watched. This episode is a must-see, and deserves all the praise it has received.
Breaking Bad (2008)
the best TV show of all time
Breaking bad is without a doubt the best television show i've ever seen. Everything about it is amazing. Part of what makes breaking bad so good is it's consistency, the show gets better every season, something that other shows sometimes struggle with. It started out good and kept getting better, there weren't any weak moments in my opinion. The premise itself already sets it up to be an excellent show. The finale is by far the best i've seen, everything was wrapped up and came to a satisfying conclusion. However, breaking bad's greatest strength is the writing. The attention to detail is astounding and the character development is top notch. You feel so strongly about wanting to see certain characters succeed or fail, and the entire show is honestly an emotional rollercoaster because you're unsure about who you should root for! But you really can't talk about breaking bad without mentioning the acting. Every character, big or small, is acted out so well and you become so invested in their stories.
I'm not gonna lie, it took me a little while to get into this show as I didn't like season 1 very much the first time around (granted, this was a few years ago). I decided to pick it up again back in October and I'm very glad that I did. The episode that really sold it for me was S2E8 "Better Call Saul", and after that I really couldn't stop watching. And if you still aren't hooked on it by then, just wait until the last few episodes of season 4. Breaking bad is depressing, violent, and sometimes hard to stomach, but it is the most compelling show I've ever watched.
Twilight (2008)
it's not terrible
I finally decided to watch twilight because the entire franchise is on netflix, and honestly i was pleasantly surprised. I expected this movie to be downright horrible, but it was actually decent. There are definitely cringeworthy moments (the way edward stares at bella at the beginning of the movie, for example), but overall it was a lot better than i anticipated.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
Closure
El Camino is not as amazing as Breaking Bad (or Better Call Saul), but for a movie spinoff it did a great job. While not essential to the storyline, it was nice to see Jesse's story wrapped up and to see some of the characters one last time. The strongest point of El Camino is Aaron Paul's acting, Jesse's character evolution from season 1 of Breaking Bad to El Camino is brutal and devastating. Similarly, El Camino explores how strange and terrible Todd was and Jesse Plemons did a great job portraying him. A lot of criticism seems to be focused on the actors' appearances, but many years passed between the finale of Breaking Bad and El Camino and it's understandable that they would look different.
Overall, El Camino is a good follow up to Breaking Bad, especially if you are curious about what happened to Jesse after the events of Felina.