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

  Рет қаралды 35,201

Conor Ryan

Conor Ryan

3 жыл бұрын

I explore the ways in which Better Call Saul deconstructs the American Dream and, more broadly, how the Dream exploits the very people it is supposed to uplift.
Bibliography
James Truslow Adams, The Epic of America, 1931
Noam Chomsky, Profit over People: Neoliberalism and the Global Order, 1999
Chris Hedges, Joe Sacco, Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, 2012
Jennifer Hochschild, Facing up to the American dream, 1995
David Kamp, Rethinking the American Dream, 2009
Jason Mittell, Lengthy Interactions with Hideous Men: Walter White and the Serial Poetics of Television Anti-Heroes, 2014
Jason Mittell, Better Call Saul: The Prestige Spinoff, 2013
David Pierson, Breaking Bad: Critical Essays on the Contexts, Politics, Style, and Reception of the Television Series, 2013
Lawrence R. Samuel, The American Dream: A Cultural History, 2012
Music
The Winner Takes It All, Abba, 1980
Money, Money, Money, Abba, 1976

Пікірлер: 82
@ObaREX
@ObaREX 3 жыл бұрын
So glad everyone is talking about this show.
@TheJudoJoker
@TheJudoJoker 3 жыл бұрын
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 жыл бұрын
A very nice moment that lets us know Gus accepts who he is.
@OtDawn
@OtDawn 2 жыл бұрын
@@FidoeFTW Or he was saying He sees himself as God
@ilyabykov2437
@ilyabykov2437 Жыл бұрын
He doesn't care about literally anything but revenge, this is extremely powerful to devote your life to a singular purpose.
@masterzombie161
@masterzombie161 3 жыл бұрын
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. 2 жыл бұрын
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 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@th3dudeabides1
@th3dudeabides1 2 жыл бұрын
"The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it."
@kor6999
@kor6999 2 жыл бұрын
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 жыл бұрын
He absolutely did not, that is pure paranoia on Chuck’s part
@kor6999
@kor6999 2 жыл бұрын
@@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 жыл бұрын
@@kor6999 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 жыл бұрын
@@kor6999 He also mutters, "took you long enough" to Jimmy when he helps him up. Anyone who thinks it wasn't orchestrated is getting played.
@fareseno8055
@fareseno8055 Жыл бұрын
​@@verslangeven Saul is manipulating you into thinking that he did actually save the guy, idk how it slipped your head
@ddoober
@ddoober 2 жыл бұрын
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 жыл бұрын
I’m glad you pointed that out. It wasn’t a moral decision but a planned one.
@shahzadmunawarnizamani7186
@shahzadmunawarnizamani7186 2 жыл бұрын
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 жыл бұрын
@@shahzadmunawarnizamani7186 the video is very very well done other than this inconsistency, i suggest you watch it.
@ifipaidmybartabtheu.swould9208
@ifipaidmybartabtheu.swould9208 3 жыл бұрын
It's unacceptable that a channel of this quality isn't larger
@adrianmendez4254
@adrianmendez4254 3 жыл бұрын
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 3 жыл бұрын
Such a well written piece, I loved the transitions between points in the video. Please make more!
@nedconnors7081
@nedconnors7081 2 жыл бұрын
you missed some major points about the billboard scheme, jimmy hired the worker to fall on purpose
@verslang
@verslang 2 жыл бұрын
No, not our Jimmy. Chuck is just paranoid.
@onemoreminute0543
@onemoreminute0543 2 жыл бұрын
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 жыл бұрын
@@onemoreminute0543 in the episode where the guy falls we see Jimmy give him money.
@onemoreminute0543
@onemoreminute0543 2 жыл бұрын
@@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 Жыл бұрын
@@verslang he defecated through a sunroof!!
@QFl7098
@QFl7098 3 жыл бұрын
This vid deserves way more attention
@dazednotconfused1503
@dazednotconfused1503 3 жыл бұрын
So glad this showed up in my recommended
@bloodbucket7171
@bloodbucket7171 3 жыл бұрын
Thx for adding the the episodes Nd the seasons to each clip
@milesandersgerrard-henrich9880
@milesandersgerrard-henrich9880 2 жыл бұрын
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! :)
@ViktoriaLapeho
@ViktoriaLapeho 2 жыл бұрын
Great work! Thank you for your analysis
@chriszflenkientertainmenti8482
@chriszflenkientertainmenti8482 Жыл бұрын
Very well written analysis, love your work
@TheGamer19856
@TheGamer19856 3 жыл бұрын
This was a really great video. Commenting just to help you in the algorithm. You deserve more views.
@Lankyman456
@Lankyman456 3 жыл бұрын
this video was fantastic mate
@JBJREEL
@JBJREEL 2 жыл бұрын
My favorite BCS scene. Never fails to make me cry.
@keeb7963
@keeb7963 Жыл бұрын
Best analysis of Gus I've ever heard. Concise and made his role in Better Call Saul in particular more important in my eyes.
@ronal607
@ronal607 2 жыл бұрын
Better Call Saul is a masterpiece
@synthix7646
@synthix7646 2 жыл бұрын
wow this is a very well made video! keep it up :)
@notsoalex
@notsoalex Жыл бұрын
Phenomonal video!
@boboften9952
@boboften9952 2 жыл бұрын
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
@skippyjones2291
@skippyjones2291 Жыл бұрын
Ok?
@foxx_plague805
@foxx_plague805 2 жыл бұрын
Great Video!! I love this show and Breaking Bad!
@marioj2186
@marioj2186 Жыл бұрын
Great video !!
@MetalGearChris1
@MetalGearChris1 3 жыл бұрын
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 жыл бұрын
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?
@lukasoravec9615
@lukasoravec9615 2 жыл бұрын
This is amazing
@HF-dv5vv
@HF-dv5vv 3 жыл бұрын
Phenomenal video
@ryanknight199
@ryanknight199 2 жыл бұрын
Keep making content. Thanks.
@shlumpfela5434
@shlumpfela5434 2 жыл бұрын
Damn this was pretty good
@annsh.6487
@annsh.6487 Жыл бұрын
Man, the scene of Jimmy and Chuck singing karaoke makes me feel so many things at once
@garchos4833
@garchos4833 Жыл бұрын
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 Жыл бұрын
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!
@NotaFollower11
@NotaFollower11 Жыл бұрын
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.
@agustinbaletti
@agustinbaletti 3 жыл бұрын
WAAAAAAY UNDERAPPRECIATED.
@patolly13
@patolly13 2 жыл бұрын
Views dont equal quality. Your great
@jamesmmcgill
@jamesmmcgill Жыл бұрын
The days of wine and roses...
@nitzan3782
@nitzan3782 2 жыл бұрын
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 Жыл бұрын
Its a prequel with a little bit of sequel
@shylonely
@shylonely 5 ай бұрын
But sadly this winner did not take any oscars after all 😔
@jonathanwilkinson4299
@jonathanwilkinson4299 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@iXanthous
@iXanthous 2 жыл бұрын
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 Жыл бұрын
@@iXanthous ^This
@rbxless
@rbxless Жыл бұрын
@@iXanthous ^That
@KittySnicker
@KittySnicker Жыл бұрын
Great analysis! One thing, though: as a female lawyer, for some reason, my alleged oppression never consoles me about my shortcomings.
@charleskershaw5341
@charleskershaw5341 2 жыл бұрын
"you know why the call it the American dream? because you have to be asleep to believe it" George Carlin
@onemoreminute0543
@onemoreminute0543 2 жыл бұрын
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"
@nont18411
@nont18411 2 жыл бұрын
“The winner takes it all.” Jimmy thought that the winner was gonna be him. Walt just thought the otherwise.
@skeetsofrage9517
@skeetsofrage9517 2 жыл бұрын
Its not worth noting about intersectionality actually in a BCS video
@urielmarles7036
@urielmarles7036 3 жыл бұрын
Comment to help boost
@fionnmcglacken35
@fionnmcglacken35 2 жыл бұрын
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 жыл бұрын
i think it goes both ways, because jimmy did in fact became a criminal lawer
@HistoryforThinkers
@HistoryforThinkers Жыл бұрын
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.
@user-ci5fl5em1j
@user-ci5fl5em1j 2 жыл бұрын
supringly good analysis from a libral
@boboften9952
@boboften9952 2 жыл бұрын
These Shows Have To Be The Modern Equivalent Of Shakespeare's Work . Awaiting The Sequel To The Spin Off Of The ........
@boboften9952
@boboften9952 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@mrlarvux
@mrlarvux 2 жыл бұрын
This is a bad video essay
@alleyoop4465
@alleyoop4465 2 жыл бұрын
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.
Better Call Saul's Devastating Turning Point
19:11
Aleczandxr
Рет қаралды 401 М.
The Brilliance of Better Call Saul: Bad Choice Road
18:40
That0therGeorge
Рет қаралды 67 М.
Khóa ly biệt
01:00
Đào Nguyễn Ánh - Hữu Hưng
Рет қаралды 19 МЛН
Super gymnastics 😍🫣
00:15
Lexa_Merin
Рет қаралды 106 МЛН
1❤️#thankyou #shorts
00:21
あみか部
Рет қаралды 88 МЛН
The Visual Language of Better Call Saul
11:48
The Escapist
Рет қаралды 18 М.
Better Call Saul - How Bob Odenkirk Perfected Jimmy McGill
13:43
Just an Observation
Рет қаралды 230 М.
Hitman: No One Is Untouchable  | A Video Essay
41:38
Conor Ryan
Рет қаралды 242 М.
Why Better Call Saul is Brilliant
14:48
Thomas Flight
Рет қаралды 1,7 МЛН
In Denial, In Pain, In Bruges | A Video Essay
26:26
Conor Ryan
Рет қаралды 11 М.
How Jimmy McGill Manipulated Everyone (Better Call Saul)
27:31
Just an Observation
Рет қаралды 271 М.
The Day Better Call Saul Was Born
15:39
Entertain The Elk
Рет қаралды 93 М.
Better Call Saul: Can People Change?
30:23
What's Therapy?
Рет қаралды 298 М.
How to Use Colour Like Better Call Saul | Video Essay
20:54
The Story Blueprint
Рет қаралды 514 М.
Развёл кассиршу 😂 #shorts
0:34
Julia Fun
Рет қаралды 1,1 МЛН
SCP-173 - How to Beat
0:24
scpWyatt
Рет қаралды 7 МЛН