Better Call Saul

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Very good episode.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

it's why i probably won't watch it.

gilligan did a great job of making saul a known slimeball who had built a craft for many, many years that revolved around making vast amounts of money off of criminal behavior that included murder and hurting children.

i'm a little disappointed that gilligan would compromise his previous work to try to redefine the character and make a show with him at the center.

i know some of the head nodders who worship all things breaking bad will try to argue that the show is supposed to show the evolution of saul as a conniving bastard, but there's no way any rational adult will buy it.

It's not compromising anything, if you really wanted to you can just watch BB and pretend there is no BCS. I really don't know what you're disgruntled about, you're actually mad that Gilligan is giving you more BB.

You really think knowing more about Saul will compromise the previous work? If anything it makes BB better, little things like when Saul advised WW to buy a laser tag business become way more important and actually have a story behind them, just like the Nail Salon that Saul tries to get Jesse to buy. I doubt Gilligan and company would do this show if they didn't have a good plan of attack, I mean, you really think you're a better writer than these folks? Don't make me laugh.

 

[anotheridiot]

your comment about the incredible writers make one wonder why they wouldnt just go out and do something new. I guess I am missing out too, but if it was Saul and Jesse running from the law knowing the mad scientist is dead, follow the wife and kid, they could have kept writing breaking bad not hitting you with a "thats why it happened" moment per week.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

I'm loving this show. Really developing it nicely and building layers to Saul and his backstory.

Zero hero can keep saying why he won't watch it all he wants. The fact he isn't watching to see how unsubstantiated his claims are makes it all the more fun to point and laugh at.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

your comment about the incredible writers make one wonder why they wouldnt just go out and do something new. I guess I am missing out too, but if it was Saul and Jesse running from the law knowing the mad scientist is dead, follow the wife and kid, they could have kept writing breaking bad not hitting you with a "thats why it happened" moment per week.

The time after BB is actually the main setting of BCS, in the first episode we learn what Saul has been up to since BB. They could still include Jesse and everyone else if they wanted to since BCS will include stuff that happened before, during and after BB.

 

[cezero]

I'm loving this show. Really developing it nicely and building layers to Saul and his backstory.

Zero hero can keep saying why he won't watch it all he wants. The fact he isn't watching to see how unsubstantiated his claims are makes it all the more fun to point and laugh at.

Gilligan is a great writer, and he spent 3 seasons demonstrating Saul to be completely 1-dimensional.

That's not unsubstantiated, it's a fact.

Even when Walt had completely broken bad, he was still multi-dimensional, which made him worth watching at the center of a show.

Anyway, I wish Gilligan would have just written a fresh, new show instead of being lazy and going back and trying to add "layers" to a flat character he wrote so damn well. Easy money for him, though, so congrats I guess.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

Saul never hurt any kids. You're talking out of your ass.

I'm loving this show. Really developing it nicely and building layers to Saul and his backstory.

Zero hero can keep saying why he won't watch it all he wants. The fact he isn't watching to see how unsubstantiated his claims are makes it all the more fun to point and laugh at.

He thinks that Saul hurt a kid, it's pretty funny to hear his hatefulness.

 

[OregonDucks]

This show has me hooked. Great so far! And if history with these prove correct, it'll only get better with each episode.

 

[broncosmitty]

Gilligan is a great writer, and he spent 3 seasons demonstrating Saul to be completely 1-dimensional.

That's not unsubstantiated, it's a fact.

Even when Walt had completely broken bad, he was still multi-dimensional, which made him worth watching at the center of a show.

Anyway, I wish Gilligan would have just written a fresh, new show instead of being lazy and going back and trying to add "layers" to a flat character he wrote so damn well. Easy money for him, though, so congrats I guess.

Better Call Saul isnt exactly Degas doin' Dogs Playing Poker to pay the bills. It's a different show. Centered far more on humor than right or wrong, selfish vs selfish. Not that it's without substance. But Saul is funny as hell.

The only one losing out by you not watching is you. (I didn't watch BB because Ive seen Meth destroy good people. Wasn't that interested in seeing it take down Hal in his tightie wities.(Not sure why Cranston has to always be in his undies.) Now I've watched the entire series TWICE in about three months.)

 

[cezero]

It's a different show. Centered far more on humor...Saul is funny as hell.

It would almost have to be. The only way a character that flat works at the center of a show is in a sitcom, after all.

Mike is a more interesting character by far, so I'm glad to see some people on here saying he's going to have a bigger part as the series goes on. Literally the only reason I might try watching this in a few months.

If other rounder characters get introduced and Saul becomes a side show caricature for comic relief/gags, that'll be a good thing, IMO. Maybe that was Gilligan's fan in the first place. If so, I'll be happy.

We'll see.

Again, I don't dislike the Saul character. He was brilliantly written for 3 seasons on BB, and served very well to emphasize just how much Walt became the monster he became during that time. Wonderful juxtaposition. Masterful use of character by Gilligan.

 

[broncosmitty]

Mike will have an even bigger role in BCS than he did in BB, I think anyway.

He's a gateway to so many characters. (Definitely my favorite character from BB.)

 

[beardown07]

Right now, BCS has almost taken over TWD as my favorite weekly show.

It's great. Yer missing out cezero

 

[RaidaDave]

I love it so far.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

I'm expecting Walt and Jesse at some point. Saul apparently represented Emilio (Crazy-8's cousin and Jesse's childhood friend) several times. I expect to see Walt as an overqualified Chemistry teacher and Jesse as the underachieving knucklehead.

Good times ahead!

 

[TheDayMan]

Gilligan is a great writer, and he spent 3 seasons demonstrating Saul to be completely 1-dimensional.

That's not unsubstantiated, it's a fact.

Even when Walt had completely broken bad, he was still multi-dimensional, which made him worth watching at the center of a show.

Anyway, I wish Gilligan would have just written a fresh, new show instead of being lazy and going back and trying to add "layers" to a flat character he wrote so damn well. Easy money for him, though, so congrats I guess.

Well, everyone seems to like the show, a lot. Boycott it all you want. We'll enjoy it, you don't watch it. Problem solved.

 

[cezero]

Anyhoo, I'm glad that it's successful, really.

I'm still a big believer in Gilligan. While he chose not to do it with this latest show, he is great at letting characters develop naturally, and lets that dictate the direction of the narrative when he's at his best. It makes each episode and each season feel fresh and genuine.

His next project will undoubtedly get greenlit on spec, and I look forward to it.

 

[cezero]

Well, everyone seems to like the show, a lot. Boycott it all you want. We'll enjoy it, you don't watch it. Problem solved.

Yeah, exactly.

 

[night]

I'm expecting Walt and Jesse at some point. Saul apparently represented Emilio (Crazy-8's cousin and Jesse's childhood friend) several times. I expect to see Walt as an overqualified Chemistry teacher and Jesse as the underachieving knucklehead.

Good times ahead!

It will probably be tough to make Jesse look like a high school kid again at this point. Aaron Paul is closer to 50 than he is to 16 lol.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

It will probably be tough to make Jesse look like a high school kid again at this point. Aaron Paul is closer to 50 than he is to 16 lol.

True, lol. Tuco has aged quite a bit since Season 2.

broncosmitty said:
It's a different show. Centered far more on humor...Saul is funny as hell.

I agree, the actors from BB were pretty exhausted by the end of it. A lighter mood probably freshens the whole thing up for them more than the timeline shift. It's most likely the reason why they chose Saul for the spin off instead of Gustavo Fring or Jesse.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

It would almost have to be. The only way a character that flat works at the center of a show is in a sitcom, after all.

Mike is a more interesting character by far, so I'm glad to see some people on here saying he's going to have a bigger part as the series goes on. Literally the only reason I might try watching this in a few months.

If other rounder characters get introduced and Saul becomes a side show caricature for comic relief/gags, that'll be a good thing, IMO. Maybe that was Gilligan's fan in the first place. If so, I'll be happy.

We'll see.

Again, I don't dislike the Saul character. He was brilliantly written for 3 seasons on BB, and served very well to emphasize just how much Walt became the monster he became during that time. Wonderful juxtaposition. Masterful use of character by Gilligan.

This is where we disagree, even when Saul was at his height, he didn't condone any harm to children. The only reason he even lifted the cig off of Jesse was because Walt said he would be saving Jesse. He never really even did anything that bad. If you really think about it, Skylar was better at his job than he was. How underrated Skylar is as a character is another story though.

Mike was a much rounder character because he was in the show more than Saul. We even got to see Mike with his granddaughter, we didn't even get to see Gus Fring with his family at all, it's no wonder why he's a much more rounded character.

Saul was funny on BB and the only time we ever really got to see him was when Walt/Jesse needed something, they chose to do the spin off on his character because it would give them a chance to step away from the incredibly heavy drama in BB and take advantage of a really good actor and character that didn't really get to be fleshed out while giving BB fans a little more of what they crave.

All in all, I think your criticisms of the show have been completely unwarranted. It's not a big deal or anything, I just think you're wrong.