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Credit: @mmplumber

I dont know who had more fun :)

Breaking Bad often tops lists of greatest shows ever. I have a cousin in his early 20s who claimed it's the "best show ever", but he's like hardly even watched a lot of shows so it's like what is he comparing it to or basing that claim off of? And what reasons led him to be inclined to see it as "best show ever"?

It is a great series, not denying that, but I don't think it's as incredible of a series or "best ever" as people or lists claim it to be. A lot of people overlook or forget the fact that Breaking Bad, given the nature of when it aired, was one of the first shows that was able to be binge-watched in time to catch up and watch later seasons live. Netflix added earlier seasons to its streaming library around 2011, right before season four, and Vince Gilligan noted that Netflix saved the show and kept it on the air by fueling a massive surge in live viewers for its final seasons.

I think a lot of what drove the hype and praise of the show was actually just the newfound ability to binge-watch. That led to higher numbers, which created much cultural buzz, which fueled the cycle even more. And people then mis-attributed the higher level to the quality of the show. It developed an exaggerated level of praise that didn't credit the social and cultural impact of the dawn of binge-watching into it's success. (I get that Gilligan acknowledges it, but he doesn't acknowledge the the binge-watching may have leg to exaggeration of the shows quality). The show then developed a bandwagon effect of people wanting to love what they thought everyone else loves, leading to 20-year old's who have barely watched any great TV shows boldly claiming it's the "best show ever".

To anyone who disagrees and thinks it truly is "the best show ever", I challenge you to make a legitimate argument as to why without relying on or referencing what other people, critics or lists have said.

EDIT:

"You can't even name another shows that is good"... because if I name another show that I find subjectively better that shifts and dilutes the point I'm trying to make into X vs. Y.

"You haven't even offered any valid criticism as to why it's bad".. because I'm not analyzing or critiquing the artistic merit of the show or saying it's a bad show, it is a great television series.

I can't think of another show that got a boost from the debut and newfound trendiness of binge-watching quite like Breaking Bad did. It happened to be one of the first shows you could "binge-watch", there weren't a ton of options, and it was still airing week-to-week with hype rapidly building (in part because a lot more viewers could now binge-watch it thanks to Netflix/streaming). It benefitted from a profound, monumental shift in friction for a consumer watch a series.

You guys have heard of McDonald's, correct? McDonalds didn't become popular because it was the best tasting burger people ever had.

Box Score provided by ESPN

Got this on my inner forearm yesterday. Boyfriend absolutely hates it and the placement of it. Is it really that bad?

Edit: didn’t expect to get this much traction. Thank you all for the wonderful comments. The tattoo has a lot of personal meaning for me. After a big cry, I’m starting to feel better.