Better Call Saul: The Artist's Journey

[@dirtybird6669]

*h* *o* *b* *o* *k* *e* *n*

[@nont18411]

Belize

[@dirtybird6669]

📍'ed groovy much appreciated i'll hop on the bandwagon. your videos are insightful and entertaining. is this the 'nemesi(s)' video?? good material right there

[@amberhernandez]

alexa order corn

[@KidAL0]

Street Fighter 6

[@dirtybird6669]

@@amberhernandez yes. words

[@extremekiwi101]

Jimmy said "It's showtime" without the "folks" part in Saul Gone because chronologically by then The Incredibles had come out

[@shiptj01]

I never thought about that.

[@dislecsyk991]

​@@shiptj01 The second time you said that is definitely a lie

[@delfin5418]

Y’know there’s an alternate timeline where Jimmy quit lawyering and pursued filmmaking because he’s one hell of a director and for him the film industry he’d slip right in.

[@richardplinkett4956]

That's the bad ending. The only thing worse than being a lawyer is being a director.

[@Awarewolf047]

@@richardplinkett4956 u sound like Chuck lol

[@josephgordon4281]

And he gets to be a director! What a sick joke!

[@AliciaM5555]

Hmmm, idk, only if there's an angle 😉😉

[@paris-1911]

_slip_ right in, huh?

[@LiarofShinovar]

The idea that Lalo invaded Kim and Jimmy's home, taking away their sense of control, which led them to plan their scheme on Howard to get their control back in a way, actually blew my mind. It's insight like this that I couldn't have picked up on if I rewatched the show 100 times. Thank you for doing what you do ❤

[@willisverynice]

Although I did already have this analysis while watching the show, I am so glad to hear a popular KZbin analysis that includes it. I’ve always felt many people were missing a lot of interesting ways of looking at this story. That being said I wasn’t a huge fan of breaking bad lol.

[@willisverynice]

Err I guess this channel isn’t THAT popular, but it should be.

[@legoghostyoda]

it blew howard’s mind too

[@Bugthaw]

@@legoghostyoda fuck beat me to it

[@nanaaddae4790]

@@legoghostyoda what a sick joke!

[@PuglyWont]

You described an aspect of Jimmy that I don't think is noticed much, the outsider, creative side. It's what makes Jimmy so relatable to me, and what makes him standout as a lawyer. I was helping a kid with Math, and I told him to just play around with a calculator and do things and see what happens. And he didn't like that idea, it seemed almost morally wrong to him... that not doing something in a way you are told to and creative play. If you aren't told specifically how to do something, it's wrong to just try it. I was kind of shocked by this, and I thought this might be the process that many people actually have. There's a flippant creativity that some find repulsive, that sets you up as an outsider just by disposition. Jimmy seemed to embody this in some way... I fully get his reaction to working at Davis & Main. I did student teaching, and had a talking to that wasn't much different from Jimmy's stern warning from the higher ups. I didn't realize that what I was doing would offend them so much. (I inadvertently insulted the teacher, because I didn't like a worksheet that was her pet project.) Great video, you always reveal so many new things about it.

[@Alexander_Grant]

It's interesting you bring up the calculator and messing around with it. I studied physics in college and the class that I was in was the craziest group of outcasts that I've ever spent time with. Wildly different people that had their own quirks, and we were all somewhat close since it was only about 20-30 of us at any time and our college had over 25,000, and the fact most weren't very socially intelligent, meant that it was a social group for many too. What I never realized until reading this comment was that everyone in there was creative in their own way, some were musicians, some were artists, but everyone I knew shared a creativity in being curious with number and math. Many study sessions I was a part of got sidetracked due to someone being curious about something, sometimes relevant to the material and sometimes barely being tangentially related, with everyone trying to figure it out.

[@annettesturgess5400]

I know a fair few musicians that are classically trained . When they hear someone play and then find out they're self taught , they usually lament the fact that they're classically trained .

[@ekortsec]

Jimmy painted Jesus at Mr. Acker's house in season 5, too

[@Taikina]

but consider the silver lining: he seems to have an exceptionally good reputation among the other prisoners, providing him modicum of extra protection from the violence or prisons and with his added social skills, a huge potential to create contacts to get like extra coffee and ice cream and stuff. and most of all, he can work as a legal advisor, which is one of the most valuable types of "currency" you can make in the american prison system if i'm not mistaken. this unironically does make saul 'the last line of defense for the little guy'

[@WildHeart7777]

I’m an artist, I studied psychology, and I’m obsessed with bcs, so this video could not be any more up my alley. I just absolutely adore your videos. And your thorough explanation of the psychological underpinnings of the Howard scam was so on point. Every video you make is a gift….even more so now that the series is over. Thank you 🙏

[@RennsReviews]

I always click on these videos of yours thinking "I'll watch 15 minutes right now and finish the rest later" I usually end up sitting and watching the entire thing in one sitting. Love what you have to say about the show, and I also love how your thoughts on the show deepen my appreciation for it!

[@thewigglr]

Your videos are amazing too, ren! Keep it up man!

[@nuparuchi]

I really love the description of jimmy's art being a way for him to feel powerful. I think it's definitely right, when he's performing he can make himself into an auteur, he can convince himself that his opinion matters more than anyone else's. I think it makes not telling clifford main about the commercial make way more sense because having to be accountable to anyone else would take away that power to some degree.

[@nuparuchi]

also I think that I experience that too. I'm not a big fan of collaborative projects, and part of that is having to figure out the logistics of communicating, but I think it's even more that I want the thing to be mine. I want to put my ideas out into the world, not have them replaced by someone else's.

[@WaffleMatrix]

You and Ological are the two best BCS analysts on KZbin. So many channels just summarize episodes and have nothing original or insightful to say, but you guys always remind me the amount of detail and depth that was put into this show. I think that a great TV show is designed to make you think, and reflect on what it means, as well as have discussions about what it could mean (there's no one obvious answer to the questions the show poses). BTW, you should team up Ological for a collab video.

[@Bozothcow]

If you watch one you will enjoy the other.

[@xXDexter3000Xx]

ological sucks, his obsession w color theory blinds him to everything else about the series

[@Heisenberg-gp1kt]

@@xXDexter3000Xx because the color and cinematography in bcs pretty much IS the series. Duh

[@xXDexter3000Xx]

@@Heisenberg-gp1kt thats not true, as demonstrated by this video. there's a huge allegory for mythological storytelling that ological hasnt even slightly picked up on.

[@mrpuddingpop1]

@@xXDexter3000Xx I mean you can’t cover everything, he more leans on the literal visual display, I.e. every frame a painting. Whereas this series is more about emotion and worth and ties it’s claims in an Ockham’s razor feeling. Both good because they’re not giving a truth sermon, they’re discussing what they see.

[@aisling_commoddities]

As an amateur webcomic artist myself, your description of the process of art creation really hit home. I spend hours writing and drawing things that people can process in a few seconds and it brings me no material reward whatsoever, but damn if it doesn't feel amazing.

[@vivvy_0]

wish i could find such a passion.. been struggling art block many years and can't get myself doing things feeling waistfull

[@benswolo6928]

Dude you’re low key my favorite Saul takes. Can’t wait to see this one.

[@yemmohater2796]

I agree, he actually cares about the characters and has a sympathetic view of the characters as people, rather than just villains or heroes

[@balaclava__music]

@@yemmohater2796 like q good therapist

[@gracekelly2282]

Been going through heavy grief, your video has given me comfort so thank you for what you’re doing. Always enjoy your better call saul videos, best ones out there. ❤

[@heartpaws519]

((hug)) and 🙏 Grace - may you find peace eventually.

[@manitouparkguitaracademy]

"if youre like me, good luck with that" i was not ready, sir, that was gold how you just slid that like that

[@toxiclaw7591]

"If youre like me, well, good luck with that, but also..." absolute gold

[@corbinmarkey466]

I'm so glad you dedicated a whole video to this. Jimmy's artistry has always been one of the most important, key aspects of the show to me and I'm glad that you appreciate it as well!

[@colddsummerofficial]

So many people misinterpret this show but you’re one of the few creators who really get it, appreciate the content. Cheers

[@thecinemascribe]

This video perfectly summarized why I find Jimmy to be the most relatable and personally meaningful character in anything I’ve seen.

[@nate4137]

Im currently a music education major and the thing Ricky Blackmore said about medieval times is 100% true. The earliest common applications of harmony came from the church, mainly Gregorian chant. For a long time it was all unison with no harmony, and then it slowly became common practice to go between unison and harmony in 4ths or 5ths.

[@James-vc1kc]

it amazes me how you continue to make so many Better Call Saul videos, while never failing to provide me with insights I never even realized or thought of before

[@kryptakazum548]

Phenomenal takeaways, Saul and Kim needing control makes MUCH more sense than them (as characters in their own minds) needing an antagonist. Also, that makes Howard's death even more impactful, Lalo took control back, with a damn smile.

[@rat-of-pain]

I fully agree with what you said about the ending & Jimmy's fate. I haven't seen a lot of people talk about the tragedy of it, as a life sentence is seen as an understandable, acceptable thing by so much of society, and yeah as so many of your audience says you out into words what I was thinking lol

[@nameynamename3758]

the tragedy is all the destruction he helped cause

[@austinkeetch1850]

Best creator on this whole platform dude love your stuff

[@swagwolfgang]

I honestly felt bad for chuck when he said to jimmy “i worked my ass off to get here” because like he really did

[@MonkeySpaceWalk]

“If you’re like me, first of all, good luck with that-“ lmao

[@surgz_puzlx3355]

This has been some of the best 55 minutes of my KZbin watching life! Great vid

[@se4949]

Your dismissal of denial of death right after explaining its premise of human self importance is hilarious…

[@bookreport3724]

No matter how long your videos they are never long enough for me, since your videos are so well made.

[@braves9652]

I agree. I got excited when I saw this one was like 55 minutes.

[@swagwolfgang]

Since the finale i have thought “im so upset this show is over” atleast once every day😂

[@agsmashups]

goddamn, this video is great. Thank u for putting so much effort in, and showing me so much more clearly just how much of an artist jimmy was, not just verbal but music, painting, directing and more and how it really is his passion aside from people. Makes me wonder. what kind of life would he have if people encouraged his artistic side and he didnt choose law as a career. probably wouldnt get into 90 percent of the trouble. Though i reckon hed still be slippin every now and then, just a lower scale w out the legal consequences.

[@95mudshovel]

art is essential in life. when I was a teenager, I would come home from work and spend hours at my desk experimenting with various art styles. ten years later, my job is art and my hobbies are art. everyone needs art. it's key to the human experience.

[@arborwin]

This was your best one yet, and validated so many of my own thoughts about the show! Thank you so much!

[@edwartvonfectonia4362]

This show will be on my rewatch list for sure. You can analyse the characters over and over.

[@mappingshaman5280]

"They were eachothers worst nemesissies." Now you're making me picture Bob odenkirk and Michael mckean in pink dresses.

[@elonif4125]

This is your best video. I watched it after watching BCS for the first time and now, after my second watch, it really makes Jimmy more accessible to view him as an artist. Truly fantastic insight.

[@laughman7357]

I really appreciate the ingenuity in the editing style, and scripting structure of this video. Many YT video essays, are just someone aping the editing cliches they've been exposed to on YT, whilst loving the sound of their own voice, without much of a point. I appreciate this video, and your effort to be concise, and not pretentious. Thank you, I subbed!

[@holidaygerry]

This vid resonates w me as an artist. Great to hear a therapist perspective on a series I rewatch for its soothing relatability.

[@getstakerized]

Bob Odenkirk’s singing in BCS hearks back to Mr. Show … ‘I’m the lonely milk machine…’ lol ;)

[@TassiaNathalia]

i saved this video on my watch later, and got to watch it today it paid off every second one of my favourite shows being graced with such brilliant analysis thank you

[@James_Wisniewski]

Oh, Smoke on the Water. The song that never stops giving. My middle school orchestra played a rendition of it in eighth grade (I was in the cello section, so I just played rhythm), and it was the first song I learned on bass guitar (played from memory, and without chords, of course). It's pretty much *the* intro to rock song.

[@jadondavid8272]

Another fantastic Video!! I love your insight so much, it always surprises me the different angles you approach with your analysis, and the way you tie so many points together. Brilliant!

[@theyellowknightpodcast]

marco hums the smoke on the water song first when he's running the watch scam with jimmy

[@Samwel.l]

Awesome video, I love the breakdown from a psychological perspective from an actual therapist. Your awesome!

[@GalaxyStudi0s]

YESSS!!! I have been greatly anticipating this video of yours ever since you briefly mentioned it in your last video!

[@GinoChaviano19]

Another banger. Thanks so much for your hard work. These in-depth analyses on this show make my day.

[@colekoenning6995]

Man these videos have been one of the best parts of my year, thank you so much for your efforts.

[@peterdapoet]

Amazing video. Broke a bone and this is helping the healing in a soothing way.

[@BeefBlock9844]

Another awesome BCS video. Thank you so much for all your work!

[@Tea._.why.]

Been loving these videos, they have been really hitting my better call Saul itch. Cant wait to see what you upload next, bcs or whatever else you decide to dive into.

[@rasmustagu]

really high quality analysis. came for a quick check, stayed without even realizing.

[@holidaygerry]

The series finale came at a critical time in my life where I was conceptualizing eternal recurrence and accepting the patterns of my behavior as a kind of cyclical reality. Like repeat as many times as necessary to learn your lessons, and maybe get the good ending thats not behind bars.

[@drTERRRORRR]

Man. You and I are so different. Thank you for making your thoughts public like that. I learn so much from differences in our perspectives. I hope you're well.

[@freetousebyjtc]

13:50 As a painter, that part about the rule of thirds completely went over my head even after so many rewatches. I kept thinking Saul was talking about how Mike didn't have enough backups for the photos since I guess the data hoarder in me took higher priority lol

[@chuckles2364]

Recently I feel like I've watched a lot of video essays of a similar caliber, and maybe they got the core idea right, but also in addition they get something REALLY wrong that sends a horrible message to the people watching. BUT that trend has been broken with this video, great job!

[@davidbjacobs3598]

Your comments on legacy made me realize something (a bit off-topic) -- Jimmy hates Howard, in part, because Howard is an alternate version of Jimmy. Or rather, Howard represents an alternate path. Both Jimmy and Howard are living in the shadow of some amazing and significantly better lawyer: Jimmy's brother and Howard's father (the other Hamlin in Hamlin Hamlin McGill). But unlike Jimmy, Howard accepts this role with total complacency and satisfaction. He shows that Jimmy could have been happy to simply live in his brother's shadow, and Jimmy resents and despises that.

[@AliciaM5555]

@David YES!!!!! 1000% well said, this is exactly why Jimmy resents Howard! Well said. 👍👍😎😎

[@charlesw7397]

Much easier to accept that position when your superior cares for you and gives you validation. Chuck basically resented Jimmy for even passing the bar and refused to hire him. If Chuck had given him a chance as a lawyer and helped mold Jimmy as a lawyer, Jimmy probably would've turned out much more similar to Howard

[@iconoclast137]

your channel is fantastic. such deep insights into tiny details, i love it

[@saml302]

"if you're like me well good luck with that" and i died im dead

[@doxy66]

I finally finished BCS recently, and I have been going through a bunch of your videos about it. Looking forward to more videos on other shows in the future too!! Great and very insightful stuff. Love your perspective

[@lemoineau2317]

Please continue your analysis, they are awesome. They are a work of art in themselves

[@SchatziSugar]

When it comes to his commercial, it's worth mentioning that Bob Odenkirk was executive producer on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, arguably discovering tim and eric. This is excluding his already rich history of spoof commercials in The Birthday Boys and Mr.Show

[@davidsteece4283]

you make the kind of video essays that set my soul on fire. so good. perfect really

[@kludgedude]

When the script is about non-artistic people but written by major artistic talents

[@mirandaspencer6097]

Terrifically insightful video about my favorite show--yes, Saul Goodman as an ART PROJECT!! I FEEL SO VINDICATED: Not too many episodes into my first watch I was like, "why is this guy trying to be a lawyer? It's so clear he is an ARTIST in every sense of the word." I'm a creative myself and have been around them most of my life and recognized these traits in him. How much less miserable this character could have been if he'd gone that path instead...but then there'd be no show :-).

[@brxyann]

Babe wake up, new What’s Therapy? video dropped!

[@PatriseHenkel]

you will LOVE the Sopranos! As a painter, I love this analysis of Jimmy. No wonder I love him so much... making art IS a compulsion, and us artists like to believe its a noble one. I have several times tried to "give up all this art s**t and live a normal life." It doesnt work; I have to make art, no matter how mediocre, is essential for me to live.

[@matthewscanlan8001]

I really hope you follow through with sopranos content, these are my two favorite shows

[@NoNoRecords]

Hey mate. Not sure if you saw the “American greed” thing they did after BCS (technically a promo for S6, but a lot of it references post season 6) but it constantly talks about life after BCS.

[@KurtMidas1510]

7:58 I would say it's about smoke. On the water.

[@ricoperez9252]

Wow, you’re good at this.

[@jamiewest7089]

love your videos man cant wait for your takes on the sopranos especially all the therapy scenes

[@cellularphone8642]

You gotta be one of my favorite KZbinrs, these saul videos are essential for any fan

[@noey4560]

6:07 can confirm that perfect 4ths are a medieval music thing. The perfect 4th for was the first harmony widely used in medieval music, if I recall correctly.

[@gongalicious]

I saw a fantastic piece of fanart on tumblr that contrasted Chuck's space blanket with Jimmy's bright colored Saul suits, and it made me view the show in such a different way. Chuck used his sensitivity to electricity as a shield against his true feelings against his own brother, whereas Jimmy created his Saul Goodman persona to cope with his own feelings about his brother and later using it to numb the pain of losing Kim. They turned their coping mechanisms into performances, and that hurt a lot of people in the end.

[@bradleys4941]

their mom's dying words,only Chuck heard......Chuck's wife LAUGHING/enjoying Jimmy's company.....seeded the HATE, BETRAYAL Chuck would/could never get over....even doomed his marriage

[@noellesears10]

you know, if you think of saul as an identity in terms of pre-dating jimmy's life as a lawyer, being the "last line of defense" kind of makes jimmy the "little guy". if jimmy has nothing else, he has the charisma and good luck that saul brings

[@nont18411]

Would love to see you dissect and give your take on Kim’s ambiguous ending and if her arc is completed or not. Because I think it’s worthy of long discussion and if think in business standpoint, this is a perfect excuse for Vince to make another epilogue movie like El Camino. A very “Just Make Money” move.🤑💸💸💸

[@kpman644]

Agreed, could really have a great discussion on this. On the other hand I think her ambiguous ending is good, leaves the viewer fill in the gaps. Also didn’t quite think El Camino was that great nowhere near BB / BCS

[@nont18411]

@@kpman644 For me, I hate her ending. I feel like the show treated Howard as only a plot device, not a character. And seeing how the mastermind who destroyed his life walked away scott free rubs me in the wrong way.

[@sarahthomason7722]

wake up babe, another What's Therapy? video just dropped

[@adameltassi1268]

the sopranos is such a complex show and being a therapist i think youd definitely find some of what the sopranos talks about interesting i hope you talk about it on this channel

[@mikeshawshigg1512]

I could watch these for the rest of my lifespan

[@rafaelarevalo8047]

i always love forward to these videos. you're very eloquent and you always make very good points! i'd love to see your take on mad men in the future, i think that show is just as psychologically and philosophically rich as BCS. cheers

[@danie5522]

i think this is my favorite video of the series!!!! jimmy has such artistic intelligence and it definitely feels like a part of him he uses in service of other goals, when it definitely could have been his focus!!! maybe he can use his time in prison to hone in a screenplay or somethin

[@alliepenaherrera1976]

Kind of interesting that someone shot a flare gun, which arguably isn't as dangerous as a real gun, and their carelessness causes a huge destructive fire that they couldn’t control. Which is Jimmy’s whole problem. Not saying the show planned that but I love how you can interpret things in this show like you would in a classic novel.

[@alliepenaherrera1976]

@@sunny-gt7qw I think I said this backwards, I meant it more harmless than a gun 🤦 also I just edited it yo say dangerous lol that was definitely my intention.

[@noellesears10]

ive been wating for this video since you mentioned the rockstar jimmy thing in passing like two months ago

[@drinkwater3453]

i can't WAIT for your sopranos videos

[@Nedumgottil]

Good analysis, I'm glad I found this video

[@GrannyGamer1]

Damn. You worked hard on this! Thanks!

[@tiefenverspannt]

damn I'd love to listen to you talking bout bojack horseman or mad men

[@gel3009]

So timely! You made me love Jimmy more.

[@htasul]

Great analysis video! I really liked this one and thought it had a lot to say about Jimmy's character

[@silversam]

Jimmy McGill: putting the "art" in "con artist"

[@kludgedude]

Through modern technology we are doomed to be remembered forever

[@raptor15sc]

please don't tell me that you're going to watch the Sopranos before Breaking Bad.

[@yvonne0429]

The extra stealing something maybe his inner voice of “wolves or sheep, choose one”!! He was traumatized by the con man so he became one.😢

[@pigeonboy8858]

I can confirm Blackmore is exactly right about parallel fourths being a characteristic of medieval music (I’ve studied it quite a bit). In fact, those fourths were basically the first step from the monophonic (one note at a time) chant that was used for most of history to the polyphonic (more than one note at a time) music have now! In Europe, at least

[@bernie1501]

I love your videos so much. You bring up so many aspects of the show that I personally haven't noticed, nor have I seen in the dozens of BCS videos on youtube. Excited to digest this one! Keep it up!! :)

[@EaglesOnPogoSticks]

That was indeed Chris McCaleb's voice. Trying to fill the void that BCS left by going back and listening to all the insider podcasts (as well as your videos of course.)

[@lialogia]

I don't know if this makes me a bad person, but I HATE when people say that I "translated their feelings with words" or something like that. I know it comes from a good place, usually, but in my own creations I try to search for something fresh to say, I want people to be surprised with a new concept or idea, like I was giving them a gift. Anyway, all this is just to say: I watched each episode of Better Call Saul many many times, read articles and watched other channels, even made a video of my own - and still your videos always have something new. Something that I never would have thought or even felt on my own. And, to me, that is the power of art, to create meaning and change the world for the better in any small, but crucial, way. Saul has a lot to learn from artists like you, not just in terms of movie facts or ethics, but in terms of soul. And that's another thing I find very interesting about this Saul, The Artist. He is a CON ARTIST! He is a genius, but he can't stop taking short cuts - and the creators being artists themselves in a capitalist system, it's clear to me that they resent the Jimmys of the world, people who use art as a prop and not as an action to better the world, to understand and expand the meaning of what we are as a species. And I really admire the crew for taking a risk and touching that concept of what makes us humans with such care. I love this show. Anyway, to anyone reading this, good luck getting the riff of Smoke on the Water out of your mind - I just hope it's not Marco's version.

[@Kyfow]

Love the video! Regarding the idea of immortality, I heard a wonderful, existential dread inducing description of the idea of cultural immortality by a video game reviewer of all things. He described famous people and achievements as mountains on the landscape, as time goes by, new mountains form, but also the tide rises and washes away the lower peaks. This causes us to perceive "the greats" as chronologically and thematically close, even if they're hundreds of years apart. When people group Mozart, Behtoven, Chopin and Tchaikovsky, they do just that. The hardest pill to swallow regarding our immortality is that time is infinite and we are not. People tend to think about the current times and themselves as the only time that matters, but they're just rises in the terrain that will almost inevitably wash over them at some point. Anyway, i love your stuff, keep em coming!

[@SHALAt22]

Smoke on the water also has a line 'Swiss time was running out' referencing the famous Swiss watches. Remember this was in the 70's and no digital watches. Swiss watches were supposed to be legendary for their accuracy.