Better Call Saul vs Breaking Bad...

[MoeFOH]

Recently binged Better Call Saul. Found it incredibly intriguing and very watchable--i.e. well pieced together. It had me wondering whether I liked it more than Breaking Bad. Big call, I know. And I know that part of BCS's likability is owed to BB, but still... Focussing on Saul and Mike, essentially, gave it an edge in rolling the narrative along, vs BB which I think gets bogged down a bit at times with supporting character tangents... But BB is a dyed in the wool classic, so there's that... And BCS is still going (Season 5 in the wings, I believe)...

Anyhow...

I'm curious, if you've taken on both series, which do you think is best?

[Ritch]

BB. Gave up on BCS as it was just too slow paced, boring and trivial.

It's like drinking shandy after having drank beer. It's just diluted tasteless box ticking crap.

[mbflash80]

my only complaint about BCS is that I never really cared for his brother on the show...and he became such a big part of it that it made it less enjoyable at times...its a good show but it drags and I find myself waiting for the next scene with Mike and Gus and that storyline...its much more interesting to me than Saul's arc on the show...

[tigger]

BCS is good and entertaining.

BB was brilliant. Some of the "best" television ever.

IMO, of course.

[MoeFOH]

38 minutes ago, Ritch said:

BB. Gave up on BCS as it was just too slow paced, boring and trivial.

It's like drinking shandy after having drank beer. It's just diluted tasteless box ticking crap.

At first attempt, I did the same. Pretty much for the same reasons. Only got one episode in. But, 2nd time around, I really dug it. Dunno why, it just clicked and I was hooked. Loved it. 

Each to their own. : )

[MoeFOH]

21 minutes ago, tigger said:

BB was brilliant. Some of the "best" television ever.

Agree. 100%. 

[MoeFOH]

39 minutes ago, mbflash80 said:

my only complaint about BCS is that I never really cared for his brother on the show...and he became such a big part of it that it made it less enjoyable at times...its a good show but it drags and I find myself waiting for the next scene with Mike and Gus and that storyline...its much more interesting to me than Saul's arc on the show...

Yeah, the Chuck character probably played a bigger part than I cared for, too (bit like Skyler and the sister in BB, at times). But I didn't feel overwhelmed by it. Mike's character is probably the most intriguing, I agree. But I actually liked the arc of Saul's character--I think it's really well done. 

[Ritch]

10 minutes ago, MoeFOH said:

At first attempt, I did the same. Pretty much for the same reasons. Only got one episode in. But, 2nd time around, I really dug it. Dunno why, it just clicked and I was hooked. Loved it. 

Each to their own. : )

I managed the first season and half the second and then just gave up. 

[MountainMilG]

I was indifferent when BCS first came out, but then wound up binging seasons 1-3 and loved it.  Hard to say better than BB, but I'd say right up there for me.  While I hated Chuck, I LOVED squiggy/David St. Hubbins/Stefan Vanderhoof ... er, I mean Michael McKean's performance.  This ... this chicanery!

Saul is much better in this series, to me he was just comic relief in BB.  I still wonder how Jesse wound up.

There's interesting theories on WW breaking bad vs Saul/Jimmy floating around.  I do like the series though.

[rcarlson]

I think the director, Gilligan is brilliant.  They're both excellent.  Different but excellent.  

[rguinn]

BB for me. Acting in both is phenomenal. The story line and pace of the show gives the edge to BB to me. 

[WABOOM]

I like Better Call Saul more than Breaking Bad. I love the character.

[Burningman]

Damn this is a really tough call. I'm going to go with BCS just because its the new show. I was really hooked on BB.

[SignalJoe]

BB had a huge advantage, the story line was unpredictable and the anticipation was ever present.  What would happen?  Who might die?  With BCS there is no mystery, no matter the plot twist or danger present you know which characters will survive.  It's somewhat anticlimactic.    

[anacostiakat]

Breaking Bad goes down in history as one of the best.  Along side of The Wire and others.  I have watched Better Call Saul from the beginning and continue to enjoy the hell out of it.  Yea sometimes the scripts have me tapping my fingers waiting for scene or story line to end and get back to what I like about Saul, Mike and the Chicken Man.  But overall it is a very good show.  YMMV 

[Chucko8]

I thoroughly enjoy both shows. Must admit that I too lost a little interest in the beginning of BCS as it was moving so slowly but it has now really come to the fore in the story line. Even though we know the eventual outcome of the interwoven story line from BB, it is great to see the character evolution of Saul, Mike, Hector and Gus.

Both shows are extremely well directed, the cinematic experience well constructed and the plots captivating. Looking forward to the shows development post the known climax of the BB intersection.

[irratebass]

I'm planning on going back and re-watching BB, I still think BB is the better show, but I absolutely love BCS. Until I re-watch it I am sticking with BB.

Oh and FUCK CHUCK! 

[Optic101]

On 11/6/2018 at 6:16 AM, Ritch said:

BB. Gave up on BCS as it was just too slow paced, boring and trivial.

Same here

[ayepatz]

S’all good, man...

As much as I enjoyed Breaking Bad, I find myself enjoying Better Call Saul more. It is beautifully crafted and acted across the board. And the tone is more irreverent and humorous. Great telly. ?

[NYMets01]

So my experience mirrors that of many of you yet is slightly different.

My first watch of BCS was painful to put it mildly. I had a lot of trouble getting into it. I tried again a year or so later and bing watched the first three seasons and throught it was terrific. I agree with the throught that BCS is much better acted, as a whole and was “irreverent and humorous.”

BB for me was fun to watch. But that’s it...Fun. I felt like the characters (d)evolved from Point A to Point B (except for Marie who was always just kind of there) and that it got formulaic at times. I thought the male cast (Jesse, Walter and Hank) were infinitely better actors than Marie and Skylar.

To give you a sense of where I’m coming from I think that the Sopranos will go down as the best show in TV history, followed closely by The Wire. BCS and BB are definitely Top 5-ish for me but not the best by any stretch.

Hopefully my last paragraph didn’t just start up a whole new debate.

[MountainMilG]

The Wire gets my vote.  Sopranos also great.  BB great, really like BCS. 

Reminding me I'm a couple of weeks behind, gotta catch up!  If anything watching Kim sort through piles of paper, makes me think the law  isn't for me lol.

[vinnyvega]

Kim Wexler is the best character in bcs.  She is utterly captivating.   

Kim>skylar

[gpt104]

BCS is better. BB just got to be too much at the end; still great.

Had BCS been a complete stand alone show, it would be different. It certainly owes a lot to the BB story.  

[Bill Hayes]

BB is my fav show of all time. I have seen a few seasons of BCS and like it but I'm kind of liking Ozark a bit better than BCS at the moment.

[ritter6788]

I’m only watching BCS for the BB moments and they have been few and too far between. I don’t know how anyone can watch Saul without seeing BB (imo). BCS is way too slow for me.

My thoughts (hopes) for BCS....

...BCS was set 6 years before BB. Next is year 5 of the show. Saul turns full gangster next season and they wrap it up full blown back into BB and end it there.