Better Call Saul

[TheHarbinger]

You are right, it's technically six months after he disappeared, but the Gene timeline is happening six weeks after El Camino. El Camino happens right after Breaking Bad. That means that Saul Goodman aka James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill has been the number one face on the news and presumed sole survivor of the Eisenberg cartel alongside with Jesse Pinkman for six weeks, if not more, by that point.

Which makes him being the manager of a Cinnabon in plain view absolutely fucking retarded. He 100% could have been the manager of a warehouse, or a night security guard, or anything that's not facing customers. Sure, if it's been a few years no one would think that this is the same guy, but we are talking about while it's the biggest news on national television.

Rafael Quintero was on the FBI's most wanted list for over a decade before being captured. It took ten years because he was in foreign countries and required the CIA and DEA to build informants and information across years. And he kept moving countries and cities to evade the CIA. Whitey Bulger was underground for fifteen straight years without a peep. There was a gigantic FBI taskforce that literally did nothing but track him for those entire fifteen years trying to find him. He evaded capture by severing all contacts with friends and associates and lived in a small apartment in California never raising his profile even once. The FBI hunted them over a decade despite the fact that they vanished and the FBI still found both of them and arrested them.

Saul has been FBI's most wanted for under a year and is already blowing his cover and potentially exposing himself by calling Kim at her work address. And contacting his secretary who says that she is being followed regularly. He has used the name Saul Goodman now to at least two random strangers. He yelled to someone being arrested "GET A LAWYER!!" and the security guard remembers it still. He is now breaking and entering into homes. Drugging people. And this is mere weeks into his new identity. And this show is supposed to be a slow burn?

If the FBI or police do not capture him in the next episode his plot armor is comic book hero level. The taskforce if they were not monitoring Kim's phone numbers is just a plot hole or bad writing at this point. The wife of an FBI top ten fugitive would be monitored at all times. And Saul only has one living relative or family member, Kim. So the FBI has an easy job.

That means that Saul was sitting at home longingly looking at a copy of his commercials literally days/weeks into being in the run, not years later out of nostalgia.

This is just ridiculous at this point. If you had asked me when the Gene timeline was I would have said at least three years since Walt died. And that Gene started out working at Cinnabon and worked his way up to manager. The fact that he is managing the store as his first job at Cinnabon six weeks after being the biggest story in the news is absurd. Fans of this show are idiots.

 

[Internet War Criminal]

I guess that's kinda weird but six months is still a pretty long time to be isolated from everyone you love. I always just thought that Granite slate took place over a year and multiple months took place between most Gene scenes. Maybe if you're calendar counting it's strange but eh, i'm not that picky. Would multiple years make as much of a difference either way? Like Saul's Clark Kent disguise is so perfect in 2017 but not in 2010

Yeah multiple years would definitely make a huge difference. It's 2010 and we've just discovered weeks ago that the biggest meth dealer in America was a former middle school chemistry teacher, and his assistant was an ex-student, and he made a business that was worth in the billions shipping all over the world, with tons of deaths and carnage.

They would be making documentaries on that shit, scripts would be written for tv version, it would have been 'The American Escobar' and all of that shit.

If you tell me that after hiding for 2 or 3 years he resurfaced in the middle of the Okies and he's managing a shop there and no one knows who he is, I mean, sure, it kinda make sense, heat has died down enough that most people would have forgotten the face of the lawyer who was associated with and abetted that cartel.

Six weeks later? That's just fucking retarded there's no mustache that would prevent from anyone who watches the news regularly to go at least 'Hey you look like that Saul guy, and kinda sound like him...'

 

[BetterFuckChuck]

Yeah multiple years would definitely make a huge difference. It's 2010 and we've just discovered weeks ago that the biggest meth dealer in America was a former middle school chemistry teacher, and his assistant was an ex-student, and he made a business that was worth in the billions shipping all over the world, with tons of deaths and carnage.

They would be making documentaries on that shit, scripts would be written for tv version, it would have been 'The American Escobar' and all of that shit.

If you tell me that after hiding for 2 or 3 years he resurfaced in the middle of the Okies and he's managing a shop there and no one knows who he is, I mean, sure, it kinda make sense, heat has died down enough that most people would have forgotten the face of the lawyer who was associated with and abetted that cartel.

Six weeks later? That's just fucking retarded there's no mustache that would prevent from anyone who watches the news regularly to go at least 'Hey you look like that Saul guy, and kinda sound like him...'

Seven months later

Rafael Quintero was on the FBI's most wanted list for over a decade before being captured. It took ten years because he was in foreign countries and required the CIA and DEA to build informants and information across years. And he kept moving countries and cities to evade the CIA. Whitey Bulger was underground for fifteen straight years without a peep. There was a gigantic FBI taskforce that literally did nothing but track him for those entire fifteen years trying to find him. He evaded capture by severing all contacts with friends and associates and lived in a small apartment in California never raising his profile even once. The FBI hunted them over a decade despite the fact that they vanished and the FBI still found both of them and arrested them.

Saul has been FBI's most wanted for under a year and is already blowing his cover and potentially exposing himself by calling Kim at her work address. And contacting his secretary who says that she is being followed regularly. He has used the name Saul Goodman now to at least two random strangers. He yelled to someone being arrested "GET A LAWYER!!" and the security guard remembers it still. He is now breaking and entering into homes. Drugging people. And this is mere weeks into his new identity. And this show is supposed to be a slow burn?

If the FBI or police do not capture him in the next episode his plot armor is comic book hero level. The taskforce if they were not monitoring Kim's phone numbers is just a plot hole or bad writing at this point. The wife of an FBI top ten fugitive would be monitored at all times. And Saul only has one living relative or family member, Kim. So the FBI has an easy job.

This is just ridiculous at this point. If you had asked me when the Gene timeline was I would have said at least three years since Walt died. And that Gene started out working at Cinnabon and worked his way up to manager. The fact that he is managing the store as his first job at Cinnabon six weeks after being the biggest story in the news is absurd. Fans of this show are idiots.

Next you'll tell me that a guy blowing up a building with fake meth and surviving is stupid

Yeah this season has definitely lost its groove. Seasons four and five had many episodes that were the best of either BB or BCS. It seems like they have no real idea how to tie all these timelines together, even though they took an extra year due to COVID-19. I don’t know what they did during that year because this just feels like winging it.

I'd say the actual events have all made sense, it's just compounded with a lot of filler. I heard Bryan and Aaron got brought back a year before official filming so I guess they had it all planned for a while

 

[I hate children?]

View attachment 3577331

Rhea Seehorn is also listed in the credits for Waterworks and Saul Gone.

 

[IceCreamForCrow]

Yeah multiple years would definitely make a huge difference. It's 2010 and we've just discovered weeks ago that the biggest meth dealer in America was a former middle school chemistry teacher, and his assistant was an ex-student, and he made a business that was worth in the billions shipping all over the world, with tons of deaths and carnage.

They would be making documentaries on that shit, scripts would be written for tv version, it would have been 'The American Escobar' and all of that shit.

If you tell me that after hiding for 2 or 3 years he resurfaced in the middle of the Okies and he's managing a shop there and no one knows who he is, I mean, sure, it kinda make sense, heat has died down enough that most people would have forgotten the face of the lawyer who was associated with and abetted that cartel.

Six weeks later? That's just fucking retarded there's no mustache that would prevent from anyone who watches the news regularly to go at least 'Hey you look like that Saul guy, and kinda sound like him...'

Can't believe Better Call Saul is basically a Monty Python sketch

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1hc9l

 

[Internet War Criminal]

Seven months later

Seven months after he disappeared, but six weeks after El Camino. We don't know exactly when he became part of the FBI's most wanted list, but it's at most between 6 months to 6 weeks, and it's retarded either way.

Next you'll tell me that a guy blowing up a building with fake meth and surviving is stupid

Makes more sense that a man presented as a borderline genius chemist would be able to make something like that, yes.

 

[Hallucinogenic Penguin]

I could have sworn the BCS Gene timeline was at least 2-3 years after Breaking Bad.

 

[Internet War Criminal]

I could have sworn the BCS Gene timeline was at least 2-3 years after Breaking Bad.

Nope, the Gene timeline happens in October and November 2010, starts barely a month after El Camino ends.

 

[BetterFuckChuck]

Seven months after he disappeared, but six weeks after El Camino. We don't know exactly when he became part of the FBI's most wanted list, but it's at most between 6 months to 6 weeks, and it's retarded either way.

Makes more sense that a man presented as a borderline genius chemist would be able to make something like that, yes.

So eight months in total then?

Also it doesnt make more sense lol. That's lego science

 

[Internet War Criminal]

Also it doesnt make more sense lol. That's lego science

Your average viewer doesn't know shit about chemistry, so it might as well be magic. So, yes, it definitely makes more sense than Gene being the manager of a Cinnabon in full view of the public at the same time when he's basically making the news at least once a week.

 

[BetterFuckChuck]

Your average viewer doesnt pay attention to the amount of time that happens. For all they know they literally think Better Call Saul happens exactly right before Breaking Bad, hence the constant suggestion that the ending should be Walt walking thru the door. In my opinion if you think the timeline is too compressed just make up a timeline in your head. It was already kinda weird that Breaking Bad only took two years

It's still kind of a shame because it does kind of rob us of a character moment that Gene had to work his way up as this shy old man that no one knows about. They also had that American Greed special made, so they know Saul should be hotter than he is, however I guess the Disappearer's schtick is just that good. The original Breaking Bad scene mentions that it'll take longer to make his identity - a whole afternoon I think - because he's got his face on every bus bench. If you watch anything you'll find weird details like this. If the Godfather came out today Harbringer would be talking about how stupid it is that Michael Corleone could get all those people killed during one baptism

To me this is a lose/lose situation for the writers. If they set it in 2010 they have people like us who are autistic saying "THAT'S BULLSHIT! Gene would get caught" If they set it in 2013 or onwards there's the problem of them setting the show in a point where phones become way more accessible and common and people would go "THAT'S BULLSHIT! Why aren't they using their phones?"

Ultimately? I really don't care. I know details like this are important, it has to feel like a long time passed if a long time passed and the same for the reverse. However my enjoyment of something is in the events, the character arcs, how well they reincorporate plotlines and payoff what they set up. I'm not a plot guy entirely but also not a thematics guy either. So stuff like this kinda doesnt bother me

My threshold for plotholes is "would my mother care?" If she can point out a plothole immediately then it's a problem. If some guy on bird farms points it out after watching it frame by frame and discussing it with four other people on twitter using screenies then its probably not a real problem

Edit: reading up on the episode again. I think they also wanted it to be more immediate. the implication is they were just searching for Walt and Jesse the past 6-8 months and that let the Gene identity set in. Now that Jesse is confirmed gone police are now honing in on finding Saul. Hence Saul sort of abandoning the Cinnabon and going full crook mode because he knows what he was doing before will definitely get him caught. So they are saying "yeah, the Gene identity wouldn't work because now the feds are dismantling it

Another thing is while his acting in Nippy wasnt all that good, he improved in the last ep, Pat Healy seems like a nice fella. I read that when they originally couldnt get the rights to use Jim on the Move from Sony he commissioned a new version from Lalo Schiffrin. They managed to work out the rights but he's a die hard fan like we are

 

[nosemouth]

How does anyone know that the Gene timeline takes place in 2010?

 

[TheHarbinger]

Your average viewer doesn't know shit about chemistry, so it might as well be magic. So, yes, it definitely makes more sense than Gene being the manager of a Cinnabon in full view of the public at the same time when he's basically making the news at least once a week.

Literally every aspect of chemistry on the show is plot magic or just bad writing. Walt making exploding mercury that blows up a room but MAGICALLY does not detonate the rest of the mercury in his hand is poor writing and super convenient just to advance the plot quickly. Walt's magnet trick by grabbing the laptop and destroying it through the police evidence room is more fantastical writing that fans think is great but five seconds of using your brain reveals the absurdity. Stuff like them melting a body through a bathtub and the floor is not accurate either. The show was filled nonstop with stuff that was physically impossible yet also simultaneously trying to portray Walt as some genius.

But expecting fans to be critical of anything in the BB universe is pointless. They will eat Vince Gilligan's shit and ask for more. Walt's magic chemistry is basically like Jimmy's magic legal practice. You either suspend disbelief or admit that these shows are mediocre upon serious analysis.

 

[Daniel Wallace]

You either suspend disbelief or admit that these shows are mediocre upon serious analysis.

You forgot the third option: Autisticly complain about a fictional story not being 100% factually accurate to the minutest detail.

 

[BetterFuckChuck]

Literally every aspect of chemistry on the show is plot magic or just bad writing. Walt making exploding mercury that blows up a room but MAGICALLY does not detonate the rest of the mercury in his hand is poor writing and super convenient just to advance the plot quickly. Walt's magnet trick by grabbing the laptop and destroying it through the police evidence room is more fantastical writing that fans think is great but five seconds of using your brain reveals the absurdity. Stuff like them melting a body through a bathtub and the floor is not accurate either. The show was filled nonstop with stuff that was physically impossible yet also simultaneously trying to portray Walt as some genius.

But expecting fans to be critical of anything in the BB universe is pointless. They will eat Vince Gilligan's shit and ask for more. Walt's magic chemistry is basically like Jimmy's magic legal practice. You either suspend disbelief or admit that these shows are mediocre upon serious analysis.

okay mauler

 

[George Floyd Sneed]

The vast majority of TV is just trash so in many ways BB/BCS are upper-tier by default. At least Gilligan woke-proofed the characters this time. He originally wanted to kill off Skyler in BB during the first half but the ear-piercing screeching about how Skyler wasn’t a #girlboss prevented him from doing that. I don’t think there’s been a single tranny unless it was one of Jimmy’s freak clients. The standards for TV in 2022 are that low. If the worst thing on the show is a little plot armor and plot holes, that’s not bad at all.

 

[Little oak tree]

Literally every aspect of chemistry on the show is plot magic or just bad writing. Walt making exploding mercury that blows up a room but MAGICALLY does not detonate the rest of the mercury in his hand is poor writing and super convenient just to advance the plot quickly. Walt's magnet trick by grabbing the laptop and destroying it through the police evidence room is more fantastical writing that fans think is great but five seconds of using your brain reveals the absurdity. Stuff like them melting a body through a bathtub and the floor is not accurate either. The show was filled nonstop with stuff that was physically impossible yet also simultaneously trying to portray Walt as some genius.

But expecting fans to be critical of anything in the BB universe is pointless. They will eat Vince Gilligan's shit and ask for more. Walt's magic chemistry is basically like Jimmy's magic legal practice. You either suspend disbelief or admit that these shows are mediocre upon serious analysis.

wait a second so Dexter isn't actually a genius kid???

 

[Fortunato Brown]

The vast majority of TV is just trash so in many ways BB/BCS are upper-tier by default. At least Gilligan woke-proofed the characters this time. He originally wanted to kill off Skyler in BB during the first half but the ear-piercing screeching about how Skyler wasn’t a #girlboss prevented him from doing that. I don’t think there’s been a single tranny unless it was one of Jimmy’s freak clients. The standards for TV in 2022 are that low. If the worst thing on the show is a little plot armor and plot holes, that’s not bad at all.

I just realized the only black character is Huell.

 

[IceCreamForCrow]

My prediction tonight: Cancer guy is DEAD. Either because of the drugs they gave him or Jimmy has to kill him to cover up the crime. Alternatively he tries running and does a slipping jimmy slip and fall and breaks his back and dies.

Afterwards Jimmy runs from cops or is arrested. Old lady might turn him in or confront Jeff about him. No idea about the rest

Adding to this I think the cold open will be Kim getting the call from Jimmy. Or it'll probably feature Kim.

 

[Xerxes IX]

I was hoping that robbing a dying cancer patient was one thing too far for the bastard when even he was having qualms with it, but no, he just had to go do that. Fuck him at this point. I hope this is a setup for his final downfall.

That's why I roll my eyes every time someone says the show's trying to tell us that Jimmy is a good person deep down. That's like saying Walt really cares about Jesse. He was looking for an excuse. The man with cancer isn't worried about doing risky stuff like drinking because in his eyes he's going to die anyway, so it's ok to drug and rob him.