My Bad-Ass, Awesome Idea for an Avengers-Like Show With Top TV Show Characters

I know this would never happen. But the other day, an idea popped into my head of an assembly of popular TV show villains and notable characters joining forces to create one awesome, Avengers-like movie. Wouldn’t you love to see how Dexter reacts to meeting Joe Carroll? Or how Walter White would have dealt with a rival kingpin like Raymond Reddington? Here’s my premise for the show:

There’s a spree of serial killings in town. The culprits? Dexter (Dexter), of course, the vigilante killer, who finds himself in a cat and mouse chase with Joe Carroll (The Following), the charming serial killer without morals. Except Dexter has to get through his cult following in order to reach Joe and serve his special type of justice.

So who’s hunting these killers? Why Ryan Hardy (The Following), of course! With the help of his trust sidekick, Daryl (The Walking Dead.) Somehow we’ll have to figure out how the bow and arrow fit into this scenario.

Meanwhile, in a side plot, Dexter’s police station is tracking a major drug ring, led by none other than Walter White (Breaking Bad.) Walter, meanwhile, is having issues of his own as he deals with a rival force, Raymond Reddington (The Blacklist.)

A special task force is enlisted to help in either or both of these scenarios, led by Jack Bauer (24).

At some point, the good guys and bad guys all collide, and TV history is made. 

Oh, I forgot one small but important detail: the President, who is often consulting on these issues, but is secretly corrupt himself? Frances Underwood! (House of Cards.)

Oh, how amazing such a show would be. Though it just might be character overload. Still, someone needs to do such a skit. SNL, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, maybe? 

That’s the end of my random thoughts.

Breaking Bad – Why It Was the Best Show on TV

I had previously given this title to Dexter. But after a lacklustre few seasons (not in general, but in comparison to the previous ones), and an abysmal ending, I found myself looking for a replacement. Luckily, I ended up with a copy of Season 1 of Breaking Bad on Blu-ray, and decided to watch it when I went off on maternity leave back at the end of 2011. My son was late, and I had lots of time stuck at home just waiting to go into labour. And after the amazing first season, I hopped right on to Netflix to watch the next few, then managed to find the next ones. I was hooked.

First, the acting is stellar. You can’t go wrong with Bryan Cranston, who can play ditzy man and crazed drug dealer equally believably. Uncle Hank is great as the somewhat repulsive, egotistical DEA guy. Skyler, the doting, but strong, wife. Aaron Paul grew leaps and bounds through the show. I continually kick myself after having met him at a press event years prior, before I began watching the show. He seemed so approachable and nice, but I didn’t really make an effort to talk to him because I had no idea who he was. From beginning to end, his acting improved tremendously. Granted, his character also went through major emotional changes that required far more intense acting. And the actor who plays Gus Fring? Genius. And Better Call Saul? Gotta love to hate him.

Which brings me to another point: the character development. Never before in a show have I seen a character that does such a complete 180. And you see the change happen little by little, in each episode. When I recommend the show to anyone, I tell them they just have to stick it out and be patient until the episode when he shaves his head. That’s a physical representation of the mental change that’s about to happen with his character.

The show does begin very slowly. I’m not sure I would have been so gung-ho about it after watching the first few episodes had I not heard so many good things. But once it gets going, it really gets going. And it doesn’t stop.

It’s not about the blood and guts, or the swearing, or the anger. It’s about watching a man completely spiral out of control, and take people down with him. It’s about seeing what happens to the people he takes down with him, and how greed and power can completely change a person. It’s about learning the repercussions of that focus on greed and power. And using your knowledge for bad, even when you try to convince yourself it’s for good. It’s about understanding that there really is no such thing as an easy way out. And eventually accepting your mistakes, and admitting defeat. Or perhaps he went out in peace. It certainly seemed as though he was as content as could be expected.

The show wasn’t predictable, and never got stale. You never knew what was going to happen, but was always excited to find out.

I can’t think of a show that manages to live up to this one. Dexter’s first four seasons, perhaps. But in its entirety, Breaking Bad managed to stay consistent. And the creators and writers didn’t try to push it longer than it would make sense to go. They let it go at its peak, because that’s what was best for the story.

I haven’t looked into the spin-off show with the Saul character, but I’m tempted NOT to watch just so I don’t taint my view on the show as a whole. But who knows. If you see that title appear in the right column category bar, I guess I caved. 🙂