Better Call Saul

[Dave]

Is anyone watching this? I haven't seen anything around the forums for it, which is a bit of a shame really since it is a really great show. And not just because it is the love child of Breaking Bad (the best show ever, right?) but because it is genuinely interesting and worth watching.

I'm really liking Bob Odenkirk as Saul once again and I think the reservations I had about him going out on his own have been satiated, at least in the first four episodes. Having been such a big fan of Breaking Bad, I was genuinely worried about what this show might do to the legacy of the aforementioned but it seems to be keeping it's distance rather nicely and building it's own legacy... Even if I am only waiting for Bryan Cranston to turn up at some point.

Still we are now 4 episodes deep and you can see what Gilligan is trying to do here. I'm enjoying it a lot but I'm just worried about how long it can possibly go on for? It is set 7 years before Breaking Bad so there is a lot of time time to cover before we have to think about that. But surely it is working to a very specific time line.

Also, with Netflix releasing the episodes every week rather than immediately, I can't say that I'm impressed. How do you feel about this move?

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I do and 'till now, the show rocks.

I liked how they used BB's hype in order to promote the first & second episodes, but since then, it keeps growing and growing. It buids up the charecter perfectly, just like Breaking Bad.

It showcases both Jimmy's past & present & does a good job in making him a sympathetic character. I also like how he is often questioned to make a choice, wether good or bad.

The dynamic between him and his brother, will also play an important role in Saul Goodman's debut, IMO. I'm interested to see where this is going, because there are so many aspects to consider, his brother, his rival law-office & the mexicans.

 

[Dave]

Yeah, I completely agree. I've been watching it since the beginning and I can definitely see why it is the highest rated cable premier ever (right?). Of course it had a lot of help, if I recall correctly; coming off of a high rated program before it. But it does look like it is making all the right moves in fulfilling it's potential.

I must admit though, the last episode (4) was the weakest of the 4 u til about the 35 minute mark and then it started to come together. I particularly enjoyed the way he got one over Hamlin. And that's not even that bad of a thing because the first 3 episodes were out of this world. I just feel that, with such a small schedule of episodes, they should really get moving with a bigger story angle with Tuco and things.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I haven't seen the show yet, but me an my girlfriend having been watching Breaking Bad over the last few months and we are finally up to the last episode, which I'll be watching when I go round to hers after work tonight. It didn't appeal to me when it was on TV so I didn't bother watching it, but eventually I gave it a try on Netflix and it's been awesome.

So I will definitely be watching Better Call Saul, maybe even try the first episode tonight. I haven't got a problem with Netflix releasing 1 episode a week, as I will only be watching it with the missus and I'm only there 2 days of the week as she lives a bit of a drive away. It's a smart move from Netflix as it forces people to keep returning to the service week after week, hopefully keeping their membership longer and watching other content while they are there.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Odenkirk is knocking it out of the park again, right along side the story-telling greatness that is Vince Gilligan.

They're doing such a masterful way of giving BB fans back that same BB style, appeal and flow through an alternative, albeit related back-story of one of BB's most underrated characters.

If you aren't watching Better Call Saul, you are missing out. Truly.

 

[Johnny Scumm]

Odenkirk is knocking it out of the park again, right along side the story-telling greatness that is Vince Gilligan.

They're doing such a masterful way of giving BB fans back that same BB style, appeal and flow through an alternative, albeit related back-story of one of BB's most underrated characters.

If you aren't watching Better Call Saul, you are missing out. Truly.

I can't really put it any other way.

From the opening scene of Ep1, the black & white screen in a Cinnabon, all the way to the "Lawyer Montage", everything has been brilliant.

This weeks episode was once again, great. The most disappointing part is that the episodes come out weekly, not all at once. However, I'm busy enough in the week to tide me over.

What's becoming the most intriguing part was that I heard "Saul Goodman" for the first time yesterday. When we find out how it became his name...who knows?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

No drop-off from S1 to S2 thus far. In fact, S2 is chalking up to help lead us to the Saul storyline a lot faster than I thought they'd go. His moral fibres are fraying at a rate a lot faster than I thought they'd cut them at, but it's amazing to see. I also love that they're mostly running Mike through a solo lens as well.

 

[enviousdominous]

I've been a huge fan of Bob Odenkirk for most of his career, Mr. Show is my all-time favorite sketch comedy show. I'm also a fan of Michael McKean's work, so that's a double win for me.

I'm liking Better Call Saul in that it's not trying to one-up Breaking Bad in any way. It's just a more in depth look at one of their stand-out characters. I got a few friends of mine onto the show by assuring them that it's not nearly as extreme as Breaking Bad was, violence made them queasy. I'm originally from Cicero Illinois also, so it was cool to see them give my old home town a shout-out.

I like that we're being given a very thinly veiled legal drama that focuses more on the whims of Saul/Jimmy. I'm excited to see how things turn out between him and his brother, I sense that there's going to be a huge clash in future episodes. I love the fact that they're including Mike in the mix, I think every show would be better with an indomitable bad-ass among the cast.

I think they kept Seasons 1 and 2 so close together chronologically partly because they realize they have a hit on their hands, and this way they can cram more examples of Saul's lunacy into the gap of time between where we are now and when Jesse requires his services.