Currently on season 2 and I had no idea there would be themes of alienation, nihilism, searching for meaning and belonging, and crumbling of the American dream, etc. I thought it was just a crime drama with some comedy involved. I'm pleasantly surprised and its making rediscover my gabagool side.
The arc of Walter White turning into Heisenberg is compelling and a thing unto itself that sets itself apart from Sopranos. Both great shows but not the same experience.
I get that, but there’s a huuuuge overlap in the middle of that Venn diagram. I still think BB was great, I just feel like Sopranos explores all the same themes and is a level above BB in writing, acting, etc. Although nobody beats BB (or BCS) for cinematography, some of the most beautifully shot shows.
For me, they're exploring the same things from polar opposite perspectives. Walter White hates himself, he lives the "American dream" nuclear suburban family, he's broke, disrespected and dying, and he seeks a way out into the world of crime and murder, and becomes a sociopath. Tony Soprano is a sociopoath, he also hates himself, he's rich and surrounded by sycophants, he is in that world of crime and murder, and imagines what his life would be like on the outside of the mob (although he doesn't have a realistic way out the way Walter White has a way in).
I hesitate to compare the two in quality because they're both transcendent experiences for me. Though they do explore the same themes to an extent, they're both pretty unique imo.