Better Call Saul

[rico]

As I am sure many of y'all already know, a spinoff of "Breaking Bad" titled "Better Call Saul" will be airing in 2014. This is going to be a prequel to Breaking Bad and will be based on the character of Saul Goodman from "Breaking Bad."

I, for one, will be watching. I'm sure the majority of all of you other "Breaking Bad" fans will be as well. Might as well get the discussion going sooner rather than later.

So... what are your hopes, expectations and/or concerns with the show? Here are some of mine:

Hopes: I hope to see Saul do his thing in the courtroom. I hope to see strong, unique supporting characters. I hope to see Breaking Bad foreshadowing. I hope he has an intriguing paralegal and/or assistant. I hope to see Breaking Bad characters such as Fring, Mike, etc...whoever. I hope the show kicks ass.

Expectations: I don't expect it to be as good as "Breaking Bad" (because nothing else is, really), but I expect it to be good since Vince Gilligan is writing. I somewhat expect it to have an even balance of comedy and drama...since Saul undeniably provides a substantial amount of comedic relief in "Breaking Bad." I expect to see "courtroom Saul." I expect the "Breaking Bad" references and character cameos to be less than what I hope. If it isn't even a fraction as good as "Breaking Bad," I expect it to be better than 95% of everything else on TV, since there is some shitty shit on TV these days.

Concerns: I'd be a liar if I were to say that I didn't think this show has potential of flopping and certainly failing to meet the presumed high expectations of the audience. Don't get me wrong, I think it will be good... but I think it COULD suck if not executed properly. My main concern is Saul ultimately proving himself to be a "little dab will do ya" type of character, which would lead to a show centered around his character not working out. I am hoping that the character of Saul will not be so over-used and constantly over the top, that he becomes annoying to me, thus ruining his character for me altogether... Not saying I think this will be how it goes down...just saying I think there is a CHANCE of this being the case, which prompts me to believe that a strong supporting cast is VITAL in terms of the amount of success/quality this show will accumulate. All in all, I don't think VG will steer us in an unfortunate direction though...I think they'll pull it off.

Thoughts?

DISCUS!!!!

[MahiMike]

Originally Posted by lcarus

The way Howard handled Chuck in the finale was great. That was my favorite scene. "Let's all give him a big hand"

Yeah that was great. **** Chuck.

[MahiMike]

A lot of stuff happened on that last show. I admired Howard. I'm so glad to see Chuck gone. I couldn't understand why Kim is giving up.

But the biggest thing about the show to me was Jimmy's handling of the old biddies. Did he really sabotage his payday? I couldn't tell if the settlement was moving forward or not. If not, I've lost a lot of respect for Jimmy. For as smart and cunning as he is, he can be a pussy when it matters the most.

[BWillie]

Chucks last words to Jimmy was basically, you are a scoundrel, stop apologizing for it, I'd have more respect for you if you just embraced your conman self.

Probably going full fledged Saul Goodman here shortly. We've already seen a little transformation so far.

[BWillie]

Hope we see more of Nacho. I love his character. Fantastic actor whoever that guy is.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by MahiMike

A lot of stuff happened on that last show. I admired Howard. I'm so glad to see Chuck gone. I couldn't understand why Kim is giving up.

But the biggest thing about the show to me was Jimmy's handling of the old biddies. Did he really sabotage his payday? I couldn't tell if the settlement was moving forward or not. If not, I've lost a lot of respect for Jimmy. For as smart and cunning as he is, he can be a pussy when it matters the most.

WW had his good moments too.

[BWillie]

Are we ever going to see Badger? I loved that guy. If I recall, that was who advised Jesse of Saul Goodman in the 1st place.

[mdchiefsfan]

Is it just me, or do you feel the kicking of the table was too drawn out? I fail to see the purpose. Maybe if Chuck's condition had created ticks and spasms before (it always seemed to paralyze him), could I see the purpose behind the drawn out scene, but it felt like it was filler and served no other true purpose.

Bash away.

[mdchiefsfan]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Agreed.

But that said, there is absolutely no weak link in casting for BCS.

Everyone has just been phenomenal in their roles and it's mesmerizing to see all of the back stories of even tertiary characters like Lydia Rodarte-Quayle.

It's going to be a blast to binge watch Breaking Bad after Saul's run is over.

I'm running through BB between episodes of BCS, and it is astounding to see how differently I think of Saul now vs. when I originally watched BB. It has put an entirely different spin on a series I already admired greatly.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by eDave

Agree. Hated that dude early on. And how about Kim's butt last night in her jammies. Thong line was nicely visible as well.

I was surprised at how big her butt was.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Something we’ve discussed in the writers room is: What’s really the difference between a person who does bad things and feels bad about it, and someone who does bad things and doesn’t feel bad about it?

One is a sociopath—the one who does bad things and doesn't feel bad about it.
No conscience or any self-reflection.

[Sure-Oz]

What caused Chuck to snap and end it?

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

One is a sociopath—the one who does bad things and doesn't feel bad about it.
No conscience or any self-reflection.

Neither Jimmy or Chuck are sociopaths. They both walk a grey line but they're not engaged in criminal activity.

Manipulation? Sure.

Chuck wasn't evil. He was an asshole. Jimmy isn't evil but he's often very self serving although he's shown more compassion than Chuck ever did by helping Kim.

But in the end, neither are sociopaths.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

What caused Chuck to snap and end it?

All his efforts backfired and in the end he was left with nothing to control or conquer.

No battles with Jimmy
No relationship with him to dispense judgment
No battles with Howard
Bluff called on the ouster suit, at personal expense to his partner, demonstrating just how unwelcome his continued presence was.
No battles with malpractice underwriters
No battles with the electricity coursing through his house.
Every connection had been severed [literally and figuratively] and no one was left to battle, judge or defeat.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by eDave

Agree. Hated that dude early on. And how about Kim's butt last night in her jammies. Thong line was nicely visible as well.

I came here to post this.

My God.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I came here to post this.

My God.

I'm just really glad that Rhea is getting this opportunity to be lauded for both her beauty and her talent.

She's always been attractive, but her particular look has typecast her as the bitchy WASPy friend. She was in a string of dire sitcoms bitching about her ex-boyfriend and her painful shoes for laughs. Then she came in as the foil in the last season of Franklin and Bash.

She's one of those you see and say 'I HATE this show, but I hope she gets better work later.'