Better Call Saul

[Husky25]

I've got this season on DVR. I'll get to it at some point. Probably after the holidays, but maybe earlier.

Anyway, I just got an e-mail advertising that Lavell Crawford (Huell) is coming to Foxwoods. What took me by surprise though is the publicity shot looked nothing like Huell or when I've seen him in the past on Comedy Central and such. He lost 120 lbs. which is remarkable in light of what happened to Ralphie May and John Pinnette, two other really large and really funny late stand-up comics.

Good for him. I hope he takes real good care of himself, even if it means Huell will not be making an appearance on BCS...though he does look younger and may suit the prequel.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Bump
New season is great so far. Saul is full saul and Mike v Gus vs Saltomoncas is turned up to 11 (in the parlance of the dearly departed Chuck McGill).
Rhea Seahorn is phenomenal in this show. Nacho (Michael Mann I think) is also outstanding.

 

[Dove]

Bump
New season is great so far. Saul is full saul and Mike v Gus vs Saltomoncas is turned up to 11 (in the parlance of the dearly departed Chuck McGill).
Rhea Seahorn is phenomenal in this show. Nacho (Michael Mann I think) is also outstanding.

Michael Mando is Nacho.

Two episodes in and Saul Goodman is in full effect wheeling and dealing churning out the clients. FAst talking and scheming. Still has Kim wrapped, it seems.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Michael Mando is Nacho.

Two episodes in and Saul Goodman is in full effect wheeling and dealing churning out the clients. FAst talking and scheming. Still has Kim wrapped, it seems.

Yep, my bad. The guy playing Lalo is excellent as well. I'm completely terrified of him.
Love the way the show has previous plot tidbits coming back (Werner told Lalo 'the south wall isn't finished' = Lalo knows Gus is hiding something) that factor into plot without dumbing it down for the audience with a flashback. You are expected and need to watch closely to appreciate everything.

 

[storrsroars]

Ants. What a great opening.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Ants. What a great opening.

I wonder how many attempts it took to get the first ant to climb to the top of the cone? I'm sure you can find out on the insider podcast, but I can't listen to it b/c its such a circle jerk.

 

[UConn Dan]

This season has been absolutely fantastic!! Can't get enough!

Werner told Lalo 'the south wall isn't finished'

I guess I missed it when Werner interacted with Lalo. How did that happen? When?

 

[Dogdeacon]

This season has been absolutely fantastic!! Can't get enough!
I guess I missed it when Werner interacted with Lalo. How did that happen? When?

That was last season in think in the finale. While Lalo was following Mike, Lalo figured out something was going on and briefly spoke with Werner over the phone. Werner was at the resort and Lalo tricked him into thinking he was talking to one of Gus's/Mike's henchmen. Eventually Mike interupted the call, but not before Lalo got some info from Werner about the construction project.

 

[UConn Dan]

That was last season in think in the finale. While Lalo was following Mike, Lalo figured out something was going on and briefly spoke with Werner over the phone. Werner was at the resort and Lalo tricked him into thinking he was talking to one of Gus's/Mike's henchmen. Eventually Mike interupted the call, but not before Lalo got some info from Werner about the construction project.

Right right right. Thanks. I had totally forgotten about that. Makes sense now.

 

[M.S.G.]

Very satisfying to see Lalo get Mike'd.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Very satisfying to see Lalo get Mike'd.

I was enjoying Lalo when we didn't have to see the consequences of his behavior. Now that they've put the nefarious/evil turn of Saul into accepting Lalo it is skidding out of control. Headed to inevitable effecting Kim and that is going to be a really hard watch.

 

[storrsroars]

I have an issue with Monday's episode

Spoiler

wouldn't the mere fact that someone like Lalo paid a $7 million bail bond in cash essentially be viewed by the court as an admission of guilt, if not directly, at least by association? Who else comes up with that kind of cash other than a criminal?

 

[Dove]

I have an issue with Monday's episode

Spoiler

wouldn't the mere fact that someone like Lalo paid a $7 million bail bond in cash essentially be viewed by the court as an admission of guilt, if not directly, at least by association? Who else comes up with that kind of cash other than a criminal?

Maybe once out he gone!!!

 

[Mots010]

Last nights episode was fantastic. Maybe one of the best in the series.

 

[M.S.G.]

Fantastic is not even the word, phenomenal is a better one, This has not caught, nor passed Breaking Bad, but it is daaaaaaaaaaaaamn close at this point.

 

[storrsroars]

Attention to detail is everything.

Spoiler

Correct me if I'm wrong, as I can't find screen grabs, but the pee in last night's episode was noticeably darker than last week, which is exactly how it should be.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Attention to detail is everything.

Spoiler

Correct me if I'm wrong, as I can't find screen grabs, but the pee in last night's episode was noticeably darker than last week, which is exactly how it should be.

Last two and maybe more episodes the show has the BB feel (it has always had the attention to detail and cinematography), drama and most importantly STAKES. I don't think this series is comparable because BB was the first and a high wire act from start to finish, BUT right now these episodes are as good as BB episodes. I hope they can sustain this for the final season.

I suspect they can. Up until the last few episodes I wanted the final season to be mostly about Gene's exile and denouement. Now I want to stay in the present as long as possible.

Rhea Seahorn flat out killed it in that last episode. She's been getting some recognition prior to this, now should multiply. At first I watched that scene and couldn't believe Kim did that, then 10 minutes later I was thinking about the great acting by Rhea that made me believe in Kim doing something that was that hard and ballsy.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Last two and maybe more episodes the show has the BB feel (it has always had the attention to detail and cinematography), drama and most importantly STAKES. I don't think this series is comparable because BB was the first and a high wire act from start to finish, BUT right now these episodes are as good as BB episodes. I hope they can sustain this for the final season.

I suspect they can. Up until the last few episodes I wanted the final season to be mostly about Gene's exile and denouement. Now I want to stay in the present as long as possible.

Rhea Seahorn flat out killed it in that last episode. She's been getting some recognition prior to this, now should multiply. At first I watched that scene and couldn't believe Kim did that, then 10 minutes later I was thinking about the great acting by Rhea that made me believe in Kim doing something that was that hard and ballsy.

They set it up with her confronting the CEO of Mesa Verde when on the verge of getting fired. Perfect foreshadowing, with a humorous parallel in psyche between bankers and drug dealers.

 

[Husky25]

Just caught up. Watched season 4 on Netflix and season 5 off DVR. My only gripe (and it's tiny, considering what Jonathan Banks brings to the table) is with Mike Ehrmantraut. Of course he plays is a central character, but Banks is 12 year older in real life (but looks about 20 years older) than Mike was in the "ABQ" episode of Breaking Bad, let alone the five or six years prior in Better Call Saul.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Just caught up. Watched season 4 on Netflix and season 5 off DVR. My only gripe (and it's tiny, considering what Jonathan Banks brings to the table) is with Mike Ehrmantraut. Of course he plays is a central character, but Banks is 12 year older in real life (but looks about 20 years older) than Mike was in the "ABQ" episode of Breaking Bad, let alone the five or six years prior in Better Call Saul. It's not just that.

I can't help myself, I look at Odenkirk's hairline and wrinkles once an episode, but it is pointless. Duh the actors are much older, this was filmed recently vs BB - I'd much rather accept that versus some CGI irishman bullcrap with 80 year old actors techno-colored hair & horribly faked flight scenes.

More I think about it Lalo has to stay on the show next season, I want him gone emotionally, but he's been a GREAT villain and I now want to see him try to fix the Salamancha subcartel while battling Gus & Juan Bolsa.

 

[Husky25]

I can't help myself, I look at Odenkirk's hairline and wrinkles once an episode, but it is pointless. Duh the actors are much older, this was filmed recently vs BB - I'd much rather accept that versus some CGI irishman bullcrap with 80 year old actors techno-colored hair & horribly faked flight scenes.

More I think about it Lalo has to stay on the show next season, I want him gone emotionally, but he's been a GREAT villain and I now want to see him try to fix the Salamancha subcartel while battling Gus & Juan Bolsa.

Bob Odenkirk's hairline is much further back IRL than Saul's. So that is a wig to begin with. They do well with smoothing out his face as well.

 

[navery12]

And now a 2 year wait

 

[M.S.G.]

Finale was underwhelming, but that's generally how these series go in this day and age, the penultimate episode has all the fireworks and then the finale moves the pieces for next season. There were some minor fireworks but I was left wanting more. Was hoping for one more flash-forward scene!

 

[Dogdeacon]

Finale was underwhelming, but that's generally how these series go in this day and age, the penultimate episode has all the fireworks and then the finale moves the pieces for next season. There were some minor fireworks but I was left wanting more. Was hoping for one more flash-forward scene!

Yeah mostly agree. They set up next season with both main story lines, although they are definitely stories I want to watch. As I said earlier, wanted Lalo dead - but just too entertaining and too charismatic to kill off. My one criticism is I would have had Lalo get & kill Nacho. Lalo will catch him eventually - so why not do it right away and have Lalo get the intel that Nacho was manipulated by Gus so that we get that no holds-barred confrontation aka war between Gus & Lalo from the jump next season?

Reflecting on the season and reading some recaps, the anti-hero turn from Kim is a real thing. Super interesting ways to go with that in final season. Saul mostly gets over on rubes, Kim as she showed vs Richard, then Kevin now Lalo is capable of pulling off much larger schemes and bluffs. And she likes it. So interesting, we've all been rooting for Kim as the one with morals and values. Now she is well down the path of the ends justify the means and doing that with a female antihero, especially one that we saw as virtuous for so long is absolutely fascinating. I suspect on re-watch of this season it'll be obvious Kim is turning. And I think the best final season features Kim, unleashed.

 

[SubbaBub]

Spoiler: Nacho spoiler alert

The actor who plays Nacho is actually French Canadian. What? You were looking for something else