As I am sure many of y'all already know, a spinoff of "Breaking Bad" titled "Better Call Saul" will be airing in 2014. This is going to be a prequel to Breaking Bad and will be based on the character of Saul Goodman from "Breaking Bad."
I, for one, will be watching. I'm sure the majority of all of you other "Breaking Bad" fans will be as well. Might as well get the discussion going sooner rather than later.
So... what are your hopes, expectations and/or concerns with the show? Here are some of mine:
Hopes: I hope to see Saul do his thing in the courtroom. I hope to see strong, unique supporting characters. I hope to see Breaking Bad foreshadowing. I hope he has an intriguing paralegal and/or assistant. I hope to see Breaking Bad characters such as Fring, Mike, etc...whoever. I hope the show kicks ass.
Expectations: I don't expect it to be as good as "Breaking Bad" (because nothing else is, really), but I expect it to be good since Vince Gilligan is writing. I somewhat expect it to have an even balance of comedy and drama...since Saul undeniably provides a substantial amount of comedic relief in "Breaking Bad." I expect to see "courtroom Saul." I expect the "Breaking Bad" references and character cameos to be less than what I hope. If it isn't even a fraction as good as "Breaking Bad," I expect it to be better than 95% of everything else on TV, since there is some shitty shit on TV these days.
Concerns: I'd be a liar if I were to say that I didn't think this show has potential of flopping and certainly failing to meet the presumed high expectations of the audience. Don't get me wrong, I think it will be good... but I think it COULD suck if not executed properly. My main concern is Saul ultimately proving himself to be a "little dab will do ya" type of character, which would lead to a show centered around his character not working out. I am hoping that the character of Saul will not be so over-used and constantly over the top, that he becomes annoying to me, thus ruining his character for me altogether... Not saying I think this will be how it goes down...just saying I think there is a CHANCE of this being the case, which prompts me to believe that a strong supporting cast is VITAL in terms of the amount of success/quality this show will accumulate. All in all, I don't think VG will steer us in an unfortunate direction though...I think they'll pull it off.
Originally Posted by McFly:
Gotta be honest, I'm surprised by all of the Saul love. I liked his character, but he was middle of the road for me. I'll tune into the show, but I'm worried it will flop.
Really? I loved it. Cracked me up. I think Saul in the courtroom, as others have said, could be fantastic. But with spinoffs, you just never know. [Reply]
Originally Posted by McFly:
Gotta be honest, I'm surprised by all of the Saul love. I liked his character, but he was middle of the road for me. I'll tune into the show, but I'm worried it will flop.
My thoughts exactly. People are hoping the brilliance of Breaking Bad will somehow carry over into this spinoff based on a minor character. I think an entire series centered around Saul will wind up being tedious and uninteresting. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Deberg_1990:
This is starting to sound like a "back door" Breaking Bad. I hope they go with a different ten and style and don't just copy BB.
It does make sense though since he was his PI well before Walt & Co. turned up, same goes for Gus. There's actual valid reason for their appearance other than just to redo BrBa. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Deberg_1990:
This is starting to sound like a "back door" Breaking Bad. I hope they go with a different ten and style and don't just copy BB.
Originally Posted by :
Jonathan Banks has joined Bob Odenkirk in “Better Call Saul,” AMC/Sony TV’s upcoming prequel to Emmy-winning “Breaking Bad” that focuses on Odenkirk’s criminal lawyer Saul Goodman, sources confirm to Variety.
Banks will be a series regular on the show, which is slated to premiere in November on AMC.
Conceived by “Breaking Bad’s” creator Vince Gilligan and writer-producer Peter Gould, “Better Call Saul” will chronicle the evolution of Saul before he became Walter White’s lawyer.
Banks was a regular on “Breaking Bad” and played Saul’s trusted private investigator/fixer Michael “Mike” Ehrmantraut. His casting means that Saul will have his helper back by his side.
Odenkirk and Banks are the only actors set for “Better Call Saul” so far.
Flexible time line allows for the return of character played by Bryan Cranston, though executive producer Peter Gould seeks a story that 'stands on its own'
BY James Desborough
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, June 30, 2014, 2:00 AM
Maybe they should just call it the walking dead.
The producers of “Better Call Saul” — the eagerly anticipated “Breaking Bad” spinoff — tell The News they’ve figured out a way to bring back meth-master Walter White, the schoolteacher-turned-druglord played by Bryan Cranston.
Executive producer Peter Gould says that the show will feature scenes that move back and forth over several decades, including the era where Walter White cooked and sold crystal meth.
Initially, fans believed that the show would take place only in the 1980s and focus just on Saul, the wacky lawyer (played by Bob Odenkirk) who first appeared on “Breaking Bad.”
“One of the great things about having a time line which is flexible is that perhaps some of it takes place before ‘Breaking Bad,’ during ‘Breaking Bad,’ and after ‘Breaking Bad'. That gives us the ability to bring back characters that were killed on ‘Breaking Bad,’ ” he says.
Gould admits he and his team feel “enormous pressure” to produce the same kind of quality and and boffo ratings achieved by “Breaking Bad.”
Still, while he wants Cranston to join the show, or at least guest-star, he is adamant that the show will not stand or fall on Walter White’s return.
“We want to make a show that stands on it own, is its own story and is a brand extension,” he said.
“We think we have a story that is worth making. ... We could never dream of the kind of success that ‘Breaking Bad’ had and the love we got from the fans. But (with ‘Saul’) at a certain point you have to do the best job you can and tell the best story that entertains you, get a good response and hope people like it.”
Gould said it helps that AMC bosses have already ordered a second season of the show — before the first one even airs next year — because now he gets to play a long game when it comes to developing his characters.
“It’s tremendous for us because we get to plot out two seasons. And the way we work is similar to ‘Breaking Bad’ as it is very serialized and each episode builds on the last. And that gives us a much bigger canvas to play with,” he said.
