I like it. I wonder if some of the criticism is from people who (like me) came to breaking bad quite late on and so could binge watch it, and are struggling with having some episodes that are not brilliantly paced and may not advance the story a huge amount then having to wait a week to see if it changes?
Television Better Call Saul | Includes Breaking Bad Spoilers
- Thread starter Kinky Melinky
- Start date
He's obviously building a home-made stinger (spike strip) to disable a car or the lorry but at this rate we'll probably have to wait for series 4 to find out why.
I wanna know wtf Mike is up to.
I don't mind the slow pace but the story doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
I will watch the show until the end but i think the show will be a big disappointed overall.
18 Episodes so far and he's still Jimmy McGill
Season 1: Jimmy McGill -> Saul Goodman
Season 2: Saul Goodman before the "Breaking Bad time"
Season 3: Saul Goodman during the "Breaking Bad time"
Season 4: Saul Goodman after the "Breaking Bad time"
That should have been the way/pace imo....some of them probably two seasons.....but definitely not two seasons of Jimmy McGill with not many special moments.
Maybe we're lucky and getting another season of Jimmy McGill
The last 3-4 episodes are really only about her.
I have no problem with her character if she is/was a major part of Jimmy's/Saul's life BUT to be honest her story so far was boring 90% of the time.
The writers/producers are wasting so many minutes with stupid scenes in that show. Like in the last episode with the truck at the beginning (It was over 6 minutes!!!!!!) and that is stupid/unacceptable.
18 Episodes so far and he's still Jimmy McGill
Season 1: Jimmy McGill -> Saul Goodman
Season 2: Saul Goodman before the "Breaking Bad time"
Season 3: Saul Goodman during the "Breaking Bad time"
Season 4: Saul Goodman after the "Breaking Bad time"
That should have been the way/pace imo....some of them probably two seasons.....but definitely not two seasons of Jimmy McGill with not many special moments.
Maybe we're lucky and getting another season of Jimmy McGill
This
The last 3-4 episodes are really only about her.
I have no problem with her character if she is/was a major part of Jimmy's/Saul's life BUT to be honest her story so far was boring 90% of the time.
Like said above if Kim is/was a major part of his life then it's fine but that was Episode 18 and "Saul Goodman" seems to be still so far away.
I agree some shows are too fast but "Better Call Saul" is really too slow and has had not many great scenes so far.
The writers/producers are wasting so many minutes with stupid scenes in that show. Like in the last episode with the truck at the beginning (It was over 6 minutes!!!!!!) and that is stupid/unacceptable.
I don't mind slow pacing if it goes somewhere. But any form of drama has to have a beginning, middle and end. And frequently BCS doesn't. It just kind of dawdles on and then tails off. A good piece of drama should be self contained. You can pick an episode of BB, West Wing, Sopranos and you don't need to watch every single episode to still find yourself watching an engaging narrative that works within its running time. BCS, you don't even get a beginning, middle and end over several episodes, let alone one. It's more a series of vignettes.
Did anything actually happen in that episode?
Kim got a double thumbs up.
Even that went nowhere
The 6 minute long trailer scene sums up everything wrong with this show.
Yep, that's where I'm at too. In fairness they are nice-looking vignettes. It just seems aimless and indulgent.
Yes, I think indulgent is the perfect word. If it wasn't for BB there is no way this would have got a third season.
I fully understand the issues people have with the pacing and seemingly meandering nature of the plot but there is definitely something redeeming about the show that allows me to watch it week after week, although I don't quite know how to explain it.
As regards the intentions of the show, IMO it can't really be about the life and times of Saul Goodman as we knew him in BB. We've already seen that and it would either have to take on an episodic nature (a new zany case every week) and/or be entirely overblown and far fetched with regards the hijinks of Saul, who we know comes to no harm. Whilst that might be what some expected or wanted it would soon become boring because it provides zero scope for growth or progression. Saul's appearances in BB are usually both scarce and fleeting for a reason, it would be quite tiresome to watch that sort of thing for more than a few episodes and he rarely does more than sit at a desk and offer advice or provide comic relief.
It is impossible to drive the BCS script through jeopardy, as BB did so well, and we are stuck with a reasonably narrow band of characters around which all events must orbit (obviously the writers had a choice in this aspect).
To me, the only way they could ever run the show for more than a season or two is to be focussed on the journey of Jimmy becoming Saul and gradually losing/discarding the aspects of his life that tie him to any sense of normalized morality. As he loses each one of these tethers he lurches closer towards the lawyer we all know. Kim and Chuck have been set up as the two main restraining factors in terms of his behaviour and it will no doubt be the loss of these two that finally releases/propels him to his final resting place on the shady side of the law. Once that happens the show will be pretty much at an end unless it jumps beyond the BB timeline.
We obviously have the parallel journey of Mike (from reluctant ex-cop to cartel enforcer) but the same limitations exist for him. We know when he dies, that he only really cares for his grand-daughter and would rather have a quiet, no hassle kind of life if possible. Straying from these things too far would completely compromise the character laid out in BB and any scenes that allude to peril are reasonably pointless in the scheme of things.
For all the thrills, death and drama of BB it still remained a show based around the idea of what could drive a reasonably meek man to such extraordinary lengths. The Grey Matter angle that is often referenced, the cancer, the repressed ego and feeling of under-appreciation/inadequacy from working in a high school, desperation to provide for his family and the more basic emotions of envy and greed. This is what provided the structure, context and texture to the show and without which the more entertaining bits would have lacked meaning and investment. BCS is doing something similar in trying to establish why Saul becomes who he does but doesn't have the scope for the excitement and carnage that BB did. I actually think it is incredibly similar in many ways but BB had Walt to bring the chaos and change the tempo (which was quite often as slow as BCS).
I'm not saying BCS is fantastic TV, it has it's merits but is somewhat over indulgent at times (it smacks of the creators having been given almost unlimited freedom after the BB homerun), but I do feel it is only ever going to suffer from it's links to BB. BB catered to the more discerning viewer, those who watch soaps and like something dramatic dripping out of every orifice between each add break and pretty much everyone in between. It was rare TV gold that due to it's broad appeal captured more attention and bigger audiences than series of greater craft. BCS can never be that, it would fail if it tried for some of the reasons outlined above.
It is impossible to drive the BCS script through jeopardy, as BB did so well, and we are stuck with a reasonably narrow band of characters around which all events must orbit (obviously the writers had a choice in this aspect).
To me, the only way they could ever run the show for more than a season or two is to be focussed on the journey of Jimmy becoming Saul and gradually losing/discarding the aspects of his life that tie him to any sense of normalized morality. As he loses each one of these tethers he lurches closer towards the lawyer we all know. Kim and Chuck have been set up as the two main restraining factors in terms of his behaviour and it will no doubt be the loss of these two that finally releases/propels him to his final resting place on the shady side of the law. Once that happens the show will be pretty much at an end unless it jumps beyond the BB timeline.
We obviously have the parallel journey of Mike (from reluctant ex-cop to cartel enforcer) but the same limitations exist for him. We know when he dies, that he only really cares for his grand-daughter and would rather have a quiet, no hassle kind of life if possible. Straying from these things too far would completely compromise the character laid out in BB and any scenes that allude to peril are reasonably pointless in the scheme of things.
For all the thrills, death and drama of BB it still remained a show based around the idea of what could drive a reasonably meek man to such extraordinary lengths. The Grey Matter angle that is often referenced, the cancer, the repressed ego and feeling of under-appreciation/inadequacy from working in a high school, desperation to provide for his family and the more basic emotions of envy and greed. This is what provided the structure, context and texture to the show and without which the more entertaining bits would have lacked meaning and investment. BCS is doing something similar in trying to establish why Saul becomes who he does but doesn't have the scope for the excitement and carnage that BB did. I actually think it is incredibly similar in many ways but BB had Walt to bring the chaos and change the tempo (which was quite often as slow as BCS).
I'm not saying BCS is fantastic TV, it has it's merits but is somewhat over indulgent at times (it smacks of the creators having been given almost unlimited freedom after the BB homerun), but I do feel it is only ever going to suffer from it's links to BB. BB catered to the more discerning viewer, those who watch soaps and like something dramatic dripping out of every orifice between each add break and pretty much everyone in between. It was rare TV gold that due to it's broad appeal captured more attention and bigger audiences than series of greater craft. BCS can never be that, it would fail if it tried for some of the reasons outlined above.
It's a decent watch. I admittedly didn't get through to completing BB (I think I stopped somewhere in the Middle of S3 or start of S4), so I have very little idea of what to expect in BCS. It's almost done two seasons, and we haven't really seen much progression. He's still Jimmy, Kim is still alive (I am assuming at some point, she won't be since she is never mentioned in BB), his law office is still yet to take shape. I thought the opening scene from second season would be explained at some point, but I now get the feeling it will be explained in the season finale.
But it does feel like they are milking the fandfare for BB. A prequel on Mike would have been far better imo.
But it does feel like they are milking the fandfare for BB. A prequel on Mike would have been far better imo.
Maybe we're lucky and getting another season of Jimmy McGill
We're only a couple of episodes away from the end of season two. Unless the writers feel the need to make a dramatic change and speed things up, we're certainly getting a third season of Jimmy.
With Saul working in the shopping centre and getting locked in the bin room?
Despite its glacial pace it's well written, well shot and well acted. I still enjoy watching it and tbh it makes a nice change compared to the poorly executed, action packed instant gratification bollocks that plagues a lot of TV nowadays. Anyway, BB was slow at times too.
I think the main problem with this show is that it can't decide who it wants to really focus on - Jimmy or Mike. A lot of attention is being paid to Kim at the moment, but clearly she's going to be a major catalyst for Jimmy's transformation into Saul.
I think the main problem with this show is that it can't decide who it wants to really focus on - Jimmy or Mike. A lot of attention is being paid to Kim at the moment, but clearly she's going to be a major catalyst for Jimmy's transformation into Saul.
Ok, then maybe not this season. Was that scene a Post BB one?
If that's the scene you're talking about then yes that's post-BB.
Oh, sorry. My Bad then. I never knew what happened to him in BB.
I'd advise you pick Breaking Bad back up and watch from Season 4. Can't wrap my head around anyone who'd give up at that stage!
Wait, what, Ijazz gave up on breaking bad at the end of season 3?
Jesus.
Watching BCS in that situation makes even less sense than watching it having not seen BB at all.
Watching BCS in that situation makes even less sense than watching it having not seen BB at all.
True
Do we know how far before Breaking Bad this show is?
Hector seems pretty well bodied for somebody who was so messed in in BB and this cant be that far behind so I think this season could end with Mike fecking him up so bad that he needs the wheelchair.
Wild guess.
Hector seems pretty well bodied for somebody who was so messed in in BB and this cant be that far behind so I think this season could end with Mike fecking him up so bad that he needs the wheelchair.
Wild guess.
Was it not at least heavily suggested that Gus put Hector in the wheelchair?
I thought he was in the wheelchair as a result of an illness, rather than a hiding.
Yea you're right actually, didn't they mention a stroke or something when they brought him into DEA to try and get him to say Jesse was there when Tuco got shot?
Aye that rings a bell (hehe)
I might have to rewatch the whole show just to be sure.
To be honest, had my exams coming up and then sort of had forgotten about it.
Doubt, I'll finish it now since I know most of the story anyways.
Better safe than sorry
6 years before BB
I havent watched for a few episodes now. I think I may wait until season ends and then binge watch. Whilst it is filmed well, I think a lot of people here are giving it leeway due to what its based on. I think the same could be said about the reviews/critics.
I think it might be better as something to binge watch. Having to wait a week between episodes where nothing continues to happen doesn't improve the mood at all.
I read somewhere that Vince Gilligan initially wanted to make this a half an hour sitcom. I'm sure that would not have sat well with you die hard BB fans, but I wouldn't have minded.
Just caught up with the latest episode.
Sigh, awful again.
Sigh, awful again.
I read somewhere that Vince Gilligan initially wanted to make this a half an hour sitcom. I'm sure that would not have sat well with you die hard BB fans, but I wouldn't have minded.
Even if not a sitcom, I think it could have been pulled of as some sarcastic comedy or dark comedy. Or a comedy without a live audience track. Whatever. But it basically needs humour inserted into this show.