disagree w/ daxx. wasn't really a plot hole. whether or not the epic ******ed plane crash happened changes very little about this season, save for a little dialogue. that's part of the reason it was poor writing. it was supposed to be just this awesome, symbolic imagery, but it's not like it was necessary for Skyler to leave, Walt to feel awful, the cousins to seek revenge, Jesse to get help, etc etc.

Overcoming plot holes (or however you want to describe the plane crash business) doesn't make a show more incredible, it makes it more flawed.

Perhaps 'plot hole' isn't the right terminology (also, I wasn't only referring to the plane crash) but whatever you want to call it, the fact that most people that were put off by the season finale are still on board and anticipating every show with baited breath says a lot about the show's entertainment value.

I can't imagine any other show being able to pull off that much disbelief suspension that I would continue to tune into week after week.

I admit the plane crash thing was a mistake but at least they basically ditched it as anything important this season. It was a dumb climax to a season that had nothing to do with it, but by the end of this season, I doubt anyone will really care. The episodes leading up to that finale were just chilling. I don't remember any non-HBO tv ever equaling it.

Mad Men. Not close.

Pole should have had options for "watched both and MM is better", "watched both and BB is better", "only watched BB but it's obv better", etc.

hmm, yes... I remember this the same way...

I'm curious though I've watched Mad Men on dvd and watched breaking bad as it happened... I wonder if it would of been different, but I admit those last few breaking bad episodes were very chilling. Aside from Dexter, nothing has ever compared for me

Also add:

Mad Men is clearly a superior show, but I like Breaking Bad more.

OMG HAMLET HAS SO MANY PLOT HOLES AND COINCIDENCES MORE REALISTIC PLZ THANKS SHAKESPEARE.

cause the ones who vote for BB think its so far from close that they dont even bother to mention it.

Breaking Bad for me. The end of the second season (effectively the first season because of the writers strike) was some of the best tv released imho.

I watched the first two seasons of Mad Men on dvd through the recommendation of this forum. I found almost every character left me with a bad taste - I stopped watching as there was simply no characters in the show i could relate to, or cared to get an update on.

I love Mad Men but I love Breaking Bad even more.

never watched mad men so had to vote for breaking bad.

I'm pretty simple minded guy so I enjoy the far fetched plot of a rising drugpin. that's not to say breaking bad is a simple show, but it pales compared to mad men and its overlaying motifs, complex character nuance interactions, and intertwining plotlines. mad men is also way more cohesive in terms of setting and character interaction, creating a very consistent imaginative world that is more detailed than breaking bad's. however, with all that, i enjoy breaking bad more because i'm in the brink of noticing the brilliance of the mad men but not smart enough to appreciate it.

I want to congratulate those of you haven't already congratulated yourselves for preferring Mad Men over Breaking Bad.

Breaking Bad is a thrill ride. Mad Men is a deeply woven rich tapestry mapping the human heart with subtly nuance filled subtleties of nuance. I don't watch it, but that's like my opinion.

BB because it is WAY more entertaining than MM ainec. MM might be a "better" show, but minute for minute, BB is so much more entertaining. If they had condensed the 3 seasons of MM into 2 seasons of episodes, I might change my opinion, but it is a very slow show and feels like a burden much of the time to watch. That being said, I loved the S3 finale and am looking forward to the new season and the new direction it is going.

It is a serious credit to AMC for both these shows. There was an interview with Vince Gilligan that lead me to believe that Breaking Bad was not yet a profitable show. Well, that show got me to watch Mad Men. Because of these two shows, I am bound to watch any future AMC original series or at least give it a good shot at catching my attention.

Previous to Breaking Bad, I would scroll over AMC when changing channels and would rarely watch anything on that channel. Now I make sure I am not missing something good.

I suppose I am not adding to the which is better debate, but I think a **** yea to AMC for coming up with what is probably the top two shows on television deserves repeating. Even if you argue they are not top two, you must concede they are just plain awesome.

So **** yea AMC, coming up in the world.

AMC's 3rd series "Rubicon" starts this summer starring James Badge Dale.

HBO has to be kicking themselves for not picking up either of these shows. Matt Weiner has been trying to pitch Mad Men for awhile now and even worked with David Chase during the final season of the Sopranos.

Yeah I'm pretty sure the story goes like

1) ten years before mad men debuts Weiner writes pilot
2) pitches it to HBO constantly-- keeps getting turned down
3) david chase gets his hands on it, reads it, hires him for last few seasons of sopranos
4) weiner is involved in writing some of the so called "best" episodes of sopranos
5) amc picks up mad men
6) hbo slits wrists

HBO though is stepping it up... they have some good stuff that looks like its coming out. One I'm really pumped for is Boardwalk Empire... most expensive 1 hour show ever. They reportedly spent 50 million on the pilot alone.

this. but also,

for people talking in superlatives about MM, can you explain to me how BB is any less thematically complex/"nuanced"? i feel like i'm not watching the same show as you. BB engages me both intellectually and emotionally, while MM mainly hits the former for me. both have moments of absolute brilliance and both have clumsy/heavy-handed scenes. but ultimately, they are both great shows that have elevated AMC to top-tier status.

for people who only put their "critical analysis" hats on when they watch MM, i would suggest giving BB the same amount of attention/thought. you won't be disappointed.

Breaking Bad assumes that all characters have strong, unbendable emotional ties, which in part have steered the course of the show. Walt cannot start a life without Skyler and his children. Skyler cannot report Walt to the police because she doesn't want to hurt Flynn. Yet she also cannot forgive Walt for his past as a drug manufacturer, even though his reasons were good. Jesse cannot get over Jane. Walt has to stay loyal to Jesse despite his limited usefulness. The brothers must seek revenge for Tuco despite the negative business implications.

Breaking Bad assumes that a certain moral and emotional baseline exists in virtually all people. Mad Men, one could argue, is either a more complex, nuanced, or simply darker show. It shows the limits of Don's love for his wife, children, and brother, but also his vulnerability and loneliness. A character like Campbell can simultaneously not want children, cheat on his wife, and envy his co-workers, yet he remains loyal to Don when Duck tries to takeover - possibly to the detriment of his own career - and at various times, shows a certain old-fashioned, melancholy world view. Mad Men does a better job of showing the limits and ambiguities inside the human mind.

The way you described both shows makes BB seem a lot more realistic. People are stubborn like that.

Breaking Bad is about a repressed, failure of a middle aged man, finally taking what is his and how he justifies it to himself. However unlike the other shows (The Sopranos for instance) the show is not a morality tale, the show very explicitly thinks what Walt is doing is wrong and they are right unless you have some Boondock Saintsesque moral compass. The acting, writing and directing is all very good and the show create lots of real, entertaining little moments and some gorgeous action set pieces.

Mad Men creates a wide variety characters who are both archetypal and original. They take a cross section of society at that moment, but also fill in all of the minutia that allows you to empathize with these characters. In addition to this they successfully integrates themes about racism, feminism, the american dream, advertising's role in society, the causes of political and social turmoil in the 60s. the nature of family, etc. with a verisimilitude that doesn't seem preachy or too overt. They manage to weave pop culture and historical moments without being kitschy and have top notch acting/writing/art direction. Breaking Bad requires a lot of critical analysis and is a very good show, but doesn't require the critical analysis that is necessary in Mad Men.

this argument is no different than Lost vs The Wire; Mad Men and Breaking Bad are completely different shows and will appeal differently, to everyone

lol at Lost vs The Wire being a legitimate debate