Better Call Saul

[Bobfoc]

With two series of this left, it's strange to think that Better Call Saul will end up with only two fewer episodes than Breaking Bad. I always thought this would be a short term idea, but credit to Gilligan and Gould for making it this good for so long.

[Hellraiser]

Wait, wasn't this supposed to be the final season? Did they renew it?

[GoGo Yubari]

They did, yeah.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Hold up, Gramps.

[GoGo Yubari]

"He was worth fifty of you."

[C-MIL]

Forgot this was coming back.

Is episode two tomorrow?

[GoGo Yubari]

It is. Well, technically today now.

[Bobfoc]

Spoiler

"When you're in, you're in."

That perfectly summed up the predicaments of Jimmy and Nacho. By getting involved in the criminal underworld, they're both doomed.

What really struck me during this episode was that, while Jimmy has consciously attempted to present himself as a sleazy lawyer, Kim's been trying to do things by the book, and yet still gets perceived as a ruthless fat cat by Mr. Acker. She can see that Jimmy can break rules and make cash without it troubling his conscience, whereas she's going through a rough patch while trying to play cleanly. Honestly, seeing her fall into the mire of corruption would be more heartbreaking for me than anything else in this series.

 

[Adam]

I think I could watch Vince Gilligan's shows all day every day for the rest of the time. There's something just so satisfying, and wonderfully unnerving, about sitting in the Breaking Bad universe.

Although I could do without those creepy crawlies at the start.

[GoGo Yubari]

I know his plan is to do something outside the BrBa world for his next project and I totally respect that but I feel like I could just keep watching spinoff after spinoff and be perfectly content.

[Bobfoc]

Spoiler

Lots of good stuff in that episode. Seeing Jimmy frustrate Kevin was great because, well, watching ruthless one-percenters being knocked down a peg is cathartic.

On the other hand, it's sad to see how Jimmy treats Howard. It's interesting because Jimmy, the confident maverick with the self-cultivated sleazy reputation, contrasts so sharply with Howard's lower self-esteem concealed by his outwardly flashy exterior.

And Kim not only going further down the dark path, but actively daring her boss to call her out on it, is another step towards heartbreak. What this show does so well is its slow burn towards catastrophe, all without feeling like the kind of filler so many other shows fall into.

"DEDICADO A MAX" was genuinely quite touching. It epitomises what I enjoy about Gus. It speaks to the complexity of his character that he's a merciless operator fixated on both business efficiency and bitter vengeance, yet he also hasn't forgotten about the man he loved. "I am what I am" sums it up perfectly. Unlike Walt, he doesn't try to rationalise his actions to himself. He knows what he's doing and why he's doing it.

 

[Bobfoc]

Spoiler

What a ride that was. I think drama is at its best when you're not sure who to root for, and that was very much the case here.

A marriage between Kim and Jimmy was always likely, and we know it'll end before Jimmy's first appearance in Breaking Bad. Jimmy mentions to Walt that "I caught my second wife screwing my stepdad". I have to wonder if that's actually going to happen or if it's a story Jimmy created to absolve himself of any blame. I think the latter is more likely, but who knows? It'll certainly be interesting if a new character turns up.

 

[MalaCloudy Black]

2 hours ago, Bobfoc said:

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What a ride that was. I think drama is at its best when you're not sure who to root for, and that was very much the case here.

A marriage between Kim and Jimmy was always likely, and we know it'll end before Jimmy's first appearance in Breaking Bad. Jimmy mentions to Walt that "I caught my second wife screwing my stepdad". I have to wonder if that's actually going to happen or if it's a story Jimmy created to absolve himself of any blame. I think the latter is more likely, but who knows? It'll certainly be interesting if a new character turns up.

 

I think more than likely it has to do with..

Spoiler

the fact that one can't legally testify against their spouse.

 

[Bobfoc]

1 minute ago, How The Cloud Stole Christ said:

I think more than likely it has to do with..

  Reveal hidden contents

the fact that one can't legally testify against their spouse.

 

Spoiler

I imagine you're right, but I'm speculating on how the marriage will eventually end. My guess has been that Kim will end up in trouble and get disbarred, probably because of the underhanded methods Jimmy has been encouraging. It would be particularly heartbreaking to see Kim, a person who always used to do things by the books (to the extent that she was prepared to walk three miles home in the dark with a cello on her back rather than get in a car with her drunk mother), getting taken down while Jimmy continues to enjoy success by breaking the rules.

 

[Hellraiser]

On 24/03/2020 at 14:38, Bobfoc said:

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What a ride that was. I think drama is at its best when you're not sure who to root for, and that was very much the case here.

A marriage between Kim and Jimmy was always likely, and we know it'll end before Jimmy's first appearance in Breaking Bad. Jimmy mentions to Walt that "I caught my second wife screwing my stepdad". I have to wonder if that's actually going to happen or if it's a story Jimmy created to absolve himself of any blame. I think the latter is more likely, but who knows? It'll certainly be interesting if a new character turns up.

 

Spoiler

When he said that line in Breaking Bad Walter had just tried to attack Ted after learning that Skyler had cheated on him with Ted. I think he was just trying to be sympathetic (in his typical sleazy way) to calm Walt down. If there was a step-dad in the picture I think either Chuck or Jimmy would've mentioned him at some point in the past. And in the flashback when their mother died there was no one else present. Also if there was a step-dad about the same age as their mom he would be in his 70s or 80s now. I just can't see that Kim would jump into bed with an octogenarian or septuagenarian. 

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Hellraiser

[Sousa]

Jesus that episode made me anxious. Jesus.

[Bobfoc]

Spoiler

And so the inevitable descent into misery draws ever closer.

Contrast the attitudes of Mike and Jimmy and it's an interesting comparison. Mike, stating that he's "accepted the cards he's been dealt", has realised that, for better and worse, he's destined to spend the rest of his days dealing in the dangerous underbelly of criminal society. He doesn't relish the thought, but he accepts it. Jimmy, however, despite what he said to Kim in bed, has fully embraced the prospect of moving from underhanded rule-bending to full-on crime, along with all the money it involves. His tirade with Howard at the end of the episode was an "I am the one who knocks"-esque outburst of a man trying to impress and intimidate someone he considers to be a doubter.

I really, really hoped that this show would shed more light on Gus' true identity, and this episode gave the greatest hint yet that we will. Talking with Peter (who you might remember as the Madrigal higher-up who killed himself before the police could question him about Gus' death in Breaking Bad) about having "our backs to the wall in Santiago" is something that surely has to be expanded on in some way or other.

 

[MalaCloudy Black]

Ah shit.
 

Spoiler

Kim's so fucking dead, isn't she?

 

[Kaney]

1 hour ago, How The Cloud Stole Christ said:

Ah shit.
 

  Hide contents

Kim's so fucking dead, isn't she?

 

Pretty much. I was always wondering how they would get round to taking her out of the picture and yeah, that looked like the start of it.

[GoGo Yubari]

This show is so fucking good, good lord. Also, I appreciate their commitment to

Spoiler

Lalo Salamanca just being on some parkour shit.