Sticking the landing on a series is a rarity, and difficult enough as it is. Sticking the landing on TWO series is a major feat. Other writers and show runners should take note, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould are absolute masters.
The Breaking Bad ending is decent though I do think there was room for it to be better. Ending a series like BB and have it be satisfying is a feet in of it's self, so I don't think there's really much to criticize there, but the Better Call Saul ending is fantastic. Seeing Gould and Gilligan grow as writers as the years went on was a treat.
@@Revealingstorm. Explain how you think BB’s ending could be better? It wrapped up all loose ends and gave Walt simultaneously a comeuppance for the horrible things he did as well as a victory.
@@erikstrickland96 I guess it more comes down to the nazi gang not being as a interesting threat as gus. I also think it ending with him simply just showing up and killing of them instantly with that machine gun was a bit anticlimactic after how thrilling some of the struggles walt and Jesse had with Tuco and Gus. I almost kind of wish the last season had been more just walt vs Hank and Jesse but I feel that Gilligan learned from that as the final season BCS was more Saul vs himself more than anything.
I tried getting into the series - but law stuff genuinely boggles my mind - it’s even part of my course and even then I find it complicated sometimes.. so I haven’t fully dedicated myself to it.. think I might tho - given all the hype
I was watching an interview with Vince and his initial idea was to make the show a 30 min comedy with different clients as the stories. He also said he's getting back into sci-fi which is cool
One thing I loved about this show is that it understood patience. It understood that to make moments more impactful, it had to wait a couple of seasons. We had to wait a couple of seasons before Jimmy started wearing colorful suits and calling himself Saul but when he did it felt earned. We had to wait until the last season to see what would happen to Kim and it felt so much more impactful since we did. The Gene Takovic story has been building up since 2015. People have been wanting to see Walt and Jesse since 2015, and they made us wait until 2022 and it was perfect. Too many shows rush into things too quickly. I’m glad this one took it’s time.
Not to mention, at first, everyone was waiting for him to become Saul. But when it did happen, several people said, "Nevermind. Please give us back Jimmy."
Audiences these days are so impatient. I have to wonder if a show with the pacing of Better Call Saul that didn’t have the pre existing fanbase of Breaking Bad could survive. It really is like 2.5 seasons of setup and the big payoffs and explosive moments really only start happening in season 3. I saw people hating on the very first episode of House of the Dragon because “not enough happened.” It’s the first episode people! I really fear for the future of serialized TV with the way audience expectations are currently.
There are shows I like to binge and others I like to grow with, so to speak. BCS was one of those that I appreciate more because of the long journey that really started in 2008. Feels strange that there may never be another season in this universe.
Well said. I would also say that the storytelling by showing and not telling added to this idea, when we watched the actions unfold: the way Mike patiently did his work, the way the actions for the cons were laid out by Kim and Jimmy or the way Lalo laid his own plans against Gustavo.
@@tranquero They let the audience soak in the scenes where there's no dialogue. I could watch Mike paint a fence and be intrigued. The focus of so much character development really worked in its favor.
The fact that the writers of this show were able to elevate Breaking Bad, one of the greatest shows of all time, to be even better in retrospect because of Better Call Saul, is a ridiculous achievement that we might not see again anytime soon.
Yeah. That's the main thing I always loved about BCS. That it manage to enrich it's source material instead diluting it like so many other sequels/prequels do.
Rhea Seehorn better win her goddamn Emmy for this last season. She’s deserved it for being the MVP of TV’s most oddly underrated show for the last seven years. Now who wants Cinnabon?
@@veralynn8334 Yeah but I don’t think it got the same level of mass discussion in pop culture as BB. More like an even quieter accumulation of good will and reception over the years.
The thing that impressed me the most is how this show adds a shit load of context to breaking bad. Walt truly was a big nobody. He ruined everything. Gus had the Salamancas under control, Mike was making bank. Walt comes in and just shits all over it because he cannot stand being number two. And it's all because of Jimmy. He's the kingmaker really.
I firmly believe the most emotionally powerful episode of the entire Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul universe is the one in season 1 where we learn about Mike's backstory with his son. Better Call Saul had an incredible way of building perfectly crafted backstories for characters who were - while not minor - side characters to the main ones in Breaking Bad. That is so rare to see nowadays in a prequel series.
I LOVE THAT EPISODE, I'm stil mad that Jonathan Banks didn't win the emmy. While Peter Dinklage got an emmy for growing a beard. Episodes Five-0 and Chicanery are stand outs, little movies that can be seen on their own. Amazing!
I love that the writers for She-Hulk said that they had a hard time writing a MULTI EPISODE TRIAL in a show called SHE-HULK ATTORNEY AT LAW. When like Better Call Saul is right there. And Daredevil. Like....Literally right there.
As a screen writing student, I would like to point out that Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are currently shows studied and analized during script writing classes for the entire vision of the shows start with the development of engaging characters, full of moral dylemas, emotional traumas and the hurt they bring unto themselves and those around them. Then the directors bring that vision to life leaving the last piece of the puzzle to the actors. What an amazing run! Thanks for the video but i think you didnt shout out the writers. That would have made your video perfect.
@@TheSundayShooter really? I thought they were pretty restrained. They didn’t have Jimmy fight Lalo in a fist fight or kill off Kim or anything extreme like Breaking Bad.
@BK MMA Hello there, thank you for taking a break from making videos to answer to my comment. I apologize for not being completely clear on what I have learned from my school classes have taught me using both shows. We (as a class), have learned both screen writing techniques and editing techniques from watching both shows. The biggest thing we focus on is story-telling. Is there any confusion still?
I love how in Breaking Bad, the scene of "IT WASN'T ME, IT WAS IGNACIO!" Scene is a comedy scene and Saul mentioned Lalo's name is so random. Meanwhile, in Better Call Saul, the scene is actually intense because we see in Saul's POV. Jimmy / Saul is still haunted of Lalo and still has no idea that he's dead for good even for many years. Also, the fact that Howard and Lalo are buried under Superlab and then in Breaking Bad, we see Walt and Jesse work at Superlab and then blow it up is so messed up. What if The Fly in The Fly Episode is telling Walt that there are 2 dead bodies under the lab? Or maybe it's the spirit of Lalo tried to disturb Walt while working at the lab?
The reason the last 4 episodes were more "nostalgic" and lent more on BB is because the last 4 episodes or so changed from being a prequel of Jimmy/Saul to a sequel of Gene. So the last few episodes had a big shift
I would also say that those episodes are "the ending" of a whole story that is Breaking Bad, El Camino and Better Call Saul. So it is the story getting really emotional towards its end.
Excellent point. The last 4 episodes were less about plot and more about character development and morality. Instead of BB serving as just another plot element for BCS, characters like Walt & Jesse acted as a reference point for Kim & Jimmy.
Also they properly included nostalgia here better than most because it’s literally only in the last few eps of the entire series and not prior. Most projects would shoehorn in nostalgia from the getgo to draw audience into the show for that juicy viewership spike, but not here. They confidently immersed us in Jimmy’s world complete with brand new stories and characters that had little to do with BB for most of the show and they succeded at it, only later could they do whatever they wanted with more BB tie-ins. The only blatant nostalgia that was present early in the show that I can think of was Tuco but even he had actual purpose in the story
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul complement each other in a way we'll never see again. What the writers achieved with both shows cannot be put into words. Just incredible
I remember when this show was first announced as a Breaking Bad spin off. I was legitimately worried it would leave an ugly stain on the Breaking Bad story. Im sure I wasn't the only one that thought this. We all know how well spin off shows do 🥴. I have never been happier to be wrong. Sad its over but ecstatic they finished the Breaking Bad/El Camino/Better Call Saul story archs with a neat little bow. Now its time to binge the entire universe all over again.
I gotta give mad props to Michael Mando's Nacho. Everyone else was amazing but Nachos story got me the most invested and that ending was absolutely breathtaking.
One of the great things about Howard's character is that he remains pretty static throughout the show. However, our viewpoint on him changes as we learn things about his character. We find out that he actually liked and saw potential in Jimmy, however was forced to remain as Chuck's lackey due to their history. As a result, Jimmy hates him despite his attempts to compensate for it. He's a tragically written character that emphasizes perspective, which is one of the prominent themes the show builds on.
I agree in part but I think that he does grow as a character as the show goes on. At first he accepts being Chuck's lackey although he thinks it's wrong, but then he goes on to regret that and acts with more integrity. The big change is in season 5 where he becomes more of a hippie with the "namaste" license plate and tries to make amends with Jimmy. Like he literally tries to offer Jimmy a job because he wants to correct the mistake he made when he was younger.
@@Carlos-ln8fd Also true, but I also feel that these changes were more influenced by change in environment (e.g Chuck's death) rather than an actual change in character. I can see him hiring Jimmy if Chuck wasn't around before.
One of the most gut wrenching moments to me is when Cheryl tells Kim that Howard called her "a great lawyer". He probably should have told Kim that, but the fact that he praised her to his wife shows he really was on her side. He wasn't vindictive. Besides Flynn, probably the purest character in the BB universe.
I just realized something... The moment he removes Chuck's hand outta his ass and be independent is the moment that also got Chuck to commit suicide bcs he insist on Chuck retiring. Which lead to the struggles that he faced such as deppression, debt, failing marriage, and the eventual death. Tragic!
The last four episodes (I believe) were done to give us finality, conclusion and a sense of redemption for a lot of these broken/complex characters. It was dark, heartbreaking and yet somehow, optimistic. What a show. PS: Rhea Seehorn more than deserves an Emmy. Holy hell what a performance.
@@codytrotman Writing in early Ozark Season 4 was embarrassingly bad. It did pick up by the end and I was satisfied with the very, very, very last scene. I'm glad I watched it.
The most nostalgia I felt was in the last episode with Saul asking everyone about the time machine. With Mike, it was comforting. With Walt, it made me hate Walt again. With Chuck, it was just sad as hell. Ive heard the whole Scrooge thing and thats amazing as well (with him visiting 3 ghosts)
Spoiler Alert: All 3 main characters across this universe got different endings that they deserved. Walt died tying up all loose ends, Jesse got away from the lifestyle that ruined his, and Jimmy payed for what he did but redeemed himself. Everything about this universe is perfect.
@@billyobfas6962 Kim had to move to Florida to escape the trauma of (inadvertantly) murdering Howard. She ended up confessing everything to Howard's wife and the judicial side of things. She was voluntarily giving herself up to the law, because she felt she deserved whatever befell her. It's also likely that Howard's wife will destroy her in civil court. I think her willingness to go by the book redeems her and shows true repentance for what she did to Howard. It's not all bad though, the spark seems to have been reignited in her and Jimmy's relationship.
Death was Walt’s most deserved outcome part of it is because of his struggle with cancer. It would get to him soon enough but his own doings led to his getting it much early
Kim confessed and will be facing the consequences, and her confession inspired Jimmy to do the right thing too. In the end, both of them made the moral choice which is so refreshing even though it's bittersweet. I absolutely love the ending and the characters.
Thanks to the excellent Kim Wexler, I will always think of Better Call Saul as essentially a love story… The Saulshank Redemption. And after ten years of good behavior beloved by his inmates and guards like Andy Dufresne, Jimmy was released as Covid spread unchecked in 2020 and is now enjoying Coronas on the beach with Kim in Zhihuatanejo.
Best series I’ve ever seen. People calling parts of the last episodes “fan service” is just instinct. It was done with a purpose to serve the story and explain why things are the way they are. I can’t elaborate here, but I think it works well. Plus they’ve shown incredible restraint in that regard all throughout the show.
agreed with your 1st sentence, and the last 7 episodes seemed to me all a 10/10, that said, the cameos seemed to me A LITTLE fanservice (which is logical and not bad), especially the Jesse and Kim scene, the others I liked them.
The "fan service" was fine but not allowing his character to go full circle is stupid. Selfish criminal lawyer gives up everything for his ex who broke up with him... Lame af
@@Digger-Nickevery time he wanted to change everyone dispised him even his own brother except for Kim who believed in him. The only person that he would change for
I rewatched seasons 1-5 again during the break in between season 6. My brother was watching the show for the first time so I watched it with him. I have to say, seasons 1 & 2 are wayyy better on the rewatch. I actually like them more than season 3, which had “Chicanery” in it. The show really takes it’s time with the law drama and I love the drama between Jimmy and Chuck.
I agree, I saw the series 4 times, with each time I liked it much more and it seemed so much better. Seasons 1 & 2 may just be my 2 favorites haha, but I think all 1-5 are at the same level, I don't like the 6th THAT much yet but I only saw it once so the comparison is not fair, maybe when I rewatch it I'll like it more
@@veralynn8334 Well, you really aren’t in position to judge a newbie’s preference or experience. You can speculate how it feels like how I’m speculating but you can’t definitively say it’s better for someone to start with BB. You will never know what it’s like to watch BCS before BB. Your perspective will always be biased towards BB first.
im still thinking about the finale. so so good. i'm considering it could be the single greatest TV show of all time. the way that the first season was so comedic and how the tone of the show changed slowly as it when on just shows how terrific the writing is for the entire thing.
I had to do a 4 minute presentation on a topic of my choice to colleagues at work. I chose Better Call Saul, cited all of / most of the reasons mentioned here. It is a modern masterpiece, and the epitome of prequel storytelling done extremely well.
No doubt they did a good job with characters that were still alive, but in the end they were still limited. All of the times “ya I know he’s not gonna die now” the real tension was with the characters not seen in breaking bad
Every character was perfectly cast. Ed Begely Jr didn’t get a lot of love as Clifford Main, but he was perfect in that role. He was so believable as a real lawyer, you wouldn’t even notice he was an actor doing a scene.
The brilliant level of writing to know that everyone is waiting for Jimmy McGill to become Saul Goodman, and then when it finally happens, how unrewarding and depressing it feels. The way they made the funny sleezy lawyer guy just a suit of armor for a man who doesn’t know how to process his trauma is just incredible. I love this show so much.
I remember this interview with the creators where they said that, when they started the show, they thought Saul was "a fun guy" but as they kept writing and thinking about it they realized how horrible he was.
@@Carlos-ln8fd it’s kinda genius. Cause he’s funny and pathetic and basically a sociopath in breaking bad…but like if you think about it how does somebody get to that point?
It’s incredible to me that the Breaking Bad team can create what is known as one of the best tv shows ever created and then immediately make another one that rivals it.
to be fair, better call saul wasn't immediately that good, it needed the first season to get things rolling just like breaking bad did, but in general you're right it is extremely impressive
@@randomt800kiddo2 oh trust me the show didn’t grow on me until really the third season. I’m just saying it’s crazy how the team went from Breaking Bad straight into Better Call Saul. Like the only year from 2008 to 2022 without Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul content was 2014. The consistency from them is crazy.
One of my biggest takeaways from this show was Finger himself, Mike. In BB I was just fine with the character, he’s an elderly badass and he doesn’t take shit from anyone. Here he was given so much attention and we get to see more of what makes him tick. The first few seasons did such a great job at making me sympathize with him prior to meeting Gus, from his Matty story to the way they show him care for Kaylee. Then after Gus we still get gems like Werner’s final moments with him which is in my top 10 moments of the show period. In hindsight, it makes me hate Walter even more for killing him off
would LOVE to see a spoiler video for this for those of us that have watched BCS, but I appreciate this take too! I wish more Breaking Bad fans would give BCS a chance, it seriously holds up and changes the lens you see Breaking Bad through.
Spoiler: The switch that Chuck is the really bad one and Howard actually likes Jimmy is a great aspect off Howard character and show. Such a tragic ending for him :( he really was a good guy
Might be my favourite TV show of all time, the cinematography and writing were just at another level in basically every episode. The characters especially were just amazing, there's also not many TV shows if any where I can confidently say I love every single character.
Curiously, my only small complaint in terms of characters is Kim in season 6, she's my fav character of all time, but i don't like it that much the plan vs Howard, maybe IMO if it was a bit exaggerated that she has become SO evil, although well the love I have for her maybe weighs and I'm seeing it with wrong perspective
@@veralynn8334 I think that was perfect, honestly I didn't enjoy watching it happen, no one did because we'd grown so attached to her over the course of the show but you're supposed to resent Jimmy and Kim for what they did to Howard because it was horrible. I wouldn't go as far as to call Kim evil but she very clearly always had some terrible parts of herself that she tried to repress, not serial killer type stuff but still some bad motives. It was hinted at and built up through the previous seasons but we only see her fully embrace it in Season 6. Her and Jimmy both had problems like that and they enabled each other to act on them which was the whole reason they broke up in towards the end.
@@veralynn8334 the character development for Kim made no sense and there were no flashbacks in the first five seasons to hint she had an upbringing of doing cons with her mother. It was clearly thought of late in the series
@@billyobfas6962 Even though there weren't many childhood flashbacks of conning, she took an active part in jimmy's scams from as early as season 2. With every season the scams built up like a crescendo until it exploded on her. The writers may have thought of the season 6 arc late in the show, but it was in no way inorganically built up. Made perfect sense to me.
One of the ingenius things about Better Call Saul is how the opening credits become more and more deteriorated as Jimmy McGill becomes Saul Goodman and later Gene Takovic. The artistry and attention to detail is really something. Really it's a testament to the power of a story with a beginning, a middle and an end.
Better Call Saul is without a doubt a brilliant television experience. Hadn't been so keen for every episode each week to release. And I love how it takes its time to build everything up. S6 Ep.9's intro montage is probably my favourite sequence in television with transitions, the song choice etc. love it. :)
The word masterpiece is so over used right now, people call masterpiece to everything right away. But this time, no other word can describe this series, and it's not an exaggeration to say that BCS ending is an end of a TV era. It''s gonna be a long time for another universe to have two series with this level of quality. Better Call Saul, just like Breaking Bad, is a masterpiece.
I see many folks saying one series is better than the other, but I can't seem them as a separate thing now. Yes BB was amazing, but BCS expanded it so much that it made both even better. Im just glad we had the chance to watch something so great live for all these years.
What I thought about the whole time while watching most of the series was something Peter Gould said early on in the show, "Once it's over, you'll look at Breaking Bad differently" and the whole time I was wondering what that could be. Perhaps Kim is behind the scenes pulling Saul's strings the whole time? Before Lalo has a part to play? Maybe something with the superlab? But I think it was satisfying to conclude that in reality, the different perspective was this: Saul was behind it all. Every single aspect? No, of course not. But he was right in saying without Saul Goodman, there was no Walter White. Saul made him, whether Walt wants to admit that or not.
The best thing Better Call Saul does (besides being a masterclass drama, arguably one of if not the best) is how it recontextualizes Breaking Bad. Also really puts into perspective how Walter White shows up and just obliterates everything.
'end of an era' .. until Vince comes up with a story for Holly White (in canon she's currently 13 its mental realising that) or he could go back and do a cop movie showing Mike's cop career, or even gus going from Chile to America. I recall they cast a younger actor for Giancarlo in the boys they can use him.
If Jeremy likes this show to this extent, it looks like I'll have to start watching Breaking Bad Edit: thanks for the suggestions y'all, now I'm more excited to start the shows :)
Do Better Call Saul first and watch up to 6x9. Then watch all of Breaking Bad, then watch El Camino, and the finish season 6 of Better Call Saul episodes 10-13
@@nunka34ify no no no, a lot of BCS does not work without watching breaking. He would not understand any of the black and white scenes that is a terrible way to watch!
A prequel, A TV SHOW that is a prequel left me excited, scared, and unsure on where will the story go. Even though I know what's going to happen to Jimmy, I still was engaged on his character hoping that somehow he'll change for the best. And knowing that he will just live his life in a bad choice road really made me sad.
Vince Gilligan can really write a series where the characters are interesting and the story is riveting. I know many didn't like "El Camino" but I thought it was a great epilogue to the "Breaking Bad" series. I admit as a stand alone movie it didn't work though.
Unfortunately the original ending for El Camino would uave been better. That's what this show got instead. Jesse was supposed to end up in prison and have internal peace with his outcome of justice. Everything after Breaking Bad s4 starts tipping downhill. like season 5 is still amazing and has great moments, but even then it starts to dip a little. Season 3 and/or 4, that's the best Breaking Bad period of all time. still better than everything else on tv. But making Jesse roam free was a cowards answer. Literally Vince's original ending was prison/happiness, but the other writers told him to change it because they thought the ending wasn't cuddly enough.
@@spiritwolf448 He wouldn't be suffering, he'd be at peace. It would be him confronting his fate and finding spiritual fulfillment in that. He would realize that Walter and Saul tried so hard to escape their fates. But to be at home and at rest with justice would be a burden Jesse was responsible enough to bare.
Jesse had find the light of his life when he meets Andrea and even bonding with Brock. Also, the fact that he saw Brock's brother selling drugs in young age and think is not cool for kids selling drugs really show that there are some redemption in his character. Even he's very sad when Walt tried to poison Brock through a flower when he thought it was from Ricin. Then, Andrea died and his life is never be the same again. Such a shame because Andrea is the nicest female character in BB along with Gretchen until she and Elliot "backstab" Walt.
thank you so much vince gilligan and the amazing team behind of better call saul February 8, 2015 -; August 15, 2022 breaking bad January 20, 2008 -; September 29, 2013 el camino breaking bad movie 2019 thank you so much
I think the age of the actors being out of order worked as well as it did because they cast Kim Wexler, a character who is ambiguously in their 30's - as Rhea Seehorn, an actor who is in her 50's. She and Odenkirk are not that far apart in age, creating a kind of consistency in the suspension of disbelief. Rhea is also a brilliant actor.
Too be fair, everyone in BCS look older than their characters age supposed to be eventhough it's a prequel to BB like Mike, Gus and even Saul himself. Even in flashback of younger Jimmy, they just give Bob Odenkirk a wig to make sure that is young Jimmy instead of finding an actor who resemble younger Bob Odenkirk or maybe deepfake his face.
*I’ve been watching the series* “Snowfall” and it amazes me how fanbases of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul understand these characters are awful - but the fan bases of Snowfall believe everything is justified (including R*pe) even tho the writers go out of their way to show that these characters are evil.
I absolutely love how that show came back full circle and Chuck even though he hated jimmy he was absolutely right. He should have never been a lawyer... Some of the greatest characters in TV history imo. From Mike to nacho, Kim and Saul killed it. Sad day it's over. Actually Just started watching it from the beginning again this week...
I think so many franchises in entertainment have made nostalgia and fan service such a crutch to lean on when their story-telling isn't fulfilling that it's painted them as a bad thing - when in reality, when executed well - can be good. Star Wars, Marvel, Jurassic World, etc. have done this so poorly that we just can't help but to roll our eyes at it now. They threw in some random call-back in the form of a long-dead character, musical score, or reused footage from earlier films without adding any real substance. And it's been done so poorly that when a piece of entertainment does it fairly well, it already carries a negative connotation. Better Call Saul, I'd argue, did fan service as well as it could have without relying on it to carry the show and telling you "See? See? We're adding this character here just cause". {{{SPOILER}}} The scenes with Kim and Jesse or Jimmy and Walt served a purpose and gave some pre-existing characters' decisions and dialogue more weight to them.
And the Kim and Jesse scene is impactful because both are the second most important characters of their respective stories. Kim’s story is just about done and is suffering the guilt and consequences of what happened, while Jesse’s story of tragedy hasn’t even begun yet. It’s a nice passing of the torch of sorts.
Some people say Jimmy redeemed himself at the end, but did he really? he admitted to the things he did, but did he actually do anything to right his wrongs?
I think at least to me he's on the path to redemption because I love Jimmy he's one of my favorite characters of all time but he did so much bad even though he has a good heart and I think by him doing this he starts his path to redemption and it's his actions going forward that will decide if he gets it or not and I think that's totally up for interpretation that's one of the beautiful things about the show
To be honest, I loved the series but the ending was a... good enough. I just loved Saul/Jimmy and Kim so much. I thought Saul gonna put the performance of a lifetime and impresses Kim so much they gonna practice law together after Saul got out of prison and be together again.
Better call Saul definitely had a slower start but at the halfway point of season 2 when Jimmy and chuck are just at each other’s throats it is so much fun to watch and then it starts getting even deeper into the cartel side with Gus and mike and then the throttle just keeps going while still giving a great story for Saul and the civilian side of things alongside the cartel stuff. Great show
SPOILER ALERT Every character did what they had to: Gene was a coward, he had to run until the very end, into a garbage dumpster, until he couldn't anymore. Saul was a winner, he had to win and game the system until the very end, getting the most generous plea deal in history. Jimmy was a good person, he had to do the right thing. And he did.
I still need to watch this (and I will) but it’s incredible that Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul both got critical acclaim. Vince Gilligan is really a master at creating TV dramas.
@@rpandya97 No he gave us a show set in the same universe as Breaking Bad. He's not as good at Vince, and told one or 2 good stories at the cost of several good stories.
So sad one of my favorite shows is over. Bob Odenkirk and the rest of the cast was phenomenal. It’s sad this may be the conclusion to the Breaking Bad Universe.
Thanks for making this review Jeremy! Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan are absolutely GOATed for deciding that they’re done with the BB universe for the foreseeable future. They clearly understand so well the notion that you should only tell stories worth telling, and this show once again proved that from the very first episode, to the last.
I originally thought this show was unnecessary and I couldn’t be more wrong by the time the finale aired. I’m happy I got to watch this in real time. It was amazing and the finale was arguably better than Breaking Bad’s because it added more depth and emotion to the characters. Absolutely astonishing series!
I’m of two minds on the finale. From a storytelling perspective, I love it. Jimmy owning up to his misdeeds, winning back Kim’s respect, and finally proving his brother wrong when he said Jimmy couldn’t change is a perfect character arc. On an emotional level, I can’t help but compare it unfavorably to the endings of Breaking Bad and especially El Camino. Those endings were just more satisfying to me. I was kind of hoping Jimmy would get away in the end. Ideally, I would have liked if he had taken the 7 years, gotten out, and then had a final smoke with Kim like in the actual ending. It would have had the same effect as the real ending but with Jimmy being able to put his personal growth to good use outside of prison. Still one of the best TV dramas ever made though.
I thought it was a very good decision to have him end up in prison. Jimmy fully accepted what he’s done and he’s prepared to spend the rest of his life there.
I wanna see the alternate ending. The one where he serves his 7 years and gets out and lives a happy life, instead of taking the heat for other ppl like he always did to make other ppl feel better.
Season 1 & 2 were one in the same they should have picked one or the other. Season 3-6 you get the breaking bad experience and I loved it! Sad it’s over. I wish it never ended
Okay hear me out crazy thought but I’d love for the creators of Better Call Saul to take over and handle Daredevil going forward. Anything other than Disney writers
I love it when a sequel or prequel can be good to watch despite whether or not if you have seen the original. It makes the experience better if you haven't seen it, but you can still love it and have a good time even if you have. That's a great balance to maintain.
Ok, now is the time for you to watch Barry, Because I don't think there has been a show outside the ABQ verse other than Barry that ever came close to telling a masterful story with morally grey characters. It is a wonderful drama and an amazing dark comedy. Give it a chance.
What are your top ten shows? 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/mad men
I love how Better Call Saul makes you think entirely different of Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad. When you think about it, he does have a point when he says that “Walter White couldn’t have done it without me.” Such an amazing show.
The moment when Jimmy gets his bar status back and reveals to Kim that he was not genuine in his hearing was heartbreaking. He had become so good at conning that he fooled his con partner. Also, I loved how much they conned together. It was hilarious and I loved the detection of risk taking and cleverness. But Kim recognized it as a bad path and left, which is the right move. But it still somehow made me sad. What an excellent show.
The Breaking Bad universe is the single greatest series in TV or film history. 11 total seasons, over 100 hours of content. All top notch, well acted, well written, tense, humor perfectly placed. And somehow managed to make a prequel just as nail biting as the original. You can go through history of all television and movies and you won't find any series that lasted this long and was that consistently great that was better than this one. Vince Gilligan is the GOAT.
Your explanation about Howard is so good, I felt the exact same way. They make you think he is an antagonist at the start, but soon you learn why he was acting so rudely and feel for him a bit more. Once Jimmy really starts going at him, you genuinely feel bad, it's an amazing dynamic to "frustrate" the audience, something I feel Breaking Bad did often, while Saul spends a lot of time investing you in the cast so that when the truly dramatic events happen you feel extremely shocked and invested. Such a great series, it starts off slow for sure, but the pacing is very deliberate, so if you adapt to that pace it's a really great binge.
There is a lot of revisionist history surrounding Breaking Bad and this series. I watched the Breaking Bad pilot when it aired and every episode that followed in real time. Same thing with this series. I couldn't convince anyone to watch these shows until they were about to end. Now, these same people seem to hold them in high regard because they didn't have to watch it week to week. They waited for a consensus of opinion. Anyway, this show sucked.
I remember constantly saying “Is this the part where Jimmy becomes Saul Goodman?” and giving up on that thought halfway through season 2 cause I knew the writers would take their time. Seeing the last 5 minutes of Fun and Games, the feeling was so fcked up. Truly devastating
Do a spoiler review.. its a genuine request. I just wanted your perspective about the final 4 eps. Its a request from your longest term fan. For me. Better Call Saul & Breaking Bad is the epitome of TV.
Ah man if I had to give a week link to anyone it's gotta be the brother McGill Chuck I didn't like him at all the whole fake emf sensitivity thing n they got that all wrong it was psychosematic or something then anything real unless they were trying to like truth drop about morgellans disease idk I didn't like that entire arc and it got so much better after his demise and exit was when the show really took off for me season 4-6 were the best almost better no but at the same exact level as breaking bad so much it's like equal I can't choose 1 over the other both are the same story is just more. But it still like they could have left out the brother drama parts and those always felt like filler and so did the ending of it got that way like in breaking bad had it's filler eps too but in this idk it felt like we had less time to tell a lot of story and many questions to answer. Now I've got some they almost left it open and with how successful the 2 have been idk how they don't make another spin off only idk what story it would tell it would need be either those who we didn't finish and we're less involved or new ppl or both maybe idk. But with them jumping through time it's interesting lol the breaking bad verse I'm here for it tho best show in a decade since well breaking bad 🤣
It still blows me the fuck away that they managed to make such a good prequel out of Breaking Bad. It's actually so good that Walter no longer feels like the main character of the very universe he started back in the day.
I liked Breaking Bad pretty much but I was never a superfan. Better Call Saul grabbed me immediately, but the middle seasons were rather unfocused, and in the end you barely have any true present day Saul Goodman before his full on fall. (I didn't like El Camino.) RIP Howard. How could the franchise go forward from here? Which already established characters could advance this "universe"? Which were underused? Bill Burr couldn't return for BCS so he should in the future, Nacho's dad could be a wise protagonist mentor, Stacey Ehrmantraut as love interest for a protagonist maybe, Lydia Rodarte-Quayle can still survive the poisoning also be a new anti-hero crime sub-boss and someone's love interest while she has a hard recovery from poisioning, Cheryl Hamlin could become an awesome minor antagonist, something can be done with Skyler White since I like the actress, and you can always bring back Jesse Pinkman & Ed Galbraith. Betsy Kettleman was hot, bring her back! Maybe a new story could set around a group of freshly corrupted young cops (totally unrelated to Mike's past) who start attempting to break into bank robberies seriously, have a hideout in Mexico, and one of them gets personally notified that he is in fact a long lost secret son of the now extremely weakened Salamancas, and they inherit a chance to try to salvage the Blue Meth operation in some way with now Hank and Gus out of the way. So picture this: a new surprise Salamanca soon to be ex-cop, another dirty cop, a usually comedic Bill Burr (who worked for Walter), Robert Williams, and Jesse Pinkman, all now fresh bank robbers who also try to reignite cooking and also attempt to be the new incarnation of the Salamancas north of the border with the blessing of seemingly weakened Cartel roots. (But not really weakened?) Stacey could be a love interest for the new main soon-to-be-ex-cop new Salamanca kept in the dark. Perhaps the Lindholm brothers and Daniel Wormald as loose associates! A real twist could be now portraying the Salamanca faction as the new good guys! Meanwhile the initial opposition is Lydia, Cheryl, Donald Margolis, Austin Ramey (& Bill Oakley), & Jack Welker's remaining Gang. With both real cops and rival dirty cops gunning for the protagonists. Eventually the show will need to come up with a new criminal empire which is not originated in neither Mexico nor Chile. Perhaps not even the Americas. How about Bulgarian mafia? Or a Bangladesh crime organization masquerading as latinos? A Canadian connection could be interesting.
On a personal level, I actually liked Better Call Saul more than Breaking Bad. I found myself more enthralled by it and invested in the characters. Absolutely agree this is the gold standard for prequels/spin offs that can stand on their own
I think the reason the 6th season fell flat for me was because the show wasn’t able to get me on the “let’s ruin Howard’s life train”. After they revealed Howard was the fall guy I just started to assume that all of the inconveniences he was placing on Jimmy and Kim were to just take the fall for off screen decisions made in the firm. His death wasn’t so much an “OMG how did this happen” as much as a “well what did you expect”. I also think that the show didn’t necessarily have to “end”, it was a prequel that just had to lead into BB. Based off Jimmy/Saul/Genes deep history of being a conman/cheat I think his “conclusion” didn’t have to be altered from BB. Him getting away with it and living a new life made sense. Still a great show nonetheless
After the midseason I just read the summary of each next episode and spoiled the series for me. My interest into the series went through the floor, it went on from there about as I expected.
Sticking the landing on a series is a rarity, and difficult enough as it is. Sticking the landing on TWO series is a major feat. Other writers and show runners should take note, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould are absolute masters.
The Breaking Bad ending is decent though I do think there was room for it to be better. Ending a series like BB and have it be satisfying is a feet in of it's self, so I don't think there's really much to criticize there, but the Better Call Saul ending is fantastic. Seeing Gould and Gilligan grow as writers as the years went on was a treat.
Bravo Vince
@@Revealingstorm. Explain how you think BB’s ending could be better? It wrapped up all loose ends and gave Walt simultaneously a comeuppance for the horrible things he did as well as a victory.
AND sticking the landing on a MOVIE is an even major feat, yes I love el Camino, whoever doesn’t doesn’t understand what the movie even is😐
@@erikstrickland96 I guess it more comes down to the nazi gang not being as a interesting threat as gus. I also think it ending with him simply just showing up and killing of them instantly with that machine gun was a bit anticlimactic after how thrilling some of the struggles walt and Jesse had with Tuco and Gus. I almost kind of wish the last season had been more just walt vs Hank and Jesse but I feel that Gilligan learned from that as the final season BCS was more Saul vs himself more than anything.
They managed to turn a mostly comic relief side player into one of the most complex TV characters of all time.
Jimmy is probably the most layered and complex character in the entire Breaking Bad universe.
the only TV characters better than Saul are Elliot alderson, bojack, Don draper and Tony soprano but he washes everyone else
I tried getting into the series - but law stuff genuinely boggles my mind - it’s even part of my course and even then I find it complicated sometimes.. so I haven’t fully dedicated myself to it.. think I might tho - given all the hype
I was watching an interview with Vince and his initial idea was to make the show a 30 min comedy with different clients as the stories. He also said he's getting back into sci-fi which is cool
@@firstlast9846 Won't try to hype it up to much, but I'll say it's not just some boring legal drama. The legal stuff does have relevance to the plot.
One thing I loved about this show is that it understood patience. It understood that to make moments more impactful, it had to wait a couple of seasons. We had to wait a couple of seasons before Jimmy started wearing colorful suits and calling himself Saul but when he did it felt earned. We had to wait until the last season to see what would happen to Kim and it felt so much more impactful since we did. The Gene Takovic story has been building up since 2015. People have been wanting to see Walt and Jesse since 2015, and they made us wait until 2022 and it was perfect. Too many shows rush into things too quickly. I’m glad this one took it’s time.
Not to mention, at first, everyone was waiting for him to become Saul. But when it did happen, several people said, "Nevermind. Please give us back Jimmy."
Audiences these days are so impatient. I have to wonder if a show with the pacing of Better Call Saul that didn’t have the pre existing fanbase of Breaking Bad could survive. It really is like 2.5 seasons of setup and the big payoffs and explosive moments really only start happening in season 3. I saw people hating on the very first episode of House of the Dragon because “not enough happened.” It’s the first episode people! I really fear for the future of serialized TV with the way audience expectations are currently.
There are shows I like to binge and others I like to grow with, so to speak. BCS was one of those that I appreciate more because of the long journey that really started in 2008. Feels strange that there may never be another season in this universe.
Well said. I would also say that the storytelling by showing and not telling added to this idea, when we watched the actions unfold: the way Mike patiently did his work, the way the actions for the cons were laid out by Kim and Jimmy or the way Lalo laid his own plans against Gustavo.
@@tranquero They let the audience soak in the scenes where there's no dialogue. I could watch Mike paint a fence and be intrigued. The focus of so much character development really worked in its favor.
The fact that the writers of this show were able to elevate Breaking Bad, one of the greatest shows of all time, to be even better in retrospect because of Better Call Saul, is a ridiculous achievement that we might not see again anytime soon.
Sons of anarchy did with Mayans mc , until fx stupidity fired Kurt sitter. So it will obviously not stick the landing like bcs/ bb now.
Yeah. That's the main thing I always loved about BCS. That it manage to enrich it's source material instead diluting it like so many other sequels/prequels do.
Red Dead Redemption 2
@@robertlawrence4719 please never ever compare those shows to BB/ BCS again💀
@@DenseEpiphany they are all great shows. They are all different and I like that .
Jeremy, I speak for everyone when I say we’d love a spoiler filled discussion about the series
Truth
Rhea Seehorn better win her goddamn Emmy for this last season. She’s deserved it for being the MVP of TV’s most oddly underrated show for the last seven years. Now who wants Cinnabon?
underrated? it's my fav show but i dont think it's underrated
@@veralynn8334 Yeah but I don’t think it got the same level of mass discussion in pop culture as BB. More like an even quieter accumulation of good will and reception over the years.
Her breaking down in the bus was her ace in the hole, great stuff. Wish her luck at the emmys
Yep
@@benwasserman8223 I think TV has just changed alot since then. The things that get popular now are VERY different
The thing that impressed me the most is how this show adds a shit load of context to breaking bad. Walt truly was a big nobody. He ruined everything. Gus had the Salamancas under control, Mike was making bank. Walt comes in and just shits all over it because he cannot stand being number two. And it's all because of Jimmy. He's the kingmaker really.
I firmly believe the most emotionally powerful episode of the entire Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul universe is the one in season 1 where we learn about Mike's backstory with his son. Better Call Saul had an incredible way of building perfectly crafted backstories for characters who were - while not minor - side characters to the main ones in Breaking Bad. That is so rare to see nowadays in a prequel series.
Jesus, what a performance
I LOVE THAT EPISODE, I'm stil mad that Jonathan Banks didn't win the emmy. While Peter Dinklage got an emmy for growing a beard.
Episodes Five-0 and Chicanery are stand outs, little movies that can be seen on their own. Amazing!
Five-o is definitely on my top 5 favourite BCS episode. The last monologue from Mike is one of the best scene in any tv show ever
I love that the writers for She-Hulk said that they had a hard time writing a MULTI EPISODE TRIAL in a show called SHE-HULK ATTORNEY AT LAW.
When like Better Call Saul is right there. And Daredevil. Like....Literally right there.
To be fair, She-Hulk is a courtroom comedy. Daredevil and Better Call Saul were partly courtroom dramas.
Now I want Saul Goodman vs Matt Murdock in a court room.
Bad idea releasing She-Hulk straight after BCS finished, highlights even more how bad it is
@@DuelaDent52 To be fair, She-Hulk's writers are incompetent
@@mjwgames9812 Easy Saul W
As a screen writing student, I would like to point out that Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are currently shows studied and analized during script writing classes for the entire vision of the shows start with the development of engaging characters, full of moral dylemas, emotional traumas and the hurt they bring unto themselves and those around them. Then the directors bring that vision to life leaving the last piece of the puzzle to the actors. What an amazing run! Thanks for the video but i think you didnt shout out the writers. That would have made your video perfect.
The writers jumped the shark in Season 6A
@@TheSundayShooter jumped high
@@TheSundayShooter really? I thought they were pretty restrained. They didn’t have Jimmy fight Lalo in a fist fight or kill off Kim or anything extreme like Breaking Bad.
@BK MMA Hello there, thank you for taking a break from making videos to answer to my comment. I apologize for not being completely clear on what I have learned from my school classes have taught me using both shows. We (as a class), have learned both screen writing techniques and editing techniques from watching both shows. The biggest thing we focus on is story-telling. Is there any confusion still?
I love how in Breaking Bad, the scene of "IT WASN'T ME, IT WAS IGNACIO!" Scene is a comedy scene and Saul mentioned Lalo's name is so random.
Meanwhile, in Better Call Saul, the scene is actually intense because we see in Saul's POV.
Jimmy / Saul is still haunted of Lalo and still has no idea that he's dead for good even for many years.
Also, the fact that Howard and Lalo are buried under Superlab and then in Breaking Bad, we see Walt and Jesse work at Superlab and then blow it up is so messed up. What if The Fly in The Fly Episode is telling Walt that there are 2 dead bodies under the lab? Or maybe it's the spirit of Lalo tried to disturb Walt while working at the lab?
How was that a comedy scene? In breaking bad that was not a comedy scene…
@@Roadruuner Probably through Saul's reaction especially he randomly speaks Broken Spanish and Jesse said: "Shut up, we speak English!"
The reason the last 4 episodes were more "nostalgic" and lent more on BB is because the last 4 episodes or so changed from being a prequel of Jimmy/Saul to a sequel of Gene. So the last few episodes had a big shift
I would also say that those episodes are "the ending" of a whole story that is Breaking Bad, El Camino and Better Call Saul. So it is the story getting really emotional towards its end.
It was a sequel to breaking bad, showing events after walter’s demise with a new open mind for sauls personal life
Excellent point. The last 4 episodes were less about plot and more about character development and morality. Instead of BB serving as just another plot element for BCS, characters like Walt & Jesse acted as a reference point for Kim & Jimmy.
Also they properly included nostalgia here better than most because it’s literally only in the last few eps of the entire series and not prior. Most projects would shoehorn in nostalgia from the getgo to draw audience into the show for that juicy viewership spike, but not here. They confidently immersed us in Jimmy’s world complete with brand new stories and characters that had little to do with BB for most of the show and they succeded at it, only later could they do whatever they wanted with more BB tie-ins. The only blatant nostalgia that was present early in the show that I can think of was Tuco but even he had actual purpose in the story
While it had its fair share of nostalgia, I think all of those moments served important purposes to the main story.
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul complement each other in a way we'll never see again. What the writers achieved with both shows cannot be put into words. Just incredible
What are the odds of both shows being awesome?
@@billyobfas6962 that's the point, and that's why we'll never see something like this ever again
I remember when this show was first announced as a Breaking Bad spin off. I was legitimately worried it would leave an ugly stain on the Breaking Bad story. Im sure I wasn't the only one that thought this. We all know how well spin off shows do 🥴. I have never been happier to be wrong. Sad its over but ecstatic they finished the Breaking Bad/El Camino/Better Call Saul story archs with a neat little bow. Now its time to binge the entire universe all over again.
I’ll miss the universe a lot, but I hope they never touch it again. It’s perfect as it is.
I gotta give mad props to Michael Mando's Nacho.
Everyone else was amazing but Nachos story got me the most invested and that ending was absolutely breathtaking.
Hard to believe that the show was so good that Nacho’s story, the b, c, or even d plot,, could have had its own show and been a damn good one.
I yelled at the screen when that gun went off. I no-shit-yelled, “NO!”
One of the great things about Howard's character is that he remains pretty static throughout the show. However, our viewpoint on him changes as we learn things about his character. We find out that he actually liked and saw potential in Jimmy, however was forced to remain as Chuck's lackey due to their history. As a result, Jimmy hates him despite his attempts to compensate for it. He's a tragically written character that emphasizes perspective, which is one of the prominent themes the show builds on.
I agree in part but I think that he does grow as a character as the show goes on. At first he accepts being Chuck's lackey although he thinks it's wrong, but then he goes on to regret that and acts with more integrity. The big change is in season 5 where he becomes more of a hippie with the "namaste" license plate and tries to make amends with Jimmy. Like he literally tries to offer Jimmy a job because he wants to correct the mistake he made when he was younger.
@@Carlos-ln8fd Also true, but I also feel that these changes were more influenced by change in environment (e.g Chuck's death) rather than an actual change in character. I can see him hiring Jimmy if Chuck wasn't around before.
One of the most gut wrenching moments to me is when Cheryl tells Kim that Howard called her "a great lawyer".
He probably should have told Kim that, but the fact that he praised her to his wife shows he really was on her side. He wasn't vindictive.
Besides Flynn, probably the purest character in the BB universe.
I just realized something... The moment he removes Chuck's hand outta his ass and be independent is the moment that also got Chuck to commit suicide bcs he insist on Chuck retiring. Which lead to the struggles that he faced such as deppression, debt, failing marriage, and the eventual death. Tragic!
The last four episodes (I believe) were done to give us finality, conclusion and a sense of redemption for a lot of these broken/complex characters. It was dark, heartbreaking and yet somehow, optimistic. What a show. PS: Rhea Seehorn more than deserves an Emmy. Holy hell what a performance.
Two of my favorite shows were Ozark and Better Call Saul. One of them severely disappointed while the other one left me emotionally satisfied.
I couldn't agree more. Ozark shit the bed in the end sadly.
Ozarks biggest problem was Wendy and dumb ass characters doing stupid shit but being portrayed as smart and cool.
I was so disappointed with Ozark. Idk how they did it
Agreed. Loved Ozark, but the ending left me so confused. Felt like a cliffhanger rather than a resolution.
@@codytrotman Writing in early Ozark Season 4 was embarrassingly bad. It did pick up by the end and I was satisfied with the very, very, very last scene. I'm glad I watched it.
The most nostalgia I felt was in the last episode with Saul asking everyone about the time machine. With Mike, it was comforting. With Walt, it made me hate Walt again. With Chuck, it was just sad as hell. Ive heard the whole Scrooge thing and thats amazing as well (with him visiting 3 ghosts)
That's a great way to put it honestly, havent looked at it that way.
May I ask why it made you "hate" Walt? Is it wrong for him to resent the people that did him wrong?
@@sideskroll no, it was his tone and manner of talking to jimmy before he even mentioned those two
Spoiler Alert:
All 3 main characters across this universe got different endings that they deserved. Walt died tying up all loose ends, Jesse got away from the lifestyle that ruined his, and Jimmy payed for what he did but redeemed himself. Everything about this universe is perfect.
Except for Kim who got out Scott-free
@@billyobfas6962 no she didn’t, Howard’s wife is suing her in civil court at the end
@@billyobfas6962 Kim had to move to Florida to escape the trauma of (inadvertantly) murdering Howard. She ended up confessing everything to Howard's wife and the judicial side of things. She was voluntarily giving herself up to the law, because she felt she deserved whatever befell her. It's also likely that Howard's wife will destroy her in civil court. I think her willingness to go by the book redeems her and shows true repentance for what she did to Howard. It's not all bad though, the spark seems to have been reignited in her and Jimmy's relationship.
Death was Walt’s most deserved outcome part of it is because of his struggle with cancer. It would get to him soon enough but his own doings led to his getting it much early
Kim confessed and will be facing the consequences, and her confession inspired Jimmy to do the right thing too. In the end, both of them made the moral choice which is so refreshing even though it's bittersweet. I absolutely love the ending and the characters.
Thanks to the excellent Kim Wexler, I will always think of Better Call Saul as essentially a love story…
The Saulshank Redemption.
And after ten years of good behavior beloved by his inmates and guards like Andy Dufresne, Jimmy was released as Covid spread unchecked in 2020 and is now enjoying Coronas on the beach with Kim in Zhihuatanejo.
I like this head canon!
Best series I’ve ever seen. People calling parts of the last episodes “fan service” is just instinct. It was done with a purpose to serve the story and explain why things are the way they are. I can’t elaborate here, but I think it works well. Plus they’ve shown incredible restraint in that regard all throughout the show.
agreed with your 1st sentence, and the last 7 episodes seemed to me all a 10/10, that said, the cameos seemed to me A LITTLE fanservice (which is logical and not bad), especially the Jesse and Kim scene, the others I liked them.
The "fan service" was fine but not allowing his character to go full circle is stupid. Selfish criminal lawyer gives up everything for his ex who broke up with him...
Lame af
@@Digger-Nick I think BCS might be a little too advanced for your peanut brain.
@@Digger-Nickevery time he wanted to change everyone dispised him even his own brother except for Kim who believed in him.
The only person that he would change for
@@Digger-Nick Fitting words to come out of a huge ass.
I rewatched seasons 1-5 again during the break in between season 6. My brother was watching the show for the first time so I watched it with him. I have to say, seasons 1 & 2 are wayyy better on the rewatch. I actually like them more than season 3, which had “Chicanery” in it. The show really takes it’s time with the law drama and I love the drama between Jimmy and Chuck.
I agree, I saw the series 4 times, with each time I liked it much more and it seemed so much better. Seasons 1 & 2 may just be my 2 favorites haha, but I think all 1-5 are at the same level, I don't like the 6th THAT much yet but I only saw it once so the comparison is not fair, maybe when I rewatch it I'll like it more
People who never watched Breaking Bad are so lucky they get to watch Better Call Saul first.
@@blue-phoenix115 no they arent, BCS is created to have seen BrBa first, if you didnt watched BrBa, BCS miss A LOT
@@veralynn8334 Well, you really aren’t in position to judge a newbie’s preference or experience.
You can speculate how it feels like how I’m speculating but you can’t definitively say it’s better for someone to start with BB.
You will never know what it’s like to watch BCS before BB. Your perspective will always be biased towards BB first.
@@blue-phoenix115 It has nothing to do with perspective. If you watch BCS first, it spoils BB.
im still thinking about the finale. so so good. i'm considering it could be the single greatest TV show of all time. the way that the first season was so comedic and how the tone of the show changed slowly as it when on just shows how terrific the writing is for the entire thing.
I had to do a 4 minute presentation on a topic of my choice to colleagues at work. I chose Better Call Saul, cited all of / most of the reasons mentioned here. It is a modern masterpiece, and the epitome of prequel storytelling done extremely well.
They managed to put so much tension into scenes involving characters that we know live into Breaking Bad. Just beautiful writing
No doubt they did a good job with characters that were still alive, but in the end they were still limited. All of the times “ya I know he’s not gonna die now” the real tension was with the characters not seen in breaking bad
Point and shoot was almost horror for having só much tension.
Every character was perfectly cast. Ed Begely Jr didn’t get a lot of love as Clifford Main, but he was perfect in that role. He was so believable as a real lawyer, you wouldn’t even notice he was an actor doing a scene.
I’ve worked with guys that talk and look exactly like him, he nailed that role.
I’d love to hear a no holds bar spoiler talk about your favorite moments in the show man. I think this show deserves it.
agreed
The brilliant level of writing to know that everyone is waiting for Jimmy McGill to become Saul Goodman, and then when it finally happens, how unrewarding and depressing it feels. The way they made the funny sleezy lawyer guy just a suit of armor for a man who doesn’t know how to process his trauma is just incredible. I love this show so much.
I remember this interview with the creators where they said that, when they started the show, they thought Saul was "a fun guy" but as they kept writing and thinking about it they realized how horrible he was.
@@Carlos-ln8fd it’s kinda genius. Cause he’s funny and pathetic and basically a sociopath in breaking bad…but like if you think about it how does somebody get to that point?
It’s incredible to me that the Breaking Bad team can create what is known as one of the best tv shows ever created and then immediately make another one that rivals it.
to be fair, better call saul wasn't immediately that good, it needed the first season to get things rolling just like breaking bad did, but in general you're right it is extremely impressive
@@randomt800kiddo2 breaking bad didn't get good till late season 2 anyway. A lot of good shows need a season of exposition
@@xxstealerxx Yeah thats just shows in general first season usually sucks cause its set up for later.
@@randomt800kiddo2 oh trust me the show didn’t grow on me until really the third season. I’m just saying it’s crazy how the team went from Breaking Bad straight into Better Call Saul. Like the only year from 2008 to 2022 without Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul content was 2014. The consistency from them is crazy.
@@ZacV47 definitely true, the shows only improved with time which is an extremely rare trend
I love this channel.
I seem to have spotted a C***!!!
Hey Brandon!!! 👋 😁
The circle is complete. A bittersweet ending, just perfect. I am going to miss the show
One of my biggest takeaways from this show was Finger himself, Mike. In BB I was just fine with the character, he’s an elderly badass and he doesn’t take shit from anyone. Here he was given so much attention and we get to see more of what makes him tick. The first few seasons did such a great job at making me sympathize with him prior to meeting Gus, from his Matty story to the way they show him care for Kaylee. Then after Gus we still get gems like Werner’s final moments with him which is in my top 10 moments of the show period. In hindsight, it makes me hate Walter even more for killing him off
would LOVE to see a spoiler video for this for those of us that have watched BCS, but I appreciate this take too! I wish more Breaking Bad fans would give BCS a chance, it seriously holds up and changes the lens you see Breaking Bad through.
Spoiler:
The switch that Chuck is the really bad one and Howard actually likes Jimmy is a great aspect off Howard character and show. Such a tragic ending for him :( he really was a good guy
He got no justice
@@billyobfas6962 didn’t even get a proper burial
No Spoiled for other people please! "tragic ending and WAS a good guy"
Might be my favourite TV show of all time, the cinematography and writing were just at another level in basically every episode. The characters especially were just amazing, there's also not many TV shows if any where I can confidently say I love every single character.
Even the twenty versions of kaylee ermentrout? Also, that assistant at Davis and main?
Curiously, my only small complaint in terms of characters is Kim in season 6, she's my fav character of all time, but i don't like it that much the plan vs Howard, maybe IMO if it was a bit exaggerated that she has become SO evil, although well the love I have for her maybe weighs and I'm seeing it with wrong perspective
@@veralynn8334 I think that was perfect, honestly I didn't enjoy watching it happen, no one did because we'd grown so attached to her over the course of the show but you're supposed to resent Jimmy and Kim for what they did to Howard because it was horrible. I wouldn't go as far as to call Kim evil but she very clearly always had some terrible parts of herself that she tried to repress, not serial killer type stuff but still some bad motives. It was hinted at and built up through the previous seasons but we only see her fully embrace it in Season 6.
Her and Jimmy both had problems like that and they enabled each other to act on them which was the whole reason they broke up in towards the end.
@@veralynn8334 the character development for Kim made no sense and there were no flashbacks in the first five seasons to hint she had an upbringing of doing cons with her mother. It was clearly thought of late in the series
@@billyobfas6962 Even though there weren't many childhood flashbacks of conning, she took an active part in jimmy's scams from as early as season 2. With every season the scams built up like a crescendo until it exploded on her. The writers may have thought of the season 6 arc late in the show, but it was in no way inorganically built up. Made perfect sense to me.
One of the ingenius things about Better Call Saul is how the opening credits become more and more deteriorated as Jimmy McGill becomes Saul Goodman and later Gene Takovic. The artistry and attention to detail is really something. Really it's a testament to the power of a story with a beginning, a middle and an end.
Better Call Saul is without a doubt a brilliant television experience. Hadn't been so keen for every episode each week to release. And I love how it takes its time to build everything up. S6 Ep.9's intro montage is probably my favourite sequence in television with transitions, the song choice etc. love it. :)
The word masterpiece is so over used right now, people call masterpiece to everything right away.
But this time, no other word can describe this series, and it's not an exaggeration to say that BCS ending is an end of a TV era. It''s gonna be a long time for another universe to have two series with this level of quality. Better Call Saul, just like Breaking Bad, is a masterpiece.
Only youtuber with 1.8mil+ subs who isn't insufferable.
Refreshing and surreal to see good content from someone with a fanbase
Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould: "Want to see us make one of the best TV shows ever?"
*A few years later*
"Want to see us do it again?"
Facts
I see many folks saying one series is better than the other, but I can't seem them as a separate thing now. Yes BB was amazing, but BCS expanded it so much that it made both even better. Im just glad we had the chance to watch something so great live for all these years.
What I thought about the whole time while watching most of the series was something Peter Gould said early on in the show, "Once it's over, you'll look at Breaking Bad differently" and the whole time I was wondering what that could be. Perhaps Kim is behind the scenes pulling Saul's strings the whole time? Before Lalo has a part to play? Maybe something with the superlab? But I think it was satisfying to conclude that in reality, the different perspective was this: Saul was behind it all. Every single aspect? No, of course not. But he was right in saying without Saul Goodman, there was no Walter White. Saul made him, whether Walt wants to admit that or not.
The best thing Better Call Saul does (besides being a masterclass drama, arguably one of if not the best) is how it recontextualizes Breaking Bad. Also really puts into perspective how Walter White shows up and just obliterates everything.
Out of respect for this AMAZING show, I'm taking the wife and kids out for Cinnabon's after dinner!
'end of an era' .. until Vince comes up with a story for Holly White (in canon she's currently 13 its mental realising that) or he could go back and do a cop movie showing Mike's cop career, or even gus going from Chile to America. I recall they cast a younger actor for Giancarlo in the boys they can use him.
If Jeremy likes this show to this extent, it looks like I'll have to start watching Breaking Bad
Edit: thanks for the suggestions y'all, now I'm more excited to start the shows :)
Do it then watch this immediately after they are both so good but go into both as blind as possible
Do the Breaking Bad, El Camino, Better Call Saul full ride. Worth every second.
Do Better Call Saul first and watch up to 6x9. Then watch all of Breaking Bad, then watch El Camino, and the finish season 6 of Better Call Saul episodes 10-13
@@nunka34ify no no no, a lot of BCS does not work without watching breaking. He would not understand any of the black and white scenes that is a terrible way to watch!
Trust me, prepare yourself for one the greatest television experiences in your life
A prequel, A TV SHOW that is a prequel left me excited, scared, and unsure on where will the story go. Even though I know what's going to happen to Jimmy, I still was engaged on his character hoping that somehow he'll change for the best. And knowing that he will just live his life in a bad choice road really made me sad.
Vince Gilligan can really write a series where the characters are interesting and the story is riveting. I know many didn't like "El Camino" but I thought it was a great epilogue to the "Breaking Bad" series. I admit as a stand alone movie it didn't work though.
Unfortunately the original ending for El Camino would uave been better. That's what this show got instead. Jesse was supposed to end up in prison and have internal peace with his outcome of justice. Everything after Breaking Bad s4 starts tipping downhill. like season 5 is still amazing and has great moments, but even then it starts to dip a little. Season 3 and/or 4, that's the best Breaking Bad period of all time. still better than everything else on tv. But making Jesse roam free was a cowards answer. Literally Vince's original ending was prison/happiness, but the other writers told him to change it because they thought the ending wasn't cuddly enough.
@@a.KniteOwl Jesse already suffered enough. He deserved to go free.
@@spiritwolf448 He wouldn't be suffering, he'd be at peace. It would be him confronting his fate and finding spiritual fulfillment in that. He would realize that Walter and Saul tried so hard to escape their fates. But to be at home and at rest with justice would be a burden Jesse was responsible enough to bare.
Jesse had find the light of his life when he meets Andrea and even bonding with Brock. Also, the fact that he saw Brock's brother selling drugs in young age and think is not cool for kids selling drugs really show that there are some redemption in his character. Even he's very sad when Walt tried to poison Brock through a flower when he thought it was from Ricin. Then, Andrea died and his life is never be the same again. Such a shame because Andrea is the nicest female character in BB along with Gretchen until she and Elliot "backstab" Walt.
@@margarethmichelina5146 Yep. So jail.
thank you so much vince gilligan and the amazing team behind of
better call saul February 8, 2015 -; August 15, 2022
breaking bad January 20, 2008 -; September 29, 2013
el camino breaking bad movie 2019
thank you so much
I think the age of the actors being out of order worked as well as it did because they cast Kim Wexler, a character who is ambiguously in their 30's - as Rhea Seehorn, an actor who is in her 50's. She and Odenkirk are not that far apart in age, creating a kind of consistency in the suspension of disbelief. Rhea is also a brilliant actor.
Too be fair, everyone in BCS look older than their characters age supposed to be eventhough it's a prequel to BB like Mike, Gus and even Saul himself. Even in flashback of younger Jimmy, they just give Bob Odenkirk a wig to make sure that is young Jimmy instead of finding an actor who resemble younger Bob Odenkirk or maybe deepfake his face.
dude, thank you for this. I gave up during season 1 and now I want to pick it up again.
*I’ve been watching the series* “Snowfall” and it amazes me how fanbases of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul understand these characters are awful - but the fan bases of Snowfall believe everything is justified (including R*pe) even tho the writers go out of their way to show that these characters are evil.
Great show! I agree with you!
I would love to see separate Mike Ermentraut series… unfortunately it will not happen)
I absolutely love how that show came back full circle and Chuck even though he hated jimmy he was absolutely right. He should have never been a lawyer... Some of the greatest characters in TV history imo. From Mike to nacho, Kim and Saul killed it. Sad day it's over. Actually Just started watching it from the beginning again this week...
Since Kim Wexler's introduction in the show, she was/is my favorite character.
I think so many franchises in entertainment have made nostalgia and fan service such a crutch to lean on when their story-telling isn't fulfilling that it's painted them as a bad thing - when in reality, when executed well - can be good. Star Wars, Marvel, Jurassic World, etc. have done this so poorly that we just can't help but to roll our eyes at it now. They threw in some random call-back in the form of a long-dead character, musical score, or reused footage from earlier films without adding any real substance. And it's been done so poorly that when a piece of entertainment does it fairly well, it already carries a negative connotation.
Better Call Saul, I'd argue, did fan service as well as it could have without relying on it to carry the show and telling you "See? See? We're adding this character here just cause".
{{{SPOILER}}}
The scenes with Kim and Jesse or Jimmy and Walt served a purpose and gave some pre-existing characters' decisions and dialogue more weight to them.
And the Kim and Jesse scene is impactful because both are the second most important characters of their respective stories. Kim’s story is just about done and is suffering the guilt and consequences of what happened, while Jesse’s story of tragedy hasn’t even begun yet. It’s a nice passing of the torch of sorts.
I'm so sad that this world has concluded. It's for the best; but I really wish I could erase my memory of it and rewatch it all again!
Some people say Jimmy redeemed himself at the end, but did he really? he admitted to the things he did, but did he actually do anything to right his wrongs?
I think at least to me he's on the path to redemption because I love Jimmy he's one of my favorite characters of all time but he did so much bad even though he has a good heart and I think by him doing this he starts his path to redemption and it's his actions going forward that will decide if he gets it or not and I think that's totally up for interpretation that's one of the beautiful things about the show
Yes. He is in jail serving time and paying back his debt to society.
@@Isaac-kl6zg no I agree all of that is true but that's part of it
@@Isaac-kl6zg I agree. I'm not saying it was a redemption story. Just from reading some ppl's comments on here, they were saying he redeemed himself
To be honest, I loved the series but the ending was a... good enough. I just loved Saul/Jimmy and Kim so much. I thought Saul gonna put the performance of a lifetime and impresses Kim so much they gonna practice law together after Saul got out of prison and be together again.
Better call Saul definitely had a slower start but at the halfway point of season 2 when Jimmy and chuck are just at each other’s throats it is so much fun to watch and then it starts getting even deeper into the cartel side with Gus and mike and then the throttle just keeps going while still giving a great story for Saul and the civilian side of things alongside the cartel stuff. Great show
SPOILER ALERT
Every character did what they had to:
Gene was a coward, he had to run until the very end, into a garbage dumpster, until he couldn't
anymore.
Saul was a winner, he had to win and game the system until the very end, getting the most
generous plea deal in history. Jimmy was a good person, he had to do the right thing. And he did.
Lalo is one of the best tv villains i’ve ever seen
He’s good but I wouldn’t go that far
That punch felt personal
I still need to watch this (and I will) but it’s incredible that Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul both got critical acclaim. Vince Gilligan is really a master at creating TV dramas.
Peter Gould actually ran this show unfortunately, Vince had less and less to do with it
@@a.KniteOwl nothing unfortunate about it since Gould gave us a show on the same level as Breaking Bad
@@rpandya97 No he gave us a show set in the same universe as Breaking Bad. He's not as good at Vince, and told one or 2 good stories at the cost of several good stories.
I love Better Call Saul, because it started in a courtroom in season 1. and ended in a Prison in season 6. The show really came full circle
Finally, the only show that comes close to breaking bad
And arguably surpasses it
It’s better than breaking bad tbh
And if someone says it is better than breaking bad I genuinely would not disagree
Naw it's better and more layered than breaking bad. No cry baby ass Walt Jr or annoying ass Marie!
It surpasses Breaking bad
So sad one of my favorite shows is over. Bob Odenkirk and the rest of the cast was phenomenal. It’s sad this may be the conclusion to the Breaking Bad Universe.
Thanks for making this review Jeremy! Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan are absolutely GOATed for deciding that they’re done with the BB universe for the foreseeable future. They clearly understand so well the notion that you should only tell stories worth telling, and this show once again proved that from the very first episode, to the last.
Beginning of the show: I want Saul! Cmon, hurry up!
Last seasons: Gimme Jimmy!
I originally thought this show was unnecessary and I couldn’t be more wrong by the time the finale aired. I’m happy I got to watch this in real time. It was amazing and the finale was arguably better than Breaking Bad’s because it added more depth and emotion to the characters. Absolutely astonishing series!
the ending was decent at best. good fan service for breaking bad. bad ending for better call saul. sorrynotsorry
I’m of two minds on the finale. From a storytelling perspective, I love it. Jimmy owning up to his misdeeds, winning back Kim’s respect, and finally proving his brother wrong when he said Jimmy couldn’t change is a perfect character arc. On an emotional level, I can’t help but compare it unfavorably to the endings of Breaking Bad and especially El Camino. Those endings were just more satisfying to me. I was kind of hoping Jimmy would get away in the end. Ideally, I would have liked if he had taken the 7 years, gotten out, and then had a final smoke with Kim like in the actual ending. It would have had the same effect as the real ending but with Jimmy being able to put his personal growth to good use outside of prison. Still one of the best TV dramas ever made though.
I thought it was a very good decision to have him end up in prison. Jimmy fully accepted what he’s done and he’s prepared to spend the rest of his life there.
@Jase Saul is a legend in prison. Possibly more enjoyable life than his life as Gene
I wanna see the alternate ending. The one where he serves his 7 years and gets out and lives a happy life, instead of taking the heat for other ppl like he always did to make other ppl feel better.
Season 1 & 2 were one in the same they should have picked one or the other. Season 3-6 you get the breaking bad experience and I loved it! Sad it’s over. I wish it never ended
Okay hear me out crazy thought but I’d love for the creators of Better Call Saul to take over and handle Daredevil going forward. Anything other than Disney writers
I love it when a sequel or prequel can be good to watch despite whether or not if you have seen the original. It makes the experience better if you haven't seen it, but you can still love it and have a good time even if you have. That's a great balance to maintain.
Ok, now is the time for you to watch Barry, Because I don't think there has been a show outside the ABQ verse other than Barry that ever came close to telling a masterful story with morally grey characters. It is a wonderful drama and an amazing dark comedy. Give it a chance.
One of the best shows ever made, and gone too soon. The ending still haunts me.
What are your top ten shows? 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/mad men
I love how Better Call Saul makes you think entirely different of Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad. When you think about it, he does have a point when he says that “Walter White couldn’t have done it without me.” Such an amazing show.
One of the best Tv shows ever. If Bob doesnt win an Emmy now, I'll riot
The moment when Jimmy gets his bar status back and reveals to Kim that he was not genuine in his hearing was heartbreaking. He had become so good at conning that he fooled his con partner.
Also, I loved how much they conned together. It was hilarious and I loved the detection of risk taking and cleverness. But Kim recognized it as a bad path and left, which is the right move. But it still somehow made me sad.
What an excellent show.
The Breaking Bad universe is the single greatest series in TV or film history. 11 total seasons, over 100 hours of content. All top notch, well acted, well written, tense, humor perfectly placed. And somehow managed to make a prequel just as nail biting as the original. You can go through history of all television and movies and you won't find any series that lasted this long and was that consistently great that was better than this one. Vince Gilligan is the GOAT.
Also Peter Gould. He wrote most episode of BCS I believe and also wrote for BB
Hope House of the dragon also ends up in the better call Saul trend 🤞
in fact, this is definitely an actual masterpiece of modern tv age, 10/10
Your explanation about Howard is so good, I felt the exact same way. They make you think he is an antagonist at the start, but soon you learn why he was acting so rudely and feel for him a bit more. Once Jimmy really starts going at him, you genuinely feel bad, it's an amazing dynamic to "frustrate" the audience, something I feel Breaking Bad did often, while Saul spends a lot of time investing you in the cast so that when the truly dramatic events happen you feel extremely shocked and invested. Such a great series, it starts off slow for sure, but the pacing is very deliberate, so if you adapt to that pace it's a really great binge.
Damn straight. Better Call Saul is the gold standard on how to tell a story, period. You don't get better than this.
Fun fact. Lalo and gus both have the same amount of screen time
There is a lot of revisionist history surrounding Breaking Bad and this series.
I watched the Breaking Bad pilot when it aired and every episode that followed in real time.
Same thing with this series.
I couldn't convince anyone to watch these shows until they were about to end.
Now, these same people seem to hold them in high regard because they didn't have to watch it week to week.
They waited for a consensus of opinion.
Anyway, this show sucked.
Instead of the audience getting hyped for Jimmy's rise to Saul Goodman, we saw the decline of Jimmy into Saul
I remember constantly saying “Is this the part where Jimmy becomes Saul Goodman?” and giving up on that thought halfway through season 2 cause I knew the writers would take their time. Seeing the last 5 minutes of Fun and Games, the feeling was so fcked up. Truly devastating
Do a spoiler review.. its a genuine request. I just wanted your perspective about the final 4 eps. Its a request from your longest term fan.
For me. Better Call Saul & Breaking Bad is the epitome of TV.
Ah man if I had to give a week link to anyone it's gotta be the brother McGill Chuck I didn't like him at all the whole fake emf sensitivity thing n they got that all wrong it was psychosematic or something then anything real unless they were trying to like truth drop about morgellans disease idk I didn't like that entire arc and it got so much better after his demise and exit was when the show really took off for me season 4-6 were the best almost better no but at the same exact level as breaking bad so much it's like equal I can't choose 1 over the other both are the same story is just more. But it still like they could have left out the brother drama parts and those always felt like filler and so did the ending of it got that way like in breaking bad had it's filler eps too but in this idk it felt like we had less time to tell a lot of story and many questions to answer. Now I've got some they almost left it open and with how successful the 2 have been idk how they don't make another spin off only idk what story it would tell it would need be either those who we didn't finish and we're less involved or new ppl or both maybe idk. But with them jumping through time it's interesting lol the breaking bad verse I'm here for it tho best show in a decade since well breaking bad 🤣
It still blows me the fuck away that they managed to make such a good prequel out of Breaking Bad. It's actually so good that Walter no longer feels like the main character of the very universe he started back in the day.
I honestly expected Book of Boba would have Boba Fett acting like Mike. A retired ex-bounty hunter doing work for a spice king pin.
I liked Breaking Bad pretty much but I was never a superfan. Better Call Saul grabbed me immediately, but the middle seasons were rather unfocused, and in the end you barely have any true present day Saul Goodman before his full on fall. (I didn't like El Camino.)
RIP Howard.
How could the franchise go forward from here? Which already established characters could advance this "universe"? Which were underused?
Bill Burr couldn't return for BCS so he should in the future, Nacho's dad could be a wise protagonist mentor, Stacey Ehrmantraut as love interest for a protagonist maybe, Lydia Rodarte-Quayle can still survive the poisoning also be a new anti-hero crime sub-boss and someone's love interest while she has a hard recovery from poisioning, Cheryl Hamlin could become an awesome minor antagonist, something can be done with Skyler White since I like the actress, and you can always bring back Jesse Pinkman & Ed Galbraith. Betsy Kettleman was hot, bring her back!
Maybe a new story could set around a group of freshly corrupted young cops (totally unrelated to Mike's past) who start attempting to break into bank robberies seriously, have a hideout in Mexico, and one of them gets personally notified that he is in fact a long lost secret son of the now extremely weakened Salamancas, and they inherit a chance to try to salvage the Blue Meth operation in some way with now Hank and Gus out of the way.
So picture this: a new surprise Salamanca soon to be ex-cop, another dirty cop, a usually comedic Bill Burr (who worked for Walter), Robert Williams, and Jesse Pinkman, all now fresh bank robbers who also try to reignite cooking and also attempt to be the new incarnation of the Salamancas north of the border with the blessing of seemingly weakened Cartel roots. (But not really weakened?)
Stacey could be a love interest for the new main soon-to-be-ex-cop new Salamanca kept in the dark. Perhaps the Lindholm brothers and Daniel Wormald as loose associates!
A real twist could be now portraying the Salamanca faction as the new good guys!
Meanwhile the initial opposition is Lydia, Cheryl, Donald Margolis, Austin Ramey (& Bill Oakley), & Jack Welker's remaining Gang.
With both real cops and rival dirty cops gunning for the protagonists.
Eventually the show will need to come up with a new criminal empire which is not originated in neither Mexico nor Chile. Perhaps not even the Americas.
How about Bulgarian mafia? Or a Bangladesh crime organization masquerading as latinos? A Canadian connection could be interesting.
On a personal level, I actually liked Better Call Saul more than Breaking Bad. I found myself more enthralled by it and invested in the characters. Absolutely agree this is the gold standard for prequels/spin offs that can stand on their own
I think the reason the 6th season fell flat for me was because the show wasn’t able to get me on the “let’s ruin Howard’s life train”. After they revealed Howard was the fall guy I just started to assume that all of the inconveniences he was placing on Jimmy and Kim were to just take the fall for off screen decisions made in the firm. His death wasn’t so much an “OMG how did this happen” as much as a “well what did you expect”.
I also think that the show didn’t necessarily have to “end”, it was a prequel that just had to lead into BB. Based off Jimmy/Saul/Genes deep history of being a conman/cheat I think his “conclusion” didn’t have to be altered from BB. Him getting away with it and living a new life made sense.
Still a great show nonetheless
I think Jimmy getting 86 years is a bit extreme. Would've been happier if he still went to prison but not for the rest of his life.
After the midseason I just read the summary of each next episode and spoiled the series for me. My interest into the series went through the floor, it went on from there about as I expected.
Jeremy Jahns looks like a guy I could talk about movies and entertainment with for two days straight.