Better Call Saul - Season Three Discussion

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by stereoptic, Jan 16, 2017.

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  1. balzac

    balzac Senior Member

    a) We actually don't know how much Jimmy actually *used* the Saul moniker in the past. We have one flashback where he blurts the name out and explains the "it's all good man" pun. But we don't know if he regularly used it in his scams or in life in general.

    b) He fights this world view at various points, trying to be less cynical and go with the flow (e.g. taking the Davis & Main gig), and this constant struggle and push-and-pull, even if we know or believe he ultimately will go all or mostly "bad", is still one of the main underpinnings of the show and what makes it so good.

    c) I'm not sure if the implication is that anytime he tries to go "good", he's only doing so because of guilt instead of some deep-down sense of at least *trying* to "do the right thing", but if that is the implication, I would disagree.

    d) I don't see much linkage between these two instances. One was done very deliberately by his own hand with forethought, while in the latter case in BB, it was a big blow-up that he didn't want to happen and involved the actions of a bunch of other people that he had chosen to be involved with. He didn't ask Walt to kill Fring and to admit everything to his brother-in-law and then go on the run, etc.
     
  2. balzac

    balzac Senior Member

    Not particularly, because the "how he gets there" is way more interesting than the "when", or seeing some actual big single moment. To the degree I've pondered the "when", I've said all along I hope he doesn't go "full Saul" (to the degree we can measure) until the last moment of the last episode, because the tortured, conflicted Jimmy is a far more compelling character than the "Saul" of BB.
     
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  3. The Pinhead

    The Pinhead KING OF BOOM AND SIZZLE IN HELL

    Indeed, Jimmy is by far a more complex and interesting, less stereotyped character than Saul, as I posted before regarding Nacho and Tuco. Can't wait for season 4 !
     
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  4. Gems-A-Bems

    Gems-A-Bems Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Duke City
    You just made the "clear delineation".
     
  5. rburly

    rburly Sitting comfortably with Item 9

    Location:
    Orlando
    Right. When we watched BB, it was clearly Saul. People can change their name anytime. He had to have a very significant event happen to change his name to Saul Goodman. It's like an athlete who works his butt off to become better. Saul slowly turns into Saul-like behavior (and really, we all know he's the same guy. It's the behavior I watch for. He's out to make a living almost however he needs to = Saul. I want to see when that name change happens. All our conjecture will be satisfied.
     
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  6. Hot Ptah

    Hot Ptah Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    Kansas City, MO
    I have not seen this Breaking Bad episode in a long time, but I remember an episode with a scene in Saul Goodman's office in which an injured man is sitting in the crowded waiting room wearing a neck brace. Jimmy talks to him about wearing the brace whenever he is in public, and directs Francesca to call a particular doctor for an appointment for this injured man.

    Knowing how personal injury law works as I do, I had the clear impression that the man was not badly injured, and that Jimmy was trying to create an impression that he was injured. Using a particular doctor would be an indication that Jimmy knew doctors who would write reports that all of his clients are significantly injured, and that the injuries can be traced to each defendant's conduct or product. There are doctors known to be that way in the real world, in every city. The neck brace would create a good impression in case the opposing party was conducting surveillance on the injured man, filming him secretly to show that he was doing strenuous activity inconsistent with his claimed injuries. This covert surveillance of injured people takes place in the real world too.

    All of that indicated to me that Saul Goodman was using his Slippin' Jimmy mindset to make money on personal injury law, in addition to the criminal defense law that he practiced. Also, this small time personal injury law, and the law practice defending people for drunk driving and traffic offenses, created a cover for Saul Goodman, while his real practice, the big time drug dealer defense, went on in the background. It was very much like Gus Fring owning the chicken restaurants--hiding in plain sight, as Gus said to Walter at one point.
     
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  7. rburly

    rburly Sitting comfortably with Item 9

    Location:
    Orlando
    A new song: "Slipping Into Saul"
     
  8. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff Thread Starter

    Location:
    NY
    You can see the pill bottles by the bed in the scene where Chuck is having trouble sleeping. I don't recall if I could tell if one was empty or not, I'll have to watch it again, also I'll have to watch the final shot before the fire.
     
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  9. Hot Ptah

    Hot Ptah Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    Kansas City, MO
    The pill bottles are clearly visible in the bed scene. In fact, Chuck takes a few pills with water. In the final shot, there may be a pill bottle to Chuck's right, but it is not easy to pick out, and certainly not easy to tell if it is empty.
     
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  10. Gems-A-Bems

    Gems-A-Bems Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Duke City
    I hadn't seen this until now. Holy crap. Frampa
     
  11. "It's the orange one, numb nuts." :biglaugh:

    Perfect! I mean, who doesn't use Fram oil filters?
     
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  12. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    Electric vehicle drivers!
     
  13. I don't even know what that is! :wiggle:
     
  14. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    Electrek
     
  15. rburly

    rburly Sitting comfortably with Item 9

    Location:
    Orlando
    I don't ;)
     
  16. RoyalScam

    RoyalScam Luckless Pedestrian

    Love it! Love Banks. But he'll always be Frank McPike to me.
     
  17. Tim S

    Tim S Senior Member

    Location:
    East Tennessee
    Happy 4th of July to everyone

    [​IMG]
     
  18. balzac

    balzac Senior Member

    Apologies if I'm skimming and missing it, but it appears McKean was shut out of the Emmys. Odenkirk (lead) and Banks (supporting) are nominated.
     
  19. Gems-A-Bems

    Gems-A-Bems Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Duke City
    Lame. Although I guess it would depend in large part on what they decided to submit for consideration.

    On the other hand, good luck to Bob & Jonathon!
     
  20. beercanchicken

    beercanchicken Legendary Stickman

    Location:
    Chicago
    McKean was more worthy than Banks, especially this most recent season. Or is it based on the season prior? I dont even know how it works. I'm assuming this most recent one since Ewan McGregor is nominated for Fargo. And somehow David Thewlis (Fargo) doesn't seem to be nominated at all, another glaring omission. Chuck and Varga were probably the 2 best malicious characters on TV. I don't really follow the Emmy's but maybe they don't like villains?
     
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  21. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I no longer believe acting ability has anything to do with why a person is nominated for or wins an award relating to the arts.
     
  22. beercanchicken

    beercanchicken Legendary Stickman

    Location:
    Chicago
    Yeah, pretty much politics and popularity. Just like All-Star games.

    I was wrong, David Thewlis was nominated. He wasn't on the list I saw even though it was advertised as "the complete list"
     
  23. Gems-A-Bems

    Gems-A-Bems Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Duke City
    Emmys 2017: Breaking Down 13 Major Snubs

     
  24. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    I'm telling ya, if Chuck's psychosomatic episodes could have been properly produced so as to avoid the heavily stylized postproduction that got in the way of the viewer connecting to McKean's excellent acting, you might as well be polishing up that supporting actor emmy for him right now.

    I've mentioned this before and it didn't seem to resonate, but the difference between how these scenes were handled and how they should have been handled is not insignificant.

    I've also mentioned that the scenes with Kim were like watching water boil. No way Rhea would be able to win an emmy. Maybe next season.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2017
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  25. Gems-A-Bems

    Gems-A-Bems Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Duke City
    I disagree. I think it really depends more on the episode they chose to submit for consideration.
     
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