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What Input Does Bob Odenkirk Have On The Creation of His “Better Call Saul” Character?

Breaking Bad (2008) star Bryan Cranston was frequently praised for how much he contributed to Walter White’s character construction. He voiced his input about everything, from his mannerisms and appearance, to makeup and wardrobe. Naturally,…

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Why Does “Better Call Saul” Work as a “Breaking Bad” Prequel, Even if We Know What Happens?

During the Talking Saul (2016) after-show following Better Call Saul’s (2015) second season premiere, Chris Hardwick asked Saul co-creator and writer Peter Gould if it is dangerous creating a spin-off as a prequel, since the end of the story…

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Why Does Chuck Almost Open the Door at the End of the “Better Call Saul” Season 1 Finale?

The ending of Better Call Saul’s (2015) first season did not bode well for the future brotherly relationship between Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Chuck (Michael McKean). Jimmy had just discovered that his arch-nemesis Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian)…

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What “Breaking Bad” Easter Eggs Can We Find in “Better Call Saul”?

Breaking Bad (2008) changed the way people looked at dramatic television. With its tight construction and attention to details that paid off as the story progressed, the show was satisfying not just as traditional entertainment but also as a…

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In the “Better Call Saul” Season One finale, Why Is It Significant that Jimmy Takes Marco’s Ring?

Viewers of Breaking Bad (2008-2013) may have wondered why Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) always wore a ring on his pinky finger. Many probably never noticed the ring. Those who didn’t pay attention to the ring during Breaking Bad may also have…

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How has Bob Odenkirk interpreted and evolved his “Better Call Saul” character after “Breaking Bad”?

The impressive status of Bob Odenkirk’s career since his first appearance on Breaking Bad (2008) has been consistently upward in trajectory. His Breaking Bad character, Saul Goodman, was intended to have a short-lived, three-episode role in the…

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In “Better Call Saul,” Who is the Other Hamlin?

Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) is the third partner of Hamlin, Hamlin and McGill, the Better Call Saul (2015) law firm where Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) started his straight-arrowed life as a mailroom clerk and ultimately was denied employment as a lawyer…

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Is the electro-hypersensitivity condition Chuck has on “Better Call Saul” real?

Quick Answer: While the condition of electro-hypersensitivity is something real people have reported suffering, there is no scientific evidence that supports it is physically happening. Likely, it is a psychomatic torment caused by a person…

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On “Better Call Saul,” What Is the History Between Jimmy and Kim?

The first season of Better Call Saul (2015) is full of subtext and inference about the relationship between Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and HHM litigator Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn). The series gives audiences the impression the two have likely had a…

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How Does “Better Call Saul” Relate to Breaking Bad? Why Create a Spinoff?

Like sequels and book adaptations, television spinoffs are made for money reasons. Several networks vied for the Breaking Bad (2008) spinoff, but Better Call Saul (2015) remained at AMC. Sequels can taint the mythology of the original film and…

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What Role Does Family Play on the Construct of “Better Call Saul’s” Main Characters?

Better Call Saul (2015) introduced us to two very different versions of Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks’ characters, and spent the bulk of the season crafting the series of events that gave birth to the versions we knew from Breaking Bad. We…

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How long should it take for “Better Call Saul” to transform Jimmy into Saul Goodman?

Quick Answer: The pacing of Better Call Saul is aptly suited to the story it is telling—the decline of a man once determined to be a top lawyer who slides into the slimy underbelly of law practice. The series is a character study and a morality…

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Why Does “Better Call Saul” Open With Jimmy Working at a Nebraska Cinnabon?

In one of Saul Goodman’s (Bob Odenkirk) final scenes on Breaking Bad (2008), he was preparing to flee Albuquerque after Walter White’s criminal activity surfaces with the DEA. As Saul’s extractor is arranging for him to “disappear,” he…

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Why Have Television Audiences Fallen So Hard for the Anti-Hero?

The television series achieving the highest levels of success in the past decade, from Breaking Bad (2008 - 2013) to Game of Thrones (2010 - ) and House of Cards (2012 - ), all share a common denominator: dark, complex protagonists who aren’t…

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How does Chuck on “Better Call Saul” embody characteristics of both Skyler and Walter White?

​Quick Answer: Chuck’s reception by viewers has dubbed him a villain the same way Skyler became a villain to Walt, as a family member getting in the way of the actions of the show’s central character. Meanwhile, Chuck’s medical condition…

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Breaking Bad: Mike Ehrmantraut - Turning Off the Tap (+ Better Call Saul)