Posted on 03/20/2015 8:55:56 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Are some Breaking Bad fans disappointed with Better Call Saul?>
Not every Breaking Bad fan is thrilled with the spin-off, Better Call Saul. The opposite case is also evident. Many BB fans have a new addiction; they’re hooked on the world of Saul Goodman. Mixed reactions among fans should have been expected, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Although its primarily based off the world of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul is its own show. Andrew Whalen with iDigital Times voices his opinion as to why he feels the storyline is going nowhere:
“Better Call Saul offers up a myriad of subplots, brings them to a head, and then has Jimmy McGill come up with a clever plan to side-step the crisis point entirely. In some ways this Better Call Saul formula is similar to Breaking Bad, just with Walt’s outlandish train heists, electromagnets, and chemistry tricks replaced with a wily lawyer’s legal (often extra-legal) maneuvering. But Breaking Bad had an underlying sense of urgency and anger that’s so far completely lacking in Better Call Saul. This is, in part, because we already know where Saul winds up. But it’s also a question of motivation. What does Jimmy McGill want… to be a successful lawyer?”
Whalen goes on to say that the bargaining scene in the desert with Tuco has been the apex of the show thus far. This was a very Breaking Bad-esque moment for the spin-off. A pattern that it should avoid to establish an identity as its own show.
“Five-O” covered plenty of ground in developing Better Call Saul‘s storyline. It was heavy on diving into the background behind one certain character. It also gave fans the first view of Mike and Jimmy McGill participating in illegal activities as they fooled Detective Abbasi.
Fans saw a fast progression of Mike Ehrmantraut’s character within a single episode. This is something that arguably had not been accomplished on Breaking Bad. BB fans knew about Mike’s relationship with his granddaughter Kaylee but this seemed like a part of Ehrmantraut’s character that took multiple episodes to establish.
Better Call Saul is not giving us the same thrills that Breaking Bad gave fans. The scenes of desert hold-ups and machine guns rigged in car trunks are replaced with characters being moved to tears on a couch and heartbreak surrounding a sibling that is suffering from an illness. Better Call Saul is giving us a look into certain characters that was never offered on Breaking Bad. Emotions are still high but the spin-off is evoking different feelings for fans.
The events and storyline of Breaking Bad are not the same as Better Call Saul, therefore fans should not be expecting the same result. Instead of following a cancer-ridden high school chemistry hell-bent on providing for his family we’re following a down on his luck lawyer hell-bent on proving himself.
Jimmy McGill may end up establishing himself as Saul Goodman, an important component to Breaking Bad, but he has his own story of how he gets to that point. Goodman is already a seasoned veteran in the world of criminals by the time Walter White ventures into his office. He had to get there somehow, Better Call Saul is going to chronicle that “somehow.”
The next episode of Better Call Saul will premiere on Monday, March 23rd at 10 PM ET on AMC. Get a sneak peek of “Rico” before it debuts next week.
I never watched Breaking Bad, and don’t think I want to, because of the violence, but I really like Better Call Saul.
I like its quirky pace, and the way the story is often told through visual imagery rather than words, and the way characters surprise me.
why is the main character called Jimmy something or other?
I thought his name was Saul.
why is the main character called Jimmy something or other?
I thought his name was Saul.
I really only became engaged with Mike’s episode. Wow.
Now I’ll be paying more attention. His takedown of the cops that killed his son was amazing.
I love how they found the money in the couples house. Very original thought by the writers.
Baywatch was about hot bodies. Nothing else was needed.
BB started off slowly and then became a huge hit.
Saul is just as good,but different, It needs an entire season to prove itself. I love it.
Seeing Mike cry made the show great IMHO, :-)
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“The thing I see here is that the big three (NBC, CBS, ABC) are slowly losing their customer base.”
Add Fox to that list. They turned “Bones” from a crime-solver procedural into a soapbox for progressive causes with embedded commercials written right in the storylines. The final straw for me was scriptwriters putting anti-one-percenter rants in the mouths of FBI agents.
Fox, along with the big three, deserve what is happening to them. And them some.
“I like moral main charaters which is why I eventually stopped watching Breaking Bad...no characters of redeeming value.”
I have two words for you: “Saving Grace”
“The Americans” is riveting. The production is superb and everything is replicated back to the Reagan years. Great acting, great story line. Warning, though- it is Adult Only.
He gave them every chance to not die. All they had to do was not try to kill him.
Best thing I ever saw. Never seen it before until several months ago. Enjoyed it but felt like I shouldn’t care because Tony was so evil. Then I came cross something that told me what it was really about. Watched it again and wow. This is like a master’s thesis and spoiler alert applies so might want to wait until finished before reading this. And if you do, you might want to watch it again like I did.
https://masterofsopranos.wordpress.com/
https://masterofsopranos.wordpress.com/the-sopranos-definitive-explanation-of-the-end/
My husband watch that. We love it.
I just finished the series finale of Sopranos. I then read the link you gave me and watched the last 10 minutes again. It’s a good theory and I think I believe it. Thanks for the link.
It’s all good, man.
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