Board 8 > So this Breaking Bad show, it's pretty good.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Methodical Mike continues. I thought I knew what was up, but then this turned into a B-side of Mike and Jesse's adventures collecting drug money. Lots of driving and not a whole lot else. It feels like this was almost training for Mike here. And then it had an even bigger payoff with the big reveal that this was Los Pollos Hermanos that the money was dropped to. I am expecting to see young Gus sooner rather than later!

Which makes me sad that we then have to go back to Saul and his and Kim's quest for a receptionist. Not that it is a bad scene, but compared to potential Gus, it is nothing. I do like how it speaks volumes about Saul's flying-by-the-seat-of-his-pants mentality towards establishing a business. He's got a commercial in 11 minutes, and boy it'd be nice to have help.

Just like that, Mike ropes Saul into his side of the story. For breakfast. Which we saw on the Los Pollos Hermanos sign. Hypppppe!

I gotta say though, this place is way too lively for a fast food joint. Especially for so early in the morning. Cashier lady even wipes down the counter right after Saul picks his order up. Its like I'm in bizarro land where fast food is halfway respectable. Which is weird, this show isn't based in Japan...

Saul sips his drink and watches the backpack guy. I see him in the background! I see him in the background! He's fuzzy, but he's there!

Even helps Saul find a watch in the trash. What a guy! Clearly knew his money guy was being watched. Passing him by was likely a signal to scram. I imagine there will be more spy games between Mike and Gus before any big meeting is set.

What an iconic parking lot this place has. I remember way back years after when Hank asked Walt to put a gps tracker on Gus' car. Ahh, those will be the days.

I'm discovering that Saul is pretty much a master at stealing other's techniques. Like Kim just did the 'quick give me a buck' thing that we know Saul makes future use of. And then right as they're talking about what Chuck's masterplan might be, I spy him using the tape removing technique that Chuck had him do.

I get the sense that the battery thing was part of a larger setup on Chuck's part to get Ernesto to talk to Kim and ultimately Saul, but to what end has me scratching my head. But then, Chuck is supposed to be moves ahead of me a mere commoner non-lawyer.

"Doesn't look like a stock market crash?" literally what I first thought he was going for before I realized it was the W and M like on the prototype business card.

Ah...the plan is to get Saul to steal the tape. How...normal.

But then Saul storms in like a hurricane against Chuck's expectations. Even still, he's fallen into the trap. Welp. Sounds like he could use a lawyer. Better Call Saul!


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Some shoes on a telephone wire and a Los Pollos Hermanos truck with our opening scene. But what does it mean?!

Like how this meeting in the road is set up, but I can't not think that were a random car or two to come along it would be awkward for all parties. I imagine Gus would have some men on lookout who could warn of any oncoming traffic here in the middle of nowhere.

Saul's lawyer adversary coming around to view him being processed was gold. The icing on the cake that is the whole segment of Saul being brought in. Sitting on the plate of his conversation with Chuck.

Then we jump to a weird upbeat action montage with Kim. It feels so out of place, but I love it.

I like seeing where Saul's morals stand. He knows it would be better for Kim to represent him, but also doesn't want to drag her into what he sees as his mistake to clean up and risk messing with their business.

Speaking of messes, the shoe gets explained. Leaves a nice cocaine dusting on the truck. Probably red shoes to make them easier to spot with a sniper rifle too.

As Kim goes out to have a chat with a smoking Saul, it hits me that these fake ice panel windows sure seem to get a lot of use in a number of places. Seen them in the hospital and here at Saul and Kim's office. Probably a few other places too. Albuquerque must love that decoration.

So now Kim is in the fight. Interesting how they hold hands and make an M.

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SovietOmega posted...

I'm discovering that Saul is pretty much a master at stealing other's techniques. Like Kim just did the 'quick give me a buck' thing that we know Saul makes future use of. And then right as they're talking about what Chuck's masterplan might be, I spy him using the tape removing technique that Chuck had him do.

yesss. tbh, i think the characters of BB/BCS all blend together in vince's style since he loves making things meticulous. lots of egos, difficult men (TM)

but in particular walter white did this too (and i believe you took note of it)!
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Mexico! Don Eladio!

Suddenly this show has a new prong on the ol' A/B story with the beef between Gus and Hector now demanding some screen time. I remember when this show was just about a struggling lawyer and occasionally a stoic parking garage attendant.

Hector projecting strength is fun to watch, and it makes me realize that this show and Breaking Bad are filled to the brim with rises and falls of various people and groups. We know it is but a matter of time before Hector has an unfortunate accident leaving him a bell of his former self. I get the feeling that Gus or Gus acting through Mike will be the means of Hector's fall. But he bravely tries and defies fate all the same.

Inevitably we were gonna march forward a bit on the Saul plot. Which involved Mike being a repairman. Sometimes you're killing people, sometimes you're stalking them, sometimes you're repairing doors. He's a little bit of everything and that's why we love him.

I found some unintentional humor in Saul's pre-prosecution meeting thingy. Four cast members make their way into that room, all people we've seen interact with each other in various ways, and then the black lady walks in sitting on the other side of the table. While her position is important from a realistic perspective, from a show perspective she's just a minor character here and gone for as long as this trial lasts.


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don eladio is so great. i think gus is more fun than mike, so his appearance is definitely a boon to that side of the story

hype for 3x05
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"Nice to fix something for a change" really hit me for some reason, Banks nailed that line

Also the Kim getting ready for work montage is like, fantastic. I don't know why I like it so much. But it's perfect

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Now that you know Gus is back there's a fun easter egg with the episode titles for season 2. If you take all of the first letters and re-arrange them it says "FRINGSBACK". Those sneaky writers didn't think anyone would figure it out and someone figured it out almost immediately.

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skullbone posted...

Now that you know Gus is back there's a fun easter egg with the episode titles for season 2. If you take all of the first letters and re-arrange them it says "FRINGSBACK". Those sneaky writers didn't think anyone would figure it out and someone figured it out almost immediately.

i think they intentionally held off on bringing gud back specifically because of the fans noticing
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What do you mean? He shows up in Episode 2 of Season 3. Are you saying they kept him out of the season premiere to try and throw people off?

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skullbone posted...

What do you mean? He shows up in Episode 2 of Season 3. Are you saying they kept him out of the season premiere to try and throw people off?

the episode titles are in season 2. it would have been very fitting for gus to return in 2x10 but he didn't
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I don't think they held off because of fans being too smart. Vince Gilligan is not D&D. I think it was just to make it clear who intervened at the end of S2 if you decipher it, but I'm pretty sure they film the whole season before releasing the episode titles.
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Yeah the scripts are at least written when they decide the episode titles. Also I'm pretty sure people didn't figure it out until after the season ended but IDK.

I didn't start watching Saul until after season 3 was over.

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You know, little detail I just realized...the blue block in the Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant? It has a red top. Now, it is completely in theme with the color choices for the establishment, buuuut I gather it serves as an eternal reminder to Gus what happened on that day with his partner. Every time he visits his restaurant, he would be reminded. That's as brilliant as it is dark.

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Finally I get to see Chuck in his formative stages regarding this EM field issue of his. Easily identified as the past because the brothers weren't snarling at each other.

Chuck chucks a cell phone and violin lady is throwing in the towel? She seems a little...high strung.

Kim and Mesa Verde seem to be getting along fine at least, even after her disclosure regarding Saul's file doctoring.

I never tire of watching people try and accommodate Chuck's condition. Ever since the season 1 reveal of his true colors, and him venturing out into the world beyond his home, it has had such a sinister aura about it. To see places normally light and vibrant turned dark and gloomy. The removal of cell phones, while not of particular concern for the viewer, if you put yourself in their shoes, think about how someone would feel having their lifeline to the larger world taken away from them. The isolation a person would then feel, no easy means to call for help should the situation arise. Ultimately, it was a brilliant move on the show's part to set Chuck up this way.

At long last though, we get to the meat and potatoes of this case the season's been building up. Finally chips are being put on the table, the bases are loaded, and it's the 4th quarter and Saul desperately needs to score a strike, or at the very least a spare.

Ahahah...so THIS is how Saul and Huell get involved. We the audience see him casually walking down the stairs and bumping into Chuck. We know he has magic pickpocket powers. What did he take, I wonder?

Ah...so that's who Saul got in touch with. Makes narrative sense to me. So now Rebecca is thrust into BCS's present times and now knows of Chuck's condition.

Oh...ok, so Rebecca is an ex-wife of Chuck's. I probably should have picked up on that earlier. "If you had had...lung cancer...would you have told Rebecca then?" Well played, BCS, well played.

Ah, not take, but placed. A battery. Which then sets Chuck off on a little tirade against Saul for all the people in the room to see. Score one for Saul, but the battle isn't over yet. Really nice to see Saul doing actual lawyer things in a courtesque setting.


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Chicanery is when I realised BCS was on a level with BrBa

It's completely outstanding

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SovietOmega posted...

Really nice to see Saul doing actual lawyer things in a courtesque setting.

I mean that was chicanery. He was guilty af, all he did was discredit Chuck. But yeah I guess discrediting your enemies is a pretty lawyerly thing to di.

SovietOmega posted...

Oh...ok, so Rebecca is an ex-wife of Chuck's. I probably should have picked up on that earlier.

yeah <_< i mean there's the flashback where jimmy has dinner with her and chuck...
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I had her initially pegged as a romantic interest, thinking the EM nonsense would have driven her apart. But the episode made it clear that the romance had already been there and she had moved on, but kept in touch.

"Who works for who?" Hector's still able to command, while calmly sipping some coffee. But it is clear where the future lies. Even without Breaking Bad knowledge, the writing on the wall is plain as day.

Also, don't think I haven't been noticing these glitchy BCS opening credits. With their little flashes of 'this is future times' black and white and showing images of what is to be Saul Goodman's mark on the world. BB viewers know to expect it, and even BCS viewers who have been paying attention could see how events might play out.

Suspended for a year and Saul's gotta be a good citizen and such. Pretty light deal all things considered. Chuck's pissed, but Hamlin is seemingly able to talk some reason into Chuck. How much of that truly takes, who can say. He's playing with batteries, so there's that.

Saul not only kept the fish, but seems to have taken the vet guy's advice to heart. Saul truly does not like seeing things suffer, and it is little things like that which make this show what it is. He's also got the fun task of telling all his clients that he's taking a 1 year break.

As Kim and Saul debate on what to do about the office, I realize that there's surely some parallel that can be made between a law office and a meth lab. Which would by association make Kim the Jesse of BCS. Doing their own thing together was like, half of Breaking Bad now that I think about it XD

Interesting pickle Saul is in...has to pay for commercials he can't make use of and there's a contract involved.

"It could work" - Gus upon first examination of what is to be his meth lab's location. Had a little pang of nostalgia for the place. Quite a few memories, fond or terrifying.

Oooh, new commercial. Saul appearing with a sharpie beard and mustache. Pretty cheesy stuff, but the real money shot was at the end...'Saul Goodman'. Finally, Jimmy is sliding into being Saul. You have no idea how many times I've been almost typing Jimmy instead of Saul here, this show's been completely rewriting my perception of him. Thankfully, that's looking like it will be changing sooner rather than later. What's in a name? We're about to find out!


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Community service...not a particularly good look for Saul.

Thought that might have been the last we saw of baseball guy, but here Nacho is coming at him with a pill problem that he can solve.

Poor Saul is having bad luck with these commercial spots. Even offering one for free. The toll it is taking on him is so visible it hurts as if I had an EM disorder.

He's spending money he doesn't really have, and seriously considering falling back on his old tricks with Kim, who's merely window shopping with cons and pulls him back from the brink.

...and boy is brink the right word as Saul goes to the insurance place to try and get just some money back. Seems to have a bit of a breakdown, although him mentioning his brother mixing up numbers like Saul didn't have a part in it leads me to believe it might just be a con. Is he trying to tank his brother's credibility? Are these two brothers really gonna make mountains out of molehills?

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Little coin story in this episode's opening scene. Whatshisface is alive, so this is in the past at some point. It also reinforces his dad's saintly nature, which the more I mull it over in my mind, the more I think that it was the dad giving freebies than it was Saul taking from the till that lead to income woes. I'm sure Saul played a part, but Chuck really does think the devil of Saul.

Now Mike is taking up the hobbies of metal detecting and shadow clone making. Truly a man of many talents, believe it!

Music guys have good sense with their rejection of Saul Goodman Productions. Poor Saul ain't ever giving anyone the elite package is he?

Hah, Kim's really taking a shine to Moscow Mules, even seems to be affecting the Mesa Verde folks. Also some drama with her and HHM but nothing more than the consequences one might expect from actions taken in that hearing.

I love Chuck-o-vision so much. We get to hear his illness and see the brightness, almost able to feel his pain. Here he is walking through the grocery, and the lights are more muted than normal, demonstrating that his progress is real. Then he turns onto the freezer aisle and it's like an rpg with trapped hallways and a treasure at the end. Alas, Chuck might not be high enough level for this area's EM encounters.

Hah, so Saul's little slip let him unload the rest of the commercials on the music people. Even got him a guitar. I suppose that's the meaning behind this episode being called 'slip', but there's a dozen different ways that word can be interpreted so anything's still possible.

Nicely done with the Hector/Nacho drug scene. Nacho's got some solid planning skills with the AC breaking to get Hector to take off his suit to let him do a pill bottle transfer. Still unsure if this is the best move long term for him, but him going ahead at all demonstrates his convictions.

Lawl, and so it begind. Saul sticking up for a nobody drug dealer and also himself. Blindsides their overseer with a convincing enough argument to let them slack off/leave and still get hours. Knowledge is power, and power corrupts.

Episode ends with Mike and Gus clasping hands, formalizing their working relationship with one another. I'm expecting some good things from this pairing.


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The Nacho/Hector pill swap scene is so good. So tense

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SovietOmega posted...

...and boy is brink the right word as Saul goes to the insurance place to try and get just some money back. Seems to have a bit of a breakdown, although him mentioning his brother mixing up numbers like Saul didn't have a part in it leads me to believe it might just be a con. Is he trying to tank his brother's credibility? Are these two brothers really gonna make mountains out of molehills?

i think he borrows from genuine emotion but resolves to fuck over chuck. it's truly petty and vindictive. like walter white, when jimmy is disempowered, he seeks to regain that power by destructive/abusive means.
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skullbone posted...

The Nacho/Hector pill swap scene is so good. So tense

That look of relief on Nacho's face when he made the throw

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nachos a fucking psycho

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Oof...Saul's trying to get the old people to settle a bit quicker so he gets his paycheck sooner. Not a good look, and you can bet the old lady will chatter about it.

Madrigal shows up now as Mike gets to meet Lydia. Has to give his real info...I can understand his reservations, but as Lydia assures him, he is a rounding error.

Hah, Hamlin floats the idea of Chuck hanging up his lawyer hat. I can almost taste the irony of Chuck's actions ousting him rather than Saul.

I like Kim's case with the oil guy Billy. A nice counterpoint to Saul being scum, she's offering a solution that's effectively a bribe, but legal. They even throw in some bonus tension with her almost pushing her car into the oil extractor.

Dayum...Hamlin's going all out on putting down Saul. "You're like Gollum, transparent and pathetic" "Here, you want a handout?" *pulls out some cash* "Next time why don't you bring a tin cup"

As Hector breaks a phone because he's a big ol' crybaby about how his little empire is failing, it hits me. All of Breaking Bad and all of Better Call Saul is really just Vince's way of creatively sticking it to the telephone companies who must have done some minor slight to him in the past. It is the only explanation why phones keep getting in harms way.

Saul starts working his con magic on the old ladies. I have...mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, old people probably genuinely could use money sooner rather than later, but I can't shake the feeling that he's tarnishing some of the goodwill he's built up with them and so obviously for his own gain too.

Lawl...and now Chuck is suing HHM. Very few people on this show are having good days. Mike...Mike is having good days. Pretty much everyone on the Gus side of the line's doing well for now. But all the other cast members? Some degree of pain, be it self induced like Kim's big workload or via bad choices like Saul. I think I legitimately feel sorry for Hamlin for getting caught in the crossfire between brothers.

...jesus christ wtf at the end there. How the devil did that happen? I guess Kim's worked herself a bit too hard. Maybe that montage a few episodes back wasn't being jumpy for the aesthetics but was actually Kim-o-vision. But man...she's definitely having a bad day now.

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kim crashing her car was one of the least surprising developments to me. she pushed hersf way too hard and simply didn't respect her body's need for sleep.
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Yeah they built up to it a bit

Also nicely foreshadowed an episode or two earlier if I remember correctly - Kim takes a nap in her car, sets a 5-minute alarm and the show abruptly cuts to the alarm going off and her waking up suddenly

And honestly whether you see it coming or not, it's horrific to watch because Kim is so great =(

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Like, it's one of those things where I wasn't truly surprised it happened, it surprised me as it happened with how the show presented it. Particularly with half the episode moving at the speed of old people, it was exceptionally jarring. Kudos to whoever edited that episode. And yeah, thinking back I do agree, there was that phone alarm as a solid foreshadow. Thankfully she seems to be ok, probably just needs some time to unwind and heal any lingering injuries.

Now I gotta dive into the season 3 finale. I am expecting some upending of the status quo!

Chuck 'wins' and is now in retirement. The episode is called lantern though, and one of Saul's fears was the house burning down and a big explosion would be just the kind of thing a season 3 finale would do. I'm a little worried.

Kim meanwhile, is at a blockbuster because those still were around at this time, a firm reminder that this indeed takes place in the past. She's even cleared her schedule to do some movie watching. It sounds shameful, but in her case justified.

Chuck seems to be regressing. He was all thrilled about feeling better and going back to work, but if there is to be no work, why put forth the mental effort to trick your brain into being cured of your fake illness? From a fully electrified house back into darkness, and now there is nobody to care for him because he pushed everyone away. This definitely doesn't bode well.

The show takes a lot of time to indulge him in his search for the missing electricity. He even goes as far as tearing down the walls. If he truly had the ability to be affected by it, he'd easily zero in on it and he knows it. That he persists is just another reminder of how warped his mental state is becoming. Almost painful to see him break an otherwise fine house. Fueled with disappointment after disappointment, he goes as far as destroying the meter. Frankly, he's gonna need to burn his own house down to hide all the crazy he's operating under. Use his retirement money to move to the nearby Indian reservation and live off the land.

And just like that, Hector is out of the game. Awfully convenient for the pills to land by Nacho, but the boy's earned this victory so I can let it slide.

Saul seems to have a history of getting caught by electronics. Though this was obviously his plan, although roping Erin into it to through me for a small loop.

Season winds down with less of a bang and more of a whimper. The era of that office space is now done and over. Kim promises that they'll find a new wall.

Chuck won't though, he's about to lose all of his. That's a lot of kicking he did there. I feel like there'd be better ways to have that happen if he wanted it to happen.

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Chuck is so tragic :(

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Season 4 time.

Chuck is dead. Nice dramatic irony on the phone call, though it was inevitable that Saul be brought into this moment. Music was appropriately somber and the coroner van just leaving provided a rough timeline we can form in our heads.

Whole lot of somber moods all around, the episode makes no attempts to liven much of anything up. It certainly helps craft a mood.

Poor Nacho's having a time disposing of pills. You'd think dumping them in the river would be safe, but nope...he's being tracked and watched. A bit silly, but drama's gonna drama.

"Boxing is a sport, martial arts are life and death" I get these office folks are just there to make casual conversation while MIke does Mike things, but actually, compared to most martial arts, Boxing ranks quite highly in most circumstances. Most martial arts do well...against opponents of the same type of martial art, but pitted against different martial arts/real world scenarios can have vastly reduced efficacy. Modern times have been a boon to gathering more scientific data on martial arts, particularly through competitions like MMA.

Much needed moment of levity though, I was pretty sure he was doing what I thought he was doing. I wonder how much chewing out he's gonna get for attempting to do his job and not his illegal job.

But enough fun, did you know that Chuck is dead?

Thankfully BCS doesn't linger on the church scene. Just long enough to let you know it happened.

Saul had a moment when he could have told Howard about the insurance and how he told them of Chuck's condition, but chose instead to let Howard think himself singularly guilty.

Then he goes and whistles while making coffee. How very Walt of you, Saul.

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With this episode being called "Breathe" I kind of figured this would feature Hector and his condition, especially after him being wheeled away very recently.

Tickles me how much Saul's background lets him relate to Neff's 'wall of crap' with him working in a mail room, making counterfeit ID, and knowing old people. Naturally, since Charisma is Saul's highest stat, the Neff guys like him a fair deal. I'm wracking my brain because I'm certain I've seen/heard the name 'Neff' before either in a prior season or on Breaking Bad. I feel like there is a connection, or maybe I've just seen a wayward internet comment or two.

...and unfortunately Wisdom is lacking because then he turns around and berates the guys for hiring him. Clearly he's got a time machine and has been stalking Walt because this is pretty much that tier of crazy.

Hector scenes doing some nice work. We see a mysterious grant letting a fancy pants doctor in...I like how much deference the resident doctor shows her. Those two cousins are there being super stoic. Even Nacho shows up and has a little chit-chat about the current state of Hector's empire.

Damn, Kim flaring up hard. I adore Howard as a character, and absolutely love the actor's ability to bring him to life, but Kim...Kim just devastates his intentions. I think this is the most passionate I've seen her, I like it!

Speaking of passion, she and Saul do a little dinner and a movie years before netflix existed. I look the date netflix was founded just to double check that my little jest is valid, and it turns out that netflix was founded in 1997. 2020 strikes again.

Late at night, Saul goes online to look at bavarian boys and sees that they are worth over 8k.

And as the episode draws to a close, Gus lets us know what it is like to not be able to breathe oxygen very well. Not quite a box cutter, and Nacho definitely gets off a bit easy here, but effective nevertheless.

"From now on, you...are...mine" - Gus, putting a number of more powerful villains to shame. Like, Darth Vader has super powers and the ability to blow up planets. What does Gus have? A few people willing to tie plastic around people's heads and some chicken restaurants. Yet slap the two in a head on match against one another, and I think my money's on Gus.

The way the plastic crinkles with the dude's dying breaths...such a glorious detail.

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kim going at howard is pretty crazy. she does not seem to be fond of him.
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That Kim rant was so vicious man. Felt like she was yelling at me.

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Nacho's not having a nice day with this real fake shooting that's almost indistinguishable from reality.

You know, I've seen shows make plots that specifically let an ensemble interact where it would otherwise be difficult, but here I am seeing a plot that specifically is keeping the two apart as Mike declines the, admittedly low sum, of a 4k heist. It should be low stakes, but knowing Mike he's got some valid reasoning that will play out later.

I feel like I am getting a crash course in cinematography with these shows. The cousins come and rescue Nacho after surveying the scene and set the car on fire as they make their exit. The show then lingers a bit on the smoke and flames with a shot facing the sun, with the smoke beautifully obscuring the harsh light of the sun's rays. The moment the sun breaks through to be an issue, the scene transitions to Kim.

Not to belabor the point I was making about cameras and shots, but Kim seems to be turning into one of these cameras as she is curiously lingering on a number of objects for no discernible reason I can currently fathom.

I find it rather curious that so many criminal elements are like 'nope, don't wanna do this figurine heist' and Saul has to sell it to them to potentially get 4k....from the company where he could have worked for and made in like, a month's pay. Honest work that cops wouldn't disapprove of. Since this doesn't make any sense, the hummel is probably a symbol for something like Saul's human decency.

I will say, I didn't expect vet guy to be such a recurring character. He's been consistently solid though, so no complaints here. None from Nacho here who gets to live because of vet guy, albeit with a bullet in his shoulder.

Gus is visiting a chemistry lab in a university. This...can only mean one thing! And he's singing the element song <3

Episode ends with a nice letter from Chuck. Seems to get to Kim much more than Saul. Strange.

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SovietOmega posted...

I find it rather curious that so many criminal elements are like 'nope, don't wanna do this figurine heist' and Saul has to sell it to them to potentially get 4k....from the company where he could have worked for and made in like, a month's pay. Honest work that cops wouldn't disapprove of. Since this doesn't make any sense, the hummel is probably a symbol for something like Saul's human decency.

4k is hilariously little to risk their freedom on! jimmy is def acting irrationally here
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"Talk" sounds to me like the episode will involve Saul telling Kim about his role in Chuck's demise.

"You wanted me to talk. I talked" What a way to open the episode XD

Kim wants Saul to talk to someone. I think I am beginning to see the cut of this episode's jib.

A judge wants to speak with Kim. Was not expecting some solid life advice from a seasoned judge.

Saul's jumping into the mobile phone scene. I wonder how hilarious this will get given the time period this takes place in, or maybe it will all be played straight. The CC Mobile shop definitely looks the part...I imagine Vince would have it no other way.

Real nice seeing the cousins in action doing the thing they do best...kicking ass while pretending the world is a library.

Ok, episode was just teasing us at the very start. Really was about Mike talking, but not in the way we were lead to believe. Classic Mike through and through.

"New job, new phone" Methinks I see a budding phone habit for our beloved main character. And wouldn't you know it, he just was handed a lot of cash and works in a phone store.

Could watch Mike and Gus interact for hours. Gus is a master manipulator, but Mike is a master of not being manipulated. It's one of those 'can cut through anything/can block anything' kind of deals and I love every second of it.

That said, now that I am in Season 4, one of the things I'm not as keen about this show compared to Breaking Bad is that it doesn't seem to have as clear a sense of purpose. It's just kinda endlessly twirling its thumbs while things are slowly unfolding. Breaking Bad, meanwhile, had a sense of steady progression and something was always at stake. Events were getting grander in scope until they could no longer do so. Whereas here in Better Call Saul, Everyone is all over the place at any given time. Saul is working here, now he's working there, now Chuck is dead. Gus and Mike help keep the overall narrative flowing in the right direction, but Saul's just kind of...there.

Don't get me wrong, the show's still fantastic, but for all of its virtues, it seems to be missing some spice that prevents me from elevating it above Breaking Bad.


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SovietOmega posted...

That said, now that I am in Season 4, one of the things I'm not as keen about this show compared to Breaking Bad is that it doesn't seem to have as clear a sense of purpose. It's just kinda endlessly twirling its thumbs while things are slowly unfolding. Breaking Bad, meanwhile, had a sense of steady progression and something was always at stake. Events were getting grander in scope until they could no longer do so. Whereas here in Better Call Saul, Everyone is all over the place at any given time. Saul is working here, now he's working there, now Chuck is dead. Gus and Mike help keep the overall narrative flowing in the right direction, but Saul's just kind of...there.

Yeah I would agree with this. I think it's hard to do that sort of escalation in a prequel but I'll also say that I think season 5 fixes some of those problems as well.

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Quite a Ride...seems like we'll be going on a trip. Promises some excitement.

....or the show could just decide 'hey, we're gonna tease the BB era now, you did watch BB riiiight?'. Perhaps showing the fans that what has been established will indeed come to pass. Maybe offering a bone to people who haven't seen BB and want to make sense of the black and white scenes? I imagine if I ever did watch Breaking Bad again, boy will this show recontextualize everything I witness. So much depth added to Saul and Mike, and even the side characters are getting considerable love, the shows complement each other quite well.

Speaking of love, I am loving Saul sell the concept of privacy. Really, Saul missed his calling and in another universe is the world's best salesman.

Bag-o-vision...I think by now this show's eclipsed Breaking Bad in how daring some of its shots are. These are common scenarios with Mike's kind of work, and it is fun to see a new spin on how it proceeds as he guides this guy around. As he lifts the bag off the guy's head and tells him where the entrance will be, everything snaps in place for the viewer who has been similarly kept in suspense. So this is the guy who's gonna build the meth lab under the industrial workspace?

"You can't play Chicken with me, I invented Chicken!" Kim seems to be enjoying her lawyer vacation from Mesa Verde doing some honest grunt tier lawyering.

And Saul? He's peddling some phones to street life. Until a storm of motorcycles blows in...masterfully set up...and then he goes to sell to them too. Music goes from cheerful to ominous, so success is much less guaranteed, but if anyone can do it, Saul can.

...and then gets jumped by the three jerks who blew him off before this segment began.

Kim's starting to worry me some. Her priorities seem to be getting a little skewed. Clearly Saul's been a bad influence on her. That said, without Saul, she'd probably still be working at HHM and underappreciated.

Ok then, THIS guy will be the hole maker. It is good to see them shopping around some, as well as different operation methods by the candidates. Who knew that digging a secret hole for clearly illegal purposes would be so difficult?

Episode ends with Saul being a tiny bit hopeful that everything will be better after he gets his law license back. It will not. It will merely be.

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SovietOmega posted...

That said, now that I am in Season 4, one of the things I'm not as keen about this show compared to Breaking Bad is that it doesn't seem to have as clear a sense of purpose. It's just kinda endlessly twirling its thumbs while things are slowly unfolding. Breaking Bad, meanwhile, had a sense of steady progression and something was always at stake. Events were getting grander in scope until they could no longer do so. Whereas here in Better Call Saul, Everyone is all over the place at any given time. Saul is working here, now he's working there, now Chuck is dead. Gus and Mike help keep the overall narrative flowing in the right direction, but Saul's just kind of...there.

Don't get me wrong, the show's still fantastic, but for all of its virtues, it seems to be missing some spice that prevents me from elevating it above Breaking Bad.

just stay tuned for --

SovietOmega posted...

....or the show could just decide 'hey, we're gonna tease the BB era now, you did watch BB riiiight?'.

yup, this! one of the most visceral, unexpected cold openings IMO.

staying tuned for further reactions!
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I felt that exact same way watching BCS which is why I stopped going back

i mean if you really care about plot sure

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While it is a little lacking in overarching structure, BCS is filled with a lot of great individual moments. I've also grown more fond of all the lingering shots than I expected. One could argue that they waste time, but I feel they often set a nice mood and bring a touch of realism which helps contrast absurd events.

As Piata opens, Saul is in the mail room. I see BCS's first scenes have given up all pretenses of adhering to linear time, opting instead for narrative time.

Saul's notepad with the hypothetical lawyer names and logos that Kim finds is adorable. Always banking law for her, and Saul always lists her first.

Unfortunately, Kim's pushing forward with her life and strongly considering building the banking division at Schwariokart. It would let her offload boring bank work and let her help people, a thing she finds she likes doing. Naturally, this also lets her gracefully exit the scene freeing Saul to further develop as we know he will.

HHM's seen some better days, as Saul's trek over there shows. I feel for Howard in ways I never expected I would.

...$4000 worth of phones. Never would I have guessed that the obscene number of phones we saw him have in Breaking Bad was a downgrade. But man, I wanted him to get phones...and boy did he deliver.

Moments like this Gus hospital speech to Hector are what keep me coming back. Such juicy Gus lore!

And the whole situation with these Germans and their living space is quite interesting too. Definitely looks like an expensive setup.

"You get one warning, and that was it!" Some Gus tier tactics Saul's using here...pretty brutal, and likely effective. Finally brings sense to the title too.


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first ten min of episode 7 are a treat
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If the first 10 minutes of this episode are anything less than amazing, I am holding you personally responsible SeabassDebeste!

Well, certainly off to an interesting start. I imagine more than a few people went crosseyed trying to follow everything at once. Lots of time passing and lots of mundane daily routine. I like that we get a firm date on screen letting us know that a lot of this season is in 2003 timewise, and now we're on to 2004. I'm also realizing that with this phone gig Saul's running 'Better Call Saul' makes way too much sense as his catchphrase of choice.

Then we go first person mode after the intro. Surprise, it was actually Huell-o-vision! And we exit it around 7:30 into the episode, so clearly, some exaggeration of how much of this episode was a treat has taken place. This smells like a lawsuit to me!

Or perhaps you would have me believe that a horny old man knocking over water for a nurse to bend over and clean up constitutes excitement? Well, yeah, you're right...we get to see Hector nearing his final form. All that's missing is the bell. But this still leaves 30 seconds unaccounted for in your supposed 10 minutes. I'm calling my lawyer.

Solid progress on the underground lab-to-be. It's starting to have some recognizable structure to it, like the top walkway and stairs. Then one of them did an oopsie and prolonged their stay. Tensions are running a little high, but we know it won't take them more than 5 years to sort things out.

Back on Saul's side...he's busy selling phones when a cop comes to rattle him some. Who gets decked by Huell thanks to a convenient combination of earphones and plainclothes.

German guy explains to Mike how these Germans were expecting to be here 8 months and aren't halfway done, that you can't keep people locked away forever. Little did this German guy know that 2020 was just 16 years away.

Looks like if everything is played by the book, Huell's gonna have a small bit of jail time. Saul seems to have other plans. "You do your thing, I'll do mine."

Then Kim decides to go buy a bunch of pens and notepads and whatnot. Just shoves them all in a cart. Idk Kim, I don't think that's gonna be sufficient to bribe a judge!


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Saul's on a bus. Why is he on a bus? Find out, soon! Definitely up to some old tricks if nothing else.

The German boys get a night out looking at girls, but a more traditional bar is more Mike and the head German's speed. Have a little chat about family they do, specifically their fathers. Supposedly this German's father built the Sydney Opera House. One of those details that would be super easy to fact check for accuracy but that's so minor a point I don't care to.

Back at the strip club, guess who is causing some trouble?

Wait a minute...just hit me as Kim popped onscreen to a fun little tune...that she bought a lot of pens and stationary at the end of last episode, which Saul used on that bus. That was all part of her plan? Has the student become the master? Combine this with a lawyer meeting with the opposition and there's clearly a larger game being set in motion...part of the fun is trying to figure this out on my own. There's likely enough clues being teased, but I can't quite make the connection yet.

I like how even factoring in the rowdy German kid, it is the old one who potentially was the most threat to the operation with his casual bar talk of architecture. He's smart enough to see the error of his ways though, so Mike is able to let him go with a very stern warning.

Bwahaha...love that lawyer honesty. When asked if Kim started the ball rolling, which she truthfully did, she instead replies that she did not instruct those citizens to write and send in letters.

Pretty elegant plan actually...fluster the judge to make working out a deal more appealing. The case is also nowhere near high profile enough to bring in solutions, like handwriting experts, that would see through this act. Even phone numbers XD

Even a website, ok, this is great. The spread of phones that Saul and friends have to select from is similarly a lovely addition to this ruse. You'd need to be an improv genius to sell that many voices, any wrong move and the prosecutor lady would be on them instantly.

But it works, and just like that Kim gets the deal she desired. Even gets a bit romantic with Saul. Followed thereafter by disinterest in a Mesa Verde meeting. The path she's on seems to be a little shaky...there's a lot of success, but she feels almost on the verge of chucking it away by tempting fate. Really, I'd be less concerned if I didn't know that she doesn't appear in Breaking Bad, so something drastic has to happen in the near future, and most of the ways a prequel character fails to appear in a main series are not particularly good ends.

Hah...new Salamanca guy in Nacho's shady restaurant place. Cooks Nacho a meal, says it's so good Nacho will die. Guy's got a lot of charisma, but Nacho is having none of it. This new dynamic has some potential, but I wager Nacho will cut it short if he gets the chance.


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Lalo is a lot of fun

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Lalo!

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jimmy as the preacher is too good
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that whole con is fantastic start to finish

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BCS is a character study, it's even in the name. BB is too, but it's clearly plot driven with an end that you could see seasons away. BCS masterfully uses the negative space of its prequel non-plot in the same way. You want to see anything BUT the end because you already know it. There's just so much more in the mundane.

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This episode opens with Kim doing probably not very nice things to Mesa Verde. Saul is there too.

Frankly, one of the most unrealistic things in either show has got to be how much 'character' the entire Salamanca family seems to have. Several generations of it seem to be carefully constructed to be engagingly adversarial in varying ways. I'm cool with it, but how much more of their brood is gonna make it up to Albuquerque before the end? Wonder what it was like in the writer's room "Welp, we've about finished with Hector. but now Nacho has nothing exciting to do...aha! I've got it, another Salamanca will suddenly show up! A new one, one we can kill! It will be great!" And it will be great, because great is all Vince knows how to be.

Somehow I knew the souvenir was gonna be that bell, it just made too much sense. Lalo's already proving himself to be a worthy addition to the Salamanca roster.

Something wrong with one of the charges in the secret underground space. That's not good...someone's gonna die.

Or would, if this were any other show. No, the blast goes off without any major disruption. Admittedly, with Gus, death is never off the table...especially with how secret he wants the place to be, but for now, these Germans are spared.

Saul's being classic Saul in this court meeting. We can easily infer that those letters are probably fake, the 'silver circle' doesn't exist, and Saul likely glanced at one case in the law journal to be able to pretend like he's cared to keep up. Then at the very end he's fielded a question from a bespectacled lass that he wasn't quite prepared for....what does the law mean to him? Such an open ended question shouldn't be hard for Saul to worm his way through though. Of note is what isn't said. No mention of his brother, even with the question of potential influences is raised.

And...they planned to deny him. A question of sincerity. They're definitely right. Somewhere down below, Chuck is laughing.

Somber music with Werner...don't tell me he's gonna do something dumb like off himself. Like, ok, he's away on a job for what, not even a year yet? Compared to the time he's been married, it's really not much at all!

Kim putting the 'Again' on the mug...nice. Their relationship's had ups and downs but we know she still cares about Saul, events just conspire to have them drift apart a lot. She meets with him and pretty quickly clues in on the absence of Chuck mentions, undoubtedly playing a role in Saul's denial.

...and boy are we heading for a big 'down' in their relationship, perhaps maximally down. Speaking of down, I love the closing shot with the camera looking down on the top of this parking garage. It's lovingly placed in the lower center of the screen and Saul's so tiny, just standing there with some nice buildings taking up the rest of the screen space. Doesn't feel like it has any particular deeper meaning behind it, it's just a fun shot and I like it.

Hah, Werner misses his wife so much that he ran away. True to his word, he left detailed instructions, but using his electronic measurer, he caused voltage spikes in the security cameras. It still seems a bit silly to me, but now that he's done this, he's probably never seeing his wife again once caught.

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