Just blundered into a wonderful spoiler for the next season (or the next), with yet another Breaking Bad character making an appearance. It's not Walter White big, but... well, describing why it's amazing would be a spoiler.
Ed the Disappearer. Yes, Robert Forster passed, but apparently when he filmed his El Camino scenes, he stealth-filmed some stuff for Better Call Saul.
Man, it feels great to have something new to watch again. Between this and Fargo coming back.
Fun first episode, although
Gene’s story is threatening to become more interesting than Saul’s. I’m assuming we only get one more of these black and white intros before a likely time jump somewhere in S6. And I’m already looking forward to seeing how he’s planning to deal with the pushy cabbie who apparently took a left turn at Albuquerque. As long as it’s a Saul Goodman special, not some kind of scorched-earth Heisenberg play.
I was legitimately surprised when the guy didn’t immediately turn out to be an undercover or a shakedown artist. Also, I thought for sure Gene was dialing the cab company to see if a guy by that name even works there. Robert Forster, requiescat in pace, was a pleasant surprise. Good to see you in action one more time, sir.
Zoku Gojira on
"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." - Bertolt Brecht
+1
Options
AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
1) It's been so long I basically don't even remember what happened last season!
2) Where is this location where low end criminals gather in a circus-like atmosphere for free phones and legal advice?
0
Options
reVerseAttack and Dethrone GodRegistered Userregular
I think it's the same spot he was selling the phones at previously.
+2
Options
Zavianuniversal peace sounds better than forever warRegistered Userregular
I'm actually starting to like Better Call Saul more than Breaking Bad by now. I'll be a bit sad when it ends (next season?), but it's definitely far exceeded my expectations
+2
Options
reVerseAttack and Dethrone GodRegistered Userregular
The thing about Better Call Saul is that the biggest assholes are the antagonist characters, whereas in Breaking Bad the biggest assholes were the two protagonists.
Makes for a more pleasant viewing experience.
+3
Options
Zavianuniversal peace sounds better than forever warRegistered Userregular
The thing about Better Call Saul is that the biggest assholes are the antagonist characters, whereas in Breaking Bad the biggest assholes were the two protagonists.
Makes for a more pleasant viewing experience.
Yeah having Kim as a guardian angel essentially trying to rein in Jimmy is perfect. Walt never really had that, and makes it more engaging IMO
+1
Options
Inquisitor772 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered Userregular
I think Better Call Saul is the better show in total. I find the character dynamics to be much more relatable and believable. The tension in the show is fueled by the dynamics between the characters, rather than any outside conflict per se - you know these characters would be having the same issues in different situations regardless. You want them to move past their flaws but know that they almost certainly won't, and tragedy is pretty much guaranteed.
Breaking Bad's premise is different in the sense that the main character is, by-and-large, acting out of his own realized sense of mortality. The driving force is basically Walter discovering that he is and always has been a prideful asshole, and that his change in context has simply allowed his character to manifest in different ways. There's also an element of what I'll call Batman-itis in the show. Walter is incredibly brilliant, and this brilliance allows him to get in and out of situations that most people outright avoid (or face the consequences of much more quickly). You watch the show to see what happens to Walter and whether or not he'll get out of it (and, later on, what happens to Jesse). It's interesting to consider that the whole dynamic where Jesse is essentially a proxy for Walter's conscience was not originally planned. They only kept Jesse around because they loved Aaron Paul's performances. If there was no Jesse, the show would've relied much more on Walter's behavior and self-manufactured conflict driving the narrative forward.
I also find it a little unfortunate that people seem inclined to interpret Walter as the hero of the story, when he is clearly intended to serve as the protagonist of a cautionary tale.
I do find it a bit of a pity that, as a prequel to breaking bad, the show is constrained to end up in a particular place. There are question marks of course - characters we neither saw nor heard mentioned in breaking bad being the largest unknowns - but Jimmy was always going to end up as Saul Goodman. I rate Better Call Saul as the better show overall but part of me wonders where it could have went if it were its own thing. I guess that's where Cinnabon Gene comes in.
It took me until the early episodes of Season 2 to come around to this view, but I agree, Better Call Saul is the better of the two shows. The stylish cinematography, soundtrack choices, and writing meet, then exceed, the high standards set by BB. All while the proceedings feel more grounded in the real world, which elevates the stakes even though we know where some of these characters end up.
There is a commendable attention to detail in depicting the professional lives of public defenders, struggling independent lawyers, and put-upon law firm employees. Where the courts, law offices, and legal profession could easily have, in a lesser production, been relegated to a mere backdrop for acts of brazen criminality.
And the new supporting cast members are shockingly good, at the same level as the BB series regulars they join on screen. Rhea Seehorn, in particular, is a genuine joy to watch as the intrigued but conflicted Kim Wexler, the best character on the show.
"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." - Bertolt Brecht
+8
Options
Inquisitor772 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered Userregular
Howard and the firm doing well. Especially after his self-sacrificing effort to keep HHM afloat, which is not to be taken lightly even in the event that Chuck’s departure, which made him genuinely distraught, far more so than the younger McGill brother, made it unnecessary. And he’s friendly and congratulatory to Jimmy. It’s further proof, if we needed any, that the universe of BB/BCS, like our own, doesn’t necessarily withhold rewards to shower them exclusively on the underhanded and the ruthless. I hope that holds true, going forward. Also good to see the great Patrick Fabian again.
Zoku Gojira on
"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." - Bertolt Brecht
I have a complaint. Why are Nacho and Lalo bothering with such pathetic quantities of drugs? Nacho risks getting arrested for nothing more than a handful of one gram deals that probably didn't even amount to an ounce of coke. What's that, a few hundred dollars at best? When the kid said there was a "full load" inside I thought he meant the full 6 kilos they get from Gus.
Oh I get that Nacho was trying to gain his loyalty it was more the entire car's reaction after that kid told them there was a 'full load' inside. It made it seem like their loss was going to impact them when in reality there was about an ounce of drugs, if that, which is insignificant when compared to how much they're actually shifting. It's the same inconsistency I feel whenever I see Nacho sat in the restaurant taking money off his dealers and counting it. The sums involved always look pitiful (there's one scene where he's counting and it's mostly $5 bills). They might not be on Gus's level bringing bales of cash to the Mexicans but they're not exactly small time either considering they're moving about 6+ kilos a week.
I feel like the producers have a bit of an issue where Breaking Bad is about meth dealers yet BCS's Mexican cartel are in the coke business so you have this weirdness throughout episodes where the BCS characters are dealing with coke yet they go out of their way to never mention it, always referring to it as 'product' or something along those lines. This was noticeable in S5 episode 1 where Gus explains that he replaced the missing 2 kilos of 'product' with locally sourced methamphetamine which makes zero sense as it's an entirely different drug at an entirely different price point.
survive into Breaking Bad? I could be misremembering, but I thought he appeared in BB.
I mean, confirmation or refutation, either way, is a definite spoiler, but that's my recollection.
with two perfect “That’s how you get ants!” moments.
Also, clearly ABQ has all the ants. I was waiting for Richard Attenborough’s narration to start. Those numbers could take down a buffalo. Note to self: Don’t pass out on the sidewalk after a wild night out in New Mexico.
"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." - Bertolt Brecht
Yeah, people keep sayin' Kim is gonna die somehow which doesn't really make sense what with Jimmy continuing on all willy nilly with his Saul persona in the future. Even with his great skills in compartmentalizing or flat out ignoring grief I don't buy it. At this point Kim is just as big a liability to herself with or without Jimmy and that much has been clear for a while now, so she is probably still alive post-BB but has either wound up disbarred, in jail, or both. Hell, she might even be the initial reason that Jimmy needs the vacuum cleaner guy. At this point I trust the writers to be smart enough not to go the route to kill her just because she isn't a player in BB.
Yeah, people keep sayin' Kim is gonna die somehow which doesn't really make sense what with Jimmy continuing on all willy nilly with his Saul persona in the future. Even with his great skills in compartmentalizing or flat out ignoring grief I don't buy it. At this point Kim is just as big a liability to herself with or without Jimmy and that much has been clear for a while now, so she is probably still alive post-BB but has either wound up disbarred, in jail, or both. Hell, she might even be the initial reason that Jimmy needs the vacuum cleaner guy. At this point I trust the writers to be smart enough not to go the route to kill her just because she isn't a player in BB.
Vacuum cleaner / BB:
First time Saul uses vacuum guy is at the end of BB, when he flees Albuqurque. That's how he ends up in the Cinnabon in the black and white parts of BCS.
Can't help but notice how old Jonathan Banks is looking now compared to S1
I hadn’t really noticed it, but it works in favor of the script, with the city miles he’s been accumulating just in this series alone. Probably, it didn’t stand out to me, as a result of seeing him from his starting point in BCS, for the past few years, and not really going back and re-watching BB since this started. The way they de-aged Saul with just his hairstyle is remarkable, though. And although she wasn’t in BB, Rhea Seehorn must have found the fountain of youth. She’s stunning.
This ep has my favorite Jimmy & Kim moment ever, I was pleased to hear the crew say the same on the Insider Podcast.
Zoku Gojira on
"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." - Bertolt Brecht
She's my age, and I'm definitely still a child.
Bob Odenkirk is 10 years older.
Well, that’s impressive, too. But he also gets to play impish Slippin’ Jimmy to the more reserved, only occasionally mischievous Kim (with what Saul once described to an unimpressed Skyler, perhaps knowingly, as “just the right amount of dirty”), so while they might both be bathing in those fabled waters that brought Ponce de Leon to the New World, I notice it more in her case.
I also loved hearing about the attention to detail that went into her wardrobe. Like the idea of the mismatched suits, at least early on. The Insider Podcast is something I look forward to, for gems like that. When Peter and Vince assemble a team, it’s one for the ages. Like the Fellowship, except Gandalf goes out of his way to not take any credit for it whatsoever.
Zoku Gojira on
"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." - Bertolt Brecht
Yeah, people keep sayin' Kim is gonna die somehow which doesn't really make sense what with Jimmy continuing on all willy nilly with his Saul persona in the future. Even with his great skills in compartmentalizing or flat out ignoring grief I don't buy it. At this point Kim is just as big a liability to herself with or without Jimmy and that much has been clear for a while now, so she is probably still alive post-BB but has either wound up disbarred, in jail, or both. Hell, she might even be the initial reason that Jimmy needs the vacuum cleaner guy. At this point I trust the writers to be smart enough not to go the route to kill her just because she isn't a player in BB.
Vacuum cleaner / BB:
First time Saul uses vacuum guy is at the end of BB, when he flees Albuqurque. That's how he ends up in the Cinnabon in the black and white parts of BCS.
Yes, but he still knows who he is and passes that information on Walt. There's gotta be a reason why he needed him in the first place. Either to help Nacho, Nacho's dad or Kim I imagine.
+2
Options
Zilla36021st Century. |She/Her|Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered Userregular
My heart breaks just that little bit more every time Kim steps further and further, little by little, into the abyss.
Posts
season 4 on netflix finally!
I was too and then I watched it and realized that no, wait, I already saw this because *checks amazon library* yeah I bought it :P
Law and Order ≠ Justice
ACNH Island Isla Cero: DA-3082-2045-4142
Captain of the SES Comptroller of the State
Fortunately, thanks to my time-travelling ability*, I think I can jump back and watch it.
*Time-travelling ability to be on the West (Best) Coast; no reversing of time is expected or implied.
Law and Order ≠ Justice
ACNH Island Isla Cero: DA-3082-2045-4142
Captain of the SES Comptroller of the State
Law and Order ≠ Justice
ACNH Island Isla Cero: DA-3082-2045-4142
Captain of the SES Comptroller of the State
Fun first episode, although
I was legitimately surprised when the guy didn’t immediately turn out to be an undercover or a shakedown artist. Also, I thought for sure Gene was dialing the cab company to see if a guy by that name even works there. Robert Forster, requiescat in pace, was a pleasant surprise. Good to see you in action one more time, sir.
1) It's been so long I basically don't even remember what happened last season!
2) Where is this location where low end criminals gather in a circus-like atmosphere for free phones and legal advice?
Makes for a more pleasant viewing experience.
Yeah having Kim as a guardian angel essentially trying to rein in Jimmy is perfect. Walt never really had that, and makes it more engaging IMO
Breaking Bad's premise is different in the sense that the main character is, by-and-large, acting out of his own realized sense of mortality. The driving force is basically Walter discovering that he is and always has been a prideful asshole, and that his change in context has simply allowed his character to manifest in different ways. There's also an element of what I'll call Batman-itis in the show. Walter is incredibly brilliant, and this brilliance allows him to get in and out of situations that most people outright avoid (or face the consequences of much more quickly). You watch the show to see what happens to Walter and whether or not he'll get out of it (and, later on, what happens to Jesse). It's interesting to consider that the whole dynamic where Jesse is essentially a proxy for Walter's conscience was not originally planned. They only kept Jesse around because they loved Aaron Paul's performances. If there was no Jesse, the show would've relied much more on Walter's behavior and self-manufactured conflict driving the narrative forward.
I also find it a little unfortunate that people seem inclined to interpret Walter as the hero of the story, when he is clearly intended to serve as the protagonist of a cautionary tale.
They're both very good, though.
There is a commendable attention to detail in depicting the professional lives of public defenders, struggling independent lawyers, and put-upon law firm employees. Where the courts, law offices, and legal profession could easily have, in a lesser production, been relegated to a mere backdrop for acts of brazen criminality.
And the new supporting cast members are shockingly good, at the same level as the BB series regulars they join on screen. Rhea Seehorn, in particular, is a genuine joy to watch as the intrigued but conflicted Kim Wexler, the best character on the show.
Lalo seemed more amused by the whole thing - he was probably there just to check who was getting picked up and might be leaned on to talk
I feel like the producers have a bit of an issue where Breaking Bad is about meth dealers yet BCS's Mexican cartel are in the coke business so you have this weirdness throughout episodes where the BCS characters are dealing with coke yet they go out of their way to never mention it, always referring to it as 'product' or something along those lines. This was noticeable in S5 episode 1 where Gus explains that he replaced the missing 2 kilos of 'product' with locally sourced methamphetamine which makes zero sense as it's an entirely different drug at an entirely different price point.
Doesn't he
I mean, confirmation or refutation, either way, is a definite spoiler, but that's my recollection.
Also, clearly ABQ has all the ants. I was waiting for Richard Attenborough’s narration to start. Those numbers could take down a buffalo. Note to self: Don’t pass out on the sidewalk after a wild night out in New Mexico.
Vacuum cleaner / BB:
I hadn’t really noticed it, but it works in favor of the script, with the city miles he’s been accumulating just in this series alone. Probably, it didn’t stand out to me, as a result of seeing him from his starting point in BCS, for the past few years, and not really going back and re-watching BB since this started. The way they de-aged Saul with just his hairstyle is remarkable, though. And although she wasn’t in BB, Rhea Seehorn must have found the fountain of youth. She’s stunning.
This ep has my favorite Jimmy & Kim moment ever, I was pleased to hear the crew say the same on the Insider Podcast.
Bob Odenkirk is 10 years older.
Well, that’s impressive, too. But he also gets to play impish Slippin’ Jimmy to the more reserved, only occasionally mischievous Kim (with what Saul once described to an unimpressed Skyler, perhaps knowingly, as “just the right amount of dirty”), so while they might both be bathing in those fabled waters that brought Ponce de Leon to the New World, I notice it more in her case.
I also loved hearing about the attention to detail that went into her wardrobe. Like the idea of the mismatched suits, at least early on. The Insider Podcast is something I look forward to, for gems like that. When Peter and Vince assemble a team, it’s one for the ages. Like the Fellowship, except Gandalf goes out of his way to not take any credit for it whatsoever.