3 Crime-Dramas better than Breaking Bad

[Waffles731]

I couldn't finish Breaking Bad, I just couldn't. Its not that I don't like a good Crime Drama, the sheer amount of Noir I have read says I love a good Crime-Drama. Whether its about a Heroic Gunslinging Lawman, ala Justified (I also have a thing for Westerns) but here are 3 Crime-Drama's of various flavors that I personally think are better than

3. Peaky Blinders

THE FOOKIN PEAKY BLINDERS

Peaky Blinders is about Gangs in Post World War 1 Birmingham, England. (for my U.K readers of this take, yes I need to specify, there is a Birmingham in Alabama that is fairly well known in the U.S)

The goal of Tommy Shelby is in some ways almost noble, to take this working class clan, shunned by the upper class of Post World War 1 England for being descended from both the Irish Catholiccs and Gypsies into the upper classes and there is no getting around it, even WINSTON CHURCHILL in series agrees, that despite him being a Gangster, Tommy Shelby is a Decorated War Hero. There is a clear element of class warfare and it shows in the way men like Tommy Shelby were fucked over, he may have been just a gangster when he went into the war, but he took a bullet for England, despite England disliking him because he was Irish Catholic and a Gypsy he took a bullet for the people who hated him. Men like King George the V, men born with a silver spoon wedged deep in their ass whose only problem they ever faced in life was to deciding whether they wanted chicken or beef for dinner, they sent working class men like Tommy Shelby to die in the tens of thousands in a war that when you get down to it, had nothing to do with them, and only with the profits of the upper class and what did Tommy Shelby get, nothing but a bullet and a shiny medal claiming the king was grateful, if men like the King or the Duke of Marlborough were actually thankful they would have given those working class men a living wage and the land their ancestors took while oppressing people like Tommy and that's really what this show is about, its not cops versus robbers but the Working Class versus the people who fucked them over in the great war. Tommy Shelby got nothing for his Service but a bullet, a useless piece of metal, and PTSD, and goddammit he is going to right that wrong no matter who he has to fuck over.

2. Son's of Anarchy

Come Join the Murder, Come Fly with Black

This show is literally Hamlet with Biker Gangs, the show follows Jax Teller (Hamlet) as he navigates the world of Outlaw Bikers in this Tragedy, and make no mistake this show, no matter how much awesomeness is in it (which is A LOT) is a Tragedy at the end.

1. Justified

"I've shot people I like more for less."

Justified comes from the mind of the famous Elmore Leonard, its based off of a short story he wrote and ended up as easily one of my top five favorite shows of all time. The show is about two people in particular and set in Modern Day Kentucky, one is the Gunslinging, Cowboy Hat wearing, U.S Marshal, Raylan Givens, the other is the modern day outlaw, Boyd Crowder, what these men have in common is that when Raylan was 18 they dug coal together in the same mine. The show is this perfect blend of Western and modern day Crime-Drama and one of my all time favorite shows.

[Dargil]

I mourned when Justified finished. A life long Clint Eastwood fan, Timothy Olyphant could easily re-do the Spaghetti Western trilogy, High Plains Drifter, Pale Rider and Josey Wales. Also the Dirty Harry series. Sure, he's a little milder, but no less resolute and as good a shot. And the panties come off for him effortlessly. I have actually E-mailed Old Clint about this so he can go out in a flurry.

[Waffles731]

I can see The Dollars Trilogy but not The Dirty Harry Films.
Timothy Olyphant is too likable, and The Director of Dirty Harry openly states that Harry is almost as evil as the criminals in his own way and that just doesn't gel with Timothy Olyphant

[Dargil]

Maybe Harry's edges get rounded a bit?

[Waffles731]

Wouldn't be the same

[Waffles731]

Like at that point I think he stops being Dirty Harry

[InTimoreDei]

Peaky Blinders is incredible and a million times better than popular shows like Breaking Bad and Walking Dead.

It doesn't have the same following as those shows but I am fine with that. People just hop onto bandwagons and like what everyone else likes.

[Waffles731]

Check out Justified and Son's of Anarchy, I like them even better

[StingRayxoxo]

Justified is AMAZING. Boyd Crowder is one of my favorite criminals in all of cinema history.

[StingRayxoxo]

Thanks for MHO!!

[Fitness-Fanatic]

I love all 3 of those

[Fitness-Fanatic]

Thanks for the MHO ❤

[IlyaTheImpaler]

I watched Breaking Bad, it's a good show. Justified was also quite good, I like the dynamics of Boyd vs Givens or Walter vs Jesse. I guess I always enjoy a story with two protagonists, especially when they mess up each other's life. There was nothing like that in Peaky Blinders. Nothing in that show really impressed me, it's basically a watered down version of Boardwalk Empire. Peaky Blinders doesn't really excel at anything as far as I could remember (Boardwalk Empire, its predecessor, was actually good and much more complex). No character in Peaky Blinders really stood out and Thomas Shelby was basically a standard crime boss with plot armor. The entirety of his crew of family members was redundant (like they were there because the plot, the history requires them to be there, they don't feel authentic or have any depth). It's really clumsy and obvious whenever the writer tries to insert some subplot (filler episodes) into the background of these characters, or when they make a point with some character doing something brave or crazy (I remember the aunt character was particularly badly written). I remember watching the end of season 1 where there were two groups of gangsters walking on the street as if there was a final showdown (but they just forgot to establish a character or a faction that feels like a threat 😂). It was so cringy I almost stopped watching. I finally stopped watching it around the time Tom Hardy's character appeared. There was just nothing really interesting going on, no intriguing character, everything each of them does is standard, and these has to be the most non threatening criminals/villains I've seen in a non comedy show. And they tried to compensate all this with dark and flashy visuals, well it sort of worked. I think this show impressed people who just like the time period very much. But really they need to find someone who could write.

The only crime drama I'm watching right now is Barry, it's better than Breaking Bad season 1 + 2 (darker, funnier, more twisted)

[Electric_Dreams]

3. The best thing about Peaky Blinders is how Paul Anderson says "Peaky Blinders".. which incidentally is the same way I now say "Peaky Blinders". Also it was cool when they spoke about Cannock Chase because that's up the road from me.

2. Sons of Anarchy is the B-Movie equivalent of television. It is trashy, lazy and creatively redundant. I cannot take the characters seriously as they are just grown men acting as children. They never grow up. They're such imbeciles. The show is a joke.

1. Justified is uninteresting to me. I was interested enough to watch it but I found no real sense of a captivating narrative, nor characters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoEAhkyuh5A

HA! Love it.

[goaded]

I haven't seen any of them (except Serenity/Firefly, of course). I'm not sure of the genre, is it because it's from the point of view of the criminals?

I like police procedural dramas. Line of Duty (anti-corruption, like internal affairs in the US), Scott & Bailey (particularly because of the character development, and that the criminals are sometimes secondary and often just stupid), No Offence.

[Waffles731]

No I just posted that at rhe top because the quote fit

[goaded]

[ObscuredBeyond]

I remember being pumped for Heroes when it first came out. Then the first half of season 3 happened, and the show fell off a cliff and forgot how to fly. It got aggressively stupid after that.

The fugitives arc was a noble attempt at recovery, but ultimately failed. The redemption volume was boring as hell. And Heroes Reborn was unwatchably awful.

[NineBreaker]

I've seen Breaking Bad, Sounds odd Anarchy, and Peaky Blinders. I thought they were all good.

Peaky Blinders however, was the only one where the motivations of the protagonists actually made sense (at least to me). Even if that's not the case in the beginning.

Breaking Bad is my favorite only because I think the character development was the most dramatic. Very profound! Sure the other shows had that, but not to the same level.

[Anonymous]

"This place is under new management, by order of the Peaky Blinders" <3

Also check out Penny Dreadful, if you haven't already

[Waffles731]

I LOVE Penny Dreadful.
Ethan is my favorite,

[SarahsSummer]

all good picks but why couldnt you finish Breaking Bad?

[Waffles731]

Just couldn't, I keep meaning to go back to it but I never get around to it

[SarahsSummer]

"I couldn't finish Breaking Bad, I just couldn't." implies an active decision to stop watching. You obviously have time otherwise you wouldn't mention watching these other crime dramas. So again, I'm curious, why did you consciously decide to stop watching?

[Waffles731]

I just don't really like the characters all that much I guess

[SarahsSummer]

ok, fair enough. I loved it and liked some characters more than others. So much so that it got me watching Better Call Saul, which really expands on several of the characters even further.

[lazermazer]

You’re god damn right

[Anonymous]

I have never watched Peaky Blinders or Justified, but I watched SOA. Honestly, you must be bonkers if you thinnk that shite is any better than Breaking Bad.

[Waffles731]

You're missing out if you haven't seen Justified or Peaky Blinders

[lazermazer]

You’re god damn right

[Gedaria]

I Don't wanna watch any of them. I like who done its. But not with the nasty blood revenge bit. I want to enjoy it not get upset by it...

[Waffles731]

The Revenge in Justified is that of Appalachian Feuds, its both a crime drama and a Western set in modern day Kentucky

[Gedaria]

Revenge is never justified. That is what the legal system is set up for...

[Waffles731]

The word Justified refers to the Shooting of a Mafia guy in the 1st five minutes of the show, by Gunslinging U. S Marshal Raylan Givens (one of two protagonists) he got Tommy Bucks to Draw on him 1st, so the shooting was ruled Justified

[Waffles731]

The problem is that it happened at a rooftop Bar and lounge in Miami in front of like 50 or 60 people so they Reassign Raylan to Kentucky and i quote, "No, Dale I grew up in Kentucky I don't wanna go back there."

[Kaneki05]

SOA got boring thou the whole baby getting kidnapped so long winded, haven't watch it since that thing.

[TripleAce]

Breaking bad is outstanding though
what didn't keep you hooked? ... I think you have to be interesting in meth (drugs lords) and what not...

[Tdieseler]

wouldn't say better than breaking bad... but justified and sons of anarchy are pretty good... peaky whatever that thing is... just sounds boring.

[ZeussLightningBolt]

Just 3?
I've been trying to find something to fill the void left behind by Breaking Bad, but have not been able to
Was never a fan of Sons of Anarchy

[Pamina]

Nah. None of these come even close to Breaking Bad. Not even remotely.

[JoyISok3]

Sons of anarchy gets boring. Peaky Blinders though! I wanna be just like Tommy when I grow up

[pervertedjester]

Number two dragged on for way too long. Made me dislike Sutter for life.

[caesarsalad77]

Peaky blinders is the shiznit

[lazermazer]

Breaking bad is not all about crime and shif.
It is far greater than any of the shows because it takes deep dive in human psychology.

[DashboardLight]

Justified was good, man. Have to give that to you, but Breaking Bad is like nothing I've ever seen before.

[bulletbob555]

Justified was great. Elmore Leonard was a true genius writer over the years. Have been enjoying Chicago pd and Bosch.