That was awesome! I never picked up on that before.
…I kinda think I’m enjoying this more than Breaking Bad.
That was one slow episode last night.
I actually thought that was the last episode (the episode guide I looked up showed only five episodes) but half way through I was thinking this could NOT be the last episode, hardly anything happened. Until then end, when some stuff ALMOST happened but then didn’t with the brother, though I loved the final scenes with Mike and where that might be taking us next week.
I agree, but the rest of the episode really dragged on. It felt very off, even the acting seemed forced. I was surprised as I was enjoying the show. My wife hasn’t, and I think last night might have been the last she’ll see.
I would describe it as deliberate. I really liked the episode because every scene felt essential. We learned new things about the characters and they learned new things about each other. And it’s so nice to see Jonathan Banks coming out of that booth. It’s a bit like letting a tiger out of a cage: uh-oh, what’s gonna happen now?
-Tom
A question about the Nacho character. Was he also in Breaking Bad, and if so,
spoiler for BB
was he one of the two dudes that Walter White ran over with the infamous Aztek when Jesse foolishly tried to go confront them over the murder of his GFs nephew or whatever?
Keep in mind that I’ve yet to watch the episode from March 2nd.
EDIT: Ah, never mind, looked up the actor, who’s Canadian, and he was never on BB. But he was the guy who played Vaas in Far Cry 3. No wonder he looked so familiar. :-)
Measured. Deliberate. The scene in the diner - it could have been entirely skipped. Just a sense of what Mike’s life was like. Lonely. Empty. The story was told at its own pace - I always got the feeling there would be a pay-off to the scenes. Jello? Lots of Jello? Kind of a fixation on old people with Jello? Payoff!
I found the episode absolutely delightful. You didn’t always know where the scene was going, but there was always some enlightenment about the characters and story at the end of it.
I loved the zither music from The Third Man as Odenkirk was working the senior center in his Matlock suit.
The Ehrmantrautman Origin story. The dead fish eyes actually showed emotion. Really enjoyed it.
Always broke into cars with a coat hanger rather than the string thing. Mustangs took all of one second - the owners were always grateful I got their keys out, but horrified I could do it so fast. But, if you don’t want scratches…
Episode 6 was a clear winner for me so far and I find that the season has been a mix of crap and brilliance to put it bluntly. Too many line deliveries that seemed off and too many lingering scenes of profound nothingness.
Ep 6 “Five-O” was stuffed with content so definitely a highlight for me.
I’ve liked all the episodes so far. Ironically I’ve told several folks this last week, if you found Breaking Bad too grim and dark, should try Better Calll Saul, it is a comedy, even if its a dark comedy. Well no laugh track for “Five-O”, and not many laughs, but amazing story telling, every bit as good as BB.
In an interviewwith NPR’s Fresh Air
Johnathan Banks says
I’m not very pretty, so I can’t play the leading man. So I’m either going to be the bad guy or the cop… If you’re not beautiful, you better be able to act a little bit, anyway.
Well I think he manages to act more than a little.
It was also fun to hear that when he moved to a new school in high school, he was befriended by a group of nerds, they were super nice and accepting of him. He repayed their kindness by making sure that none of his friends got beat up at their locker. Some how it is easy to imagine a young Mike/Johnathan as a protector figure.
Jonathan Banks’ Emmy Reel is the best hour of television I’ve seen since, well, Breaking Bad.
I’m not sure if you can get an Emmy for your performance in a single episode, but Banks would deserve it. He never overplays it, but the despair is there in almost every scene. Terrific job and terrific episode.
I see it differently from Strollen however and remember BB being more “fun” than this. Maybe I just remember the highlights, but I relished Walt’s entry into his experimental meth production. Maybe I’d just rather work in a meth lab than be a public defender. Or at least the independent meth lab that he and Jesse put together. Some of the later labs, while much better equipped wouldn’t be near as much fun to work in. Perhaps they serve as a metaphor, comparing start-ups to big corporations.
BB had numerous very funny scenes and watching the show was definitely a treat, and I miss it. But the underlying premise, terminally ill chemistry teacher, turns to making meth to provide for his family, and then breaks very very bad, destroying virtually everything in his life is as dark as any thing Shakespeare wrote.
Watching Breaking Bad was very often emotionally draining, I know people who after a stressful day just don’t want to deal with that.
In contrast, fast talking, struggling attorney, takes short cuts is much lighter, even if this particular episode was not.
Caught up, totally wasn’t expecting a Mike-centric episode to this level, and it was really fantastic.
Getting the background on Mike was a treat. He was one of my favorite side characters in Breaking Bad, played by a great actor.
The interviews with the show runners had said that you could enjoy Better Call Saul without ever seeing Breaking Bad. Trying to look at it from an outsider’s perspective, I think they’re right. But man, having already established a relationship with these characters makes seeing their “origin story” so impactful.
I’m looking forward to seeing how Saul met the “relocator” service at some point. Always been curious about that.
I’m looking forward to seeing how Saul met the “relocator” service at some point. Always been curious about that.
We’ve already encountered several characters who needed to disappear, so it’s clearly going to be a useful service.
I think one of the reasons this show isn’t quite as good for me is actually a problem with all prequels. I know what happens. Not the details in the moment, but with just the fact that I know none of these characters (that were introduced to me in Breaking Bad) will die, end up in prison, etc, takes away a ton of tension for a show like this. A show that usually thrives on this type of tension too.
But for every show you know that the main cast won’t die or go to prison. It is exciting when you get to the last couple episodes and the plot shield are revoked, but until then I don’t think it matters.