Better Call Saul: Full Series Retrospective
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Intro Music: • Kim Criswell performs ...
Better Call Saul is a prequel series to the AMC crime drama Breaking Bad. Attempting to build his struggling legal practice, Jimmy McGill lives in the shadow of his esteemed brother Chuck McGill, who has recently fallen ill with the rare condition of electromagnetic hypersensitivity. As his practice grows, he finds himself romantically entangled with attorney Kim Wexler, and criminally entangled with the Salamanca cartel family. Keeping watch over Jimmy is Mike Ehrmantraut, a retired cop with his own dangerous connections.
Creating by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Starring Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman / Gene Takavic, Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler, Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, Michael Mando as Nacho Varga, Michael McKean as Chuck McGill, Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo "Gus" Fring, Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca, Kerry Condon as Stacey Ehrmantraut, Eileen Fogarty as Mrs. Nguyen, Peter Diseth as Deputy D.A. Bill Oakley, Joe DeRosa as Doctor Caldera, Dennis Boutsikaris as Rich Schweikart, Mark Proksch as Daniel "Pryce" Wormald, Brandon K. Hampton as Ernersto, Josh Fadem as Joey Dixon, Julian Bonfiglio as Phil the Sound Guy, Jeremy Shamos as Craig Kettleman, Julie Ann Emery as Betsy Kettleman, Steven Levine and Daniel Spenser levine as Lars and Cal Lindholm, Mel Rodruiguez as Marco Pasternak, Clea DuVall as Doctor Cruz, Steven Ogg as Sobchak, Ed Begley Jr. as Clifford Main, Omar Maskati as Omar, Jessie Ennis as Erin Brill, Juan Carlos Cantu as Manuel Varga, Rex Linn as Kevin Wachtell, Cara Pifko as Paige Novick, Ann Cusack as Rebecca Bois, Julie Pearl as Suzanne Ericsen, Hayley Holmes as Cheril, Harrison Thomas as Lyle, Don Harvey and Pat Healy as Jeff, Rainer Bock as Werner Ziegler, Ben Bela Böhm as Kai, Stefan Kapičić as Casper, Poorna Jagannathan as Maureen Bruckner, Keiko Agena as Viola Goto, Max Bickelhaup as Buddy, Barry Corbin as Everett Acker, Sandrine Holt as Cheryl Hamlin, John Posey as Rand Casimiro, John Ennis as Lenny, Carol Burnett as Marion, Raymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca, Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca, Jeremiah Bitsui as Victor, Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt, Lavell Crawford as Huell Babineaux, Laura Fraser as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez, Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader, Dean Norris as Hank Schrader, Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman and Bryan Cranston as Walter "Heisenberg" White.
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Tags: Con Man Albuquerque - Krátké a kreslené filmy
I think the show teaches us a good lesson with Chuck's storyline: nobody will listen to you if you're acting like an asshole, even if you are correct
@@fall1n1gr Yeah I agree with that, I think another thing to take from it is that sometimes you paint someone as a villain so hard that they end up painted into that corner with no reason to not be a villain anymore.
"Yeah Rick, because when you're an asshole it doesn't matter how right you are, no one wants to give you the satisfaction"
Rick and Morty Season 3 episode 3
This is a huge lesson I learned from my youth. I mean I used to be piece of shit! Slicked back hair, white bathing suits, sloppy steaks, a white couch! You would have not liked me back then 😂 Luckily I watched this show and learned from Chuck's mistakes before it was too late
Brilliantly put!!
lol the only lesson is that a person becomes how they're treated. jimmy was always treated like he was a scumbag, so he leaned into his scumbag tendencies and became an actual scumbag
Just imagine being the showrunners of Breaking Bad and Better Call, and creating 11 seasons worth of top tier TV, where even the lowest rated seasons are considered great. And imagine ending two TV shows, and sticking the landing. Now that's an accomplishment one can be damn proud of. It's like catching lightning in a bottle twice.
Also a movie
@@haustyl12 and an epic cartoon prequel
@@BLP04 …
in the same bottle.
nah first two seasons of BCS was lame
"I'm not the kind of guy who's into crazy, dominant woman. But I'm often pegged as one."
Genius, dude. Laughed so hard at that.
Came to the comments specifically bc of this
right? holy shit that was great
Dude, so good! I have a migraine and I laughed, and it hurt. Worth it. Also, Betsy does it for me too
@@Jeff_Biden uhm no
@@chadschoen5055 bro is unironically named Chad in 2023
honestly, the most heartless thing jimmy did was make everyone hate irene so she would settle. seeing her cry to jimmy about her friends leaving her was genuinely heartbreaking
he never hurt Irene? social engineering and manipulation, but nothing in the grand scheme of things... old bag
@@superstar5123sociopath reaction :
@@splits8999 learn the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath before you call me one. If you bother to do that, then you realize both of those personality disorders don't apply to a single thing I said
@@superstar5123 no compassion applies to you sorry for my inaccurate language
@@superstar5123jerk
The scene in the last episode where Saul nukes his own plea deal while Oakley scrambles to stop him is comedy gold
i gotta give it to jimmy for still trying to fuck with bill even until the very end. oakley trying to withdraw himself from the trial during the final episode made me laugh
@@babywasabi petty with a prior
Honestly I don’t t really get why he did that?? I feel like they did a good job of making him a selfish monster and yet he just randomly tanks the deal that was in his best interest
@@agitatedaligator5340 it's perfect in my opinion. He shows that he's still got Saul in him and he gets the 8 1/2 year deal, but then when he finds out Kim has already implicated herself with the Howard-Lalo confession. So to (probably) save Kim from jail time he gives himself up. If they don't get Saul they'll go after Kim how they went after Saul because they couldn't get Walt or Jessie. Someone has to be convicted for the crimes him and Kim committed and he knows that if it's not him, it's gonna be Kim. So he proves he loves her one last time and takes the bullet
@@agitatedaligator5340i see it as Jimmy finally taking responsibility for his actions instead of just avoiding the consequences like he always does
One thing that hit me hard on the last episode is just how sad the overall story is. So many people suffered and died for nothing in the end. Nearly every character you see in Breaking Bad ends up dead, or with their life ruined. And even in BCS, so many people's lives were ruined for what amounted to nothing in the end. Really sad to think about at the end of it all.
That’s why the story works, it touches on eternal truths that resonate throughout human history. You could make a case that there are Christian elements to the story; an immoral and sinful life leads to destruction, but at the end we are left with the possibility that Jimmy can be redeemed, and that he can repent by facing the music
@@Osafune2Not at all a far stretch.
@@Osafune2I disagree that it is religiously based, that’s just simple morals.
@@Osafune2 I don't think that's a uniquely Christain message. It feels like a more universal one
I really admire better call Saul for being amazing AND making breaking bad even better
yes!!
I sort of look at it the other way around. I prefer BCS but am fully aware that the reason is BB.
Testament to Vince Gilligan for making two of the best shows ever
@@MikeLysinwithout question I think both are top tens shows ever. What’s your top ten? For me it’s
1. The wire
2. Game of thrones
3. Mr robot
4. Dark
5. The boys
6. Breaking bad
7. Succession
8. Stranger things
9. Sopranos
10. Better call Saul tied with Mad Men
@@raymondsims7042 banger list mate. Mine are (in no particular order):
1. Succession
2. Better Call Saul
3. Breaking Bad
4. The Sopranos
5. The Boys
6. Always Sunny
7. Mad Men
8. The Wire
9. TNG
10. Severance
Gus planted the gun after he realized what Lalo was doing when he went missing. It was when a customer was buying food and he suggested the spice curls. That brought him to remember when he introduced the spice curls to the German head of Madrigal. He then made the connection that Lalo was probably in Germany tracking down Zieglar's crew. He knew Lalo was coming for the lab...so he planted a gun, just in case. In the words of Jesse, he thought of everything.
Yes! Gus knew that if Lalo found the lab, he would undoubtedly confront Gus at the site, as he needed to provide proof to the cartel, so planting a gun there (as opposed to anywhere else) was a good bet.
But Walter solos
Kim is one of my favorite fictional characters in anything period. I love that she is constantly surprising. She and Jimmy are playing this constant game of tug o’ war with each other’s souls. At first you think she is going to lift him up, then he is going to pull her down while she pulls him up, then they both pull each other down and then she does pull him up in the end. Jimmy is a known quantity and that’s what we love about him. Kim, though, you never know where she is going to go. And the way she perfectly balanced out his loud bombastic non-stop showmanship with quiet reserve, control and reaction and still steals every scene just makes her mesmerizing to watch. God, I love this show.
Her crying scene on the bus is one of the best things I’ve ever seen.
She didn’t pull him up in the end. She confessed only for herself. Jimmy confessed to impress her. Jimmy pulled himself up.
@@nont18411 eh. He wouldn't have confessed if she didn't
In my head Kimmy & Kim r married living happily ever after
yep
Werner's death, and especially his last words to Mike, are still some of the most painful things I've ever witnessed in media history. It's so, so tragic, seeing Mike have to pull the trigger on, really, his only true friend.
Just like Mike, I knew it was coming but it still hurt to see it happen
I hated that call he made to his wife before he died 😢 so tragic
@@hawaiiansoulrebeli love that they actually got a german actor! I am austrian and as a native german speaker it usually immediately takes you out of the immersion when „german“ characters who are supposed to speak german, actually just speak bad german with heavy american accents.. which is what happened in Breaking Bad during the Nuggets Scene or Young Sheldon when he speaks to the german cops.
Here however, when Werner called his wife, I was on the verge of tears. Its so tragic and immersive.. as everyone and their mum already pointed out - the BrBa Universe is just an amazing piece of media.. kudos to everyone who was involved in the creation of this epos!
Ready for the 3 hour retrospective of Slippin’ Jimmy
Only 3 hours? For the greatest TV show of all time?
*30 hour
it’s a travesty that this guy’s still sitting at 30k subs despite the consistent quality of each video. I hope the algorithm blesses this video, Slip deserves to blow up already
This comment made me subscribe lmao
I just found him a few days ago. Instant sub.
911 was a nation tragedy
It’s a fucking war crime, this man deserves one million or twenty more followers
His time will come. I started getting him recommended and I typically don't watch series recaps
About Mike's alcoholism arc in S5, he tells Stacy (Maybe the vet, I forget) in Five-O that he feels like he "crawled out of the bottom of a bottle and working hard to stay there". He has a history of alcoholism and being forced to give up on his last set of morals got him right back in the state of mind Matty's death put him in. This time though, just like last time - Mike's solution is to delve deeper into the evil, criminal side of himself. However, this time, he's offered the darkest possible avenue to do so.
Killing two cops is one thing, but they killed his son. Becoming head hitman for a meth and cocaine kingpin was always going to take a big push and I liked the way they took his story in season 5.
Yeah to be honest originally when watching breaking bad and at the start of bcs I didn’t really like mike that much but at season 5 I realized how greatly he was written when I realized he could have got his family all the money they would ever need but actively chose to pursue this life because he doesn’t view himself as worthy of redemption. It was during bagman I realized mike is just as hypocritical as Walter with the exact same excuse but with Walter he did it because he enjoyed it but with mike he does everything he does because if he isn’t doing this he can’t stop and delve on the things he has done as the guilt will consume him.
I don’t get how someone can actually think Mike’s writing is relatively weak in season 5 when it gives such insight into his character and motivations
Exactly how I see it. S5 creates an ultimate relapse with his way out being “accepting who you are” even if that is a ruthless murderer. Dedicado to Max is one of my favorite episodes for that reason
Not that it has any consequence but he said that to his old detective buddy that came to ABQ to question him about his son's partners murder. In the scene where Saul pulls the spilled coffee scheme. I rewatched it earlier today.
Maybe Mike liked it. He was good at it. ...
I see Mike's depression arc in season five as being more about him relapsing into killing more than it was about alcohol or simply being sad over Werner. He wouldn't have reacted that way had he succeeded in killing Hector, but his first successful killing since Hoffman and Fensky was Werner, someone who he had a bond with and liked. It's more about the all encompassing grief of slipping back into bad habits than being sad about killing a guy, though it's certainly that too.
I liked Mikes alcoholism, it makes sense. He relates a lot with Jesse who deals with trauma through drugs so it’s nice to see him having gone through the same thing.
I honestly really like how light and "one-note" the first season is compared to the rest of the series. It really shows you how "comfortable" Jimmy's life was before the inevitable downward spiral into the abyss.
Nacho confronting hector was the best scene in the whole show for me I think. It was so incredible and satisfying, but instantly made the worst turn. That’ll be one of the show moments I’ll remember for a while.
58:13 Maybe it's just me, but this scene is one of my favorites regarding the Salamancas. Suddenly, they seem like an actual family. The nephew going to see his beloved Uncle Hector in the nursing home, sneaking him some booze to cheer him up.
It also made me start to feel bad for Hector, specifically because Gus directly stopped his rehabilitation. Gus deserved to get pipe bombed for that.
@@XpwnxageNo he didnt, hector Salamanca is a piece of fuckin trash human being lmfao what is wrong with you?
@@Xpwnxagebro Hector killed max because of envy lol
@@SearcherRyan yeah and hector is such a creep the first thing he does when he wakes up from coma is stare at the nurse's ass? disgusting. and the way he abused the cousins (with the whole drowning thing) etc. Hector has been evil for the whole entirety of his appearance on the show.
@@Xpwnxage Hector is the most evil character in the entire BB universe. If anyone deserved that fate, it was him
The "Energy Vampire" joke with Chuck sucking the life out of the building, and immediately cutting to Mark Proksh/Colin Robinson was genius.
I don't think wwdits was even out yet but fuck it's such a good character lol
Such a good analogy!
I loved Gus in this, the character did lose his mystique, but we learn a lot about him. He has an incredible case of OCD, and he has an outstanding ego, and seeing that ego getting shattered in season 6 and also how he can't cope with it was amazing.
I have a hard time seeing Chuck as a villain… which is why he is such a great villain. His suicide hit me pretty hard, and he and Jimmy’s relationship is really sad to me. I just feel sorry for him, despite all he did.
One of the ways they make it perfect is that Chuck is never wrong. Everything he says about Jimmy's character ends up coming true in later seasons. Every single accusation he made was 100% correct. He is absolutely, completely right in every single thing he says, but the way he says it is what makes him an asshole, and his response to it is what makes him a villain
The one line I solely resonate with is “Watching Mike carefully, methodically do his Mike stuff” Best Mike scene in the show is when he’s driving that cart around Madrigal’s warehouse!
Gus told Warner his name to guarantee his death in case he needed Mike to kill him at any point. Gus would always have that justification: that Warner knows his name for the reasons you point out.
Yes - the huge secrecy when they were looking for a contractor to build the lab was so that the unsuccessful applicants didn't know where the lab was, nor who it belonged to.
Once Werner's crew get the job, the only secrecy was to prevent the Salamancas (or anyone else) from discovering the work was being undertaken. Werner's crew knew the name of the laundry (they could see the side of the trucks, etc). They knew that they had to keep their mouths shut, and what would happen to them if they didn't.
I always saw Chuck's courtroom meltdown as Saul's way to show the world that his brother has an irrational hate for him, or at least to show that Chuck's condition doesn't only have (fake) physical consequences but also (real) mental ones. Before that revelation his associates probably thought his condition was just an unfortunate quirk, but not something that could affect his ability as a lawyer (he'll just have to work in the candlelight from now on). This is also corroborated by Chuck's meltdown at HMM, his attempt to show his associates that he doesn't have any physical ailments anymore (which is what he thinks is bothering them) only appears to them as evidence to the fact that he isn't mentally stable and that the extent of his condition is far greater than they thought. This is just my interpretation though, if the writers did intend his courtroom meltdown to just be a reveal of the falseness of his condition it would indeed be a plot hole since I cannot believe anyone thought it was actually real.
I kind of thought it was real because I completely missed the doctor turning his hospital bed on. Until I looked it up.
Man it's almost been a year and Howard's death still haunts me. I don't know why. It was far from the most brutal death on TV. It's just so sudden, callous, and meaningless. One minute a character you've known for the whole show is in there, and the next, it's just his body, laying dead on the floor. God they did so well with that episode.
I think for me, that scene serves as the ominous follow through to the horrifying season 5 scene when Kim talks Lalo out of their house. Despite being absent for half of season 6, Lalo's ghost is felt in every episode since his inconspicuous disappearance, and when he does rear his head once more, it's not without a ghastly toll. To prove just how deadly this cartel psychopath really is, and to build anticipation towards the inevitable showdown between himself and Gustavo Fring.
I really like Kim's sainthood-like patience with Jimmy because it feels real and in-line with her character; it also helps imply a long-standing relationship between the two of them because she's had time to adjust to Jimmy. Her resilience and willingness to stand by him makes her a stronger character in my mind
Easily the best tv show i've ever watched.
I’ll say the second half of the show for sure but as whole I’d go bojack
The Wire is the GOAT
@@EddyTheMartian The Wire is great social commentary but a lot of the characters are very one dimensional.
@@amysteriousviewer3772 Wtf No 💀 what characters? The Wire probably has the most expansive cast of great and realistic characters in anything ever.
@@amysteriousviewer3772 Who was one dimensional? I'm curious
Imagine you're working at a Cinnabon, you turn on the TV and see that Saul Goodman, one of two surviving associates of Heisenburg, has been captured, and he's your manager.
My favorite thing is the fact that the entire first season or two you're just begging for him to become Saul. Then at the end when it actually happens you just want him to go back to Jimmy.
I'm glad someone else out there can relate to my bizarre thirst for Betsy Kettleman lmao
It might well be a thirst for Julie Ann Emery, cause she was also just insane in Preacher. Like, just absolutely disgusting.
I didn't realize how alluring she is until someone else expressed it.
She was a murderer in Dexter also.
I LOVE Betsy and her Kettles, man
Jimmy: Just tell me what I need to do to change. Just tell me what it is and I'll do it.
Kim: You should go to therapy and hold yourself accountable for your many mistakes
Jimmy: I LITERALLY would rather turn into Saul Goodman.
A brilliant touch regarding Chuck's suicide is him hitting the desk with a similar rhythm of the metronome earlier in the season.
Better Call Saul was a masterpiece. Like everyone else has said many times before, it's a true miracle that Vince Gilligan was able to catch lightning in a bottle twice and pull off a great ending both times.
It’s not a miracle. Gilligan’s just that good.
@@grahamstrouse1165 Yeah, I think for example, Avatar: The Last Airbender was lightning in a bottle, because the showrunners of the original series seemed to stumble to reach the same heights with the expanded media (though there is absolutely still much to behold in the peripheral material following ATLA). BB & BCS, however, proved that even approaching a new project with a different premise and focus, Vince Gilligan and the teams involved were able to create something consistently considered at least equal to its predecessor in quality. I genuinely can't believe we've gotten 11 seasons of so much revolutionarily good television from the same people.
You forgot to mention that when mike devolves into alcoholism is a backslide into the addiction he used to have after the death of his son. It’s supposed to be his own for of self punishment. He feels responsible for Werner in the same way he feels responsible for his son.
I attributed Tuco's relative tameness in BCS to the fact that by BB he would've been doing meth for a few years in between the two shows, and only grew less stable and predictable by the time Jesse and Walt cross paths with him.
Chuck was such a perfectly written character. You knew he couldn't last the whole time, he needed written out in some way to let Jimmy/Saul grow. But you missed him the rest of the series, due to how great their camaraderie was.
I didn’t miss him, he was a good character for his part but for me I enjoyed the build up and then his deserved downfall. Even the sentimental flashbacks to show he wasn’t always an asshole didn’t make me see him differently, honestly it made me hate him more. Really showed how much of a snake he was
Cutting to Daniel Wormald to say "energy vampire" at 19:00 was inspired
My head canon is that every character Daniel Wormald plays is just Colin Robinson trying to feed under an alias
showing daniel wormald while talking about energy vampires was hilarious and such a good reference lmaoo
wwdits reference was so funny
I think Jimmy’s negotiation with Tuco in episode 2 is more intense and memorable than Grilled. And that’s coming from someone who really likes Grilled. I like the negotiation scene as an overture and an omen for where Jimmy’s life is soon going to be heading.
28:21 “after spending season 1 babysitting the worst of the worst of New Mexico’s criminal players” 100% thought you were talking about Kaylee for that whole sentence.
Kaylee and Holly run a criminal empire post breaking bad.
@@landan1473 "KAYLEE! WE NEED TO COOK PATTERCAKES!"
@@mappingshaman5280 honestly I'd pay to see a post bb short film about Holly and Kaylee finding out about there fathers/father figure.
I personally took kims lack of getting mad at Jimmy as due to her relationship with her mom. Her mom was clearly so unreliable which probably left her feeling unloved. Jimmy provides that love for Kim and her amount of slack regarding his antics eventually piles up to the events of season. But again maybe I’m wrong haha.
I definitely feel like her relationship with her mom was shown when it was for that reason. I think there’s validity to what you’re saying for sure
Gus obviously didn’t want the engineers and construction workers to know the location, the details, who they’re working for, etc. before they got there and while they were on their way, because he had far less control over them while they’re not literally imprisoned under his wing and in his circle. Once they got there, he didn’t care about stating his full name because he knew that he now had full control and if any of them stepped out or even attempted to leak any info, they’d be done. Gone. Disappeared. So the name drop thing is more of a confident, dominating power move than any sort of error on the show’s part. He knew he had them under his thumb at that point. It’s perfectly within his character.
"I'm often pegged as one" is a beautiful double entendre, even if it wasn't meant as one.
it was definitely meant as one 😭 he’s so real
I was wondering how many others caught that lmao
Got a good chuckle from me
That was the entire point of him saying it.
Found your channel two days ago, and thought "damn, nice Breaking Bad retrospective. Wonder when he'll do one on Better Call Saul"
Exact same thing happened to me
...Same here! 🤠
I agree with most of your critiques and appraisals of the series but I gotta say, I honestly love the slower parts where it seems the characters aren’t moving. It may feel like apparent stagnation but I feel like that’s more reflective of a lot of the stagnation we as humans face in our lives before waking up and realizing we feel like different people. It’s all those little seemingly innocent periods where “nothing” specific or large scale happens that really changes our life trajectories. I believe that’s what the show was going for with season 3 Kim wexler, Mike’s alcoholism arc and other slower paced saul Goodman schemes throughout the show. But that’s my opinion, I could definitely understand disagreeing as well!
Nah it’s a solid assessment. It’s the whole point of the show. Death by a thousand cuts. It’s not one massive moment that changes a man but rather a massive moment in combination with a lot of smaller moments that create a chemical explosion. To see it as “filler” is to discount how it delves into the depravity of the current character and the different respective tactics Jimmy uses in his different schemes for example. Some methods worse than others but it’s the consistency of the worst small moments and tactics that add layers to that moral spiral
For the final season I wish that Nippy was the first episode of the season rather than set after fun and games
Not only will it be a treat to see an episode long Gene season opening, it ends on an ominous optimistic note that can mislead the viewers. I think it would have been an insane subversion when the story does go tits up.
Nippy being the first episode of season 6 would definitely help fix the weird pacing of the season.
Not sure if I fully agree, but interesting take
That insertion of "I Think You Should Leave" in black and white near the end was hilarious
Better Call Saul somehow manages to wrap up Breaking Bad, El Camino and itself in one episode. Very impressive
had to stop at the 12 min mark to say this is already shaping up to be one of the most well-written and well-edited better call saul videos ive seen (which... considering the mass volume of them ive consumed, is saying a lot) and that the "im often pegged as one" joke took me a whole second before my whole brain lit up in comedy gold standard fireworks. absolutely content we don't deserve but will gladly, gladly imbibe in.
I really wish they explored the vast conspiracy behind Madrigal more. Super interesting aspect of the series we don't learn much of.
Something interesting to note: When Mike is going to snipe Hector in the desert, he looks through the scope and hovers over Nacho. That is the same exact spot seasons later where he ends up dying. Great foreshadowing that I only noticed on the third watchthrough.
I just watched the entirety of Better Call Saul in exactly 1 month, so always glad to see other people's take on the series. It's such a great series!
The Winner takes it all scene still makes me emotional
BB and BCS are quite literally two of the best shows ever made. They're legendary. The fandom is . . . a *little* intense. 😅
Also, shoutout to Raymond Cruz's eyelashes. They're so gorgeous.
literally finished the breaking bad retrospective a couple hours ago and was looking for this, thank you mister
Regarding the reason why Season 1 felt off and only serving as the buildup to the next season, Season 1 was actually made so that it will still make sense narratively if it was cancelled after just one season. That meant that the writers had to make sure that, yes, there's a hook for a 2nd season, but the character development isn't that grand wherein audiences will be left unfulfilled if it was immediately cancelled.
Exactly. I can't believe so many people don't know (or intentionally ignore) this.
I can't get past episode 4 of season 1, when does this show get really good?
@@Eserr7856 I’d say get to the S2 premiere, cause by that point the style of the show is pretty set in place. It gets better from there but if you can’t enjoy it until the later seasons I doubt you’d like them enough to get there.
@@Eserr7856 you issue
@@Eserr7856 skill issue
Very glad you addressed what was my biggest nitpick of BCS that i didn’t think anyone would address: Lalos death. The moment Lalo followed gus into the underground lab all tension was lost for me, since i knew exactly how it would’ve played out given what we know in breaking bad. Sure a lalo gus showdown is awesome, but i feel like there could’ve been a way more exciting way to go about resolving lalos story than just have a planted gun be briefly referenced episodes before the actual moment. It seemed a bit tacky IMO
*Es Lalo Time!*
100% agreed!
I need to rewatch Better Call Saul all over again. I think it’s almost at the level of Breaking Bad, it’s a masterpiece. Like what Frasier was to Cheers. Thanks for these retrospectives
Unironically significantly better than BB. BB ain’t even in my top 10 anymore (my top 11).
Better call saul can't exist without breaking bad. Better Call Saul is one of the best pieces of TV ever. They excelled 10/10 in all areas of cinema. Breaking bad did great in a similar way, but Better Call Saul did it even better.
@@EddyTheMartian you need a rewatch then bruh
@@HKotoloswhat’s your top ten tv shows ever? I’d personally go
1. The wire
2. Game of thrones
3. Mr robot
4. Dark
5. The boys
6. Breaking bad
7. Succession
8. Yellowstone
9. Stranger things
10. Sopranos
Honorable mentions
Mad men
Better call Saul
Dexter
@@raymondsims7042GoT has no rewarding payoff and Stranger things dropped off HARD after the first season or two.
One critique of this retrospective: I don't think that Chuck's condition is necessarily retconned in the way you mentioned. His condition wasn't a secret from everyone. A. Kim implies it was hidden from the CLIENTS, whereas Rich could have just heard about this through the legal community. And even then, B., the fact that it was a psychosomatic illness and not a genuine ailment, which was suspected by some characters anyway, is what was hidden, wasn't it? I could be wrong here, but that's just what I recall.
I share the opinion that Better Call Saul is one of the best shows ever made. I rewatched seasons 1-5 right before season 6 came out and was reminded that there actually isn't a dud among them. Every episode is solid. Basically any criticism, even warranted or well thought out, is like going to the best restaurant in town and simply noting that one dish just needed a little more paprika.
What’s your top ten tv shows? Mine is
1. The wire
2. Game of thrones
3. Mr robot
4. Dark
5. The boys
6. Breaking bad
7. Succession
8. Stranger things
9. Sopranos
10. Better call Saul/Mad men
FINALLY, someone who appreciates season 4! I've been seeing a lot of people writing it off as the worst season lately and I don't get it.
People hate the slow burn aka The Wire S2
Whoever keeps writing off Season 4 as the worst needs to get tested for Covid, cuz they have no taste.
Everything about the underground lab construction was goofy. Carrying forward into the remaining two seasons as well.
@@lynxminx4 What was goofy about it
@@carefulcrosserpeople more so don’t like the second season of the worse because it focuses on a completely different set of characters and feels really detached from the main plot. Personally though I loved it and it was definitely my second favorite behind 4
It’s so hard to say which show is better, they feel like one
The Tropico 4 music at like 32:50 was a great touch lol
In classical music, a common tactic used is to start off with a big loud flowery set leading towards a slow and quiet act 2, only to scare everyone awake for act 3. BCS and BB did this pretty well too.
Call me stupid, but I actually thought the Howard plot would fail and THAT would be what removed Kim from the story.
I said something similar to this on the BB retrospective, but it bears repeating: If they had just made a perfectly watchable, average prequel it would've been noteworthy given all the pitfalls that normally befall a prequel. But they didn't. They made something that's not only incredible on its own, but it even elevates BB.
I appreciate the WWDITS reference cutting to Mark Proksch at the mention of energy vampires.
bro absolutely clutch unlisted video i just watched the breaking bad one and was sad there wasn’t a bcs
commenting because idk if this was supposed to be like a patreon early release or something but it was just in the tv stuff playlist
BCS’s last season reminds me a lot of Episode 6 of Star Wars. Vader returns to Anakin at the end the way Saul returns to Jimmy in the courtroom at the end.
“Im often pegged as one.”
Oh my.
Idk if anyone else noticed, but the “neither the heart nor the gumption” reference was flawless and I appreciate it greatly
Chuck's condition is fascinating to me and kind of highlights his function as both a villain and a very mentally sick person. It's not even that his condition isn't "real" -- it is just created entirely by his own brain. Including actual symptoms that he is not faking (usually). His brain and his anxiety over lack of control created a sensitivity that he is the local expert on, so that when symptoms flare up (particularly in the face of conditions and situations where he feels he does not have the most control) it must be handled to his specifications and no one else's. He starts to improve when he starts to more outwardly control his surroundings again, re-assume his place at HHM and return to using his position to gatekeep his brother's trajectory in life (as well as those he is close to). Chuck has convinced himself that because it is his decision and he is a good lawyer there is nothing wrong with what he does, but he does outright abuse his power just as badly as he imagines bad lawyers do, just in a different way. Jimmy doesn't start to see any upward mobility until he stops being Chuck's caregiver.. Chuck returning to work and continuing to be able to have the entire room cater to his every specification gave him the feeling of absolute control his brain demands he have or it will refuse to function without causing him pain. And as he starts to come to grips with the fact that he is the one creating his own Hell, it ends with him giving in to his condition to its final conclusion: the last electrical signal in the house that was going to continue to dog him because he could not control the pain it caused him was that of his own brain.
I know it’s a bit slow but for some reason Season one will always be one of my favorites. I love the focus on small scale Jimmy adventures. To me it’s a perfect little season. But then again I love the crazy balls to the wall season 5.
i'm going to be honest i have already seen bcs front-to-back so i wasn't really enticed by the retrospective, but after 12:23 you won me over. you got a new sub. very poignant and carefully crafted!! i hope you keep on with this kind of work :)
Alright I haven't even seen _What We Do In The Shadows_ fully, but the subtle cut to his character in BCS at 19:02 is just sooo smart haha
I love all the jokes and references hidden throughout, such as Mike assisting an "energy vampire"
Every single mention of tiny town put a huge stupid grin on my face.
Myyyyy gooooood. You have no idea how bad I wanted this since the end of your Brekaing Bad video
The whole thing with Irene made Saul irredeemable for me. Like everything else he did was fine with me but how could he just ruin that old woman’s life like that lol
I LOVE that montage from "Inflatable," where Jimmy's trying to get fired from Davis and Main. The bagpipes especially cracked me up! 😂 But moreover, during the initial airing of Season 2, I went through something similar to the fictional Jimmy McGill, as I lost face at the university where I taught for 5 years and dreadfully awaited the inevitable news that I would not be back after that fateful Spring semester. 😞 It's almost as though the universe gave a commentary on my situation. Coincidence? 🤔
Just finished the series not 10 minutes ago, and now this new vid perfectly in my recommended! I can't get enough. Such a twisted joyride, looking forward to this long one. Cheers for the time and effort that went into your thoughts and this video.
I’m so happy to have caught this within the hour of upload
OH MY GOD… ITS HERE! I’ve re-watched your breaking bad and your Game of Thrones recap like three times each 🔥🔥🔥🔥
1:25:15 I did a double take at this part thinking "wait, I don't remember this scene with Tim Robinson"
It's amazing how well that skit turned black and white fits in with the show
I’ll never forget hearing the news that they were making a prequel show and I was terrified. However, I saw this show each season just get better and better. It’s one of the greatest shows I’ve ever watched and I’m forever grateful for having watched it.
That Ask Jeeves mention. I see what you did there.
I would never start a sentence with "I don't think" on a documentary
So it's not just me who's waiting for the Betsy Kettleman spin-off!
A great review of one of the best TV shows ever!
"I'm not the kind of guy who's into crazy dominant women. But... I'm often pegged as one..."
Not sure if that innuendo was intended or not, but in case it was, good job lmao.
It is, we've been joking(?) about his wife pegging him for a long time now.
Why can't I see the other reply?
@@opensprit Not sure. IIRC it was someone saying that Slip enjoying being pegged is a long-running joke lul.
@@opensprit CZcams is weird about shadowbanning comments. But the other guy is right about what I said.
I’m subscribing to your Patreon just because of the “I’m often pegged as one.” Bit.
imagine making the greatest two shows of all time that were both brilliant all the way through, and even getting a movie, and then finishing it off with slippin jimmy
I literally JUST finished watching the Breaking Bad video. The timing could not be more perfect.
Also, your channel is SEVERELY underrated. Here’s hoping you get big in the future.
great video man! i love the way you structure everything you have to say, jumping around and explaining things that haven’t happened yet and things that have already happened that you didn’t. it feels like i’m getting all of this explained to me by my kinda smart friend who’s into movies and also drugs. you should do a retrospective on the seasons of daredevil, i’d love to see what you have to say on that.
i love that one of the tags in the description is “con man in albuquerque”
it's "Con Man Albuquerque" which are the exact words Marion looked up in "Ask Jeeves" to unmask Saul.
Theory: Chuck subconsciously faked his illness just to stall Jimmy’s legal career.
I love your little asides, full of wit, references, and above all love for the source material
Your videos are like watching a beloved show again, recalling all the good and bad, reminiscing about it along the way. This is the good kind of video essay, that serves to improve my enjoyment of media, rather than to just fill time with talking about it.
Cheers man, hope your channel blows up
Dang this video was so good
I love how you tackle incredible TV shows but not afraid to point out some of the inconsistencies and nit pics.
Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad are two of my favorite TV shows of all time.
I'd love to see you tackle my # 1 favorite TV of all time Mr Robot.
Hell yeah, I can’t wait to watch this! Thank you for all the love and care you put into your content ❤
I've watched most of your backlog in the past two days while I work and relax, I've never seen a single episode of BCS and BB, or Firefly and many others, but I live long video essays and I'm loving yours
I am so glad I’m not the only one who legitimately loves the Super lab construction subplot.