BETTER CALL SAUL Discussion Thread v.3

[Blackjack]

It's not one quote, it's the entire point of the series, bookended from the very first season when he turned down billionaires who offered to bail him out, all the way to the finale when Walt comes clean and admits the whole thing was about him.

Saying 'he didn't spend the money on himself' is irrelevant, making the money for his family was just the excuse he used to go on his insane ego binge.

No, making the money for his family was the whole reason for taking the terrible risks he took. He understood his handicapped son would have high medical bills.he wanted his two children to be able to afford college, etc. If he wanted to be greedy he could have spent the money on himself. Instead he went to incredible lengths to make sure the money would be given to his son. If you don't realize what an amazing help that was to them for him to take all those risks so he could earn a substantial amount of money in a short time, you just don't understand it takes money to live. I'm sure it took even more money for his handicapped son with his medical costs even more money to live than most people.

What "ego binge" are you referring to"? Do you think associating with the absolute dregs of society was fulfilling his life's dream and therefore satisfying his ego? The only thing in his favor is it's a consensual crime so it's not nearly as bad as being a rapist for example. It's still far from noble.

On whom he spent the money has all the relevance in the world!

 

[Peteyandjia]

No, making the money for his family was the whole reason fr taking the terrible risks he took. He understood his handicapped son would have high medical bills.he wanted his two children to be able to afford college, etc. If he wanted to be greedy he could have spent the money on himself. Instead he went to incredible lengths to make sure the money would be given to his son. If you don't realize what an amazing help that was to them for him to take all those risks so he could earn a substantial amount of money in a short time, you just don't understand it takes money to live. I'm sure it took even more money for his handicapped son with his medical costs even more money to live than most people.

What "ego binge" are you referring to"? Do you think associating with the absolute dregs of society was fulfilling his life's dream and therefore satisfying his ego? The only thing in his favor is it's a consensual crime so it's not nearly as bad as being a rapist for example. It's still far from noble.

Let's pretend that his billionaire friends didn't offer to bail him out of his financial problems in the 4th ever episode for a moment:

Even if Walter was doing it to secure his family's future, there were plenty of times along the way that he could have quit when he was way, way ahead. That wasn't good enough, he had to become the greatest meth kingpin the world had ever seen. It was about his ego. Not his family

 

[Blackjack]

It's not one quote, it's the entire point of the series, bookended from the very first season when he turned down billionaires who offered to bail him out, all the way to the finale when Walt comes clean and admits the whole thing was about him.

It's not one quote? How many quotes is it by your count?

It's one quote he made when he was very sick, near death, and possibly out of his mind. I could just as easily point out multiple quotes from Walt, from when he was healthier, which contradict the quote you used. You have a very selective memory.

 

[Peteyandjia]

It's not one quote? How many quotes is it by your count?

It's one quote he made when he was very sick, near death, and possibly out of his mind. I could just as easily point out multiple quotes from Walt, from when he was healthier, which contradict the quote you used. You have a very selective memory.

So you are actually trying to argue that Walt was just delirious & crazy, talking nonsense?

Talk about being selective. You are grasping at straws.

 

[Blackjack]

Let's pretend that his billionaire friends didn't offer to bail him out of his financial problems in the 4th ever episode for a moment:

Even if Walter was doing it to secure his family's future, there were plenty of times along the way that he could have quit when he was way, way ahead. That wasn't good enough, he had to become the greatest meth kingpin the world had ever seen. It was about his ego. Not his family

That's true; he could have quit earlier. Apparently he began enjoying what was doing. He certainly didn't get into the business because it was fun or enjoyable though.. Having to work with Jesse alone made it a nightmare. Remember when Jesse almost got them killed by dehydration because he left the key in the ignition and then threw out all their drinking water? How about having to deal with Tuco, being kidnapped and faking the amnesia where he took his clothes off in a grocery store? Do you imagine that was Walt's idea of a good time? That was all awful and making money for his family is all that kept him going.

 

[Blackjack]

So you are actually trying to argue that Walt was just delirious & crazy, talking nonsense?

Talk about being selective. You are grasping at straws.

No, I could find many quotes from Walt which contradict that. One the other hand, despite you claiming "it's not one quote" it is one quote and you keep using it while ignoring all the other quotes from Walt which don't support your opinion. That is basically the definition of a "selective memory."

 

[Peteyandjia]

That's true; he could have quit earlier. Apparently he began enjoying what was doing. He certainly didn't get into the business because it was fun or enjoyable though.. Having to work with Jesse alone made it a nightmare. Remember when Jesse almost got them killed by dehydration because he left the key in the ignition and then threw out all their drinking water? How about having to deal with Tuco, being kidnapped and faking the amnesia where he took his clothes off in a grocery store? Do you imagine that was Walt's idea of a good time? That was all awful and making money for his family is all that kept him going.

Yes, Walter very much did enjoy the chaos of the gangster life. He got a rush out of it that he did not get from the 'boring' life as a schoolteacher he had made for himself, which was like a prison to him. If you didn't catch onto that, then that is just another major cornerstone of the character that went over your head.

 

[Peteyandjia]

No, I could find many quotes from Walt which contradict that. One the other hand, despite you claiming "it's not one quote" it is one quote and you keep using it while ignoring all the other quotes from Walt which don't support your opinion. That is basically the definition of a "selective memory."

You pretty much dodged the question.

Do you honestly believe when Walter admitted "I did it for me", that he was delirious or "out of his mind" talking nonsense?

 

[Blackjack]

You pretty much dodged the question.

Do you honestly believe when Walter admitted "I did it for me", that he was delirious or "out of his mind" talking nonsense?

You've got a situation where man has contradicted himself by telling two diametrically opposed statements. Clearly he lied at least once. Being "out of his mind" is certainly possible when in the throes of the last stages of an excruciating terminal illness which requires mind altering medications. If that couldn't make a man act out of character or even "out of his mind" I don't know what could do it.

So it could be any number of reasons that he contradicted himself including cancer and cancer medication. Basically you have to go back to what seems plausible. When he got into the business he had to kill a guy, deal with Jesse dissolving a man and a bathtub with acid, being threatened and kidnapped by Tuco, having to associate with Jesse's idiotic, trashy friends, and almost dying of dehydration because Jesse threw out their drinking water when they were in the desert.

You have to ask yourself, since those were examples of how the business went for the first several months, do you think that was glamorous and fun enough for him to do it just for himself or is it more likely that he thought it was awful but he was determined to try to keep going so as to hopefully be able to leave his family financially secure?

 

[Loiosh]

LOL at breaking bad having "lazy writing"

Hey its your opinion and everyone is entitled to have one. If you find the premise of a lawyer and his brothers drama more imteresting than a teacher turned meth dealer, more power to you.

I just find it a bit silly that you equate action and excitement to lazy writing because a good story doesn't "need it."

A story doesn't need excitement to be good but it does need to be interesting.

This show is incredibly interesting.

Clearly it doesn't interest you, and that's OK. There are other shows for you. Or, maybe, there will be enough people like you voicing their opinions and possibly tuning out that this show will change into what you want. I hope not, because I love what it is right now. This show and Fargo are my favorite things on television right now.

 

[Loiosh]

You've got a situation where man has contradicted himself by telling two diametrically opposed statements. Clearly he lied at least once. Being "out of his mind" is certainly possible when in the throes of the last stages of an excruciating terminal illness which requires mind altering medications. If that couldn't make a man act out of character or even "out of his mind" I don't know what could do it.

So it could be any number of reasons that he contradicted himself including cancer and cancer medication. Basically you have to go back to what seems plausible. When he got into the business he had to kill a guy, deal with Jesse dissolving a man and a bathtub with acid, being threatened and kidnapped by Tuco, having to associate with Jesse's idiotic, trashy friends, and almost dying of dehydration because Jesse threw out their drinking water when they were in the desert.

You have to ask yourself, since those were examples of how the business went for the first several months, do you think that was glamorous and fun enough for him to do it just for himself or is it more likely that he thought it was awful but he was determined to try to keep going so as to hopefully be able to leave his family financially secure?

Walt made more money early in his meth career than he ever could have as a teacher. He made far more than any family would have needed to survive... For generations. However, he kept going, because he was in "the empire business".



Stop suggesting this had anything to do with his family. They were just the excuse he needed.

 

[HelloJapan]

I'll say it...I like BCS more than BB. Fucking Skylar...

 

[Blackjack]

Walt made more money early in his meth career than he ever could have as a teacher. He made far more than any family would have needed to survive... For generations. However, he kept going, because he was in "the empire business".



Stop suggesting this had anything to do with his family. They were just the excuse he needed.

I've already addressed the "empire business" stage of his career in an earlier post. Someone has been sloppy with getting caught up on their reading of this thread. Some of the blame certainly ought to go to Sherdog though. Weeks ago I tried to start a new thread based on a specific aspect of Better Call Saul and Sherdog took it upon themselves to just mash it and any other BCS threads all into the same one which has resulted in a 33 page thread only 3 episodes into the season. Who wants to read an approximately 350 post thread which my projections tell me will swell to a thread with more than 1,000 posts? Who has that kind of time?

Things would be much more nicely organized if each episode of Better Call Saul got its own thread. They would be roughly 100 post threads.That's plenty!

 

[Loiosh]

I've already addressed the "empire business" stage of his career in an earlier post. Someone has been sloppy with getting caught up on their reading of this thread. Some of the blame certainly ought to go to Sherdog though. Weeks ago I tried to start a new thread based on a specific aspect of Better Call Saul and Sherdog took it upon themselves to just mash it and any other BCS threads all into the same one which has resulted in a 33 page thread only 3 episodes into the season. Who wants to read an approximately 350 post thread which my projections tell me will swell to a thread with more than 1,000 posts? Who has that kind of time?

Things would be much more nicely organized if each episode of Better Call Saul got its own thread. They would be roughly 100 post threads.That's plenty!

Well, as you didn't bother linking to that reply or making the argument again, I'm going to have to assume you were wrong, as most of your posts on this page seem very, very wrong.

"He did it for his family" is a pretty indefensible position.

 

[Blackjack]

I'll say it...I like BCS more than BB. Fucking Skylar...

Who is your second most hated BB character after Skylar? I don't hate Skylar except for in certain episodes that took place around the 2nd season approximately. I liked Hank until he started being verbally and emotionally abusive to Marie, who I think is a nice lady. He acted like such a baby, whining and throwing a temper tantrum because of a mix-up regarding "Cheetos" and "Fritos." Then, even worse, he tried to deceive Skylar and get her to waive her rights to a lawyer just to make his job easier. That was when he showed his true colors.

 

[Blackjack]

Well, as you didn't bother linking to that reply or making the argument again, I'm going to have to assume you were wrong, as most of your posts on this page seem very, very wrong.

"He did it for his family" is a pretty indefensible position.

I'm not going to link to it so you can be lazy and sloppy.

Assume whatever you like. It won't affect my life.

Blackjack (Hates repeating himself)

 

[Loiosh]

I'm not going to link to it so you can be lazy and sloppy.

Assume whatever you like. It won't affect my life.

Blackjack (Hates repeating himself)

First you call me lazy and sloppy, then you blame Sherdog, then you call me lazy and sloppy again.

I used the search function using your name and the word "empire" and found only your reply a few posts back.

My comment stands unchallenged.

 

[ucunc156]

Both are right. If it was 100% ego Walt could have been cooking meth prior to cancer. It was the diagnosis that backed him into the wall and allowed him to make the jump. It can be argued either way that he made the jump because desperate times desperate measures, our that it was his excuse to strike his ego and dive into the criminal world. Neither are 100% true and mutually exclusive just like most decisions we make in life.

But the moment Walt said "we're in the empire business", it became 100% ego.

 

[Loiosh]

Both are right. If it was 100% ego Walt could have been cooking meth prior to cancer. It was the diagnosis that backed him into the wall and allowed him to make the jump. It can be argued either way that he made the jump because desperate times desperate measures, our that it was his excuse to strike his ego and dive into the criminal world. Neither are 100% true and mutually exclusive just like most decisions we make in life.

But the moment Walt said "we're in the empire business", it became 100% ego.

Cancer and family were excuses, ego was the reason.

 

[Blackjack]

Both are right. If it was 100% ego Walt could have been cooking meth prior to cancer. It was the diagnosis that backed him into the wall and allowed him to make the jump. It can be argued either way that he made the jump because desperate times desperate measures, our that it was his excuse to strike his ego and dive into the criminal world. Neither are 100% true and mutually exclusive just like most decisions we make in life.

But the moment Walt said "we're in the empire business", it became 100% ego.

I loved the scene with Walt and the guy who looked like Wolverine in which Walt said words to the effect of: I'm The New York Yankees and you're AAA ball....(later)...do you really want live in a world without Coca-Cola?

That was a pretty badass negotiation. The scriptwriters outdid themselves!