There are some TV shows you watch because you genuinely want to watch them.
Then there are shows you watch because everyone won't stop talking about them.
For me, Breaking Bad was the second kind.
After finishing Prison Break, I kept hearing the same thing everywhere:
" You need to watch Breaking Bad."
"Breaking Bad is one of the greatest series ever made."
"Breaking Bad will hook you from the first season to the last."
I heard it so many times that eventually I thought, fine. Let me give it a chance.
After all, I'd once ignored Prison Break too.
Maybe Breaking Bad would surprise me.
It didn't.
I Went Into Breaking Bad With High Expectations
I didn't start Breaking Bad expecting it to be terrible.
Quite the opposite.
The hype had already done the advertising for the show.
I knew people considered it legendary. I knew Walter White was one of television's most famous characters. I knew the show had an enormous fanbase.
So I pressed play.
The story follows Walter White, a high-school chemistry teacher who begins producing and selling methamphetamine after receiving a serious cancer diagnosis, eventually transforming into the criminal figure known as Heisenberg.
Source: AMC — Breaking Bad
On paper, that's an interesting premise.
But watching it was a different experience for me.
I kept waiting for that moment.
That moment where I would finally understand what everyone else was seeing.
Then I Remembered Prison Break
This is where my comparison probably becomes unfair—but it's also why my reaction to Breaking Bad was so strong.
Before Breaking Bad, I'd watched Prison Break.
And Prison Break didn't need someone to convince me to continue.
Season 1 grabbed me.
Michael Scofield deliberately gets himself imprisoned because he wants to save his brother. He has studied the prison, developed a plan and encoded crucial information into his tattoos.
That concept completely hooked me.
I remember watching it through the night.
I didn't want to sleep.
I wanted to know what happened next.
That's the feeling I was expecting from Breaking Bad.
And I wasn't getting it.
"Maybe Season 2 Will Be Better"
But I didn't quit immediately.
I thought about all the people praising the show.
Maybe the first season was simply slow.
Maybe this was one of those shows that needed time.
So I continued.
Season 2.
And eventually I stopped.
Not because I think Breaking Bad is objectively a terrible show.
Not because I think the people who love it are wrong.
I simply reached the point where I realized:
"This isn't for me."
Breaking Bad Fans Will Probably Hate This 😂
One thing I don't understand is when people say:
"Breaking Bad hooks you from the first season to the last."
That wasn't my experience at all.
I gave it two seasons.
I gave it a genuine chance because of the enormous reputation surrounding it.
But it never reached the level of obsession that Prison Break created for me.
And that's something I think gets lost whenever people discuss "the greatest TV shows."
Sometimes a show can be brilliantly made and still not connect with you.
Prison Break Is Still My Recommendation
If someone asks me:
"What's the first American series I should watch?"
My answer is still:
Prison Break.
Not because I think everyone has to agree with me.
Not because Breaking Bad isn't acclaimed.
It's because Prison Break gave me something I personally look for in a series:
urgency.
I wanted to know what would happen.
I wanted to know whether Michael's plan would work.
I wanted to see how he would escape.
Every episode pushed me toward the next one.
That's what makes a series unforgettable for me.
So, Is Breaking Bad Worth Watching?
Yes—if the premise interests you.
Millions of people obviously connected with the show, and its reputation isn't coming from nowhere. The series ran for five seasons and became one of television's most acclaimed dramas.
Source: AMC — Breaking Bad
But here's my advice:
Don't watch it simply because the internet says you have to.
Give it a genuine chance.
If you love it, great.
If you don't, that's also fine.
For me, Prison Break remains the show that set the bar.
And after giving Breaking Bad two seasons, I still haven't found another American series that gave me that same feeling.
Maybe that's the real problem.
I watched Breaking Bad after Prison Break.
And Prison Break had already ruined my expectations.