Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 33

Thread: Better Call Saul (Season 4)

  1. #1
    Producer
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    2,936

    Better Call Saul (Season 4)

    Three episodes in, and the three/four storylines grow more disparate than past seasons. I feel like the show's uniquely deliberate, mostly engrossing pace works best for Jimmy's part, although all of them are of interest. The appearance of [] in Gus Fring's situation is delightful, and Nacho's predicament is growing grislier by the episode. Still waiting for Mike's section to kick into gear though.

    Jimmy's part builds from last season in wonderful, sometimes chilling way. From that cold ending of the first episode to this week's last scene, is this season the one that finally breaks Jimmy and Kim apart? (And it's probably one of the few ways left for the show to advance, now that the brother dynamics is gone.)
    Midnight Run (1988) - 9
    The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
    The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
    Sisters (1973) - 6.5
    Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5

  2. #2
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    30,597
    I don't really even know what Mike is doing at this point, but it's humorous seeing him as a security consultant gone wild.

    Nacho, I'm hoping they have something better in mind for him other than a death. He's been a pretty great actor.

    Jimmy/Kim is rightfully the best storyline going on, and keeps me watching the show. Rhea Seahorn, as Kim, has been fantastic this season. The pace of the show makes it seem like it's maybe one season away from hitting where Breaking Bad starts? With that, Gus Fring seems a lot more intense and involved than he does in Breaking Bad.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


    twitter

  3. #3
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,853
    I was a bit mixed on the first three episodes. I still liked it a lot, I just didn't feel that strong drive to watch the next episode everytime one ended.

    But last night's was brilliant. That Mike scene, my god.

  4. #4
    Scott of the Antarctic Milky Joe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    3,373
    This is one show I wish I could binge. Every episode leaves me wanting more. But I just can't wait until it's all over.
    ‎The severed arm perfectly acquitted itself, because of the simplicity of its wishes and its total lack of doubt.

  5. #5
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    30,597
    Someone on reddit made a funny comment that if they started watching BCS without knowing about BB, that they'd be thoroughly confused about why there's the whole cartel plotline. Made me laugh.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


    twitter

  6. #6
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,853
    Quote Quoting Ezee E (view post)
    Someone on reddit made a funny comment that if they started watching BCS without knowing about BB, that they'd be thoroughly confused about why there's the whole cartel plotline. Made me laugh.
    I know a person who actually does that. I couldn't believe it when he told me his favorite character was Gus Fring because he was so mysterious.

    EDIT: He started watching Breaking Bad years ago but the whole cancer premise rang too close to home for him.

  7. #7
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,853
    Great episode. I love that the show opened the possibility of having scenes set in the Breaking Bad timeline.
    Last edited by Grouchy; 09-07-2018 at 01:47 PM.

  8. #8
    Kept out of sunlight Gizmo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Germany now
    Posts
    1,571
    Still enjoying the show, though I liked the drama Chuck provided, and that has hurt this season a bit. Kim's a great player, and I enjoy the Nacho story as well. Wish Mike and Gus had better things to do right now.
    *coming soon*

    Top 100

  9. #9
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    30,597
    As it gets closer to Breaking Bad, there's more "Breaking Bad-isms" which isn't entirely a good thing in this case. I'm enjoying it, but Kim's the star of the show right now.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


    twitter

  10. #10
    Quote Quoting Ezee E (view post)
    As it gets closer to Breaking Bad, there's more "Breaking Bad-isms" which isn't entirely a good thing in this case.
    How so, out of curiosity?

  11. #11
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,853
    I guess he means the cartel storyline is a lot more prominent than in previous seasons.

    But specifically, this week's cold open takes place during the final season of Breaking Bad.

  12. #12
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    30,597
    It's naturally going to happen because it's inevitable.

    At some point, there's something that's going to link Saul/Nacho/Mike/Gus all together. That's likely to occur with whoever this Lalo person is that was mentioned in Breaking Bad. Through that, Nacho either dies or disappears like Saul.

    I do hope to see more of the "Present Day Saul" in Omaha, but it seems we only see one clip a season.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


    twitter

  13. #13
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,853
    Best cliffhanger so far.

  14. #14
    Producer
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    2,936
    That opening montage is a beautiful and terrific way to both do a time jump and show two people's growing distance. With that party scene and the conflict unresolved at the end of the episode, I suspect this is the season where their turning (…breaking?) point for Jimmy and Kim will occur. I feel though that if it continues in this trajectory, there might be at most one season left after this?

    Gus' one scene is so chilling, and is the good kind of Breaking Bad connectivity that really adds to both series.
    Midnight Run (1988) - 9
    The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
    The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
    Sisters (1973) - 6.5
    Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5

  15. #15
    Producer
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    2,936
    With two epsiodes left, I'm ready to say this is my least favorite BCS season, even though it's still good, at times excellent (like tonight). However it shakes out the season is worth it for the full breakout of Kim's character alone though. With Chuck gone the show sometimes feels adrift and disparate, but it starts to look like Kim will be more than able to fill in for him as the cohereing complexity the show needs.
    Midnight Run (1988) - 9
    The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
    The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
    Sisters (1973) - 6.5
    Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5

  16. #16
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,853
    One thing that stood out for me about this all around outstanding episode is that we rarely see Jimmy and Kim in a sexual or even post-coitus scene. We rarely even see them passionately kissing like in this episode, which made those scenes all the stronger. Their relationship is constructed out of tiny snippets of intimacy that only show their routine - what to eat, making decisions together. And so until this episode we were really unsure about the status of their relationship. I was beginning to doubt they had sex anymore.

    Besides the obvious effect of the misdirection and the payoff, it also made me ponder the laziness with which most writers portray a succesful relationship only through good sex.

  17. #17
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    30,597
    Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't really think Kim would actually do all of that for Huell. But I guess it could be for whatever she has in mind for the next case.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


    twitter

  18. #18
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,853
    The real reason she did it was at the end of the previous episode the Judge called Jimmy a loser. It was payback.

  19. #19
    Kept out of sunlight Gizmo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Germany now
    Posts
    1,571
    Quote Quoting Grouchy (view post)
    One thing that stood out for me about this all around outstanding episode is that we rarely see Jimmy and Kim in a sexual or even post-coitus scene. We rarely even see them passionately kissing like in this episode, which made those scenes all the stronger. Their relationship is constructed out of tiny snippets of intimacy that only show their routine - what to eat, making decisions together. And so until this episode we were really unsure about the status of their relationship. I was beginning to doubt they had sex anymore.

    Besides the obvious effect of the misdirection and the payoff, it also made me ponder the laziness with which most writers portray a succesful relationship only through good sex.
    Based on the past few episodes, they probably hadn't had sex in a while, I'd think, until Kim "broke bad" again.
    *coming soon*

    Top 100

  20. #20
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    30,597
    Hoping the Lalo character gets some time to shine. Seems like a different villain compared to the other Salamancas and Gus Frings. Curious where the show will take him.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


    twitter

  21. #21
    Winston* Classic Winston*'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Wellington
    Posts
    8,229
    I have been confused by their decision to devote so much time to the backstory behind the underground laundry lab. The actor who plays the German structural engineer is excellent, but it's been difficult to see the point aside from giving Mike something to do.

  22. #22
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,853
    I agree, but I trust these writers an awful lot. I'm sure it will pay off. The group therapy storyline ultimately did. Even the priceless dolls did.

  23. #23
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    30,597
    The Gus/Mike story basically is just there to connect the dots in the end, right?

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


    twitter

  24. #24
    Scott of the Antarctic Milky Joe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    3,373
    These last two episodes have been really strong. Give Odenkirk an Emmy.
    ‎The severed arm perfectly acquitted itself, because of the simplicity of its wishes and its total lack of doubt.

  25. #25
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,853
    Kim and Jimmy are already my favorite TV couple.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
An forum