Better Call Saul - Prequel to Breaking Bad

[Durzel]

I suspect we'll have to agree to disagree.

As a huge BB fan I'm enjoying BCS, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't giving it a lot of latitude because of the association.

My point I guess is that even if you took these episodes and inserted them into the first season of Breaking Bad, disregarding the context it would still seem like filler, imo anyway.

Who knows it may ramp up before long, or at least grow the stakes, etc. I'm very confident it will because of the caliber of people behind it, but at this point I'm not "hungry" for the next episode. Conversely I ended up marathoning several episodes of the first season of Breaking Bad over the weekend, I'm addicted all over again.

The above said it is early days, even after 4 episodes, so I'm still fully on board.

[Digitalize]

It's worth noting that in an interview Bob said the end of the series makes the start make sense.

[Yazar]

Durzel said:

Breaking Bad wasn't anything like the slow burner this has been, Walt had already asked Jesse to cook meth with him in the first episode, and 4 episodes in they'd already killed two guys and Walt had revealed to everyone that he had cancer.

Breaking bad episode 1 was named 'Pilot'... because it was a pilot show. That episode determined whether or not AMC would commission the series, hence why it is as action filled and designed to be a standalone episode.

The 2 guys had to go by the 4 episode because they were already there due to the pressures of making a pilot show.

[Calza]

I think the beauty of BCS is that it can take a slow burn approach. They've proved with BB they know what they're doing, and it's obviously working because we're all holding on despite the pace (which I strangely don't mind for once).

It means they can really built up detail and characters instead of cramming action in none stop.

[Yazar]

Think the people complaining are too used to stuff like Dexter which delivers at least 1 death an episode. Even British soaps have nothing happening in them for months and the viewing figures are still high - very usual for a drama.

[JustinP1]

Durzel said:

I suspect we'll have to agree to disagree.

As a huge BB fan I'm enjoying BCS, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't giving it a lot of latitude because of the association.

My point I guess is that even if you took these episodes and inserted them into the first season of Breaking Bad, disregarding the context it would still seem like filler, imo anyway.

No, I think we agree on all of that that.

My point is that that is only natural, due to the nature of the story.

Breaking Bad was about a schoolteacher with terminal cancer who ends up being a murdering gangster drug lord.

A guy starting his own law practice is difficult to compare to that!

[Durzel]

True, true.

The other thing that I've rediscovered from watching Better Call Saul is how badly other shows I watch alongside pale in comparison. I remember I was watching Dexter at the same time as Breaking Bad when both were originally aired, and man alive - it was like being served fillet steak for a main course with a glass of st for dessert. I only stuck with Dexter out of some bizarre self-imposed obligation to see it through, but it was a struggle.

I have no doubts that BCS will have an enduring quality, like BB. I can't imagine Vince Gilligan and co committing to doing the show if they didn't feel confident that it would stand up on its own.

[P-Jay]

Yazar said:

Think the people complaining are too used to stuff like Dexter which delivers at least 1 death an episode. Even British soaps have nothing happening in them for months and the viewing figures are still high - very usual for a drama.

Possibly, or perhaps, like me - they watched BB in huge man-sized portions - 3 episodes a night for nights on end - because I didn't watch the first one until all the fuss about the final episode started?

Compared with that, watching 43 mins and then waiting 7 days for my next fix is like torture!

[DMN]

Digitalize said:

It's worth noting that in an interview Bob said the end of the series makes the start make sense.

Also worth noting that he also called it a Comedy, something BB never set out to be.

[anonymous-user]

DMN said:

Also worth noting that he also called it a Comedy, something BB never set out to be.

i wouldn't call it a comedy, more a drama with comedic undertones, some black.

[Pothole]

griffin dai said:

hornetrider said:

Well, I signed up for Netflix just for this and I'm not disappointed, really good first two episodes. Interesting flash forward at the start of the first. For me Saul was one of the best characters in BB so I'm very pleased we've got this show.

Now to find something else on NF worth watching...

I think The Shield is still on there if you haven't seen it. Better than BB imo ..........(puts flame proof thong on)

I lapped up The Shield. I love how shows like that get you to like and start rooting for hideous scumbags.

[Pothole]

hornetrider said:

Kaj91 said:

The phone number on the billboard in episode 4 actually works.

Nice touch.

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/better-call-saul-bil...

Not a toupé

[hornetrider]

Pothole said:

griffin dai said:

hornetrider said:

Well, I signed up for Netflix just for this and I'm not disappointed, really good first two episodes. Interesting flash forward at the start of the first. For me Saul was one of the best characters in BB so I'm very pleased we've got this show.

Now to find something else on NF worth watching...

I think The Shield is still on there if you haven't seen it. Better than BB imo ..........(puts flame proof thong on)

I lapped up The Shield. I love how shows like that get you to like and start rooting for hideous scumbags.

I'm more than halfway through Series 2 of The Shield having started it last week. Loving it

[Digitalize]

hornetrider said:

Now to find something else on NF worth watching...

House of Cards, Season 3 came out today, first 2 were superb, and so very different to a lot of stuff I watch.

Just starting to get in to Sons of Anarchy too, lot of it to binge watch.

[smn159]

Digitalize said:

House of Cards, Season 3 came out today, first 2 were superb, and so very different to a lot of stuff I watch.

Just starting to get in to Sons of Anarchy too, lot of it to binge watch.

Is Sons of Anarchy worth persevering with then? I watched the pilot last night and couldn't see much appeal. They made a pretty unconvincing looking biker gang IMO and the whole thing had the feel of a highly stylised soap opera rather than a serious drama.

Same with Justified and Dexter really. I couldn't get past the glossy soap opera vibe.

[Janluke]

smn159 said:

Is Sons of Anarchy worth persevering with then? I watched the pilot last night and couldn't see much appeal. They made a pretty unconvincing looking biker gang IMO and the whole thing had the feel of a highly stylised soap opera rather than a serious drama.

Same with Justified and Dexter really. I couldn't get past the glossy soap opera vibe.

SOA in this case the pilot doesnt really represent what the series became so worth trying a few more at least to see if its for you. Likewise Justified develops once the longer plotlines come in to play IMO

Couldnt get in Dexter myself, just wasnt me

[Pothole]

smn159 said:

Digitalize said:

House of Cards, Season 3 came out today, first 2 were superb, and so very different to a lot of stuff I watch.

Just starting to get in to Sons of Anarchy too, lot of it to binge watch.

Is Sons of Anarchy worth persevering with then? I watched the pilot last night and couldn't see much appeal. They made a pretty unconvincing looking biker gang IMO and the whole thing had the feel of a highly stylised soap opera rather than a serious drama.

Same with Justified and Dexter really. I couldn't get past the glossy soap opera vibe.

I enjoyed Justified, but doesn't Olyphant epitomise 'wooden'? It's like he actually his a stick up his arse a lot of the time...I kept expecting the Robocop sounds when he turned his head! His birds were fit, too.

[Miguel Alvarez]

Janluke said:

smn159 said:

Is Sons of Anarchy worth persevering with then? I watched the pilot last night and couldn't see much appeal. They made a pretty unconvincing looking biker gang IMO and the whole thing had the feel of a highly stylised soap opera rather than a serious drama.

Same with Justified and Dexter really. I couldn't get past the glossy soap opera vibe.

SOA in this case the pilot doesnt really represent what the series became so worth trying a few more at least to see if its for you. Likewise Justified develops once the longer plotlines come in to play IMO

Couldnt get in Dexter myself, just wasnt me

It's not the greatest of TV but I enjoyed it if you allow certain unbelievable moments through now and then.

[schmunk]

Miguel Alvarez said:

It's not the greatest of TV but I enjoyed it if you allow certain unbelievable moments through now and then.

I couldn't get on with it and gave up after a few episodes.

What really did it for me was them (on more than one occasion) saying "we need to sneak in, do this on the down low" (or similar), and then cut to them blasting along the highway on their Hogs in a pack, exhausts blaring, (metaphorically) shouting "we're a biker gang".

[Digitalize]

It's a bit st but watchable, and enough to burn through.

I enjoyed Dexter but by the end I was watching purely to get to the end.

I'm watching Community at the moment too but unless you're a 20-something who enjoys US Comedy and sitcoms I wouldn't recommend. I'm thoroughly enjoying it but at points I do feel maybe even I'm a little old for it.