Better Call Saul: Why Vince Gilligan Made Committing Crimes Boring and Hard

[@chapman3713]

There is nothing boring about chicken slow cooked to perfection seasoned with only the finest herbs and spices.

[@brianpaulbrundage]

Welp this says what I was thinking better than what I had in mind

[@keithmichael112]

delicious, but don't forget the signature spice curls.

[@TrackingShots]

I really debated dedicating another whole section of the video to that montage. What other show covers transportation logistics in that much depth?

[@_Rosebud]

One taste... and you'll know

[@Quentino808]

But it is criminal.... criminally delish!

[@yoloswaggins1579]

Did you know that Vince Gilligan actually committed all the crimes himself to research for the script? Pure genius.

[@ExpiredCornedbeef]

Bravo Vince.

[@tharindu207]

He defecated through a sunroof!

[@boonsaplenty3924]

god this joke is still aggressively unfunny

[@blu-rae864]

@@boonsaplenty3924 kid named finger:

[@SeaguIISoup]

@@boonsaplenty3924 this is the exact moment when this comment became heisenberg

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

Some of the best parts were the "boring" parts like Mike tightening up security at Madrigal warehouse or Nacho practicing throwing the pills to the jacket or Gus cleaning and cooking or other things.

[@TrackingShots]

I loved each of those bits! I went with the bus example because it was the longest and I had the best footage for it, but those are all winners.

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

@@TrackingShots I also loved Walt building his pipe bomb out of freezer packs and baby monitor, as well as Mike sitting on a stakeout at Los Pollos in season 3 while watching with binoculars through the rear view mirror, and the part of Mike taking apart his car to find the bug as well as Mike putting the tracker on the car of the men tracking him, effectively turning himself from the hunted into the hunter, was just plain awesome.

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

@@quicklyform5162 haha that's awesome man. I actually found myself dressing like Mike often. Slacks and a tucked in collared shirt with my black windbreaker jacket.

[@Yambag]

best? i agree they werent borning scenes, but "best"? calm down buddy lol

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

@@Yambag smell my farts

[@mariyatakeuchi9009]

The fact that they make cooking meth and making more than I will ever see in my life seem like a bland 9-5 situation is genius

[@chrisd2051]

Kinda like the Sopranos where yeah there's some exciting scenes but it's treated like a 9-5 where you hang out with your buddies and go to therapy because of the fucking reguarlness of life

[@megaboner690]

​@@chrisd2051real crime is boring, yo

[@maksrambe3812]

To be fair he doesn't truly use that vast of a quantity of money. He has to pay dealers, transport etc and then has to launder what he has left. He only manages to launder like a million or less before Hank discovers him I think, so the barrels of cash are basically useless to him and more of a burden really. But to be fair the timeline of the show is less than two years in total.

[@ToshioRiko_nextgenchems]

​@maksrambe3812 That's wrong in many ways. He always meant to die - he never did it for him, the money part. The money neither was a burden nor the reason. He started for saving his family of debts once he dies and later he did it because of power and being in a position of control, instead of being controlled. He never tried to get more money for the money's sakes. He wanted to proof something to someone unclear - like if you pursue a goal to proof your dead dad that at the end, hell yeah you made it to something nonetheless. Also the money is a recognition of his skills and might and power he has. The more he can get the more it proofs his power control he got over others. Could he stopped at 5million? Sure. But that would mean he just gives away power and control once again. It's not about the money. Also, the money was no burden after all. Did you ever watched the seasons final episode? Or are you blind? Because what I saw, he secured somewhat 8-12mil $ for his family via Gretchen and. ... this Dumbo ears Schwarz Guy. He just needed a little Weiße Lie. Google it if you didn't watched the series and still don't know the German word for white.

[@Stumme-40203]

I like how they kind of make crimes boring. It’s a more realistic take on crime. It’s not all crazy exciting shootouts. It also helps show how they get away with a lot of these crimes. In BrBa they don’t just kill someone and leave the body like you see in other media, they extensively clean up the crime scene so there’s no evidence.

[@thehoodedvagabum7375]

Ah yes, very realistic. I remember that time I robbed a bank, it was like being in the rain running with your loved one.

[@ST1TCH916]

@@thehoodedvagabum7375 tf you on about? lmao. They just said that it's a realistic depiction of how crime is REALLY handled (with the exception of some scenes being exaggerated)

[@ThaJollyRancherz]

@@thehoodedvagabum7375 Nobody robs a bank in either series wtf are you talking about

[@rigormortiz9114]

This 👍

[@youngnigga9295]

There is no way you abbreviated Breaking Bad to BrBa😂😂😂 it takes just as much effort

[@Kingly242]

it's important to know that Better call Saul was primarily ran by Peter Gould, the showrunner. Vince stepped back his role on the show in season 2 and only returned for the sixth season. So all of the talk of Vince is fine. But seriously, give Peter some credit

[@georgiannakis4030]

Bravo Vince!

[@axeldiaz7960]

Bravo Vin- uhhh, Peter!

[@jeffersonclippership2588]

Everyone wants to give credit to "Bravo" Vince Gilligan but not enough people give credit to Peter "The Other One" Gould

[@martinbogadomartinesi5135]

it is true, he's even credited in creating the character. i've been listening the bcs insider podcast and it's astonishing to hear how much effort went into creating this series, and yeah even though vince is in most episodes, you can clearly hear peter talk way more about the character.

[@maccamachine]

cry about it

[@reg4835]

it's amazing how at the beginning of BCS, we all wanted to see Saul Goodman, and with the final episode coming soon, the writers have told the story such that we all just want Jimmy back

[@TrackingShots]

I think the cut to Saul at the end of episode 9 is my favorite moment in the series. What an amazing way to finally give the audience what they think they want.

[@Slavic_Snake]

Nah ion want jimmy back. Saul ftw baby

[@ericthemovieguy]

I love jimmy

[@RikiJasmin]

Jimmy is boring. I prefer Saul

[@Hakujoudaiii]

@@RikiJasmin bro just didn't watch this video

[@usercanalviejo2]

I think a big part of why they make these 'cleaning' scenes so detailed (aside from the general accuracy in the show) is part of their intention of not romanticizing organized crime. They want the audience to understand that maintaining that lifestyle is really hard and costly (both financially and emotionally), and you have a be meticulous to a paranoid degree or else things end up badly for you.

[@fortnight5677]

Also it's directed good and it's enjoyable to watch. It's like, there is this crunchy feeling. I don't know, like, appetizing to watch. These scenes are like chicken cooking scenes but for cleaning, tinkering with stuff, cooking meth etc.

[@linkl_6641]

The entire point was that no matter how paranoid or careful, you just get fucked over anyways.

[@testoftetris]

one of my favorite scenes across both shows is in Better Call Saul, where Mike is in Mexico and his cell phone battery is dead. He starts trying to jerry rig a charger out of stray electrical parts and it seems like it's going to be another one of those minutes-long montage scenes. And then someone just ... hands him a phone charger. It was such a small throwaway joke but it's maybe the hardest I've laughed in the whole show

[@NeonBeeCat]

I like the part where Mike deconstructs his car looking for a tracker before he realizes to check the fuel cap.

[@danielshore1457]

I like the sort of unintentional meaning behind that, it emulates how Mike died, he was able to get out of all these methodically thought and complex plans by gus and that and yet he is killed very simply by a simple man, Walter just got mad at what he said and killed him nothing more

[@pingamalinga]

Yes. I also laughed and think I even clapped. Funny.

[@Vasoslaihiala]

@@danielshore1457 It was his one fault. His attitude. I'm not saying it was morally wrong, but Mike, as a master of planning and as someone who literally told Walt to his face that he's a ticking time bomb and he doesn't wanna be around for the boom, should have been more careful in his attitude, not throw oil in the fire. He knew Walt was basically batshit insane by that point. But he still wanted to maintain his patronizing attitude. Still, not saying it was bad. But you don't patronize egomaniacs with guns. They'll shoot ya.

[@Josuh]

@@VasoslaihialaThing is Walt stole Mike's own gun, Mike let his guard down and it cost him his life

[@isaacstovell867]

watching Mike disassemble a car for ten minutes or so, with zero dialogue, was a moment that forever changed my perception of what "crime TV" could/should be able to do

[@troyareyes]

So much of what i love about the Vince Gilligan universe is exemplified in Mike. Just in the way he approaches crime (taking a brown bag to a gang meet because he researched Nacho and knew it wouldn't be violent, buying a replacement for the tracker in his gas cap and reading the manual to make sure it works, ect). He treats crime like its a blue collar job; like he went to crime technical school and got his crime certification lol.

[@chrisd2051]

I mean he did vis a vie the police academy where I'm assuming criminology is a subject taught and also I think it's either explicitly stated or hinted at that Mike was in the service so he's used to reading manuals over and over to get it right.

[@FayeVert]

Yes we already know he was a cop.

[@murco_]

0:58 the way he said los pollos genuinely took every fiber of my being to not click off immediately.

[@EnergizingBane]

Oh god, the cringe

[@mac_attack_zach]

Immediately disliked because of that

[@App1elele]

mfw the person who doesn't speak spanish doesn't pronounce spanish words correctly 🤯

[@lolwutizit]

​@@App1eleleYeah, if only they vocalized the name at least once across two shows, one of which the author of this video re-watched at least once

[@nicolascrowe1450]

mfw when the person who doesn’t speak Spanish doesn’t pronounce the Spanish words correctly 😡

[@tavish1658]

I remember really feeling the payoff of Gus' death so much, that I was initially shocked upon watching him walk out of Salamanca's room, only to reveal his face having been ripped off. For a moment I was caught thinking "no way he survived that," before the camera pans to his face. It's like Vince knew people would panic about the aspect of Gus surviving after so much work, so he played with us for a moment.

[@jasonmolenaar119]

Same

[@johnchedsey1306]

They kinda pushed the "realism" aspect with that scene, but it was so perfectly done that I can accept the spectacle.

[@gabago0l]

@@johnchedsey1306 I feel like a character like Gus deserved some spectacle, even at the cost of realism. While seeing his mangled body would have been "more realistic" I love the scene we got.

[@zelaird8526]

@pyropulse nigga why did you censor dumbest this isn't grade school lmao

[@MAX-de8fe]

@pyropulse the show was never very realistic. Gus was pretty much omnipotent from the very start and Mike was an unkillable super assassin. Plus the Salamanca twins were basically comic book characters with the way they walked in unison and never spoke. The chemistry was the only realistic part of the show.

[@sbraypaynt]

Holy fuck the way this man said “pollos” I think my soul curled up and died.

[@gorkaaustin5306]

Me too

[@ErOrNRK]

Not to mention "*H*ermanos."

[@FlackNCoke]

Essentially the writers realized they couldn’t get tension out of Saul or Mike’s ultimate fates… so they decided to create tension in the smaller moments where the audience isn’t sure what they’re doing or why, but knows that SOMETHING’S up.

[@keithmichael112]

I just thought they have a problem with exposition, you can have a character just explain what they're doing or feeling like most shows(not always realistic, why are they explaining it?) or you can just show them going thru the process, or show how they are feeling through action(might come across as boring, or the viewer might just not get it)

[@TrackingShots]

@@keithmichael112 I think both reasons might be true. The show’s dialogue does often have a naturalistic feeling to it, and I agree that more obvious exposition would disrupt this. But I also think they want the audience to feel like that one cat picture sometimes too. “What they doin ova der?”

[@CorporateG0th]

I feel like the next spinoff will be a Mike prologue tho. EIther him or Gus. They're just gonna keep digging back in history, and both of those two have an incredibly complicated backstory that from the sound of it would make for classic (maybe even *too* classic) television.

[@CorporateG0th]

@@jonathanbeatrice8317 either way his ride's gonna end. Jimmy now has motive to kill Kim tho, and Kim has not reported him being alive so there's still an out if he keeps her from testifying. Speaking of which, Kim and Howard's wife now have a testimony implicating people across a range of international murderous syndicates. Unless they get everyone up to the fucking UN involved, both of them are basically marked for death by a whole bunch of dangerous people.

[@CorporateG0th]

I mean sure a lot of the shotcallers in that document are dead, but it's still probable cause for the cops to start raiding those groups left and right. I bet that's how they're gonna search that bunker lab and find Howard's body, too.

[@uncertifiedmindelusiveshine]

I think some of these scenes are some of the most beautifully shot. Like, that one eagle eye view in El Camino where Jesse is tearing apart Todd’s apartment still gives me chills

[@DaveEon]

Loved that when you talked about everyone having normal names, you listed Mike as 'Finger' haha

[@Kevtarded]

5:00

[@dielaughing73]

Perfectly normal name in the land of chicanery

[@glanni]

One thing that I liked about season 1 that never appeared after that was the detective work Jimmy put in several times, like when he found the Kettlemans and when he found out about Chuck's secret betrayals, and of course the Sandpiper case he finds. They also didn't tell us right away what clues he caught, but we saw the next steps. I find it interesting that they dropped that aspect in season 2, I guess it didn't work with the story after that point. Edit: Not that I'm complaining either, the scheme setups are really the show's bread and butter.

[@plutoburn]

The scene I remember the most was Mike dismantling an entire car to find a tracker. And the show took its time showing the steps.

[@yurifairy2969]

mostly cuz of the badass song they chose for it

[@LucyWest370]

Mine was Mike just walking around with a metal detector. The way he clones himself was kinda fun for some reason.

[@Gredran]

I love the scene with Mike watching with Jesse and Jesse being impatient. Mike: “sorry kid, watchin is most of the job. It’s ok… *biggest smile Mike has ever had* I made sandwiches with pimento cheese!”

[@Joe-ve9xz]

Honestly one of my favourite episodes is when Walt is installing a water heater

[@TrackingShots]

There’s rot, Skyler. Rot!

[@OnceNate]

"Skylar, we got rot!"

[@Mackathne]

These scenes are what keeps us in the universe. There's no cutting corners, Vince shows instead of tells. There's no cop out 'oh come on' strokes of luck that break immersion. Events and outcomes come from the characters meticulous work and we're along for 100% of that work which is part of what makes these shows so incredible

[@TrackingShots]

I would argue they occasionally include cop out options, but the protagonists only take those options when the audience is supposed to feel isolated from them. For instance, I feel like the "Gliding Over All" Breaking Bad episode (5x8) shows a very overconfident Walter who is using others to complete his dirty work. He uses Jack's crew instead of figuring out a more creative, less violent solution just as the audience is supposed to really start disliking Walt for killing Mike needlessly.

[@kingol4801]

There were tons of lucky moments and close calls, wdym?

[@DanJackson1977]

You did neglect to mention one or the best parts of BCS... they made us care about several new characters who's whereabouts was unknown in BB... Nacho, Kim, Chuck & Lalo, which made up for the lack of mystery about the BB characters.

[@beatman2359]

wdym? howard and lalo were in breaking bad

[@hdmi8586]

@@beatman2359 yeah, they appear in all lab scenes

[@nicklaslinseman]

@@hdmi8586 yall made me think for a minute lmaooo

[@skodware]

Yeah, I think the fact that most, but not all, of the important characters are people for whom you know what the future holds, makes the ones where you don't stick out like a sore thumb. Like I'm gonna be even more tense during a Nacho scene than even some of the intense parts of Breaking Bad, since I'm extra conscious of the fact that nothing is guaranteed

[@yuarentlucky]

@@beatman2359 GODDAMMIT

[@miracleofsound]

Thumbs up for the Disco Elysium ost ;)

[@renaissancejuan]

I like how Fred Whalen's murder was investigated. He wasn't just forgotten.

[@jameson32]

Same thing with the kid from Breaking Bad.

[@comrade_boi9941]

@@jameson32 kid named finger

[@soloscape3]

@@comrade_boi9941 as soon I saw the word kid I knew someone was gonna comment this lmao

[@WiseMasterNinja]

@@comrade_boi9941 Teacher: Today we're going to murder Drew Sharp in cold blood. Kid named Drew Sharp: '_'

[@charles3840]

It was genuinely surprising. With how most other TV series structure random murders, I have no expectation that an investigation will be shown. Supernatural did something similar across the first 3 seasons where they main characters were essentially framed and had to deal with the FBI. Characters facing small consequences can create some really great drama.

[@arcblooper2699]

Worth noting that seeing all this legwork also helps to prop up the guys you DON’T see the legwork for. Gus seems like such a big deal in the drug trade because we’ve seen what Walt had to do to get where he is, but Gus has such an advanced operation that you can only imagine the steps he had to take

[@daggy5505]

minor thing but Peter Gould deserves his flowers too considering he’s been the show runner behind bcs

[@TrackingShots]

I agree. That’s probably my biggest regret with how the final edit came together. I did mention him in the description and I would refer to “Vince and the team” but that probably wasn’t suffice. He does make a brief cameo in some comic con footage in the back half of the video, but again, probably could have mentioned him more.

[@daggy5505]

@@TrackingShots all good man, just a small thing that most ppl don’t even draw attention to anyways I wouldn’t hold it against you

[@TrackingShots]

I appreciate it. I’m glad someone else thinks of the writers behind the creator! I originally was going to do a whole bit on the individual guest directors and what they brought to both series, but that would have doubled the length of the video, and I wanted to release it before the finale.

[@sheilacollins5127]

@@daggy5505 LOL or 's all good, man.

[@boskee]

Not only is he the showrunner, he created Saul Goodman's character.

[@illuminatedzach4206]

I loved the cleaning scenes. I always watch shows thinking about the mistakes criminals make “o you left the box open, you left your finger prints, someone’s going to see you on camera” and breaking bad does amazing job of letting their crimes be realistic making their getaways be satisfying. You not left thinking this is the stupidest police force why don’t they just blank, you can enjoy the fact that there good at what they do

[@mm-gk6xg]

the characters are always so smart, even if clumsy. or at least the ones who get away with it are. its so satisfying and makes you root for them so much more

[@elijahgarcia4327]

Let’s be fr though the dea in brba is mentally disabled. Gus frings operation was unknown completely. He would be hard to catch no doubt but there isn’t a world where this man is meeting and calling known drug traffickers and not being on the radar. Him being unknown is super unrealistic

[@shadow0717]

The "kid named finger"-blip was making me exhale through my nose, well played sir

[@askcbadkncbkv6233]

My favorite example of this is in bcs when mike is sitting down on his sofa, watching black and white television, and sticking nails through a hose. It’s so incredibly mundane and yet later the hose proves to be part of a totally genius plan. I love it. Vince shows all the little boring bits and pieces of these characters and it makes the feel so fucking real.

[@95mudshovel]

these scenes put us inside the world. they do what Raymond Carver did and take the mundane and make it beautiful. it's such a talent.

[@desmondd1984]

Yes, exactly. They make the mundane beautiful and visually interesting.

[@laissetomber6912]

Would you please be quiet, please?

[@mundzine]

"too slow paced" Walt kills someone in the first episode

[@Sagarock]

thats why i hate these "analysis" videos..

[@JohnDarksoul69]

Usually people say BB is slow paced because it's not action packed, like there's no shootouts every 10 minutes or something. The type of person who thinks Fast and Furious and Transformers are the best franchises ever, y'know. Admittedly BB has more of a slow burn storytelling style which is not for everyone

[@Quentino808]

It's a weird middle ground for me, usually in a show you just wanna see the juicy scenes but Vince's work I could watch a whole season on Walter doing groceries. Only watched a bit of BCS and my favorite episode so far is where Mike spends most of an episode take apart a car to find a tracker. He's so in-depth with the search it's almost satisfying

[@gabago0l]

Better call saul is amazing, on par with breaking bad. Season 6 has blown me away with everything it has to offer. You should definitely continue watching.

[@fishbowlheretic]

bcs is the greatest piece of television ever. watch it all!

[@Shannovian]

"Do you remember how Gus Fring managed a restaurant?" Yes. That's one of the great parts of that character. That he's fastidious and professional in everything and that's one of the reasons why he's so successful. Does anyone NOT remember this about him?

[@danielshore1457]

Like money laundering we see is lazy and pretty obvious in bcs Like with the salamancas, who eventually buy an ice cream company to try and emulate Los pollos but it doesn't work as well qnd that's because gus is the owner of Los pollos Like he views it as his job he treats it as seriously as the drug business. To the point of where it is so successful that it coukd just be its own multi million dollar business

[@joewell6435]

these "boring" scenes really do a good job of making the world and characters portrayed feel real.

[@Poggy]

You can think of it a lot like music. When I've worked with professional composers, one of the big things that is discussed a lot is about "earning" the big moment of a piece of music. You can't just make an entire track epic and amazing, it has to work to it. It has to be earned to really be epic and have staying power for the listener. You build to it. You establish the theme, you express the theme a few different ways. You build a little, you break it down again, and you build again to a climax. You really bring the listener on your journey to that big moment you had in your head when you started. You, the composer, already know that's the part you wanted them to love. But to get a listener to come with you, you have to take them on that journey in pieces, so they can really appreciate the big moment.

[@dhochee]

Love that analogy!

[@maximiliandort3489]

The thing i love most about it all is how it doesn't spell out what you're seeing, or why people are doing what they're doing. It demands a level of attention, even, or sometimes expecially in it's quieter moments, that most other shows would just fill with mindnumbing exposition, spoon feeding the audience every plot beat like they're toddlers. When a scheme comes together in the end, and you've sat there without a clue for half of it and yet saw every detail of it. Thats why i love it. Like Lalo going "What's he up to man, what's he doing?". That was hilarious, but also almost a fourth wall break given how the Series works overall.

[@Whimsly]

Both shows are a showcase in hyper-competent characters. Generally, we love seeing people do things well (just look at how many videos on this website are about people being really good at some specific field). The process is 100% the point, and even if there isn't a chance for dangerous failure, the how becomes interesting to watch just by virtue of how good the characters are at doing it.

[@TrackingShots]

I want a Mike Ehrmantraut DIY KZbin channel.

[@michaelhowell2326]

I'm with ya man, I'm not ready for the BB/BCS universe to come to an end. Shows like these don't out every year.

[@CancerGaming56]

I think AMC said that it was interested in creating more BB/BCS spin-offs.

[@michaelhowell2326]

@@CancerGaming56 I think VERY recently that either Vince Gilligan and/or Bob Odenkirk said that wasn't going to be anymore spin-offs.

[@CancerGaming56]

@@michaelhowell2326 RIP I guess. Well there’s always the masterpiece called “Slippin’ Jimmy”.

[@kevin9989]

"Hard work is hard to hate." This one is likely going to stay with me for the rest of my life. Thank you.

[@malfaroangel3896]

Better Call Saul feels like a universe ending with the black and white setting.Like a comic combining to the void, like a story of 80s coming to end

[@TrackingShots]

It’s certainly a particular v i b e

[@johannascott1593]

Those scenes are what make us love the show so much. They make the world feel that much more real and immersive- more in depth and maybe even relatable. They're part of what makes this universe so great.

[@alexponting3325]

Excellent analysis - this is one of the first videos I've seen that gets close to what I personally consider the engine of these two series: the commitment to a slow, obsessively thorough buildup in order to make the payoff all the more powerful. BB and BCS might be the two strongest, most coherent narrative shows in the last twenty years - almost no plot holes or loose ends, almost every shot in service of a bigger arc... Can't wait for next Monday, but I also wish it would never come!

[@TrackingShots]

I’m going to bawl my eyes out when it ends.

[@TrackingShots]

Update: I did.

[@xlantboi]

@@TrackingShots 😭

[@RaptorJesus]

To me the true testament to BB and BCS is that I am perfectly happy to sit down and binge a season or two if I have a free day and just wanna enjoy some good writing, *or* if I just need something to watch while having dinner or kill an hour, I can pick an episode of either and be equally enthralled.

[@codygleason1619]

So sad this universe is coming to an end… been such an awesome ride

[@Skrenja]

Who knows, there could be another spinoff.

[@Decentricity]

@@Skrenja Gotta Fuel Huell, Sprinkler-Seller Wexler, etc

[@Skrenja]

@@Decentricity A Heull sitcom would be great.

[@Singerisacrook]

Invisibhuell when?

[@chapel3339]

We could get "Fixing Finn" a show about an IT guy with Cerebal Palsey, or maybe "Curious Kaylee" about a PI looking for for her missing pop pop. Maybe even "Brock's Bounty" about a young man whose mother was brutally murdered and now he bounty hunts the most evil of people for revenge.

[@kris242]

One of my personal favorite moments of Gilligan bringing you back to reality is: in Season 5 when Walt and Skyler meet with Hank and Marie at a tacky restaurant to discuss the obviously horrible situation. Things are already insanely tense and the conversation is all the audience wants to hear… but it keeps getting interrupted by the waiter who is just doing his job and trying to keep a happy face 😂 it makes me laugh every time I see it, because it doesn’t only break the drama with awkward humor. It also keeps reminding you that this is exactly how a conversation like this in a place like this would inevitably go. It sometimes frustrates me how perfect a lot of dialogue can be in tense scenes within public places. Conversations end at exactly the right time, there’s never random interruptions and things get sorted cleanly. That’s not how it works ever in the real world. The waiter acted as the constant reminder that these characters are still here on earth and if you decide to do your business in a busy restaurant… expect the constant waiter.

[@Salvage1009]

I just saw this in BCS and it reminded me of all the scenes that are like that in BB…it honestly gives me a ASMR vibe. I feel laid back seeing these characters just…doing stuff lol there’s something relaxing about those scenes and Vince knew what he was doing

[@fulgore5431]

That Jonathan Banks Breaking Bad compilation is one of the best things to sleep to

[@Salvage1009]

@@fulgore5431 lol SAME! Feels very much on purpose, like they crafted the scenes around that idea

[@TrackingShots]

lofi hip hop radio - Banks to relax/murder to?

[@mr.fuckyourfeelings5558]

Hi. Im from Switzerland. What stands for "ASMR"?

[@Salvage1009]

@@mr.fuckyourfeelings5558 Here is the google definition lol "Autonomic sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a tingling sensation that some people experience when exposed to particular types of auditory or visual stimuli such as whispering, tapping and slow movements." If you go on KZbin, it's a HUGE category, and honestly I use to watch those videos to fall asleep lol

[@realkingofantarctica]

I love every scene with Gus working in Los Pollos. When he helps Jimmy get his watch out of the trash, when Lalo is complimenting his chicken, when he meets Walt for the first time. Civilian Gus is unironically in my Top 10 characters.

[@oogs9114]

I like how there is real life consequences as well for everything they all done. Nobody got away with the crap they pulled. Kinda the opposite to the series called “Power” when Ghost and Tommy go around killing people like there is no tomorrow and never seems to be any consequences, I know things never ended well for Ghost but it still wasn’t the law that got him

[@golem3080]

jesse got away as far as we know

[@oogs9114]

@@golem3080 the one guy out of how many? and he has to look over his shoulder for rest of life so define “got away”

[@hillbillypowpow]

That's why I like there being a season after his death. Everything it took to get there should and does have massive consequences, making walt's atrocities actually feel real

[@foxinabox5103]

@@oogs9114 jessie's arc is soo sad dude, and it made me appreciate skinny pete and badger even more. Theyre the epitome of bros.

[@danielshore1457]

​@@golem3080 also his get out was he essentially lives in exile in Alaska

[@weeverob]

For myself there was never a slow or dull moment. My faith in Vince & Co. was so great that even though there were [many] times throughout the seasons I'd be scratching my head wondering where this was going I ALWAYS had total faith that when I got to the punch-story-line I knew without a doubt that I would be completely surprised and entertained. Vince never let me down.

[@DoomKid]

This is probably shallow of me, but - when someone says they find BB or BCS “too slow”, I always imagine that they must like to watch the most frenetic, colourful, overly-high-energy shows ever created, haha. Either that or the fairly mindless superhero stuff. For me, the “big payoff” moments in any show don’t really have the same weight if there isn’t some slow moments and character building/development that happens in the meantime. The action starts to be meaningless when it’s ALL action, all the time. I feel like the BB writers understood the value of buildup and payoff so well.

[@Dhurl421]

Definitely. I'm pretty sure Vince and Gould said they envisioned the Bagman episode when creating the series, but wanted to lay the groundwork first. 4 full seasons and 7 other episodes to get there. Just shows the strength of their vision, and their restraint in service of the full story.

[@TrackingShots]

Let me tell you, I’ve sat through a lot of Blue Bloods episodes and other procedurals at older relatives’ houses. THOSE are the kind of shows I picture the average Joe watching and not getting bored with. BCS doesn’t wrap up each episode in a gunfight/standoff/chase so I guess that makes it boring to some people.

[@UdumbaraMusic]

BB/BCS always felt like a spaghetti western to me, as did films like No Country For Old Men... Long drawn out scenes with no dialogue with focus cinematography, closeups and good locations. People find those movies slow for the same reason, but they both do a great job in immersing you into the atmosphere and ambiance of the world within the film. Real life is slow, and I feel you can learn more about and feel more connected to a character when you see them in those slow moments doing relatively mundane things, like you would in real life. In 'Taxi Driver' you watch a guy exercising, eating junkfood, talking to himself in the mirror and ranting away but it's one of the most powerful scenes in the film, even though it involves something we all do. Someone who is a non-stop action hero with never ending one liners just feels completely detached from reality, but I guess it depends what you're looking for.

[@JC111414]

This explains why I still remember some of the best scenes in both shows and why I don't remember other major scenes in other movies or shows

[@chstens]

Considering I just saw a comment saying BB was boring, but The Boys is not, I think you're right

[@GiftSparks]

The thing I always say about BB or BCS is that you can’t “watch” the shows while doing other things- like folding laundry, ironing, or house-cleaning. You have to WATCH it and give it your complete attention. Otherwise, you miss very important things.

[@TriglycerideBeware]

5:01 Thank you for Finger. That caught me off guard

[@TrackingShots]

The idea for that joke is one of the main reasons I decided to make this video.

[@sethmurrin5273]

@@TrackingShots honestly it made me sub. Good shit man. Good shit.

[@sonarbu4805]

@@TrackingShots THAT GOT ME HAHA

[@PeterMoore66]

@@TrackingShots Why is Mike 'Finger'? I don't get that reference.

[@pedrojoaquim9866]

That Disco Elysium soundtrack on the backgroud caught me off guard, love it. amazing video!!

[@SaberRexZealot]

I get so much more out of a story if the writer actually shows me how the characters live. Mundanity matters.

[@digitalcthulhu143]

It's something so simple that is easy to overlook when making a character but very umpactful for the audience.

[@meiji_tom]

After the first minute of being told over and over again that I don’t remember stuff happening that I do remember I turned off this video, good job

[@TrackingShots]

Do you remember turning the video off? Maybe check again to make sure.

[@meiji_tom]

@@TrackingShots sorry bro I'm sure you've got some interesting points to make but you can give your audience a little more credit, you don't have to force down our throats how stupid we all are it doesn't make for very engaging content

[@PatriseHenkel]

A story that I can’t readily predict is always fascinating

[@TrackingShots]

I agree! Can’t wait for Monday’s finale.

[@offtop1832]

the way you pronounced los pollos hermanos should be a crime

[@choke-]

Yea that made me cringe especially since I speak spanish

[@shroomer3867]

Louis Paulous Hermawnos

[@GhilenPeek]

I want to know what will happen to Lyle. Dude was fiercely loyal to Gus at the restaurant even though Gus almost set him up to be killed

[@reddfilms]

5:02 That “finger” thing made me laugh so damn hard

[@ninthdoctor7918]

I saw a comment someone posted on another video saying that their parents started BCS and then went onto BRBA. The fact you can start on either show without any consistencies shows how carefully Vince constructed the BRBA Franchise.

[@chrispekel5709]

Except the characters age wrong, but that can't be helped

[@leo8292]

Not even a mention of Nacho. Incredible performance and a compelling emotional story. Made the show for me

[@jezebulls]

Quality content like this is what we all need right now as we brace for the inevitable heartbreak after the finale of Better Call Saul effectively ending the 14-year run of the Breaking Bad universe.

[@sophiekarp1556]

These tiny, polarizing, weird, ordinary moments in the shows for me have to be the most memorable moments in both shows, Saul working at Cinnabon, Walter casing a fly, or Mike playing with his granddaughter.

[@VadelmahilloVideotuotanto]

and all the credit goes to vince gilligan even though peter gould is showrunner on bcs lol

[@TrackingShots]

Yeah, I feel bad about how that ended up getting framed in the video. Vince is the more well known name, but I wish I had mentioned Gould directly instead of just referring to “Vince and the team.” For what it’s worth, I did include a clarification in the video’s description.

[@duncanharris7976]

“you forget what you already know.” PERFECT one sentence explanation of why better call saul works so well!!!

[@heisenbergII]

I think what makes the scenes that would normally be boring is just overall editing choices and the creative cinematography choices that make these scenes appear more interesting

[@mm-gk6xg]

true, even scenes after shit already went down like AHEM a certain one halfway through season 6 of bcs are made more interesting through the visual parallels and other cool imagery they threw around a lot. in just a 3-4 minute long montage of saul and kim trying to go about their business like nothing happened being contrasted against mike and co cleaning up after their mess, spotting all the overlapping shots as they swap back and forth between their different perspectives was the entertainment while they showed how the situation was handled by either party

[@dudebastian]

7:35 I like that you use here soundtrack from Disco Elysium - Whirling-In-Rags

[@GGPlex_]

I instantly caught it; a fantastic game

[@silvertbird1]

Your observation about pacing in both series it’s interesting, and while I can’t be certain I suspect that people who find the show too slow are most likely not readers, either now or in the past. although a visual medium, at times the series seems somewhat literary in pacing and detail, as well as exploring certain occurrences. I resisted watching BB when it was all the rage years ago because I thought I would hate the subject matter, and although it is unseemly I found the series fascinating, as well as BCS, for many of the reasons you explore in your commentary.

[@TrackingShots]

Both shows definitely demand a lot from viewers. Even though I watched the shows fairly attentively, I still get shocked by details and symbols I missed. The video from OneTake I linked in this video’s description completely blew my mind with a character detail I missed in BCS Season Five’s Bagman episode. Specifically, a callback to Chuck.

[@valentinom.4292]

I read, but sometimes BCS is waaay too slow. I love it, but some scenes are tedious. Dunno, maybe it's my attention span.

[@truethat15]

@@valentinom.4292 I mean... yeah. This is an instant gratification society right now. You're loathed to see a 15 second commercial nowadays. That's a deal breaker for most people, sitting through anything makes a lot of you quite bored. Anything not filling yah with that hit. It's not a failing, it's just the way things are going.

[@valentinom.4292]

@@truethat15 I read, i watch slow things. But i don't know if a scene of Saul walking for 5 minutes grasps my interests. The show is great tho.

[@caralho5237]

@@valentinom.4292 Its cinematic perfection. You walk the path the character walks. You feel what the character feels. It builds tension. There's rarely a music montage and when there is, its often telling an important part of the story instead of just being a way of brushing off something because "its boring". Makes even the most mundane things look important, and thats because they are

[@versebuchanan512]

Having been a drug dealer, I can confirm that most of your time is really fucking boring. Either driving to a spot or waiting at a spot or shutting down people trying to trade you random bullshit in lieu of cash. Sometimes shit got scary, sometimes it was fun, but most of the time you're just weighing up and pacaging shit and eating ice cream sandwiches or something.

[@TheRedCap30]

Yeah but did you break bad

[@versebuchanan512]

@@TheRedCap30 I was already pretty shitty, so I think the most I broke was the speed limit a few times.

[@comrade_boi9941]

Did u call Saul?

[@versebuchanan512]

@@comrade_boi9941 I sure better have

[@DangerousGamerTouch]

If you sold drugs to children you're a scumbag who deserves torture but if not then you're alright.

[@caseyrector1018]

I’ve been a mega Better Call Saul fan for a while now but for whatever reason I never put together that Jimmys association with Huell would violate his PPD agreement. Damn lol

[@internziko]

Just watched the last episode of Saul and the fact that your video ends with Jimmy and Kimmy sharing a smoke couldn't have been better. Subbed

[@RedDeadDepressionist]

Glad you talked about the Coushatta episode. Lovely Jimmy/Saul scam and that ending with our new villain showing up :)

[@achmatmartin2438]

Who again?¿

[@Crystal_959]

I think what keeps BCS entertaining too is how different things start off to how they are in BB. It makes you wonder how things get there. Jimmy has a partner he loves very much, so… where did she go? Hector is up and walking? Ok, well, does something happen to him? The journey of getting us to where we are in Breaking Bad takes us through new twists and turns and throws us curveballs to keep us roped in There’s also the wildcard of Jimmys life _after_ Breaking Bad that grows closer and closer with each season

[@Bagelfarmer]

seriously amazing video and analysis! this series/universe has been an amazing journey and has only continued to exceed any expectations I might’ve had. it also has made me appreciate things like the cinematography and writing, even beyond tv shows (i.e. video games, books, movies). Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan are geniuses at what they do and I cannot wait to see the conclusion of Better Call Saul and what else is to come from these two. also the algorithm sent me here

[@Pidcaso]

sick video bro. deserve more recognition

[@josielyon4812]

What a great video! So glad this popped up in my recommended

[@TrackingShots]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TheXaon]

Appreciating the Disco Elysium music in the back

[@VolcanoMilk]

Note: Better Call Saul is primarily Peter Gould's show.

[@AndresElPatronFH]

Personally what made the tension real for me in BCS wasn't "What is going to happen to Jimmy next?" But instead "What is going to happen to the people around him?" Because after watching Breaking Bad I knew many were gonna live for the time being, but I also knew there were many characters weren't present in Saul's life during Breaking Bad, and that's what made the tension real, asking yourself "What if they do something to Kim? Why doesn't Saul have a brother in Breaking Bad? Etc" Which is honestly a great effect that only a prequel can have.

[@Decapitatiing]

That's exactly how i feel about the show! what a wonderful vid, well done :)

[@mattslatt3]

Already an amazing essay then the mike finger joke at 5:01 made me laugh out loud. Instant sub.

[@yderga8707]

I think Breaking Bad and BCS is "crime doesn't pay" personified. All of the effort, risk, danger, and monotony just to pull off even the most simple crime is just not worth it in the end. When you kill a person, that person doesn't just "dissappear", you have to make them dissappear. When you're making a ton of illegal money, you cant just go out and buy whatever you want, you have to prove to the govt. that you're actually making that money. Everyone that works for you could be a potential liability, everyone who knows your name and face could be your downfall, even your own customers. Sure Walt was swimming in money at a point, but that was only after putting his life and his families life in the hands of psycho drug lords, and not only risking having his money taken from him, but also his family's well being to the authorities. Not to mention the trauma of narrowly escaping death every other episode. Making a living off of a drug empire isn't glamorous or fun, its incredibly dangerous, and you're mostly dealing with outlaws and psychopaths with no honor or morality that murdered to get to the top, and you're putting everyone you love in danger.

[@TrackingShots]

I agree! I love how the little details keep coming back to get the cast throughout. Moments like Jesse getting the RV spotted on an ATM camera or Kim discovering Saul is lying because of the coffee mug with the bullet hole. It's great stuff.

[@deepcanionstudio]

committing those crimes is just like me, boring and hard

[@alpine5607]

I must admit, you are a very underrated KZbinr, I’d love to see more from you and see you expand in the community! This video was excellent

[@TrackingShots]

Thank you!

[@M4XXXXXXXX]

@@TrackingShots holy shit only 2k subs, ur gonna blow up with content of this level

[@esdraslopez4658]

BrBa, BCS, and El Camino is a surprisingly perfect trilogy, and I cant wait to see what Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould do next

[@deborahsiahaan9261]

Really great analysis. I also watched Breaking Bad for the third time this month. Also great choice in music, Red Dead Redemption II does the same thing of details and stuff. Subscribed!

[@TrackingShots]

Thank you! I was very pleased with how well RD2’s ost worked. It supported my feelings that Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul can act as modern westerns. They certainly reference them a lot!

[@deborahsiahaan9261]

@@TrackingShots Oh Yeah! That's right, now that i think about it, they really act as modern westerns. The BrBa finale, especially.. and El Camino even had Jesse doing stand off. Wow, amazing stuff!!!

[@shadeeye]

i like the sea power song you put in there. i remember disco elysium instantly. and for these stories to spark in my mind simultaneously it feels kind of amazing

[@sambomengen6460]

The first minute into this video, I had to press like on it. Besides the mispronunciation on “pollos”, you highlight the significance of the meticulous presentation of the characters and how it makes it so intriguing for the audience to keep tuning in hour after hour. Keep it up! Thanks :)

[@nooblerr2917]

Also another thing to note is that if you somehow never watched breaking bad, BCS could still bring tension like in breaking bad. Just truly amazing writing!

[@thesahel7218]

there's an episode of BCS where mike just sits in a car in silence staking a guy. i got impatient at first but now i appreciate it more. that's how real life crime happens doesn't it. also i like how they all have legit jobs. gus ran a chicken shop, walt had a job, saul was a lawyer, nacho worked with his dad, that criminal guy that works as a dentist, mike works at a toll booth. in real life i would imagine criminals have day jobs

[@punkrockinrobin]

ain’t no way my man said “LOS POLE OS HURRMANOS”

[@Beckzyy]

the little scenes where nothing happens mean everything to the film. without them, the repeated dopamine hit of "damn that was action packed" then "damn that fight was incredible" every other scene would make the real scenes where the story advances worse. the calmness that seamlessly flows through every scene helps make the heavier scenes hit much more

[@m4rcck740]

My man went from Red Dead soundtrack to Disco Elysium. Loved it.

[@melissak8419]

They show the small things in life, parts of crime, and it makes it more realistic. This show humanizes the whole drug world, whereas most movies just sensationalize everything.

[@Snake97531]

I love the disco elysium music u played during the video. I know its irrelavent but s tier game

[@TopSecretName]

13:02 Scout TF2

[@Szederp]

It is called subtlety and indeed it is rare to see in a show. Great upload, Sir!

[@bigsam9377]

kid named finger

[@AaronMichaelLong]

So you spent 18 minutes and 24 seconds when you could have said one word: Immersion.