I occasionally have less than flawless taste and will like a show because it has spaceships and exploisions and hot chicks or something. But I do really enjoy the idea of TV as long-form narrative, and I try to distinguish when I squee about something whether I'm squeeing because I think it's great art or I'm squeeing because it's highly entertaining.
Mad Men is also brilliant, for most of the same reasons. (And before BrBa ranked second in my list of "best things currently on the air.") It's quite comparable, actually—deconstruction of the patriarchy from the patriarchy's point of view, secretive main character whose public and private identities are in conflict, exceedingly awesome and sympathetic sidekick (Peggy—you will love Peggy) who can act as a substitute protagonist when the main protagonist does morally reprehensible things. Unlike BrBa, it actually had me from the first episode, and I think even the first few minutes of the first episode.
I'd ultimately give both shows their entire run before determining which is better, but I'd give the edge right now to BrBa because it's more focused (MM started to fall apart, narratively speaking, last season, and threatens to continue that trend with the long delays in production and studio interference) and because it's more challenging to write a character on a long downward trajectory than the redemptive trajectory that I think (and hope) they're doing with Don.
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Date: 2011-11-11 11:49 am (UTC)Mad Men is also brilliant, for most of the same reasons. (And before BrBa ranked second in my list of "best things currently on the air.") It's quite comparable, actually—deconstruction of the patriarchy from the patriarchy's point of view, secretive main character whose public and private identities are in conflict, exceedingly awesome and sympathetic sidekick (Peggy—you will love Peggy) who can act as a substitute protagonist when the main protagonist does morally reprehensible things. Unlike BrBa, it actually had me from the first episode, and I think even the first few minutes of the first episode.
I'd ultimately give both shows their entire run before determining which is better, but I'd give the edge right now to BrBa because it's more focused (MM started to fall apart, narratively speaking, last season, and threatens to continue that trend with the long delays in production and studio interference) and because it's more challenging to write a character on a long downward trajectory than the redemptive trajectory that I think (and hope) they're doing with Don.