Better Call Saul

Started by Kal, September 11, 2013, 04:29:39 PM

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Kal

SPOILERS AHEAD

I actually have mixed feelings about the show so far for a couple of reasons. I did love seeing the characters again, everything about the show feels like an episode of Breaking Bad which is beautiful.

What I'm not sure about is the overall story, where it goes, and the stakes involved. We sort of knew it going in as we already know Saul in the future, but the amazing thing about Breaking Bad from the pilot episode on was that there were so many challenges that seemed impossible for Walt. He had cancer. He knew he was going to die. He had a mission before he died. He goes into the meth business without knowing anything about it. He needs to figure out how to make a profit from it. A super honest and decent chemistry teacher becoming a criminal. All that stuff is established from day one and it's what keeps the show so unpredictable and fun as it introduces new characters and ridiculous situations for Walt.

So I still can't see in the first two episodes how that works for Saul. Seeing Tuco was awesome, but it also made me worry about having a bunch of familiar faces show up randomly in each episode and forcing the story too much to fit these characters in it.

I guess we'll see. There is nothing else good on TV right now besides Walking Dead so I'm still excited to watch and hopefully its as amazing as we expected.


Drenk

There is The Americans on TV right now and it's great.
Ascension.

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Quote from: kalWhat I'm not sure about is the overall story, where it goes, and the stakes involved. We sort of knew it going in as we already know Saul in the future, but the amazing thing about Breaking Bad from the pilot episode on was that there were so many challenges that seemed impossible for Walt. He had cancer. He knew he was going to die. He had a mission before he died. He goes into the meth business without knowing anything about it. He needs to figure out how to make a profit from it. A super honest and decent chemistry teacher becoming a criminal. All that stuff is established from day one and it's what keeps the show so unpredictable and fun as it introduces new characters and ridiculous situations for Walt.

i see what you're saying, but i got a completely different impression from the first episodes.
i really think that this show is 'breaking saul'.
we already know how he ends up, and this will show how he gets there and what he has to go through and how he has to change. examples of his starting point:

. how moral and ethical he is in the first two.
. him trying to save the skaters lives.
. him scraping by financially
. him scraping by with piddly pd clients
. him having a shitty office and generally not being respected
. not to be on the nose, but he literally has a different name/is a different person
. him being mentally tormented by physical violence
. him ripping up a check and refusing to be involved with a burglary (think of how quick he is to make a buck in brba)

in brba, we seem him as more or less a seasoned legal tycoon that can get anyone off that has a multitude of connections with morals and ethics that bend to his benefit.
so to answer your post, i think that's the story. how he gets there.

diggler

I don't mind the fact that it's a prequel because I don't think a show's stakes have to be "will he or won't he die?" Take the scene in the desert for instance, you knew he wasn't going to die but that scene is more about what he can do for the twins. You learn a lot about his morals in that scene, due to the fact that the show does so much to make you not care about the twins. By showing his current state in present day I think the show is declaring that there is more to his story left to tell. What happens in Better Caul Saul will do a lot to inform how that plays out.
I'm not racist, I'm just slutty

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^ more precise version of what i said.yessss

Kal

Agree with all that. Although the scam with the skaters and his overall attitude in court (with the dudes that were decapitating and raping a dead guy) already shows that his ethics and morals are borderline. My point is not just that the stakes are lower because we know he won't die (we knew Walt wouldn't die also), but that the transformation won't be as incredible and extreme as with Walt.

He is kind of Lionel Hutz from the Simpsons now and then will become what we know from BB. The connection with Tuco is definitely a good start for that.


diggler

Very true, no way they were going to kill off Walt, just like there was no way they were going to kill Saul in the second episode of a show called "Better Call Saul." You don't need to know it's a prequel to figure that much out. I think he gets a pass on the defense of the three kids and the beheading because he was defending them as a public defender, not for the cash. Everyone gets a lawyer, so some poor schmuck would've had to make that defense. Although I think it shows a chink in his armor that he was trying to scam the court a bit by expecting to be paid for the defendants separately.
I'm not racist, I'm just slutty

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QuoteAlthough I think it shows a chink in his armor that he was trying to scam the court a bit by expecting to be paid for the defendants separately.

whaaat. no, i disagree with that totally. i think he was genuinely confused as to why he was getting paid that way. it wasn't a scam. i think it was to show how green he is.

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i'm trying to hold back and not be the only one gushing about this show.
does anyone want to take ep3 before i demolish it verbally?

ono

I'm with you on the gushing.  Episode 1 was a great setup.  2 was a knock-em-down wholly reminiscent of Breaking Bad in all the best ways (sure didn't hurt that Tuco was there).  I've already watched the first two episodes multiple times, just reveling in the world that they've created.  So glad to be back in it.  Off to watch episode 3 (a tad late, sure, but better that than never).

Every element of this is firing on all cylinders.  Shows how good Gilligan and co are (and how long it's taken him to get here, him being around the block for 20 years or so to find his voice).  It makes me question other shows *cough*True Detective*cough*.  Is Gilligan head honcho?  It feels like it.  I thought it was Peter Gould.  Kudos to: the casting of the skater brothers.  The cinematography through and through -- vintage BB -- haven't researched it, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were talent familiar to that show.  Same with art design.  The score during the skating scene.  The callbacks to the nail salon.  The opening montage in B&W.  The choice of music therein.  The humor, and that salsa stain on abuelita's rug.  The best lawyer ever talking his way out of his most important case.  An origin story, and a legend is born.  Shady dealings in the back of the salon.  His first deal with the devil.

EDIT: Something, something, heeeeere's a classic movie reference.  Here's hoping they keep it up and part of Saul's schtick is he's always referencing old movies in inappropriate ways.

Kal

SPOILER EP4

This reminded me of LOST with the flashback repeating itself in the episode and giving context to the prank. Another interesting example of his strange conflict between trying to be ultra decent and not.

Great episode. It's getting better. I wish we saw more of Mike already.



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yeah if you wanna be all obvious about it

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there was a fantastic interview with peter gould and jonathan banks on fresh air a few minutes ago.