Better Call Saul

[Don Vito Corleone]

I always loved the attention to detail and interlocking plot points over the course of Breaking Bad, but I am starting to get a little weary of the easter eggs in BCS (e.g., this week, the pig doll Mike gave to his granddaughter, which he used on BB to confuse his would-be killer by hanging it in front of a peephole, and the reference to Ice Station Zebra, which Saul goes on to use as the name of his holding company). It just feels a little excessive sometimes. On the other hand, I was semi-obsessive about BB, and I expect most of the audience never even notices these things (not to mention that BCS and BB are, after all, pieces of the same whole).

 

[smackababy]

Except that she didn't want to even tell him about it.

She said she didn't want to tell him. That is the oldest trick in the book man. Jimmy literally used it in his cons. Mike isn't stupid either. He waited outside and saw there weren't any guys with guns and yet continues to placate her. His entire motivation that has been shown in both shows is providing for his granddaughter.


As far as who he is supposed to kill, I think it will be Tuco himself. He will be stopped by Gus's associate, as Gus isn't ready to do business without him. Everyone, including the guy hiring Mike, knows Tuco is crazy and more likely to fuck everything up than be a successful business man.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

As far as who he is supposed to kill, I think it will be Tuco himself. He will be stopped by Gus's associate, as Gus isn't ready to do business without him. Everyone, including the guy hiring Mike, knows Tuco is crazy and more likely to fuck everything up than be a successful business man.

Tuco seems like the probable would-be victim. Nacho works for him and has ambitions of taking over. I think rather than getting warned off by Gus, Mike will double-cross Nacho and go to Gus himself. He doesn't want to be a knee breaker and he needs money, so he will see the boss of the organization as the man to work for in a non knee-breaking role.

I don't see it going too long either. Jonathan Banks is 70 and not looking too spry.
Maybe they will transition to post BB Sual/Jimmy after a season or two more.

Seems like an easy transition to make. They've clearly established Jimmy as a guy who hates working within the system and actually prefers the sleazy way. The job as a Cinnabon stooge would be tough for him to take and he'd get bored easily. So they can use fast forwards to show Saul slowly creeping over to the dark side, maybe starting with taking some Cinnabon products out the back door, transitioning to being the inside man for some petty criminals who want to rob the mall, being legal adviser to the thieves as they get more successful, eventually running a criminal organization of his own while masquerading as a mild-mannered Cinnabon manager.

 

[destrekor]

I always loved the attention to detail and interlocking plot points over the course of Breaking Bad, but I am starting to get a little weary of the easter eggs in BCS (e.g., this week, the pig doll Mike gave to his granddaughter, which he used on BB to confuse his would-be killer by hanging it in front of a peephole, and the reference to Ice Station Zebra, which Saul goes on to use as the name of his holding company). It just feels a little excessive sometimes. On the other hand, I was semi-obsessive about BB, and I expect most of the audience never even notices these things (not to mention that BCS and BB are, after all, pieces of the same whole).

Yeah I don't remember those kinds of details. I loved BB but the little things like that, they don't stick around in my brain.

And these things feel entirely natural in BCS, related to BB or not.

I don't think that you, as someone who remembers a profound amount of details, should be annoyed about these little connections. Remember, it IS a spin-off and this is a prequel for certain characters, so there are things that SHOULD be referenced so that the backstory is explained properly.

 

[CZroe]

Tuco seems like the probable would-be victim. Nacho works for him and has ambitions of taking over. I think rather than getting warned off by Gus, Mike will double-cross Nacho and go to Gus himself. He doesn't want to be a knee breaker and he needs money, so he will see the boss of the organization as the man to work for in a non knee-breaking role.









Seems like an easy transition to make. They've clearly established Jimmy as a guy who hates working within the system and actually prefers the sleazy way. The job as a Cinnabon stooge would be tough for him to take and he'd get bored easily. So they can use fast forwards to show Saul slowly creeping over to the dark side, maybe starting with taking some Cinnabon products out the back door, transitioning to being the inside man for some petty criminals who want to rob the mall, being legal adviser to the thieves as they get more successful, eventually running a criminal organization of his own while masquerading as a mild-mannered Cinnabon manager.

This "Ice Station Zebra" thing... I remember it in Breaking Bad, but I also remember something very similar in Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law. I know there's a spy movie reference there but, considering to references from lawyer shows, is it also a reference to some other law pop culture I'm not aware of? Also, there's "Ice Station - Impossible!" from The Venture Bros and an Ice Station Zebra episode of Sealab 2021 (Cartoon Network/Adult Swim must have loved that movie).

 

[CZroe]

Yeah I don't remember those kinds of details. I loved BB but the little things like that, they don't stick around in my brain.



And these things feel entirely natural in BCS, related to BB or not.



I don't think that you, as someone who remembers a profound amount of details, should be annoyed about these little connections. Remember, it IS a spin-off and this is a prequel for certain characters, so there are things that SHOULD be referenced so that the backstory is explained properly.

Perhaps this will refresh your memory:
Lydia solicited Mike with a list of several former associates she wanted dead
Mike declined
Lydia added Mike's name to the list and hired someone else
That man forced one of the other men on the list to lure Mike
Mike instinctively knew that he was being lured but played along like he was falling for it
Killer was waiting at associates home with his gun trained on the door
Instead of knocking, Mike hung a tumbling toy on the door that would keep making noise and create lots of movement visible through the peephole
The killer knew something was odd but was forced to keep his attention on the front door
Killer eventually turns around to find Mike with his gun already aimed at his head

That was the same toy he hung in the door.

 

[destrekor]

Perhaps this will refresh your memory:
Lydia solicited Mike with a list of several former associates she wanted dead
Mike declined
Lydia added Mike's name to the list and hired someone else
That man forced one of the other men on the list to lure Mike
Mike instinctively knew that he was being lured but played along like he was falling for it
Killer was waiting at associates home with his gun trained on the door
Instead of knocking, Mike hung a tumbling toy on the door that would keep making noise and create lots of movement visible through the peephole
The killer knew something was odd but was forced to keep his attention on the front door
Killer eventually turns around to find Mike with his gun already aimed at his head

That was the same toy he hung in the door.

Yeah I think I remember that one now. But again, my point is that there are going to be a lot of little things like that, and I won't remember but it's there for people who do. And I won't mind missing it, because without the connection, these things don't feel forced at all, they feel natural in the story. Just small little moments that may otherwise have no story attached, and some of them just happen to be revisited in BB.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Yeah I think I remember that one now. But again, my point is that there are going to be a lot of little things like that, and I won't remember but it's there for people who do. And I won't mind missing it, because without the connection, these things don't feel forced at all, they feel natural in the story. Just small little moments that may otherwise have no story attached, and some of them just happen to be revisited in BB.

I do think it's probably unreasonable for this to bother me, since in fact these are the kinds of details that would organically come together this way, and it's clearly done in the interest of serving fans who, like me, have watched BB more than once. It just feels a little . . . cute sometimes, and the show has been jam-packed with these kinds of details, some of which are, unlike the ones this past week, meant to be just kind of dumb luck (e.g., the fact that Jimmy and, years later, Walt, ran into the same asshole fast-talking investment manager, or the fact that both the resort Jimmy frequented and the cartel guy Gus killed in Mexico favor the same ultra-premium tequila).

 

[Drako]

That will buff right out. :hmm:

 

[Jaskalas]

That will buff right out. :hmm:

I think the car got the better end of that deal...

 

[CZroe]

I watched it a day late but didn't have anything to say here. It seems that neither did anyone else!

OK, so Tuco is out of the picture for now (maybe for the whole series) but not much else happened. I mean, we already knew from the previews that Jimmy was going to be close to being fired "for cause" and about the only other thing that happened was Kim's demotion. His encounter with Chuck didn't change anything either.

I see why this thread only has two posts since the last episode.

 

[Drako]

I watched it a day late but didn't have anything to say here. It seems that neither did anyone else!

I said something.

 

[Charmonium]

I thought that Mike's character was interesting. Last season didn't he kill an old partner or colleague? I thought for sure he would buy the sniper rifle. And considering some of the shit he does in BB you would really expect him to be a hard ass and not have any compunctions about taking out a major drug dealer. I was sort of surprised that he didn't go that route.

It seems that the new Hollywood PC-ness now involves not killing bad guys and it's really starting to get on my nerves. I can understand not going straight to murder in a lot of situations, but I think they've really overdone this new faux morality.

 

[OutHouse]

It seems that the new Hollywood PC-ness now involves not killing bad guys and it's really starting to get on my nerves

Mike not putting a bullet in Tucos head had nothing to with Hollywood PC-ness.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

It seems that the new Hollywood PC-ness now involves not killing bad guys and it's really starting to get on my nerves. I can understand not going straight to murder in a lot of situations, but I think they've really overdone this new faux morality.

This is a joke, right? Did you hit your head and forget that Tuco was in BB?

 

[Charmonium]

This is a joke, right? Did you hit your head and forget that Tuco was in BB?

I do actually have some brain damage from a long time ago. It's very specific though and one of the things I have a problem with is seeing contradictions. It's hard to explain but I can recognize that 2 things are inconsistent. It just doesn't always register.

So on some level I knew that Tuco had to stay alive since he was an important character in BB. I just didn't make the association. Oh well.

 

[CZroe]

I thought that Mike's character was interesting. Last season didn't he kill an old partner or colleague? I thought for sure he would buy the sniper rifle. And considering some of the shit he does in BB you would really expect him to be a hard ass and not have any compunctions about taking out a major drug dealer. I was sort of surprised that he didn't go that route.

It seems that the new Hollywood PC-ness now involves not killing bad guys and it's really starting to get on my nerves. I can understand not going straight to murder in a lot of situations, but I think they've really overdone this new faux morality.

That was to protect himself and his family. I'm pretty sure it's different than killing for hire, especially where it might endanger him and his remaining family.

 

[Krazy4Real]

I do actually have some brain damage from a long time ago. It's very specific though and one of the things I have a problem with is seeing contradictions. It's hard to explain but I can recognize that 2 things are inconsistent. It just doesn't always register.

So on some level I knew that Tuco had to stay alive since he was an important character in BB. I just didn't make the association. Oh well.

/facepalm

 

[OutHouse]

i have a BCS calendar and i just dialed the number listed on each page.

lol

505-842-5662

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I watched it a day late but didn't have anything to say here. It seems that neither did anyone else!

OK, so Tuco is out of the picture for now (maybe for the whole series) but not much else happened. I mean, we already knew from the previews that Jimmy was going to be close to being fired "for cause" and about the only other thing that happened was Kim's demotion. His encounter with Chuck didn't change anything either.

I see why this thread only has two posts since the last episode.

My problem with BCS is that the parts set in the corporate world are awful. Just freaking intolerable. I love Jimmy being Jimmy. I love Mike being Mike. When they're each doing their own thing on the seedy side of the law the show shines. The instant Chuck or any of the other legit lawyers show up everything just grinds to a halt. I understand that they have to show Jimmy morphing into Saul by being unable to work within the system and preferring the dark side, they're spending too much time on it. The more time an episode spends in the law office the weaker it is.

 

[Charmonium]

My problem with BCS is that the parts set in the corporate world are awful. Just freaking intolerable. I love Jimmy being Jimmy. I love Mike being Mike. When they're each doing their own thing on the seedy side of the law the show shines. The instant Chuck or any of the other legit lawyers show up everything just grinds to a halt. I understand that they have to show Jimmy morphing into Saul by being unable to work within the system and preferring the dark side, they're spending too much time on it. The more time an episode spends in the law office the weaker it is.

I haven't noticed that but in the last episode, where the partners were trying to explain the issue they had with the commercial, I thought Saul's response was perfect. He simply doesn't look at the world the way other people do. It's not just a matter of being attracted to a particular type of life or way of doing things. He genuinely doesn't get 'normal.'

He's trying to create a persona that mirrors his brother's. And if the brother would be just a tiny bit supportive and maybe not so much of a whack job, I think Saul could probably do it. But even if he did, it would still just be an act because he doesn't really understand the rules he's following.

 

[zinfamous]

I thought that Mike's character was interesting. Last season didn't he kill an old partner or colleague? I thought for sure he would buy the sniper rifle. And considering some of the shit he does in BB you would really expect him to be a hard ass and not have any compunctions about taking out a major drug dealer. I was sort of surprised that he didn't go that route.

It seems that the new Hollywood PC-ness now involves not killing bad guys and it's really starting to get on my nerves. I can understand not going straight to murder in a lot of situations, but I think they've really overdone this new faux morality.

eh, this would be Mike getting to the point where he becomes the kind of hard ass he was in BB. He hasn't gotten there yet, and I suspect that we are going to see what happens that pushes him over the edge.

Something involving his daughter-in-law, possibly.

 

[zinfamous]

My problem with BCS is that the parts set in the corporate world are awful. Just freaking intolerable. I love Jimmy being Jimmy. I love Mike being Mike. When they're each doing their own thing on the seedy side of the law the show shines. The instant Chuck or any of the other legit lawyers show up everything just grinds to a halt. I understand that they have to show Jimmy morphing into Saul by being unable to work within the system and preferring the dark side, they're spending too much time on it. The more time an episode spends in the law office the weaker it is.

agreed. These episodes so far this season are mostly plodding. I need to just back off for a few weeks and wait till more of them pile up. waiting a week to spend another ~40 minutes watching mostly corporate nonsense is not a good use of time.

 

[drquest]

I think Mike knows Tuco is a serious bad guy and making him go away would benefit him financially and the world without Tuco would be a better place. But, Mike is very smart and knows the Cartel would come down hard on Nacho and Nacho would lead them to Mike.

Again, he's a smart guy....

 

[purbeast0]

just caught up on the first 4 episodes. this show is ssssooooo good i wish i could just binge watch the whole season.

only thing i don't care for at all in this show is the whole chuck storyline. the character bores me to death and the scenes in his house i just do not like at all.