One huge detail that hit me pretty hard in the finale was in Kim and Jimmy's last smoke together in the prison. All the talk of time machines and regrets made me realize that not only was Jimmy using his confession as a time machine to be the good guy he used to be, but he was also using it to land in a very special moment that he had several times before in the show. He wanted to have one more special moment with Kim. His most cherished moments throughout the show were spending time with her smoking outside, and talking to her. And that's what he used his time machine for.
I loved how she looked back at him when she walked away giving that very tad, yet possibility that its not over between them, like a glimmer of hope they could get back together. Im not huge on love stories, but in this case I wanted Jimmy and Kim to have a happily ever after as they clearly care and love each other even at the end.
He uses the reference of the time machine, because his brother was reading that book, and most likely he read it too (several times, maybe). Edit: H.G. Wells is a great author, "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is a fantastic book.
Lets not forget that Nacho and Lalo were throwaway names from Breaking Bad. The writers managed to make two brilliant characters and perfectly sees why when he’s dragged into the desert Salamanca style, that’s where his mind immediately goes
i feel like they were writing the scripts for both at roughly the same time, or they had more character lines developed for Breaking Bad, that were later dropped off as unnecessary in telling the story of Walter White, because otherwise all those little and unnoticeable details in BB don't make any sense...well they didn't at the time, but now I'm convinced they were there for a reason from start on. Brilliant!
@@TheRussianRobThey were throw away lines used to set up Saul as a comedy character. Saul shows up in 2010. Better Call Saul was being developed in 2013 just after Breaking Bad ended.
@@RenaldyCalixtei think its possible that the writers at least had a loose idea of Saul’s background and threw in some nuggets just in case they eventually explored it. But its also totally possible they expertly retconned details that were previously jus throw away moments. Either way, it was brilliantly executed!
Something amazing about the mike arc with Werner is the symbolism. Werner represents the part of mike that thinks he’s good and that he isn’t a criminal working for a drug empire. The part of him that wants to stay naive of Gus’s operations and evil. Mike having to realise the problem with Werner and kill him shows how he kills off the naive part of himself denying the work he does with Gus. It’s the final step for him to become a criminal beyond redemption.
1:44:50 Personally I got the impression that Jimmy's unusual determination to rob the cancer sufferer had something to do with his resentment against Walt. Also, the mistakes he eventually made were clear sign of his unconscious will to be caught.
This show is fascinating in how it literally took the most loudest and bombastic character from Breaking Bad and centred him in a much more quieter, nuanced, introspective and arguably better character drama. One of the best shows I've ever seen.
"Most" and "-est" is redundant. As is "more" and "-er". Most loudest. Most loud or loudest. More quieter. More quiet or quieter Doesn't matter in the slightest, and I'm a jerk for even mentioning it, but can't help myself. It eats at me
This show literally made the phrase, "Never Judge a book by it's cover" scream out louder than ever. We all judged Saul's character in BB as a comedy competent criminal lawyer And we judged the book by the cover. And now Better Call Saul was the book we read to realize what the man actually was. This is just pure gold. The BCS team just made me rethink majority of BB characters in such a different light. I love it.
I could never hate chuck because his resentment and need for justification is painfully relatable. Chuck worked to the bone for his parent's happiness and love (he went to college at 14 ffs), but jimmy just existing got more love and adoration out of them than any of chuck's accomplishments. In order for this to make sense, jimmy has to be a perfect angel, but he's not, and chuck knew it. If he could prove it, maybe he'd get a little more love and credit for the way he lived his life. But they never believed him, and no matter how much jimmy messed up, there was no strictness or consequences (mostly due to them expecting chuck to look after him and bail him out). Then they both died never knowing jimmys true side, so chuck is forever robbed of that. Him being hellbent on proving it to the world makes so much sense and although it doesnt justify a lot of his actions, man do i understand why he cant let it go
boohoo, how is this all new to people lmao. There is a quote for this and it will always reign true: ''life is inherently unfair and full of suffering no matter you SJW's pretend to think otherwise''. No one is equal in this world even though all you Gen Z boomers seem to think it is that way. And always remember, you either die young or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
Damn now we need the prequel to the prequel of Chuck's story of how his annoying kid brother that kept interrupting his reading of classic children's fiction books drove him towards killing himself.
HOLY SHIT, SOMEONE ELSE WHO PREFERS THE FIRST 3 SEASONS!! don't get me wrong, the whole show is incredible, but chuck and his relationship with Jimmy are just perfectly written and I have always been baffled by people who say the show takes a while to get going.
Because people want to see the Breaking Bad connections. Not able to see the show as it's own thing between the relationship of Chuck and Jimmy actually "the making of" the character named Saul Goodman.
The nod to Dr. Strangelove. Well done. The final scene between Manuel and Mike probably hit the hardest, Mike thinks Manuel is confused about the word "justice," but Manuel's response saying he speaks of revenge and that he is the same as all of them. The show didn't miss a beat.
I like to think "Point and Shoot" is basically "The Long Night" done right. Both episodes killed off the main antagonist in one night/one episode, but "Point and Shoot" works so much better because the villain has an active role in the story and there is genuine tension because the decisions each character makes is logical and true to their character.
If it was D&D, it would be Holly White jumping out of thin air to croak Lalo with a quick stab. And Gus will be screeching at Lalo for no reason like Jon screeching to a dragon. What’s even more impressive is that BCS had a limitation of being a prequel. GoT has none.
@@nont18411 , that makes ZERO sense at all, considering Holly isn't born yet. I'd say it would be like having Lyle (Los Pollos Hermanos manager) take the final shot, because he was somehow following Gus (due to forgetting his paycheck or something....), and saw that his manager was in danger and came to save him.
Magnificent breakdown of BCS, because of how you were able to dissect those crucial relationships and tie it all back to the major ideas of BCS eloquently and as concisely (for a 2 hour video essay lol) as possible. For real, besides Watchmen, this is your best video. Congrats on this shit dude, and keep up the great work as one of the BEST Essayists on TH-cam.
2 hour dissertation on a tv show and enthralled the whole time. You hit the shows thematic beats right on the head, beats that I sense and can perceive and have tried to explain and organize in my mind but have failed to do as thorough and as precise as you have here. The compilation and editing together of so many shots, that alone is a monumental effort. My whole feed is filled with videos like this, I watch them on everything. I’ve seen many about better call Saul, it’s a fantastic show. This was top tier for real. Well done my dude
With Season 6 being so depressing, it makes re watches so much more impactful knowing that these small characters, like howard, will shape Jimmy into who he later becomes. It's a ticking clock of eventual doom. And it's great
After watching BCS and seeing the Saul scene in Breaking Bad, I never really changed my opinion of the character for the worse. Instead I felt bad for him because he completely succumb to his Saul persona as a coping mechanism. After fun and games it turns out the Breaking Bad era was Saul's Jimmy's Granite state. It may be because I love Jimmy so much, but I can't imagine that era of his life as not a penance. Even with the wealth and success he accrued I don't believe he ever achieve the kind of happiness he had when he was with Kim. It puts to perspective how Jimmy's golden years were slim and rare. I might have missed the point but even now I pity him too much to see him as a villain now.
One of the things I love the most about BCS is where it takes place. I have many times found myself paying more attention to the background scenery than what the characters are doing.
The audience was made to relate to and empathize with walter white, but as time went on we saw his changes and realized just how much suffering he directly caused. But even after seeing all the irresponsible acts commited by jimmy/saul/agent steel after chuck's death, I just can't forget the pain in jimmy's face when he learned his brother won't ever respect him, the pure resentment and hurt in his eyes.
The two moments that made me hate Jimmy and Kim were Jimmy taking advantage of Irene and Kim gaslighting Cheryl I began watching Better Call Saul after the release of El Camino movie, I was somewhat bored yet interested in the 4 seasons, season 5 brought my interest way up to hardly waiting for the final season to come out, and finally recording every episode of the final season. The wait so worth it
I also think one of the reason Jimmy blasts at Howard with the "magic from my fingertips" rant is that, in his conversation, Howards seems to have overcome the grief and guilt of Chuck's death, and he cannot accep the fact Howard did it but he, even though it looks like it, hasn't even begun to accept said grief, so he lashing out at Howie feels also a bash at himself or at a stubborn part of him that won't let the emotions flow
Unpopular personal opinion: the first three seasons of Saul with the storyline of Chuck and Jimmy and their relationship actually surpasses Breaking Bad in greatness. Owing especially to the levels of emotional depth and incredibly multidimensional characters and performances. I mean, it’s just heartbreaking and agonizing, untenable and completely gut wrenching…at a much deeper depth than reached even in such a phenomenal show as BB. This is especially true in all the devastation they reek on each other, bitter and yet deep down still longing for each others love and acceptance, but unable to express it or get to a place where they can just let collectively the past go. Then the gut punch in knowing that when Chuck goes up in that fiery conflagration, the spiraling aftermath effects it has on Jimmy is a fall he will never recover from. And the Saul he then becomes blossoms before our eyes in a garden of unreconciled pain and loss. Between the brothers- So much love. So much pain inflicted on one another. So much tragedy. So many chances to mend it becoming forever lost. So much of making me thankful I’m an only child. 😂
Thanks for this very insightful and comprehensive analysis. Did you notice that Chuck had a talent for the con in the way he suckered Jimmy into committing a felony (breaking and entering)? Afterwards, Jimmy said to Kim, "he played me." Which he did. Kim also was not just following JImmy's lead in doing cons. The scheme to get Huell off without prison time was devised by her. And afterwards, when Jimmy thanked her but said he wouldn't involve her again, her response? "Let's do it again," and she proceeded to con the City of Lubbock to get her client's bank expansion plans approved. The flashbacks to Kim's childhood show that she grew up with con artist--her mother. And shades of Kristy Esposito, she was a shoplifter, too! Jimmy just awakened something familiar within her. And by the end, she hadn't completely given up her talent for deception, conning her way into the prison as Jimmy's lawyer. Nothing about her or Jimmy is black and white, which is why I think they are among the best TV characters ever.
Id argue Gus had a massive development from better call saul and breaking bad, similar to many other characters. You can see in BCS there's almost a tad of an amateur to Gus, he isn't fully calculated yet, he hasn't gotten to be as cunning as we will see him to be, and there is a bit more emotion in him. A very small subtle scene is when he tosses trash across the room and sinks it first try, and he gets a pretty innocent smile from it after he essentially scored on Hector. That kind of energy just isn't there in breaking bad, it's a humanity that withers away that cements its fate in the wine scene you described.
Many incredible points are being made in the comments but I haven't seen much praise for Kim and Rhea Seehorn. Kim was supposed to be a simple love interest at the beginning but then the creators noticed her great acting ability. I am so happy that they developed her further, Kim became my favorite character in the show. The actors, writers, cinematographers, wardrobe and audio people (whatever they're called) deserve all of the awards that can be given to them but got almost nothing for their efforts. It's criminal how few people are talking about this show. Thank you for making this video.
She’s initially written to be just a love interest at first but later on, she’s written as a “course correction” of Skyler because the writers realized their mistakes at making Skyler got hated by the audience more than she deserves.
What a great video about an amazing show. Unlike a lot of video essays I've watched on the subject, you have really brought up some points I've never considered and really made me think about the way the story unfolded in a different way, particularly when it comes to Gus and Chuck. Thanks for making this, it was a real pleasure to watch.
There's something so deep about the show I could never begin to articulate. But it's incredible and I'll forever treasure this universe and the writers behind it. Thank you Vince for putting the wheels in motion and starting this wild journey. Breaking bad will always have a place in my heart as it quite literally made me realize my passion for chemistry and changing my life path.
Man, that's so cool! I also didn't start watching the show until very late in its run. Shortly before the premiere of its final season, to be precise. Now I'm even more hyped to see what you thought of the show. I'm actually really glad that I waited.
1:16:41 One thing I want to note here-because otherwise, I mostly agree with and appreciate your assessment-I don’t think Jimmy’s effort to force a settlement in the Sandpiper case are necessarily motivated by financial **gain**; rather, I think it’s more motivated by his desperation to preserve the dream he’s been clinging to, where he and Kim share an office and fly in the face of the establishment firms like HHM. By not being able to fulfill his end, he sees that eventually, the point will come where they’ll need to shutter the offices-a practical solution that hardly leaves Kim devastated, but one that’s effectively killing Jimmy’s dream.
Thanks for posting, I like your videos and I adore Better Call Saul. Also: I think Gus is developed in many ways: He learns not to use fear as the only motivator, thanks to Mike, and he becomes more set in his mission after his encounters with Lalo. Also, I really like Lalo's because it subverted the expectations in a good way and I liked how Gus was the person to get rid of him. That was really cool in my opinion. Suggestion: Macabre Storytelling, I think your next recap should about the Bourne Franchise, Sons of Anarchy, Dexter, Daredevil, Smallville, Planet of the Apes or El Camino.
@@MacabreStorytelling Great. Also, here are more suggestions: The Walking Dead, Banshee, Arrow, True Blood, Reacher, The Boys, Legion, Wandavision, How I met your mother, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Superman and Lois, Invincible, Homeland, 24, The Mandalorian, Andor or The Witcher.
1:24:43 - 1:25:07 Actually, I personally think the flashbacks work. The first one in particular, because when Kim knows that her mother was late to pick her because she’s been drinking, her mother all like, “Come on, nothing gonna happen….”. Kim however, knowing that this probably wasn’t a first time chooses not to get into the car. Similar to how in the episode when she sees how Jimmy’s conning in getting Kevin Wachtell of Mesa Verde to negotiate with Everett Acker, is starting to make Kevin suspicious if something not right. Kim, then tries to tell Jimmy to call the whole thing off, but Jimmy says the same thing about “nothing’s gonna happen”, sounding much like her mother. And it’s when Kim convinces Jimmy that it’s time to stop and settle the case, not wanting to end up in the car like her mom. Or so Kim thought, when it’s revealed that Jimmy went behind her back and does his con in front of her…. The second flashback, while maybe could’ve been place somewhere better, I personally feel it works to show that Kim doesn’t understand the difference between love and enabling those around her. As in that episode, we see Jimmy considering calling off their prank on Howard so she can go her pro bono meeting in Santa Fe. Instead, Kim chooses to continue their pranking, instead of looking to what could have been her new future to increase her career. This ironically makes the statement Howard and Everett Acker say about her become true. Acker: You're one of those people that, uh, give a little money to charity every month so you can make up for all the bad that you've done…. That makes you feel a whole lot better about yourself. Makes you feel like one of the best rich people. Howard: You-one of the smartest and most promising human beings I've ever known, and this is the life you choose. Also, in regards to Kim and Howard, he really didn’t treat Kim that badly. I’m not saying that he wasn’t a bit of a jerk in S1 - S3, but if anything, when she showed her intelligence to the table, he was impressed and showed her respect. He clearly saw her with potential. Which makes Kim pranking Howard more unforgivable. Also, I don’t think anybody talks about this, but notice how Howard mentions that his marriage was falling apart when he calls out Jimmy and Kim for what they did to him. Jimmy gives a look that says confusion, yet when he turns to look at Kim, she’s completely unfazed. Now this is just theory: But I have a VERY strong cause to believe that Kim knew about this but Jimmy didn’t. And I think the creators knew this too. Because if Jimmy knew that Howard’s marriage was falling apart, maybe he would’ve had some second thoughts about what they’re doing to him. But just like how he got into a boxing fight with Howard earlier, and was thinking about calling this all off, and how he wanted to call it off when he saw that the judge had a broken arm, Kim kept encouraging it. So she wasn’t gonna take any chances in telling Jimmy. Which makes Kim telling Howard’s wife Cheryl at the funeral a bunch of lies about him, make us audience say that she should be ashamed of herself.
And that’s one of my issue with her portrayal in the finale. Suddenly she’s a good guy again because she dumped Jimmy and she’s not in Breaking Bad even though it’s clear that she is a greater of two evils in the whole Howard scheme. The show keeps bombarding us that Jimmy is evil. Chuck is right. Jimmy should be held accountable but they don’t really do the same for Kim.
@@nont18411, The show does hold her accountable. As she sees that what she did was wrong, and when Jimmy mockingly berates her out for it, saying why doesn’t she confess, she realizes then that there is no escape, and she must face up. Which she does when she writes her confession to the court and Cheryl.
This is such a great video essay. I felt the same way when hearing about Better Call Saul as a prequel not because it was a prequel per se but my main gripe was out of all the characters why is the comic relief character getting his own spin off that is multiple seasons long. In Breaking Bad I thought Saul was okay but was never a huge fan but then bcs came around and proved every notion I had completely wrong. My thoughts on the arcs in the sections with mike, chuck, and kim were pretty much the same so it was nice to see someone able to put all of my thoughts on all the characters in such a concise way that sums them all up perfectly.
Fantastic video as always. I watched Breaking Bad a few years after it had started. I was looking for something with a slightly darker edge after finishing Sons of Anarchy. I loved both shows. This fell into the same category as The American's, I liked the show but didn't love it enough to keep with it, it's hard to explain where they fell short for me. I love the way you use your visuals, setting the scene / mood for the characters and not overplaying the action. Although you reuse clips, the imagery is very clear but doesn't distract from your storytelling. A great love letter to the show.
Dude, I love your channel so much, that I watched Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul for the first time just to watch this analysis. After almost a year, here we go…
This video autoplayed after I was listening to one about Last of Us in my car. I ended up listening to the entire thing, completely fascinated. Excellent work. Big win for the algorithm.
from what I got from the last scene with gus, is that the writers were trying to subtetly tell that gus' friend who was killed by Hector was not his friend but his lover. Would make more sense as of why Gus spent his entire life taking revenge
I really enjoyed this video and appreciated the thorough breakdown of the series and some interesting perspectives on things. One comment about Kim near the end. I didn't get the impression that she was still able to practice law, I think she just said about the card not having an expiry date as it meant she was able to get in to see him as she wouldn't have been able to were she a regular visitor. I think she could get her licence again, but she would likely have to pass the bar exam again considering she asked them to terminate it previously. Thanks again for a great video
Clarification: Kim's gave up her law license and is no longer a member of the Bar. What she said at the end was that her Bar *card* didn't have an expiration date. It didn't mean that she could still practice law. It was just that the card probably said, "Member since ..." and didn't have an expiration date. It was her last con.
I still have a few episodes of the last season. I love how the show doesn't treat you like a child and literally shows doesn't tell, you know, like the first lesson in film class? Funny Story ***(spoiler)*** Ok so, I watched BB 4+ years ago and watched first 2 seasons of BCS, but the whole Chuck storyline kinda got boring to me and I was wanting more action and Mikey boi. So I dropped it for like 2 years and recently picked it up again.. I WAS AWESTRUCK WHEN NACHO DIED. MY BRAIN WAS SURE HE WAS A BB CHARACTER AND COULDN'T DIE. very epic scene. Michael Mando acting is insane.
I assumed it was a feint, that either he somehow already knew or guessed she had confessed, or that he would tell them about the scam they pulled on Howard but leave her role out of it.
While Chuck's actions and words do affect Jimmie in some way that makes him recur to his mischievous ways, let's not forget that the series (both BrB and BCS) are all about choice. Once Jimmie gets a secure and safe job at a respectable firm, he immediately screws it up because he hates the "system", so Chuck wasn't all entirely incorrect about his brother
BCS was absolutely incredible. I held off forever because I figured it was gonna be a funny spin-off with Saul dealing with petty criminals the whole series. My god was I wrong. I think I like this series better than BB itself. Crazy.
32:42 - 33:04 Well, I would argue that this wasn’t where the resentment started, as shown to some flashbacks, that, despite Jimmy’s actions when he was young, Chuck has shown some love for his brother. I personally think his for hatred, and wanting to take Jimmy down really started, when Chuck at their mother’s death bed heard her calling for Jimmy and not him. It’s here, where Chuck finally believes that Jimmy was always the “favorite one”, to their parents, and that no matter how much Chuck sacrificed for them, it was all for nothing as they will still be thinking about Jimmy more than him. Also, in regards to the flashback and the finale with Jimmy and Chuck, I personally view that as Jimmy’s “time travel moment”. As when you think about it, if these two brothers just talked out their problems, maybe none of the events of the series would’ve happened. Maybe Jimmy would see how much he causes harm to people did his actions, and Chuck can see that he’s also wrong for holding such resentment. Not to mention that the flashback is after their mother has died, so maybe Jimmy could even let him know that maybe the reason she said his name is because of him.
Lalo is in breaking bad twice. He's mentioned by Saul when Jessie and Walt kidnap Saul and he's shown in a picture as a child wearing the same belt buckle he has in bcs
I put my vote in to see you make another video about why you think Better Call Saul is better than Breaking Bad. These are so interesting, and I’m surprised by how much I agree with you.
I think Chuck wanted to help Jimmy as long as he was lesser but couldn't stand the idea of his "bad" brother being his equal. And I think that deep down Chuck sees and hates his own crooked side in Jimmy.
This is probably the best vid about Better Call Saul I've seen yet. Most vids are very dry and make the show sound boring. You on the other hand make it sound fucking great. Bravo bro.
1:57:15 I think you might have misunderstood that line. I don't think it means KIm can just up and be a lwayer again as that's not how it works. She is legally not an attorney. She said that to explain how she was able to make the guards at the prison think she was Jimmy's lawyer and see him by showing them the license.
I love how the more you think about the plot the more tragic the characters are. Also how avoidable everything could have being. This show is like the methaphor of the frog in the boiling water.
When watching what Jimmy and Kim did to Howard, it gave me that vibe you hear in stories where the hero becomes the villain, when they say the line: “You (In this case: Howard) really have changed. WELL SO HAVE I (Jimmy and Kim).
What you said right at the beginning - thinking it’s gonna be a whacky show of Saul representing different clients, is exactly what I expected the show to be. And it’s why I DIDN’T watch it until about a month ago. Boy was I wrong and I’m so glad I gave it a shot. I actually liked it quite a bit more than BB and that one is already fantastic. Such a good show.
I discovered this channel on a humble, yesterday, this one of my favorite series to date, I don’t binge watch but this I did in its entirety 4x’s and everything is spot on with my Twitter analysis, good job, I will become a Paetron really soon
Dude you're one of my favourite commentary youtubers, and I am praying you only get bigger. Your BCS video was fantastic, and I like the faith you have that Chuck still cares about Jimmy, even if I believe in the end, his envy was far stronger than the brotherly love he had. ]
It’s amazing how many characters died/suffered due to their egos and/or inability to let things go/move on -Walt -Jesse -Jimmy -Gus -Mike -Hank -Kim -Chuck -Hector
I got the same experience as you watching this show, just as the last season was broadcasted, having exactly the same "fears" of what it would be.. superficial. Full of cheap fan service. Gimmicky. Hell was I wrong. I got smashed. This video sums it all. It is such an intelligent and subtle show. The drama is so powerful. The characters.. MY GOD. Chuck McGill is incredibly well crafted. All the symbolism, the details put in this.. my brain is on fire. The BB team have created two masterpieces so intertwined. So coherent. So impactful. I am so glad I discovered this hell of a show.
This is without a doubt my absolute favorite analysis of the show and quite possibly my favorite analysis out of any other form of story telling and yet this is my first video I've ever seen on your channel, WELL. FUCKING. DONE.
Loved all the effort you put in this essay. Bravo Macabre and Bravo Vince and Peter and all the crew for crafting such a masterpiece of television history
I think Jimmy's confession is not only the best moment in the series, but one of the best moments in all of television. It's such an immensely complex and layered scene, tying up all of the core themes of the story in one explosive monologue. It's a perfect scene. It simultaneously brings out both the Saul side of him (him bragging about how essential he was to Walt's empire) and the Jimmy side (his sincere confession at his guilt of Howard and Chuck's deaths), and the complete dissolution of his necessity of his three personas. The different motivations behind it are what make it so good to me beyond just this from his love for Kim to his final conversation with the old lady who awoke a sliver of his humanity again to him finally being tired of having to run away from all of his guilt and regrets and desiring to be honest for once in his life to do something good to even just remembering his past conversations of his regrets with Mike, Chuck, and Walter (3 of the most important people in his life apart from Kim) and more. It's a perfect scene straight up. I also love how Jimmy doesn't just stay as Jimmy but still retains certain traits from Saul and Gene, as shown by the hidden pride he has at the bus scene or him making cinnabuns at the prison.
Great review. To me, this series, like no other, plumbed the depths of the moral greyzone we call civilization but refuse to see as such; the way all of us react to our past, and allow it to frame our future, ultimately the series reveals that we DO have free will, and we can realize truth of our existence at any time in our lives.
People always look at me funny when I tell them that I like Better Call Saul more than Breaking Bad. I believe that this video fully explained exactly why. Lol
I get called a contrarian for holding that same opinion. People are just not ready to admit this show surpassed Breaking Bad because (and get ready for this bombshell) the creators, writers, and actors ALL had more time to hone their craft and develop the story and characters collaboratively.
@BradsGonnaPlay the ending was much more satisfying, the characters were more fleshed out, and you felt the weight of every choice that every character made. I'm not taking anything away from BB by any means, but BCS just did more for me as a whole.
The one thing I can’t entirely get behind for the season 6 final arc, is how it frames Kim and Jimmy responsible for Howard’s death. I have tried to look at it from several different angles and I just can’t for the life of me understand how people see them as responsible. It was purely a case of wrong place wrong time. The only reason Howard died was because he came to their apartment at slightly the wrong time. You could argue that it’s their fault because he wouldn’t have come if the scam hadn’t happened, but that seems like a bit of cheap reasoning to me. Howard could have come over because of a friendly apologetic get together, he could have come over because he wanted to talk about his marital issues. Him coming to their home is not contingent on him getting scammed, which is why I think they can’t be held responsible for his death.
1:57:12 all she said was that her card didnt have an expiry date, so she is able to bluff and present the card to talk to him in prison whenever they want however she's still unable to practice law.
Thanks for this. I was/am a huge fan of BCS and agree that it surpassed BB as a show. But as I found your analysis and looked at the 2 hour run time I was hesitant to invest 2 hours of my Friday to watch it. But dang man, the 2 hours flew by and I thoroughly enjoyed your perspective and analysis and conclusions. Which are mostly in agreement with mine which kept me watching at first but then as I continued watching it was with a good bit of appreciation for your eye of teaching me some new things about the show and new angles to to viewing this and future shows that kept me to the end. Again thanks...you did this much better than I could do. I am hitting the subscribe button before looking at any more of your work and I hope to learn more storytelling and analysis from your video library.
I agree with you 100% that Howard telling Jimmy about the insurance, and Jimmy realizing in that moment that it contributed to Chuck’s suicide, is what BROKE Jimmy. He could not live with the idea that he had contributed so significantly to Chuck’s suicide through that act, and in that moment any chance of “good Jimmy” died and the Saul persona was born out of a pure psychological defense mechanism. I actually watched this show in real time and could not understand why so many people seemed to misinterpret or not fully recognize this moment. Glad to hear you had the same takeaway as me.
I get where you're coming from with Lalo's death, but I see it this was. Breaking Bad was about the self destructive nature of Pride and Ego. Pretty much every character meets their end due to pride. Whereas Better Call Saul is the sister side to that idea. The fickle nature of Control. All the characters are methodical and precise. They try as hard as they can to maintain control. And their fates, while sewn by their choices, play out in a way they couldn't possibly predict. Lalo's death incorporates both of these ideas. Lalo only bumped into Gus by chance. Gus stalls for time by playing to Lalo's Ego, which he indulges since he feels in control. And like you say, the way Gus beats him is almost anti-climactic. An improvised gamble, that even Gus couldn't believe worked; the trigger clicking long after the last round has been fired. All Lalo's planning, sleuthing and patience; all falls prey to dumb luck. So I that sense, I feel like it's very appropriate.
very good video so many points to take and talk about with this show. you might even look as breaking bad as the sequel to better call Saul. truly thankful i got to watch and analyze every small bit of this show, what a masterpiece
Fuck yes, here we go.
Edit: dude you’re about to hit 100K!
Soon…
@MacabreStorytelling I am so baffled that it's taken so long for you to get 100k, your videos are amazing!
@@MacabreStorytelling you deserve more
Time to get a better channel icon. Lemme know if you want a good deal. I have no self worth.
100k!
One huge detail that hit me pretty hard in the finale was in Kim and Jimmy's last smoke together in the prison. All the talk of time machines and regrets made me realize that not only was Jimmy using his confession as a time machine to be the good guy he used to be, but he was also using it to land in a very special moment that he had several times before in the show. He wanted to have one more special moment with Kim. His most cherished moments throughout the show were spending time with her smoking outside, and talking to her. And that's what he used his time machine for.
The days of wine and roses...
I loved how she looked back at him when she walked away giving that very tad, yet possibility that its not over between them, like a glimmer of hope they could get back together. Im not huge on love stories, but in this case I wanted Jimmy and Kim to have a happily ever after as they clearly care and love each other even at the end.
Sending him on a trip to Belize
He uses the reference of the time machine, because his brother was reading that book, and most likely he read it too (several times, maybe).
Edit: H.G. Wells is a great author, "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is a fantastic book.
@@yoyo2ma I felt the same way… but he wanted to make it right between them… and he did! It’s so poignant.
Lets not forget that Nacho and Lalo were throwaway names from Breaking Bad. The writers managed to make two brilliant characters and perfectly sees why when he’s dragged into the desert Salamanca style, that’s where his mind immediately goes
i feel like they were writing the scripts for both at roughly the same time, or they had more character lines developed for Breaking Bad, that were later dropped off as unnecessary in telling the story of Walter White, because otherwise all those little and unnoticeable details in BB don't make any sense...well they didn't at the time, but now I'm convinced they were there for a reason from start on. Brilliant!
@@TheRussianRobThey were throw away lines used to set up Saul as a comedy character. Saul shows up in 2010. Better Call Saul was being developed in 2013 just after Breaking Bad ended.
@@RenaldyCalixtei think its possible that the writers at least had a loose idea of Saul’s background and threw in some nuggets just in case they eventually explored it. But its also totally possible they expertly retconned details that were previously jus throw away moments. Either way, it was brilliantly executed!
@@caleidoscopecarathis would be up for debate if not literally confirmed by the show writers
@@ijdin I didn’t know they confirmed it, I was just speculating based off the content of the shows and not any outside interviews or other commentary
Something amazing about the mike arc with Werner is the symbolism. Werner represents the part of mike that thinks he’s good and that he isn’t a criminal working for a drug empire. The part of him that wants to stay naive of Gus’s operations and evil. Mike having to realise the problem with Werner and kill him shows how he kills off the naive part of himself denying the work he does with Gus. It’s the final step for him to become a criminal beyond redemption.
I hadn't thought of it that way before. Good analysis 👌
Wow, perfectly said!!
What is the reasoning for Werner representing Mike's good side?
The Werner saga was really sad and frustrating. All he had to do was finish the job.
Also Mike killed Werner just to eventually got killed by Heisenberg.
Werner Heisenberg.
1:44:50 Personally I got the impression that Jimmy's unusual determination to rob the cancer sufferer had something to do with his resentment against Walt. Also, the mistakes he eventually made were clear sign of his unconscious will to be caught.
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This show is fascinating in how it literally took the most loudest and bombastic character from Breaking Bad and centred him in a much more quieter, nuanced, introspective and arguably better character drama. One of the best shows I've ever seen.
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@@MacabreStorytelling recency bias is so cringe
@@NuanceOverDogma You're right but this will stand the test of time for the people who watch it
@@NuanceOverDogma "Opinion is different than yours so it's automatically recency bias." -A Genius
"Most" and "-est" is redundant. As is "more" and "-er".
Most loudest. Most loud or loudest.
More quieter. More quiet or quieter
Doesn't matter in the slightest, and I'm a jerk for even mentioning it, but can't help myself. It eats at me
This show literally made the phrase, "Never Judge a book by it's cover" scream out louder than ever.
We all judged Saul's character in BB as a comedy competent criminal lawyer
And we judged the book by the cover.
And now Better Call Saul was the book we read to realize what the man actually was.
This is just pure gold.
The BCS team just made me rethink majority of BB characters in such a different light. I love it.
I could never hate chuck because his resentment and need for justification is painfully relatable. Chuck worked to the bone for his parent's happiness and love (he went to college at 14 ffs), but jimmy just existing got more love and adoration out of them than any of chuck's accomplishments. In order for this to make sense, jimmy has to be a perfect angel, but he's not, and chuck knew it. If he could prove it, maybe he'd get a little more love and credit for the way he lived his life. But they never believed him, and no matter how much jimmy messed up, there was no strictness or consequences (mostly due to them expecting chuck to look after him and bail him out). Then they both died never knowing jimmys true side, so chuck is forever robbed of that. Him being hellbent on proving it to the world makes so much sense and although it doesnt justify a lot of his actions, man do i understand why he cant let it go
Actual great insight, my mother felt the same way towards her sister
boohoo, how is this all new to people lmao.
There is a quote for this and it will always reign true: ''life is inherently unfair and full of suffering no matter you SJW's pretend to think otherwise''. No one is equal in this world even though all you Gen Z boomers seem to think it is that way. And always remember, you either die young or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
Chief, you got it exactly right
Damn now we need the prequel to the prequel of Chuck's story of how his annoying kid brother that kept interrupting his reading of classic children's fiction books drove him towards killing himself.
You don’t throw rope to the swimmer keeping his head well above the water.
HOLY SHIT, SOMEONE ELSE WHO PREFERS THE FIRST 3 SEASONS!! don't get me wrong, the whole show is incredible, but chuck and his relationship with Jimmy are just perfectly written and I have always been baffled by people who say the show takes a while to get going.
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I love the first 3 the most too
Same. I just rewatched and honestly zoned out a heap during seasons 5 and 6. I think I just prefer Jimmy McGill as a character to Saul or Gene tbh.
Because people want to see the Breaking Bad connections. Not able to see the show as it's own thing between the relationship of Chuck and Jimmy actually "the making of" the character named Saul Goodman.
Honestly, I think Vince Gilligan just woke up one day in 2008 and decided “I’m gonna make two of the best shows ever made” just to flex.
Lmao facts😂idk how he and his team made two of the top ten tv shows ever made. It’s just crazy what they accomplished
The nod to Dr. Strangelove. Well done.
The final scene between Manuel and Mike probably hit the hardest, Mike thinks Manuel is confused about the word "justice," but Manuel's response saying he speaks of revenge and that he is the same as all of them. The show didn't miss a beat.
I really liked how Lalo went down. The almost ironic way he planned everything and went down to a moment of chance was poetry
I 100% agree with this. His end was meant to be ironic and poetic. Antithetical to his character, oh so perfect.
Keep coping
@@bilkywaygalaxy keep coping
@@D14MBK What 💀
😭😭
Manuel’s talk with Mike may not have been a wake up call for Mike, but it was for the audience.
I thought Lalo's death was perfect because Gus, despite all his genius, survived by pure luck. One good hit.
I like to think "Point and Shoot" is basically "The Long Night" done right. Both episodes killed off the main antagonist in one night/one episode, but "Point and Shoot" works so much better because the villain has an active role in the story and there is genuine tension because the decisions each character makes is logical and true to their character.
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If it was D&D, it would be Holly White jumping out of thin air to croak Lalo with a quick stab.
And Gus will be screeching at Lalo for no reason like Jon screeching to a dragon.
What’s even more impressive is that BCS had a limitation of being a prequel. GoT has none.
@@nont18411 , that makes ZERO sense at all, considering Holly isn't born yet. I'd say it would be like having Lyle (Los Pollos Hermanos manager) take the final shot, because he was somehow following Gus (due to forgetting his paycheck or something....), and saw that his manager was in danger and came to save him.
Magnificent breakdown of BCS, because of how you were able to dissect those crucial relationships and tie it all back to the major ideas of BCS eloquently and as concisely (for a 2 hour video essay lol) as possible. For real, besides Watchmen, this is your best video. Congrats on this shit dude, and keep up the great work as one of the BEST Essayists on TH-cam.
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2 hour dissertation on a tv show and enthralled the whole time.
You hit the shows thematic beats right on the head, beats that I sense and can perceive and have tried to explain and organize in my mind but have failed to do as thorough and as precise as you have here.
The compilation and editing together of so many shots, that alone is a monumental effort.
My whole feed is filled with videos like this, I watch them on everything. I’ve seen many about better call Saul, it’s a fantastic show. This was top tier for real.
Well done my dude
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With Season 6 being so depressing, it makes re watches so much more impactful knowing that these small characters, like howard, will shape Jimmy into who he later becomes. It's a ticking clock of eventual doom. And it's great
After watching BCS and seeing the Saul scene in Breaking Bad, I never really changed my opinion of the character for the worse. Instead I felt bad for him because he completely succumb to his Saul persona as a coping mechanism.
After fun and games it turns out the Breaking Bad era was Saul's Jimmy's Granite state. It may be because I love Jimmy so much, but I can't imagine that era of his life as not a penance. Even with the wealth and success he accrued I don't believe he ever achieve the kind of happiness he had when he was with Kim. It puts to perspective how Jimmy's golden years were slim and rare.
I might have missed the point but even now I pity him too much to see him as a villain now.
Agreed. His lightheartedness now is coated with so much sorrow and pity.
One of the things I love the most about BCS is where it takes place. I have many times found myself paying more attention to the background scenery than what the characters are doing.
The audience was made to relate to and empathize with walter white, but as time went on we saw his changes and realized just how much suffering he directly caused. But even after seeing all the irresponsible acts commited by jimmy/saul/agent steel after chuck's death, I just can't forget the pain in jimmy's face when he learned his brother won't ever respect him, the pure resentment and hurt in his eyes.
The two moments that made me hate Jimmy and Kim were Jimmy taking advantage of Irene and Kim gaslighting Cheryl
I began watching Better Call Saul after the release of El Camino movie, I was somewhat bored yet interested in the 4 seasons, season 5 brought my interest way up to hardly waiting for the final season to come out, and finally recording every episode of the final season. The wait so worth it
Crazy how you hate jimmy and kim but not cold murderers like gus and lalo
I also think one of the reason Jimmy blasts at Howard with the "magic from my fingertips" rant is that, in his conversation, Howards seems to have overcome the grief and guilt of Chuck's death, and he cannot accep the fact Howard did it but he, even though it looks like it, hasn't even begun to accept said grief, so he lashing out at Howie feels also a bash at himself or at a stubborn part of him that won't let the emotions flow
Unpopular personal opinion: the first three seasons of Saul with the storyline of Chuck and Jimmy and their relationship actually surpasses Breaking Bad in greatness. Owing especially to the levels of emotional depth and incredibly multidimensional characters and performances. I mean, it’s just heartbreaking and agonizing, untenable and completely gut wrenching…at a much deeper depth than reached even in such a phenomenal show as BB. This is especially true in all the devastation they reek on each other, bitter and yet deep down still longing for each others love and acceptance, but unable to express it or get to a place where they can just let collectively the past go. Then the gut punch in knowing that when Chuck goes up in that fiery conflagration, the spiraling aftermath effects it has on Jimmy is a fall he will never recover from. And the Saul he then becomes blossoms before our eyes in a garden of unreconciled pain and loss. Between the brothers- So much love. So much pain inflicted on one another. So much tragedy. So many chances to mend it becoming forever lost.
So much of making me thankful I’m an only child. 😂
Thanks for this very insightful and comprehensive analysis. Did you notice that Chuck had a talent for the con in the way he suckered Jimmy into committing a felony (breaking and entering)? Afterwards, Jimmy said to Kim, "he played me." Which he did. Kim also was not just following JImmy's lead in doing cons. The scheme to get Huell off without prison time was devised by her. And afterwards, when Jimmy thanked her but said he wouldn't involve her again, her response? "Let's do it again," and she proceeded to con the City of Lubbock to get her client's bank expansion plans approved. The flashbacks to Kim's childhood show that she grew up with con artist--her mother. And shades of Kristy Esposito, she was a shoplifter, too! Jimmy just awakened something familiar within her. And by the end, she hadn't completely given up her talent for deception, conning her way into the prison as Jimmy's lawyer. Nothing about her or Jimmy is black and white, which is why I think they are among the best TV characters ever.
This show is a great example of the domino effect in terms of storytelling
Id argue Gus had a massive development from better call saul and breaking bad, similar to many other characters. You can see in BCS there's almost a tad of an amateur to Gus, he isn't fully calculated yet, he hasn't gotten to be as cunning as we will see him to be, and there is a bit more emotion in him. A very small subtle scene is when he tosses trash across the room and sinks it first try, and he gets a pretty innocent smile from it after he essentially scored on Hector. That kind of energy just isn't there in breaking bad, it's a humanity that withers away that cements its fate in the wine scene you described.
Many incredible points are being made in the comments but I haven't seen much praise for Kim and Rhea Seehorn.
Kim was supposed to be a simple love interest at the beginning but then the creators noticed her great acting ability.
I am so happy that they developed her further, Kim became my favorite character in the show.
The actors, writers, cinematographers, wardrobe and audio people (whatever they're called) deserve all of the awards that can be given to them but got almost nothing for their efforts.
It's criminal how few people are talking about this show. Thank you for making this video.
I love Kim, she’s my favorite character on the show. So complex and interesting.
She’s initially written to be just a love interest at first but later on, she’s written as a “course correction” of Skyler because the writers realized their mistakes at making Skyler got hated by the audience more than she deserves.
What a great video about an amazing show. Unlike a lot of video essays I've watched on the subject, you have really brought up some points I've never considered and really made me think about the way the story unfolded in a different way, particularly when it comes to Gus and Chuck. Thanks for making this, it was a real pleasure to watch.
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Gilligan & Gould made history. Awe inspiring creators
There's something so deep about the show I could never begin to articulate. But it's incredible and I'll forever treasure this universe and the writers behind it. Thank you Vince for putting the wheels in motion and starting this wild journey.
Breaking bad will always have a place in my heart as it quite literally made me realize my passion for chemistry and changing my life path.
Man, that's so cool! I also didn't start watching the show until very late in its run. Shortly before the premiere of its final season, to be precise. Now I'm even more hyped to see what you thought of the show. I'm actually really glad that I waited.
1:16:41 One thing I want to note here-because otherwise, I mostly agree with and appreciate your assessment-I don’t think Jimmy’s effort to force a settlement in the Sandpiper case are necessarily motivated by financial **gain**; rather, I think it’s more motivated by his desperation to preserve the dream he’s been clinging to, where he and Kim share an office and fly in the face of the establishment firms like HHM.
By not being able to fulfill his end, he sees that eventually, the point will come where they’ll need to shutter the offices-a practical solution that hardly leaves Kim devastated, but one that’s effectively killing Jimmy’s dream.
Thanks for posting, I like your videos and I adore Better Call Saul.
Also: I think Gus is developed in many ways: He learns not to use fear as the only motivator, thanks to Mike, and he becomes more set in his mission after his encounters with Lalo.
Also, I really like Lalo's because it subverted the expectations in a good way and I liked how Gus was the person to get rid of him. That was really cool in my opinion.
Suggestion: Macabre Storytelling, I think your next recap should about the Bourne Franchise, Sons of Anarchy, Dexter, Daredevil, Smallville, Planet of the Apes or El Camino.
The Bourne Trilogy I def might do; Dexter and Daredevil (TV show) are on the docket!
And one for the Mission Impossible series, and just because….
Fast and Furious: A Retconning Failure
@@MacabreStorytelling Great. Also, here are more suggestions: The Walking Dead, Banshee, Arrow, True Blood, Reacher, The Boys, Legion, Wandavision, How I met your mother, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Superman and Lois, Invincible, Homeland, 24, The Mandalorian, Andor or The Witcher.
The ending of this show and especially the last two seasons were pure art.
Lalo just brought so much to this show, its insane
1:24:43 - 1:25:07
Actually, I personally think the flashbacks work. The first one in particular, because when Kim knows that her mother was late to pick her because she’s been drinking, her mother all like, “Come on, nothing gonna happen….”. Kim however, knowing that this probably wasn’t a first time chooses not to get into the car. Similar to how in the episode when she sees how Jimmy’s conning in getting Kevin Wachtell of Mesa Verde to negotiate with Everett Acker, is starting to make Kevin suspicious if something not right. Kim, then tries to tell Jimmy to call the whole thing off, but Jimmy says the same thing about “nothing’s gonna happen”, sounding much like her mother. And it’s when Kim convinces Jimmy that it’s time to stop and settle the case, not wanting to end up in the car like her mom. Or so Kim thought, when it’s revealed that Jimmy went behind her back and does his con in front of her….
The second flashback, while maybe could’ve been place somewhere better, I personally feel it works to show that Kim doesn’t understand the difference between love and enabling those around her. As in that episode, we see Jimmy considering calling off their prank on Howard so she can go her pro bono meeting in Santa Fe. Instead, Kim chooses to continue their pranking, instead of looking to what could have been her new future to increase her career.
This ironically makes the statement Howard and Everett Acker say about her become true.
Acker: You're one of those people that, uh, give a little money to charity every month so you can make up for all the bad that you've done…. That makes you feel a whole lot better about yourself. Makes you feel like one of the best rich people.
Howard: You-one of the smartest and most promising human beings I've ever known, and this is the life you choose.
Also, in regards to Kim and Howard, he really didn’t treat Kim that badly. I’m not saying that he wasn’t a bit of a jerk in S1 - S3, but if anything, when she showed her intelligence to the table, he was impressed and showed her respect. He clearly saw her with potential. Which makes Kim pranking Howard more unforgivable. Also, I don’t think anybody talks about this, but notice how Howard mentions that his marriage was falling apart when he calls out Jimmy and Kim for what they did to him. Jimmy gives a look that says confusion, yet when he turns to look at Kim, she’s completely unfazed. Now this is just theory: But I have a VERY strong cause to believe that Kim knew about this but Jimmy didn’t. And I think the creators knew this too. Because if Jimmy knew that Howard’s marriage was falling apart, maybe he would’ve had some second thoughts about what they’re doing to him. But just like how he got into a boxing fight with Howard earlier, and was thinking about calling this all off, and how he wanted to call it off when he saw that the judge had a broken arm, Kim kept encouraging it. So she wasn’t gonna take any chances in telling Jimmy. Which makes Kim telling Howard’s wife Cheryl at the funeral a bunch of lies about him, make us audience say that she should be ashamed of herself.
And that’s one of my issue with her portrayal in the finale. Suddenly she’s a good guy again because she dumped Jimmy and she’s not in Breaking Bad even though it’s clear that she is a greater of two evils in the whole Howard scheme.
The show keeps bombarding us that Jimmy is evil. Chuck is right. Jimmy should be held accountable but they don’t really do the same for Kim.
@@nont18411, The show does hold her accountable. As she sees that what she did was wrong, and when Jimmy mockingly berates her out for it, saying why doesn’t she confess, she realizes then that there is no escape, and she must face up. Which she does when she writes her confession to the court and Cheryl.
I love feature-length essays
This is such a great video essay. I felt the same way when hearing about Better Call Saul as a prequel not because it was a prequel per se but my main gripe was out of all the characters why is the comic relief character getting his own spin off that is multiple seasons long. In Breaking Bad I thought Saul was okay but was never a huge fan but then bcs came around and proved every notion I had completely wrong. My thoughts on the arcs in the sections with mike, chuck, and kim were pretty much the same so it was nice to see someone able to put all of my thoughts on all the characters in such a concise way that sums them all up perfectly.
“You think a man just happens to release a video like that? No! He orchestrated it! Mac!”
HE UPLOADED IT TO A VIDEO PLATFORM!
Me: Who has time for a two-hour analysis of a TV show?
Also me: Drops all ongoing activities and watches entire video in one sitting.
Fantastic video as always. I watched Breaking Bad a few years after it had started. I was looking for something with a slightly darker edge after finishing Sons of Anarchy. I loved both shows. This fell into the same category as The American's, I liked the show but didn't love it enough to keep with it, it's hard to explain where they fell short for me. I love the way you use your visuals, setting the scene / mood for the characters and not overplaying the action. Although you reuse clips, the imagery is very clear but doesn't distract from your storytelling. A great love letter to the show.
Why yes, TH-cam: I will watch this 2 hour video essay instead of studying. Thank you.
Dude, I love your channel so much, that I watched Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul for the first time just to watch this analysis.
After almost a year, here we go…
This video autoplayed after I was listening to one about Last of Us in my car. I ended up listening to the entire thing, completely fascinated. Excellent work. Big win for the algorithm.
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And that was the moment James McGill became Saul Goodman
from what I got from the last scene with gus, is that the writers were trying to subtetly tell that gus' friend who was killed by Hector was not his friend but his lover. Would make more sense as of why Gus spent his entire life taking revenge
The greatest prequel series in television history.
A beautiful work, I love those long analysis videos
Ima keep em comin
I really enjoyed this video and appreciated the thorough breakdown of the series and some interesting perspectives on things.
One comment about Kim near the end. I didn't get the impression that she was still able to practice law, I think she just said about the card not having an expiry date as it meant she was able to get in to see him as she wouldn't have been able to were she a regular visitor.
I think she could get her licence again, but she would likely have to pass the bar exam again considering she asked them to terminate it previously.
Thanks again for a great video
Clarification: Kim's gave up her law license and is no longer a member of the Bar. What she said at the end was that her Bar *card* didn't have an expiration date. It didn't mean that she could still practice law. It was just that the card probably said, "Member since ..." and didn't have an expiration date. It was her last con.
Thought it was a Mauler video for some reason :I
That’s high praise
@@MacabreStorytelling An unbridled praise
This is so eary listening I feel like you’re the guy from what’s Therapy channel very similiar vocal tonality and pronounciation.
That’s high praise
@@MacabreStorytelling both great content
I still have a few episodes of the last season.
I love how the show doesn't treat you like a child and literally shows doesn't tell, you know, like the first lesson in film class?
Funny Story ***(spoiler)***
Ok so, I watched BB 4+ years ago and watched first 2 seasons of BCS, but the whole Chuck storyline kinda got boring to me and I was wanting more action and Mikey boi. So I dropped it for like 2 years and recently picked it up again..
I WAS AWESTRUCK WHEN NACHO DIED. MY BRAIN WAS SURE HE WAS A BB CHARACTER AND COULDN'T DIE. very epic scene. Michael Mando acting is insane.
Ignacio certainly was mentioned in Breaking Bad. But he was never present.
Nacho was GOAT character
My wife and I just rewatched BB then did El Camino and the BCS finale again. Highly recommend.
I enjoyed your analysis. It is clear that you have spent a lot of time and attention and the high quality of the result of your efforts is admirable.
I’ve been waiting for this 👌🏾
01:21:20-01:21:45 This clever bit of editing and awkward humor is why I'm thankful I subscribed to you Macabre Storytelling.
This is the best analysis I've seen
Great video!
Better Call Saul is my favourite TV series of all time!
Love the recap but just a minor gripe... Did anyone really expect Jimmy to betray Kim to save himself in the end?
At that point I wouldn’t have been surprised considering how far he had fallen with Marion.
I never did lol. Dude is too soft.
I assumed it was a feint, that either he somehow already knew or guessed she had confessed, or that he would tell them about the scam they pulled on Howard but leave her role out of it.
Poor Mike never learned his lesson when it came to half measures
Didn’t expect this video to come out already. Now I’ve got something to watch while eating a Cinnabon
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While Chuck's actions and words do affect Jimmie in some way that makes him recur to his mischievous ways, let's not forget that the series (both BrB and BCS) are all about choice. Once Jimmie gets a secure and safe job at a respectable firm, he immediately screws it up because he hates the "system", so Chuck wasn't all entirely incorrect about his brother
BCS was absolutely incredible. I held off forever because I figured it was gonna be a funny spin-off with Saul dealing with petty criminals the whole series. My god was I wrong. I think I like this series better than BB itself. Crazy.
same experience for me, very happy that I overlooked it for so long, allowing me to binge it in one big viewing
32:42 - 33:04
Well, I would argue that this wasn’t where the resentment started, as shown to some flashbacks, that, despite Jimmy’s actions when he was young, Chuck has shown some love for his brother. I personally think his for hatred, and wanting to take Jimmy down really started, when Chuck at their mother’s death bed heard her calling for Jimmy and not him. It’s here, where Chuck finally believes that Jimmy was always the “favorite one”, to their parents, and that no matter how much Chuck sacrificed for them, it was all for nothing as they will still be thinking about Jimmy more than him.
Also, in regards to the flashback and the finale with Jimmy and Chuck, I personally view that as Jimmy’s “time travel moment”. As when you think about it, if these two brothers just talked out their problems, maybe none of the events of the series would’ve happened. Maybe Jimmy would see how much he causes harm to people did his actions, and Chuck can see that he’s also wrong for holding such resentment. Not to mention that the flashback is after their mother has died, so maybe Jimmy could even let him know that maybe the reason she said his name is because of him.
Lalo is in breaking bad twice. He's mentioned by Saul when Jessie and Walt kidnap Saul and he's shown in a picture as a child wearing the same belt buckle he has in bcs
I put my vote in to see you make another video about why you think Better Call Saul is better than Breaking Bad. These are so interesting, and I’m surprised by how much I agree with you.
I think Chuck wanted to help Jimmy as long as he was lesser but couldn't stand the idea of his "bad" brother being his equal. And I think that deep down Chuck sees and hates his own crooked side in Jimmy.
This is probably the best vid about Better Call Saul I've seen yet. Most vids are very dry and make the show sound boring. You on the other hand make it sound fucking great. Bravo bro.
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1:57:15 I think you might have misunderstood that line. I don't think it means KIm can just up and be a lwayer again as that's not how it works. She is legally not an attorney. She said that to explain how she was able to make the guards at the prison think she was Jimmy's lawyer and see him by showing them the license.
It's better than BB. Even though it isn't. But it definitely is. It's so good.
I love how the more you think about the plot the more tragic the characters are. Also how avoidable everything could have being. This show is like the methaphor of the frog in the boiling water.
It's def a show that only gets better with subsequent rewatches.
When watching what Jimmy and Kim did to Howard, it gave me that vibe you hear in stories where the hero becomes the villain, when they say the line:
“You (In this case: Howard) really have changed. WELL SO HAVE I (Jimmy and Kim).
What you said right at the beginning - thinking it’s gonna be a whacky show of Saul representing different clients, is exactly what I expected the show to be. And it’s why I DIDN’T watch it until about a month ago.
Boy was I wrong and I’m so glad I gave it a shot. I actually liked it quite a bit more than BB and that one is already fantastic.
Such a good show.
I appreciated the Dr. Strangelove reference
😏
With that logic, I'm responible if a friend dies in a car accident on the way to visit me.
I discovered this channel on a humble, yesterday, this one of my favorite series to date, I don’t binge watch but this I did in its entirety 4x’s and everything is spot on with my Twitter analysis, good job, I will become a Paetron really soon
Dude you're one of my favourite commentary youtubers, and I am praying you only get bigger. Your BCS video was fantastic, and I like the faith you have that Chuck still cares about Jimmy, even if I believe in the end, his envy was far stronger than the brotherly love he had. ]
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34:34 Didn’t Jimmy and chuck’s mother pressure chuck into helping get jimmy out of that bind?
This was brilliantly done. I’m impressed that you pulled so much meaning out of this story on a binge watch.
It’s amazing how many characters died/suffered due to their egos and/or inability to let things go/move on
-Walt
-Jesse
-Jimmy
-Gus
-Mike
-Hank
-Kim
-Chuck
-Hector
I wonder if the writers knew at the beginning, Howard's character arc and ending for him, or if it came to them as the seasons passed.
I got the same experience as you watching this show, just as the last season was broadcasted, having exactly the same "fears" of what it would be.. superficial. Full of cheap fan service. Gimmicky.
Hell was I wrong.
I got smashed. This video sums it all.
It is such an intelligent and subtle show. The drama is so powerful. The characters.. MY GOD. Chuck McGill is incredibly well crafted. All the symbolism, the details put in this.. my brain is on fire.
The BB team have created two masterpieces so intertwined. So coherent. So impactful. I am so glad I discovered this hell of a show.
Just finished a rewatch of the series today nice treat to catch this upload
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This is without a doubt my absolute favorite analysis of the show and quite possibly my favorite analysis out of any other form of story telling and yet this is my first video I've ever seen on your channel, WELL. FUCKING. DONE.
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Loved all the effort you put in this essay. Bravo Macabre and Bravo Vince and Peter and all the crew for crafting such a masterpiece of television history
I think Jimmy's confession is not only the best moment in the series, but one of the best moments in all of television. It's such an immensely complex and layered scene, tying up all of the core themes of the story in one explosive monologue. It's a perfect scene. It simultaneously brings out both the Saul side of him (him bragging about how essential he was to Walt's empire) and the Jimmy side (his sincere confession at his guilt of Howard and Chuck's deaths), and the complete dissolution of his necessity of his three personas. The different motivations behind it are what make it so good to me beyond just this from his love for Kim to his final conversation with the old lady who awoke a sliver of his humanity again to him finally being tired of having to run away from all of his guilt and regrets and desiring to be honest for once in his life to do something good to even just remembering his past conversations of his regrets with Mike, Chuck, and Walter (3 of the most important people in his life apart from Kim) and more. It's a perfect scene straight up.
I also love how Jimmy doesn't just stay as Jimmy but still retains certain traits from Saul and Gene, as shown by the hidden pride he has at the bus scene or him making cinnabuns at the prison.
Great review.
To me, this series, like no other, plumbed the depths of the moral greyzone we call civilization but refuse to see as such; the way all of us react to our past, and allow it to frame our future, ultimately the series reveals that we DO have free will, and we can realize truth of our existence at any time in our lives.
Better Call Saul is better than Breaking Bad, and I'm tired of people pretending that it's not.
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People always look at me funny when I tell them that I like Better Call Saul more than Breaking Bad.
I believe that this video fully explained exactly why. Lol
I get called a contrarian for holding that same opinion. People are just not ready to admit this show surpassed Breaking Bad because (and get ready for this bombshell) the creators, writers, and actors ALL had more time to hone their craft and develop the story and characters collaboratively.
@BradsGonnaPlay the ending was much more satisfying, the characters were more fleshed out, and you felt the weight of every choice that every character made.
I'm not taking anything away from BB by any means, but BCS just did more for me as a whole.
This is without a doubt one of the best analyses of this show I’ve ever seen
The one thing I can’t entirely get behind for the season 6 final arc, is how it frames Kim and Jimmy responsible for Howard’s death. I have tried to look at it from several different angles and I just can’t for the life of me understand how people see them as responsible. It was purely a case of wrong place wrong time. The only reason Howard died was because he came to their apartment at slightly the wrong time. You could argue that it’s their fault because he wouldn’t have come if the scam hadn’t happened, but that seems like a bit of cheap reasoning to me. Howard could have come over because of a friendly apologetic get together, he could have come over because he wanted to talk about his marital issues. Him coming to their home is not contingent on him getting scammed, which is why I think they can’t be held responsible for his death.
Why must you torture me by posting this massively hyped video at midnight my time!
I'm out to ruin you
u got it right with kim(best feamle char of all time) from good to worst to punishing herself in her new life. marvelous
1:57:12 all she said was that her card didnt have an expiry date, so she is able to bluff and present the card to talk to him in prison whenever they want however she's still unable to practice law.
Thanks for this. I was/am a huge fan of BCS and agree that it surpassed BB as a show. But as I found your analysis and looked at the 2 hour run time I was hesitant to invest 2 hours of my Friday to watch it. But dang man, the 2 hours flew by and I thoroughly enjoyed your perspective and analysis and conclusions. Which are mostly in agreement with mine which kept me watching at first but then as I continued watching it was with a good bit of appreciation for your eye of teaching me some new things about the show and new angles to to viewing this and future shows that kept me to the end. Again thanks...you did this much better than I could do. I am hitting the subscribe button before looking at any more of your work and I hope to learn more storytelling and analysis from your video library.
You better call Saul!
I agree with you 100% that Howard telling Jimmy about the insurance, and Jimmy realizing in that moment that it contributed to Chuck’s suicide, is what BROKE Jimmy. He could not live with the idea that he had contributed so significantly to Chuck’s suicide through that act, and in that moment any chance of “good Jimmy” died and the Saul persona was born out of a pure psychological defense mechanism. I actually watched this show in real time and could not understand why so many people seemed to misinterpret or not fully recognize this moment. Glad to hear you had the same takeaway as me.
I get where you're coming from with Lalo's death, but I see it this was. Breaking Bad was about the self destructive nature of Pride and Ego. Pretty much every character meets their end due to pride.
Whereas Better Call Saul is the sister side to that idea. The fickle nature of Control. All the characters are methodical and precise. They try as hard as they can to maintain control. And their fates, while sewn by their choices, play out in a way they couldn't possibly predict.
Lalo's death incorporates both of these ideas. Lalo only bumped into Gus by chance. Gus stalls for time by playing to Lalo's Ego, which he indulges since he feels in control. And like you say, the way Gus beats him is almost anti-climactic. An improvised gamble, that even Gus couldn't believe worked; the trigger clicking long after the last round has been fired.
All Lalo's planning, sleuthing and patience; all falls prey to dumb luck.
So I that sense, I feel like it's very appropriate.
Incredible analysis!
very good video
so many points to take and talk about with this show.
you might even look as breaking bad as the sequel to better call Saul.
truly thankful i got to watch and analyze every small bit of this show, what a masterpiece