Better Call Saul - All Things Discussion*

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by misterjones, Jan 7, 2021.

  1. JimW

    JimW In the Process of Becoming

    Location:
    Charlottesville VA
    Is this one of those test questions: which of these don't belong??? And I assume you're being facetious about making a quarter mill off figurines- but maybe you mean all merch? Still seems inflated to me.

    And it's hard to believe Tony Soprano got 4-5X what WW got per episode... (not to mention Friends...)
     
  2. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Yeah. Just kidding. Some here take this stuff way too seriously.

    And I have no idea about “Tony Soprano”. Perhaps that’s a reference to a post that I cannot see.
     
  3. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Agreed, I'm not convinced Kim Wexler bobblehead dolls are flying off the shelves.

    If you're ok with Odenkirk walking off the set and not returning until he gets $1 million/episode, his agent could probably make it happen but it won't be easy...or quick. Gandolfini only got $1 million per episode because he was able to negotiate successfully with HBO, but that was after they shut down production, putting a lot of staff and caterers out of work, and publicly blamed Gandolfini's greed.

    Also, I think Odenkirk and Cranston had more opportunity to make big bucks in films, based on their exposure in BB and BCS, so they didn't feel the need to fight for higher pay in their shows. Cranston is among Hollywood's highest paid actors now, and Odenkirk is appearing in films too, and was a major voice actor in Incredibles II, for example.
     
  4. dsdu

    dsdu less serious minor pest

    Location:
    Santa Cruz, CA
    I bet there's a lot of enthusiasm for the Larry David one, though.

    [​IMG]
     
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  5. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Oops! I thought that was Chuck.
     
  6. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Pretty...pretty...pretty good.
     
  7. JimW

    JimW In the Process of Becoming

    Location:
    Charlottesville VA
    No, that's just what I was saying about sad in so many ways. First, that actors have to threaten to stop production to get their fair share, but also that their fair share is $1 mil per episode. The money entertainers command is ludicrous- sports figures included in that category. But most ludicrous is that it's merely a reflection of what our culture values most. So sad...

    As for Cranston and Odenkirk holding out to get more Gandolfini-like paydays, maybe it was because they have more lucrative potential in film. But I like to think the BB universe is just high-class all the way (given the high standards in every aspect of production) and imagine that those actors care more for their fellow crew members than maximizing their payday. And a quarter mil an episode ain't exactly peanuts. At some point someone can recognize what's plenty and make other considerations more of a priority. And maybe even understand that there is such a thing as too much money...
     
  8. JimW

    JimW In the Process of Becoming

    Location:
    Charlottesville VA
    Referencing Gandolfini holding out for $1 million an episode when Cranston and Odenkirk get 1/4 mil or less.
     
  9. GMfan87'

    GMfan87' Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT.
    Totally looks like Gus!
    I'm interested to hear commentary from whomever is rewatching as I just finished watching season 1, and even listened to some of their commentary.
    Very good, would of lessened the Slippin' Jimmy scenes a bit (think we could of gotten the picture with one short flashback of him with Marco), and didn't need to see as many scenes about Chuck's issues without getting how it took over his life . That being said it's much better to see on DVD, nothing bothers you as it may when you watch once a week with all the commercials.
    I had forgotten about Howard's scenes with Jimmy when he has to tell him he won't have an office there, really good subtle acting .
    Forgot the specifics of how rotten Chuck could be. In the commentary they talked of how much the brothers felt for each other , I don't know that Chuck did , your thoughts ?
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2021
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  10. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I started season 1 and I’m not sure I can get past episode 1. It’s a great show, but I’m not sure it holds up on repeat viewing. Knowing what will happen kind of ruins it for me. Some things I noticed include: (1) the resemblance between the man who scares Gene in the opening scene and Tuco (presumably intentional) and (2) that Chuck was a real a**hole from the start. I felt sorry for him when I first watched it, but not this time around. But I watched the episode right after I finished reading Orwell’s 1984, so I was in a fairly depressed state of mind. I probably at least should watch episode 2.
     
  11. GMfan87'

    GMfan87' Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT.
    That's what I thought but I got in to it again, definitely appreciating it more.
    That guy's expression was Tuco like.
    Yes, Chuck was full of himself, very good portrayal , but the character is not a nice guy. He always looked down on Jimmy even when he was trying hard and doing so much for him. Ultimately he was an insecure man beyond his legal brilliance.
    Oh wow I read 1984 (scary and a downer to say the least) for the first time this spring and it's eerie that we have a media like that now.
     
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  12. misterdecibel

    misterdecibel Bulbous Also Tapered

    I wonder if they have one with half the face missing?
     
  13. GMfan87'

    GMfan87' Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT.
    Ha , good one.
    Forgot to add Five-O episode was incredible acting by Jonathan Banks, that long monologue about his son and morality was phenomenal and really let us in on why Mike is way he is.
    Also really enjoying Nacho, just his body language , he doesn't have to say a word.
     
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  14. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Best actor in the series, IMO. And that's saying something, as there aren't any duds in the cast by a long shot (unlike BB).
     
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  15. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    I recently rewatched season 1, too. I remember the first time I watched it, like most folks I saw Jimmy as a totally relatable character and Chuck as being a mentally ill elitist. The show does a good job of giving Jimmy pridigious, charismatic gifts at human interaction and having a sort of street-smart morality all his own, while Chuck has this absolutist/fundamentalist approach to interpreting the law. On second viewing I was paying more attention to how the writers set this up to get the audience on Jimmy's side.

    Much of the setup has to do with Chuck's mental illness and rejection of electricity, while Jimmy placates Chuck rather than telling him to his face that he's being a nutcase. You get the feeling Jimmy knows Chuck is nuts, but won't tell him or even properly face it himself. And the deference/subservience Jimmy shows toward Chuck creates even more audience sympathy for Jimmy and more resentment toward Chuck.

    The thing is, if you look underneath all that. Chuck is pretty much right about Jimmy--he's little more than a petty criminal who, despite the JD, has no respect for the law other than how he can bend it his own ends. If the writers hadn't made Chuck so damaged, the dynamic might have been better explored and gone on for a couple more seasons, which I would have liked.

    To me, that was the cornerstone of the show: the dynamic between the brothers that symbolized the way law can be interpreted in applying it to the real world.
     
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  16. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY
    The first (roughly) 2/3 was an interesting intellectual exercise coupled with a nice story about two people trying to overcome an oppressive regime to carry on a forbidden personal relationship. The final 1/3 was torture (literally and literarily, if that's a word). So much so I often had to skip pages. I simply couldn't take it. In his book 1985, I recall (perhaps incorrectly) that Anthony Burgess wrote that the original title for 1984 was 1948. Perhaps it should have been 2021. I read Burgess's essay on 1984 and his sequel of sorts (in 1985) many years ago. I should re-read it.

    Oh well. I shouldn't dwell on that. But I was surprised that 1984 affected my re-watch of BCS. Perhaps I should not have been. Oppression of another sort, I suppose. That and Gene always having to look over his shoulder, hoping not to get discovered. An existence similar to Winston Smith.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2021
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  17. thgord

    thgord In Search of My Next Euphoric Groove

    Location:
    Moorpark, CA
    I've been waiting for what seems like an eternity for Netflix to add season 5. Hulu doesn't include AMC within their live TV menu options for some inexplicable reason.
     
  18. GMfan87'

    GMfan87' Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT.
    Try your local library ?
    Just picked up seasons 2, 3.
    Not sure I want to see it all but good refresher nonetheless.
     
  19. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    I'm probably gonna wait a couple years but at this point I'm hoping for a complete 4K set of BB and BCS. If they wanna throw in El Camino, too, I'm cool with that. But I do hope Gilligan et al can move on from the BB world after this.
     
  20. GMfan87'

    GMfan87' Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT.
    Maybe I'd rewatch BB a third time in part if not in full, but I wouldn't need to see this one again.
    If he does anything else connected to BB universe I don't think I'd have interest in it but I can't imagine this isn't the end.
     
  21. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Very glad to see Bob Odenkirk is recovering nicely:

    Bob Odenkirk Gives Update After Heart Attack: 'I Am Doing Great' - Variety

    I just had a similar episode this week myself, but it turned out to not be a heart attack. They're doing tests and it looks like exhaustion, overwork, asthma, and a pinched nerve (or 2 or more of these). Heart is fine. Taking things a little easier now...
     
  22. GMfan87'

    GMfan87' Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT.
    Sorry to hear you went thru that, good to hear you are resting and recovering, all the best to you. :)
    Thanks for the link, great news.
    I wanted to add that in season 1 I had forgotten there were a few scenes showing just what a good friend Kim is to Jimmy and she wanted to protect him from getting hurt. Those two have very good chemistry.
     
  23. You make the forum that much better by being here, so yeah, take it easy to get the quality of where you feel it needs to be. :)
     
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  24. I missed a word... *quality of life. :doh:
     
  25. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Yeah, Kim and Jimmy are great, and I'm on pins and needles waiting to see what happens to push Kim out of Jimmy's story in the future.
     

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