Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul - Thread

[someplace_else]

So, I recently finished both TV series (again and again,...) and I already miss them so much . That's why I'm starting this thread.

Anyone here who loves the shows, too? Which one do you like better and why? Do you have favourite characters? What do you love about the shows?

Atm I am watching a YouTube playlist from a guy who analysed every episode and points out countless facts and mistakes of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Really amazing how much hidden stuff is in there and how much work was put in.

I hope we can chat a little and this thread will enhance my mood .

 

[someplace_else]

Ok, starting again by myself to hopefully get the conversation going :

Over all I love the show for the writing, the acting, how it was filmed (you could say nearly every scene is filmed so great you could hang it as a picture on your wall).

I also love the relationship between Jimmy and Kim and how much all the characters influence the development of one another.

Like I wrote, atm I am watching a YouTube channel that really dissects every aspect of Better Call Saul. Some facts that are really cool/funny, for example:

• All intros combined tell a story by themselves
• Colours people are wearing mean something
• You can (or could) call many phone numbers seen in the show
• There are cars, buildings, phones from later years in the show
• The cupholder of the Esteem is really a little larger than the one in the Mercedes (davis & main company car - which was also a car that didn't exist yet in the time the story plays)
• There is really a video of the one guy (was it Danny?) sitting in cake - wish I could un-see this

...and much more. He also did that for Breaking Bad, very interesting and enjoyable to watch:

 

[ChanceToDance]

Jesse we need to cook

I recommend that you watch Pluribus next, it's Vince Giligan's new show with Rhea Seehorn as the protagonist. It's got a premise that's totally unexpected (at least to me it was lol) from someone like Giligan, won't spoil too much but it's about an Alien hivemind taking control of most of Earth's population. So far it focuses more on worldbuilding and character development so the pace is slower in comparison to BB and BCS, I assume it'll get more intense in later seasons like it happened with BCS (S5 and S6 was divine)

 

[someplace_else]

Jesse we need to cook

I recommend that you watch Pluribus next, it's Vince Giligan's new show with Rhea Seehorn as the protagonist. It's got a premise that's totally unexpected (at least to me it was lol) from someone like Giligan, won't spoil too much but it's about an Alien hivemind taking control of most of Earth's population. So far it focuses more on worldbuilding and character development so the pace is slower in comparison to BB and BCS, I assume it'll get more intense in later seasons like it happened with BCS (S5 and S6 was divine)

Would love to, but I don't have any streaming account atm .
Looks very promising, I will find a way to watch it somehow, thanks

Edit: only Prime and there it's nor free, of course

 

[ChanceToDance]

But to answer the first thread...

I prefer BB by a good margin, since my brain is cooked it took me plenty of tries to get into BCS (at first I tried watching it around the time S1 premiered but I'd always stop, it wasn't until the premiere of the first part of S6 that I got hooked) but I really like the later seasons. Lalo Salamanca really stole the spotlight hahaha.

What I like about both shows is the characters and how well-written it is, pretty much every character changes as the shows progresses, and most of the time for the worst. Watching BB after you've seen BCS you just can't help but feel sorry for who Saul Goodman is (you also view the lab scenes in a different light lol).

Favorite character is hard for me to say, I like Tuco Salamanca because it's funny how utterly unhinged he is but I think a lot about other characters like Mike, Jesse, Nacho, etc... Really hard for me to pick just one lol

What about you?

 

[someplace_else]

But to answer the first thread...

I prefer BB by a good margin, since my brain is cooked it took me plenty of tries to get into BCS (at first I tried watching it around the time S1 premiered but I'd always stop, it wasn't until the premiere of the first part of S6 that I got hooked) but I really like the later seasons. Lalo Salamanca really stole the spotlight hahaha.

When I watched Better Call Saul the first time, the pacing felt very slow, almost boring, compared to Breaking Bad. I watched it the 2nd (or 3rd?) time now and enjoyed it way more. Don't know why, but I think I looked closer to all the character developments and how interesting the story is written, the camera work etc., so I wasn't bored at all. Still, I like Breaking Bad a little more. Walt is just such a great character, will always be #1 .

What I like about both shows is the characters and how well-written it is, pretty much every character changes as the shows progresses, and most of the time for the worst. Watching BB after you've seen BCS you just can't help but feel sorry for who Saul Goodman is (you also view the lab scenes in a different light lol).

Yes, that's true. Both shows complement each other very well. Walt, as well as Jimmy, break bad because of a deep lack of self esteem and because they both worked hard in life and didn't get anything out of it, so that's their solution to achieve something. And both like the thrill it gives them, so you could say they have a lot in common and I am sure that often is the reason why people start doing illegal things.

And it's genius that you understand them and feel for them although they are acting like complete douchebags . It's always like: "I get it, but... it's morally wrong, but...!"

Favorite character is hard for me to say, I like Tuco Salamanca because it's funny how utterly unhinged he is but I think a lot about other characters like Mike, Jesse, Nacho, etc... Really hard for me to pick just one lol

What about you?

Yeah, they are all great...I would say Walt is the best, Jimmy, Mike (love how he is always so annoyed and calm and badass at the same time ). And Fring, it's so amazing how he switches between the friendly, caring fast food chain - boss and in the next second his face is like a frozen ice block because he's the drug guy again. Superior acting.

 

[Jackears]

I'm not a big fan of Breaking Bad, I find it very slow at the beginning even though I understand the reason. I think it is a very good tv show, well produced and the actors are amazing!
I like Better Call Saul more 'cause for some reason I loved his character in BB and also because we get to understand his past together with Mike's past/reasons for doing what he's doing. It was a bit slow as well, not going to lie but overall I prefer it.

 

[ChanceToDance]

When I watched Better Call Saul the first time, the pacing felt very slow, almost boring, compared to Breaking Bad. I watched it the 2nd (or 3rd?) time now and enjoyed it way more. Don't know why, but I think I looked closer to all the character developments and how interesting the story is written, the camera work etc., so I wasn't bored at all. Still, I like Breaking Bad a little more. Walt is just such a great character, will always be #1 .

Yeah it's exactly how it went on for me lol. My favorite eps from BCS are pretty much those which have a "Breaking Bad" feel to them like "Bagman" and "Rock And Hard Place", the latter easily being the best episode of the series for me. Is there an ep in particular that stood out for you?

And it's genius that you understand them and feel for them although they are acting like complete douchebags . It's always like: "I get it, but... it's morally wrong, but...!"

True! And that's another thing I like about the shows; every character is tragic in their own way and there really is no "black and white", even the most good natured characters have done something that's morally wrong at one point in the series (Jesse was pretty scummy for attempting to sell drugs to people who were in recovery)

Walt, as well as Jimmy, break bad because of a deep lack of self esteem and because they both worked hard in life and didn't get anything out of it, so that's their solution to achieve something.

With Walter it's even more of a fascinating transformation for me because there are bits here and there that shows the anger, the bitterness, the regrets, the greed that drove him to become Heisenberg were always there, even before his cancer diagnosis. His "I'm in the empire business" line showcases that pretty well. It's one of my favorite scenes of the show.

Yeah, they are all great...I would say Walt is the best, Jimmy, Mike (love how he is always so annoyed and calm and badass at the same time ). And Fring, it's so amazing how he switches between the friendly, caring fast food chain - boss and in the next second his face is like a frozen ice block because he's the drug guy again. Superior acting.

I love how much depth they gave to Gus Fring (and to other characters from BB as well), the scenes showing how paranoid of a person he is, how deep his hatred for the Salamancas goes (his scene at the hospital with Hector is just chilling), and his final scene is simply tragic. I'd love to know more about his backstory in Chile but I'd rather they left the series as is, I'd hate for it to be turned into a cashcow lol.

Have you watched "El Camino" btw? What are your thoughts on that?

 

[someplace_else]

I'm not a big fan of Breaking Bad, I find it very slow at the beginning even though I understand the reason. I think it is a very good tv show, well produced and the actors are amazing!
I like Better Call Saul more 'cause for some reason I loved his character in BB and also because we get to understand his past together with Mike's past/reasons for doing what he's doing. It was a bit slow as well, not going to lie but overall I prefer it.

That's interesting, I think most people prefer Breaking Bad. If I remember correctly, season 2 was a bit slow, the rest not imo

Yeah it's exactly how it went on for me lol. My favorite eps from BCS are pretty much those which have a "Breaking Bad" feel to them like "Bagman" and "Rock And Hard Place", the latter easily being the best episode of the series for me. Is there an ep in particular that stood out for you?

Oh, I would have to check the names of the episodes again to be able to answer this . There are some scenes that stood out for sure.

True! And that's another thing I like about the shows; every character is tragic in their own way and there really is no "black and white", even the most good natured characters have done something that's morally wrong at one point in the series (Jesse was pretty scummy for attempting to sell drugs to people who were in recovery)

Yes, true. Both shows are also a perfect balanced mix between comedy, drama and action.

With Walter it's even more of a fascinating transformation for me because there are bits here and there that shows the anger, the bitterness, the regrets, the greed that drove him to become Heisenberg were always there, even before his cancer diagnosis. His "I'm in the empire business" line showcases that pretty well. It's one of my favorite scenes of the show.

Mine is the "I am the one who knocks", I even got a tattoo with that line . He really lost it there and was overpowered by his Heisenberg alter ego. That happend before, too, when he gave obvious hints to Hank, but in this scene it was really "in your face".

I love how much depth they gave to Gus Fring (and to other characters from BB as well), the scenes showing how paranoid of a person he is, how deep his hatred for the Salamancas goes (his scene at the hospital with Hector is just chilling), and his final scene is simply tragic. I'd love to know more about his backstory in Chile but I'd rather they left the series as is, I'd hate for it to be turned into a cashcow lol.

Yeah, I think it's good to keep some secrets. His final scene also is one of my favourites. First you think "how could he have survived that?" and then it's like "oh... nevermind" . And the Hector ding-ding still gives me goosebumps, creepy af .

Have you watched "El Camino" btw? What are your thoughts on that?

Yes, I have, but some years ago. I remember thinking that it was good but not overwhelming. Need to watch it again somehow...did you like it?

 

[ChanceToDance]

That's interesting, I think most people prefer Breaking Bad. If I remember correctly, season 2 was a bit slow, the rest not imo

There's actually a surprising amount of people who like BCS more, even people in my social circle who watched the shows prefer BCS because they like how it's character driven lol. The consensus seems to be that if you like drama you'll be more drawn to BCS, but if you're into something faster paced and with more action you'll prefer BB.

Yeah, I think it's good to keep some secrets. His final scene also is one of my favourites. First you think "how could he have survived that?" and then it's like "oh... nevermind" . And the Hector ding-ding still gives me goosebumps, creepy af

Oh that was scene cool! but I was referring about his final scene in BCS, with Gus throwing away his one opportunity of allowing himself to move on and form a connection so he could continue his chase for revenge. Loved that scene. S6B in general was simply fantastic.

Yes, I have, but some years ago. I remember thinking that it was good but not overwhelming. Need to watch it again somehow...did you like it?

It was alright but I thought it was pretty unnecessary. A good chunk of it was just flashbacks, and the one action scene it had was pretty underwhelming. And realistically speaking I don't think there was any way for Jesse to have had a good ending, the DEA/the police would be onto him, the criminals connected to the Nazi gang would possibly want revenge, he'd be chased by the whole world pretty much. It was cool to see the characters again after years but I'd have preferred if they left it up to the viewer's interpretation what happened to him after the ending of BB.

Gotta thank this thread for putting the series back into my subconscious again, I've been watching a few BCS clips in my spare time. Thinking of giving it a proper rewatch lol

 

[someplace_else]

There's actually a surprising amount of people who like BCS more, even people in my social circle who watched the shows prefer BCS because they like how it's character driven lol. The consensus seems to be that if you like drama you'll be more drawn to BCS, but if you're into something faster paced and with more action you'll prefer BB.

Interesting, I always thought most people love Breaking Bad and only like 60% of them have even watched Better Call Saul . Always felt like it was more of a niche TV show.

Oh that was scene cool! but I was referring about his final scene in BCS, with Gus throwing away his one opportunity of allowing himself to move on and form a connection so he could continue his chase for revenge. Loved that scene. S6B in general was simply fantastic.

Ah, my mistake. When I think about Gus, it's always the last scene in Breaking Bad .

It was alright but I thought it was pretty unnecessary. A good chunk of it was just flashbacks, and the one action scene it had was pretty underwhelming. And realistically speaking I don't think there was any way for Jesse to have had a good ending, the DEA/the police would be onto him, the criminals connected to the Nazi gang would possibly want revenge, he'd be chased by the whole world pretty much. It was cool to see the characters again after years but I'd have preferred if they left it up to the viewer's interpretation what happened to him after the ending of BB.

Yes, I remember I was a little disappointed after I watched it. I think they wanted to give the audience more, but then that's too much. Same with movies in general. The first two parts are often great and the third one isn't as good .

Gotta thank this thread for putting the series back into my subconscious again, I've been watching a few BCS clips in my spare time. Thinking of giving it a proper rewatch lol

You definitely should . I also recommend the YouTube channel I posted. He goes into sooo many details, it's incredible... and funny editing, really like it.

I also adore the connection between Kim and Jimmy. They didn't want to change each other, were very loyal and accepted all the flaws they have. And in the end decided to end everything instead of trying to adjust their behaviour. That was really heartbreaking because she's the one that kept Jimmy on track.

btw, I am not blurring out spoilers - if someone hasn't watched the shows yet, DO IT NOW!

Ah, and maybe I have ordered a University of American Samoa - pullover...had to

 

[ChanceToDance]

You definitely should . I also recommend the YouTube channel I posted. He goes into sooo many details, it's incredible... and funny editing, really like it.

Will check it out, thanks!

There is really a video of the one guy (was it Danny?) sitting in cake - wish I could un-see this

Squat Cobbler is a real art.

Speaking of YT channels I found one a while back that did "what-if" videos on the BB universe, they're pretty well made! I was surprised to see they're still going with those

Murge Productions

A Huge fan of making alternative versions of anything and Always exploring the idea of “WHAT IF” and with a universe as well written as Breaking bad, the possibilities are endless, So I hope you enjoy the rewrites of breaking bad/Better Call Saul and if by the end of the video if you start...

www.youtube.com

That was really heartbreaking because she's the one that kept Jimmy on track.

Yeah, the last eps of BCS does reflect on that. And the last frame of them together is such a good shot too.

Ah, and maybe I have ordered a University of American Samoa - pullover...had to

You have merch of the show? That's so cool! A few years back I wanted to get some art frames of Walter White's transformation (from s1 all the way to the finale) to hang on my wall but I couldn't find the one I wanted in specific so I gave up on that lol. Do you have other merch?

And also I'm having trouble picturing your tattoo... how does it look like? Is it the quote or did you straight up tattoo Bryan Cranston's face on you Do you have a reference I could check?

 

[someplace_else]

Squat Cobbler is a real art.

When I watched the video I was torn between laughter and vomiting .

Speaking of YT channels I found one a while back that did "what-if" videos on the BB universe, they're pretty well made! I was surprised to see they're still going with those

Murge Productions

A Huge fan of making alternative versions of anything and Always exploring the idea of “WHAT IF” and with a universe as well written as Breaking bad, the possibilities are endless, So I hope you enjoy the rewrites of breaking bad/Better Call Saul and if by the end of the video if you start...

www.youtube.com

Will check them out as soon as I am finished with the other ones, thanks!

Yeah, the last eps of BCS does reflect on that. And the last frame of them together is such a good shot too.

Yes, and I the lights coming from the opposite direction is cool, too, like everything has changed. Also, in the previous shots, like at HHM, Kim's head always was half in the light, half in the shadow, Jimmy's too at times. So maybe this could also mean they finally became who they really are. I am sure that was intentional.

You have merch of the show? That's so cool! A few years back I wanted to get some art frames of Walter White's transformation (from s1 all the way to the finale) to hang on my wall but I couldn't find the one I wanted in specific so I gave up on that lol. Do you have other merch?

No, just ordered the pullover, it should arrive in one or two days . Maybe you can look for some on Etsy, they often have special stuff .

And also I'm having trouble picturing your tattoo... how does it look like? Is it the quote or did you straight up tattoo Bryan Cranston's face on you Do you have a reference I could check?

No, I don't want to get any tattoos of faces, I would never be satisfied . It's on my arm, there are some hints to other TV shows I love there. And Mike, of course . I have the quote and the bee aka moth. Need one for Better Call Saul, too now, I guess . Not sure what...

 

[ChanceToDance]

When I watched the video I was torn between laughter and vomiting .

I was just watching the clip where Jimmy was explaining to the cops what Squat Cobbler is and I was losing my shit the whole time lmfao. I seriously need to watch this show again

No, I don't want to get any tattoos of faces, I would never be satisfied . It's on my arm, there are some hints to other TV shows I love there. And Mike, of course . I have the quote and the bee aka moth. Need one for Better Call Saul, too now, I guess . Not sure what...

View attachment 8133

All my eyes went on that MJ tattoo, it looks so cool! Y'know... since BB aired in 2008 I wonder if the show ever reached his radar lol.

Need one for Better Call Saul, too now, I guess . Not sure what...

If you're taking suggestions I'd say the "together we are poison" line would be pretty neat! Especially since you said Kim and Jim's relationship is one of the things you like most about the show. Or the "JMM" logo, can't really think of much that'd be lowkey lol.

 

[someplace_else]

I was just watching the clip where Jimmy was explaining to the cops what Squat Cobbler is and I was losing my shit the whole time lmfao. I seriously need to watch this show again

Have you seen the video where the guy actually does it?

All my eyes went on that MJ tattoo, it looks so cool! Y'know... since BB aired in 2008 I wonder if the show ever reached his radar lol.

Thanks, I love it, too . Good question... would love to know that. I always asked myself if he played GTA .

If you're taking suggestions I'd say the "together we are poison" line would be pretty neat! Especially since you said Kim and Jim's relationship is one of the things you like most about the show. Or the "JMM" logo, can't really think of much that'd be lowkey lol.

I think a bottle of the Zafiro Añejo would be great, but not sure if it looks good as a tattoo...or the picture of them standing at the wall, like above, just simplified... don't know yet .

Today I proceeded to watch the BCS facts YouTube videos. Didn't know there was so much digital editing in the show. Like the cool one shot-scene of the border control. They removed buildings, added trucks amd some other stuff .

Ah, my pullover arrived today, I am very happy about it (just spending money for really important things ).