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[Vlad]

Crazier part is that the showrunners admit they're making it up as they go along.

Breaking Bad had a good amount of seasons, which I hope they replicate. But seeing as how we are in the second season of this show and he still isn't Saul I'm worried that they will drag it out too long.

I don't wish to ruin it for you, but I also don't want them making the show any longer than it needs to be.

I think what makes both shows work is that even though they're slow, there's still the sense of progress. Even when Breaking Bad was doing its slower episodes, they were revealing something new about the characters, or moving the pieces around so that future huge changes would work within the confines of the plot. I'm perfectly fine with the show taking its time to get to Saul, as long as there's no spinning of the wheels (and Gilligan and company have more than earned my trust at this point). If Jimmy was stuck in the stifling environment of Davis & Main for season after season, then yeah, there'd be reaso to complain, but they're very obviously setting up a plotline where he's most likely not going to be there by the end of the season.

For me, I'm perfectly fine with the showrunners making things up on the fly as long as it's not the kind of thing where there's a big mystery that's established and they've got no idea how to resolve it (apparently Lost was notorious for this).

what do you want to see after he turns? A weekly procedural? This long, slow turn is the entire point of the show. He was Saul all along. We might not see him change his name until the last episode of the last season of the show. I'd get used to it.

It all depends on how they set things up, of course, but my own personal gut feeling at this point is that the Saul Goodman practice was actually a legitimate thing to start with. Jimmy wants to practice law "his way", commercials and all, so after striking out from Davis and Main, he could use the decent amount of money he's still due for bringing the Sandpiper case to HHM in the first place to start his own practice in a location that's not a nail salon. He already knows that his style of commercial works, and we've never seen him happier than when he was busting his ass doing all the public defender work in "Mijo".

Remember that the Saul we see in Breaking Bad isn't just a lawyer working on his own, but he's a "criminal" lawyer. He's more than willing to help Walt out with his drug business, suggests murdering Badger in prison, and has been involved in some sort of shady business with Nacho that suggests that he's not entirely surprised when he thinks that the cartel's trying to kill him.

There's still a LONG way to go from the Jimmy we see here to that version of Saul.

 

[PantherLotus]

Right, that's why I don't get the hurry and focus on the name change. You laid out exactly why we have to let this burn out.

 

[Spectral Glider]

Like I said last night, it's probably a true story in most ways. But there's a reason he's telling her that story right now, in that way. He's trying to build camaraderie with her so she swings to his "side." I wouldn't think that so strongly were it not for the way he so quickly switches off at the end of the story to "More coffee?" all happy like. And then he throws the cherry on top as he's walking out, all strategic like, giving her props for the deal and saying he'll talk to Howard. It just all reeked of Chuck building a false friendship with Kim to turn her further against Jimmy.



Definitely don't think you're wrong. I think it's a chicken/egg scenario, a closed loop whereby Jimmy's actions cause Chuck to distrust him which causes Jimmy to do dumb shit which causes Chuck to distrust him which causes Jimmy to....and so on. It's like their individual insecurities cause each other to self sabotage as it relates to the other, which further reinforces their insecurities and makes it impossible to break out of the cycle.

Exactly. She asks Chuck a question about her future at the firm and what does she get as a reply? A story about Jimmy and their dad. Nothing about her. And it's a damaging Jimmy story to drive a wedge between the two of them. I think the look on her face at the end of that scene shows that. That was not the look of, "Great, awesome, he's talking to Howard!" It's the look of, "Jimmy was right." Or, it's the look of "Fuck, these two are both nuts."

And your second point is pretty much dead on. The dinner scene, Jimmy knew the lawyer jokes would dig deeply at Chuck plus I'm sure Chuck's terrific house and marriage eats at Jimmy, and that's exactly why he starts dishing the jokes. The fact that Mrs. Chuck loves them just throws fuel on the fire.

 

[harSon]

Why is this show so fucking good.

 

[Dick Justice]

Disliked how Kim's montage had to occur twice, and it went on a little too long. Otherwise, great episode.

 

[Playsage]

Just Finished episode 5

Goddamn it, Vince! You can't close an episodes like that!

Spoiler

Fuckin' Tio Salamanca is in the building!

Do we know anything about Giancarlo Esposito making a cameo?

 

[Zoso Achilles]

The cold open showed that even with all the lights on, Chuck has the darkest house on the planet.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Disliked how Kim's montage had to occur twice, and it went on a little too long. Otherwise, great episode.

I didn't feel like it went on too long. I love this shows pacing in general. Things just happen and scenes are allowed to breathe and it's all so damn gud.

 

[JHoNNy1OoO]

The cold open showed that even with all the lights on, Chuck has the darkest house on the planet.

LMAO! Seriously it took me a little while before I realized it was a flashback. At first I thought he had finally gotten over his paranoia.

 

[Pyroclastic]

Is it just me or did Tio seem to de-age?

top marks for the somewhat inconsistent make up team there.

krazy 8 actually looked younger (or at least the same) than in BB

yet mike looks about a 100 years old in this.

 

[smokeymicpot]

Just Finished episode 5

Goddamn it, Vince! You can't close an episodes like that!

Spoiler

Fuckin' Tio Salamanca is in the building!

Do we know anything about Giancarlo Esposito making a cameo?

Not that we know of. Honestly I hope we don't get Gus. We know most of his story already.. I like guys popping up from BB but only if needed. Let this be it's own show.

 

[Niraj]

Disliked how Kim's montage had to occur twice, and it went on a little too long. Otherwise, great episode.

I didn't feel like it went on too long. I love this shows pacing in general. Things just happen and scenes are allowed to breathe and it's all so damn gud.

Likewise, I thought it was fine because it really showed how hard she was working to pull herself out of her situation. Made the "fuck you" from Howard sting even more, and Kim's subsequent disappointment even more palpable.

 

[Dai101]

top marks for the somewhat inconsistent make up team there.

krazy 8 actually looked younger (or at least the same) than in BB

yet mike looks about a 100 years old in this.

Mike has had a hard life, give the guy a break.

 

[CharminUltra]

Before the show began I worried they'd get to Saul Goodman way too quickly, but I'm pretty much over those fears by now. I'm loving the hell out of the pacing. Excellent episode after excellent episode.

 

[thenexus6]

This episode reminded how much I miss the cool time-lapse shots that were in Breaking Bad.

 

[MrBadger]

Introducing Tio with the bell ring was perfect. Also I said this last week but it's great how as the show goes on, Chuck seems like less and less of a villain as we see his point of view more. Great writing.

smh at people ITT still defending Chuck

If you honestly believe the story about his dad and take it face value and that Chuck didn't leave out ANY details I don't even know what to say

The whole beginning sequence of the episode was showing how petty of a motherfucker Chuck is, he hates people finding Jimmy charming, he hates people liking Jimmy, Jimmy NEEDS to be his fucked up brother. The look on his face after his wife didn't laugh at his shitty joke says it all.

There's clearly more to Chuck than that. He hates how he works hard and Jimmy gets success by being funny, then squanders his success by not playing by the rules and leaving other people to face the consequences. We see that in Breaking Bad and we see it here, too.

 

[NotLiquid]

So the continuation of the Tuco subplot - I always saw him getting snuffed out of the picture as a way to end the plot thread that was caused on account of the early bird cameo. That said if they are really going down the road of potentially having his sentence changed, will they actually go through with it? Something tells me that's not going to happen since BCS takes place in 2002 while Breaking Bad takes place in a nebulous year around 2010 (even though the show started in 2009 it references events that happened after that).

Since Grunkle Salamanca said he'd be serving roughly 8 years, it feels like that's going to probably be intact. There's no other way Krazy-8 is going to be running the streets if Tuco is around.

 

[PantherLotus]

Introducing Tio to threaten Mike to help get his sentence reduced is CLEARLY how they're going to draw Jimmy in with the Salamancas.

 

[Dai101]

Since Grunkle Salamanca said he'd be serving roughly 8 years, it feels like that's going to probably be intact. There's no other way Krazy-8 is going to be running the streets if Tuco is around.

Tuco took the streets again after krazy 8 dissapeared.

 

[Brakke]

My boy Hector walking around n shit!

Also loved that twinge on Mike's lips when Hector left. That being the only thing Hector ever did in Breaking Bad lol. Good seethe.

 

[Spectral Glider]

yet mike looks about a 100 years old in this.

Word is that Banks has some makeup allergies, which is why they went with CGI for his bruises after the Tuco attack. That's probably why they've not done much to make him look younger.

 

[Major Gripex]

Anyone else think that Hector gets his stroke via some Mike/Gus shenanigans?

 

[Grinchy]

I feel like if Mike just sniped him, Hector would have never found out who he was. Tuco didn't even know who Mike was until they met at the restaurant. Only Nacho knew him. I'm guessing Hector only found out about Mike after the assault charges.

I just assume that the cartel in this universe has superpowers in the ways of finding information. They seem to always figure out these kinds of things and it's safe to assume that if you killed a family member who is connected to the cartel, you will be found and you are in some deep shit.

They could send the cartoon twin brothers from Breaking Bad in to figure it all out, too.

 

[Spectral Glider]

So the continuation of the Tuco subplot - I always saw him getting snuffed out of the picture as a way to end the plot thread that was caused on account of the early bird cameo. That said if they are really going down the road of potentially having his sentence changed, will they actually go through with it? Something tells me that's not going to happen since BCS takes place in 2002 while Breaking Bad takes place in a nebulous year around 2010 (even though the show started in 2009 it references events that happened after that).

Since Grunkle Salamanca said he'd be serving roughly 8 years, it feels like that's going to probably be intact. There's no other way Krazy-8 is going to be running the streets if Tuco is around.

First episode of BB aired in January of '08 while the timeline supposedly goes from Walt's 50th birthday on Sept. 28, 2009 to Sept. of 2011. However, there are some discrepancies throughout the show that screw with the timeline. And Gilligan himself has sad that Better Call Saul takes place 6 years before Walter meats Saul in BB, so that would start the timeline in '08. So there's another discrepancy. But the general time frame is '08/09 to 2011.

 

[triplestation]

mark margolis imo is a disturbingly excellent actor

 

[Grinchy]

The cold open was entirely to demonstrate two conflicting theories the show WANTS you to have:

1. chuck is unreasonably jealous of his brother and doesn't understand his charisma;

vs.

2. only chuck can see through jimmy's con.

you're SUPPOSED to have this dissonance right now, that's completely intentional.

Both of these are furthered with the Chuck/Kim scene. You're supposed to question whether Chuck just knows Jimmy better than anyone or whether he'll do anything to try and undo his charisma. You're not supposed to know what he's doing because the show wants you to consider both.

Totally agree. And I'm siding with the assumption that #2 is more accurate.

 

[zewone]

This might be the worst episode of the series.

So much fluff that could have been cut.

The editing of this episode stunk.

 

[Dai101]

Anyone else think that Hector gets his stroke via some Mike/Gus shenanigans?

Nah. Hector never shown any animosity against Mike in the times they met in BrBa and Gus is way out off his radar by now. Also rewatch the episode, you can see him moving in weird ways. Subtle really.

or is just Margolis age and i'm reading too much.

I just assume that the cartel in this universe has superpowers in the ways of finding information. They seem to always figure out these kinds of things and it's safe to assume that if you killed a family member who is connected to the cartel, you will be found and you are in some deep shit.

They could send the cartoon twin brothers from Breaking Bad in to figure it all out, too.

You should see how tech savyy the Sinaloa Cartel is.

http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/wh...est-drug-cartel-do-as-it-pleased-for-12-years

They have got a few of internet activists killed also. Just by tracking them online from their tweeter or facebook accounts.

 

[HoJu]

This might be the worst episode of the series.

So much fluff that could have been cut.

The editing of this episode stunk.

What was the fluff?

 

[Langdon Alger]

yet mike looks about a 100 years old in this.

Honestly, he looks too old to be as intimidating as he's supposed to be.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

The technical aspects of this episode were on point, what was wrong with the editing?

 

[minor effort]

Honestly, he looks too old to be as intimidating as he's supposed to be.

I dunno. He's always looked somewhat weathered, but he doesn't look frail.

 

[MrBadger]

Honestly, he looks too old to be as intimidating as he's supposed to be.

He's not really meant to look intimidating, though. A big part of his character in BCS is that people underestimate him because he looks old. It's a fair compromise to Banks apparently not being able to wear makeup.

 

[MoeDabs]

The cold open was entirely to demonstrate two conflicting theories the show WANTS you to have:

1. chuck is unreasonably jealous of his brother and doesn't understand his charisma;

vs.

2. only chuck can see through jimmy's con.

you're SUPPOSED to have this dissonance right now, that's completely intentional.

Both of these are furthered with the Chuck/Kim scene. You're supposed to question whether Chuck just knows Jimmy better than anyone or whether he'll do anything to try and undo his charisma. You're not supposed to know what he's doing because the show wants you to consider both.

I also think it was to foreshadow jimmy fucking up with printing out that suit against HHM for Kim. The wrong person is gonna find it. I think that's gonna be what breaks them apart permanently.

 

[triplestation]

how old does kaylee look in BCS?

when BB comes around i want to say shes no older than 8

so im hoping you guys say she looks 0 years old in this pic, or 1 at most

 

[zewone]

What was the fluff?

Cold open too long.

Having the same Jimmy and Kim conversation from last week again with him trying to come up with a zany idea to get her out of the situation.

Kim montage was boring and very long and we get it twice.

 

[-griffy-]

how old does kaylee look in BCS?

when BB comes around i want to say shes no older than 8

so im hoping you guys say she looks 0 years old in this pic, or 1 at most

.

No, we covered this during season 1. The ages of the actresses playing the part (at the time of shooting) are more or less correct, or at least their is an appreciable gap in their ages. Something like 8 year old in Better Call Saul and 12 year old in Breaking Bad. It's plausible enough. Here they are side by side, Better Call Saul on the left and Breaking Bad on the right:

One on the right is clearly an older child.

 

[triplestation]

theres no such thing as "fluff" with the breaking bad team

everything is vital

 

[triplestation]

i thought BCS and BB were like 8 years apart..

that little rugrat with the dog does not look anywhere near 8 years old, id say more like 4 or 5 max

edit: sorry for the double Dx

 

[sfedai0]

Tuco also looks beaten as shit too. Though I think thats mainly on the actor himself.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

theres no such thing as "fluff" with the breaking bad team

everything is vital

For the most part, I agree. But I have to agree the Kim montage went on too long, and it was not necessary to have it twice. The purpose of the Kim montage scene was fulfilled long before the scene ended, making it superfluous.

 

[TheOMan]

mark margolis imo is a disturbingly excellent actor

Seriously.

 

[Haribi]

Another age related thing that kind of bugs me is how everyone acts as if Mike was some old ass dude. If his age is the same as is real life age then he'd be around 55 and yet we constantly hear people call him "grandpa", "old man" or today "Tuco needs to treat the elderly (Mike) with respect".

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Another age related thing that kind of bugs me is how everyone acts as if Mike was some old ass dude. If his age is the same as is real life age then he'd be around 55

Dude what? Jonathan Banks is almost 70.

 

[Napalm_Frank]

Another age related thing that kind of bugs me is how everyone acts as if Mike was some old ass dude. If his age is the same as is real life age then he'd be around 55 and yet we constantly hear people call him "grandpa", "old man" or today "Tuco needs to treat the elderly (Mike) with respect".

I'm pretty sure Tuco called Walter grandpa in BB.

 

[Milly Osworth]

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this series, but the law firm storyline combined with the slow BB style makes a super boring series to me. I'll stop watching, it's not for me.

 

[PantherLotus]

(i think the age trutherism with the multiple child actresses is creepy and weird and we can easily overlook something they can't really control)

 

[minor effort]

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this series, but the law firm storyline combined with the slow BB style makes a super boring series to me. I'll stop watching, it's not for me.

Totally different reaction on my end. This episode was one of the "slowest" in terms of major events to drive the plot forward, but I was still on edge throughout. It really helped flesh out why Chuck feels the way he does about Jimmy.

This is far more interesting than if they started racing towards Breaking Bad 2.

 

[Cornballer]

Unsurprisingly, Better Call Saul has been renewed for a 10 episode S3.

 

[Niraj]

Unsurprisingly, Better Call Saul has been renewed for a 10 episode S3.

Still good to have confirmation.