Better Call Saul S2 |OT| The Truth Is Just A Point Of View - Mondays 10/9c

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This is the best show on TV at the moment in my opinion. Extremely tight storytelling and some incredible performances all around. The guy playing Chuck is amazing and I LOVE Kim. And Jimmy's mini meltdown with Chuck about quitting the law was masterfully acted.
 
Brakke said:
Yeah this whole Mike and Jimmy thing is hitting more and more weird. The two guys were totally on unrelated threads this episode? Not one overlap?

Jimmy v Chuck was great as always.



The joys of the one are pretty much entirely disjoint with the joys of the other. Both are extremely well executed versions of what they are tho.
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We get two shows for the price of 1. Not a bad deal.
 
Fascinating thing about Chuck is that Jimmy is still waiting for a comeuppance even if it's at the cost of alienating his relationship to his brother. Yeah, Chuck was more right in this episode than he's been before but the fact is he's still taking a somewhat sadistic glee at the idea of proving Jimmy wrong due to how amazingly self-centered he is. Really the one thing I learned about him in this episode is how it's not even really just about his pride as a lawyer but his pride in being put on a pedestal. I don't think Chuck sitting with Howard in reviewing Kim was a coincidence. He has the potential to step in at any time to influence reason in Howard's choice but he doesn't call out the rashness of it, primarily because he still wants to see Jimmy crumble.

The fact that "Chuck is right" is something that has gone without saying ever since the penultimate episode of last season, and Jimmy admitted in the first episode of this season how he wouldn't be happy with his job at D&M because his interest in the law is somewhat fleeting. He's also shown in this episode that he probably wouldn't lose much sleep if he actually did get removed from the bar. Chuck being right isn't really a big issue, the issue is that he's so proud of himself that he's starting to show shades of abandon just because he can't admit that even in the most superficial of terms, he won't ever admit to Jimmy being right.

Which is why I'm reminded of probably the most profound sticking line from last season when, again, he had to stick his neck on the line to salvage a problem that was completely out of his control (and which quite frankly he was lucky about accepting the bribe as it meant he had a smoking gun in terms of reverting damage done). "The thing you guys should know about me, I've got nothing to lose".

It's a bit of a shame that Saul's character "leaves" Breaking Bad under some of the most cheap circumstances. Even though it's inferred paranoia due to the cops baiting Huell / Kuby out of the game and fear that Todd's gang might get to him, he gets out of dodge under circumstances that wouldn't leave him in much of a bind, which means that while the development of this show up until Saul establishes his brand is going to mostly be a fairly uphill one (since he's content with where he is at by the time we meet him in Breaking Bad), the actual "downfall" passed that seems like it's going to be a bit underwhelming.
 
Spikematic said:
This is the best show on TV at the moment in my opinion. Extremely tight storytelling and some incredible performances all around. The guy playing Chuck is amazing and I LOVE Kim. And Jimmy's mini meltdown with Chuck about quitting the law was masterfully acted.
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Yep completely agree. My favourite show on tv atm. The performances really are outstanding. Chuck was speaking some truth but hes still an ass. He never believed in Jimmy when he was on the straight and jimmy's behaviour almost became a self fulfilling prophecy because of that.

I have this really bad feeling that Kim won't survive the show. With Nacho and Mike hooking up and some more dangerous characters likely to be coming I think Jimmy will get sucked into that world and Kim will get hurt. I really hope not I really like Kim.
 
Spikematic said:
This is the best show on TV at the moment in my opinion. Extremely tight storytelling and some incredible performances all around. The guy playing Chuck is amazing and I LOVE Kim. And Jimmy's mini meltdown with Chuck about quitting the law was masterfully acted.
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It shouldn't surprise me anymore 1.5 seasons in, but Odenkirk constantly blows me away. Who knew he was that great of an actor?
 
Dominican Power said:
What year does this all take place in?
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I would guess the first season of Breaking Bad took place in real time (so, 2008-ish?) and assuming Tuco gets locked up for five years like Mike said, I would guess this is early 2000s. The look of their phones more of less matches up with that too.

Anyway, I'm absolutely loving this. Jimmy and Mike are really interesting characters, and unlike Walt I'm really rooting for Jimmy and I think his character development is a lot more nuanced and interesting. I thought after the end of the first season he was going to come back and become a criminal lawyer, but I'm glad they're not just jumping straight into that, and I can believe that he's refraining from doing any more cons because he has this desire to be a good lawyer and do the right thing because he wants Kim and his peers to respect him.
 
I liked this episode, but I'm starting to realize that I'm much more invested in Jimmy's past than Mike's. This episode ended and I couldn't help but wish that I had gotten more Jimmy.

You’d never know it, but Jonathan Banks couldn’t wear prosthetics for technical reasons, so his messed-up face was created entirely by a computer. All Banks had on his face during filming were a couple of tracking dots. Everything else was digitally added in later. Impressive job.
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Wow, that's amazing. I never would have guessed this.
 
Niraj said:
Yeah no shit. Wonder how many people caught that.
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What's so impressive, and a testament to just how good this team of writers are, is that there's been a lot of nods and cameos and Easter eggs to Breaking Bad, but none of them feel shoehorned or show-offey or in-organic. They all have reasons to be there in the context of Better Call Saul, and feel completely natural to the point that it's actually easy to miss them just because they don't feel out of place.
 
I love this show for many reasons, but a big one is definitely the return of Mike. They flesh out his character so much beyond BrBa, so it doesn't feel like fan service.

To call Saul a 'spin-off' at this point would almost be like selling the show short. I love how it expands on the BrBa-universe, but stands on its own as a great show by itself. All the BrBa-stuff is just icing on the cake.
 
- Onion A|V Club's Polite Fight: Finding sympathy for the “villains” of Better Call Saul
Gus and John switch gears this week for their discussion of “Gloves Off” to focus more on character than aesthetics, as they discuss some key members of Better Call Saul’s dramatis personae, starting with Mike. Gus breaks down how the episode’s cold open allowed him to connect with Mike for the first time ever, and John puts forward a theory for how and why the show keeps the audience at such a distance from him. A pair of comments inspire a discussion about Chuck and a debate about whether the show is encouraging viewers to sympathizing with this supposed villain. Turning to another erstwhile villain, Howard, John compares Better Call Saul’s deft evolution of the character’s relationship to the viewer against the more jarring shifts of sympathy that you find on Game Of Thrones.
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So I'm sure someone else probably pointed this out but during the preview for next weeks episode
we see Mike sitting in what looks to be a diner/restaurant with someone and I believe he asks,"Who are you?" or something along those lines. Its a very quick shot but is it possible that Mike is having his first meeting with Gus Fring?
 
Cornballer said:
- Onion A|V Club's Polite Fight: Finding sympathy for the “villains” of Better Call Saul
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Was just going to post this. Seeing Jimmy dial *3 for Kim made me think of this immediately.

And as an aside, I started watching this series when they were going it for Fargo Season 2 and it has quickly becomes my favorite series as far as tv criticism goes. Their discussions are always really interesting, and they always seem to manage to point out things I didn't notice.
 
This show is so fucking well done

There are a lot of breaking bad fans that are going to feel like idiots for not watching it sooner when they finally watch it on Netflix
 
-griffy- said:
What's so impressive, and a testament to just how good this team of writers are, is that there's been a lot of nods and cameos and Easter eggs to Breaking Bad, but none of them feel shoehorned or show-offey or in-organic. They all have reasons to be there in the context of Better Call Saul, and feel completely natural to the point that it's actually easy to miss them just because they don't feel out of place.
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Definitely agree. I think they've been very tasteful and restrained in that regard.
 
HP_Wuvcraft said:
"You are such an asshole."
"Why? For saying she shouldn't believe in you?"

Wow, Chuck continues to be a shit.
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Well I mean, she believed in him and look what happened

He's not wrong, just an asshole

HStallion said:
So I'm sure someone else probably pointed this out but during the preview for next weeks episode
we see Mike sitting in what looks to be a diner/restaurant with someone and I believe he asks,"Who are you?" or something along those lines. Its a very quick shot but is it possible that Mike is having his first meeting with Gus Fring?
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It's actually kind of funny how
every mystery character is instantly assumed to be Gus. I don't think we'll see him for a while because when Mike was working for Gus, he was a professional killer. Here, he got No-dozed just to avoid killing. I don't think Gus would have any reason to contact Mike at this point in time. Gus is very careful about how he picks his guys and I don't think he'd employ someone who provides security to losers like Playuh.
 
MrBadger said:
It's actually kind of funny how
every mystery character is instantly assumed to be Gus. I don't think we'll see him for a while because when Mike was working for Gus, he was a professional killer. Here, he got No-dozed just to avoid killing. I don't think Gus would have any reason to contact Mike at this point in time. Gus is very careful about how he picks his guys and I don't think he'd employ someone who provides security to losers like Playuh.
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I just got that vibe from what I was seeing in that short clip and while I also wouldn't expect him to meet such a big character so soon but who knows, maybe you know who is who gets Mike to step up his game.
 
Grinchy said:
I liked this episode, but I'm starting to realize that I'm much more invested in Jimmy's past than Mike's. This episode ended and I couldn't help but wish that I had gotten more Jimmy.


Wow, that's amazing. I never would have guessed this.
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Yeah what the fuck? Lol. You know it's good CGI when you don't say "that's good CGI" but instead don't even realize that it's computer generated.
 
Sanke__ said:
This show is so fucking well done

There are a lot of breaking bad fans that are going to feel like idiots for not watching it sooner when they finally watch it on Netflix
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Yeah I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't watch this if they liked Breaking Bad. God damn I love this show, I love the characters, I love the actors and I love the writing. So good all around.
 
I thought the show was going to be a cheap cash in on the brand, but I'm more than glad to be proven wrong.

What a show it turned out to be, so far anyway.

I'm not even watching to see how he turns into Saul anymore, I'm just watching because I love these characters(based on what the show has given us, not because they're from Breaking Bad).
 
lamaroo said:
I thought the show was going to be a cheap cash in on the brand, but I'm more than glad to be proven wrong.

What a show it turned out to be, so far anyway.

I'm not even watching to see how he turns into Saul anymore, I'm just watching because I love these characters(based on what the show has given us, not because they're from Breaking Bad).
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Touche.
 
-griffy- said:
What's so impressive, and a testament to just how good this team of writers are, is that there's been a lot of nods and cameos and Easter eggs to Breaking Bad, but none of them feel shoehorned or show-offey or in-organic. They all have reasons to be there in the context of Better Call Saul, and feel completely natural to the point that it's actually easy to miss them just because they don't feel out of place.
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Yeah, I feel like they treat the Easter eggs as something that can add more context or back story, not just shoehorned it in for the sake of a buzzfeed list. And that's no easy feat.
 
BeforeU said:
the fuck?

so his brother used to be no one, and somehow passed the BAR and is a lawyer now. Instead of being supportive, does that justifies him being a jealous asshole?
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he is annoyed that jimmy was able to just shortcut his way into being a lawyer but he also knows jimmy better than anyone else in the show

chuck genuinely cares about the law whereas its just a tool to jimmy, and chuck knows that even though he may produce some good (even excellent) work that he'll eventually gravitate towards the slippin jimmy ways

im convinced by chuck and i think jimmy is slippin jimmy whether he likes it or not, or whether or not chuck supports/doesn't support him, he just naturally attracts shady individuals without much discomfort
 
Alpende said:
I was with Chuck this time and thought he was right. Other than that I really dug the episode. Mike continues to be a badass and it was great seeing Tuco again. I didn't realize it was Krazy 8 in that scene so it was cool to see how that character started out and turned into Krazy 8 since Tuco is gone and locked up.
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Holy shit!

this_guy said:
Before the show started I didn't realize how much I wanted a Mike Ehrmantraut origin story.
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I just want more Mike.

-griffy- said:
Sheeeeeit, I almost forgot this was a prequel and I know Mike's fate
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Once again: FUCK. WALT!
 
IronRinn said:
That last one is fucking nuts! The subtle attention to detail in this show is amazing.
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I've seen every episode of Breaking Bad at a minimum of 5 times, and even I did not catch that Hank mentions Nacho's Dawg Paulson story back in Season 2 of BrBa. That is completely crazy!!!

Man this show is nuts. I also feel like the previews are intentionally faking us out to believe "Gus is totally going to be in the next one!" Because he's probably going to appear at some point...he just has to.

What the hell else is Giancarlo Esposito doing lately?
 
So I'm rewatching Breaking Bad with the girl I'm seeing, I just noticed something, don't know what's considered a spoiler so I'll just go ahead an spoiler tag it all, both BB and Better Call Saul spoilers I guess.

So in season 1, when Jesse meets Tuco for the first time, when he and Walt are going wholesale with their meth. In that scene Tuco is wearing the diamond studded boxing gloves around his neck, so either he made new ones or he got them back from Mike.
 
lamaroo said:
I wonder if Robert Forster makes an appearance at some point, and what brings Saul in contact with him.
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He said that he didn't even know the disappearer's name, and he was shocked that his store actually did vacuum cleaner repair, so they haven't had much - if any - contact. But they could find a way to work him in somehow to show how Saul got in contact with him. Or obviously they could expound on his transfer to Nebraska.
 
Schrade said:
Yeah I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't watch this if they liked Breaking Bad. God damn I love this show, I love the characters, I love the actors and I love the writing. So good all around.
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Not enough thrills and suspense. I'm the only one in my family that made it past the first few episodes last season. It's really tragic because I'm sure they'd love that Mike episode and would get sucked into Jimmy's story.
triplestation said:
when gus is introduced in this show it will be in a highly tasteful fashion
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Oh man, I cannot wait for this. It's going to be so good. The best part is, he will be a recurring character for the rest of the series.
 
Has this show been renewed for a third season yet or are they planning to wrap it up at the end of this year? IIRC, the show was initially ordered as a two-season deal.
 
Blader said:
Has this show been renewed for a third season yet or are they planning to wrap it up at the end of this year? IIRC, the show was initially ordered as a two-season deal.
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It hasn't been renewed yet, but it absolutely will. It's been drawing solid ratings for a cable show and is getting high praise critically.
 
Saw tomorrow's episode at Paleyfest in LA yesterday. Gotta say it was a good one that will have people talking about implications. The panel was great as well.
 
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