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Watching The Godfather does not mean that one admires mobsters any more than watching Downfall means one admires Hitler... Oh crap, I didn't mean to invoke God

Watching The Godfather does not mean that one admires mobsters any more than watching Downfall means one admires Hitler... Oh crap, I didn't mean to invoke Godwin so quickly. It was just an easy comparison. But seriously, someone else pointed out Walter White in Breaking Bad and, as much as I loved the show I (and the friends I spoke with) had no admiration for him in the end. We admired the storytelling not the actions.

agumonkey 11y ago
I disagree. I heard about The Sopranos and watched it a bit after the buzz peaked. I mostly hated it. I can't swallow anything related to mafiosi. Sure, the show had some brilliant ideas from time to time (the premises only were gold), and some brilliant execution (the surreal dreams). But the whole story .. I'm still angry just thinking about it. Yet millions of people watched, and bought the DVDs. Personally that's already far too much love to such a thing. Many people mention Breaking Bad, but it's a completely different situation isn't it ? it's more a 'back against the wall' / idiotic heroism thing. He didn't go there to sustain a lifestyle, he was cornered.
- icebraining 11y ago
  I didn't follow The Sopranos, but the people I know who loved it, did so exactly because of that contrast, especially by the protagonist. The way he could have some great qualities, and suddenly so something so horrifying; it was a jump from feeling empathy to absolute disgust in a few moments. None of my friends "admired" Tony Soprano, they found it fascinating, in the same way that you might find a venomous spider.
- thomnottom 11y ago
  I just wanted to point out that plenty of people watch shows and movies that focus on characters they dislike. Personally I only saw snippets of The Sopranos and had no interest in the stories or characters, however I do love the 1st 2 Godfather movies even though I find the characters to be largely horrific. In Breaking Bad, the motivation actually changes quite a bit over the course of the series. My meandering point is just to say that millions of people watching a show or movie does not automatically mean they condone the actions of the main characters or admire them in any way.
- qbrass 11y ago
  >Many people mention Breaking Bad, but it's a completely different situation isn't it ? it's more a 'back against the wall' / idiotic heroism thing. He didn't go there to sustain a lifestyle, he was cornered. That's why he got started, but he started empire building in season 2.
  - vinceguidry 11y ago
    I'll never understand why people characterize White's arc as empire. The show I watched had him utterly fail to build an empire and self-sabotage at every turn out of crippling fear. He was certainly capable of destroying an empire. Building one? Umm, no.
- dragonwriter 11y ago
  > Many people mention Breaking Bad, but it's a completely different situation isn't it ? it's more a 'back against the wall' / idiotic heroism thing. He didn't go there to sustain a lifestyle, he was cornered. Walt was never cornered by anything except his own pride; he choose to cook meth instead of accepting help from people he resented (for reasons which are, IIRC, not actually explicitly made clear.) I mean, really, its pretty much classic hubris-driven Greek tragedy in a modern setting.
  - philwelch 11y ago
    Walt's beef with his cofounders is explained in Season 5; he resents them for becoming billionaires after he sold his share of the company. There's also an implied love triangle.
    - dragonwriter 11y ago
      The falling out that led to him splitting from the company is the unexplained bit;it seems to me that's the root of the resentment and their later success is salt on the wound.

agumonkey 11y ago

I disagree. I heard about The Sopranos and watched it a bit after the buzz peaked. I mostly hated it. I can't swallow anything related to mafiosi. Sure, the show had some brilliant ideas from time to time (the premises only were gold), and some brilliant execution (the surreal dreams). But the whole story .. I'm still angry just thinking about it. Yet millions of people watched, and bought the DVDs. Personally that's already far too much love to such a thing. Many people mention Breaking Bad, but it's a completely different situation isn't it ? it's more a 'back against the wall' / idiotic heroism thing. He didn't go there to sustain a lifestyle, he was cornered.

icebraining 11y ago
I didn't follow The Sopranos, but the people I know who loved it, did so exactly because of that contrast, especially by the protagonist. The way he could have some great qualities, and suddenly so something so horrifying; it was a jump from feeling empathy to absolute disgust in a few moments. None of my friends "admired" Tony Soprano, they found it fascinating, in the same way that you might find a venomous spider.
thomnottom 11y ago
I just wanted to point out that plenty of people watch shows and movies that focus on characters they dislike. Personally I only saw snippets of The Sopranos and had no interest in the stories or characters, however I do love the 1st 2 Godfather movies even though I find the characters to be largely horrific. In Breaking Bad, the motivation actually changes quite a bit over the course of the series. My meandering point is just to say that millions of people watching a show or movie does not automatically mean they condone the actions of the main characters or admire them in any way.
qbrass 11y ago
>Many people mention Breaking Bad, but it's a completely different situation isn't it ? it's more a 'back against the wall' / idiotic heroism thing. He didn't go there to sustain a lifestyle, he was cornered. That's why he got started, but he started empire building in season 2.
- vinceguidry 11y ago
  I'll never understand why people characterize White's arc as empire. The show I watched had him utterly fail to build an empire and self-sabotage at every turn out of crippling fear. He was certainly capable of destroying an empire. Building one? Umm, no.
dragonwriter 11y ago
> Many people mention Breaking Bad, but it's a completely different situation isn't it ? it's more a 'back against the wall' / idiotic heroism thing. He didn't go there to sustain a lifestyle, he was cornered. Walt was never cornered by anything except his own pride; he choose to cook meth instead of accepting help from people he resented (for reasons which are, IIRC, not actually explicitly made clear.) I mean, really, its pretty much classic hubris-driven Greek tragedy in a modern setting.
- philwelch 11y ago
  Walt's beef with his cofounders is explained in Season 5; he resents them for becoming billionaires after he sold his share of the company. There's also an implied love triangle.
  - dragonwriter 11y ago
    The falling out that led to him splitting from the company is the unexplained bit;it seems to me that's the root of the resentment and their later success is salt on the wound.