Better Call Saul is annoyingly pretentious, amirite?

Pretentious, no. Artistic, yes. And quite abstractly so, often. You pick up on a lot more things like that on a second rewatch, where some cold openings might not seem to portray anything meaningful, but if you look into it you realize they're setting either a mood or theme for the episode (or overall season arc). But here's an updoot, because I think you're wrong and/or have an unpopular opinion.

by leilaniarmstron 4 months ago

You know the ice cream cone scene that triggered something so deep in you? I still vividly remember that scene years later now that you mention it. There are not many shows I watched in the last decade where I would remember a meaningless opener. That's art. BUT I think it has a deeper meta. You know in Breaking Bad all the openers showing things drifting in the pool end up being from a plane crash Walter caused? That was such a climatic moment. I believe the meaningless ice cream directly contrast against that.

by Least_Ad 4 months ago

Explain to me the ice-cream with ants on it. Why is that good filmmaking?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

You mean the ring from Marco didn't already set-up his turning to Saul Goodman? What about when he drives past Mike and he goes, "I'm not gonna let the right thing get in my way" (Paraphrasing). Those didn't already do that? The Salamancas weren't responsible for "corrupting" him. That had long since been established.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

It's showing in a very abstract manner how Jimmy is losing what he wants in life the further into this crime world into which he gets pulled, and as he is forced to do what he doesn't want (work for the cartel) his ice cream (representing what he really wants) is just melting away. And even when he comes back to it at the end of the episode it's no longer available to him, again symbolizing that he's going down a path from which he cannot return.

by leilaniarmstron 4 months ago

Why was that established in such an uninteresting way? Literally watching paint dry.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

That's part of the art. They're painting a picture with seemingly meaningless things, and that's their schtick. I enjoy the art of it, but they know they could remove that aspect entirely and just tell a completely linear story, but guess what? That can be boring too.

by leilaniarmstron 4 months ago

Take my hypothetical of Gus staring at a door for 5 minutes, looking at his watch, and then cut to intro. Do you believe that would also be seen as art and be universally praised?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

How about an hour? Would you enjoy that?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Definitely not

by leilaniarmstron 4 months ago

Why is that?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

How is OP a philistine?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Yep, i wasnt sure if i remembered it correctly so i searched it to be sure. And i dont really think that it fits OP.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Someone who is hostile or at least indifferent to culture or arts.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Wow, you like to be condescending.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Ehhhh, do you read what you write? I didnt object to anything, i asked why you accused OP of something. It is you who could only answer with attempts to belittle me. How can you say that im the one with empty and thougthless objections for literally asking why you think like that, at the same time that all your answers are nothing but condescendence to avoid answering.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

"This is treated as good filmmaking, because it's not entertaining." SKILL ISSUE. Nothing is there for no reason.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Explain to me the ice cream with ants on it. Why was that necessary?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

"It's not boring unless you let it be." Bear with me, do you have any negative criticism of the show at all?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Not really, no

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Do you see how that could come off as cult-like? I'm not insulting you. I mean this with complete genuineness. Even my favorite game I have negative criticism of.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

What you're objecting to here is called setup. It is supposed to be backdrop, it isn't supposed to directly add or add in a major way. It's the same thing as massive terrain in a video game. You aren't actually expected to comb every field and valley, instead they are there to lend a little bit of credence to the sense of place. Arcade games and daytime television are mediums that explicitly do away with such world building. Some people, like you presumably, just don't get as much out of it as others. However, you go too far when you cast it as pretentious. That would be like me casting arcade games or daytime television as classless or trashy. Some things are pretentious and some things are trashy, but not every example of either preference is, necessarily.

by Beatrice51 4 months ago

Not only did you diss one of the greatest shows in recent memory, you also had to disrespect my GOAT matpat? come on man.

by Fine-Frame 4 months ago

Sounds like someone has a short attention span and doesn't like to think too hard.

by Vegetable_Story9224 4 months ago

To be fair, Breaking Bad is also incredibly pretentious. I couldn't make it through a full episode of BCS because I don't like the character but I watched all of breaking bad and it is just constant moments of the show taking itself INCREDIBLY seriously for no real reason.

by larsonjoshuah 4 months ago

Yeah. It is also boring.

by kiana82 4 months ago