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Better Call Saul S3 |OT| Gus Who's Back - Mondays 10/9c on AMC

Chuck is going to die like Miss Havisham did in Great Expectation, he's going to completely turn around, and apologize to Jimmy for all of the shitty things he has done, and then burn himself to death accidentally.

Edit: I've watched that last scene so many times, still amazing. "I AM NOT CRAZY!!"
 
Jimmy is going to die like Miss Havisham did in Great Expectation, he's going to completely turn around, and apologize to Jimmy for all of the shitty things he has done, and then burn himself to death accidentally.

Edit: I've watched that last scene so many times, still amazing. "I AM NOT CRAZY!!"

You mean Chuck?
 
Lantern is probably figurative. I doubt Vince would be so on the nose with the spoiler. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if the last shot of the season is Jimmy turning the lantern off in the now empty house, after Chuck dies or is locked away. A literal representation of Saul Goodman turning off Jimmy McGill.
 
Chuck is going to take Jimmy's face off, glue it onto his, and become Saul. No wonder Jimmy and Saul are so different.

JxvAmaz.gif


this is good
 

-griffy-

Banned
I have to reiterate how amazingly good and worthwhile the Better Call Saul Insider Podcast is. That, and the Breaking Bad Insider that preceded it, are some of the most comprehensive, invaluable behind the scenes information about filmmaking that exist, I feel. You have a group of some of the very best filmmakers, working at the top of their game, discussing the entirety of their process in detail, the thinking behind decisions, the technical choices, the unglamorous realities of production, etc. It's really amazing stuff.
 
You mean Chuck?

#TeamChuck to the bitter end...

Yeah I meant Chuck lol

I have to reiterate how amazingly good and worthwhile the Better Call Saul Insider Podcast is. That, and the Breaking Bad Insider that preceded it, are some of the most comprehensive, invaluable behind the scenes information about filmmaking that exist, I feel. You have a group of some of the very best filmmakers, working at the top of their game, discussing the entirety of their process in detail, the thinking behind decisions, the technical choices, the unglamorous realities of production, etc. It's really amazing stuff.

Yep, it flies by every week. It's one of the podcasts where I try to listen without doing anything else.
 

Drencrom

Member
That last scene was amazing and incredibly sad.

Chuck finally cracked and you could see his somber realization when he calmed down and how saddened Saul is that his brother loathes him and how ill Chuck has become.
 

KarmaCow

Member
Why does Jimmy bring in Chuck's ex-wife into this? Jimmy seems distraught at the end so it seems rather cruel of him to pile on Chuck by doing it in front of his ex-wife. It's not like his plan required her at all, at best it's a distraction to rile Chuck up. The only angle that somewhat makes sense is that he wanted someone to help Chuck after this but it's not like Chuck is seriously going to accept her help now and Jimmy has to know that.
 

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
Why does Jimmy bring in Chuck's ex-wife into this? Jimmy seems distraught at the end so it seems rather cruel of him to pile on Chuck by doing it in front of his ex-wife. It's not like his plan required her at all, at best it's a distraction to rile Chuck up. The only angle that somewhat makes sense is that he wanted someone to help Chuck after this but it's not like Chuck is seriously going to accept her help now and Jimmy has to know that.

Because revealing that Chuck's whole sickness, right after she finds out and is sympathetic to him, is all in his head is a huge blow for Chuck. It's maybe the biggest button Jimmy could've pushed.
 

KarmaCow

Member
Because revealing that Chuck's whole sickness, right after she finds out and is sympathetic to him, is all in his head is a huge blow for Chuck. It's maybe the biggest button Jimmy could've pushed.

Right and I would understand that if Jimmy didn't seem genuinely hurt by what he did and Chuck's breakdown, so it seems like overkill. The battery gambit would have already knocked him down, doing it into front of his ex-wife felt like a kick to the head. Maybe I'm just buying into Jimmy's reaction at the end there went it mostly just a show for the courtroom.
 
Why does Jimmy bring in Chuck's ex-wife into this? Jimmy seems distraught at the end so it seems rather cruel of him to pile on Chuck by doing it in front of his ex-wife. It's not like his plan required her at all, at best it's a distraction to rile Chuck up. The only angle that somewhat makes sense is that he wanted someone to help Chuck after this but it's not like Chuck is seriously going to accept her help now and Jimmy has to know that.

Because revealing that Chuck's whole sickness, right after she finds out and is sympathetic to him, is all in his head is a huge blow for Chuck. It's maybe the biggest button Jimmy could've pushed.
Also, breaking Chuck was going to take not just one act of chicanery and emotional poking, but several...
1) bringing in his ex-wife, whom he hasn't spoken with in years
2) the fact that Jimmy told her about his condition
3) that Jimmy supposedly tries to pull a fast one with a battery-less cell phone
4) that Jimmy put the battery in his pocket
5) the revelation that his condition is demonstrably not a physical condition -- and that this happens in front of his ex-wife
 
Right and I would understand that if Jimmy didn't seem genuinely hurt by what he did and Chuck's breakdown, so it seems like overkill. The battery gambit would have already knocked him down, doing it into front of his ex-wife felt like a kick to the head. Maybe I'm just buying into Jimmy's reaction at the end there went it mostly just a show for the courtroom.
Nah when you're trying to take down Chuck, you gotta bring overwhelming force or you run the risk of failure. Jimmy is pretty much pushed to the brink (being disbarred) and he needs to do everything possible to ensure he breaks.

And I do think he's sad about having had to go to such great lengths. I don't think that's for show (there's nothing indicating this).
 
Also, breaking Chuck was going to take not just one act of chicanery and emotional poking, but several...
1) bringing in his ex-wife, whom he hasn't spoken with in years
2) the fact that Jimmy told her about his condition
3) that Jimmy supposedly tries to pull a fast one with a battery-less cell phone
4) that Jimmy put the battery in his pocket
5) the revelation that his condition is demonstrably not a physical condition -- and that this happens in front of his ex-wife

Yep, Jimmy kept hitting Chuck with trick after trick, each time Chuck was thinking "This is his big trick!" When in reality he lost the second he came into the courtroom.
 
Right and I would understand that if Jimmy didn't seem genuinely hurt by what he did and Chuck's breakdown, so it seems like overkill. The battery gambit would have already knocked him down, doing it into front of his ex-wife felt like a kick to the head. Maybe I'm just buying into Jimmy's reaction at the end there went it mostly just a show for the courtroom.

I feel it was to coax Chuck to talk about and describe his "illness" to both the panel and his ex. Thats why Jimmy asks if chuck would tell her if he had lung cancer, because Chuck became defensive about his illness and set himself up.

So after Chuck describes his "sickness" tin order to set up the wall of information, Jimmy knocks it down with the battery ruse. It makes Chucks case and belief fall that much harder, to the point where the other attorney even comments "its not about chucks mental illness[sic]" thus further making Chuck seem like a delusional person.

At that point Chuck goes for appeal to authority and emotion but its too late. He essentially lied about his sickness and had it disproved almost immediately, that his desperate attempt to beat Jimmy just makes him seem like a raving lunatic.
 

Parch

Member
Good episode. Chuck is such a bizarre, despicable character. Both brothers really sneaky. I was expecting an interesting court battle. Got it.

When he was sitting there with his goldfish bag waiting for the vet, I had to snicker. Who brings a goldfish to the vet? Then he gets scolded for bringing a goldfish in a bag to the vet. This show has an odd sense of humor.
 
Good episode. Chuck is such a bizarre, despicable character. Both brothers really sneaky. I was expecting an interesting court battle. Got it.

When he was sitting there with his goldfish bag waiting for the vet, I had to snicker. Who brings a goldfish to the vet? Then he gets scolded for bringing a goldfish in a bag to the vet. This show has an odd sense of humor.
You had this stuff in Vince's BB writing, and even farther back in his X-Files episodes. I think he was really influenced by David Lynch.
 

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
Even Jimmy knew that stunt with the wife was fucked up but Chuck put him in a situation where he not only was going to fuck Jimmy over but Kim as well. I think in some ways Jimmy could let Chuck do him wrong but anytime Jimmy has gone nuclear, it's because Chuck fucked with Kim as well.

Just like Chuck's ex-wife is his big red button, so is Kim to Jimmy.
 

KarmaCow

Member
Hmm alright, I guess it makes sense he needed the kill shot to end it once and for all. It's also fitting that it happened about half way through the planned run of the show. It is a defining moment and one that Jimmy can't walk back from.
 

riotous

Banned
Why does Jimmy bring in Chuck's ex-wife into this? Jimmy seems distraught at the end so it seems rather cruel of him to pile on Chuck by doing it in front of his ex-wife. It's not like his plan required her at all, at best it's a distraction to rile Chuck up. The only angle that somewhat makes sense is that he wanted someone to help Chuck after this but it's not like Chuck is seriously going to accept her help now and Jimmy has to know that.

It could be because Chuck would accuse him of doing it to hurt Chuck, but Jimmy will claim it's yet another attempt for Jimmy to help Chuck. Both get's to Chuck and makes Jimmy look like the sympathetic brother.

We'll have to see the next episode to know if it's anything more than just a ploy to push buttons. It could simply be because Jimmy knows someone needs to be there for his brother after this is all over (as you suggested.)
 

Kyzer

Banned
Hmm alright, I guess it makes sense he needed the kill shot to end it once and for all. It's also fitting that it happened about half way through the planned run of the show. It is a defining moment and one that Jimmy can't walk back from.

Yeah it was all basically a plan to get Chuck to look crazy af so the ex being there would certainly help. When he apologized to her I almost thought it was going to backfire
 
Jimmy is going to wish he did this sooner when that lantern DOES start a fire that Chuck can't handle.

Lantern will start a fire.

Chuck will die alone, having pushed everyone away.

Or it will finally be what gets Chuck committed.

I'm going for the latter, because the former seems way too sloppy and Chuck doesn't "deserve death".
 

Kadin

Member
Once again, Gilligan and Gould create an outcome that I didn't see coming. I thought for sure his ex-wife was gonna be there to demonstrate Chuck's willingness to hide the truth about his disease and I guess in a way that happened but not in official way to the disciplinary board.

I had no clue that Chuck would end up being called out about the severity of his physical disease in such a way that is completely realistic. Man these guys are so good at fooling me. We know that Jimmy did what he did and yet I'm still on his side 100%.
 

Bandit1

Member
I have to reiterate how amazingly good and worthwhile the Better Call Saul Insider Podcast is. That, and the Breaking Bad Insider that preceded it, are some of the most comprehensive, invaluable behind the scenes information about filmmaking that exist, I feel. You have a group of some of the very best filmmakers, working at the top of their game, discussing the entirety of their process in detail, the thinking behind decisions, the technical choices, the unglamorous realities of production, etc. It's really amazing stuff.

+1, I found out about them this season thanks to one of Cornballer's posts, really great stuff. I'm about to start the one for Chicanery, and eventually I'll go back and listen to all of S1 and S2.
 

TheSun

Member
Dang, imagine Chuck getting back together with his ex-wife while Kim eventually leaves Jimmy. Bit of a switch there.

So, it looks like we're going back to the Hector's cartel business next episode. Mike was my favorite character, but I prefer the Saul segments much more. Still, let's see what Gus has in store for us, should be good.

Names.
 
In a way, Jimmy getting Rebecca to appear is him fulfilling a promise he made in the flashback scene where Chuck pleaded Jimmy to not tell her about his condition. "If you won't tell her, I will!"
 

Monocle

Member
I have to reiterate how amazingly good and worthwhile the Better Call Saul Insider Podcast is. That, and the Breaking Bad Insider that preceded it, are some of the most comprehensive, invaluable behind the scenes information about filmmaking that exist, I feel. You have a group of some of the very best filmmakers, working at the top of their game, discussing the entirety of their process in detail, the thinking behind decisions, the technical choices, the unglamorous realities of production, etc. It's really amazing stuff.
Seconded. They are remarkable podcasts. Anyone with the slightest interest in BB or BCS, or any major aspect of TV production, including writing, editing, acting, and directing, could hardly ask for a richer trove of insight, or a more delightful store of anecdotes.
 

BunnyBear

Member
I have to reiterate how amazingly good and worthwhile the Better Call Saul Insider Podcast is. That, and the Breaking Bad Insider that preceded it, are some of the most comprehensive, invaluable behind the scenes information about filmmaking that exist, I feel. You have a group of some of the very best filmmakers, working at the top of their game, discussing the entirety of their process in detail, the thinking behind decisions, the technical choices, the unglamorous realities of production, etc. It's really amazing stuff.

Indeed, though I could do without the whiny editor. Just let Vince host it.
 

Bluenoser

Member
I am loving this series. It may be better than Breaking Bad, and it definitely gives new appreciation for the characters before they had the unfortunate luck of running into Walter White. Guys like Gustavo and Mike, you really appreciate where they came from, and how it was WW all along that was the unhinged psycho.... even though we were all likely rooting for Walt back then, I change my stance now. Mike might be the best character ever.
 
Seconded. They are remarkable podcasts. Anyone with the slightest interest in BB or BCS, or any major aspect of TV production, including writing, editing, acting, and directing, could hardly ask for a richer trove of insight, or a more delightful store of anecdotes.

So it's the exact opposite of the Battlestar Galactica podcasts?
 

pigeon

Banned
I wonder whether BCS will actually resolve the still unresolved question of what ties Gus has that make even Don Elario scared to kill him.

Or will that have to wait for the Gustavo Fring spinoff in four years?
 
I wonder whether BCS will actually resolve the still unresolved question of what ties Gus has that make even Don Elario scared to kill him.

Or will that have to wait for the Gustavo Fring spinoff in four years?


Damn, that would be amazing to see, but Esposito is probably pushing his age already for the character. Damn that would be good too, I always believed that the Saul spinoff would deliver, and a Fring spin off would too. Maybe just a miniseries.

Eladio not killing Gus seemed to me not out of fear at the time, but that Gus was untouchable for some reason at the time. Maybe yeah, ties to some crime organization down there and the fear of retaliation? I liked it that they left it ambiguous back then, and I am excited that we very likely are going to find out Gus's backstory.
 

rekameohs

Banned
Lantern will start a fire.

Chuck will die alone, having pushed everyone away.

Or it will finally be what gets Chuck committed.

I'm going for the latter, because the former seems way too sloppy and Chuck doesn't "deserve death".
Chuck will be committed and flipping out over all the electromagnetic stuff around him, then he'll be forced to watch the TV as the first Saul Goodman commercial airs.
 
Just watched the episode and I have to say... WOW.
This show is just incredible.

I have a soft spot for court scenes in movies and shows so I especially enjoyed this episode but it was just a grand episode in general.

The return of Huell was awesome, and it was all too obvious that he planted something with a battery on Chuck after bumping into him but I still loved the anticipation during Jimmy's cross examination of Chuck to find out how it would be revealed.

Jimmy literally beat Chuck in every way. He proved that his illness isn't real and that he may actually have a mental illness instead. He also proved that Chuck indeed did what he did because he hates him.

When Chuck went into ranting my mouth was literally agape. One of the most climactic moments in the series so far!

And omg, during the preview for the next episode hearing Kim say "Saul Goodman, huh?" I got the best kind of chills
 
Damn, that would be amazing to see, but Esposito is probably pushing his age already for the character. Damn that would be good too, I always believed that the Saul spinoff would deliver, and a Fring spin off would too. Maybe just a miniseries.

Eladio not killing Gus seemed to me not out of fear at the time, but that Gus was untouchable for some reason at the time. Maybe yeah, ties to some crime organization down there and the fear of retaliation? I liked it that they left it ambiguous back then, and I am excited that we very likely are going to find out Gus's backstory.

Wasn't Gus supposed to have ties to Pinochet?

Also, I liked the Perry Mason shoutout in this episode.
 

Demption

Member
Watched half of 2nd season and all aired episodes of S3 in few days and I must say that this might be my favourite show right now. Also started watching BB again and all i can think is that BCS has much better drama in it. Characters are so much more likeable while still being kinda awful human beings.
 

daninthemix

Member
I was completely surprised - I expected whatever Huell planted on Chuck to start causing him to freak out, get headaches, lose concentration in court, etc - had no idea it was to prove him a fraud.
 

Protome

Member
I feel Howard needs more love in here, from how he had enough foresight to know that Chuck taking the stand was a bad idea to his face when asked to clarify his nepotism statement to his reactions in the background during the cross examination he was damn perfect character in this episode.

I was completely surprised - I expected whatever Huell planted on Chuck to start causing him to freak out, get headaches, lose concentration in court, etc - had no idea it was to prove him a fraud.
Really? Chuck's illness being mental has been hammered home time and time again. I wouldn't really say he's a fraud, he believes he's sick.
 

UrbanRats

Member
Seconded. They are remarkable podcasts. Anyone with the slightest interest in BB or BCS, or any major aspect of TV production, including writing, editing, acting, and directing, could hardly ask for a richer trove of insight, or a more delightful store of anecdotes.

I just started listening these, and yeah, great stuff.


*Vince Gilligan goes "Wooow"*
 

Rymuth

Member
I was completely surprised - I expected whatever Huell planted on Chuck to start causing him to freak out, get headaches, lose concentration in court, etc - had no idea it was to prove him a fraud.
He's sick but his ailment is not physical like he believes ("its a response to stimuli!") it's mental illness.
 
Indeed, though I could do without the whiny editor. Just let Vince host it.
There are certainly times when Kelly Dixon talks for longer than necessary on a topic, but I appreciate the questions she puts together to ensure we get some good insight into the process. And her commentary when it's specifically about editing is often good.

Vince works much better as someone reacting or responding, rather than hosting -- Especially because he wouldn't really be up for the prep and admin effort associated with running the podcast. :)
 
I was completely surprised - I expected whatever Huell planted on Chuck to start causing him to freak out, get headaches, lose concentration in court, etc - had no idea it was to prove him a fraud.

Couldn't be that given we already knew it was all in his head. Once he bumped into him, I knew what it was.
 

Hermii

Member
I wonder whether BCS will actually resolve the still unresolved question of what ties Gus has that make even Don Elario scared to kill him.

Or will that have to wait for the Gustavo Fring spinoff in four years?

He is exellent at what he does, and he is making the cartel billions. Isnt that a good enough reason?
 
Any news how many seasons we're getting? I hope they don't drag it out too long when the quality is this damn good!
I really don't expect them to drag the show on just for the sake of it. They have a story to tell and when they've told it, they'll end it.

No one even knows for sure if we'll get a present day Saul Goodman in hiding season, so take that into consideration
 
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