This series is unusual in that all of the "good guy" characters are totally stupid and/or annoying in some aspect of their characterization while the story is engaging and the production is way above the usual TV fare. The acting is good, and the production values are very high, but the main "good" characters are odious. Walt is a bumbling, narcissistic liar, Jesse is a bumbling, self absorbed druggy imbecile, Hank is a bumbling drug warrior and his wife is a bumbling kleptomaniac.
Walt's wife is a lunatic who thinks that the world is hers to arrange, and Walt Jr. is so much like his mom that he's almost not even a separate person. Only the "bad" characters are even interesting.
The series will probably remain popular for years after the final episode airs. I even enjoy it, though I never could have followed it on TV because of the uninteresting good guys and the vapid family drama scenes. Watching it on DVD has made it possible for me to get through the entire series by virtue of the option to jump through the unlikable scenes.