Shows to Fill the Approaching Breaking Bad Void …
With Breaking Bad’s finale set to air next week, many of us are left wondering what – if anything – will be able to fill the void that’s somehow kind-of-sort-of already there. It’s hard to imagine a world without Heisenberg.
So let’s pull a few hairs and attempt the impossible – what shows will we be watching to distract us from the emptiness in our hearts?
Game of Thrones
The first answer for a lot of people will be the next season of Game of Thrones. Without giving away any spoilers, the pinnacle of last season was the most shocking thing to happen in the series respectable stint on HBO.
Yet creator George R.R. Martin’s willingness to kill off key characters in the series actually does the series some disservice. Cycling characters through a rotary door doesn’t always hold up cinematically, the audience has little to no time to see the development that takes place through the course of dense novel.
It’s difficult to imagine the characters in Game of Thrones approaching the transformation of those from Vince Gilligan’s world, which to be fair, one show literally and figuratively addressed chemistry. It’s a forgivable vice on part of GoT, but the only clear protagonist in the series lost his head in the first season.
Mad Men
This is another popular response for many in the wake of Breaking Bad. When the Heisenberg blue runs dry, we’re left in the scotch soaked, smoke filled haze of Mad Men’s final season – following suit with BB and splitting the home stretch into two pieces.
Don Draper is every bit iconic as Heinsenberg, going step for step in terms of being conniving, but lacking the dramatic penchant for violence. Additionally, the supporting cast on Mad Men is exceptional.
If you’re willing to forego shootouts and train heists, Mad Men is actually a suitable replacement. The only problem is you’ll have to similarly say goodbye in around a year.
House of Cards
Netflix is somewhat surprisingly making great strides with their original content, from bringing back Arrested Development to debuting Orange is the New Black. House of Cards, anchored by Kevin Spacey, continues the superb stretch of programming for the streaming service.
The political world makes for great source material for a thriller as evident in HoC’s case. The thing that really kills us with Breaking Bad’s final season is the inability to binge watch – Netflix gives you the keys to the car here. Fans of Spacey’s new show have finished the first season in 1-2 days on average.
The X-Files
If you’ve never seen The X-Files before, you still probably have an idea what to expect here. It might be able to scratch your Breaking Bad itch following the finale because this sci-fi thriller was where Vince Gilligan first really made a name for himself.
There are points in this series that are downright goofy, but the same can be said of Breaking Bad. What’s left is a genuinely compelling series with some of the most memorable storylines in television history.
Homeland
Homeland has set its sights on being the most consistently suspenseful show on television, akin to 24. With that much action, you’d consider the show to lack in substance, but with Claire Danes at the center of the series, it’s hardly lacking.
The writing team behind Homeland has shown occasional glimpses of brilliance – from the heart attacking-inducing season 1 finale to the inevitable interrogation scene during season 2.
The Wire
Widely hailed among the same prestigious company as shows like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad, HBO’s The Wire truly was innovative for its time. The Wire is perhaps the most gritty, realistic take on drug crime and gang violence in Baltimore’s inner-city.
More reserved on the action front, The Wire plays as if the majority of Breaking Bad’s run we intimately followed Hank and his DEA investigation.
Lost
Few shows really created such fevered fan theories than J.J. Abrams’ Lost. Although not always clear in terms of story, the series kept audiences engaged for an unprecedented stretch of years thanks to an exemplary cast.
If you don’t mind the occasional bout of frustration – are they ever going to address the polar bear?! – than this show makes for a terrific distraction.
Friday Night Lights
A cult classic of sorts, Friday Night Lights is a somewhat campy yet entrancing series for its ability to realistically depict the life of one family in Texas. Breaking Bad’s Todd also got his start here.
Many people have turned their noses at the series, believing it to simply be a show about football – don’t make the same mistake. Watch the pilot episode and you’re hooked.
Better Call Saul
The prequel to Breaking Bad has officially been green lit, but don’t go looking for any of the brooding darkness and terror of the original series. Vince Gilligan has told media outlets that Better Caul Saul will be strive for something more comedic and light-hearted.
Perhaps it will ease the pain of losing Heisenberg and Pinkman, seeing a familiar face in Saul Goodman week to week. It should be an interesting experiment at the very least.
