Hey CD - first post on here since the IMBD days (see they carried old IMBD posts into here). I often posted about S2 being my favorite, realizing I was in the minority. But I do realize the later seasons are more refined and ramped up.
But in order to get from Mr. Chips to Scarface, you need to go from an ordinary guy (like most of our ordinary lives - which we can relate to) to something of a movie character type guy. I could really relate to Mr. White in S1 & S2 (and early S3), the guy who stood up to the teasing jocks in the clothing store, quit his job due to lack of respect, or even bought the wrong type of hats to pull off a methylamine heist. You didn't need to give too much artistic license to the earlier seasons, with the possible exception of the Tuco/Fulminated Mercury scene, in comparison to some of the scenes from the later seasons (such as the Gus "Face Off" scene).
Also, the style of the show needed to shift throughout this transition. The earlier seasons were more a mix of dark comedy, mixed with drama, while the later seasons had less comedy (but some) and more action/drama - in order to move closer to the Scarface character they were shooting for in the end.
Though I prefer the more relatable character of Mr. White from the early seasons, I accept the fact he needed to become less and less relatable as his character transformed. And the shift from dark comedy/drama to a greater amount of action/drama, to me, was offset by the great writing, impeccable attention to detail, refined filming, music montages, etc., etc. Still great, but different.
Try watching it again, but realize where they have to go, to get to Scarface. You might enjoy the ride this time.
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