Once again, I’m late to the TV party. I’m currently engaged in marathon of the now cancelled AMC show “Breaking Bad.” I’m enjoying the show, however, I don’t know how people watched it week-to-week for 5 whole seasons.
I just finished Season 4, and I’m completely frustrated by the sheer stupidity of both Mike and Jesse! Somehow, despite the frustration, I’m compelled to continue watching.  Perhaps it’s because I’m convinced that they have to get smarter. (They do get smarter, right?)  The more episodes I watch, the more invested I feel. The more invested I feel, the more compelled I am to keep watching in hopes of a payout (i.e., someone buys a clue). I don’t know who’s dumber, Jesse for always behaving like the scarecrow without a brain or Walter for keeping Jesse as a partner. While I understand Walter’s initial “need” to remain in business with Jesse, one would think that Walter would be smart enough to either form a new alliance or put better controls in place to keep Jesse from constantly jeopardizing their business, their freedom and their lives.  Or Walter could just ‘off’ Jesse since he seems to be getting more and more comfortable with murder.

Watching “Breaking Bad” is kind of like watching “Sex and the City.” After a while you began to wonder “how long is Carrie going to be this stupid? When is she going to stop falling for the proverbial banana in the tailpipe?” While most women stood in awe of her wardrobe, I struggled to get past the fact that she was a 35+-year-old woman who made the relationship decisions of a 15-year-old blonde (more on the 15-year-old blonde syndrome in another blog).  Carrie had the romantic IQ of mentally challenged gnat.  Yet, we watched and watched and watched. We even went so far as to watch the movie . . . and the sequel.

Perhaps no one else is bothered by these glaring examples of a lack of growth or initiative to solve problems.  Personally, I am annoyed by anyone who constantly complains about a problem but does little or nothing to remedy the situation.  The first time someone presents a problem to me, I listen.  Just listen.  The second time I have to sit through the complaint, I expect to hear that the complainer is at least considering taking action of some sort.  By the third time I have to listen to this whining, I fully expect the whiner to tell me what they did, or are currently doing, about the situation.  If I don’t get that, I kindly ask that the whining complainer discuss this matter with another friend.  If you’re not willing to act to remedy the situation, you probably secretly enjoy the drama and attention of it all.  Or maybe you’re just a coward who would rather allow someone else to make your life miserable than stand up and be heard.  Either way, I don’t have time to waste listening to a “problem” that you have no intention of doing anything about. It could be that this makes me a bad friend.  I’ll take that.  What it absolutely does make me is someone whose life is void of other people’s drama. I’ll definitely take that!