I thought it was a slight (I can't stress that enough) slight step down in quality from the previous season. I think some of it was a little too blunt and on the nose at times and I feel like the writers have possibly become a touch too self-aware. BUT! It's only been half a season, so I'm not at all writing it off. I still think Breaking Bad is the best show on television, and the nitpicky stuff I just mentioned doesn't bring down the whole in any way to me. I think the second half will be even better than the first, those are just my feelings of those first eight episodes at present.