Better Call Saul - final season April 18,2022

[May Day 10]

Its pretty certain the show will not end with him being hidden again, especially hidden with Kim.  There is a precedent set now that the story is far from over if/when that happens.  Kim is like adding steroids to Saul's conning.

I am guessing there will be one last major con in this episode that wraps things up between the authorities, Kim, and likely his death/incarceration.  Similar to Felina in Breaking Bad
I cant see where it can possibly go though.  he seems hopelessly wrapped up in being a villain right now.  Kim is pretty miserable in her fake existence/guilt.  
IMO the happiest end that we can hope for is if Saul goes to prison and the last scene is him running some sort of fast-talking con on some jacked and confused inmates.  But what is a potential happy-end for Kim?  It seems like there is no winning there

I guess that Kim may sacrifice herself somehow so that Saul may live.  "Im happy you are alive" was literally the only positivity from her in the last episode.

Edited August 15, 2022 by May Day 10

[shrader]

1 hour ago, Mr Info said:

We hear Saul saying the vacuum model code that may be used to convey to the vacuum man that he needs extraction and a new identity. But as we hear Saul saying this—out of breath and clearly in distress—we see Saul’s 1998 Suzuki Esteem that was shot up during the ambush in the desert last season, when Saul almost got killed retrieving Lalo’s bail money. 

We know that Lalo and Nacho found the car but nothing has been mentioned of it since. What is the significance?

 

And the entire video is in color, so I'm wondering if it's a flashback to when he was in the desert.

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by shrader

[Royale with Cheese]

6 hours.

[davefan66]

What an episode.

 

Both Odenkirk and Burnett really had an amazing scene.  His face was very similar to the one Walt would make when angry.

 

I’ve tried to guess what’s next, and can’t here.  I feel it doesn’t end well for Saul, be it incarceration or death.  I want a happy ending for Kim, but that is all but impossible.  I had thought they’d end up together as Gene and Kim, no way that is possible.

 

I wonder if we will see either Mike or Gus again.  Most likely not.

 

I will be glued to my seat for sure.  Kinda hope it’s commercial free.

Edited August 15, 2022 by davefan66

[davefan66]

Watching the 2nd half of this seasons run up to the finale tonight.  They are showing them on a marathon on AMC.

 

What Kim wanted was for Jimmy to share in her despair and acknowledge what they did was wrong.  He wouldn’t do that.  I feel that’s what drove them apart when she said we are bad together.  Meaning she doesn’t trust him to stop being who he is.

 

She wanted him to be nice on the phone.  She needed him to be as torn apart about their actions as she was.  Again, he couldn’t do it.

[Max Fischer]

Call it a flaw or a superpower, but I can easily abandon a book, movie or TV show. There could be 10 minutes left in a movie, 10 pages in a book or four seasons into a show, if I think it's lost it's mojo, I won't hesitate to stop.  

 

On the other hand, BB and BCS had my full attention. They created a show where almost every scene had meaning, it could be a callback dozens of episodes down the line, or signal a significant plot point. There was no wasted dialogue and every character had a meaningful part. Even HOW a scene was filmed could speak volumes. Even verbal communication and Easter eggs could tap into your unconsciousness that you needed to  pay attention. 

 

BB was the perfect (chef's kiss) story arc, and while I missed the show, I wouldn't have change a thing (and yes, I even liked the fly episode, it fit the absurdity of the show). On the other hand, I will really miss Better Call Saul and wish it would keep going. I think it could continue on a few more seasons because I have great confidence the show runners would all get it right and never have me say, "So, when does this wrap up?"

 

Let's hope there are a few more of their caliber in the works. 

 

[davefan66]

11 minutes ago, Max Fischer said:

Call it a flaw or a superpower, but I can easily abandon a book, movie or TV show. There could be 10 minutes left in a movie, 10 pages in a book or four seasons into a show, if I think it's lost it's mojo, I won't hesitate to stop.  

 

On the other hand, BB and BCS had my full attention. They created a show where almost every scene had meaning, it could be a callback dozens of episodes down the line, or signal a significant plot point. There was no wasted dialogue and every character had a meaningful part. Even HOW a scene was filmed could speak volumes. Even verbal communication and Easter eggs could tap into your unconsciousness that you needed to  pay attention. 

 

BB was the perfect (chef's kiss) story arc, and while I missed the show, I wouldn't have change a thing (and yes, I even liked the fly episode, it fit the absurdity of the show). On the other hand, I will really miss Better Call Saul and wish it would keep going. I think it could continue on a few more seasons because I have great confidence the show runners would all get it right and never have me say, "So, when does this wrap up?"

 

Let's hope there are a few more of their caliber in the works. 

 

BB was amazing, but this last season of Saul has been incredibly written.  Fantastic how they are wrapping it all up.  The running around the snowy field practicing for the robbery was absurd, but somehow fit.  My only real complaint is how Carol Burnett used Ask Jeeves to look up “Albuquerque conman “ and found Saul.

 

I really don’t believe there was any other way to wrap up this story.

 

It is an absolutely stellar show and I do hope they somehow continue.  Can’t see it with the age of the actors.  But I can only hope.  I feel they left Fring’s Chile storyline open, not sure they go down that road.

Edited August 15, 2022 by davefan66

[shrader]

7 hours ago, Mr Info said:

Looking forward to the surprise.

Final episode info: 

“In a road-trip story, a reclusive prepper abandons his bunker in search of a female prepper from his past; along the way, he meets an unlikely ally who is his polar opposite; they team up in an effort to find their loved ones.”

This was the description of the walking dead episode that aired last night. I’m not sure how they slipped up and have it listed for Better Call Saul. 

[Royale with Cheese]

What did you guys think?

[May Day 10]

I thought it was a great ending for saul and Kim. 

[meazza]

51 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

What did you guys think?

Great.

 

I thought of godfather 2 when Saul walked into that courtroom and saw Kim.

[gomper]

1 hour ago, meazza said:

Great.

 

I thought of godfather 2 when Saul walked into that courtroom and saw Kim.

Plus the scene between the gates at the end. Definitely GF2 call back there.

 

I thought it was terrific.  After all his selfishness, he redeemed himself by saving Kim from having her life destroyed, further. 

Edited August 16, 2022 by gomper

[Dr Krentist]

Great, fitting ending. In the courtroom he wanted to be Jimmy McGill again. But on the bus the prisoner said "Don't give me that, you're Saul" and when they chanted his name, he smirked. He can't escape who he really is. The scene with his brother was sad.

[Greybeard]

   I am really going to miss this show.  A fitting ending as Jimmy redeems himself.

 

  You have to give the writers and the actors a huge amount of credit.   Every character in this was engaging.  

 

  Throughout this last season, I have gotten lost a couple of times.  There were scenes I didn't understand and conversations on this board I understood even less.  The reason for this is, I have yet to see a single episode of Breaking Bad.  I find it hard to believe it could be better than Saul. 

 

As far as I can see, not knowing the Breaking Bad story/characters didn't detract from Saul.  Maybe you don't miss, what you don't know.

[Royale with Cheese]

47 minutes ago, Greybeard said:

   I am really going to miss this show.  A fitting ending as Jimmy redeems himself.

 

  You have to give the writers and the actors a huge amount of credit.   Every character in this was engaging.  

 

  Throughout this last season, I have gotten lost a couple of times.  There were scenes I didn't understand and conversations on this board I understood even less.  The reason for this is, I have yet to see a single episode of Breaking Bad.  I find it hard to believe it could be better than Saul. 

 

As far as I can see, not knowing the Breaking Bad story/characters didn't detract from Saul.  Maybe you don't miss, what you don't know.

 

I think Breaking Bad is better but won't argue with someone who likes Better Call Saul is better.  It's 1 and 2 for favorite shows of all time.

Watching Walter White transform in the show is awesome.

[Max Fischer]

Satisfying end to an all-time great series. 

[Royale with Cheese]

So does Kim go back to being a Lawyer?

[meazza]

49 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

So does Kim go back to being a Lawyer?

Definitely.  She will be volunteering and doing what personally satisfied her.

 

 

[Royale with Cheese]

4 minutes ago, meazza said:

Definitely.  She will be volunteering and doing what personally satisfied her.

 

 

I wonder if she just left that mundane life behind?  Quit her job and broke up with her boyfriend….maybe she just disappeared?

 

I wonder if she’ll be another big time Lawyer or the free attorney appointed to street criminals.

[PromoTheRobot]

7 hours ago, Dr Krentist said:

Great, fitting ending. In the courtroom he wanted to be Jimmy McGill again. But on the bus the prisoner said "Don't give me that, you're Saul" and when they chanted his name, he smirked. He can't escape who he really is. The scene with his brother was sad.

 

Interesting he applied his Cinnabon skills in the prison bakery. I expected him to assist inmates with their appeals. (Maybe he does that too?)  Here's a tidbit about Cinnabon.  The company reached out to Gould and Gilligan after the reference in Breaking Bad to see if they were serious about putting Jimmy/Saul/Gene in a Cinnabon. Bob Odenkirk actually attended Cinnabon manager training to learn the role.

[aristocrat]

1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said:

So does Kim go back to being a Lawyer?

 

Well if she gets sued I'd think she would be disbarred for ethical reasons as that would be public info right?  She could still volunteer and advise though. 

[Royale with Cheese]

2 minutes ago, aristocrat said:

 

Well if she gets sued I'd think she would be disbarred for ethical reasons as that would be public info right?  She could still volunteer and advise though. 

 

I thought about that but I took it as Jimmy/Saul in court basically absolving Kim and maybe Howard's wife just goes after him?  He still should have money right?

[aristocrat]

Just now, Royale with Cheese said:

 

I thought about that but I took it as Jimmy/Saul in court basically absolving Kim and maybe Howard's wife just goes after him?  He still should have money right?

 

The problem is she submitted it to the district attorney's office so the Bar would have access to that statement. 

[Royale with Cheese]

 

[K-9]

Outstanding! That’s all I got, except this show will be greatly missed. Can’t wait to see what’s next for Gilligan, Gould, and company. 

[shrader]

I love how they mixed in the regrets from the major players from the two shows.  That was a great way of defining exactly the person who each of them was.  And it just hammered home why Mike has always been my favorite of the bunch.

[Mr Info]

AMC has formally greenlit the dramedy series “Straight Man” starring Bob Odenkirk a little over two weeks after announcing the show as in development. The show is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Russo. It is described as a mid-life crisis tale set at Railton College in the Pennsylvania Rust Belt.

 

i have not found anything yet on the ‘Parish’ series for Giancarlo Esposito that was displayed on the show last night.

[Dr Krentist]

46 minutes ago, shrader said:

I love how they mixed in the regrets from the major players from the two shows.  That was a great way of defining exactly the person who each of them was.  And it just hammered home why Mike has always been my favorite of the bunch.

 

I love how the book, the Time Machine, was in Jimmy's flashback with Chuck. Leads me to believe that that moment would have been where Jimmy would have went back to. He would have stayed and chatted with his brother, bonded, and took a different path. And Walt looking at Jessie's watch for a moment when asked about regrets. He maybe wanted to answer with that instead.

 

Such a well written and shot series. Going to miss it.

[Success]

Best possible ending, imo.  I'm always amazed by the creators and writers.

 

I thought it was going to be super-bleak.  But the way they tied it off, it was actually the best ending for Jimmy/Saul.  He seemed almost at home in prison, and even w/ the plea deal, he would have likely fallen into his old habits again once he got out.  And he really earned redemption by coming clean for the 1st time ever, on everything.

 

[Dr Krentist]

Not my findings, but a couple of screen shots from the season 6, episode 1 opening. The time machine book and the Saul cardboard cutout in the dumpster where the police later found Saul hiding.

[davefan66]

Wow.  I came to the realization that Better Call Saul was not about Jimmy McGills fall into the world of Saul Goodman, but about Kim.  It was about Kim’s arc.

 

What an amazing episode.  It wrapped up not only Better Call Saul, but Breaking Bad also.  This episode was a cumulation of 2 amazing series.

 

I love how we got a good dose of Saul getting a reduced sentence, and got a Jimmy eventually doing  the right thing.

 

The cigarette scene was amazing, and an incredible tear jerker.

 

Hands down, the best series finale ever.

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by davefan66

[The Poojer]

Wow!  i didn't expect that kind of ending.  they really couldn't have done any better to end the series.  i would have been ok fading to black in the room with Kim and Jimmy smoking, but the walk out of the jail was pretty damned powerful and just perfect

[Royale with Cheese]

31 minutes ago, The Poojer said:

Wow!  i didn't expect that kind of ending.  they really couldn't have done any better to end the series.  i would have been ok fading to black in the room with Kim and Jimmy smoking, but the walk out of the jail was pretty damned powerful and just perfect

 

Oh yeah it was.  I had to take a deep breath when it was happening.  

[Logic]

I'm a bit late to this conversation (I watched the show a day late on DVR), but holy cow.

What a finale, what a show.

I'm struck by the way in which Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad were the same type of story -- the descent of two decent men down a slippery slope of moral decay -- and yet were completely different shows. They shared the DNA of the Gilligan/Gould writing team, of course -- the meticulous detail, the rich visual tapestries, the carefulness and deliberateness -- but whereas Breaking Bad was loud, violent, bombastic, dramatic, and at times operated at a breakneck pace, Better call Saul was quiet, staid, understated, and subtle. It was as if Breaking Bad was the Id, and Better Call Saul the ego/superego. 

And whereas Walter White steered into his worst impulses and ultimately went down in a violent blaze of glory (sure, he helped Jesse and killed some nazis, but he was certainly no hero by the series' end), Jimmy sought redemption, ultimately doing the right thing and choosing to pay for his sins rather than weasel out of consequences for the millionth time.

When looking at Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul together, I'm not sure I've ever seen a more well written, well told, well shot, well acted couple of shows in my life. Between the story arcs, the character development, the visual tapestries, the carefully planted easter eggs in almost every episode that often foreshadowed future events or colored the story in an extra shade...I just really can't say enough about the job Gilligan and Gould did on these shows.

I may be in the minority, but I think that overall, as much as I loved Breaking Bad, I might have preferred Better Call Saul. It was as if the showrunners took everything they learned and perfected while making Breaking Bad and applied it to Better Call Saul. 

As for the finale...most everything has already been said, but...I especially liked the three flashback scenes to the three formative characters in Jimmy's life, and of course the ending scenes with Kim. That may -- MAY -- have been the best series finale I can ever recall seeing. Just exactly perfect.

[gomper]

Irony was a main running thread throughout the series. Jimmy starts by manipulating the elderly, and in the end,, an elderly Carol Burnett exposes him. One of a million examples of playing the long game as a writing team. 

[The Poojer]

25 minutes ago, gomper said:

Irony was a main running thread throughout the series. Jimmy starts by manipulating the elderly, and in the end,, an elderly Carol Burnett exposes him. One of a million examples of playing the long game as a writing team. 

That was my only "complaint".  How did her character make that leap to Saul simply from her son being arrested.  I might have missed the connection.  But it's a very minor 'complaint'

[May Day 10]

21 minutes ago, The Poojer said:

That was my only "complaint".  How did her character make that leap to Saul simply from her son being arrested.  I might have missed the connection.  But it's a very minor 'complaint'

 

Throughout the episodes, she began to grow a little suspicious.  At one point Gene excused him and Jeff from the kitchen to speak in private.  She rolled by the garage once when they were looking at stolen goods and they pretended to work on a car, and she observed the 3 schmoes suspiciously meeting in the garage at night.

 

So Gene called her to get Jeff out of police custody.  He seemed very educated on the legal system.  At one point he slipped, saying bondsmen arent needed in Omaha, and it isnt like Albuquerque which perhaps gave her a clue that he could be from there.

[davefan66]

17 minutes ago, May Day 10 said:

 

Throughout the episodes, she began to grow a little suspicious.  At one point Gene excused him and Jeff from the kitchen to speak in private.  She rolled by the garage once when they were looking at stolen goods and they pretended to work on a car, and she observed the 3 schmoes suspiciously meeting in the garage at night.

 

So Gene called her to get Jeff out of police custody.  He seemed very educated on the legal system.  At one point he slipped, saying bondsmen arent needed in Omaha, and it isnt like Albuquerque which perhaps gave her a clue that he could be from there.

Makes it seem a little more plausible, but wish it was a bit more played out on how he was caught.

 

Ultimately, it was about him getting caught but more about him finally doing the right thing.

[aristocrat]

55 minutes ago, The Poojer said:

That was my only "complaint".  How did her character make that leap to Saul simply from her son being arrested.  I might have missed the connection.  But it's a very minor 'complaint'

 

She said she looked up conman from Albuquerque and his face popped up. She knew her son was a conman and suspected he was one and when he said the city she looked it up.  Could it have been that simple? Maybe. Especially with how high profile he was. 

 

The part I thought was ridiculous was that the DOJ would settle for 7 years on his crimes. They have an unlimited budget and would have a parade of witnesses showing he was part of the scheme the entire time. 

Edited August 17, 2022 by aristocrat

[shrader]

6 minutes ago, aristocrat said:

The part I thought was ridiculous was that the DOJ would settle for 7 years on his crimes. They have an unlimited budget and would have a parade of witnesses showing he was part of the scheme the entire time. 

 

Did they really have a parade of witnesses though?  Everyone is dead or in Alaska.