Better Call Saul Season Thread - Season Six - April 18th

Anybody listen to the BCS Insider podcast? There’s a new one weekly after every episode and features writers, editors, actors from the show. Gould and Gilligan is on it pretty often too

So fascinating hearing all of the work that goes into it to the tiny details
 
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Better Call Saul Star Bob Odenkirk Breaks Down THAT Breaking Bad-Era Scene

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Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

https://ew.com/tv/2018/09/03/better-call-saul-bob-odenkirk-breaking-bad-scene/

Warning: This story contains plot details from “Quite a Ride,” Monday’s episode of Better Call Saul.

It. Finally. Happened. The worlds of Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad collided on Monday night, and for a few brief minutes, we were introduced to — or rather reminded of — the slimy legal snake into which Jimmy McGill eventually will devolve.

The opening of “Quite a Ride,” the standout fifth episode of the fourth season of AMC’s Breaking Bad prequel, did not reveal the confluence of events that will prompt the big-dreaming, corner-cutting, currently suspended attorney to fully transform into Saul Goodman, but it gave us a fully realized Saul in a charged, crowd-pleasing scene. There was Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), running around his Greek-columned office, frantically grabbing wads of cash and other essential belongings (the shoebox!) while annoyed assistant Francesca (Tina Parker) followed his orders and shredded documents, agreeing not to cooperate with the authorities. Saul then dialed the mysterious Cleaner, requesting an immediate pick-up. Yes, it was a scene ripped right from Breaking Bad — or rather, from theBreaking Bad era, somewhere between “Ozymandias” and “Granite State” — when the walls came crashing down on Walt’s (Bryan Cranston) criminal enterprise, and the meth king wound up briefly sharing a room with Saul in the Cleaner’s (Robert Forster) basement before being dispatched to New Hampshire, while Saul was bound for Nebraska.

Back in BCS times, a few years earlier: Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) took great pains and Mike (Jonathan Banks) took long car rides to find the perfect engineer to build the super lab; Kim (Rhea Seehorn) seemed to take a page from Jimmy’s book and self-sabotage her legal career by turning her back on Mesa Verde; and a track-suited Jimmy ran a crafty, illicit cellphone business out of the trunk of his car and rang up semi-mad stacks to the sounds of “Street Life” before a trio of hoodlums beat him up and stole his money. In the episode’s final scene, he updated his PPD officer on his employment/activities, telling him of his lofty plans to grandly return to the law after his suspension and make a name for himself as a damn good attorney. Based on everything you know in Breaking Bad— and what was certainly reinforced in this episode’s Saul flash-forward scene — Jimmy had quite a ride, but hardly the one he had imagined for himself.

Even though it’s not yet Nov. 12 at 3 p.m., let’s ring up the man who brings the hammer down to Chinatown — Bob Odenkirk — to reveal what it was like to skip ahead (slip ahead?) and become a shell of his former self once again.

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Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your immediate reaction when Peter [Gould, who created the show with Vince Gilligan] and Vince told you that you’d be playing Saul in a Breaking Bad-era scene that showed us the moment when it all came crashing down and he decided to flee?

BOB ODENKIRK: I was thrilled. Part of me — it really comes from comedy — just really wants to make the audience happy. I was satisfied and pleased at the notion of playing Saul and being back in the office and giving everybody a moment of that character that they love so much and was so entertaining to people. To go there for a few minutes and be that guy and give them that flavor made me really, really happy. Plus, it’s fun to play him. The truth is it’s easier to play Saul than Jimmy. It’s not as rewarding. Jimmy is a rich character with so many angles — there’s so much complexity to the guy that it’s a more rewarding character. But Saul is kind of pure fun.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: After playing Jimmy for so long, how did it feel to get back into Saul for that moment? Was it like, “Let me remember how to get in the mindset of this old — and different — character that I used to play”?

BOB ODENKIRK: For sure. Because Saul is pretty much a schemer and he doesn’t have the self-reflection, he’s shut off part of his brain that has self-awareness and thinks about the repercussions and his hopes and dreams. He’s dashed all those and hidden them away and he just looks to the easiest, quickest fix or profit that he can see. He’s simple to play, relative to Jimmy. And it’s a lot of fun. I don’t think a show where you’re just Saul all the time would be great fun to do. Because he’s burned a lot of himself down. Chuck [Michael McKean] burned his whole self down, and Jimmy is burning big parts of his psyche down.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Anything notable about shooting that scene in Saul’s office or just re-entering that world?

BOB ODENKIRK: The giddiness that people felt, the glee that people felt at seeing that office, everyone on set, all the crew were just ecstatic. I think it made everybody even more amazed at the story that Peter and Vince have told, having come out of that character, you know? Because the character was intriguing and fun, but he was not the most — there wasn’t a whole lot going on there. I mean, he’s just a schemer who talked fast and thought pretty fast. And outside of that, there wasn’t much else. And I think now that we know this guy, to go into that office and see him in that version of himself — such a thinned-out version of who he is inside — you can’t help but smile, because you know a secret that he doesn’t know. You know who he is, and you’re like, “Wow, dude. You really went down!” [Laughs.] “You really came way down on the scale of human value.”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Saul’s cutting through the Constitution to get the shoebox was a nice touch. He’s hiding behind the Constitution in a way. And that’s the box of mementos from his previous life that Gene kept at his place, right?

BOB ODENKIRK: Yes, you have seen that stuff. There are videotapes of his commercials and there are passports. I’m sure there’s money in there. And there’s that little Band-Aid box that has the coins that he found in season 2 of Better Call Saul when he had a flashback to his youth and his dad’s store. He told the story of his father and how he perceived his dad as a person who was taken advantage of too easily and he really despised his father for that, which makes him feel bad. I think that has to do with that Neff episode [“Breathe”] when he went to the copy shop and he called them losers because they believed his sales pitch. It made him angry because in his mind, it was such a bald-faced show that he was putting on and how they could not see that just pissed him off. He just couldn’t take it, and I think he’s really talking to his dad there and saying, “You’re a sucker, and I couldn’t stand to be around you.”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You’d think maybe the first Breaking Bad-era scene with Saul would be the construction of Saul’s office. Instead it’s the destruction of it, when it all comes crashing down for Saul, which juxtaposes nicely against that final sad moment of the episode, where he tells the PPD office about all of his hopes and dreams for when his suspension is up, and how he’s going to get a new office with Kim [Rhea Seehorn] and it’s going to be bigger and better than before, and he’s going to be a damn good lawyer and have more cases and win them…

BOB ODENKIRK: Yeah. He didn’t do any of that. None of that happened. He may have that in the back of his mind that that’s what he’s going to do, he’s going to build another office and he’s going to share it with Kim, and everyone’s going to be on the up and up, and supportive of each other. But I just think not a single action he’s taking is leading in that direction, so I think he’s really lying to himself. All that remains is that little golden dream that is not being acted upon in any other way with his behavior.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Will we pick back up on that day he fled town later this season, or will we be skipping around the next time we revisit this era on Better Call Saul?

BOB ODENKIRK: I believe we’ll be skipping around the next time we revisit this era.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What can you say about Nov. 12 at 3 p.m., and will we see that later this season?

BOB ODENKIRK: We’re going to see that. [Laughs.]

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Anything you can hint about that?

BOB ODENKIRK: I can’t give you a hint because I don’t have any idea.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: These flash-forwards into the Breaking Bad era really seems to rip open the door for any Breaking Bad character — say, Walt or Jesse — to enter the story, doesn’t it?

BOB ODENKIRK: Absolutely. I think it’s a wonderful thing. The fans of Saul at this point, they’re down for this journey, and they’re not just Breaking Bad fans who are waiting forBreaking Bad to return. At this point, we’re in season 4, we’re into so many stories, and the tone is different in a way, although it is maybe getting closer to the Breaking Bad kind of vibe, with more menace in the world and more violence. But it’s just really nice to just go there and just give them Saul. Stop feeling like, “Are we going to see him?” But just go there and get to see him.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Even as Walt turned evil on Breaking Bad, many fans still rooted for him. Here, Jimmy continues his descent into the underworld. When Jimmy is knee-deep in this phone scam, you feel bad for him when he gets beat up and his ill-gotten money is stolen. How bad should we feel for Jimmy?

BOB ODENKIRK: I think you should feel really bad for him. I think he’s a very good guy who made a real effort to be a good person, and to find the use for his talents. And if he’d been given a fair chance, if his brother hadn’t harbored such resentment toward him, he maybe would have gone and been a contributing member of society, been a good person. But he’s learning the wrong lessons, and he’s learning selfish cynical lessons, angry and resentful, and it’s a terrible shame. It doesn’t need to be like that. So I think his story is very sad. Now, his story isn’t over when he becomes Saul. I really, really believe that’s true. While it may be more fun to watch a person disintegrate, I do think people sometimes make the right choices in life, and they do try to grow. And they can even come out of real tragedy and pain and say, “Well, I’m not going to do that again.” I’d like to see if that story would be told, but I’m not telling this story, I’m acting in it.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: There are several turning points for Jimmy when we are left to wonder: If something had broken his way, would he have gone in a different direction? After deciding to take Kim’s advice and see a therapist, he bumps into Howard [Patrick Fabian], who is not doing well in therapy, and decides to flush the therapist’s number down the toilet. How much of a turning point/lost opportunity was that?

BOB ODENKIRK: It’s a huge lost opportunity. If he took the time and he got somebody else’s point of view — if he got an empathetic and somewhat structured point of view on his frustrations and all the things in his life that have not gone his way and depressed him — he might be able to pull himself out of the downward slope that he’s on. But he just makes a weak and scared choice. He doesn’t want that self-reflection to go that deep. He’s a character who’s capable of self-reflection, but it’s going away. That dimension of himself is definitely going away.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: In Jimmy’s conversation with the PPD officer, it seems like he’s setting himself for massive disappointment, and, as you said, he’s doing nothing to set himself up for success. When some or most or all of these things don’t happen when his suspension ends, how much of those things are going to be the catalyst for his demise — and/or is there more untold heartbreak?

BOB ODENKIRK: Oh, there’s more untold heartbreak. That can be your title. There is more untold heartbreak to come. Definitely. There are multiple elements to his downfall, and who knows? Maybe he gets to put his life back together again. I don’t know. Because we don’t know where the story ends. I know when we started we thought it ended with Saul, but of course, now we have Gene, and there’s a real good chance that the story carries on with Gene.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What can you say about what awaits Jimmy in the next episode?

BOB ODENKIRK: More comedy than you’ve ever seen on the show. I get to do some pretty unbelievably silly stuff that fits in with the character, and it’s the closest to the comedy work I’ve done of anything I’ve done on the show so far. I get to be really silly.
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It’s prob been discussed before but I just started watching BB season 1 again and when Walt approached Jesse about wanting to start cooking meth they were parked in front of Mesa Credit Union
 
He flew them to DEN airport . You can see that when he is in the parking lot. Also told him to drive west for 20 Minutes.

The van ride was 7 total since they arrived at the lab near dark.

Also it’s very possible this scene took place in 2005/6 since Mike told him the job had to take place at night and no blasting.

He also mentioned that money was no object so that would mean Gus has the whole south west area so money level is rising fast.

Also the entire scene is Mike is more than comfortable vetting the engineers in the making of a meth super lab, he is a full on criminal it seems.

Also let’s say with this guy doing the lab it takes about 2 years and at that point Gus needs that 200 pounds of meth a week to be profitable.
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I'm assuming they didn't use the first guy because he has a big *** mouth. Couldn't wait to brag about a tunnel he built for the cartels....now imagine the next time he works with the cartels he brags about the super lab.

I think it was because the 1st guy was so cavalier. Dude's estimate seemed unrealistic, even after Mike pressed him. He's the type of dude who says he can do some miraculous **** just to get the job, than is like when he can't deliver what he promised, how he promised it would get done. They saw through the ********.
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bostoiah said:
Anybody listen to the BCS Insider podcast? There’s a new one weekly after every episode and features writers, editors, actors from the show. Gould and Gilligan is on it pretty often too

So fascinating hearing all of the work that goes into it to the tiny details
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Yup, they’re great. They actually did it for the last few seasons of Breaking Bad I believe. Kinda wanna revisit a couple of those last episodes with the insider pod.
 
Wow.

Too much work in to all this. Especially when I think about the lab and how it needed up. Then how easily Walt ditched and he created the kitchen on the go with the whole fumigating business.

Can't even think about the amount of money put in to it.

Some nice payback here.

Lavell :rofl: It's gonna be funny to see him eating on the show explain why he's so fat in BB.
 
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I was stupidly going to change the channel for a sec during that quiet *** scene with Gus and comatose Hector but that story drew me in.

I wasn't even mad it didn't go anywhere. It was basically a metaphor for how Gus is gonna handle Hector :lol: He's the coati.
 
saul gonna take a trip to bmore to get those phones off

shoulda killed that blonde dude just to prove a point to the other two

who was the other dude with huell?

howard cracking up think he might commit that

kim gon flex on jimmy soon

where gus's bros at?

mike coulda hooked the germans up with a playstation in there, cant eem get no trim

they got bathrooms n ish too?

like they dont ever leave out that building until they finish the lab right?

so they gon build the equipment in there and then transport it under the laundromat?
 
Just binged this season's episode yesterday while "working" from home, so I was able to get all caught up for last night's episode.

Episode 5 was fantastic. Definitely one of the better episodes of the series. Really liking where the show is at right now.
 
Jimmy by day, Saul by night. Those kids got what they deserved. Shoulda at least hit one of em to have physical proof. But I think that level of Saul is still a ways off.

Kim...I get you disagree with Jimmy's style of law practice but damn..at least be up front. ALl the same I think its cool that she's getting to build the Scheikert banking division.

Im really excited to see the development of the supermethlab. Especially how Ehrmantraut and Fring work together to make it happen. Also Kai, I feel like he could be an undercover German cop.
 
pretty cool to see how Mike got into the fold with Gus, and just how much attention to detail he went thru to help further Frings level of secrecy.

also holy **** at that story Fring told Salamanca, basically telling him he's gonna keep him alive to let him suffer.
 
HNL HI said:
pretty cool to see how Mike got into the fold with Gus, and just how much attention to detail he went thru to help further Frings level of secrecy.

also holy **** at that story Fring told Salamanca, basically telling him he's gonna keep him alive to let him suffer.
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It also confirms that he did indeed grow up in south america but not from Chile (or it could just be a mistake by vince gilligan but they never make mistakes)...

chilecoate.PNG
 
Maybe Colombian or Ecuadorian maybe Venezuelan. Pollos Hermanos are those countries flag colors. It may be just a mistake but Gillian loves these things in his shows. One theory maybe the Pinochet thing gave him a alibi when getting a visa to Mexico because if he used his real country he probably wouldn’t be able to enter another foreign country. It’s just a theory. For instance “I’m from Chile my documentation got destroyed” I need exile or a visa.
 
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Just finished the episode and definitely enjoyed it. The creation of the methab should be dope and the space they’re living is like an airport hanger. First thing I thought of was they should build it out like Dyrdeks fantasy factory :lol:
 
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