Better Call Saul. Not coming back until 2020

[Mappable 37]

All this pee talk reminds me Harry Dean Stanton in Young Doctors in Love tasting pee:

https://youtu.be/SGGLq_vG1Gc?t=151

[jeevsie 3733]

[henrygandorf 29189]

3 hours ago, RPM said:

Better Call Derka

would watch (during quarantine lockdown).

[Lurch 5922]

my thought at the time was that they felt it was too dangerous/stupid to be driving around in a car full of fresh bullet holes with $7M cash in the back seat. of course, being that they were 30 miles from civilization or whatever, and with it being extremely unlikely that they would run into law enforcement for most of that time/drive, it sure does seem like driving 20-25 miles towards civilization and then ditching the car would have been a better idea.

You missed a major plot line while overthinking perceived plot holes. It can’t be an enjoyable way to watch tv.

[Goo Punch 4275]

17 minutes ago, Lurch said:

 

You missed a major plot line while overthinking perceived plot holes. It can’t be an enjoyable way to watch tv.

 

great post, very enlightening. 

[Planet Houston 4930]

[Quagmire 2147]

great post, very enlightening. 

To be fair someone already explained it a few posts earlier

[Goo Punch 4275]

11 minutes ago, Quagmire said:

To be fair someone already explained it a few posts earlier

there's all kinds of posts in here (and every single other discussion of every single episode of this show) where countless people miss things/need to go back over them. saying things like, "wait- what happened? why did so and so do this, or why did this guy not do such and such?" and then others chime in with everything from conjecture to clarifications. but because i was critical of this last episode, when i don't fully remember every detail it's because i'm miserable as i watch show and over analyze every perceived plot home.

okie silly dilly dokie o. if the TV fanboys *insist* on continuing this pointless, childish shit, then i don't think they're going to like the direction this thread goes. this whole, "i'm going to lash out at everyone who criticizes any aspect of this Tv show that i like" thing is fucking dumb. 

Edited April 9, 2020 by Goo Punch

[miguelito 11255]

[Goo Punch 4275]

i don't like to die on hills even 1/10 as much as i used to, but i will absolutely die on the hill that says i'm allowed to criticize a TV show when I don't like an episode, or a storyline, or a character arc. the way the fanboys come out in droves with the "oh yeah you're so much better than Vince Gilligan" and the "you must be miserable" replies is so fucking dumb. it's childish and dumb. if you disagree with my take, then counter it with your own take like an adult. but if that ^^^^ bullshit is going to come my direction from 10 sides every time i'm critical (*cough* GoT thread *cough*), then I'm only going to keep coming back to the thread to defend my right to be critical even more vociferously. i have zero problems with someone disagreeing my takes. just do so like an adult. seems a much better option than detailing the thread every time I don't like something. 

Edited April 9, 2020 by Goo Punch

[Pam Cummings 9639]

20 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

i liked it ok.  once the bad guy came back, i figured they would have some plan to kill him in a way to drive his car back to safety.  i understand that's ideal and they had little control once mike started sniping.  but if you're gonna show the car getting destroyed, then i need to actually see how the f they got back.

the bad guy never seemed like the issue to me, it was getting back safe from the middle of nowhere.  might've made more sense for saul to go into the street without the money to force the dude to stop and question him (espanol?).  then he's a sitting duck for mike and his car still works.  oh well.

Yeah i thought they executed the plan very poorly. Saul should have gotten the guy's attention then laid the money down in the road and hid behind a rock or something. Would have forced him to stop and get out to where Mike could pick him off and they could have the truck to escape.

[PilotsError 2287]

Derka, if you literally didn't pause an episode just a few minutes in to come here and start complaining, you might pick up some more shit.  Like Jimmy's car breaking down.  Just finish the episode before you start whining.

Fuck, I hate when Derka likes the same shows I do.  It's this fucking shit every time.

[notre dame joe 187]

12 hours ago, RPM said:

You should write, produce and direct your own show to prove to VG just how terrible his work is.

I'm pretty sure the scenes dictate the story.  i.e. VGG decided that Saul and Mike would have an episode hiking through the desert and then ask so how did they get there?  Lines like 'I would have brought more guys' are their quality control as they review the story to try to fix plot weaknesses.

[Goo Punch 4275]

4 hours ago, PilotsError said:

Derka, if you literally didn't pause an episode just a few minutes in to come here and start complaining, you might pick up some more shit.  Like Jimmy's car breaking down.  Just finish the episode before you start whining.

Fuck, I hate when Derka likes the same shows I do.  It's this fucking shit every time.

NO CRITICISM AT ALL. whine more, Katy.

i don't know how or when it happened, but this site is the polar opposite of shaggy. nobody is allowed to say anything that isn't effusive, glowing praise of a TV show without the entire thread throwing a childish fit about, "but he didn't like the same show as me!!!!! whaaaaa!" crying like a bunch of little kids who need everyone else to like the same shit they do. put me on ignore if you seriously can't handle it.

lmao and now pilots error is on a neg spree. what a hypersensitive baby. 

Edited April 10, 2020 by Goo Punch

[RPM 26318]

1 hour ago, Goo Punch said:

i don't know how or when it happened, but this site is the polar opposite of shaggy. nobody is allowed to say anything that isn't effusive, glowing praise of a TV show without the entire thread throwing a childish fit about, "but he didn't like the same show as me!!!!! whaaaaa!" crying like a bunch of little kids who need everyone else to like the same shit they do. put me on ignore if you seriously can't handle it.

Probably happened around the same time you stopped taking your meds.

[Bama Chick 28596]

I'm pretty sure the scenes dictate the story.  i.e. VGG decided that Saul and Mike would have an episode hiking through the desert and then ask so how did they get there?  Lines like 'I would have brought more guys' are their quality control as they review the story to try to fix plot weaknesses.

Gilligan has not been the showrunner and hasn’t been a writer now for two seasons.

He stepped away to write, produce, and direct “El Camino”.

This last episode was directed by Gilligan but as he said on the podcast, he didn’t even know what the episode was about until he got the final script for prep.

The head writer and showrunner is Peter Gould.

[Goo Punch 4275]

so there you go. it was very un-Gilligan like (as i said multiple times) because he did not write the episode and isn't even know what was in store until he got the script. imagine that. 

[notre dame joe 187]

4 hours ago, Bama Chick said:

 

Gilligan has not been the showrunner and hasn’t been a writer now for two seasons.

He stepped away to write, produce, and direct “El Camino”.

This last episode was directed by Gilligan but as he said on the podcast, he didn’t even know what the episode was about until he got the final script for prep.

The head writer and showrunner is Peter Gould.

 

I think people are reading too much into this. Just because VG isn't doing the details does not mean he's a do-nothing producer.

[HoffaJimmy 316]

12 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

NO CRITICISM AT ALL. whine more, Katy.

i don't know how or when it happened, but this site is the polar opposite of shaggy. nobody is allowed to say anything that isn't effusive, glowing praise of a TV show without the entire thread throwing a childish fit about, "but he didn't like the same show as me!!!!! whaaaaa!" crying like a bunch of little kids who need everyone else to like the same shit they do. put me on ignore if you seriously can't handle it.

lmao and now pilots error is on a neg spree. what a hypersensitive baby. 

 

Nope same place and same reaction. That didn't change either. 

For the record I thought it was a sub par episode as well. But the difference is if someone disagrees with me or calls me out I let it go. And when I don't let it go I don't take it personal. I know it's tough sometimes but most of the people here are just doing it because they know you will react the way you do. They are just fucking with you. Take a deep breath.

[SwanderedTalent 5761]

6 hours ago, notre dame joe said:

I think people are reading too much into this. Just because VG isn't doing the details does not mean he's a do-nothing producer.

I agree. I think he's way too much of a control freak to take both hands off the wheel. I doubt anything significant makes it into a script unless he's OK with it. Some of the jokey-jokey dumb shit that's been in prior episodes was at worst stuff where VG shrugged his shoulders and chalked it up to the personality of the writer(s). 

I also think that the "so and so wouldn't have done ________" stuff is being stated too definitively. Mike didn't break down crying and try to give Saul a hand job in the cold of night. He made what we see as tactical errors judging after the fact. Some of that might have been to further the specific story they're trying to tell (i.e., they want Saul caught in the desert) but some of it might be human characters making errors in judgment. 

The best example to me is Mike blowing up the truck as it came up on Saul. I don't think that was his (or Saul's) intent when they started that little gambit, but this was after a full day or two in the desert. It's just the best he could do in the moment. The idea they should have planned it-- sure, of course. Saul, though, is not a mastermind, and he's not in control of his emotions. They're both half-delirious from dehydration and fear.  

The show would probably be pretty boring if the human characters never acted like humans. If they never made dumb mistakes, never failed, never encountered any problems they couldn't effortlessly defeat without any emotion, this wouldn't be the Breaking Bad universe. It would be a sci-fi show and they'd be the female lead(s). 

[Goo Punch 4275]

24 minutes ago, HoffaJimmy said:

 

Nope same place and same reaction. That didn't change either. 

For the record I thought it was a sub par episode as well. But the difference is if someone disagrees with me or calls me out I let it go. And when I don't let it go I don't take it personal. I know it's tough sometimes but most of the people here are just doing it because they know you will react the way you do. They are just fucking with you. Take a deep breath.

[henrygandorf 29189]

7 hours ago, SwanderedTalent said:

I agree. I think he's way too much of a control freak to take both hands off the wheel. I doubt anything significant makes it into a script unless he's OK with it. Some of the jokey-jokey dumb shit that's been in prior episodes was at worst stuff where VG shrugged his shoulders and chalked it up to the personality of the writer(s). 

I also think that the "so and so wouldn't have done ________" stuff is being stated too definitively. Mike didn't break down crying and try to give Saul a hand job in the cold of night. He made what we see as tactical errors judging after the fact. Some of that might have been to further the specific story they're trying to tell (i.e., they want Saul caught in the desert) but some of it might be human characters making errors in judgment. 

The best example to me is Mike blowing up the truck as it came up on Saul. I don't think that was his (or Saul's) intent when they started that little gambit, but this was after a full day or two in the desert. It's just the best he could do in the moment. The idea they should have planned it-- sure, of course. Saul, though, is not a mastermind, and he's not in control of his emotions. They're both half-delirious from dehydration and fear.  

The show would probably be pretty boring if the human characters never acted like humans. If they never made dumb mistakes, never failed, never encountered any problems they couldn't effortlessly defeat without any emotion, this wouldn't be the Breaking Bad universe. It would be a sci-fi show and they'd be the female lead(s). 

my complaint as i communicated it, with the truck situation, was that i would like to see either (a) some sort of strategy involving taking the guy's truck or (b) if the truck is destroyed, i would like to actually see them get back.  the show is over an hour long, it bothered me that they blew up the truck, but we're forced to just assume they made it back ok.  now there's a chance that the next episode starts with them still in the desert, in which case i'll happily eat my words.  but that's more of a breaking bad thing (to start right after the last episode).

to me, the way they did it, would be like in the episode where walt and jessie built the battery, but instead it didn't work, and we just assumed they walked home off-screen or some such.  the way this episode ended left the implication that the only thing stopping them from getting home just fine was the lone mexican gunman stalking them in the desert.  there were times throughout where i had completely forgotten about him.

[Red Five 40847]

HG I just assumed the beginning of the next episode would show them getting back. 

[SwanderedTalent 5761]

1 hour ago, Red Five said:

HG I just assumed the beginning of the next episode would show them getting back. 

same, assume it will be a leap like Walt walking around naked in the Kwiki Mart

[RPM 26318]

Don't forget Mike has the GPS tracker. Maybe Fring has access to that and sends someone.

[Bama Llama 1450]

Remember early in the episode when Saul appeared to be doomed beyond all hope, as El Thug Jefe signaled throat slash to the thug near Saul, and the screen was artfully filled with the business end of a large caliber handgun?

How was it Mike came to be in good position to save Saul from certain death?  Wasn't the money pickup point over twenty miles from the highway?  I'll buy that Mike evaluated the route and positioned himself accordingly, but a shrewd dude like Saul might at least have made the observation and given Mike credit later on when things semi-settled down.  I realize Saul was in shock for a good while there.

"Hindsight is 50/50." --Pat Dye

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Bama Llama
Zizybeluga

[Dewey 3286]

They're going to get plucked out of the desert by a caravan, or an old rancher, dropped off on some remote paved road, eventually scooped up and home. Kim is going to get the ever living shit scared out of her. Potentially a great setup ep. for big things to come.

 

 

[Francisco 2.0 32389]

 

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/35°09'02.6"N+107°07'09.2"W/@35.1480594,-107.121181,1114m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d35.150722!4d-107.119222

 

 

 

[mchookem 16322]

On 4/10/2020 at 4:39 PM, henrygandorf said:

my complaint as i communicated it, with the truck situation, was that i would like to see either (a) some sort of strategy involving taking the guy's truck or (b) if the truck is destroyed, i would like to actually see them get back.  the show is over an hour long, it bothered me that they blew up the truck, but we're forced to just assume they made it back ok.  now there's a chance that the next episode starts with them still in the desert, in which case i'll happily eat my words.  but that's more of a breaking bad thing (to start right after the last episode).

to me, the way they did it, would be like in the episode where walt and jessie built the battery, but instead it didn't work, and we just assumed they walked home off-screen or some such.  the way this episode ended left the implication that the only thing stopping them from getting home just fine was the lone mexican gunman stalking them in the desert.  there were times throughout where i had completely forgotten about him.

i also expect them to 'be back' at the beginning of the next episode. my assumption was that they were literally wondering the desert before, but once the road was 'clear' their walk was much shorter and direct, and they've probably already covered more than half of the 30+ miles of the dirt road - i assume once they hit the highway where they turned off they'll get picked up pretty quickly by a good samaritan, or at least be able to use their phones. 

[notre dame joe 187]

And the last robber returned without any more guys searching for the gunman that had just massacred his gang.  Well no one said crooks have to be careful planners.

[Guest Lobo]

The last guy hunted them down himself because him going to get more bad guys would have looked like this:

"Boss, I need an extra 4wd vehicle, water, dogs maybe, and a half-dozen men" 

"What happened with the laywer?"
"Some sniper troll came out of the mountains and killed everybody but me, single-shot hits in most cases.  The lawyer just laid there frozen but is alive and so is the troll."
 

"You're obviously lying, what you described is nearly impossible.  You're obviously trying to steal the money for yourself.  So the only way more of my men are going into that desert are to find and kill you.  But hey, thanks for calling."  

 

[Baboontyme 2809]

I'm not gonna tell people that they can't criticize the show. If it takes something away from the show for you, that's totally your right. I can tell you that I 1000% don't watch shows/movies looking for critical errors like this. Most shows and movies - you have to suspend some belief in reality, in my opinion. Or else they wouldn't be entertaining. They would be me sitting at home during quarantine picking my nose and telling my kids to shut up. I did not think once about why the guy came back or why Mike told Saul to drink his piss. Just my .02. 

I have a term for this phenomenon. It's called Lewising, named after a friend from HS. He prided himself on being the movie critic/asshole. Everything we watched he would have some sort of problem with. It culminated in him telling the rest of us coming out of one of the Batman movies that he didn't like it because the car drove up the side of a building and that just wasn't realistic. I've probably made a concerted effort to be the anti-Lewis because I always thought that was one of the most absurd things I've ever heard. 

[PilotsError 2287]

13 hours ago, notre dame joe said:

And the last robber returned without any more guys searching for the gunman that had just massacred his gang.  Well no one said crooks have to be careful planners.

 

I assume that guy wanted the money all for himself.

Also, Mike is just an ex cop who's resourceful.  He's not some bad ass ex special forces soldier who can survive for six months in the jungle.  Judging him by that criteria is just stupid.

[Deej 76755]

On 4/10/2020 at 9:18 AM, HoffaJimmy said:

But the difference is if someone disagrees with me or calls me out I let it go. And when I don't let it go I don't take it personal. 

 

[Baboontyme 2809]

Fuckin Odenkirk man. He's sooo good. Conning Kim with Mike's lines now. Ruh Roh Jimmy. She's on to you. Fuck yes.

[Pam Cummings 9639]

Holy shit she found the coffee cup. Careless there by Jimmy.

[immortal13 4059]

On 4/9/2020 at 10:41 AM, justinjc7 said:

I'm pretty sure that was precisely the idea.  But the Esteem broke down, Mike gets out, pops the hood, and says "radiator's shot".  They dumped the car to keep it relatively hidden as it was no use to them anymore 

Alternator 

[4th&Five 41519]

Damn Kim. 

[Pam Cummings 9639]

God damn do I love me some Kim Wexler. 

[Baboontyme 2809]

Holy fuuuuuuck.

[Radical Larry 28566]

That last scene... holy shit.

[Dutch 4465]

Quality television, that hour.

[billfromlaketravis 11448]

Methinks Lalo is heading south to talk to Don Eladio. He shouldn’t and probably doesn’t trust Juan Bolsa at this point. 
 

 

[Baboontyme 2809]

The drama is so fucking thick with this series at times. I'm really invested in Jimmy and Kimmy and Mike. Series is turning into an all timer for me. It's not everyone's cup of tea. But right now it's mine. 

[billfromlaketravis 11448]

I don’t think Gould/Gilligan have the stones to ice Kim. And honestly, they probably don’t want to. Rhea Seehorn has outperformed their expectations and probably changed their plans for her character. 

When Jimmy/Gene gets made in Nebraska his first instinct is to run, but something stops him. He flips the switch and wants to track down the cab driver to presumably kill the guy. Jimmy wouldn’t kill for himself but... he’d kill to protect Kim. As mentioned previously in the thread, Kim’s childhood flashback included Nebraska plates on her mother’s car. 
 
I don’t think we’ll get a full Gene season, but I think the show will return there for the series finale. 

[Baboontyme 2809]

Very interesting observation Bill. 

I think it's inevitable, and I think it will happen. I would be really happy to be wrong about this. 

[Kyle 207]

23 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I don’t think Gould/Gilligan have the stones to ice Kim. And honestly, they probably don’t want to. Rhea Seehorn has outperformed their expectations and probably changed their plans for her character. 

When Jimmy/Gene gets made in Nebraska his first instinct is to run, but something stops him. He flips the switch and wants to track down the cab driver to presumably kill the guy. Jimmy wouldn’t kill for himself but... he’d kill to protect Kim. As mentioned previously in the thread, Kim’s childhood flashback included Nebraska plates on her mother’s car. 
 
I don’t think we’ll get a full Gene season, but I think the show will return there for the series finale. 

I threw it out there a few weeks ago ... thinking the exact same thing. IIRC, no reason to think Saul was not married to Kim in Breaking Bad. What in the world can you do with her alternatively? Can't ice her. Can't make her just another ABQ defense attorney. Can't send her back to HHM. Car wreck / cancer too hackneyed. Maybe she's Eliado's consigliere a la Helen - Ozark LOL.

[WBT 20561]

Holy shit, that last scene was great.

I think Kim's going to give Jimmy a couple of more chances to come clean then leave his ass.

[billfromlaketravis 11448]

6 minutes ago, Baboontyme said:

Very interesting observation Bill. 

I think it's inevitable, and I think it will happen. I would be really happy to be wrong about this. 

If they wanted shock value, they had a Gale like moment to do it this episode. 

I’m not sure what Kim’s original arc looked like, but she’s earned more and more scenes. I believe something similar happened with Jonathan Banks. He was just so good they kept him on the show. 

Corporate attorneys help me out here, what does Kim’s compensation package look like in the mid 2000s? $100k in cash is nothing to scoff at, but Kim probably netted much more than that annually. I’m kind of confused as to why $100k was Kim’s f*** you/walk away money. 
 

 

[Quagmire 2147]

 

Shit is that the therapist from ozark?