Dialogue Dive: Better Call Saul- The Scene That Makes Mike

[@savagebooks7482]

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[@SoulKnightKing]

Can you believe this masterpiece of a show had 46 emmy nominations and 0 wins? It's the definition of criminal

[@matteoziegler7632]

Chicanery if you will

[@amapiria]

What a sick joke!

[@yourlittleinsomniac5369]

How does something get 46 nominations and 0 wins?

[@benlincoln7358]

This always sets me off on rants. Rhea Seehorn not winning a single Emmy is one of the worst snubs of all time.

[@samquik]

Something to point out about the beginning is that Hector speaks to Nacho in Spanish at first, wanting to keep Mike in the dark. only for Nacho to break into English and let Mike in on what they're saying. bilingual people do this a lot, having secret conversations right in front of those unaware lol

[@LaneMaxfield]

I noticed that too. It's a sharp contrast from the more usual, ignorant way of writing bilingual characters, where they speak fluent English, except they randomly use the most basic 101 words in their language (French speakers saying "monsieur," "oui," etc). Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul sticks to realistic patterns, and as a result you can make inferences about character motivation and power dynamics, simply from which language a bilingual character is using and in what context.

[@samquik]

@@LaneMaxfield yeah exactly, I've always appreciated that about the series

[@tsriftsal3581]

@@LaneMaxfield sometimes there is more power in the words of another language.

[@Calebgoblin]

That scene was gripping, to the point that years later it still comes to mind wherever the topic is raised of big cajones... Absolutely mythic.

[@LuisSierra42]

bravo vince

[@agabascal]

Cojones*

[@markodjuric4282]

,,I want to see your balls" -Hector Salamanca

[@GrayLanternPPA]

Great video. I think one missed opportunity is talking about the switch from English to Spanish. Anything in English is meant for Mike to hear and understand, both from Nacho and Hector, while anything in Spanish is meant for his crew. Hector doesn't compliment Mike at the end in English. He does it to his crew, so that they understand why he's doing it.

[@MCOult]

Yes, but on the other hand, these days it's probably that Mike understands Spanish -- especially living where he does.

[@GrayLanternPPA]

@@MCOult Whether Mike understands isn't important. The language establishes who the intended audience is at any given point.

[@nacienunbarco]

Also he says that Mike is ballsy, which is a top tier compliment for a guy like Héctor.

[@Crimson28]

I half expected Hector to say “You have balls. I like balls.” 😂

[@pogstache]

Cabron I need to see your *balls*

[@NikkiLayne]

Another really cool thing about this scene is the fantastic direction and visual framing of all the characters, even well past the shot of Make walking in with the skull boot in the foreground! As Mike is sitting down, the camera has him in the center, with the armed goons on either side, surrounding him; showing just how outmanned and effectively trapped he's let himself become. The next few shots of back and forth between him and Hector always keep at least one other member of Hector's party in view behind the subject of focus, never letting the audience forget for a moment just how much danger Mike is in. In addition to that, in the Mike-focused shots, he takes up a good deal less of the screen than Hector does in his shots, verbally implying who has the power in the situation. UNTIL the moment where Mike makes a conversational power play by subtly demanding that he's going to be paid for the job. At this point the camera hones in on Mike, putting him much closer to the camera and no longer keeping Hector's goons around him. He has leveled the playing field! From here the negotiations go on while keeping only Hector and Mike on screen, and having them shown as more or less equal as far as the camera is concerned. This balance is only disrupted after Hector does a consequential powerplay of his own and makes a threat towards Mike's family as the camera on again brings the twins in to view, reminding the audience of the power difference between the parties here. The next shot is a close up of Hector as he attempts to reassert his authority, fully convinced that he has all the power in this situation followed by a close up of Mike's face,suppressed rage on full display! Brilliant!

[@joaopedrocosta2163]

I got into BCS immediately after it ended. I can now say it is as good as breaking bad. Another true masterpiece by Vince and his crew

[@smurphy98844]

Yo Savage, I like this overview one thing I think you missed is how the transitions between English and Spanish are key to the scene. Hector switches to English to make sure Mike knows he can stand on his own, AND that he is not worried about the gun! I think this is key to the scene though subtle

[@nouhorni3229]

it was Nacho who switched to english though

[@smurphy98844]

@@nouhorni3229 very good point. I think it may have been better for me to say stays in English then!

[@nouhorni3229]

@@smurphy98844 oh, you're right it was still at his discretion really. mb

[@etazeta674]

As someone who HASN’T seen this show before, I can say with confidence that you brought up exactly what I was noticing as the scene played out

[@Metalseadraking]

Something to note is also that Hecotr NEEDS Mike alive if he wants his son out of prison faster So Mike in that way always had still a leverage despite Hektor knowing Mikes family since Mike knew they weren't in imediete danger as the two nephews were in the same room as Mike and Hector and he would be willing to fight them if they dont give into his demands

[@christopherdalton5820]

Please do more Better Call Saul videos. There's so much to talk about with that show and you have the best breakdowns on KZbin.

[@eloryosnak4100]

I would love a Dialogue Dive on or for Peaky Blinders. Theres plenty of great scenes, but a good number of Alfie x Tommy scenes fit your bill quite well

[@enamhassan]

Do a dive of the Heat movie coffee shop scene between Al Pachino and De Niro. You will love it.

[@japi4669]

this scene really makes me want a show focused on Hector, the salamancas rise in the cartel and the development of Hector V Gus, I know Vince doesn't want to keep the universe going, but I would love it!

[@nacienunbarco]

Maybe for a movie! I’d also like to see Lalo, Tuco and the twins as kids, and how was their life growing in a Cartel family. I’m guessing they didn’t had the most tradicional upbringing.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

Sadly we can't get the once focused on hector now.

[@DoubleADwarf]

Mike does not sit until he is invited to do so. He is in opposition to Salamanca, and recognizing his authority here, is equal parts courteous and cognizant that he is in fact the underdog. You don't walk into someone else's house and sit down on their couch without being invited. Such a power move would have probably made things much more difficult than they needed to be. There's also a big note you get from Mike saying "not enough" - he doesn't care if you threaten him - he doesn't seem to care WHAT happens to him, as long as whoever he needs that $50,000 for is okay in the end.

[@vania7302]

I swear my fav videos on this channel are the dialogue dives using scenes from incredible shows like Better Call Saul or GoT in its prime days. Remembering these scenes and going over their writing gives me chills and I love it

[@Guruc13]

I have to say - I saw the original scene and was skeptical. But you really extracted a thorough amount from that one scene. Well done!

[@juliegolick]

I haven't watched any Better Call Saul, but this was a fun scene and a nice breakdown of it. Thanks!

[@richardlawson5929]

One other point I got from the dialog: When Nacho switches to English to tell Hector that Mike has a gun, he's doing that to let Mike know that Hector knows about the gun, too. This is an effort to prevent a misunderstanding later. To me it tells us that Nacho is an intelligent man who's interested in seeing a peaceful outcome. If you didn't know Nacho was working with both sides before, you might begin to suspect it now.

[@shaunthomason3712]

Can't wait for dialogue dives for HOTD, love your content as always :)

[@thabokgwele5268]

You know it's gonna be great

[@kochsalz3197]

Great to see you finally cover Better Call Saul! There's so much to cover in the show. I'd love something on the writing behind Kim and Jimmy's relationship. I've never felt so invested in a fictional couple.

[@thabokgwele5268]

Mike really risked his family's lives just to play chicken with Hector lol

[@TheBrickMasterB]

I mean Hector basically made it all-or-nothing for him. At that point buckling would've just meant he couldn't be around to help his daughter-in-law.

[@thabokgwele5268]

@@TheBrickMasterB true

[@ryanhorsley9965]

Mike knows that if Hector killed him then he wouldn't be around to take the blame for Tuco's gun. If Mike's family was harmed, he definitely wouldn't give into Hector's plan. Mike didn't forget this threat, since he was later stalking Hector with a sniper rifle until Gustavo Fring offered a more thorough means of revenge.

[@meliza87]

Please do a dialogue dive on Mad Men 🙏 That show is a masterclass in efficient character-revealing dialogue thats feels organic. There are so many examples to choose from… There’s even some great scenes with children where the dialogue feels authentic to what kids would say to each other, which is super uncommon to see

[@Greeklings]

Yes please!

[@Simon14916]

Hector Salamanca does not drink tea.

[@ryanhorsley9965]

This was a fantastic analysis of a very brief scene of a criminally underappreciated show! Vince Gilligan and the writing staff are incredibly economical with their words and combined with great actors and scene framing can tell complex narratives in surprisingly short amounts of time. If I were an aspiring screenwriter, I would start by binge-watching Savage Books' channel.

[@CherryDad]

not sure if you go over this later in the video, but the detail of switching from Spanish to English when discussing the gun so Mike knows what he's saying I thought was interesting

[@billyalarie929]

The subtle hand gesture that allows Mike to sit down is SO GOOD.

[@TheWaffleFactory]

Glad I binged this show so I could watch everyone’s fun analysis videos! Love your stuff as always!

[@hayleypinto1428]

Savage Books, have you considered joining Nebula? I enjoy your videos and think your content would fit in well there

[@aghistorian763]

Thanks for this one! Very underrated scene!

[@Ronin11111111]

This scene is so damn raw.

[@nacienunbarco]

The only correction I’d make to this amazing analysis: Hector is drinking coffee, not tea. I can tell because of the little mug, but also because el tío Salamanca needs his caffeine in order to stay awake and do his evil deeds at any time of the day.

[@MrVampirePirate]

I guess I should watch these shows now

[@timotheedemeure6488]

Here's the list of all Dialogue details for anyone not looking at their screen :) (and yes, there's 2 number 5, I believe it's a typo but it's like that in the video) Dialogue detail 1 : Hector is a criminal Dialogue detail 2 : Mike isn't with the cops Dialogue detail 3 : Mike isn't a regular civilian Dialogue detail 4 : Hector doesn't fear Mike Dialogue detail 5 : Hector is a hardened criminal Dialogue detail 5 : Conflict between Hector and Mike Dialogue detail 6 : Hector's nephew is in trouble Dialogue detail 7 : Hector wants Mike to take the fall Dialogue detail 8 : Hector will kill anyone Dialogue detail 9 : Vilain knows the underdog's weakness

[@Sandra-hc4vo]

excellent!

[@staceyshin312]

Great analysis!

[@suto5704]

Love the videos. Thanks for making them

[@jgg0207]

Great content!

[@gabrielstanford5370]

I didn't notice until watching this replayed that everyone in this scene is bald

[@therealjoediaz]

Recommendation! Could you do a video about the new cyberpunk show because holy shit that was great!

[@dylanspecht7135]

Your videos are always very good.

[@alexiavya722]

after the last episode of Hot D can you do an episode on the throne scene with Viserys and Veamond. I feel like that was such an ingenious scene that very well deserves a deep dive

[@howser1961]

Excellent - thank you

[@alexanderpreuss0701]

I loved the scene and your analysis of it, as well as your take on it as a short story! Great video (although, I think you made an editing mistake at 5:55 where there are two "Dialogue Detail 5")

[@one_for_one]

Great video, as always. I'm gunna be a pedant tho and point out Hector isn't drinking tea, he's drinking a Cubano

[@pachinko3257]

Fuck yeah new vid

[@lovelybrowngirls1673]

Another great video :)

[@Boris.Becker.]

Great vídeo. Congrsts

[@KaijuRhino]

Nice stuff

[@thabokgwele5268]

Banger

[@chazblank2717]

Mike’s gamble is actually pretty fucking reckless… if he suicide pacts Hector, his daughter-in-law and granddaughter would absolutely be murdered if not something far worse…

[@pretentiousname01]

I am surprised you didnt mention anything about when, and what was said in a different language

[@jenniferhanses7064]

Over all, I thought you did a good job on this. But you overlooked another bit of "dialogue" that may have been written into the script: The deep sigh as Mike enters the scene. It's bored. Maybe a little annoyed that they're bothering with this, but mostly bored. And that tells us about his character.

[@nacienunbarco]

Mike hasn’t ever come in yet and he’s already tired of Héctor’s bs.

[@digitalhdgaming9553]

5:56 dialouge detail 4,5,5

[@colecarmichael5724]

Hello

[@mrawesomecool8191]

Savage ti consiglio di andare in Italia se vuoi imparare, è il miglior modo

[@keaganmarshall9900]

Can you give the youtube series "The Big Lez Show" a watch, its an Australian cult classic comedy thats made by one person usuing only microsoft paint. Its so interesting watching his amateur drawing and writing skills improve. Also its Australian so expect lots of swearing and drugs

[@BigMek667]

I do love me more BCS content :D

[@twixtwix2915]

You should do a vid on ozark

[@ninaschmidt3619]

Do killer y

[@dodonodens8802]

Can you do pacific rim?

[@falnica]

What bothers me is that the actor doesn’t make a convincing accent. When he speaks Spanish it’s clear he’s not a native speaker

[@Nkanyiso_K]

Is *Rattlesnake Jake* on Patreon?

[@ninaschmidt3619]

7

[@noneofurbusiness906]

Nice1

[@joshuahogberg1212]

First... Well, technically second. But hey, I finally got to do this dumb meme, so I don't care!

[@blacksesamecandies]

Always love these types of deep dives and your content in general! Thank you for blessing us with more videos

[@thearmchairjournalist566]

Gotta pay the algorithm gods 🫶