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REVENGE OF THE TALK BACKS vol. 5! "Hedgehog" vs BREAKING BAD!

Wheels here. I got up this morning to take my trash out and when I opened the front door,  I found this "article" duct taped to it.

 

Well, at least HH is learning boundaries.

 

Anyway, let’s get on with it.  The ideas stated here do not reflect the thoughts and opinions of AICN or their affiliates. Also, I'm about 79% sure this is satire. Oh, and if any of you other talkbackers want to contribute to these; contact me. It can be anything as long as it has a geeky slant to it… Please just email them to me. Anything else is unnerving -W

 

Hedgehog’s Corner – BREAKING BAD

"The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing"

An interesting quote.  Wrong, but interesting.  Because “evil” doesn’t need nothing, it also needs a meth lab, detailed chemical knowledge, lots of guns, Professor Gus Frink and an entire support and distribution network run by chicken brothers (Los Pollos Chickenos).

YES!  I’m talking about Walter White (aka Heidelberg) the mild-mannered teacher turned murderous kingpin drug lord.  WW was the breakout star of “Breaking Bad” and it is widely considered to be the best TV show of all time by people who have never seen “The Wire”.

 

 

But BB finished years ago so why talk about it now?  Well, "Breaking Bad" is back baby thanks to the prequel/sequel “Better Call Saul” (or BCS as the cool kids call it) which is currently rocking the airwaves with its 4th season.  Have you seen it?  It’s brilliant.  Some people say it’s better than Breaking Bad.  They’re wrong obviously, but it is pretty good.

Both of these shows were written by Carey Mulligan who found fame by writing "The X-Files" many years ago before TV had really got going.  Every week Mulder and Sculder had to investigate a paranormal happening and prove/disprove it simultaneously without actually learning anything or changing their worldview in order to keep the show going.

Fun fact – did you know that "The X Files" was actually the first ever reality show and was broadcast entirely live?  Luckily a case came up every time the cameras switched on and managed to be resolved within an hour as the cameras switched off.  Apart from in the notorious “Sleep” episode which, due to a scheduling mix-up, consisted of Mulder and Sculder both asleep throughout.  (It was still better than the one about the haunted Gemini mission though)

 

 

"Better Call Saul" stars comedian Bob Odenkirk in a dramatic role which stretches his talents but luckily he is stretchy enough to do it.  He plays Jimmy who is Saul who is Gene.  The show tracks his progression from small time Jimmy to big time Saul to poor old Gene.  Each season starts with a short clip of Gene living in a post-BB world and making Cinnabons.  Things are really bad for him, his previous nemesiseses might be still after him and he can’t even afford to be filmed in color.

 

 

One of the best things about BCS is the amazing cast.  There’s Mike from "Breaking Bad", Gus from "Breaking Bad", Nacho from "Breaking Bad", Hector Salamander from "Breaking Bad" and rapper Chuck D. from Spinal Tap.  Chuck is Jimmy’s brother but they don’t really get on as Jimmy doesn’t respect the law while Chuck doesn’t respect electricity.  They have a terrible relationship, but luckily Jimmy also has Kim to support him.  She’s played by breakout star Rhea Seehorn.  Crazy name, crazy gal!  Kim is Jimmy’s rock and in many ways the best character on the show.  Her only fault is loving Jimmy TOO MUCH and working TOO HARD.  Oh yes, and driving while asleep which could have resulted in a mass pile-up and killed hundreds of people.  But apart from that she is awesome.

The BCS writers love to put Easter Eggs into the show.  But THESE easter eggs aren’t made of chocolate and don’t cheapen the true meaning of Christianity.  No, they are things that the fans want to see but are hidden so that they can’t actually see them.  Genius!

 

 

When you first watch BCS the first thing you will see because they are at the start of the show are the credits for the show that say “Better Call Saul” so you know you’re watching the right show.  Now when you first see them you might think they are a bit crappy, out of focus, the music cuts off mid-note and all that sort of amateurish stuff.  This is quite deliberate and was insisted on by Netflix to keep the show’s quality on a par with its other output.  Did you see “The Cloverfield Paradox”?  WTF was that?!?!  They knew it was rubbish so they broadcast it right in the middle of the Superbowl (or the “Superb Owl” as I call it – ha!  I might be the only person who ever spotted that! COPYRIGHT HEDGEHOG)

In “The Cloverfield Paradox” some scientists try to work out how a brilliant film like “Cloverfield” and a brilliant film like “10 Cloverfield Lane” could have ended up as something so stupid.  On a spaceship.  They fail.  Spoiler!

Anyway back to “Better Call Saul”.

Bob Odenkirk used to be known as “Mr Shop” and now he works in a shop (that sells Cinnabons).  That’s some irony there dudes!  And BCS is FULL of irony.  If Aaron Paul was in the show he would love it and probably say something about “magnets” or “bitches”.  But now it’s 2018 so if he did something that stupid and offensive his career would be finished.  Although his acting in “Need for Speed” has probably already done that.  (Because it was bad)  Ha-ha, take that millionaire film star - WICKED BURN!!!

 

 

Everyone wants to know if Walter White will appear in “Better Call Saul”.  But there’s one big problem.  WW died at the end of BB so for WW to go from BB to BCS would be BS.

It’s much more likely that other “Breaking Bad” characters will make an appearance.  Personally, I’d love to see Skyler turn up.  Of course, she’s played by Anna Gunn, who is well known for her acting roles in “Breaking Bad” and, errr, some other stuff probably.  The BB fanboys hated Skyler which was ridiculous as she was brilliant and probably the most realistic character on the show.  Haven’t we all wanted to own a car wash?

Well, hopefully I’ve told you everything you need to know about “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul”.  They are both brilliant examples of what TV can be if you make good TV instead or bad TV.  Watch and learn other TV shows!  Admittedly there are some weak points, but we can skim over those.  I mean magnets don’t REALLY work like that and there’s NO WAY Hector’s wheelchair would just blow up like that, they don’t even have a motor – EPIC FAIL SCRIPTWRITERS!  Gus was disgusted by how unrealistic that scene was, no wonder he walked out of the room never to return.

Anyway, if you’ve never seen BB or BCS there’s only one thing I have to say to you...

BETTER WATCH SAUL!

 (Although "Breaking Bad" came first so you should really watch that first, sorry for any confusion)

LOVE, HEDGEHOG

 

Email: HedgehogAICN@mail.com

Twitter: @HedgehogAICN

 

Previous entries in this series:

REVENGE OF THE TALK BACKS vol. 1! "Hedgehog" vs THE MEG

REVENGE OF THE TALK BACKS vol. 2! "Hedgehog" vs James Bond

REVENGE OF THE TALK BACKS vol. 3! "Hedgehog" vs THE WALKING DEAD

REVENGE OF THE TALK BACKS vol. 4! "Hedgehog" vs PIXAR

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