Three Shows I've Finished in 2021 So Far

Since the new year I've completed three shows: Mr. Robot, Gravity Falls, and Breaking Bad. The internet and some friends informed me of their acclaim and they all ended up being very enjoyable. A strange common thread in these shows was their epic conclusions. Respectively, a final twist, a solved mystery and tying up of loose ends.

Mr. Robot

Mr. Robot is a rollercoaster of a show with noticeable high points and low points. Some episodes stand out as some of the strongest TV I've seen. When the stakes were high and the pace was fast, the show was nothing short of extraordinary. But there are times when the show took its foot off the gas and it lost me. It felt as the series went on it turned into a soap opera and the original reason I loved the show faded away.

Season one wastes no time. The first episode alone surprised me by how much it demanded my attention. Season one had the best plot of the four and benefited from its uniqueness and fresh ideas. Christians Slaters Mr. Robot is at his best in season one as well. Season two is bad. It pains me to say that there isn't much great about season two. I didn't like the twist, or the introduced characters, or how Elliot separated himself. Season three revives itself by focusing on interesting characters: Tyrell, Angela and Irving. The plot had real stakes and the one-take riot was a highlight. Season three is half perfection, half forgettable mush.

Season four is the real deal though. The main thing I knew about Mr. Robot before starting was season four got crazy. And it did get crazy. The last four episodes of Mr. Robot may be the best conclusion to a show that I've seen. The show mastered plot twists, and the final one was no exception. Its execution made the bizarre paradigm shift feel earned and believable. It's hard for me to say season four redeems the lower points of the show, it probably doesn't. But the low points were only bad in contrast to the extreme peaks the show managed to reach. I'd recommend Mr. Robot to someone who has run out of shows to watch and is looking for something new.

Gravity Falls

Gravity Falls has 100% on rotten tomatoes and an 8.9 on IMDb. And Avatar: The Last Airbender taught me not to dismiss shows because they're animated. With only two seasons, watching Gravity Falls was a short and sweet experience. The episodes capture a relatable sense of childlike wonder. The stories are typical for cartoons but the themes speak to more mature audiences. The family dynamic in particular resonated with me. Grunkle Stans solemn sacrifices to put family above all else was beautiful. And Dipper and Mable's unwavering loyalty to each other is compelling.

The show has an overarching mystery: why is Gravity Falls so weird? Why are there monsters made of discarded Halloween candy? The two season structure made for perfect pacing of the mystery. It almost always felt like Dipper was making breakthroughs. My one complaint with Gravity Falls are the filler episodes. A couple felt irrelevant, especially in the first season. The first season dealt with exploring the Falls, while the second season narrowed on the main plot.

And oh boy does the set up pay off. The main villain, Bill Cypher, finally enacted his "Weirdmageddon". Then the four part finale pulls out all the stops. One last challenge for the gang, conquering an eclectic rogues gallery of monsters. And after the dust settled, the show gave a heartfelt goodbye for each character. It takes its time, and everyone's happy ending provides closure.

Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad lives up to the hype. It makes sense why people tout it as one of the greatest shows of all time. The show is a definitely a slow burn, most episodes are character development driven. But the slow burn builds the anticipation and makes the explosive moments satisfying.

Speaking of the characters, Breaking Bad has an amazing ensemble. Comparing Walter White the chemistry teacher to Heisenberg the drug kingpin amazes me. They are polar opposites. But the transition is so gradual that the personality shift is believable. And there couldn't have been a better sidekick than Jesse Pinkman. One of my favourite aspects of the show was the crumbling dynamic between Walt and Jesse. Walt was a good guy becoming bad and Jesse was a bad guy becoming good.

Every antagonist was great. Tuco was the perfect initial bad guy, he brought up the energy level while Walt was still his subdued self. In contrast, once Walt became more maniacal and unhinged, Gus came in as a more calm adversary. My favourite character in the show ended up being Mike Ehrmantraut. His level-headed confidence spoke so much power, there seemed to be nothing he couldn't do.

And of course, we have to talk about the ending. Honestly, the entirety of season five was an amazing ending. The first half with the conflict between Walt and Mike was so smart. Walt screwed Mike by killing Gus and it was in character for Mike to hold Walt accountable. Mike being the voice of reason for Walt was an excellent choice. And the back half of season five pays so much respect to the journey that came before. The downfall of Walt, his greed finally catching up to him, and him having to accept defeat was poetic. A great example of a show knowing its time for the story to end and wrapping up before its overstayed its welcome.