S05.E07: JMM

[Clanstarling]

16 minutes ago, PeterPirate said:

El Camino was pretty slow.  I think it was like The Fly on BB.  Not much action or plot development, relatively speaking, but a number of viewers speak highly of it long afterwards.  

I wonder if we will ever have an episode like that on BCS.  Part of the tragic aspect of this show is that both Jimmy and Kim consistently fail to take stock about what they are doing.    

Hah! The Fly episode is exactly what we compared it to. Wasn't our favorite episode on BB - so we're consistent at least.

I agree, this is part of the tragedy of Jimmy and Kim. Funny, on BCS, I find even slow episodes fascinating. I guess I'm more engaged with Jimmy than I ever was with Walt - who I didn't like from the get-go, but found his path interesting. Jimmy had me from the beginning, which amazed me since I didn't think much of the Saul character. And so I know what's coming won't be as fun to watch - but just as interesting.

 

[Milburn Stone]

9 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

Funny, on BCS, I find even slow episodes fascinating. I guess I'm more engaged with Jimmy than I ever was with Walt - who I didn't like from the get-go, but found his path interesting. Jimmy had me from the beginning, which amazed me since I didn't think much of the Saul character. And so I know what's coming won't be as fun to watch - but just as interesting.

 

I wonder if part of it is that in BCS, we know from the get-go that his life is ruined (apologies in advance to managers of Cinnabons in Nebraska). That created a certain sympathy for him no matter how much bad shit he'd done.

[Clanstarling]

1 minute ago, Milburn Stone said:

I wonder if part of it is that in BCS, we know from the get-go that his life is ruined (apologies in advance to managers of Cinnabons in Nebraska). That created a certain sympathy for him no matter how much bad shit he'd done.

You might have a point. Though I'd add that despite the opening slip and slide incident, we also saw that Jimmy was a pretty warm and caring individual with bad impulse control (whereas Walt was never warm or particularly likeable, imo). So maybe a combination of finding out I liked Jimmy and rooted for him even knowing what he'd end up being, makes it more interesting and nail biting for me.

[ByTor]

On 4/1/2020 at 7:57 AM, Ellaria Sand said:

I don't care about seeing Peter and Lydia again.

Same, Peter was too minor of a character, and I cannot stand Lydia, mostly because I can't stand the actress' line delivery with her lispy, staccato speech pattern.

On 4/1/2020 at 7:57 AM, Ellaria Sand said:

I don't think that I am learning anything new about Gus this season or, at the least, anything that expands his character.

Here's what I want to learn about Gus.  I had BB on in the background yesterday while I was working from home, and  (don't recall the episode name) there was a scene with Walt over Gus' house for dinner.  Gus made some kind of Chilean stew, and he said "The kids won't eat it."  I'm curious if they'll ever explore those "kids" he mentioned.

On 4/1/2020 at 7:57 AM, Ellaria Sand said:

My sympathy for him probably ended with this episode.

I was done with him when he made Irene cry.

On 4/2/2020 at 5:37 PM, Clanstarling said:

On 3/31/2020 at 1:44 PM, Skyfall said:

"In the Breaking Bad episode "Green Light", Saul states to Walt that he has been divorced twice, mentioning that his second wife cheated on him with his stepfather. 

That leaves widowed or still married (or separated)

Unless the 1st wife is deceased.

[Clanstarling]

8 minutes ago, ByTor said:

On 4/2/2020 at 2:37 PM, Clanstarling said:

On 3/31/2020 at 10:44 AM, Skyfall said:

"In the Breaking Bad episode "Green Light", Saul states to Walt that he has been divorced twice, mentioning that his second wife cheated on him with his stepfather. 

That leaves widowed or still married (or separated)

Unless the 1st wife is deceased.

True, but we've seen nothing that gives any indication that Saul was a widower on BCS. Seems like that would have been an essential fact in his behavior and how people respond to him. Chuck, as much as I didn't like him, would have at some point shown some sympathy in that case.

[ByTor]

1 minute ago, Clanstarling said:

True, but we've seen nothing that gives any indication that Saul was a widower on BCS.

Yes, but prior to the wedding, BCS didn't give any indication that Saul had ever even been married.

[Clanstarling]

7 minutes ago, ByTor said:

Yes, but prior to the wedding, BCS didn't give any indication that Saul had ever even been married.

As I recall, they did during the Chicago Sunroof story when Chuck bailed Jimmy out of jail. The guy had messed around with Saul's ex wife?

[ByTor]

Just now, Clanstarling said:

As I recall, they did during the Chicago Sunroof story when Chuck bailed Jimmy out of jail. The guy had messed around with Saul's ex wife?

Wow, if it was the 2nd wife she really got around!!! 😂

[JudyObscure]

1 hour ago, ByTor said:

Here's what I want to learn about Gus.  I had BB on in the background yesterday while I was working from home, and  (don't recall the episode name) there was a scene with Walt over Gus' house for dinner.  Gus made some kind of Chilean stew, and he said "The kids won't eat it."  I'm curious if they'll ever explore those "kids" he mentioned.

Me too!  I loved what we saw of his house and I imagined there was a wife to go with the kids.  I want to see her!  I want a tour of an exquisitely tidy and tasteful house with a woman to match!

[ByTor]

3 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

Me too!  I loved what we saw of his house and I imagined there was a wife to go with the kids.  I want to see her!  I want a tour of an exquisitely tidy and tasteful house with a woman to match!

I assumed he had a wife, I never had a vibe that he & Max were anything more than friends.  I assumed Hector referring to them with a gay slur was just him being his asshole self.

[Clanstarling]

38 minutes ago, ByTor said:

I assumed he had a wife, I never had a vibe that he & Max were anything more than friends.  I assumed Hector referring to them with a gay slur was just him being his asshole self.

At the time I assumed he had a wife - but it seemed clear (to me anyway) that later episodes were pretty clear that he was gay. Which doesn't mean you can't have children.

[ByTor]

1 minute ago, Clanstarling said:

At the time I assumed he had a wife - but it seemed clear (to me anyway) that later episodes were pretty clear that he was gay. Which doesn't mean you can't have children.

It's what pretty much everybody else thinks as well.  I even got the feeling from the scene that they could have been actual brothers...I guess I don't see nuances.

[Ohwell]

Gus is so creepy I just can't imagine him being with a woman.  I know I wouldn't get in his car, lol.  

[Dev F]

1 hour ago, ByTor said:

Wow, if it was the 2nd wife she really got around!!! 😂

Another possibility is that Jimmy married and divorced the same woman twice, so he had two marriages before Kim but only one other wife. But that would mean that the writers are constructing an elaborate bluff, by which they reassure us that Kim is not Jimmy's previously mentioned second wife so it'll be a surprise when they later reveal that she is, and the writers haven't really been known for those kinds of meta-shenanigans.

[chick binewski]

On 4/1/2020 at 8:18 AM, Bryce Lynch said:

So, what was with the depiction of Herr Schuler, in this episode?

Was it just me, or did he come across as possibly gay and sort of doddering fool, being manipulated by Gus and Lydia?

We saw very little of him in BB, but I presumed he was a strong businessman and more of an equal partner with Gus in the drug operation.

 

On 4/1/2020 at 11:46 AM, Dev F said:

I mean, when we met him in Breaking Bad he was a catatonic basket case who killed himself rather than fight back when his crimes were uncovered, so to me his behavior here didn't seem inconsistent.

A good point that our only other encounter with Schuler was his suicide. But there was a strange dynamic during the hotel room meeting; I didn't know if I was in for an intervention or a threesome. In any case I do hope we see a bit more of Madrigal going forward.

On a partially selfish note I've been thinking about S6. Filming was supposed to start last month and I'm assuming everything's been cancelled indefinitely - I just can't wait to see how they wrap it all up.

[PeterPirate]

On 4/1/2020 at 1:06 PM, Milburn Stone said:

I would be surprised if there are any more "benefits." When sex was interrupted, and Jimmy confessed who he was working for these days, and Kim said, "I'm really glad you told me," I read a lot of fear that was at odds with how "glad" she was. The kind of fear that is a powerful antidote to feeling frisky.

In the opinion of the not-so-popular reviewer, Kim is tricking herself into thinking she is happy with Jimmy's honesty.  So the friskiness may continue a while.

Mr. Reviewer also believes Kim will continue to be "wishy-washy" and this will lead to their final break.  He breaks out even more particularly negative language about Kim, by the way.  

Frankly, I don't want to see Kim turn away from the dark side.  I remember reading a review that said Lady Macbeth was Shakespeare's worst character, because she didn't have the fortitude to live with what she had done.  I see no reason why Kim can't continue to become more like Lydia, and even outdo Lady Macbeth by never having her "out, damned spot" ending.  We never see Saul's personal life.  Maybe he goes home and becomes Jimmy again.  That characterization of Jimmy and Kim might bother some people, but I prefer it.  Real people make all sorts of Faustian bargains for themselves.  

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by PeterPirate

[Milburn Stone]

4 minutes ago, PeterPirate said:

We never see Saul's personal life.  Maybe he goes home and becomes Jimmy again.  That characterization of Jimmy and Kim might bother some people, but I prefer it.  Real people make all sorts of Faustian bargains for themselves.

I appreciate your point, but don't we get to see a pretty fair amount of Saul's personal life?

[PeterPirate]

4 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

I appreciate your point, but don't we get to see a pretty fair amount of Saul's personal life?

We never see where Saul lives, as far as I can remember.  So I see no reason from a story perspective why "Saul" can't continue to be Jimmy's professional persona even during the BB years. 

[ShadowFacts]

20 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

You might have a point. Though I'd add that despite the opening slip and slide incident, we also saw that Jimmy was a pretty warm and caring individual with bad impulse control (whereas Walt was never warm or particularly likeable, imo). So maybe a combination of finding out I liked Jimmy and rooted for him even knowing what he'd end up being, makes it more interesting and nail biting for me.

I never liked Walt either whereas Jimmy was quite likeable to begin with.  I'm pretty much through with him now, yet . . . in this episode in the courtroom scene when he was looking at the victim's family, then the double/half reflection in the hallway, I felt he has some humanity left.  I almost thought he could be going somewhat in the direction of Chuck mentally speaking.  We did see him fall out as a result of anxiety in the mall in Omaha.  However I am very tired of his devilishly stupid antics, not amusing anymore.

 

1 hour ago, ByTor said:

It's what pretty much everybody else thinks as well.  I even got the feeling from the scene that they could have been actual brothers...I guess I don't see nuances.

I think it's very much open to any interpretation -- they were very close, and Gus made it his life mission to avenge him, so whatever their relationship was it was a deep one. 

[ByTor]

5 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

I am very tired of his devilishly stupid antics, not amusing anymore.

[TVFan17]

22 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Hah! The Fly episode is exactly what we compared it to. Wasn't our favorite episode on BB - so we're consistent at least.

I agree, this is part of the tragedy of Jimmy and Kim. Funny, on BCS, I find even slow episodes fascinating. I guess I'm more engaged with Jimmy than I ever was with Walt - who I didn't like from the get-go, but found his path interesting. Jimmy had me from the beginning, which amazed me since I didn't think much of the Saul character. And so I know what's coming won't be as fun to watch - but just as interesting.

 

I am the opposite.  I find the slower scenes and episodes (and what we each view as slow is probably subjective too) of Better Call Saul to be tedious.  I was 100% all-in, on the edge of my seat, for Breaking Bad.  It's not that Walt was necessarily warm and lovely, or likable in the traditional sense, but I found him to be extremely fascinating and occasionally charming in a weird way.  I loved his snarky sense of humor and his intelligence.   I liked the way he was with his son.  I loved the dynamic and banter between Walt and Jesse.   Bryan Cranston was riveting as Walter White.  I can see why he and Aaron Paul won so many Emmy awards (and whatever other awards) between them.  They were absolutely stellar performers, while playing characters who were not especially tolerable all the time.

I still enjoy Better Call Saul and I am watching it every week.  I think all the actors are great, and should certainly get some kind of recognition before the series ends, but I still don't love the show as much as I loved Breaking Bad.  That probably won't happen, and it doesn't need to.  BCS doesn't have to be something I like as much as or more than BB.  It can just be a good show and that's it.  I will, of course, see BCS through to the end (whenever Season 6 is able to premiere could be a long way off).  And I enjoy seeing all of the various BB characters on BCS -- even the lesser-known ones such as Detective Tim or Peter from Madrigal.  I'm still expecting an eventual Skinny Pete and Badger appearance, even if Jesse never shows up with them on BCS, but maybe they won't pop up until Season 6 (I would not be shocked if they filmed a BCS scene when they were working on El Camino, much like Robert Forster did).

When I think of a show such as Breaking Bad, there are certain episodes that stand out, even all these years later, because they were so memorable or because certain scenes in them were so chilling.  For example, the "Ozymandias" episode of Breaking Bad is arguably not only one of the best episodes -- if not the best episode -- of that entire series, but possibly one of the best all-time episodes of any TV drama, ever.  It was mesmerizing to watch as it unfolded.  The acting was next-level kinds of great.  There was emotion, drama, suspense, danger, harrowing situations, etc.

As good a show as Better Call Saul is, I cannot think of one single episode that will stick out in my mind for years to come in the same way that some of the Breaking Bad episodes have.  I don't think Better Call Saul has had its own "Ozymandias" yet -- and it's quite possible it might not.

Edited April 4, 2020 by TVFan17

[BradandJanet]

On 4/4/2020 at 11:33 AM, Ohwell said:

Gus is so creepy I just can't imagine him being with a woman.  I know I wouldn't get in his car, lol.  

I have a feeling if Gus has a reason for you to be in his car, you will not have a choice. 

[PeterPirate]

44 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

I have a feeling if Gus has a reason for you to be in his car, you will not have a choice. 

I wonder if, after Lalo jumps bail and flees to Mexico, Gus will acquire Lalo's "family" the way he got Nacho to work for him.    

[Quilt Fairy]

Just a quick apology to anyone I confused by saying that this season was only 8 episodes.  It's apparently 10.  I don't know where I read it, presumably in a discussion with Gilligan about how they were breaking up seasons 5 and 6, episode-wise.  It's also possible I conflagrated it with news that this season of Westworld was only going to be 8 episodes instead of 10. 

Regarding Kim and her story arc (past, present and future), I think it has been majorly affected by how BCS has changed since its inception.  While I think Gilligan had a general idea of where the series was going, even he did not expect that people would actually like Jimmy McGill, and want to know more of his story.  Jimmy was supposed to become Saul during the course of Season 1, IIRC, not take 4 seasons to get there.  Gilligan also didn't anticipate how fantastic Rhea Seehorn would be as Kim Wexler or how popular Kim would become.  I think Kim was supposed to be gone by the end of season 1.  But she became critical to the overall story arc, and viewers wanted her to stay.  It's only this season that we're saying "Oh, Kim, I don't like her, she has this dark side, her story won't end up well."  

Gilligan has always said that he lets his writers take the story where it logically goes, but I think he's been doing a lot of tap-dancing and ret-conning when it comes to BCS.  The tie-in to BB is pretty complete now. Jimmy has become Saul.  He's become involved with Lalo.  Jimmy knows Mike, and Mike works for Gus.  We don't need a cameo by Walt or Jesse to complete the picture.  But Kim?  Kim's a wild card.  And I still like her enough that I hope her story doesn't end on the down hill slope it's taken this season. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

It seems to me that Kim represents us.  Generally, folks are decent.  Many have good ambition and discover talents within through hard work, and yes, fate (breaks).  But, the genius of G/G is to get us to confront who we really are - capable of all things human, good and bad.  In my experience, most all of us think we can be a "little bit pregnant" when it comes to handling evil presented, and even welcomed.  This is Kim.

She knows that Jimmie has a healthy streak of genuine righteousness within him.  He also knows and shows great courage.  He's not a little savvy.  He is fascinating.  Then comes Saul.  What's a girl to do?  If she tries to draw out the good Jimmie, does she get special dispensation?  Can she do such without being wholly co-opted (her struggle from Day One in BCS)?  Can we? 

Have we? 

I say, "Yes."  Man is a brilliant at rationalization.  Unfortunately for all the Kims (us), evil is the past master.  It wins.  Left to our own devices, however substantial and strong (like Kim), we lose.

Every character of note in BCS has faced this same fundamental choice:  Try to be a little in, all in, or not in at all when it comes to encountering evil.  Even the wonderful Lyle recognizes something is very wrong about Gus.  What price is he gonna pay for sticking by him?  How difficult for us to watch.  

So...do we break bad, or are we born bad and must learn to break good?  For all Kim's (and JMMs)  awesomeness, can she use evil to beat evil?  Or, does she (we) have no shot at all unless risking severe prices by rejecting the Siren false promise of fulfillment?  Manuel Varga is trying to teach us.  Listening is hard. 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

It seems to me that Kim represents us.  Generally, folks are decent.  Many have good ambition and discover talents within through hard work, and yes, fate (breaks).  But, the genius of G/G is to get us to confront who we really are - capable of all things human, good and bad.  In my experience, most all of us think we can be a "little bit pregnant" when it comes to handling evil presented, and even welcomed.  This is Kim.

She knows that Jimmie has a healthy streak of genuine righteousness within him.  He also knows and shows great courage.  He's not a little savvy.  He is fascinating.  Then comes Saul.  What's a girl to do?  If she tries to draw out the good Jimmie, does she get special dispensation?  Can she do such without being wholly co-opted (her struggle from Day One in BCS)?  Can we? 

Have we? 

I say, "Yes."  Man is a brilliant at rationalization.  Unfortunately for all the Kims (us), evil is the past master.  It wins.  Left to our own devices, however substantial and strong (like Kim), we lose.

Every character of note in BCS has faced this same fundamental choice:  Try to be a little in, all in, or not in at all when it comes to encountering evil.  Even the wonderful Lyle recognizes something is very wrong about Gus.  What price is he gonna pay for sticking by him?  How difficult for us to watch.  

So...do we break bad, or are we born bad and must learn to break good?  For all Kim's (and JMMs)  awesomeness, can she use evil to beat evil?  Or, does she (we) have no shot at all unless risking severe prices by rejecting the Siren false promise of fulfillment?  Manuel Varga is trying to teach us.  Listening is hard. 

Love this. Very thoughtful and on point.

[Ohwell]

I have to take issue with the "Kim represents us" explanation.  In my younger days I dated a few "bad boys" (no where near as bad as Jimmy/Saul though) but, thankfully, I had sense enough to know when to get the hell out of those relationships.  And Kim is older than I was. 

So no, Kim doesn't represent all of us.

[Clanstarling]

24 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I have to take issue with the "Kim represents us" explanation.  In my younger days I dated a few "bad boys" (no where near as bad as Jimmy/Saul though) but, thankfully, I had sense enough to know when to get the hell out of those relationships.  And Kim is older than I was. 

So no, Kim doesn't represent all of us.

My take on the explanation is not that we would all take Kim's path - but like Kim, we mostly basically decent, but are presented with small choices that lead to big, unintended, consequences.

Using your example, my choice was that I didn't date "bad boys" at all. I made plenty of other bad decisions, as one does, but not that particular one. And yet, I still think the idea that Kim represents us, the way any flawed character represents the contradictory nature of humanity, is spot on.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Clanstarling

[Adiba]

2 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

My take on the explanation is not that we would all take Kim's path - but like Kim, we mostly basically decent, but are presented with small choices that lead to big, unintended, consequences.

Using your example, my choice was that I didn't date "bad boys" at all. I made plenty of other bad decisions, as one does, but not that particular one. And yet, I still think the idea that Kim represents us, the way any flawed character represents the contradictory nature of humanity, is spot on.

I think there are some valid points in @Lonesome Rhodes post, but I take issue with “evil wins” if left to our own devices. Who or what is supposed to keep us from evil if not ourselves and our own choices? If Kim is “us,” who is Jimmy?

I do agree with your point that we all are capable of both good and bad— that humanity is flawed. That’s why I take it with a grain of salt when someone says, “My ( insert friend, relative, neighbor) would never do that!” You never know what someone is capable of given the right circumstances.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

1 hour ago, Adiba said:

Who or what is supposed to keep us from evil if not ourselves and our own choices? If Kim is “us,” who is Jimmy?

 

Forces greater than man would be the "buffers."  I like the reference to "better angels."   I intend no offense to anyone.

Jimmy is the alpha in BCS.  He is the lead.  Kim is the lense through which we experience him.  I dare say when she was the earlier Giselle, pretty much all viewers loved the vicarious nature of it all.  We were she.  She was us.  And we were most all charmed and amazed at the force of nature egging us on.  We also used evil to harm evil.  Most delicious!

This is where her (our) downfall is especially felt, imo.  It (the premise of Jimmy as Knight) has all come crashing down in a visceral sense in the recent eps.  

So now comes the inevitable split from our collective Kim-ness.  Many (most?) have figured out, or know through BB, that Kim can't win in the Saul milieu.  We also know we have to decide what is "right" for all concerned  especially us. 

I love this G/G mirror.

 

[ShadowFacts]

10 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Jimmy is the alpha in BCS.  He is the lead.  Kim is the lense through which we experience him.  I dare say when she was the earlier Giselle, pretty much all viewers loved the vicarious nature of it all.  We were she.  She was us.  And we were most all charmed and amazed at the force of nature egging us on.  We also used evil to harm evil.  Most delicious!

I didn't experience Giselle that way.  I felt no vicarious thrill, it is not appealing to me to trick people for the hell of it.  What I saw was what attracted her to Jimmy, she shared that part of his nature, and that allowed her to tolerate what he did to Chuck re: MV.  It illuminated her character but I didn't see myself in that. 

13 hours ago, Adiba said:

I do agree with your point that we all are capable of both good and bad— that humanity is flawed. That’s why I take it with a grain of salt when someone says, “My ( insert friend, relative, neighbor) would never do that!” You never know what someone is capable of given the right circumstances.

There is capable, and then there is actually acting.  Up until now we see Kim capable of being on the wrong side of the law, now she is stepping close to hopping over. 

[shapeshifter]

18 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Every character of note in BCS has faced this same fundamental choice:  Try to be a little in, all in, or not in at all when it comes to encountering evil.  Even the wonderful Lyle recognizes something is very wrong about Gus.  What price is he gonna pay for sticking by him?  How difficult for us to watch. 

This^ makes me want to see a teenage Kim working at a similar job with a similar boss. Would she be like Lyle? Probably not entirely since we already saw that growing up with her mother made her a skeptical child, suspicious of the motives of others --but maybe she would be the same in that situation. Lyle went along with Gus similarly to how Kim goes along with Jimmy's schemes, and now she seems to be emulating Jimmy's scheming on her own.

[PeterPirate]

On 4/4/2020 at 11:24 AM, TVFan17 said:

I am the opposite.  I find the slower scenes and episodes (and what we each view as slow is probably subjective too) of Better Call Saul to be tedious.  I was 100% all-in, on the edge of my seat, for Breaking Bad.  It's not that Walt was necessarily warm and lovely, or likable in the traditional sense, but I found him to be extremely fascinating and occasionally charming in a weird way.  I loved his snarky sense of humor and his intelligence.   I liked the way he was with his son.  I loved the dynamic and banter between Walt and Jesse.   Bryan Cranston was riveting as Walter White.  I can see why he and Aaron Paul won so many Emmy awards (and whatever other awards) between them.  They were absolutely stellar performers, while playing characters who were not especially tolerable all the time.

I still enjoy Better Call Saul and I am watching it every week.  I think all the actors are great, and should certainly get some kind of recognition before the series ends, but I still don't love the show as much as I loved Breaking Bad.  That probably won't happen, and it doesn't need to.  BCS doesn't have to be something I like as much as or more than BB.  It can just be a good show and that's it.  I will, of course, see BCS through to the end (whenever Season 6 is able to premiere could be a long way off).  And I enjoy seeing all of the various BB characters on BCS -- even the lesser-known ones such as Detective Tim or Peter from Madrigal.  I'm still expecting an eventual Skinny Pete and Badger appearance, even if Jesse never shows up with them on BCS, but maybe they won't pop up until Season 6 (I would not be shocked if they filmed a BCS scene when they were working on El Camino, much like Robert Forster did).

When I think of a show such as Breaking Bad, there are certain episodes that stand out, even all these years later, because they were so memorable or because certain scenes in them were so chilling.  For example, the "Ozymandias" episode of Breaking Bad is arguably not only one of the best episodes -- if not the best episode -- of that entire series, but possibly one of the best all-time episodes of any TV drama, ever.  It was mesmerizing to watch as it unfolded.  The acting was next-level kinds of great.  There was emotion, drama, suspense, danger, harrowing situations, etc.

As good a show as Better Call Saul is, I cannot think of one single episode that will stick out in my mind for years to come in the same way that some of the Breaking Bad episodes have.  I don't think Better Call Saul has had its own "Ozymandias" yet -- and it's quite possible it might not.

I do agree with all this.  There are certain episodes of other shows that I will pull up on Netflix or other media.  BCS has some scenes that I adore, but not whole episodes that inspire me to go through them.  

That said, I find some of the BCS characters absolutely compelling, and I can't the same thing about any of the BB characters, although I hold out hope that Holly will go on to lead Breaking Bad: The Next Generation.

By the way, Road To Perdition is now on Netflix.  

 

Edited April 7, 2020 by PeterPirate

[PeterPirate]

I posted the following for Dedicado a Max:

On 3/18/2020 at 7:57 AM, PeterPirate said:

Jimmy is the Emperor and Kim is Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, not the other way around. 

And it took me only 12 days to make the connection with "Lightning bolts shoot from my fingertips!".  

Edited April 11, 2020 by PeterPirate

[nuraman00]

On 4/2/2020 at 12:49 PM, nuraman00 said:

Did Nacho have to really trash the dining room?

 

Once Gus started the procedure to thaw the chicken, and he knew the place would burn down, then would there have been anything gained to really trash the place?  If the place was burned down, then it would have been hard to know whether the dining room was trashed or not, right?

 

Are there any security cameras at this location?  I would have thought after Hector visited a location a few years ago, then there would have been some installed.

 

How many minutes did it take from once Gus placed the chicken on the cutting board, until it hit the oil?  Would it have exploded right away or needed even more time?

 

So 3-6 minutes from once it was at the top of the cutting board, until it hit the oil?  Then another 1-2 minutes for the explosion?

Any thoughts on this?

[nuraman00]

Was it a chicken or turkey that was frozen?  It looked big, so I'm thinking turkey.

[MrWhyt]

5 hours ago, nuraman00 said:

Was it a chicken or turkey that was frozen?  It looked big, so I'm thinking turkey.

it's a chicken restaurant

[nuraman00]

19 hours ago, MrWhyt said:

it's a chicken restaurant

Right.  

 

I was just listening to the Insiders podcast though, and they talked about how they discovered that a frozen turkey in hot oil would cause an explosion, so that's how they were going to burn the place down.

 

And since their product is never frozen, and since Gus was doing this, they might have used a turkey, since the larger frozen turkey would be more likely to create the explosion.  Workers might not look in the freezer, since not much stuff is in there anyways, so it would be a good place to hide a frozen chicken or turkey.

 

I was thinking that Gus could have just done something different, and used a turkey, to help ensure the explosion.  Assuming Gus would have come up with the same frozen poultry in oil idea, that the writers did.

[grawlix]

21 hours ago, nuraman00 said:

Right.  

 

I was just listening to the Insiders podcast though, and they talked about how they discovered that a frozen turkey in hot oil would cause an explosion, so that's how they were going to burn the place down.

 

And since their product is never frozen, and since Gus was doing this, they might have used a turkey, since the larger frozen turkey would be more likely to create the explosion.  Workers might not look in the freezer, since not much stuff is in there anyways, so it would be a good place to hide a frozen chicken or turkey.

 

I was thinking that Gus could have just done something different, and used a turkey, to help ensure the explosion.  Assuming Gus would have come up with the same frozen poultry in oil idea, that the writers did.

I would assume that any frozen bird would be able to cause a oil flare up and trigger the explosion.  It is quite possible that Gus could have a bought a frozen turkey on the guise of expanding the menu.  We know that Gus has added to the menu previously.  It doesn't appear that there is a separate test kitchen to research and develop new products.  I don't remember if the frozen bird was a chicken or a turkey.

 

[Shriekingeel]

Finally catching up to S5 on Netflix. The scene with Jimmy’s freakout (“I am so far beyond you, I am a god”) is a good explanation for why he and Walt eventually found each other. Mutual hubris. 

[Anela]

I don't understand how he screws a deal up, they both worked on - or almost screwed it up - and then she marries him? She looked like she could murder him on the spot. If looks could kill, we would have seen a scorched carpet, and a pile of ashes.