Better Call Saul -Season 6, the Final Season and What Comes Next

[petro]

The one thing they couldn't change was Mike.
In the last season Mike looks 70+ years old...every bit of it, because the actor in real life was 75 in 2022.
When BB started he was 61 years old. You can't hide that fact.

Mike's first appearance in Breaking Bad.....

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Mike in Better Call Saul season 6......


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Been a few years since I watched Breaking Bad, but the difference in images, wow.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Been a few years since I watched Breaking Bad, but the difference in images, wow.

yeah... that was the one thing they couldn't do anything about.
Jonathan Banks is a person that just hasn't aged well, the change is huge and it can't be hidden without looking retarded

 

[rightwinger]

The one thing they couldn't change was Mike.
In the last season Mike looks 70+ years old...every bit of it, because the actor in real life was 75 in 2022.
When BB started he was 61 years old. You can't hide that fact.

Mike's first appearance in Breaking Bad.....

View attachment 783006

Mike in Better Call Saul season 6......

View attachment 783007

I appreciate that they decided not to go the heavy makeup/cgi route to try and make him look younger. It would have looked weird and too obvious.

Mike made both series, stole every scene
Jonathan Banks is a great actor

I remember him in Beverly Hills Cop

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Mike made both series, stole every scene
Great actor

100%.
My favorite character in BCS was Mike.
In fact, as I told Bonzi several times, I wish they would have made a series about him rather than Jimmy.

 

[petro]

100%.
My favorite character in BCS was Mike.
In fact, as I told Bonzi several times, I wish they would have made a series about him rather than Jimmy.

Yup.
Mike is my favorite character.

 

[Flopper]

Didn't realize that 14 years was the time difference. I just assumed the Saul series was the couple years before Walter White entered the scene.

14 years is the time from the beginning of the filming of Breaking Bad (2008) to the filming of the last season of Call Saul (2022). Therefore the actors have aged 14 years from beginning to end of the two series. This can be particular troubling for the production company as well as for viewers because the latter series (Call Saul) is a pre-sequel to Breaking Bad.

The huge delay is not due to production but rather the time it takes a streaming company or TV network to decide on funding a new season. Since most production is completed up to a year before the season is aired and decision to contract for next season comes after the current season is viewed, there's often a 2 year or more delay between production of the two seasons. During that time the cast and crew have contracted for other work and they typically will not be available to start work until months after the network makes it's decision and that is not the only problem. The old sets may or many be available. Sounds stages and locations have to be secured. Cast members that can not continue with the series have to be written out and new actors hired. And this typically occurs with nearly all series that contracted by the season. It's estimated that if networks contracted for all seasons at beginning, cost could be reduced by as much as 50% over contracting at end of each season.

 

[Flopper]

The one thing they couldn't change was Mike.
In the last season Mike looks 70+ years old...every bit of it, because the actor in real life was 75 in 2022.
When BB started he was 61 years old. You can't hide that fact.

Mike's first appearance in Breaking Bad.....

View attachment 783006

Mike in Better Call Saul season 6......

View attachment 783007

I appreciate that they decided not to go the heavy makeup/cgi route to try and make him look younger. It would have looked weird and too obvious.

I have always thought that Mike and Gus were the most interesting characters Gilligan created.

We know a lot about Mike, retired from the Philadelphia police department, fiercely loyal to his boss, Gus but his daughter and granddaughter will always come first. Mike can kill, if necessary but often finds ways around it. Gus, the chicken man is an enigma. We know who he is, the biggest supplier of Cocaine in the southwest, ruthless when it comes to protecting what he has built, able to handle his Cartel bosses, an honored member of the community engaged in charitable work, respected by his employees but we know little about who he really is nor what makes him tick.

I think these two characters would be a good choice for new series.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Related to this... I know a number of BB and BCS fans were not a fan of El Camino... we actually liked it a lot.
Basically the story of Jesse right after BB. I do agree that it wasn't really a movie, but an extended episode of what happens to Jesse.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

"El Camino" was well done, and the character of Jesse was true to character.

 

[rightwinger]

"El Camino" was well done, and the character of Jesse was true to character.

I always felt sorry for Jesse
Every season, someone beat the shit out of him
Finally he ends up tortured by the Nazis

 

[Flopper]

I always felt sorry for Jesse
Every season, someone beat the shit out of him
Finally he ends up tortured by the Nazis

Don't feel to sorry for him because since Breaking Bad, he's appeared in a dozen movies starring in about half of the them and has appear many times on TV shows which lead to a number of awards. He's married with two kids and has a net worth of 30 million.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Don't feel to sorry for him because since Breaking Bad, he's appeared in a dozen movies starring in about half of the them and has appear many times on TV shows which lead to a number of awards. He's married with two kids and has a net worth of 30 million.

I read some time ago about how Paul got the part.
He did poorly in the audition, so bad he apologized to the panel.
But Vince Gilligan saw something and knew him from a different show and insisted he play the role at least for the pilot. He got that chance despite all of the other casting staff did not want him.
According to Paul, he was almost to the point of having to give up acting because he had no money in the bank, behind all bills and in debt.

And here is the tape - and yes, it is pretty bad.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The same scene in actual show... big difference.
He certainly improved.

 

[candycorn]

Season 6, the final season of Better Call Saul has arrived on Netflix. Like all prior seasons it is well done. Unlike previous seasons, Jimmy has to pay the piper for a life of cheating and cons. If you haven't watched season 6, be aware there are spoilers that follow.

In Season 6, all the loose ends are tied up. Lalo, the most vicious of the Salamanca cartel family gets his due. Kim finally comes to the realization that she and Jimmy are not good for each other. Gus, the chicken man solves his problem with the Salamanca family. Jimmy's final scheme directed at Howard destroys him and results in his death. And Jimmy shows some real remorse. In the end, Jimmy faces the consequences of his actions; and in doing so does the right thing thus taking responsibility for his crimes even thou it means spending the rest of his life in prison. This is not the way I would have wanted the series to end but it is the way it needed to end.

I finally watched the series at the urging of several people whom I respect. It was okay. I think they did the cardinal sin of most series (especially the very popular ones); the story has been told but the show must go on. My guess is that they got AMC to buy a couple of more seasons than they thought they would have to tell the story and added in this whole plot about Nacho Varga in Mexico.

As for the "loose ends",did I miss it or did they ever explain why Gail wasn't working in the lab from day one?

Spoiler: spoiler

For that matter, did they ever show the lab being completed? My guess, again, was that they saved some production costs by not re-constructing the lab. It was kind of fitting, in a way, for what the lab had become in that final scene with Lalo and Howard in the grave together.

I think they could have serviced the characters and the stories in four seasons as opposed to six personally. They had the best cold openings on both these shows--BCS and BB.

I enjoyed it but it but getting through some of the episodes was really a chore.

What's next for the franchise?
At AMC, there is a lot of interest in a follow-up series. However, there is little consensus as to what that might be. Some ideas that have been kicked around are:
Jimmie's life in prison. I think we can guess what that would be like.
Kim Wexler's life after Jimmy
Building a story around some of the great characters developed in Breaking Bad or Call Saul.
A pre-squeal to Call Saul which is a pre-sequel/sequel to Breaking Bad.

My guess is the Breaking Bad franchise is at an end when it comes to a new TV series and here's why. First of all Vince Gilligan who is the co-creator and responsible for development of most of the characters said, that he had no interest in doing another series within this franchise and is working on developing a totally different series, although he might be interested sometime in the future. Even if AMC persuaded Gilligan to create another series, AMC is very divided as to what they might want. And lastly the writers strike, which is likely to go on a long time, sort of seals the deal, no more Breaking Bad series so enjoy what there is.

I'd be interested to see a single show like El Camino except focusing on Gus and just how expansive his empire was. Not too interested in prequels... But of all of them, I think seeing lawyer Kim in 2024 Florida with the current politics down there would be interesting.

 

[Seymour Flops]

I finally watched the series at the urging of several people whom I respect. It was okay. I think they did the cardinal sin of most series (especially the very popular ones); the story has been told but the show must go on. My guess is that they got AMC to buy a couple of more seasons than they thought they would have to tell the story and added in this whole plot about Nacho Varga in Mexico.

As for the "loose ends",did I miss it or did they ever explain why Gail wasn't working in the lab from day one?

Spoiler: spoiler

For that matter, did they ever show the lab being completed? My guess, again, was that they saved some production costs by not re-constructing the lab. It was kind of fitting, in a way, for what the lab had become in that final scene with Lalo and Howard in the grave together.

I think they could have serviced the characters and the stories in four seasons as opposed to six personally. They had the best cold openings on both these shows--BCS and BB.

I enjoyed it but it but getting through some of the episodes was really a chore.

I'd be interested to see a single show like El Camino except focusing on Gus and just how expansive his empire was. Not too interested in prequels... But of all of them, I think seeing lawyer Kim in 2024 Florida with the current politics down there would be interesting.

If I remember right, Gail was in on the building of the lab and was set to be the chemist/cook. Then Gus discovered Walt and decided to go with him with Gail as the assistant.

Kim Wexler was a great character played by a very charming actress, and I'd watch her in almost anything.

Breaking Bad and Saul managed to avoid the temptation to toss in random political jibes that are very obviously messages from the writers/producters to the unwashed masses they assume are eager for their wisdom. They pull me right out of the story, be it movie, show, or book.

If they could avoid that, while telling a story set in De Santis' Florida, it would be a neat trick. I fear it would be impossible.