Breaking Bad

Fasten your seat belts. Here we go...

This summer is about to get a whole lot better, with Season Four of "Breaking Bad" poised to hit our screens this weekend. Viewers can argue about what show has been the best drama on television over the past few years, and "Mad Men" fans will make a persuasive case that Don Draper and Company hold the high ground -- but as much as I enjoy "Mad Men," it doesn't capture my imagination quite like "Breaking Bad." Nothing else does. This is the most breathtakingly original show I've ever seen on American TV.

That doesn't make it true, of course. As the saying goes, opinions are like assholes -- everybody's got one. And really, these two shows are so very different that there's no point in comparing them. Like apples and oranges, both are great in their own unique ways.

Still, I'm really looking forward to catching up with Walter White, Jessie, and Skylar - and I'm not the only one. As Tim Goodman leads off in his Hollywood Reporter review of Season 4:

"One of television’s greatest dramas goes unflinchingly into the continued transformation of its lead character from likable to something beyond despicable. It’s one of the most fearless and selfless gambits ever hatched in the name of enduring art."

Oh yeah. This is gonna be good...