The verdict is in, and Breaking Bad's second season is getting rave reviews. "This is television as God intended," the Hollywood Reporter says. It's "utterly compelling," Variety adds. "Dark, witty, weird and addictive," according to Rolling Stone.

Newsday predicts that "an Emmy nomination for best drama seems certain" for the "extraordinary" Breaking Bad. The Hollywood Reporter says, "What [Vince] Gilligan and company are crafting in many ways transcends the medium itself" and is "so flat out superb that it appears to be operating at a different level than just about everyone else."

The cinematic qualities of what the Buffalo News calls this "beautifully filmed" series are also highlighted:. "Season two is both grim and gritty, with the jarring feel of a [Quentin] Tarantino film," Variety notes. Rolling Stone says, "This is the Southwestern noir the Coen brothers would make if they did TV," while the Orlando Sentinel classifies the show as a "modern Western with a dark, absurd view of the world" that "echoes No Country for Old Men."

Emmy-winner Bryan Cranston's portrayal of Walter White is singled out too: It "continues to astonish," says Us Weekly. "Thanks to Cranston's tour de force performance, Walt is a TV original," the Orlando Sentinel writes. "Cranston excels at conveying worry, humor, grit and Walt's physical decline." The Fresno Bee notes that Cranston's work proves the "Emmy upset he pulled off last fall was no fluke." Dean Norris, who plays Walt's DEA agent brother-in-law, is cited as an especially impressive member of the supporting cast, with the Hollywood Reporter calling him "wonderfully pugnacious."

Tune in to the Season 2 premiere Sun., Mar. 8 at 10PM | 9C