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[whitemex88]

i bet him(Gene) fainting is some sort of ruse to get out of that life and start up again someway as a lawyer.

 

[Slacker]

I loved the Jimmy, Chuck, Kim scenes. More of this! Progress it. Chuck is such an unpleasant person.

Mike's scenes however were like a black hole sucking the life out of everything. Why did we need to see all that? Less Mike going forward.

I find it odd that someone can enjoy this show but hate the Mike scenes in this episode. I feel like those scenes perfectly encapsulate the shows deliberate pacing and patient storytelling.

In other words, it you hated that, I feel like you're going to hate a lot of every episode.

 

[whitemex88]

I loved the Jimmy, Chuck, Kim scenes. More of this! Progress it. Chuck is such an unpleasant person.

Mike's scenes however were like a black hole sucking the life out of everything. Why did we need to see all that? Less Mike going forward.

This is a prequel show, they have to show how Mike and Saul get involved with Gus somehow. its all going somewhere.

 

[CharminUltra]

So... anyone else search for "The Adventures of Mabel" summaries looking for plot clues?

 

[Spieler Eins]

Every second of this is perfection.

 

[Shotgun Kiss]

I'm petty as fuck I know, but it annoys me how dead a thread about this show is compared to TWD.

On topic: this episode was fantastic. I predicted Gus would appear 1st episode. I lose.

Most activity in the TWD thread is people calling it out.

 

[Slacker]

Most activity in the TWD thread is people calling it out.

lol yep I was thinking most of the posts are just people saying, "Welp, nothing happened this week either. Maybe next week."

 

[BocoDragon]

The Cinnabon product placement was too strong. I've been craving since last night lol

It's funny that they turned a throwaway line that was rather derogatory of Cinnabon in Breaking Bad into a seasons long advertisement for them.

 

[lamaroo]

Most activity in the TWD thread is people calling it out.

TWD is also a show you can turn your brain off, and post on GAF while it's on. If you're not paying attention to Saul, you're likely not going to get any enjoyment out of it.

 

[Lothar]

lol yep I was thinking most of the posts are just people saying, "Welp, nothing happened this week either. Maybe next week."

Funny thing is that was my exact thoughts on this BSC episode. Can we skip to where Mike meets Gus already?

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

i bet him(Gene) fainting is some sort of ruse to get out of that life and start up again someway as a lawyer.

No need for it to be a ruse. Being "straight" is ultimately untenable for him. He can't not be himself. That's what the whole show is about. Ratting that kid out to the authorities was so "honest"--and such a betrayal of his core values--that it broke him.

 

[Dusktildawn48]

Funny thing is that was my exact thoughts on this BSC episode. Can we skip to where Mike meets Gus already?

You hated the episode "fly" in breaking bad didn't you?

 

[triplestation]

Wouldn't the dude notice that the car is different when coming to get the tracker?

 

[RobotVM]

Wouldn't the dude notice that the car is different when coming to get the tracker?

Mike used a different car for the assassination attempt. The car at his house is his car.

 

[zewone]

The one thing I can't remember is when Mike picked up the burner station wagon. And at what time could Gus's goons have bugged his burner car.

Seems like something he would have for a very small window of time.

 

[MetalGearZed]

Not at all.
This show is like fine wine for connoisseurs while TWD on the other hand is more like cheap moonshine for the less appreciative.

Well if its any consolation, most of posts in the TWD are about how mediocre it is.

 

[Pryce]

Loved it. Especially the scenes with Mike.

He's too good of a character for how they ended him in Breaking Bad.

 

[JonCha]

Yeah, really good stuff. I just hate Chuck even though he isn't the one doing bad stuff in the show, generally.

 

[zewone]

Loved it. Especially the scenes with Mike.

He's too good of a character for how they ended him in Breaking Bad.

Criminal life worked out for no one is what the show was going for, no?

 

[Lord of Castamere]

This would make a lot more sense, but I honestly believe it'll be a new place or else they wouldn't have built up the whole aspect of Mike tracking him.

Why waste almost an entire episode only to lead Mike back to a place he was just at?

? I thought Mike was supposed to be at Tucos/Hectors hideout from Season 2 of Breaking Bad(where Tuco and Hank have the shootout). That's a different place than the Gus hideout, where Gustavo had his office.

 

[Lothar]

You hated the episode "fly" in breaking bad didn't you?

Fly might be my favorite episode of BB. Top 5 for sure. I wouldn't have liked it if it was just Walt by himself the whole time as Mike was for much of the episode. The character interactions between Walt and Jesse were never better. It had at the same time some of the most hilarious exchanges and some of the deepest and most emotional in the series as Walt was revealing how he missed the perfect time to die and about how sorry he was about Jane. What does this episode have in common with Fly?

 

[Sickboy007]

Loved it. Especially the scenes with Mike.

He's too good of a character for how they ended him in Breaking Bad.

I love how he died in Breaking Bad. All of his experience, carefulness and rationality amounted to nothing when faced with Walt's deranged egotism.

 

[HardRojo]

FUUUUUUCK! No English subtitles available in my region! Why Netflix?! Why!?

 

[iShouldGoPro]

? I thought Mike was supposed to be at Tucos/Hectors hideout from Season 2 of Breaking Bad(where Tuco and Hank have the shootout). That's a different place than the Gus hideout, where Gustavo had his office.

Yeah you're right my bad, I thought you meant the sniper scene from last season of better call Saul.
Yes, I totally have a feeling it will be that office building too!

 

[triplestation]

Mike used a different car for the assassination attempt. The car at his house is his car.

No I know that but the dude put the tracker in his assassin car and wouldn't he notice if when he came for it again it was another car?

 

[lamaroo]

No I know that but the dude put the tracker in his assassin car and wouldn't he notice if when he came for it again it was another car?

They put one in each of his cars.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

No I know that but the dude put the tracker in his assassin car and wouldn't he notice if when he came for it again it was another car?

They bugged both cars.

 

[zewone]

No I know that but the dude put the tracker in his assassin car and wouldn't he notice if when he came for it again it was another car?

You're not understanding that they bugged both cars.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

I hope having Mesa Verde as a client doesn't break Kim.

See, I could definitely imagine Ernesto working for Jimmy. He seems to like Jimmy more than Chuck anyway.

 

[zewone]

I hope having Mesa Verde as a client doesn't break Kim.

I'm pretty sure she's not going to keep them as a client. It would go against her morals. You can see her struggling with this dilemma in this episode.

 

[CharminUltra]

What if Ernie is actually Huell. Maybe the pressure of caring for Chuck gets to him, ends up quitting the firm, then lets himself go and goes on to work for Saul.

 

[awesome_pants]

What if Ernie is actually Huell. Maybe the pressure of caring for Chuck gets to him, ends up quitting the firm, then lets himself go and goes on to work for Saul.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

I'm pretty sure she's not going to keep them as a client. It would go against her morals. You can see her struggling with this dilemma in this episode.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Between the guilt of what Jimmy did to get the client and the pressure to be perfect for them, I can't see this ending well for Kim. She's a sweet baby angel too, what a shame.

 

[ZangBa]

Mike is the best version of Batman we're ever going to get. I love the show, but it's a little slow at times.

 

[Hermii]

What if Ernie is actually Huell. Maybe the pressure of caring for Chuck gets to him, ends up quitting the firm, then lets himself go and goes on to work for Saul.

I doubt it's physically possible to gain that much weight that quickly.

 

[GTI Guy]

I didn't make out what the tape recorder played when it was accidentally played when swapping out the batteries. Can someone transcribe for me?

 

[Cornballer]

I didn't make out what the tape recorder played when it was accidentally played when swapping out the batteries. Can someone transcribe for me?

.

He said (paraphrasing) that he changed the address from 1261 to 1216

 

[MetalGearZed]

I didn't make out what the tape recorder played when it was accidentally played when swapping out the batteries. Can someone transcribe for me?

I also made out that line from Jimmy; paraphrasing
"It all went EXACTLY how you said it"

basically it was (part) of Jimmy's confession

 

[GTI Guy]

I also made out that line from Jimmy; paraphrasing
"It all went EXACTLY how you said it"

basically it was (part) of Jimmy's confession

Interesting, I take that to mean this will play out that the guy will tell Jimmy that there's a recording, then stuff is gonna happen, likely bad stuff.

 

[CrunchyFrog]

A decent if weaker episode. Some real genuine moments from Jimmy and Kim. And Chuck has turned up on his dark side meter, looking absolutely sinister. Mike's stuff was cool in theory but ended up filling waaaaaayyyy too much time in this hour, IMHO. MacGuyver coolness and a neat enough looking montage aside, just too much screen time for relatively little payoff. I'm also not so sure I buy Gus's goons not being spooked/on guard after having HAD to notice that mike has ditched one of his two bugged cars in pieces at a local junkyard for several days. (Unless in some 12 dimensional chess game Gus KNOWS this and this is more of an audition to test Mike's faculties, or maybe they just figured Mike would ditch it given the message relayed and that they could get away with having a second bug). They're trying pretty hard to stave off that Gus reveal for as long as possible, which I get from a not pandering the hell out of the BB fanbase standpoint, I do (copious pre-season promos aside), but this feels more like part 1 of a 2 part episode than it's own thing. Critics seemed pretty high on it given the two ep advanced screening too so maybe that's the idea. Season 1 took some time to get up to speed so I'm hoping I feel differently by next week.

 

[zewone]

I'm also not so sure I buy Gus's goons not being spooked/on guard after having HAD to notice that mike has ditched one of his two bugged cars in pieces at a local junkyard for several days.

I don't think him ditching a burner car would set off any red lights for Gus.

Mike would have ditched that car regardless if had gone through with the assassination or not. Him ditching it after having been followed or bugged because of the 'DON'T' note means it's even less suspicious.

 

[Sane_Man]

amazing episode. Awesome cinematography as always.

Mike is so badass, and a fucking a genius.

Oh and Chuck definitely wanted Ernesto to hear that. He wants him to tell Jimmy so Jimmy will get caught in the act. Considering we see Hamlin stopped the tape player there is no way this isn't a set up, especially with that smirk at the end.

I was trying to work that scene out. I just can't see Ernesto telling Jimmy about it, especially after the warning from Chuck. He'd be crazy to. My thinking was that maybe now Ernesto has heard it they can make him testify against Jimmy based on what he heard? Since the tape itself is inadmissible. But even that seems far-fetched since surely an account based on hearing a recording wouldn't hold much in a court of law.

 

[Deviousx]

That music when Mike was tearing up that car. Wow.

I honestly can only think of a few shows off the top of my head that just breathes tension. Even the Cinnabon scene had me wired. Sheesh.

 

[InaSnowBoundLand]

I find it odd that someone can enjoy this show but hate the Mike scenes in this episode. I feel like those scenes perfectly encapsulate the shows deliberate pacing and patient storytelling.

In other words, it you hated that, I feel like you're going to hate a lot of every episode.

Not really. I like the show's style even if I do think it should get faster at some point. That's not the problem.

I felt that the Mike scene in particular was esoteric, hard to follow, and made the episode feel like a huge drag. The lack of dialogue was a big part of all that. The show's "deliberate pacing" usually comes with characters interacting and Mike's scenes had essentially none of that. Sure, BB/BCS has done similar scenes before without much or any dialogue at all. And often, they have done it well. This time? I think it was too inaccessible -- we didn't need to know every little step Mike took. Too long and with too many details.

Look at all the people asking online for clarifications about what Mike actually did. That so many people have to go to the internet to verify what even happened is not a good sign. And usually, the people who discuss the shows on the internet are more savvy than other viewers.

In my opinion, those scenes should have been reduced; I think the episode would have been better off if that were the case. The end result of his work wasn't worth the time the show invested. The only thing I liked about Mike's scenes were the BG music. Great tracks.

 

[Cornballer]

- THR: 'Better Call Saul' Creators on Gene's Fate and Why 'The Waiting Is the Best Part'

A few sections from this interview:

You have a show that has two great halves that only rarely intersect — the Jimmy half and the Mike half. How hard is that construction and how much of a challenge is it for you guys that Saul in Breaking Bad doesn't know Gus Fring at all? Does that keep the characters separate by necessity or are you guys finding ways to work around it?

Gilligan: We have to abide by the history that was delineated in Breaking Bad and sometimes we don't want to. Sometimes we say to ourselves, "Oh, man! Why can't we have these two characters meet? Why can't we have them hang out?" We wish we could, but to break our rules, it'd be a terrible thing to do. The audience would immediately know we had broken them and they would call us out for it and they'd be right. They'd be right to be angry about it, to feel betrayed by it, so you have to stick to your own rules.

It makes it hard sometimes with what you were just saying. We've got these two characters that we love seeing together. We've got Jimmy McGill and Mike Ehrmantraut and obviously they can spend time together and we know eventually they will, but the other thing we find is we often say to ourselves, "How can we get these two characters together? How can we have them spend more time together?" But as tempting as that is, we've reluctantly come to realize time and time again that that's the wrong question to be asking. The question is, "What do these two characters want at any given moment?" and very often what they want leads them in very different directions and takes them apart more than it brings them together and we have to abide by that. Again, we're being inauthentic if we don't. We have to let them set their own course and follow their own road map. Every now and then it works out that they can come together and we jump at those opportunities and we take them whenever we can, but they have to be earned and they have to be arrived at organically. If they're not, we may get some short-term pleasure, but in the long run we'll feel kind of dirty for having taken it.

Gould: The truth is that Mike doesn't particularly love Jimmy McGill. Mike is gonna call Jimmy if Mike has a Jimmy-sized problem. Jimmy's much more intrigued by Mike than the other way around. A lot of the time the question is, "Why is Mike gonna participate in this or that?" These two guys do have an ongoing favor trade where each one has done a favor for the other. Right now, that's as far as the relationship goes. It's painful, because I have to say that there's nothing I like better than getting Bob and Jonathan together in a scene, because they are just magical together.

I do remember there was a season of Breaking Bad where I had a similar feeling about Walt and Jesse. There were some times on Breaking Bad where there was really no reason for Walt and Jesse to be together. They weren't in business together, like when Jesse was cooking by himself or there were a few other circumstances. I remember all of us in the writers room feeling very frustrated because we just love these two characters together, but sometimes you have to go where the story takes you.

When it comes to Michael McKean's Chuck, I go back and forth on him, whether he's a sympathetic, ailing genius or, I would say in the premiere, almost a petty, vengeful villain. I'm curious if people in the writers room have more and less sympathy for Chuck as a character.

Gilligan: I think we all have slightly different takes on Chuck, just like every member of our audience has a slightly different take on Chuck, although I think if you drew a Bell Curve of audience reaction to Chuck, the absolute bulge at the top of the curve would be that Chuck's just an absolute asshole, just a bad guy.

Personally, just speaking for myself, not any other writer or Peter or anybody, I kind of feel sorry for Chuck. I feel more sorry for him than I dislike him. I wouldn't want to go have a beer with this guy. I wouldn't want to have to spend a lot of time with him. I wouldn't want to be trapped in an elevator with him, so to speak, especially since he'd be freaking out because of all the electricity in the elevator. I wouldn't want to have to deal with that. But he's kind of a sad character. Have a little sympathy for the devil here, in the sense that he does do a lot of bad things and he treats his brother reprehensibly, although at the beginning of this new season, I think it can be argued that he's justifiably outraged at what his brother has done recently to him, which is to humiliate him in public.

His whole life, he's worked his butt off and never gotten the love that his brother's gotten. In other words, he can come home and he can say, "Mom, dad, I just graduated from Harvard!" and I can picture them saying, "That's great, Chuck!" And then Jimmy walks in drunk and makes some joke and everybody laughs and gives him a big hug. To Chuck, if your whole life that's what you say, and then your goofball brother, who everybody loves more than you do, then suddenly one day says, "Hey, guess what? I'm gonna be a lawyer, too!" I think that you blow your top at that point if you're Chuck. It just breaks something inside you and you get mean and you get nasty. But maybe I'm being too understanding. I don't know. I think the truth of Chuck is he's somewhere between devil and a victim.

And where do you fall, Peter?

Gould: I love everything you just said, Vince. The only thing I'd add is that there's something so tragic about these two brothers, because I think they just don't understand each other that well. Chuck I don't think understands that Jimmy is ultimately good-hearted and has a sense of justice and that Jimmy's intentions are as good as they are. And Jimmy doesn't understand how empty Chuck's life is. Jimmy didn't undermine Chuck last season to strike at his brother out of any malice. He did it because he wanted to help Kim and he didn't understand that that was going to rock Chuck's world the way it did. The truth is that Chuck has this exterior of having ultimate professionalism and ultimate confidence and you have to think that having to question his own ability or his memory or his perception of reality is as big a threat to Chuck as anything could possibly be. I find these two guys fascinating not just as opponents, because what gives it emotional power to me is that underneath everything there is some kind of love there between the two brothers. Tragic is a big word, but for me it is.

More via the link.

 

[CharminUltra]

I could watch Mike do his thang forever. Great music, too.

 

[super-heated plasma]

The flashbacks show that Chuck hated Jimmy even before he became a lawyer.

He hates the fact that thier parents loved Jimmy more despite all that Chuck achieved.

He believes Jimmy was ripping off their fathers store even though it's shown that their father was basically giving the money away.

Chuck is just so bound and determined to make Jimmy look bad. To make others see in him what he does. Which is comming from a place of jealousy.

Edit: this was directed at a comment but I dont remember which one lol

I can actually understand where Chuck is coming from. I have a cousin, who I admit, I was jealous of in the past because everyone thought he was just the most amazing guy. The girls loved him, and everything always worked out for him because he was so charismatic and just a phenomenal bullshitter. He literally talked his way into a high paying IT job when he had absolutely NO IDEA how to actually do the job. But I grew up with him and got to see the REAL person most others didn't see. If they knew half of the horrendous things he's done that I know and saw, they would die of shock and disgust.

 

[riotous]

I love the dichotomy of the Mike story vs. the Jimmy story and the occasional intertwining. Kim as well getting some alone screen time is great.

 

[minor effort]

Mild prediction: Chuck's growing obsession with bringing Jimmy down, even against advice to basically "drop it" from peers like Howard, will see him getting increasingly sloppy and on the wrong side of the law. He got sloppy when dealing with good guy Ernesto on yesterday's episode, he almost attempted to present himself as an officer of the court to that copy shop guy.

It would be funny if Chuck eventually wound up disbarred or in jail before Jimmy.

 

[Lord of Castamere]

I wonder if the arrogant enforcer who aimed for the stars and got his throat slit is hired on Team Gus yet.

At this rate, might as well bring the whole team back. EVERYONE