Better Call Saul

wesfau2 · « **on:** December 02, 2014, 08:37:04 AM »

Thoughts on the first preview?

Clearly geared to existing fans rather than trying to recruit new ones.

Funny to see the humble roots of Saul and Mike. If you have never seen BB, I imagine this didn't really whet your appetite.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #1 on:** December 02, 2014, 08:53:18 AM »

Not excited.

This needs to be more than Saul buffoonery and Breaking Bad cameos.

I think Vince could have done much better than this. If he wanted to stay in the Breaking Bad universe, I think he should have done a show about Mike going from cop to head hitman for drug cartels. That would be interesting, similar to the feel of Breaking Bad, and potentially successful.

Saul just doesn't have the depth of character. He's a quirky, funny guy good for one liners, but what the hell is going to carry the show? Seems like it can't be anything more than a procedural with hijinks and outlandish criminals that he gets out of going to jail. Which was already done with Jesse in Breaking Bad.

Catphish Tilly · « **Reply #2 on:** December 02, 2014, 09:25:20 AM »

I feel the same way. I'm currently streaming through season 4 of BB (first watch), so I can't talk like an expert yet. However so far, everything I've seen of Saul tells me that he's an excellent supporting character would be a repetitive and cheesy lead.

AUTiger1 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 02, 2014, 11:45:50 AM »

I'm going to watch just because I am a huge BB fan. Trying to go into it without any expectations.

War Eagle!!! · « **Reply #4 on:** December 02, 2014, 12:54:15 PM »

I am excited about it. I loved Saul and Mike on BB. I am excited until I see if the show is good. The preview is pretty funny and the same Saul and Mike characteristics are seen...so thumbs up for that.

Kaos · « **Reply #5 on:** December 02, 2014, 01:01:00 PM »

I saw this show when it was on NBC (I think), starred Greg Kinnear, had some decently hot women in it and was called "Rake". I think I was the only person in the US who watched and enjoyed it.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2015, 08:11:31 AM »

Second trailer:

Definitely looks better than the first trailer portrayed. I just hope there's an overall point to the series. If it's just following Saul around, it's not going to work.

Kaos · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2015, 10:32:55 AM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on January 15, 2015, 08:11:31 AM

Second trailer:

Definitely looks better than the first trailer portrayed. I just hope there's an overall point to the series. If it's just following Saul around, it's not going to work.

The story I hope it turns out to be is like the one I'm currently writing.

How somebody good and decent and upstanding gets turned.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #8 on:** January 15, 2015, 10:48:09 AM »

Quote from: Kaos on January 15, 2015, 10:32:55 AM

The story I hope it turns out to be is like the one I'm currently writing.

How somebody good and decent and upstanding gets turned.

I read a rumor that Better Call Saul will start six years before Breaking Bad and conclude after the events of Breaking Bad.

That piques my interest.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2015, 12:51:57 AM »

I'm hooked.

CCTAU · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2015, 01:03:57 AM »

Quote from: Kaos on December 02, 2014, 01:01:00 PM

I saw this show when it was on NBC (I think), starred Greg Kinnear, had some decently hot women in it and was called "Rake". I think I was the only person in the US who watched and enjoyed it.

I tried to watch it. I really did. And I am easily amused. But that show just stank. I quit laughing at the guy and just started feeling sad.

Kaos · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2015, 07:50:15 AM »

I'm between hooked and bored. As a premiere it had some major flaws. Not sure how it's going to draw in new viewers with that. The best part of the show was a call back to another show. If all it wants to do is retain a small percentage of Breaking Bad fans who would watch anything associated with it including the Skinny Pete and Badger Variety Show then it did its job. If the show has aspirations of reaching beyond the hardest core BB followers then I think it missed the mark.

Odenkirk is great in small doses. I don't know that his quirkyness can carry an entire show like this. It followed the BB tradition of giving you small tidbits of information that may mean something entirely different when you finally (and it may take weeks) get to the explanation. I know it's already gotten a season two greenlight, but unless it grows a lot I don't see it pulling enough viewers to care by the time the decision to renew for a third comes around.

I'm sure it drew massive ratings last night. My guess is that tonight's episode brings back only about half of that total.

I'd like to be wrong, but this seems like a great idea for comic relief inside another series, but incomplete as a stand alone. I loved Breaking Bad when I finally started watching it. Unless tonight picks up I'm going to remove Saul from my DVR list.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2015, 08:28:10 AM »

I thought it did a really good job of opening up Saul's character. I actually thought the Breaking Bad cameos took away from the show. Mike was definitely pointless in his small scene though from what I understand he will come to play a bigger role as Saul becomes entrenched in the drug game.

Tuco wasn't necessary. I know his character. He's crazy. He's going to do crazy shit. We've seen him before. We know both Tuco and Saul survive.

There were plenty of arcs introduced that I can follow. Maybe it could have been done more intriguingly. Honestly, I was hoping they would have taken Saul away from New Mexico. Let him start somewhere else then bring him into the Breaking Bad universe later on.

But I will say that though I'm interested in the show, I don't see the five season storyline here. Two seasons would probably tell his story well enough.

wesfau2 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 10, 2015, 09:28:26 AM »

I'm really enjoying this show. The callback to the "managing a Cinnabon in Omaha" line from BB was a nice touch.

Surely Jimmy/Saul/Gene's cocktail of choice in the post-BB world, the rusty nail, is significant in some way. A lot of effort was put into the audience knowing the ingredients.

I think we got to see a great depth of character from Jimmy in the first episode. He was predictably over the top in the courtroom, but we also see that he is financially covering for his batshit-crazy brother and is genuinely upset when he and Chuck have their confrontation over money.

The history behind "Slippin' Jimmy" (and the acknowledgment of it as a point of contention between Jimmy and Chuck) and the mention of Jimmy's "cronies in the mailroom" show us that Jimmy is a hustler at heart and not born to the lofty ideals that Chuck holds (see his reasons for not cashing out of the firm). How did they end up so different? Are they biological brothers or is Jimmy adopted? Who is Kim?

Getting Tuco back in the show was an instant jolt of excitement. You knew shit was going to get messy and unpredictable. It also gets us to Jimmy's entrance into the underworld sooner rather than later...and isn't that what we really want: to see Jimmy become Saul and work his shady magic?

I think watching BCS without having seen BB would make this exposition plodding, but I think the eventual payoff is going to be spectacular (especially if the viewer were then to continue watching through the finale of BB).

djsimp · « **Reply #14 on:** February 10, 2015, 09:55:57 AM »

I loved Breaking Bad and I can certainly see the same type of writing/directing in BSC. I like that. I can also see how some may of thought the first episode was not so great, hence the network releasing the first two episodes on back to back nights. I think I will enjoy the show and looking foward to seeing jump knee deep into some shiznit next week.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #15 on:** February 10, 2015, 11:08:19 AM »

I actually thought the Tuco scene was a bit weak and definitely too drawn out. A lot of mulling around, too much Saul talking. I get that it was supposed to show that he is a smooth talker and does use his annoying mouth to get out of precarious situations, but Tuco didn't seem to have it in him to put forth the performance like he did in season 1 of Breaking Bad.

But all in all, I'm excited about this show. I think it's also going to expose more institutional issues in the area that set up for Gus and Walt to be as successful as they were. Something's amiss here. I can feel it. They're already setting it up with the crazy-rich law firm, Tuco and Mike's presence, and the fact that there is a side guy working for Tuco that wants to do business with Saul.

wesfau2 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 10, 2015, 11:12:47 AM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on February 10, 2015, 11:08:19 AM

I actually thought the Tuco scene was a bit weak and definitely too drawn out. A lot of mulling around, too much Saul talking. I get that it was supposed to show that he is a smooth talker and does use his annoying mouth to get out of precarious situations, but Tuco didn't seem to have it in him to put forth the performance like he did in season 1 of Breaking Bad.

Tuco was spiraling out of control as his meth use intensified during BB. We're seeing him here 6 years before that extreme drug intake. He's still a psycho motherfucker, but he's less unstable (relatively speaking, of course).

Quote

But all in all, I'm excited about this show. I think it's also going to expose more institutional issues in the area that set up for Gus and Walt to be as successful as they were.

Yeah, the formation and organization of the Chicken/Dry Cleaning empire is intriguing to me in a professional sense.

Quote

Something's amiss here. I can feel it. They're already setting it up with the crazy-rich law firm, Tuco and Mike's presence, and the fact that there is a side guy working for Tuco that wants to do business with Saul.

Of course, otherwise there's no story.

Godfather · « **Reply #17 on:** February 10, 2015, 11:44:54 AM »

wesfau2 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 10, 2015, 11:53:24 AM »

Peter's half-right.

I wasn't as impressed by the Wire as the rest of the free world, apparently.

War Eagle!!! · « **Reply #19 on:** February 10, 2015, 12:10:59 PM »

Quote from: wesfau2 on February 10, 2015, 09:28:26 AM

I'm really enjoying this show. The callback to the "managing a Cinnabon in Omaha" line from BB was a nice touch.

Surely Jimmy/Saul/Gene's cocktail of choice in the post-BB world, the rusty nail, is significant in some way. A lot of effort was put into the audience knowing the ingredients.

I think we got to see a great depth of character from Jimmy in the first episode. He was predictably over the top in the courtroom, but we also see that he is financially covering for his batshit-crazy brother and is genuinely upset when he and Chuck have their confrontation over money.

The history behind "Slippin' Jimmy" (and the acknowledgment of it as a point of contention between Jimmy and Chuck) and the mention of Jimmy's "cronies in the mailroom" show us that Jimmy is a hustler at heart and not born to the lofty ideals that Chuck holds (see his reasons for not cashing out of the firm). How did they end up so different? Are they biological brothers or is Jimmy adopted? Who is Kim?

Getting Tuco back in the show was an instant jolt of excitement. You knew shit was going to get messy and unpredictable. It also gets us to Jimmy's entrance into the underworld sooner rather than later...and isn't that what we really want: to see Jimmy become Saul and work his shady magic?

I think watching BCS without having seen BB would make this exposition plodding, but I think the eventual payoff is going to be spectacular (especially if the viewer were then to continue watching through the finale of BB).

Pretty much all of this.