Better Call Saul
 

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As I am sure many of y'all already know, a spinoff of "Breaking Bad" titled "Better Call Saul" will be airing in 2014. This is going to be a prequel to Breaking Bad and will be based on the character of Saul Goodman from "Breaking Bad."

I, for one, will be watching. I'm sure the majority of all of you other "Breaking Bad" fans will be as well. Might as well get the discussion going sooner rather than later.

So... what are your hopes, expectations and/or concerns with the show? Here are some of mine:

Hopes: I hope to see Saul do his thing in the courtroom. I hope to see strong, unique supporting characters. I hope to see Breaking Bad foreshadowing. I hope he has an intriguing paralegal and/or assistant. I hope to see Breaking Bad characters such as Fring, Mike, etc...whoever. I hope the show kicks ass.

Expectations: I don't expect it to be as good as "Breaking Bad" (because nothing else is, really), but I expect it to be good since Vince Gilligan is writing. I somewhat expect it to have an even balance of comedy and drama...since Saul undeniably provides a substantial amount of comedic relief in "Breaking Bad." I expect to see "courtroom Saul." I expect the "Breaking Bad" references and character cameos to be less than what I hope. If it isn't even a fraction as good as "Breaking Bad," I expect it to be better than 95% of everything else on TV, since there is some shitty shit on TV these days.

Concerns: I'd be a liar if I were to say that I didn't think this show has potential of flopping and certainly failing to meet the presumed high expectations of the audience. Don't get me wrong, I think it will be good... but I think it COULD suck if not executed properly. My main concern is Saul ultimately proving himself to be a "little dab will do ya" type of character, which would lead to a show centered around his character not working out. I am hoping that the character of Saul will not be so over-used and constantly over the top, that he becomes annoying to me, thus ruining his character for me altogether... Not saying I think this will be how it goes down...just saying I think there is a CHANCE of this being the case, which prompts me to believe that a strong supporting cast is VITAL in terms of the amount of success/quality this show will accumulate. All in all, I don't think VG will steer us in an unfortunate direction though...I think they'll pull it off.

Thoughts?

DISCUS!!!!

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Can't wait for this.

Saul was my favorite character on the show. In fact, I routinely go back and watch the episode where he appears (season 2, episode 8 or 9). Just so over the top and 98% of the time funny. But when push came to shove, the guy knew his craft well, except when Skyler kept showing him up.

Mine as well.

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I have every season of The Wire on DVD... I've had it for probably 3-4 years. However, I still haven't watched more than a few of the first episodes. Time hasn't permitted and the wife hates it and throws a fit if I mention the possibility of putting it in (whoa, that sounds funny).

How good is it?

Who is writing for this show?

It is on Mount Rushmore of TV, perhaps George Washington.
That said, it is PAY ATTENTION TV. They don't hold your hand through the plot/saga. Things happen and you need to remember what you've seen to connect all the dots.

A lot of the drama/tragedy of The Wire is seeing how little **** ups or corners cut over here, have disastrous or at least greatly demoralizing consequences over there, a beat cop who doesn't know who he's talking to on the street, and thus doesn't appreciate the value of the intel he receives, or the policy tweaks downtown to make law enforcement metrics look better on paper that result in productive operations being shuttered.
It looks at the drug game from as many angles as possible, beat, precinct, bureau, city hall, statehouse, corners, gang leaders, international suppliers, the news industry, business concerns, friends and neighbors, family, it all matters.

I think the show being "PAY ATTENTION TV" may be a contributing factor as to why my wife refuses to watch it. Not saying she's dumb (she's not), she's just...easily distracted if her attention isn't caught pretty early.

Nice...if I remember correctly from the research I did prior to TRYING to watch it with my wife, doesn't the show portray things from a different perspective in every season? Like, season 2 ends and was portrayed from gangsta's perspective, season 3 picks up on a different angle?

I share most of your concerns. I loved Saul, but I'm not sure if his act would remain entertaining as the center of a 1-hour show. Like you mentioned, they better come up with some good supporting characters.

If your hope of seeing BB characters comes true, I think that means the show is in trouble. Other than perhaps Skinny Pete and Badger, there is no reason that Saul would cross paths with Gus, Mike, Walt, Jesse or any of the other main characters. I think it would have to be a real stretch to have an appearance from any of the main BB folks.

At its base

1. the street
2. the docks
3. the brass
4. the schools
5. the news

Yeah, I agree.... I was digging into my cranium, trying to remember if he had any connection to or knowledge of Fring/Mike prior to his introduction to the show. You answered the question(s) I was asking myself...thanks mang!!!

I wouldn't mind seeing Badger and/or SP. That'd be cool, I guess.

Cool.

Vince Gilligan...same as Breaking Bad...and X-Files. Come on, man! I covered that in the OP!!!!!!:cuss::cuss::cuss:

Jk...I know, I know...needle in a haystack. :)

The a small example of level of detail, which I'll spoiler out of an abundance of caution as it does reveal plot detail, but not in a way that ruins the experience at all, IMO

Far out, dudely.