Better Call Saul- returns August 6th

[Goo Punch 4275]

24 minutes ago, Mileslong said:

There are very few episodes in BCS that aren’t pretty slow paced which is why I don’t understand the bitching about it.

You can only have so many action filled episodes until it feels contrived like 24 or something. I will say they could get rid of the Mikes grandkid scenes altogether but I understand it’s there for a purpose, basically to give something that mike holds dear which can be used against him as leverage...

i don't understand how you still don't get it. nobody is calling for action scenes. i love aaron sorkin movies, he's my favorite screenwriter, and michael bay he is not.  but there's a difference in this:

and this:

and spending three minutes watching saul make coffee followed by equally inane/uninteresting scenes which get dragged out longer than they need to be. it isn't the pace or the lack of action- it was boring. that's it.

Edited August 8, 2018 by Goo Punch

[Fat Bastard 600]

Love the show. Fell asleep watching it last night. Almost fell asleep watching it again tonight. It was slow AF. 

[NorthLoop 14215]

I thought it was good. I didn't expect it to be action packed. This is what this show is and always has been. There's only one person freaking out on this thread. 

[bernorange 8362]

I enjoyed it very much.  I find the pacing to be deliberate and considered.  It's usually pretty clear as to why.

The morning routine scenes at the beginning were important to establish Jimmy's state of mind prior to the call about Chuck.  Without it, you really don't appreciate the impact of the event.  Did you also bitch about the start of From Dusk Till Dawn?  The jarring transition was a great effect.

[Goo Punch 4275]

1 hour ago, NorthLoop said:

I thought it was good. I didn't expect it to be action packed. This is what this show is and always has been. There's only one person freaking out on this thread. 

first off i'm not freaking out, i'm dreading the direction the thread is heading in if nobody is allowed to criticize any aspect of the show. which is exactly what you and mileslong and several others are doing with your reactions. it cannot have been spelled out any more plainly for you, and yet you all parrot the same stupid shit. "sorry there wasn't enough action for you." that's some stupid butthurt shit right there, because it couldn't have been spelled out any more clearly that it has nothing to do with a lack of action scenes or car chases or shootouts, nor is it the slow pace of the show which we are all well familiar with by now. but you ignore this because the butthurt takes over and you can't accept any criticism of the show you like. NCAA.

this happens in damn near every thread dedicated to a show- every criticism is met with waves of butthurt, snarky responses by people who refuse to even listen to what's being said. it's retarded. stop doing it. you can have your own opinion of the show, but don't disallow criticism of the show, and don't be purposely obtuse about why people are criticizing it.

Edited August 8, 2018 by Goo Punch

[Goo Punch 4275]

1 hour ago, bernorange said:

I enjoyed it very much.  I find the pacing to be deliberate and considered.  It's usually pretty clear as to why.

The morning routine scenes at the beginning were important to establish Jimmy's state of mind prior to the call about Chuck.  Without it, you really don't appreciate the impact of the event.  Did you also bitch about the start of From Dusk Till Dawn?  The jarring transition was a great effect.

i don't appreciate jimmy's reaction to his brother's suicide if i don't watch him make coffee? what?

[notre dame joe 188]

9 hours ago, Deej said:

I like the slow burn. 

I always wondered if there is a correlation between liking these shows and rare steak.

[ernest_t_bass 1196]

14 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

the people who run in here all upset that other people are pointing out how slow the show is are the worst. it happens in every thread for every tv show ever. fans of the show start to become vocally critical (for legitimate reasons) and the fanboi's can't handle it. 

You are describing yourself when ANYONE disagrees with you.

[ernest_t_bass 1196]

I enjoyed the episode.  I had to catch up and watch Season 3 finale first, so it was a long 2+ hours of TV, but I enjoy BB world so much, that I don't mind the pace at all. 

[Prepuce of Doom 21079]

I enjoy the fast pace and rock 'em, sock' em action found in this thread. 

[Guest Lobo]

I liked the morning montage, made me think of so many meth-making montages.  Think it was Vince's wink to us that Walter's gonna make an appearance.  Only question is how?  

 

[Smax 3800]

while not action packed which is fine, I felt like the episode flew by

[NorthLoop 14215]

There were definitely too many commercials it seemed

 

 

One thing that bothered me (and has bothered me this whole series) is Kaylee's age. She's clearly older here than she was in BB, which is supposed to be years later. I know she's not some major character so it's not a big deal, but it seems like a small piece of continuity that they could've easily maintained. Instead they were just like "nobody will notice, fuck it." 

[Baboontyme 2813]

I'm glad Chuck's dead. Fuck him. 

[Moby Ric 2058]

Liked the show.  Glad Chuck is gone he was just not that interesting.  Favorite part was Mike driving around he warehouse acting as a floor supervisor.  That was good tv.  The build up has begun.

[oSuJeff97 3435]

Chuck was an arrogant, narcissistic, unlikable prick...... but he was, of course, right about Jimmy all along.

I liked the first episode a lot.  The cold open was some fabulous filmmaking.  The rest of the episode was a typical first episode of a season, setting up various arcs.

[Go Pokes 979]

4 hours ago, NorthLoop said:

There were definitely too many commercials it seemed

 

 

One thing that bothered me (and has bothered me this whole series) is Kaylee's age. She's clearly older here than she was in BB, which is supposed to be years later. I know she's not some major character so it's not a big deal, but it seems like a small piece of continuity that they could've easily maintained. Instead they were just like "nobody will notice, fuck it." 

that's a pretty big piece of continuity for Vince to miss.  Are you sure you're correct about that?    It seems right, but I can't believe he missed it by that much.   

[oSuJeff97 3435]

One thing I'm wondering.... when Jimmy and Kim leave the site of Chuck's house, the camera lingers on a shot of the burned down house with a park bench/bus stop bench in the foreground.  I was wondering if we saw that same park bench before... maybe across from an empty lot or something in BB...maybe with a Saul advertisement on it or something?  Anyone catch that?

I was remembering the scene where Badger is sitting on a bench and an undercover cop busts him for selling, but it seems like that was in a much more urban area, not in a residential area. Plus I think that might have been the first episode w/ Saul.  Seems like I remember him being with Badger in the jail or something.  Too lazy to look it up.

[Jive Turkey 12617]

It was a weird season premiere in that it picked up directly where the last season ended.  I feel like I'm used to seasons ending and then the next season picks up months later.  Maybe it was just Mad Men and The Wire and The Americans, but that seems to be more common these days than a season ending with a cliffhanger and the next season picking right up where it left off.  That seems more 70s and 80s with Dallas and Dynasty and those types of shows.

I fully expect everybody to start pointing out modern shows that pick up where the last season ended.  I'm just saying that the shows I watch typically have a season premiere that occurs several months in time after the prior season ended.

I was almost shocked when Jimmy found out about the fire and Chuck, and that this episode picked up the day after the fire.  I was expecting the show to pick up months after the funeral.

This episode should have been part of last season.

[JimmyHoffa 1188]

The cliff hanger was fine even though we knew he died last season. 

Don't forget they already have a timeline set up since this is pre BB. So jumping ahead doesn't always work when Vince and the rest of the writers have already said they had an arc in mind for how BCS would go leading up to the time when BB starts. At least that is what I thought I remembered reading somewhere. 

[LonghornSean 4008]

I enjoyed the episode just fine, but I did think afterwards that not a whole lot happened.  But I wasn't bored at all because I love the characters and they're all written and played really well.

 

And I disagree on the show's lack of rewatchability. I rewatched season 3 over the last week or so (as I've done for the previous season before each premiere) and thoroughly enjoyed that (while fast forwarding through multiple Mike stake-out scenes, those are boring AF).  

[BigOrange1 6442]

51 minutes ago, oSuJeff97 said:

One thing I'm wondering.... when Jimmy and Kim leave the site of Chuck's house, the camera lingers on a shot of the burned down house with a park bench/bus stop bench in the foreground.  I was wondering if we saw that same park bench before... maybe across from an empty lot or something in BB...maybe with a Saul advertisement on it or something?  Anyone catch that?

I was remembering the scene where Badger is sitting on a bench and an undercover cop busts him for selling, but it seems like that was in a much more urban area, not in a residential area. Plus I think that might have been the first episode w/ Saul.  Seems like I remember him being with Badger in the jail or something.  Too lazy to look it up.

pretty sure chuck and jimmy sat on that bench on at least one occasion during this series.  if not more.

[RPM 26322]

Isn't that where Jimmy first saw Chuck outside the house?

[MrBig 5414]

I caught the show on demand on the AMC app the same night. It was paired with the new show Lodge 49 as one long episode. I hate that they make you wait until the first commercial break for the next show to watch scenes from next week’s episode.

They used to do this shit with Breaking bad during the first few seasons. Was this the case with the live broadcast?

[pepper brooks 580]

It was fine. One thing is the show is very different from what I expected. I thought after season one jimmy would be Saul going forward and I thought we’d see much more of him with crazy clients and that whole dynamic.  I did not think it would take 3 seasons of the chuck bullshit to settle that.  Looking back, what a waste of time. That shit needed to be wrapped up in about 6-8 episodes max.  I don’t need tons of action and such, but i do need interesting chRacter development and story arch. The jimmy/chuck one wasn’t 3 seasons interesting.  Not sure how anyone can make the argument it was.  That said, I’m in and excited chuck is gone and we can see where this goes.  I still expect great things and love Saul/mike/cartel/ pollos/Gus / salamaca, etc. 

Edited August 8, 2018 by pepper brooks

[F250 28780]

3 hours ago, Go Pokes said:

that's a pretty big piece of continuity for Vince to miss.  Are you sure you're correct about that?    It seems right, but I can't believe he missed it by that much.   

Yeah, this is the only thing that is throwing me off with BCS. That whole scene with Mike and his granddaughter was distracting because of the kid seeming older than the one in BB. I didn't really pay attention to the scene because I was busy trying to guess how old she will be in a few years in BB.

 

 

[bernorange 8362]

@pepper brooks - We understood from early on that "slipping Jimmy" has always had a questionable moral compass, but I think the drawn out story arc with his brother added a lot of depth to understanding why Jimmy is how he is and also just how capable he really is of handling tough situations and adversaries.  Just a few episodes covering the relationship really wouldn't do it IMO.

[bamachine 1231]

Yeah, the idea here is to show that even though Saul was always part of his character, there is so much more to him than what we saw in BB.

[PilotsError 2294]

It was fine. One thing is the show is very different from what I expected. I thought after season one jimmy would be Saul going forward and I thought we’d see much more of him with crazy clients and that whole dynamic.  I did not think it would take 3 seasons of the chuck bullshit to settle that.  Looking back, what a waste of time. That shit needed to be wrapped up in about 6-8 episodes max.  I don’t need tons of action and such, but i do need interesting chRacter development and story arch. The jimmy/chuck one wasn’t 3 seasons interesting.  Not sure how anyone can make the argument it was.  That said, I’m in and excited chuck is gone and we can see where this goes.  I still expect great things and love Saul/mike/cartel/ pollos/Gus / salamaca, etc. 

You thought wrong.

[Bartles 769]

This and BB do an amazing job of creating a sense of dread in the slow scenes. The entire open was like that: ditzy lady fumbling to enter Gene's info, random guy taking a seat in waiting room just before he leaves, and of course the cab ride. And they needed a good actor for the cab driver, I wouldn't jump to conclusions that he's coming back.

[RD3 64]

I watched it last night via the AMC app on my Directv Now sub... I didn't know it was back and was sorta freaking out that I had missed more than 1 and might not be able to record them.

I got it set to record moving forward. Buckle up, bitches...

[RD3 64]

Along the lines of this show, I was listening to an old Bill Simmons/Chuck Klosterman podcast before the last season of Breaking Bad.  I'm a fan of Klosterman...  Anyway, Klosterman predicted how Breaking Bad would end.  He mentioned that there was a throwaway scene with Saul + Walter White where Saul asked Walter if he needed someone to help him disappear but Walter dismissed him.. and that Gilligan wouldn't have done that if we wouldn't circle back to it but that he would still need to come back for closure.  Nice shot, Klosterman.

[Mileslong 4728]

On 8/7/2018 at 11:42 PM, Goo Punch said:

first off i'm not freaking out, i'm dreading the direction the thread is heading in if nobody is allowed to criticize any aspect of the show. which is exactly what you and mileslong and several others are doing with your reactions. it cannot have been spelled out any more plainly for you, and yet you all parrot the same stupid shit. "sorry there wasn't enough action for you." that's some stupid butthurt shit right there, because it couldn't have been spelled out any more clearly that it has nothing to do with a lack of action scenes or car chases or shootouts, nor is it the slow pace of the show which we are all well familiar with by now. but you ignore this because the butthurt takes over and you can't accept any criticism of the show you like. NCAA.

this happens in damn near every thread dedicated to a show- every criticism is met with waves of butthurt, snarky responses by people who refuse to even listen to what's being said. it's retarded. stop doing it. you can have your own opinion of the show, but don't disallow criticism of the show, and don't be purposely obtuse about why people are criticizing it.

when everyone disagrees with you, you say they are parroting each other or its' group think.  has it every occurred to you that maybe that always happens because you are almost always fucking wrong?

[Goo Punch 4275]

32 minutes ago, Mileslong said:

when everyone disagrees with you, you say they are parroting each other or its' group think.  has it every occurred to you that maybe that always happens because you are almost always fucking wrong?

first off, on behalf of everyone in this thread i'd like to thank you for reopening this can of worms you giant fucking dumbass. second, plenty of other posters have agreed with me that it was an underwhelming episode, you giant fucking dumbass. third, not only am i not wrong in this case, i literally can't be wrong, you giant fucking dumbass. when i say, in zero uncertain terms, over and over and over, that the slow pace of the show *is not the problem*, only to have a bunch of people come in and respond as if id said that the slow pace was the problem, then everyone else is wrong, you giant fucking dumbass. jesus christ you are a fucking idiot.

Edited August 9, 2018 by Goo Punch

[Goo Punch 4275]

and yes. you giant fucking dumbass, they all were parroting each other! 

"Well gee, i don't mind the slow pace of the show." when nine different people all day the same thing that's called parroting. oh, and guess what- NEITHER DO I! Like i already said, it's season fucking four- if the slow pace of the show was going to turn me off then i would have ditched the show by now. *THE PACE IS NOT THE ISSUE DUDE*. I cannot have been more fucking clear about that you retarded fucking mongoloid. 

Edited August 9, 2018 by Goo Punch

[Goo Punch 4275]

On 8/8/2018 at 6:42 AM, ernest_t_bass said:

You are describing yourself when ANYONE disagrees with you.

by the way, this is some retarded bullshit. how often do i post here? how many posts a day? how many threads am i actively involved in? if this were true then a day wouldn't go by where i didn't just FREAK OUT on everyone. then this happens, i dunno, every few weeks or so, at most, and this is how you characterize it. it's bullshit. 

[Goo Punch 4275]

and you know what, so many of you morherfuckers take it there as soon as you disagree with me. don't even fucking pretend that isn't the truth. "oh fuck, it's derka, better freak out over nothing. better talk shit to him. better neg the last 10 posts he's made in the middle of the night" (something you've personally done multiple times). this fucking argument was dead, and then this fucking asshat mileslong decided, "hey i have a great idea, why don't i rekindled yhe fucking thing and make it real personal about derka, and then blame it on him." own your own shit.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Dude, you are being a complete spaz.

[Goo Punch 4275]

14 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Dude, you are being a complete spaz.

yep. my life is pretty fucked up right now and i can't seem to control my emotions. 

[miguelito 11266]

Hold on a second.  Goo punch is Derka?

Well that's a twist worthy of Vince Gilligan. 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

yep. my life is pretty fucked up right now and i can't seem to control my emotions. 

I’m not one of those fucknuts that follows you around antagonizing you, so don’t take this as a slight. You need to step back from this site and probably social media.

[BluTechsan 393]

I for one am liking the slow burn, even when nothing really happens. I'd enjoy an hour of Kim watching paint dry if it took place in the BB/BCS universe.

And speaking of Kim, the question of what happens to her and why she isn't around in BB is, along with Jimmy's conversion to Saul, one of the underlying themes of the series. I think we were given a glimpse into a possible fracture in the Kim and Jimmy relationship.

[Monster 219]

Visual story telling has to be slow because they aren't using dialogue to tell us what's going on....in fact, the dialogue often contradicts what the characters are actually feeling .  They are giving you extra time in every scene, so you can stare at the screen and piece together the puzzle of what's happening.   It's a slow, tedious, way of telling a story, but it's also very rewarding for a viewer, because you're 'figuring it out yourself' instead of being spoonfed the plot with dialogue and exposition.    Committing to the visual story telling style  and letting the viewer 'figure it out' is what makes  BB and BCS special. 

That said, I can only watch two people ride in silence in a car and slowly park their car for so long before it gets a little frustrating.   And do I really need to watch the dad retool his kid's bike chain before slowly walking back to his car to search his briefcase for 30 seconds?  That kid and his bike better be part of the story later, otherwise, that's straight time-filler bullshit.   

These show runners have earned my trust with creative plots and interesting payoffs, so I'm in for the duration, but I can't imagine watching that episode again.   

 

Edited August 9, 2018 by Monster

[HoustonFrog 368]

I also figured we would have moved on to Saul and his private practice of crazy clients by now. 

Looking forward to the season and hoping we get there soon

[RPM 26322]

So why don't you like the slow pace, Goo?

[Mileslong 4728]

3 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Dude, you are being a complete spaz.

lmao, derka is out of control, you couldnt put all your childish rants on one response, you need four?  dude, open the fucking bottle and take your meds. there is a reason people say threads have been "derka'd", what does that tell you?  that everyone else is wrong once again?

[Bartles 769]

2 hours ago, Monster said:

And do I really need to watch the dad retool his kid's bike chain before slowly walking back to his car to search his briefcase for 30 seconds?  That kid and his bike better be part of the story later, otherwise, that's straight time-filler bullshit. 

I have to think that sequence was just poking the audience with a "Wait, is that Walter?" moment. That was my thought briefly but I quickly remembered Walt had hair in BB/Season 1 so it wasn't him. But the neighborhood and the wide shot could easily trick a viewer.

[Monster 219]

3 hours ago, Bartles said:

I have to think that sequence was just poking the audience with a "Wait, is that Walter?" moment. That was my thought briefly but I quickly remembered Walt had hair in BB/Season 1 so it wasn't him. But the neighborhood and the wide shot could easily trick a viewer.

That'd be a weird thing to put in a premiere, but he did look like walt and I did have that thought...'wait, is that...' 

[NoRagrets 1125]

The whole show was the buildup to jimmy's reaction when he found he caused chuck's suicide. I think we all thought he would feel bad when Hamlin said that the insurance thing is why he was fired. Jimmy shockingly was like "yeah mother fucker, I won!"

didnt make sense but I guess that's how much he hates Chuck at the end after he told jimmy that he just wasn't important to him.

ouch.

[notre dame joe 188]

20 hours ago, Bartles said:

This and BB do an amazing job of creating a sense of dread in the slow scenes

I do dread more scenes of Saul Goodman the Adman, but not because there's a sense of dread.