Better Call Saul

[Blablob]

I know the season finale is still two episodes away, but I thought I'd still throw some speculation out there. The episode is titled "Marco," which happens to be the name of one of Tuco's cousins from Breaking Bad. Do you guys think he'll make an appearance?

[MICrophone]

I'd be surprised. I can't really see how introducing the larger Salamanca clan would fit into either Saul or Mike's storylines at this point in time, but you never know. It does seem a little suspicious that the name would just be a coincidence.

On another note, I know this is a super delayed reaction, but holy god that last episode was incredible. The final scene was one of the best scenes of TV I've seen in a while. It's rather incredible what this show has done in one season - in my opinion more than what Breaking Bad did with its first, though in fairness it was a few episodes shorter - and while it's too early to objectively compare quality with its predecessor, it's certainly well on track to being as great if not a greater show in my opinion. I cannot wait for Monday's finale and will sorely miss it till Season 2 comes along.

[Blablob]

I read some fan theories about what the name implies and apparently Marco is also the name of the fat guy who helped Jimmy with the wristwatch scam. (Vince Gilligan allegedly revealed his name in an Insider Podcast. I haven't seen it so I have no idea if it's true or not.) Also, I should point out the official synopsis for the episode:

"Jimmy seizes an opportunity to reconnect with an old friend; Chuck adjusts to a new way of life."

So it's possible that the old friend is Marco.

Oh yeah, I wanted to comment on the last episode too, but I've just been super busy this week. Anyways, that scene between Jimmy and Chuck was unreal. I don't know if I'm just slow when it comes to these things or not, but it took a minute or two into the confrontation to figure out that Jimmy was actually pissed (probably around the time Chuck himself figured it out). This scene was a massive testament to just how amazing of an actor Bob Odenkirk is. He was great in Breaking Bad as well, but wow, his performance here was just phenomenal. I also have to credit Michael McKean; that scene was definitely his best to date.

Even when considering BB's first few episodes of season 2, I still feel like Better Call Saul has accomplished more in its first 9 episodes than BB did. I would still consider BB as the superior of the two shows (at least right now - it's not exactly a fair comparison as you pointed out), but the fact that Vince Gilligan and his writers have managed to create a spinoff show that not only measures up to BB's greatness, but has even begun to rival it, speaks volumes about the cast, the writers, and the show as a whole.

[MICrophone]

I read some fan theories about what the name implies and apparently Marco is also the name of the fat guy who helped Jimmy with the wristwatch scam…so it's possible that the old friend is Marco.

That seems more plausible to me.

…the fact that Vince Gilligan and his writers have managed to create a spinoff show that not only measures up to BB's greatness, but has even begun to rival it, speaks volumes about the cast, the writers, and the show as a whole.

Agreed wholeheartedly.

For the Jimmy/Chuck scene, I knew Jimmy knew what was up pretty much from the outset.

How do you do the blackout text instead of this bulky box again?: show

Based on the Kim scene, it was hard to imagine that Jimmy wouldn't pick up on how off she was, and start piecing things together, and the scene where Chuck made the phone call made it fairly clear what that would be.

But Odenkirk's delivery was outstanding, and the scene was tremendously impactful despite me knowing where it was going. He was always terrific in Breaking Bad but he never had to deal with such meaty scenes in that as he does now, and he just blows you away. And yes, McKean was awesome too; I've been very impressed with him this whole show but that scene was the best for both actors thus far. It's also hilarious to me seeing McKean in such a serious role, as I've always known him for this gem of a movie.

Spoiler: show

Another interesting implication; Hamlin unexpectedly is significantly less of a ♥♥♥♥ now that you realize he was mostly acting on Chuck's wishes. I mean he seemed genuinely torn when he called Kim back into his office, and it's not hard to believe that he very well may have accepted Jimmy as a partner or at least an associate if not for Chuck. Granted he's still kind of an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, especially for his treatment of Kim over the Kettleman case, but still, his character has been unexpectedly shown in a new light.

[Yoshi Boo 118]

All this speculation about what's going to happen makes me so excited for the future of this show. It's just a shame that we'll have to wait so long for the next season. :<

Spoiler: show

Didn't really see the climax coming, although it seems more obvious that Chuck looked down on Jimmy in hindsight. Also don't forget Hamlin decided to ruin Jimmy's dreams while he had cake in the break room. Not cool.

[Blablob]

Spoiler: show

Also don't forget Hamlin decided to ruin Jimmy's dreams while he had cake in the break room. Not cool.

While Hamlin's timing was definitely tasteless in that scene, it was still Chuck's idea not to hire Jimmy.

Also I find it interesting that we're all calling him Jimmy now instead of Saul.

How do you do the blackout text instead of this bulky box again?: show

Based on the Kim scene, it was hard to imagine that Jimmy wouldn't pick up on how off she was, and start piecing things together, and the scene where Chuck made the phone call made it fairly clear what that would be.

Yes, in hindsight, Chuck's intentions should have been fairly obvious, especially after he made the phone call.

BTW with blackout text, you use (is)(/is) with brackets.

[Yoshi Boo 118]

Spoiler: show

A lot of people on Reddit said they found the finale to be underwhelming. Personally, I still enjoyed it quite a bit especially with some BB callbacks. And poor Marco. :C

Also nice job Blab, you called it with Marco.

[MICrophone]

Yeah I thought the finale was very good. It felt comparable to Game of Thrones in that the penultimate episode drops the big punch, and then the finale cleans up the aftermath and sets the stage for what's to come next season, so on that level I thought it succeeded. Typically good writing, acting, character beats, etc. And soul-crushing when Jimmy decides he's done with trying to live for the standards and pretenses of success and morality established by others in favor of making the most of his abilities, especially given how sweet the revenge would be against Chuck if he had joined the other firm. It was not my favorite episode of the season by any means (which would either go to Five-O or Pimento), but it was a very solid conclusion to a marvelous season. Eagerly looking forward to season 2.