Breaking Bad is such a ride. I've not seen Bryan Cranston in anything before and he is a force of nature as Walter.

You really should catch him in reruns of MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE because he was awesome in that. If you can catch the episode where he displays his roller boogie chops - bonus points.

Breaking Bad: I only watched part of it because I just couldn't handle it. It's clearly good television, I just couldn't hack it.

And at one point, I realized, fuck. I've seen that smoke before. I've seen meth being cooked and didn't realize it. And sure enough, there were two suicides in a local house that was a meth lab. This was some years ago, in my little neighborhood, maybe fifty houses, tops? It's why I always get a little cranky when people complain about not being able to get their sudafed except behind the counter. I know it's not an entirely effective measure, but for me a little inconvenience is worth any hold we can get on this awful, hideous, life-stealing drug.

Sorry. Didn't mean to rant. Just that I probably should watch this show, but I just can't.

I don't know that you should watch it, really. It's a good show about this particular guy, but it's not Big Picture at all. What I like about it is he starts off very desperate and very abstract, but even just producing and not using he not only finds himself doing brutal things out of necessity, but also enjoys his new risk-taking, wrong side of the law life. He does have choices and he keeps choosing meth. And the one scene where his partner asks him how much money he'll need and he can only answer "More" - it'snot really a means to an end anymore.

It shows how easy it is to make the descent with just a few bad choices, but I doubt that is a lesson you particularly need, Liese.

I thought it was fun, but I'm sick like that.

I really thought they would go back and give that couple the money. "I think they'll be all right" doesn't really cover the bill collectors.

I though they would too. I'm kind of hoping this isn't the last we'll see of them.

Things going boom is good times. I don't mean to dismiss that.

Liese, BB is set in Phoenix Albuquerque & they start off cooking meth in an out in the red rock country. So, yeah, both to pinging you, and also the beautiful countryside that we don't usually see on teevee.

no, it's Albuquerque,NM. Could be Phoenix, though. We've got corners, too.

USA's schedule:

L&O:CI - new episodes starting June 8th.

Burn Notice - new season starts July 10th

Monk and Psych start July 18th.

(From The Futon Critic.)

And they really are making a series from "The Starter Wife."

Excellent. I was just thinking last night that some more Burn Notice would be nice.