Better Call Saul

[Fingolfin269]

I know some of you are thinking it and I'll bet at least one or two others are thinking it.

This series is better than Breaking Bad was at this point in its run.

Now, with that being said, this show could not exist in its current form without Breaking Bad so it's difficult/impossible(?) to compare.

The best compliment that I think could be given about this show to Gilligan is that when I watch this show I don't even think about Breaking Bad. I think about Better Call Saul.

 

[GrumpyMan]

I just hope Saul takes the deal and the money and opens up his own office with it. Then he could show up his brother at another point in time to get back at him and his firm. Great show so far and I didn't expect it to be either. And that's with no T&A either, says a lot about the show.

 

[Ichinisan]

I just hope Saul takes the deal and the money and opens up his own office with it. Then he could show up his brother at another point in time to get back at him and his firm. Great show so far and I didn't expect it to be either. And that's with no T&A either, says a lot about the show.

We know he still operates out of a strip mall during the events of Breaking Bad, even while making lots of money illegally.

 

[Remobz]

I just hope Saul takes the deal and the money and opens up his own office with it. Then he could show up his brother at another point in time to get back at him and his firm. Great show so far and I didn't expect it to be either. And that's with no T&A either, says a lot about the show.

MY memory is bad now. How wealthy and successful did Saul become?

I assume in time he could afford fancy cars, houses, lavish parties etc. etc.

 

[Ichinisan]

MY memory is bad now. How wealthy and successful did Saul become?

I assume in time he could afford fancy cars, houses, lavish parties etc. etc.

Yeah. If he becomes as successful as his brother, it would have to be after the identity change and the move to Nebraska. Maybe he hits the big time and loses it later.

Since he's running a Omaha Cinnabon restaurant in the end that we know of, I'm not sure if he'll amass a fortune that way. His Nebraska home did look pretty nice though.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Yeah that's true he does end up in that strip mall. I was kind of wondering why if his brother was so successful was he living in that crappy house. You would think that he would be in a nice mansion or something.

 

[Ichinisan]

Yeah that's true he does end up in that strip mall. I was kind of wondering why if his brother was so successful was he living in that crappy house. You would think that he would be in a nice mansion or something.

He probably sold his old place to get away from a power substation or something and chose the current location after careful consideration of HOAs and his "condition."

 

[Remobz]

Yeah that's true he does end up in that strip mall. I was kind of wondering why if his brother was so successful was he living in that crappy house. You would think that he would be in a nice mansion or something.

Good question. I was wondering the same thing.

I was just curious if Saul ever became rich or RICHER than the rich lawyers we see in the series so far.

Saul looks like the type of person that would rather keep a low profile and look rather insignificant while saving huge amounts of cash for a rainy day.

 

[Perknose]

Good question. I was wondering the same thing.

I was just curious if Saul ever became rich or RICHER than the rich lawyers we see in the series so far.

Saul looks like the type of person that would rather keep a low profile and look rather insignificant while saving huge amounts of cash for a rainy day.

I think Saul's problem during BB -- his strip mall office and his driving a Cadillac but not a Mercedes or Bently -- was all about having to keep a lower profile due to the fact that most of his money came to him illegally and in cash.

I think he made tons of dough, but couldn't risk flaunting it.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I know some of you are thinking it and I'll bet at least one or two others are thinking it.

This series is better than Breaking Bad was at this point in its run.

WTF is thinking that? 9 episodes into Breaking Bad...

Walt and Jesse had killed and disposed of Krazy 8 and Emilio with the breathless escape from the fire at the cook site.
Walt and Jesse escape from the desert after the SUV conks out.
Walt turns into Heisenberg and blows up Tuco's office
Tuco beats No Doze to death in front of Walt and Jesse
Tuco killed in shootout with Hank


Nine episodes into BCS...

We finally see a hint of Mike being Mike
We finally see the event that triggers Slippin' Jimmy starting to turn into Saul
and not much else

They're doing a great job with BCS, the dialog and feel and tone of the show are excellent. But it's not even close to matching the pace and excitement of BB.

 

[Exophase]

Yeah. If he becomes as successful as his brother, it would have to be after the identity change and the move to Nebraska. Maybe he hits the big time and loses it later.

For all of Chuck's success he was broke after leaving his job for only several months (I believe under two years). This is despite a lifestyle that would have far fewer expenses than a normal person's, what with not having electricity and never leaving the house. He wouldn't pay for more than some utilities and the supplies Jimmy gets him, plus a mortgage bill if he has one (for a pretty modest house that a very successful lawyer could have paid off forever ago).

As a partner he should have been able to draw dividends from HHM's profits, I don't think he ever actually did that, those checks he startyed getting appear to have been an actual salary instead. But even if he only had normal salary for all of those years he still should have been better off than he was.

Since he's running a Omaha Cinnabon restaurant in the end that we know of, I'm not sure if he'll amass a fortune that way. His Nebraska home did look pretty nice though.

He should have amassed millions from Walt. His deal was 10% of what Walt made, so that'd be 8 million off of that big block of money. Unless Walt was screwing him out of the deal.

But that money would have been difficult to spend, even in investments, since he no longer had a law firm to launder it through.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Yeah that's true he does end up in that strip mall. I was kind of wondering why if his brother was so successful was he living in that crappy house. You would think that he would be in a nice mansion or something.

I was wondering about that, too. Not exactly a crappy house, but this last episode gives a little better idea of the size of HHM, and you can be sure Chuck is much wealthier than that house would indicate.

 

[Remobz]

I think Saul's problem during BB -- his strip mall office and his driving a Cadillac but not a Mercedes or Bently -- was all about having to keep a lower profile due to the fact that most of his money came to him illegally and in cash.

I think he made tons of dough, but couldn't risk flaunting it.

Call me weird or something but I know people like Chuck and Howard who feel they are better than others because of their jobs and educational background.

I just hoped that if one of those guys turned up at some event with a Porsche then I wanted Saul to show up in an even better car

 

[Ichinisan]

I think Saul's problem during BB -- his strip mall office and his driving a Cadillac but not a Mercedes or Bently -- was all about having to keep a lower profile due to the fact that most of his money came to him illegally and in cash.

I think He made tons of dough, but couldn't risk flaunting it.

I've thought the same. He definitely had the money to buy a whole new identity.

 

[BoberFett]

I loved that scene with Mike. Makes me love the character even more so now.

However, it makes me hate that evil Walter White now!

I always had the impression that Mike was a generally good guy, doing bad things for what he saw were good reasons. He confirmed that in his speech to the nerdy pill pusher after the deal. The difference between criminal and lawful, good and bad. Mike is a good criminal. Walter is a bad criminal. And for the last couple seasons of BB I kept hoping Walter would die. He was by far the worst, most morally bankrupt person on that show. Even the Mexican cartel bosses had more honor than Walt.

 

[BoberFett]

Yeah. If he becomes as successful as his brother, it would have to be after the identity change and the move to Nebraska. Maybe he hits the big time and loses it later.

Since he's running a Omaha Cinnabon restaurant in the end that we know of, I'm not sure if he'll amass a fortune that way. His Nebraska home did look pretty nice though.

Saul will never be able to be very successful following the events of BB. He was a very public figure back in Albuquerque with billboards and commercials and his face everywhere. If he became a bigshot elsewhere, even Nebraska, somebody would recognize him and he'd be tied back to Walter somehow. At the end of BB, everybody was bailing on anything connected to Walter: Mike, Saul, Jesse, everybody.

No, Saul will be managing a Cinnabon for life.

 

[Perknose]

They're doing a great job with BCS, the dialog and feel and tone of the show are excellent.

Well agreed.

But it's not even close to matching the pace and excitement of BB.

So what? It's depth and character development is outstanding . . . and far more subtle.

Case in point:

I always had the impression that Mike was a generally good guy, doing bad things for what he saw were good reasons. He confirmed that in his speech to the nerdy pill pusher after the deal. The difference between criminal and lawful, good and bad.

In fact, in this last episode, there were three scenes that were simply as good as it gets. The other two were the 3 guys and a minivan scene, and the reveal of Chuck's not wanting Jimmy to be in his firm.

Awesome characterization. Awesome depth.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I think Saul's problem during BB -- his strip mall office and his driving a Cadillac but not a Mercedes or Bently -- was all about having to keep a lower profile due to the fact that most of his money came to him illegally and in cash.

I think he made tons of dough, but couldn't risk flaunting it.

Exactly. That strip mall office and the cheesy commercials on local TV were cover. He had to maintain that persona to keep anyone from looking too closely at his finances. He couldn't live in a crazily luxurious style any more than Walt or Gus could. They were all playing roles to look far less prosperous.

 

[Carson Dyle]

At the end of BB, everybody was bailing on anything connected to Walter: Mike, Saul, Jesse, everybody.

Yeah, Mike bailed alright.

 

[BoberFett]

Yeah, Mike bailed alright.

He was attempting to before Walt got to him.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Well agreed.



So what? It's depth and character development is outstanding . . . and far more subtle.

Case in point:



In fact, in this last episode, there were three scenes that were simply as good as it gets. The other two were the 3 guys and a minivan scene, and the reveal of Chuck's not wanting Jimmy to be in his firm.

Awesome characterization. Awesome depth.

Subtle is fine. But subtle is also, for lack of a better word, subtle. Breaking Bad was a whole different level. That show managed to morph Walt into Heisenberg in one 20th the time that BCS is using to morph Jimmy into Saul. It had dozens of subtle scenes of monumental importance that were as good as anything you cite in BCS. And it also had excitement and action and pacing. So do you want nothing but subtlety or do you want subtlety mixed with everything else? I know that BB was too complicated for some people. They were not able to appreciate the subtlety of the more quiet moments amid the chaos and they need the slower pacing where only one important thing happens per episode to be able to fully grasp the significance of what's happening. But for the people who were capable of picking out the significance of the subtle moments, BB had layers that BCS is not close to matching yet.

 

[BoberFett]

No, it took several seasons to turn Walt into Heisenberg. Putting a hat on didn't make him Heisenberg. Going nuclear in season 5 turned him into Heisenberg.

But that's just my take on it.

As for excitement, Saul isn't Walter. He's not in the same business. Saul isn't going to be blowing up drug lords. He's a lawyer, he treads the gray are between legal and illegal. I wouldn't expect this to be an action show. Hell, the action scenes in BB were the least interesting in my opinion. It's not supposed to be an action movie.

 

[Exophase]

He was by far the worst, most morally bankrupt person on that show. Even the Mexican cartel bosses had more honor than Walt.

Walt was pretty bad, but I think Todd, his uncle, and Lydia were even worse.

Walt tried to save Hank even though Hank hated him and wanted to destroy him, even though it'd mean giving up everything to do so. He also repeatedly tried to help Jesse even at great risk to himself. Walt killed people in order to save himself from getting caught when there was no way out but those guys would jump to murdering innocents at the bat of an eyelid when it was probably not even necessary, and with no negative reaction whatsoever. Todd especially.

Gus is also arguably worse than Walt, but not as bad as they are.

 

[CZroe]

In Breaking Bad, Saul sure seemed to actually be soliciting those deadbeat cases that wouldn't be worth his time if the strip mall and commercials were just for appearances to hide his success. The fact that he had helped Jessie before he went big with Walt speaks volumes.

 

[BoberFett]

Walt was pretty bad, but I think Todd, his uncle, and Lydia were even worse.

Walt tried to save Hank even though Hank hated him and wanted to destroy him, even though it'd mean giving up everything to do so. He also repeatedly tried to help Jesse even at great risk to himself. Walt killed people in order to save himself from getting caught when there was no way out but those guys would jump to murdering innocents at the bat of an eyelid when it was probably not even necessary, and with no negative reaction whatsoever. Todd especially.

Gus is also arguably worse than Walt, but not as bad as they are.

Todd and his uncle were the kind of evil you can see coming. You know what to expect. Lydia? Meh, she was just greedy and stupid. Gus had rules. If you broke them you died, but he had a code that he lived by which it could be argued was "fair".

Walt was conniving, greeting you with one hand, and holding a knife with the other. Until the finale, he only saved Jesse because it suited his purpose at the time.