Better Call Saul

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In the latest issue of Empire - out today - there's a six-page feature on AMC's Breaking Bad, the TV show that takes Bryan Cranston (of Malcolm In The Middle fame) and makes him a meth lord. As part of our interviews for the piece, we spoke to showrunner Vince Gilligan, and during our conversation, the topic of the long-rumoured Lone Gunmen-like Saul Goodman spin-off came up, and here's what he had to say.

Are you worried that this potential Saul Goodman spin-off show could dilute the Breaking Bad brand?

"Well, you never assume lightning is going to strike twice. Having said that, I think a Saul Goodman show would be a great deal of fun, and a great challenge, and something I would look forward to doing. It’s definitely not set in stone yet, it’s definitely the early days of the process, and it may happen or it may not."

"I personally would like to see it happen, because I think it would be its own creation and its own creature, and I think it would exist in a Breaking Bad universe, as it centres on a character that was integral to Breaking Bad, but I think it’s its own thing. It’s like comparing an apple to an orange. Or white meth to blue meth."

"We would do out very best to make it a very good show indeed, as we always do with Breaking Bad, but if it doesn’t come out quite as good then… well, we’ll move heaven and earth to make it every bit as high quality as Breaking Bad, but then there’s the intangible question of whether it’ll affect people, whether it’ll move people as much as the mothership show did, and there’s no real answer to that. In fact, the safest answer to that is: 'Probably not to the same level.'"

"Then you ask yourself, 'Does that mean it’s not worth doing?' I think it is indeed worth doing, and the way to approach it is by knowing that it’s not going to be the same thing. It’s not to be completely of a piece with the original show, but if it’s a challenge, and it’s interesting to us to do it, that’s reason enough. Worst case scenario, it’s like the spin-off to M*A*S*H, AfterMASH, that nobody remembers – and I don’t think it hurt M*A*S*H any that it existed. I don’t think we’re going to have that problem, though. Anything based around the character of Saul Goodman and any show starring the wonderful Bob Odenkirk has more than an even chance of being quite good indeed."

And as a final treat for all you BB addicts out there, here's a teasing Gilligan on what to expect from the final half of the final season (out in the US on August 11)...

"As far as great endings go, I have to cite M*A*S*H as a touchstone for a series that went for a great many episodes – over 250, I think – and ended in a satisfying fashion nonetheless. I think M*A*S*H is an excellent example and when you think about it. M*A*S*H structurally has the perfect ending and the obvious ending, in fact, built into the show right from the very first episode... and sometimes the most satisfying ending is the most obvious ending… and I think M*A*S*H realised that and pulled it off very nicely."

The perfect ending could be the most obvious ending? Now that's interesting. As mentioned previously, the latest issue of Empire is out today, Thursday May 30. Season Five: Part One of Breaking Bad is out on Blu-ray and DVD on June 3.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=37670

 

As TV shows go, Breaking Bad has to be up there as one of the greatest of all time.

 

Not if you like it.

 

Who said I liked it?

 

I'd suggest your previous statement gives that impression

Also, there is a direct link between people who watch Breaking Bad and businesses that fail.

 

I'm guessing that sounded funnier in your head.

 

.

 

Exactly what I thought when reading your comment

 

.......

 

Breaking Bad is one of the best shows on tv!

its american.

 

Honestly?

Do you do it on purpose?

**** me

 

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This statement is entirely factual.

1. Medro is boring.

2. Medro is Irish.

3. Medro smells of ****e.

 

.

 

I blame Fuzzy Zoeller and Sergio Garcia.

 

Some wonderful quotes from the legend that is Saul Goodman

“I’m gonna get you a second phone call, OK? You’re gonna call your mommy or your daddy or your parish priest or your boy scout leader, and they’re gonna deliver me a check for $4650.00. I’m gonna write that down on the back of my business card. Four, Six, Five, Zero, OK? And I need that in a cashiers check or a money order, doesn’t matter. Actually, ah, I want it in a money order and ah, make it out to “Ice Station Zebra Associates.” That’s my loan out. It’s totally legit… it’s done just for tax purposes. After that we can discuss Visa or Mastercard, but definitely not American Express, so don’t even ask, alright? Any questions?”
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“There are laws detective, have your kindergarten teacher read them to you. Right, go grab your juice box and have a nap!”
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“I’m just gonna call you Skyler if that’s ok. It’s a lovely name, reminds me of a… big beautiful sky. Walt never told me how lucky he was, prior to recent unfortunate events. Clearly his taste in women is the same as his taste in lawyers: “Only the very best, with just the right amount of dirty.”
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“Let’s ditch the thesaurus, all right? You talkin’ about a hit man? . . . Pzzzt. Wrong answer! That’s what the kids call epic fail.”
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"I caught my second wife screwing my stepdad. OK? It's cruel world, Walt. Grow up."
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"Seriously, when the going gets tough, you don't want a criminal lawyer... You want a criminal… lawyer."
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Saul “Alright, who do we have?”
Badger “Brandon Mayhew.”
Saul [looking through his files] “Brandon Mayhew...alright...Brandon Mayhew...ah, here we go. Public masturbation.”
Badger “What?”
Saul “I don't get it. What's the kick? Why don't you do it at home like the rest of us, with a big flatscreen TV, 50 channels of Pay-Per-View.
[looks back at the file] In a Starbucks. That's nice, heh-heh.”
Badger “That ain't me, man! I'm...I was the guy who selling meth...allegedly.”
Saul [looking through his files] “OK, alright, I gotcha. Meth. Right. Sorry, that was a little transpositional error. Nothing that a little white-out can't take care of.”
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Saul “Mayhew. Is that Irish or English?”
Walt “Irish.”
Saul “Faith and begorrah! A fellow potato eater! My real name's McGill. The Jew thing I just do for the homeboys. They all want a pipe-hitting member of the tribe, so to speak.”
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Walt “No, no, it cannot be blind luck or some imaginary relative who saves us. No, I earned that money. ME! And now my son created his own website – SaveWalterWhite.com. Soliciting anonymous donations. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?”
Saul “Well, look at that. It's got PayPal and everything.”
Walt “Cyber-begging, that's all that is. Just rattling a little tin cup to the entire world.”
Saul [sarcastically] “Yeah, there's no deep-seated issues there.”
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“Did you not plan for this contingency? I mean the Starship Enterprise had a self-destruct button. I'm just saying.”
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Saul “Take a break, H.T. Let's go.”
Franschesa “You're going to stop calling me that or I'm gonna hang you by your tie.”
Saul “Yeah, yeah, stop showing off for the client. Honey Tits! I say it's endearing.”
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Saul “Whoa, Walt, hold on there! What was the offer, if I may ask?”
Walt “It's, uh, three million for three months of my time.”
Saul “You're gonna need that money laundered, right? I mean, of course. What was our deal before? Seventeen percent. That's a shade high. Now let's settle on an even fifteen. That's a nice round number.”
Walt “Five percent.”
Saul “Fourteen's fair.
Walt “Five.”
Saul “Thirteen.”
Saul “Twelve, for old time's sake. Twelve.”
Saul “I'm a reasonable guy, it's a short term deal. Ten even, but I can't go any lower and still respect myself. [Walter turns to leave] Five!”
Jesse “What in the hell just happened? You're MY lawyer, not his!”
Saul “It's the way of the world, kid. Go with the winner.”
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Walt “How did everything get so screwed up?”
Saul “Yeah, you do seem to have a little "**** creek" action going.”
Saul “You know, FYI, you can buy a paddle.”
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Walt “That's her.”
Saul “Don't.”
Walt “I have to talk to her.”
Saul “don't have to do– You answer that phone and Schrader's on the other end of the line with a legal wire tap recording everything you say, you're not doing anybody any favors, except for him. In fact, why do you still have a battery in that thing? Take it out. They might be trying to triangulate your movements. I'm not being paranoid. Do it.”
Walt “Can't believe she went to him.”
Saul “She just panicked.”
Walt “She went right to him without even talking to me. Without a moment's hesitation.”
Saul “I'm not saying it's not bad. It's bad. But it could be worse.”
Walt “Really, how much worse could it be? Exactly, in your estimation?”
Saul “What does she actually know? What has she seen, hmm? Nothing. It's hearsay. It's all he said, she said. I mean, the only real evidence that she can lead them to is the money, and once we take care of that, well, then they got nothing.”
Walt “Nothing. Hank knows, that is not nothing.”
Saul “Yeah. I can't exactly see him turning the other cheek.”
Saul “Of course, there's always, um...”
Walt “Always what?”
Saul “Well, have you given any thought to, um, sending him to a trip to Belize?”
Walt “Belize?”
Saul “Yeah, Belize. You know, where, um, where Mike went to. Off on a trip to, um, Belize.”
Walt “Saul, you better not be saying what I think you're saying.”
Saul “It's just conjecture on my part.”
Walt “Hank is family.”
Saul “Okay, it's an option that my–“
Walt “You understand that?”
Saul “It's an option that has worked very well for you in the recent past.”
Walt “Jesus, what is wrong with you?”
Saul “My mistake. Family. Off limit. Of course. I'm just throwing thoughts out there. This is a safe room, right?”
Walt “Jesus, send him to Belize. I'll send you to Belize.”
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Walt “How did you know?”
Saul “I'm sorry?”
Walt “About Skyler. About where to find me just now. How did you know?”
Saul “That's just my meticulousness. Don't bog down in detail, Walt. The lesson here–“
Walt “Did you bug my house?”
Saul “...Yeah. But I didn't know it was your house, did I? You moved out. Besides, you basically told me to.”
Walt “I told you to?”
Saul “You strongly hinted that I should. You were worried about your wife, remember? You were concerned that she might say something to the police.”
Walt “No, no, that's not true. When the hell did I say that?”
Saul “Let's not get lost in the who, whats and whens. The point is we did our due diligence and she didn't talk. She kept quiet, she stood by you, Walt. Which, if you ask me, is the ironical silver lining here. I mean, on the one hand, sure, she snuck off the reservation to get some dirty damp and deep. On the other–“
Walt “YOU'RE FIRED! YOU'RE DONE!”
Saul “Good! "Oh boo-hoo, I won't cook meth anymore!" You're a crybaby! Who needs you?! Hey, I'm unplugging the website, so no more money laundering! How do you like that?!”
Walt “I want those bugs out of my house today! I want them out now!“
Saul “You just bought a $300 suit, psycho!”
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"All right, $16,000 laundered at 75 cents on the dollar, minus my fee, which is 17 percent...comes out to $9,960. Congratulations, you've just left your family a secondhand Subaru."
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"Yo, Adrian...Rocky called, he wants his face back."
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"Believe me, money laundering ain't what it used to be. God, do I miss the '80s."
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“As to your dead guy, occupational hazard. Drug dealer getting shot...I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say 'it's been known to happen”
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“Why don’t you just kill Badger? Is a prison shanking completely off the table?”
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Saul as Walt meets beaten up Jesse “You’re now officially the cute one of the group. Paul, meet Ringo. Ringo, Paul.”
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In response to Badger asking if he's gonna get him off "What do I look like.. your high school girlfriend?? Five fingers, no waiting?"
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Skyler “Do you even know Walt? I mean, how would he of all people buy a lazer tag business? It doesn't add up.”
Saul “It adds up perfectly. Walt's a scientist, scientists love lazers. Plus, they got bumper boats, so...”
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Walt "It makes a better story than your laser tag."
Saul "Is that you talking or Yoko Ono?"
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"You and I survive this? I am seriously re-thinking my pricing, that goes double for you, Hip-Hop!"
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"There are other fish in the sea. You've been out of circulation for a while. You'll be just AMAZED at what's out there... Thailand, the Czech Republic... I mean, those women are so grateful to even be here!"
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Saul’s voicemail to Jesse “The monkey is in the banana patch”
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“If you’re committed enough, you can make any story work. I once told a woman I was Kevin Costner, and it worked because I believed it.”
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“10! 20! 30 bucks a pop, all paid in full, nice and neat, untraceable from the good-hearted people of the world to Mr. Walter H. White, Cancer Saint. I’m getting a warm and fuzzy feeling just thinking about it”
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Walt “What are you offering me?”
Saul “What did Tom Hagen do for Vito Corleone?”
Walt “I’m no Vito Corleone.”
Saul “No ****! Right now you’re Fredo!”