Better Call Saul: The Winner Takes it All | A Video Essay

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 31 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 88

  • @ObaREX
    @ObaREX 3 роки тому +164

    So glad everyone is talking about this show.

  • @masterzombie161
    @masterzombie161 3 роки тому +220

    The Tragedy is that despite everything that happened at HHM, he still tried to give it a chance. Sadly them saying no to that girl because of her mistake was the last straw for his morality.
    He tells her the truth he learned the hard way that no matter how hard you work, they’ll always see your mistakes as a part of you. That no matter how high you rise, they will never respect you, and will Drop you to protect their image.
    It’s why he ultimately decided to be his own boss, cause he can do whatever he wants without the need of a trapped life like working for HHM.

    • @Howard.Stern.
      @Howard.Stern. 3 роки тому +15

      He also knows that Kim gave HHM a chance and both Howard and Chuck repeatedly undermined her behind her back. And Jimmy knows that Chuck and Howard undermined each other. With Chuck even suing HHM and nearly bankrupting Howard. At this point Jimmy has seen enough of HHM to know that no one escapes unscathed. To have to be a robot corporate lawyer like Chuck with no guarantee of happiness anyways is too much risk.

    • @nont18411
      @nont18411 3 роки тому +12

      And once he became his own boss, his unrestricted and colorful working style was so juicy and sweet that it attracts opportunistic people (especially hardened criminals) to further their own agenda. Just like the opening of S5E3. A mint chip ice cream (Saul) was being torn apart piece by piece by the ants (Lalo, Nacho, Mike, Gus, Walt, Jesse and unfortunately, Kim) until it was left with nothing but a cone which represents Saul causing Jimmy’s morality and sanity to be slowly but surely devoured until he became Gene, who was only a shell of his former self.

  • @TheJudoJoker
    @TheJudoJoker 3 роки тому +181

    One of my favorite character moments in BCS is when Mike asks Gus if all of his outward good that he does makes up for all the bad.
    Gus just responds: "I am what I am."

    • @FidoeFTW
      @FidoeFTW 3 роки тому +21

      A very nice moment that lets us know Gus accepts who he is.

    • @OtDawn
      @OtDawn 2 роки тому +3

      @@FidoeFTW Or he was saying He sees himself as God

    • @ilyabykov2437
      @ilyabykov2437 2 роки тому

      He doesn't care about literally anything but revenge, this is extremely powerful to devote your life to a singular purpose.

  • @th3dudeabides1
    @th3dudeabides1 2 роки тому +26

    "The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it."

  • @samalmighty1313
    @samalmighty1313 3 роки тому +50

    I think it's actually state that Jimmy organized the billboard stunt in order to get it filmed and achieve notoriety to drum up sales, something Chuck brings up. Other than that, great essay.

    • @verslang
      @verslang 2 роки тому +1

      He absolutely did not, that is pure paranoia on Chuck’s part

    • @samalmighty1313
      @samalmighty1313 2 роки тому +29

      @@verslang The worker that "fell" from the billboard was briefly one of Jimmy's previous onscreen clients. Their handshake mirrors the one between Jimmy and Marco at the start, and Jimmy later tries to hide it from Chuck

    • @JustCobaltVA
      @JustCobaltVA 2 роки тому

      @@samalmighty1313 I personally think the guy did actually fall, but there is a lot of evidence to support the claim, that the guy staged the fall. I just like to think so, because it was the first Crack before Chuck would keep going after Jimmy with everything Chuck saying about Jimmy being right except for the first one, being the billboard. But my theory is a bit of a long shot soo

    • @che3se1495
      @che3se1495 2 роки тому +31

      @@samalmighty1313 He also mutters, "took you long enough" to Jimmy when he helps him up.
      Anyone who thinks it wasn't orchestrated is getting played.

    • @fareseno
      @fareseno Рік тому +1

      ​@@verslangeven Saul is manipulating you into thinking that he did actually save the guy, idk how it slipped your head

  • @ddoober
    @ddoober 2 роки тому +42

    15:14 i think you're ignoring that jimmy staged that fall so his choice to help the worker isnt really a choice out of kindness

    • @readingclass6498
      @readingclass6498 2 роки тому +9

      I’m glad you pointed that out. It wasn’t a moral decision but a planned one.

    • @shahzadmunawarnizamani7186
      @shahzadmunawarnizamani7186 2 роки тому +7

      I was about to watch this video but thank you for pointing this out. If someone doesn't even know that it was scam how could they make a video breaking down BCS

    • @ddoober
      @ddoober 2 роки тому +5

      @@shahzadmunawarnizamani7186 the video is very very well done other than this inconsistency, i suggest you watch it.

  • @adrianmendez4254
    @adrianmendez4254 4 роки тому +51

    Such a well thought out piece, I really enjoyed it and I can't imagine the amount of work you put in to make it.. I cannot believe this video only has 300 views!

  • @5hadowReaper
    @5hadowReaper 4 роки тому +32

    Such a well written piece, I loved the transitions between points in the video. Please make more!

  • @ifipaidmybartabtheu.swould9208
    @ifipaidmybartabtheu.swould9208 4 роки тому +25

    It's unacceptable that a channel of this quality isn't larger

  • @NotaFollower11
    @NotaFollower11 2 роки тому +2

    You do know that he paid the worker to pretend to fall right? He didn't save him out of morality, he set the stunt up for publicity.

  • @nedconnors7081
    @nedconnors7081 3 роки тому +20

    you missed some major points about the billboard scheme, jimmy hired the worker to fall on purpose

    • @verslang
      @verslang 2 роки тому +12

      No, not our Jimmy. Chuck is just paranoid.

    • @onemoreminute0543
      @onemoreminute0543 2 роки тому +1

      To be honest, I didn't know that was staged until Chicanery, when all of Chuck's accusations clicked in my head. I thought the worker genuinely did fall off and everyone was being too harsh on Jimmy again.

    • @lmanproductions8680
      @lmanproductions8680 2 роки тому +5

      @@onemoreminute0543 in the episode where the guy falls we see Jimmy give him money.

    • @onemoreminute0543
      @onemoreminute0543 2 роки тому +4

      @@lmanproductions8680 I might have missed that detail on my first watch. Or, maybe I rationalized it as Jimmy paying him for his work on the billboard. Either way, my initial conclusions were put to rest by Chuck's outburst in 'Chicanery':
      -Did he swap those numbers? Yep!
      - Did he DEFECATE THROUGH A SUNROOF? Yep!
      -Did he steal money from his dad? Yep!
      -Did he stage the billboard accident? No!.... or did he?
      Everything else Chuck said was correct, so then I thought to myself that he was probably right about the billboard too.

    • @djangofett4879
      @djangofett4879 2 роки тому

      @@verslang he defecated through a sunroof!!

  • @QFl7098
    @QFl7098 4 роки тому +9

    This vid deserves way more attention

  • @bloodbucket7171
    @bloodbucket7171 3 роки тому +4

    Thx for adding the the episodes Nd the seasons to each clip

  • @milesandersgerrard-henrich9880
    @milesandersgerrard-henrich9880 3 роки тому +4

    Wow! What a great video, I was just watching casually and when I finished I was about to subscribe and then I noticed that you only had about 200 subs, which really suprised me. The production quality, the research and effort put in to this video is that of what I would expect from a channel with at least 50.000 subs, great video man! :)

  • @annsh.6487
    @annsh.6487 2 роки тому +1

    Man, the scene of Jimmy and Chuck singing karaoke makes me feel so many things at once

  • @dazednotconfused1503
    @dazednotconfused1503 3 роки тому +5

    So glad this showed up in my recommended

  • @chriszflenkientertainmenti8482

    Very well written analysis, love your work

  • @JBJREEL
    @JBJREEL 2 роки тому +1

    My favorite BCS scene. Never fails to make me cry.

  • @keeb8088
    @keeb8088 2 роки тому

    Best analysis of Gus I've ever heard. Concise and made his role in Better Call Saul in particular more important in my eyes.

  • @shylonely
    @shylonely Рік тому +1

    But sadly this winner did not take any oscars after all 😔

  • @Lankyman456
    @Lankyman456 4 роки тому +1

    this video was fantastic mate

  • @notsoalex
    @notsoalex 2 роки тому

    Phenomonal video!

  • @ronal607
    @ronal607 3 роки тому +3

    Better Call Saul is a masterpiece

  • @ViktoriaLapeho
    @ViktoriaLapeho 2 роки тому

    Great work! Thank you for your analysis

  • @synthix7646
    @synthix7646 3 роки тому +1

    wow this is a very well made video! keep it up :)

  • @marioj2186
    @marioj2186 2 роки тому

    Great video !!

  • @boboften9952
    @boboften9952 3 роки тому +5

    Lyrics
    Winner Takes It All
    ABBA
    I don't wanna talk
    About things we've gone through
    Though it's hurting me
    Now it's history
    I've played all my cards
    And that's what you've done too
    Nothing more to say
    No more ace to play
    The winner takes it all
    The loser's standing small
    Beside the victory
    That's her destiny
    I was in your arms
    Thinking I belonged there
    I figured it made sense
    Building me a fence
    Building me a home
    Thinking I'd be strong there
    But I was a fool
    Playing by the rules
    The gods may throw a dice
    Their minds as cold as ice
    And someone way down here
    Loses someone dear
    The winner takes it all (takes it all)
    The loser has to fall (has to fall)
    It's simple and it's plain (it's so plain)
    Why should I complain? (Why complain?)
    But tell me, does she kiss
    Like I used to kiss you?
    Does it feel the same
    When she calls your name?
    Somewhere deep inside
    You must know I miss you
    But what can I say?
    Rules must be obeyed
    The judges will decide (will decide)
    The likes of me abide (me abide)
    Spectators of the show (of the show)
    Always staying low (staying low)
    The game is on again (on again)
    A lover or a friend (or a friend)
    A big thing or a small (big or small)
    The winner takes it all (takes it all)
    I don't wanna talk
    If it makes you feel sad
    And I understand
    You've come to shake my hand
    I apologize
    If it makes you feel bad
    Seeing me so tense
    No self-confidence
    But you see
    The winner takes it all
    The winner takes it all
    So the winner takes it all
    And the loser has to fall
    Throw the dice, cold as ice
    Way down here, someone dear
    Takes it all, has to fall
    And it's plain, why complain?
    Songwriters: Andersson Benny Goran Bror / Ulvaeus Bjoern K
    The Winner Takes It All lyrics © Universal/union Songs Musikforlag Ab

  • @MetalGearChris1
    @MetalGearChris1 4 роки тому +18

    Although anyone can get their own vision/critic/opinion about a piece of art and that respectable, imho this series specially is more an analysis of characters - with some problems in their lifes- that decide to break bad and thus they are gonna take responsabilty for their actions.
    Life is not fair for anyone and not all lawyers who are nowadays trying to thrive in their business are becoming corrupt as Saul.
    More than a decaying system ( a subject for a different discussion) this is a story of broken people that decide to take paths they already know are outside legal procedures.

    • @hinasakukimi
      @hinasakukimi 3 роки тому +6

      i mean, i think it's strange to say a decaying system is subject for a different discussion. that is the undercurrent of both breaking bad & better call saul. to ignore that is missing out on a lot of rich analysis imo. obviously not all lawyers are as corrupt as saul (this is a tv show after all) but its still a highly competitive field where you will find people who are desperately trying to achieve the american dream. the point of better call saul imo is that the line between the questions, 'did jimmy ever really have a chance?' and 'is jimmy responsible for his own downfall', is blurred. for every bad action jimmy takes, you can go around in circles when trying to pin blame on any sole individual. and its interesting you mention they're broken people. like... why do you think these people are broken in the first place?

  • @garchos4833
    @garchos4833 2 роки тому +1

    hi, recently i made a video about better call saul that was 2 hours long, youtube took the video down because of copyright. How did you do to not recibe any reclamation? please i need help ive working on that video for months

    • @conorryan4019
      @conorryan4019  2 роки тому +1

      I didn't get any restrictive claims on this one, though I have on others. Its an automated system so sometimes it picks up on things and sometimes it doesn't.
      If its anything like my videos, I'd recommend just disputing the claim, that usually means they drop it after 30 days.
      It's a really frustrating system, hope you get it sorted out!

  • @lukasoravec9615
    @lukasoravec9615 2 роки тому

    This is amazing

  • @foxx_plague805
    @foxx_plague805 3 роки тому

    Great Video!! I love this show and Breaking Bad!

  • @jamesmmcgill
    @jamesmmcgill 2 роки тому

    The days of wine and roses...

  • @3MB4R
    @3MB4R 3 місяці тому

    "The more money you have, the better the lawyer you can afford" that's not how it works, lawyers are not better or worse, they are simply more or less equipped and/or experienced than their contemporaries in certain avenues of law, which is why there are different branches of law, why people specialise in them and why legal firms exist at all. An individual lawyer like Jimmy can handle doing wills solo because it is not more demanding than he can handle, but even when he has a higher influx of clients Chuck tells him to hire a paralegal. Even a skilled and dedicated lawyer like Kim cannot handle Mesa Verde solo simply due to how time and resource heavy the work is - it requires a whole team to be able to handle the magnitude of the work, which is why Kim convinces Rich Schweikart to create a banking division that she can head if she joins the firm.
    The flaw in the judicial system (regardless of country) is that even if you are in the right you can lose simply because the other side has more money to spend dragging a case through court than you do, it's not simply a matter of whether to can afford an 'expensive lawyer' but rather if you can afford all the legal and court fees that are there regardless of whether you have a lawyer or not - there are many people who represent themselves and eventually become financially exhausted and have to give up. It becomes a war of attrition of who can afford to continue the longest, it's not because "the better the lawyer, the more likely your actions will be deemed moral and justified in a court of law" which is an absurdly childish notion. Chuck can obviously afford the best representation money can buy and has the esteem of everyone in the legal industry yet Jimmy, who is struggling financially and has to defend himself over admitting to committing a felony, wins the case.
    Also completely ignoring the fact that both Jimmy and Kim do public defender work, where they're being paid by the court because the clients cannot afford to pay for representation themselves. The quality of Jimmy and Kim's abilities as lawyers does not decrease, in fact both of them are shown to work extremely hard despite the limited flat fees they make from it, even when Jimmy is frustrated and borderline bankrupt and Kim could be making much more devoting her time to Mesa Verde. Kevin Wachtell showers Kim in expensive gifts in thanks for the work she does for Mesa Verde and she dislikes it so much that she gives parts of it away but treasures the simple note of thanks Diana (one of her PD clients) writes her and frames it and a picture with her - a client Kim went out of her way and even put her position with Mesa Verde on the line in order to represent.

  • @nitzan3782
    @nitzan3782 2 роки тому

    It's not a spinoff but a prequel. It shows how preestablished crooks such as Saul and Mike became who they are when we met them at Breaking Bad, as well as the fall of the Salamanca and Gus's rise to power.

    • @djangofett4879
      @djangofett4879 2 роки тому +1

      Its a prequel with a little bit of sequel

  • @patolly13
    @patolly13 3 роки тому

    Views dont equal quality. Your great

  • @HF-dv5vv
    @HF-dv5vv 3 роки тому

    Phenomenal video

  • @shlumpfela5434
    @shlumpfela5434 3 роки тому

    Damn this was pretty good

  • @ryanknight199
    @ryanknight199 3 роки тому

    Keep making content. Thanks.

  • @agustinbaletti
    @agustinbaletti 4 роки тому

    WAAAAAAY UNDERAPPRECIATED.

  • @shiptj01
    @shiptj01 4 місяці тому

    This show doesn't glorify the system. I think that a lot of people overlook that.

  • @KittySnicker
    @KittySnicker 2 роки тому

    Great analysis! One thing, though: as a female lawyer, for some reason, my alleged oppression never consoles me about my shortcomings.

  • @onemoreminute0543
    @onemoreminute0543 2 роки тому

    Easily one of the best moments in the show. Perfectly demonstrates the dynamics between Jimmy and Chuck, as well as highlighting their mentalities:
    "Remember. THE WINNER takes it all"

  • @jonathanwilkinson4299
    @jonathanwilkinson4299 3 роки тому +4

    Real question here. What is the difference between nio libral and nio conservative? It seems like to me it's the same thing but people just slap conservative or liberal on it depending who they want to make look bad in there point. Like I feel like we might as well call it just plain nio at this point. But I could be wrong here.

    • @PsychedelicCoco
      @PsychedelicCoco 3 роки тому +2

      Neoliberal refers to a broad operation of capitalism that encompasses the strategy of most governments in the world in the last 3 or 4 decades. Neoconservatism is a subset of neoliberalism but more specific. It is an ideology that developed around the U.S. Republican Party that adopted the presuppositions of neoliberalism but tailors it to the political strategy of the Republican Party. It’s typified by neoliberal economic policy paired with militarist and interventionist foreign policy and socially conservative views. So the simple summation is neoconservatism is one subset of neoliberalism which is much wider and all-encompassing

    • @djangofett4879
      @djangofett4879 2 роки тому

      @@PsychedelicCoco ^This

    • @rbxless
      @rbxless 2 роки тому

      @@PsychedelicCoco ^That

  • @charleskershaw5341
    @charleskershaw5341 3 роки тому +2

    "you know why the call it the American dream? because you have to be asleep to believe it" George Carlin

  • @fionnmcglacken35
    @fionnmcglacken35 2 роки тому +1

    I appreciate the sociological and economic analysis, but stating that there was an element of classism to Chuck preventing Jimmy from working at HMM doesn't sound right to me. Chuck prevented Jimmy from rising out of jealousy for his younger brother's personable and charming nature. It was a psychological issue.

    • @sobakasmaslom2291
      @sobakasmaslom2291 2 роки тому +1

      i think it goes both ways, because jimmy did in fact became a criminal lawer

    • @metallistener340
      @metallistener340 4 місяці тому

      i think that’s definitely a part of it; but it also does have to do with some elitism. chuck resents that a man with a shady past who was working a menial lowly job could take an “easy route” to get where to where chuck is by taking an online course

  • @nont18411
    @nont18411 3 роки тому +1

    “The winner takes it all.”
    Jimmy thought that the winner was gonna be him.
    Walt just thought the otherwise.

  • @TheMurphyMonologues
    @TheMurphyMonologues 2 роки тому +3

    I’m starting to think that the entire Breaking Bad universe is a subtle critique of American capitalism and the horrible world that it has created.

  • @skeetsofrage9517
    @skeetsofrage9517 2 роки тому +1

    Its not worth noting about intersectionality actually in a BCS video

  • @alleyoop4465
    @alleyoop4465 2 роки тому +1

    6:21
    Your bias is showing
    I'd bet that the creaters of these shows and the author of this particular platter of tripe would consider themselves "self made men" who worked their way to success by their own hard work and dedication.

  • @mrlarvux
    @mrlarvux 2 роки тому +4

    This is a bad video essay

  • @urielmarles7036
    @urielmarles7036 4 роки тому +1

    Comment to help boost

  • @ბედნიერიგობლინი

    supringly good analysis from a libral

  • @boboften9952
    @boboften9952 3 роки тому +1

    These Shows Have To Be The Modern Equivalent Of Shakespeare's Work .
    Awaiting The Sequel To The Spin Off Of The ........

    • @boboften9952
      @boboften9952 3 роки тому

      Gilligan received his first three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work as a producer and screenwriter on the fourth and fifth seasons of the science fiction drama television series The X-Files (1993-2002). He rose to prominence with AMC's crime drama television series Breaking Bad (2008-2013), which he created, directed, produced and wrote. The series' five seasons received universal acclaim, with critics lauding it as one of the greatest television series of all time. Breaking Bad earned Gilligan a total of nine Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning two consecutive awards for Outstanding Drama Series for the show's two-part final season. The series also earned him a BAFTA TV Award for Best International Programme, a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Drama, two Producers Guild of America Awards for Best Episodic Drama, a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for the final episode "Felina", and five Writers Guild of America Awards in the categories Best Dramatic Series and Best Episodic Drama.
      In 2015, Gilligan developed a Breaking Bad spin-off centered around the character of Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), titled Better Call Saul (2015-present). It has earned him eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning two awards for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for the two short form web series Employee Training with Gus Fring (2017) and Ethics Training with Kim Wexler (2020).
      In 2019, he wrote and directed the film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, that serves as a sequel and epilogue to Breaking Bad, continuing the story of Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). The film was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie, while Gilligan received his fourth Directors Guild of America Award nomination.

  • @Andy-we8vo
    @Andy-we8vo Місяць тому

    What a dumb take

  • @TheGamer19856
    @TheGamer19856 4 роки тому +8

    This was a really great video. Commenting just to help you in the algorithm. You deserve more views.