No Right Answer: Best TV Drama Ever

[schmulki]

Breaking Bad is obviously the answer. There's no contender I've seen that comes close. And no, Game of Thrones isn't even close. I've watched every episode, I haven't read the books. From that prospective (ie: I'm not someone who is filling in missing awesomeness with my own memories), the show is mediocre at best. For every Red Wedding, there episodes focused almost entirely on a character I couldn't care less about (because there is zero backstory or personality to him) torturing another character I couldn't care less about (since he's an entitled, whiny, throw-away character). Or episodes focusing on some dumb red-head witch. Really, the show has about 5-10 characters who are great to follow and scenes with them can be spectacular. Unfortunately, there are about 50 characters in the show. Also (again, if you HAVEN'T read the books, this is a huge issue), there are a number of plots/subplots which are told in the wrong order. Many of the stories have gone, "look at this!" and there was nothing interesting there, or characters being referenced had never been introduced/explained why I should care. Then, after the "big reveal" scene, they go back and say, "oh yea, here's what we were just talking about, so now take this info and think back to the scene you just watched. ISN'T THAT AMAZING?!?!" .....No, it wasn't amazing. It was boring/confusing. Then, you explained things, so now I at least understand, but still get no joy out of it since that time has now passed.

As for Breaking Bad, as much as I love the show, think back to any scene featuring Walt's family, where no other characters were involved except for maybe Walt. They were ALL AWFUL. Every last one. Or how about the, "Walt's sis-in-law's a shoplifter!" subplot. Thanks for that filler crap guys, that really paid off. Thankfully, the majority of the show doesn't have any of that and for people watching for the first time, I just tell them to skip those parts and they're in the clear. But unfortunately the show isn't perfect.

 

[schmulki]

Oh yea, and Dexter....I've unfortunately only watched the first season so far. I loved it, just never got back around to watching more. I'm more surprised The Wire wasn't one of the options. I haven't watched it yet myself, but have heard amazing things.

 

[o_d]

You chose Dexter to go against Breaking Bad? Really, that's the best you could come up with? Not The Wire, not The Sopranos, not Deadwood, not Mad Men, but Dexter?? Jeez guys, even Game of Thrones would make for a fairer matchup.

 

[Darth_Payn]

From a more personal point, I didn't like any of the characters in Breaking Bad, they're pretty much all awful human beings and if they had all died it would have been fine to me. Dexter has more likable characters who, oddly enough, do more human things.

That right there is what turned me off of Breaking Bad, and what has me worried about TV dramas nowadays. My brother loved it, and he likes Sons of Anarchy and shows like it because almost everyone on it is a horrible mess of a person. Most TV drama protagonists seem to be less "sympathetic characters with some flaws" to "nothing but flaws", whom audiences tune it to root AGAINST. It's like when my Baby Boomer Parents watch Mad Men to laugh at Don Draper and guys like him fail.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Breaking Bad was just amazing. And Better Call Saul is coming up!!!
Dexter really crapped in after John Litgow left.
That was an amazing season, but before and especially after it hit a lot of rough patches.
So: Dexter: (sometimes Very) good, BB: Awesome.

Good call, guys!

 

[Robot Number V]

Well, Chris officially knows nothing about television. Here are all of his horrible mistakes, in list form:

1. Compared Dexter to Breaking Bad.
2. Said that Dexter was BETTER than Breaking Bad.
3. Said that Breaking Bad was about drugs or health care. (DEFINITELY not health care)
4. (All three of you did this one) Not even MENTIONING the MOTHER. FUCKING. WIRE.

Seriously, I can't stress this enough:

[HEADING=3]OBVIOUSLY THE WIRE. Come ON, guys![/HEADING]

PS: Dexter only had 3 good seasons, since season 3 was utter crap. Even season 2 was iffy.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Dexter doesn't even stand a chance here. There are better TV dramas that should have been up there instead. Breaking Bad still tops them all though IMO. It just would have been a closer fight.

 

[Ignatz_Zwakh]

Dexter? Seriously? Whattabout "The Wire"?

 

[bdcjacko]

Game of Thrones. Better than those boring show a you said.

It pretty much directly takes the plot from the book series, it don't count. I mean it's a great adaptation but it's an adaptation.

"But it's a comedy"
Oh, non-existent average escapee, you are saying this only because you're wrong
See, drama and tragedy can't have impact if it's only thing we have
If there is some fun and laughter AND then bad things happen, then it is a whole different thing
Then emotions are much...

Well technically it's a comedy drama.

I think scrubs focuses too heavily on comedy (it does still have drama) to be on a "best drama" list. And I think they were looking for a pure drama. The serious moments on that show are rare, which emphasizes them and gives them meaning but they're still rare.

OT: Breaking bad because the series actually consistently led up to an amazing ending and maintained quality throughout, as opposed to Dexter, which had a fairly haphazard run. I mean 5,5 out of 8 seasons were actually good and the ending sucked.

I mean those 5,5 seasons were amazing but you can't hold the series as a whole to the same quality as breaking bad.

Dexter is an adaptation, and they debated that. Walking Dead is an adaptation, and it was mentioned. So GoT does count.

 

[asako23]

In the intro you guys should have mentioned that HBO would be out because otherwise it would have been The Wire vs. Six Feet Under.

Personally, I would have gone with Boston Legal (granted, it might have been disqualified for its frequent shenanigans that shift the focus toward the comedic, but anyway...

 

[BlindChance]

[HEADING=3]OBVIOUSLY THE WIRE. Come ON, guys![/HEADING]

Exactly.

Look, Breaking Bad is a fine contender. But it'd lose out to a lot of better ones. The Sopranos is one often regarded as better than Breaking Bad. There's a strong argument for The Shield. But of all of them, I'd still say The Wire has never been even touched by those following it. It had four great seasons (and one weaker one that'd still be considered great for most shows) and managed to be emotionally gut-wrenching, hilariously funny, and above all relevant, topical and fascinating.

(If you absolutely forced me to argue Breaking Bad over The Wire, I'd argue the former did have Skyler White, giving the show at least one complex, interesting and well drawn female character. The Wire tried their hardest with Kima, but it was clear nobody there really had much clue how to make a compelling female lead.)

 

[Firefilm]

Farscape!

Frell yeah!

 

[o_d]

[HEADING=3]OBVIOUSLY THE WIRE. Come ON, guys![/HEADING]

(If you absolutely forced me to argue Breaking Bad over The Wire, I'd argue the former did have Skyler White, giving the show at least one complex, interesting and well drawn female character. The Wire tried their hardest with Kima, but it was clear nobody there really had much clue how to make a compelling female lead.)

God no, Skyler's just a poor man's Carmela Soprano.

 

[suitepee7]

I'm gonna say breaking bad before i watch the video, because it was consistent. dexter had too many ups (4 and 6) and downs (looking at you season 5 and 7, and the ending of 8), whereas breaking bad just seemed to get better with every season, and ended beautifully. now to watch and address what's brought up...


1. i can, and did beast through seasons of dexter and breaking bad. didn't start watching either until they were in season 3, so the first seasons i just blasted through, and really enjoyed both
2. i really enjoyed the 'big baddie' aspect of dexter, they were usually REALLY well done characters
3. i've never heard somebody around me say a breaking bad meme
4. he hasn't seen season 8 yet?! christ, that just leaves with a sour taste in your mouth after watching it

edit:

Kyle, what do you mean "there's never a flawless show"?
Are you implying that "Scrubs" don't exist?

Also you're both wrong- "Scrubs" is the best drama show at this point
"But it's a comedy"
Oh, non-existent average escapee, you are saying this only because you're wrong
See, drama and tragedy can't have impact if it's only thing we have
If there is some fun and laughter AND then bad things happen, then it is a whole different thing
Then emotions are much...
Aaa, fuck it, just watch this
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/6281-Crying-Through-The-Laughs
What Jim said wasn't true only for games

providing scrubs finishes after season 7, which it does!!! then yeah, it does have some really good drama in it. they handle deaths really well i thought, especially JDs dad and that woman who accepts death and the staff go through the stages of grief, so many feels

 

[DiMono]

What about ER? A show with amazing characters, several multi-year storylines, and whose premise allows it to continue for as long as they feel like making it. It launched dozens of careers including George Clooney, spawned a copycat show called Chicago Hope, without it House likely wouldn't have existed... If it's not the greatest, it's definitely up there.

 

[Eamar]

Now, I watched and really enjoyed both, but come on, there's no competition here. Dexter was good but it's already "just another decent show I once watched" (and I only finished it a few days ago). Breaking Bad is in a whole different class. That show, particularly the last few episodes, was an event.

I'm not sure I'd watch it all over again, but Breaking Bad was astonishingly good television. Dexter, while fun, just isn't.

 

[Yeager942]

Breaking Bad ended very well, whereas Dexter just...eh. The final four seasons where just awful, and it kind of soured my entire opinion of the show.

 

[pretzil]

Breaking bad could have won the spit take round right then and there by mentioning the ending of Dexter, no one could not laugh at "Okay, I'm sad my sister died, I'm going to drive my boat into a hurricane and LUMBERJACK!"

 

[ImSkeletor]

Justified.

Walter White wouldn't have lasted 10 days in Kentucky.

I'm gonna throw in my hat with this man. Justified has a really cool relaxed vibe and is covered wall to wall in some of the greatest characters in tv history.

 

[Keji Goto]

Dexter didn't stand a chance against Breaking Bad and with both final seasons running side by side the issues in Dexter only became even more apparent.

Breaking Bad had a clear cut plan from the start and a direction it was heading in. There was an ending we could see as an audience (even if Gilligan wasn't fully sure how he would end it) and it never strayed away from that ultimate conclusion either. It was always there, even if it was off in the distance we knew it was there. This created a presence in the series that made everything carry serious weight behind it. Nothing happened without having a reason behind it so when something major happened you knew the game was changing and that final conclusion was one step closer.

Dexter never had that. We were just watching Dexter's life unfold and while some had an idea of how it could end the show never painted that vivid picture for us. Because of this the audience was often left twisting in the wind about what certain developments meant. When Rita died that was a massive shock to everyone and personally my mind immediately turned to how this would impact Dexter's life moving forward. The only impact it had was that it made everything easier for Dexter. The kids went away, no one ever really looked into him despite all his tools and equipment being right there, and ultimately Rita's death amounted to nothing. The idea was thought up in the writer's room and they had nothing to follow it.

When you compare the two shows you have to take everything into account, the highs and the lows. Dexter is full of lows in the form of seasons which amount to nothing, character development which is undone in a matter of moments for no reason at all other than convenience for the writers, and of course the series staple formula which wore out its welcome long before the show ended. Breaking Bad had none of that. There was never a pointless seasons, character development matter and was never undone just to wrap things up, and while not every moment was pure gold I have a hard time pinpointing any bad moments in Breaking.

Heck even in the final episodes one of Walt's first major steps into the darkness (letting Jane die) came back in full force. Something that had been kept secret for pretty much the entire show exploded onto the scene and consequences of Walt's actions were never forgotten. In fact it was great comparison to show how much of a monster Walt had become. Before he felt remorse for letting Jane die, unsure if he had made the right choice and did everything he could to help Jesse recover from it. Then after Jesse cost him all his money, got Hank and Gonzo killed, Walt took pride in what he had done. He told Jesse about it with a sense of smug satisfactions as if to say "I'll always have the last laugh." Go back and watch the scene when Jane dies then watch the scene when he tells Jesse, it's amazing to see these play out and seeing what Walt has become.

At the end of the day it's pretty clear which show was better. I'd argue that the first four seasons of Dexter are up there with Breaking Bad (still not as good though) but when you factor in the mess that came afterwards Dexter just doesn't compete.

Personally I'd have picked Game of Thrones to go up against Breaking Bad but that's just me.