Better Call Saul

[God of Nothing]

Better Call Saul premiered a decade ago today.
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jesus christ
television still hasn't recovered

 

[Terrorist]

I enjoy BB/BCS, but both shows are a lot sillier and less realistic than many fans would like to admit. So many of the “badass” moments were unintentionally(?) hilarious, which is why they live on as memes. Gus straightening his tie after getting blown up was pure camp, like something out of a Troma movie. Again, I enjoy it, but it’s not some hard boiled gritty masterpiece.

I just wish that BCS had actually shown that decline from Jimmy to Saul instead of wasting time with Mike building the lab or Gene being a doughnut shop manager

Single biggest flaw with BCS by far. It just wasn’t necessary to shove in almost every other BB character too. I hate how so much media these days takes the superhero cinematic universe approach where the cameos drive the plot and even Hector’s fucking bell needs an origin story. They should’ve cut or truncated most subplots with Gus, Mike, Nacho etc. in favor of focusing on the strongest element of Bob Odenkirk’s arc as Saul/Jimmy.

 

[AnOminous]

Gus straightening his tie after getting blown up was pure camp, like something out of a Troma movie.

That's because it was done by Greg Nicotero.

 

[The Hardest R]

I’m not surprised that a guy previously known for The X-Files produced something that would bend reality. The show completely lost all grip with reality with the fulminated mercury scene. That was the first season too. I just liked how Gilligan nailed the suspense of the show. Except for the second half of the last season of BCS. Fuck that shit.

Single biggest flaw with BCS by far. It just wasn’t necessary to shove in almost every other BB character too. I hate how so much media these days takes the superhero cinematic universe approach where the cameos drive the plot and even Hector’s fucking bell needs an origin story. They should’ve cut or truncated most subplots with Gus, Mike, Nacho etc. in favor of focusing on the strongest element of Bob Odenkirk’s arc as Saul/Jimmy.

BCS makes a lot more sense when you treat it as fan service. I think had they done it again, they would’ve cut Nacho as ultimately he didn’t go anywhere.

 

[AnOminous]

The show completely lost all grip with reality with the fulminated mercury scene.

And I loved that scene. It was ludicrously chemically inaccurate. So what?

It introduced Walt to not giving a shit about whether he lived or died, and actually prefered dying. Remember the scene where he found he was in remission and went into a rage and punched a towel dispenser because he was actually hoping to die?

The show was ridiculous and comical on many levels, but where it was actually realistic was in relation to the characters.

One of the best episodes was the finale, which involved the most ridiculous and idiodic Heisenberg deus ex machinas in the whole series. So it made no sense. WHO CARES? He even saved Jesse. With a completely contrived sequence of events that involved Jack getting so upset about Walt's accusations of collaborating with a rat that he brought him out, allowing Walt to get his key gadget back and set off his Heisenberg plot.

SO WHAT?

My opinion is it was really cool. So who cares how ridiculous it was?

 

[The Hardest R]

I’m not saying the show needed to be realistic at all, that was my point.

 

[Kharash]

Remember the scene where he found he was in remission and went into a rage and punched a towel dispenser because he was actually hoping to die?

Seemed more like surviving the cancer and thereby making him confront all the crimes he committed instead of not having to worry about them because he's dead. The whole point he was going to die anyway. Without that he could just be going to jail instead for the rest of his life and all his money taken away.

 

[Calandrino]

Single biggest flaw with BCS by far. It just wasn’t necessary to shove in almost every other BB character too. I hate how so much media these days takes the superhero cinematic universe approach where the cameos drive the plot and even Hector’s fucking bell needs an origin story.

They did every stupid cliched thing that every prequel does and made a brilliant show anyway. Dunno how that worked, but it did.

It introduced Walt to not giving a shit about whether he lived or died, and actually prefered dying.

He tried to kill himself in the very first episode. By the end, he was murdering other people out of convenience.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Single biggest flaw with BCS by far. It just wasn’t necessary to shove in almost every other BB character too. I hate how so much media these days takes the superhero cinematic universe approach where the cameos drive the plot and even Hector’s fucking bell needs an origin story. They should’ve cut or truncated most subplots with Gus, Mike, Nacho etc. in favor of focusing on the strongest element of Bob Odenkirk’s arc as Saul/Jimmy.

I personally liked what they did with Mike building his relationship with Gus. The German engineer making the superlab arc is one of my favorite parts of BCS. Having said that, yeah, there was a lot that could have been cut to focus more on Jimmy becoming Saul. Personally I felt how they handled the Gene parts, especially at the end, were the weakest part, but I liked the rest.

I always thought how they were going to end things was to redo the scene where Walt comes into Saul's office the first time be the final shot of the show, having everything come full circle. We didn't really need to see the hole in the desert scene from his perspective and establish just how horrifying it would have been for him thinking Lalo had come back for him. We didn't need to see Mike warn Saul not to get involved with Walt, only for Saul to disregard the advice. We didn't need to see him and Walt in the basement of the vacuum shop talking about regrets. Just end it where it began and we can fill in the rest.

 

[ShittlerNiggler]

They either shouldn't have killed Lalo off or not wasted time on how everyone but Hector thought that he was dead. It should've also ended with Jimmy going "fuck it I'm Saul Goodman" and wiggle his way out of a harsher sentence at the end. I don't like that Saul is the only one of the main chracters to be in jail at the end while a lowlife scumbag like Jesse get's free because the writers thought that him suffering makes all of his crimes forgotten.

 

[BetterFuckChuck]

Better Call Saul's insistence on fanservice harmed just how much of a kino character piece it could be and how much you could watch it as almost a slice of life lawyer show

 

[AnOminous]

Seemed more like surviving the cancer and thereby making him confront all the crimes he committed instead of not having to worry about them because he's dead. The whole point he was going to die anyway. Without that he could just be going to jail instead for the rest of his life and all his money taken away.

That would have been closer to what he deserved.

 

[The Hardest R]

I always thought how they were going to end things was to redo the scene where Walt comes into Saul's office the first time be the final shot of the show, having everything come full circle. We didn't really need to see the hole in the desert scene from his perspective and establish just how horrifying it would have been for him thinking Lalo had come back for him. We didn't need to see Mike warn Saul not to get involved with Walt, only for Saul to disregard the advice. We didn't need to see him and Walt in the basement of the vacuum shop talking about regrets. Just end it where it began and we can fill in the rest.

I agree, this would’ve made for a much better conclusion. The Omaha stuff was awful. Having “Gene” be a manager at a Cinnabon and spending his evenings watching old tapes of his Saul Goodman advertisements would’ve been perfect. For someone like Saul Goodman/Slippin Jimmy, that would be a fate worse than death. They went full Reddit instead and you never go full Reddit.

 

[Patrick Not-Star]

I enjoy BB/BCS, but both shows are a lot sillier and less realistic than many fans would like to admit. So many of the “badass” moments were unintentionally(?) hilarious, which is why they live on as memes. Gus straightening his tie after getting blown up was pure camp, like something out of a Troma movie. Again, I enjoy it, but it’s not some hard boiled gritty masterpiece.

Tuco is the only character who I think remained a realistic portrayal of a criminal. Lalo comes across as a second-rate, discount Bond villain.

A minor nitpick I have is that the show is supposed to take place in the early 2000s, yet it is very clearly the 2010s and 2020s. It's not that big of a deal, and I don't think it hurts the overall quality of the show. Still, they could have made a better effort.

 

[Rudy Coleman]

here was a lot that could have been cut to focus more on Jimmy becoming Saul

BCS had way too much fluff and it really takes away from the series as a whole, they got way too wrapped up in the mythos of breaking bad, when in reality how the super lab got made is not important, that whole arc was the type of fan service i would expect from Disney starwars

imo it should have been centered around jimmy pulling off scams for jaw breakers, and mike killing niggers for money. because thats really the only aspects of it that i thought worked.
it really just seemed like they made up a seasonal arc for him to accomplish, the show could have ended whenever and it wouldn't have mattered, meanwhile walters modivations for the entire show is established 30 minutes into the series
you cant even really give him a goal like walter had because we all know hes gunna end up being a shitty broke lawyer anyway

 

[The Hardest R]

Tuco is the only character who I think remained a realistic portrayal of a criminal. Lalo comes across as a second-rate, discount Bond villain.

A minor nitpick I have is that the show is supposed to take place in the early 2000s, yet it is very clearly the 2010s and 2020s. It's not that big of a deal, and I don't think it hurts the overall quality of the show. Still, they could have made a better effort.

I disagree, Lalo was an amazing villain until he started traveling to Germany. That shit was so stupid it tarnished him in everything leading up to that. I think I’m just going to have to pretend the second half of the last season did not exist.

 

[Rudy Coleman]

I disagree, Lalo was an amazing villain until he started traveling to Germany. That shit was so stupid it tarnished him in everything leading up to that. I think I’m just going to have to pretend the second half of the last season did not exist.

i thought the last 3 episodes with jimmy pulling scams was pretty good.

 

[Star Classic]

Just started watching BCS. Watched BB and El Camino 2 years ago and loved them. Almost done with the 2nd season now. Overall I enjoyed Season 1 more than 2 but 2 has some good episodes like "Nailed". Still though it's been really good so far as it should be since they're going straight from the experience of writing BB's 5th season to this. I'm a little weary of Season 3 since if I'm not mistaken that's the point where Gilligan dropped out until season 6.

Still, I think I enjoy BB more so far but I also really really like Jimmy, and Kim is more enjoyable to watch than Skyler or Marie. I don't expect BCS to surpass BB's 4th season since I hold that to be the best one and it would have to pull a miracle to be better than the greats like "Face Off".

Also this show is hilarious and I think I've laughed in the first 2 seasons more than the entirety of Breaking Bad.

 

[Celestial Peace]

DAE still thinks Chuck was the one who set Jimmy to be a hustler lawyer instead of being merely aware that Jimmy might've fucked everything up if he was given a position at Chuck's firm? Because, if I'm not mistaken, Jimmy had an opportunity at another law firm only to keep scamming people. Still, BCS fans give Chuck flak for not giving Jimmy a chance but what are the odds Jimmy would still scam people while tarnishing HHM's reputation?

 

[AnOminous]

Still, BCS fans give Chuck flak for not giving Jimmy a chance but what are the odds Jimmy would still scam people while tarnishing HHM's reputation?

Pretty high. But doing it behind his back and letting Jimmy blame Howard for it was pretty cowardly, and indirectly got Howard killed.

If he didn't scam while at HHM, he'd have probably had exactly the same issue he had at Davis & Main, that is, not being a grifter would have cramped his style and he'd have found an excuse to quit.