Better Call Saul - the sixth (and final) season

[EOLAN]

Finally caught up. Comments probably took longer than the episode.
One thing I particularly liked that I didn't see mention was the persistent framing of Kim.  As in the camera angle being shot through items that made her looked like she was caught in the crosshairs or boxed in a cage. 

[Zero Gravitas]

How does that work in US prisons? I gather all inmates have the constitutional right to get married, and serial killers often have their weird female penpals, but after the ceremony? Are they allowed conjugal visits? Is there really any point in getting married beyond it being something to do?

New Mexico stopped conjugal visits in 2014, so he's got 4 years left to take advantage of them, and get prison-married.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

One thing I particularly liked that I didn't see mention was the persistent framing of Kim.  As in the camera angle being shot through items that made her looked like she was caught in the crosshairs or boxed in a cage. 

I thought that was a little on-the-nose myself and I'm usually pretty poor at interpreting symbolism.

[grainger]

I thought that was a little on-the-nose myself and I'm usually pretty poor at interpreting symbolism.

When I saw the "crosshair" railing shot in the courtroom scene, I thought someone might bring this up. I wondered, though, how much these small details are spur of the moment, and if we read too much into them. Did the director just spot that at the location and make use of it, or did the production team actually add that railing so that we got the shot? In this case either way, someone took a decision to set up that shot. And don't get me wrong, I reaslise that this show has a lot of detail from script to directing. However, I wonder how much stuff viewers read into it which is just an accident.

That said, having seen the script extract above, and seeing how laid-out the show is, it's entirely possible that Kim is described in the terms of being "caged", so it was set out at the writing stage.

[Blue Jam]

When I saw the "crosshair" railing shot in the courtroom scene, I thought someone might bring this up. I wondered, though, how much these small details are spur of the moment, and if we read too much into them. Did the director just spot that at the location and make use of it, or did the production team actually add that railing so that we got the shot?

I can't remember where I read this now, but apparently it was a real courtroom and the railings really were shaped like that and it just seemed too good to not frame a shot with them.

[kalowski]

Mike said he'd go back to 1984 - to the day he took his first bribe but before that he said another date (1996?). Do you think that was when he son died or when he killed the cops who'd killed his son?

[Pseudopath]

Mike said he'd go back to 1984 - to the day he took his first bribe but before that he said another date (1996?). Do you think that was when he son died or when he killed the cops who'd killed his son?

Yeah...the first date (December 2001) would have been when Mike admitted to his son that he was a bent cop, shortly before Matt was murdered by his corrupt colleagues. Mike realises that he needs to go back a lot further in order to change the course of events which lead up to that outcome (likely choosing a different career).

[Petey Pate]

It varies a lot by writer, but it's not at all unusual, and from what I understand it's far more useful to everyone than the drier and more technical approach some - generally less experienced - people adopt.  Stuff like dictating camera angles, or using the dreaded (beat) in a line of dialogue.  Making a script exciting to read is a skill on its own.

What I would say is unusual is that I've never seen scripts that include way more heffin' and jeffin' than is actually spoken by the characters.  Fuck me, look what's happening now!

If you were an unestablished screenwriter, writing a script like that would be a big no no. Generally the rule taught in film schools is to keep scripts as bare bones as possible to leave room for the director and other creative choices later down the line.

With Better Call Saul not only are the writers more involved with the filming process than other TV shows (indeed the author of that script, Peter Gould, is also the director of the episode) there are also long scenes with very little dialogue. So I think for the benefit of the actors and when doing the table reads, there is good reason to make the non dialogue sections of the scripts engaging to read.

On one of The Simpsons DVD commentaries they mention how they never did an entirely visual, dialogue free episode - specifically a Simpsons version of Disney's Fantasia - because no one would want to sit through a reading of a script entirely consisting of stage directions (although eventually that script would have been storyboarded by artists who have the thankless task of figuring out to make lines like 'the whole town goes crazy' work visually, and also draw huge numbers of characters in crowd scenes with no extra time given). For the same reason this is probably why many TV shows include too much unnecessary dialogue.

[kalowski]

Yeah...the first date (December 2001) would have been when Mike admitted to his son that he was a bent cop, shortly before Matt was murdered by his corrupt colleagues. Mike realises that he needs to go back a lot further in order to change the course of events which lead up to that outcome (likely choosing a different career).

A lesser drama would spell it all our for us. "I'd go back to 2001 - to try to save my son from corrupt cops so I don't have to kill them. Maybe that would keep him alive, and put me back on the right path."

[jobotic]

Just to say I haven't seen this yet and not sure when I will. No offence but you can shove your wonderful thread until it happens. I ain't reading shit.

[up_the_hampipe]

It varies a lot by writer, but it's not at all unusual, and from what I understand it's far more useful to everyone than the drier and more technical approach some - generally less experienced - people adopt.  Stuff like dictating camera angles, or using the dreaded (beat) in a line of dialogue.  Making a script exciting to read is a skill on its own.

What I would say is unusual is that I've never seen scripts that include way more heffin' and jeffin' than is actually spoken by the characters.  Fuck me, look what's happening now!

Thank you for the insight! I will buy you a Cinnabon one day.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

The script for Withnail and I reads pretty much like a novel and a bloody funny one at that. Bruce Robinson's stage directions are as florid as his dialogue. "Dostoyevsky described hell as perhaps nothing more than a room with a chair in it. This room has several chairs."

Just to say I haven't seen this yet and not sure when I will. No offence but you can shove your wonderful thread until it happens. I ain't reading shit.

You read this though, didn't you?

[Dex Sawash]

Today my albuquerque friend texted me a picture of a dog licking a murdered guy in the park across the street from him as his daily update on bonkers shit you see in ABQ. Cops there but not in frame in any of his pics.

[Armed Traffic Warden]

Today my albuquerque friend texted me a picture of a dog licking a murdered guy in the park across the street from him as his daily update on bonkers shit you see in ABQ. Cops there but not in frame in any of his pics.

  Sounding a lot like you have a murderer for a friend. Wake up and smell the clown.

[SweetPomPom]

Has anyone heard of a regional version (Canada) where the cigarette scene was in colour?

[The Guppy]

The cigarette scene is in colour.

[thr0b]

The cigarette scene is in colour.

No. The lit end of the cigarette is in colour. The scene remains black and white.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Does anyone else think that Saul's silver courtroom suit was, y'know, actually quite natty? I'd wear it (while defending myself in court against a multitude of charges).

[Blue Jam]

Does anyone else think that Saul's silver courtroom suit was, y'know, actually quite natty? I'd wear it (while defending myself in court against a multitude of charges).

I have some smart trousers in a similarly silver fabric but I'm not a man and I wouldn't dare to wear them with a matching jacket. For "Saul f***ing Goodman" it totally worked because he had the swagger for it.

Loved the scene of him being led into court to the soundtrack of All Things Are Possible. With the shiny handcuffs and the silver suit and the two officers wearing big shiny badges on chains he had the air of a gangster surrounded by bling.

[Dex Sawash]

Sounding a lot like you have a murderer for a friend. Wake up and smell the clown.

well, yes,but that's for a different thread

[SweetPomPom]

No. The lit end of the cigarette is in colour. The scene remains black and white.

Doesn't register on a smaller screen but yep, could see it on a proper tv. Nice touch. Not a regional thing then..

[Johnboy]

delighted with the finale and show overall

[JamesTC]

Just had a thought.

No matter what, Saul was dying in that courtroom. Even with the 7-year plea deal, he would no longer be able to serve as a lawyer again.

I'm trying to imagine what happens in the world he goes in for 7 years and is then released. Does he try to turn Bill Oakley into his substitute to continue? Getting Saul off lightly is effectively Oakley's version of Saul's De Guzman case.

[Blue Jam]

I'm trying to imagine what happens in the world he goes in for 7 years and is then released.

Prior to S6 I imagined Saul going to prison for a ~20-year stretch, writing his memoirs, making a few million and having a nice old age doing book tours and chat shows and enjoying his notoriety. Post-S6... nah, the pain of writing down his memories would kill him. I think Saul (as opposed to Jimmy) would rather suppress them forever than make a single cent out of them.

Getting Saul off lightly is effectively Oakley's version of Saul's De Guzman case.

Good observation that, got nothing to add.

[Dex Sawash]

I'm trying to imagine what happens in the world he goes in for 7 years and is then released.

My brother in law was disbarred for gambling away funds in trust. Brilliant guy who got hooked on the NFL over/under. He does legal clerk work now and pretty much does all the same stuff for less money. He doesn't get to do the stand-up routine for the judge anymore which I imagine is the hard part for him. I suggested he become a preacher.

[Rev+]

Not sure it's been touched on, and it's probably me being thick.

During the pre-trial negotiation bit when Marie is called in, Saul mentions the open grave business having happened two years ago.  I can't place this scene in another place on the timeline, because my first thought was there might have been a bit of tricksiness going on.  It's got to be close to ten years, right?  And why would they get that wrong?

[Leo2112]

Not sure it's been touched on, and it's probably me being thick.

During the pre-trial negotiation bit when Marie is called in, Saul mentions the open grave business having happened two years ago.  I can't place this scene in another place on the timeline, because my first thought was there might have been a bit of tricksiness going on.  It's got to be close to ten years, right?  And why would they get that wrong?

Here's the full BB/BCS timeline someone's put together - https://www.reddit.com/r/betterCallSaul/comments/wpry5o/full_chronology_of_every_bcsbrba_scene/

[The Guppy]

Not sure it's been touched on, and it's probably me being thick.

During the pre-trial negotiation bit when Marie is called in, Saul mentions the open grave business having happened two years ago.  I can't place this scene in another place on the timeline, because my first thought was there might have been a bit of tricksiness going on.  It's got to be close to ten years, right?  And why would they get that wrong?

It feels like a long time because, for us and the actors, it was, but

Saul worked with Walt for around a year, then they went into hiding.
A few months later, Walt comes out of hiding and dies.
A couple of months after that, Saul calls Francesca, finds out Kim was asking about him, and calls Kim.
A short time after that, he fucks everything up and is megafucked and gets arrested.

The timeline mentioned above is pretty cool.

[buttgammon]

Here's the full BB/BCS timeline someone's put together - https://www.reddit.com/r/betterCallSaul/comments/wpry5o/full_chronology_of_every_bcsbrba_scene/

One of the details that caught my eye here was that Jimmy only qualified as a lawyer a year before the events of Better Call Saul started!

[Inspector Norse]

Is "slut house" the canonical name for Saul's mansion?