TV Tuesday: the Sopranos Season 2 vs. Breaking Bad Season 2

TV has recently received almost as much, if not more, attention than film. Particularly these two crime shows, along with many others have been held up as the gold standard of the "new golden age" of television. Because of this, I am currently in the process of watching both and thought I'd compare both the shows' second seasons to see which was best. Why the second season you ask? for one, its the most recent season of each which I have watched and secondly I think the second season is when a show hits its stride. I will compare both seasons in a variety of categories and then give the overall winner. I will try to stay as spoiler-free as possible. So lets get down to business.

Expectations Based on the First Season
Both Breaking Bad and the Sopranos had good first seasons but both also had their struggles. For Breaking Bad, the writer's strike shortened the length of its season to seven episodes. For the Sopranos, it seemed to be a season spent finding its footing. There were brilliant episodes like the pilot, and "College" but there were also times when the show felt like it was still growing. While they both had missteps, the Sopranos and Breaking Bad both show great potential in their first seasons and so I had very high expectations for both.

Winner: tie

Main Character
Both Walter White and Tony Soprano are two of the most interesting characters ever created in any medium. In the second seasons of both shows each character got the ability to grow and explore new depths. Tony had to share screen time with a larger supporting cast while Walt was very much at center stage the entire time. I think both characters made great impacts on their series and continued to be incredibly interesting in equal proportion to each other.

Winner: tie

Supporting Cast
Here we finally have a clear victor. While Jesse and the rest of the Breaking Bad cast are good I find their actions as characters, particularly Skyler's, predictable and somewhat repetitive. This cannot be said for the supporting cast of the Sopranos. Every character has something interesting about him or her and this creates a world that feels like it doesn't just exist but that it is a living and breathing reality. The Sopranos spends more time focusing on its characters and building to action. Looking back its incredible how enthralling the characters and the universe of the Sopranos is and this is largely due to the supporting cast.

Winner: the Sopranos

Stand-out Episodes
In this category I'm going to look at what I thought were the two best/most memorable episodes of each show's second season and compare which stand-out more. This doesn't mean that they are necessarily better but that they stand on their own as great pieces of entertainment. For Breaking Bad my two favorite episodes of the second season were "Grilled" and "4 Days Out". Both of these episodes were intense and exciting pieces of television which focus on Walt and Jesse being involved in incredibly intense situations. This suspense is something that Breaking Bad does incredibly well and both of these episodes have plenty of it. They also stand out because they almost work as self-contained little suspenseful and entertaining short stories. The two Sopranos episodes I liked best in season 2 were "Commendatori" and "Funhouse". These were not as easy to choose because there were so many great ones. Both demonstrate the way that the Sopranos utilizes a slower pace to tell incredible stories. The first also has incredible cinematography in Italy and the second is the amazing season finale which even incorporates some surrealism. While these two episodes of the Sopranos were incredible and possibly better than the Breaking Bad ones they do not "Stand-out" as much and thus Breaking Bad gets the victory in this round.

Winner: Breaking Bad

Overall Story Arc
So it all comes down to this. If you were to take only the first part of the Breaking Bad's second season it might have a better chance, but while season two introduced several important characters and situations, I felt that its overall plotting was contrived. The Sopranos did not have as much action but the way that it managed to tell a great story over the season while also creating a fully realized world made its second season pretty incredible. In fact, there was hardly an episode of the Sopranos second season which I didn't think was great while I can't say the same of Breaking Bad. While I think Breaking bad is a great show the one I can't wait to get back to is the Sopranos.

Winner: the Sopranos

So their you have it the Sopranos has won this battle but we will see how things shake out when season 3 comes around.

Check back next Tuesday for a look at the 1960's camp classic Batman!

TV Tuesday: the Top 5 Sitcoms of All Time

This is the first in a series of articles which will take a look at the world of television.

The sitcom has become an institution. It has its roots in the farce of theater and radio. The sitcom helped television reach the popularity it has today, but it has also evolved and changed with the times perhaps more, and better, then any other TV genre. Narrowing down a list of 5 stand-out shows was difficult and many deserving shows are not on this list. Also keep in mind that this is a subjective list and just my opinion and that I am not claiming that this is the definitive list. In fact, I would welcome your lists in the comment sections below!

So without any further ado on with the countdown...

#5 Frasier

This has to be the most successful spin-off if all time. Frasier Crane was a supporting character on the incredibly popular, and pretty good, series Cheers, but he really shined in his own series. All the credit can't be given the prominent radio psychiatrist however because part of the success of this show, or any sitcom for that matter, was its supporting cast. Possibly more impressive was the way this show could handle straight-up farce. In some ways, more than any other sitcom, this series harkened back to the screwball comedies of the 1930's and 1940's where the rich elitists were both looked up to and made fun of, the wit was biting, and the situations were farcical. The show didn't always play to this strength however and some episodes verge on soap opera territory. Nevertheless, when Frasier stuck to what it did best it was something extraordinary.

Where Can I Watch it? Netflix or practically any other streaming service you can think of
Favorite episode: "The Ski Lodge" is an example of Frasier at its absolute best but there are many others

#4 The Dick Van Dyke Show

The classic sitcom that would normally be on a list like this would be I Love Lucy and that would be very well deserved, but in my humble opinion the best sitcom from the ""golden age of television" is this one. Why? Because it has strong characters, strong writing, and a fantastic cast. Not only do you get he comedic genius that is Dick Van Dyke but you also get the incredible talent that is Mary Tyler Moore. pretty much the entire cast deserves praise and the show was one of the first to introduce a workplace environment into the comedy. This sets the show apart and so does the writing. The show-runner Carl Reiner was a comedic genius and it shows in some of the best comedic episodes television has ever seen.

Where Can I Watch It?: Netflix, DVD, even Blu-Ray
Favorite episode: "That's My Boy?" A classic which you just have to see

#3 Seinfeld

This show about nothing is definitely something special. Seinfeld essentially created a whole new brand of sitcom and that brand has stuck with us to this day. Seinfeld was not based on the farce of old Broadway as Frasier was, or in the sitcoms like I Love Lucy that came before, Instead, Seinfeld demonstrated a unique personality and created characters that have been imitated time and again. On top of this, the show experimented with comedic narrative and taboo subject matter that would pave the way for other sitcoms to come. So much more could be said but I think the material speaks for itself.

Where Can I Watch it?: DVD
Favorite Episode: For its memorable characters and its ingenious plotting I'll have to go with "the Bubble Boy"

#2 The Simpsons

For the Record, I'm only talking about the first nine seasons here when I say that the Simpsons is one of the most important and hilarious sitcoms ever created. In these early years the show was a powerhouse of a new type of comedy: a comedy without limitations. There were seemingly no limitations in terms of narrative, content, and number of jokes that could be crammed into an episode. These golden years contain several 25-minute episodes with more humor in them that almost any feature film. It should also not be forgotten that the Simpsons was the first shows of this type and that all modern animated comedies owe their existence to it.

Where Can I Watch It: DVD, pay-streaming
favorite Episode: "Cape Fear" perfection!

#1 Arrested Development

Why is this the greatest comedy series of all time? because it has everything the other shows on this list have but it also brought us some of the greatest comedic characters and situations ever created as well as giving us a more serialized structure with running jokes that stretched across seasons. These things, along with the brilliant writing, make the show endlessly re-watchable. Although the fourth season was not completely up to par with the original run, with a new set of episode just announced we can look forward to seeing these wonderful characters on screen again and maybe this time they will reclaim the old magic

Where can I Watch It?: Netflix, DVD, and almost all other formats/services
Favorite Episode: There are so many but "Good Grief" is a brilliant example of everything the show has to offer.

Comment below with your favorites and check back next Tuesday for a face off between the Sopranos season 2 and Breaking Bad season 2!

Netflix Pix: Double Indemnity (1944)

Ever wonder what to watch on Netflix? the articles in this series take a look at some of the best movies to watch instantly!

"I did it for money and for a woman, I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman" Those words usher in perhaps THE quintessential film noir, Billy Wilder's double Indemnity. These words are spoken by insurance man Walter Neff before we enter flashback as he narrates for us a story of lust and murder. Wilder uses openings that flashback much like Shakespeare used prologues. They recall Greek tragedy and also create a sense of foreboding that keeps the audience in suspense. Double Indemnity was co written by the great crime writer Raymond Chandler whose lyrical style gives the film that perfect noir feel. This story of a man seduced into committing murder by a femme fatale would become the genesis of many a noir film. Wilder does something truly incredible here in that he makes the audience root for two cold blooded killers. This movie make murder incredibly entertaining and if you haven't seen it you're in for a real treat. This is one of the truly great noir films but also one of the great films of all time with Barbara Stanwyck giving a truly memorable performance as the femme fatale. You won't want to miss this! 5/5!

2 Films: Early Christopher Nolan Reviews

This is going to be the start of a series in which I take two films in a specific category and review them. These categories can be themes and genres and will be very specific as in this first one which is on two early films of the director Christopher Nolan.

He is now know best for his Batman films but what made him a candidate to direct those? where did this director who has now inspired many filmmakers and become what many consider to be a master craftsman come from? These questions will be answered in my reviews of Christopher Nolan's first two features Following (1998) and Memento (2000)

Following (1998)
Following is considered by many to be one of the most successful no budget films of all time. It was made on 16mm film and was shot in many cases using natural lighting. The cast of the film were Friends and family of Christopher Nolan himself and the production was pretty much in his hands as he was both the writer and director. The film is about a writer who begins to randomly follow people to get ideas for his work. This hobby turns into and obsession and eventually gets him involved in more criminal activity. This film is a neo noir in every way. The story is reminiscent of the noir films of old but the film is entirely modern. by its no budget nature it is shot like a documentary and I think this works. In fact I think the no budget nature makes the film more interesting to watch and knowing that the director who made this film went on to make a film like the Dark Knight Rises is truly incredible. The movie has a lot of energy and clocking in at only 70 minutes it is very taut. This film will keep you on the edge of your seat also because of the way it plays with time. This keeps the audience even more engaged in the film so that they are working to understand the plot and therefor actively involved in the movie. There is something very strange in this movie and that is that one of the apartments broken into has a bat symbol, not just a bat symbol but a batman logo on the door. This is really weirdly coincidental to me but who knows it is a Christopher Nolan Film. Overall I found this movie to be riveting and well worth watching 4/5

Memento (2000)
The difference in budget between Following and Memento is truly staggering. In his second film we see Nolan getting to make a "real" movie with a "real" actor in the form of Guy Pearce. He gets a broader canvas and story to work with and he works with them well. This may be one of the most mind blowing film experiences I have ever had. this film will literally warp your mind and through the way it tells the story in fragments it will make you feel like you have Leonard's Condition. Leonard is the main character in the movie and he has short term memory loss and he is trying to find the men that killed his wife. That is all of the story you should know going in and you should be prepared to brace yourself for one heck of a ride. You have to work while watching this movie in order to put it together and I think that's part of the fun. It really is well done and so well executed by Nolan and you can see him coming into his own. This film really shows that he has talent as a director and I think it was awesome that he went on to direct Batman. Memento is truly a mind bending film for reasons I won't reveal and it is a must watch! 4.5/5

Note: Both Films are Available to Stream on Netflix!