Metastasis *OT* (Off-Topic)

by car15, Wednesday, August 20, 2014, 12:04 (3539 days ago) @ Korny
edited by car15, Wednesday, August 20, 2014, 12:24

I should be more specific about that. Only the most recent episodes (about 12-14, I think) are available on Hulu. But it's enough to get an idea for what the show is like, and it hews so closely to the source material that you won't be lost or confused about what's going on as long as you've seen the original.

There are a lot of weird cultural idiosyncrasies, like the addition of several recurring soundtrack pieces that sound less Breaking Bad and more General Hospital, and a general tendency for characters to talk with their hands and talk to themselves in tense situations... But these are staple elements of telenovela acting that won't go away just because the source material is American. It's quite fascinating to watch the alternate takes on these characters.

Diego Trujillo does a pretty good job as Walter, but the guy who plays Jose (whose name escapes me at the moment) is the real star of the show IMO. He manages to pull off a fundamentally different take on the character. Where Jesse sulks, Jose broods. But the core of his relationship with Walter is still there and it still works despite that divergent characterization.

Since sleazy lawyers aren't allowed to advertise on television in Colombia, they've turned Saul into a late night talk show host who dishes out legal advice to his viewers, which is hilarious. He's like a morally ambiguous Jay Leno. (Heeeey...)

Overall, it's a surprisingly good adaptation, and although the acting is nowhere near as nuanced as it was on Breaking Bad, it's mind-blowing by telenovela standards. All of the performances are very naturalistic. They preserved the spirit of the show quite faithfully.

As for the plot, it has been translated almost scene-for-scene from the American original, although certain scenes have been altered, moved, or excised altogether, especially in some of the more recent episodes. There are no telenovela-style "Skylar fucks the pool boy" subplots here. Everything feels appropriately Breaking Bad. (In fact, I was sure they were going to over-dramatize Skylar's affair with Beneke, but they pulled it off with real care and finesse.)

Go watch it! It's a real trip.