Bill Needle

This show is just ridiculously good.

andicus

^Agreed.

I loved this episode. It was great seeing Mike get patted down in the back of the cruiser, knowing he'd already planted a gun.

Throwing Copper

This particular episode is the type that wins shows the award for Best Drama.

And Banks is simply a lock for Supporting Actor nominations now. I will be watching this one again before next week's episode.

I hope the show bumps up to 12 episodes for Season 2.

Josh-da-man

Yeah, I noticed that, too.

The girl in this episode looked about seven or eight. Which would put her in her early teens during Breaking Bad, which is really too old to be playing in a park while her grandfather watches over her.

Don't know why they didn't go with a younger girl of about two or three unless they wanted to put the Philadelphia stuff back more than a couple of years.

dex14

It's already been announced long ago that it's a 13 episode second season.


I was wondering about the granddaughter stuff too. She looked way too old.

RoyalTea

Every episode of Better Call Saul has been great, but I honestly forgot I was watching the spinoff and thought I was watching Breaking Bad.

Mike86

Yeah last night's episode had more of a Breaking Bad vibe to it. The story was heavier and more dark/gritty than Better Call Saul has been thus far. Not that that's a bad thing just both shows have distinct identities even though they are also very similar.

james2025a

Feeling at the announcement of a Breaking Bad Spin off called Better Call Saul = Optimistic

Feeling after seeing the first episode = Enjoyment with a huge sense of relief that it wasn't getting screw up.

Feeling after watching episodes 2-5 = Feeling better and enjoying even more as each episode passes.

Feeling after watching Johnathan Banks enter the ranks of TV Super stardom in a stand out episode from a character that has been cool since day 1, and in an episode that was simply the top of its game = Utter disbelief that TV could be this good.

This show is going beyond my expectations. I was expecting greatness and its way beyond that.

Mike86

Yeah I definitely didn't think Better Call Saul was going to be very good. It just felt like AMC trying to milk one of their cash cows a bit more to me when they first announced it but its exceeded my expectations by far. I would say the series has at least matched Breaking Bad in terms of quality thus far. I wouldn't say I like it more but it definitely is about equal at this point.

musick

I thought you were just optimistic
but yeah, this about sums it up for me

Decker

So knowing what we know now, what was the significance of that scene at the end of Jello Alpine Shepherd Boy where Mike sees the gal we know know is his Daughter-in-law backing the car out of her driveway? Why would he be watching her and not talking to her?

Neil M.

Great episode but the grandaughter age thing is really bothersome. She was 10 years old at about a year into the BB timeline. She needs to be 4 years old at the most. It's sort of shocking that they'd cast someone who is clearly older.

Mike86

I guess I was wondering if he somehow found out before the cops from Philadelphia showed up at his door that they were in town looking for him. If that was the case I would assume that he was pissed at her for doing so.

Decker

That's unlikely because when the cops knock on his door, he grabs a baseball bat and cautiously approaches the door. You don't do that if you suspect that three cops are outside and are about to bring you in for questioning.

Neil M.

My interpretation of that was that Mike was being cautious. He knew that the Philly police were going to show up at some point. His daughter-in-law's face told him that they had been there. I think he grabbed the bat because he didn't think that she would tell them where he was living so he wasn't expecting them to show up at his doorstep.

The problem with my interpretation is that they should have easily found him through his employment.

Mike86

I think he was just being cautious because he didn't know who it was. I don't see how else that ending would have made sense since this episode takes place after those events and by the end of the episode they seem to have reconciled. That's the only reason I could see that he'd be watching her but wouldn't be talking to her.

slop101

My only issue with this episode would be that even if that cop didn't notice Mike taking his notepad, wouldn't he notice it gone within a few seconds, and be like, "hey, you swiped my notepad!"

musick

yeah, the previews for next week hinted at it being addressed
but yeah that swipe seemed very convenient but I'm willing to overlook it

Decker

Good points. I think your interpretations are right. Wonder if not wanting to be found had anything to do with Mike not wanting to press charges against Jimmy after the altercation.

Jackskeleton

They already suspect him of killing the cops, they just don't have any evidence of it. Swiping a notepad, which he could easily say "wasn't me, I have no knowledge of any notepad, Am I free to leave now officer?" As he probably would.

DthRdrX

I also liked the Vet comment who was patching him up. "I know some people if you are looking for work."

This show certainly is the exception to what people usually say about most prequels, that they are uninteresting if you already know what is going to happen to the characters. It's all in the writing and execution.

Throwing Copper

Aren't all of those interrogation rooms on camera at all times?

uteotw

LOVED IT. Brilliant stuff. His whole revenge plan was just awesome.

RoyalTea

even thought this was definitely the most serious episode, the vet cracked me up when he said he didn't have a sling, but could give mike a cone to wear around his head.

Red Dog

Great stuff.