I think Ozark is way better than Breaking Bad, and here is why I stand by that

I finished Ozark in about 12 days last month and tried Breaking Bad right after. Breaking Bad is a good show, but I found myself wanting to fast forward through the slow parts around season 3. Ozark kept a tighter pace for me across all 4 seasons. The Byrde family felt more real to me than the White family, like people who actually had to scramble for every win. Breaking Bad had those big cinematic moments, but Ozark had a constant tension that kept me glued. Has anyone else felt this way, or am I alone on this island?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscarb771mo ago

Actually watched Breaking Bad first years ago and then Ozark more recently. Your mileage may vary but the pacing thing really clicked for me too. Breaking Bad had those moments where I'd grab my phone waiting for something to happen, especially in the middle seasons. Ozark was more like a slow burn that never let up, every scene felt like it mattered. The Byrdes scrambling for money and making messed up choices felt grounded in a way that Walt's transformation into a drug kingpin didn't always land for me. Not saying one is objectively better, just that Ozark's constant tension worked better for my attention span. Takes all kinds of shows to make a world, right?

hayden4661mo ago

I read this article saying Ozark's tighter focus on family drama makes it feel more intense, which @oscarb77 nailed with that "constant tension" point.

thomas27513d ago

You know it's funny you bring up the pacing thing because I remember watching Breaking Bad when it first aired and I had a buddy who would fall asleep during the slow parts. He'd wake up and ask what he missed and I'd say nothing really just Walt mowing the lawn or something. But Ozark kept you on edge from the start. I think the setting helped with that, being stuck out in the woods with no way out really makes you feel the pressure in every scene. Meanwhile Walter White was just a teacher with cancer who could have easily quit at any time. Different stakes for different folks I guess.