Veteran
Join Date: May 2002
Location: A charted un-desert isle
Posts: 2,465
^^^
Ditto.
Fantastic character study. You don't need guns and blood to create drama (and in fact, it often gets in the way and/or is a poor substitute for actual drama).
Great writing along with superb acting will always trump stuff getting blow'd up reeeeal good (at least as far as creating drama).
I can't remember the last on-screen shoot-out that didn't have me bored to distraction (ok - the exception was the episode of BB where Hank was given the one-minute warning - that would be one of the few). But in your typical Numb3rs episode (to name just one example), do we really worry about any central character getting killed? Is there any drama or suspense there?
On the other hand, I was literally hanging on every word that Walt was saying in his sleep-deprived/sleeping pilled stupor - was he going to 'fess up about the night Jane died? THAT was riveting TV!