re: How far in before Breaking Bad gets really good ?

i can tell you on my initial watch through of BB, i slept through the first few episodes repeatedly.

just couldn't get into it.

then, during xmas break last year, just decided to sit down and binge it, and i'm glad i did.

the first season definitely isn't as 'fast' paced as people want it to be...and not every episode of the series is genius, like some will say they are. But the series itself as a whole is pretty remarkable.