The only prequel to be equal in quality to the original while bringing a great subtext to the original.

Rewatching Breaking bad after Better Call Saul and seeing all the hard earned dangerous criminals being killed by a freaking terminally ill chemistry teacher is just mind boggling.

Better Call Saul has this way of making you feel that sense of elation over someone getting their comeuppance and then immediately following up with a sense of guilt for having felt that way.

- Kim Wexler is one of, if not, the best female character on TV. - The complexity and depth of Saul Goodman are way beyond those of Walter White. Walter’s morality has a clear line between good and evil. Saul’s morality is so grey that good and evil are inseparable.

I was expecting some obscure episode that I’d forgotten about. But it was Chicanery. Because of course it is. One of the best episodes of TV period.

I think “Better Call Saul” is one of the only prequels which gives more context to the originals and doesn't change or ruin anything, while still maintaining the quality and style of the original

IMO the best episode of BCS is the one where Mike recalls the story of his son and how he took revenge. Hearing Mike say: “they killed my boy” while crying was a very emotional moment in the series

i like how halfway through he casually is trying to sell us all drugs

It is so criminal that this show received almost to no love from awards show. I mean awards dont mean that much but the cinematography and acting from this show is so overlooked! Hopefully they get their deserved recognition for the final season.

“I am not crazy! I know he swapped those numbers! I knew it was 1216. One after Magna Carta. As if I could ever make such a mistake. Never. Never! I just - I just couldn't prove it. He - he covered his tracks, he got that idiot at the copy shop to lie for him. You think this is something? You think this is bad? This? This chicanery? He's done worse. That billboard! Are you telling me that a man just happens to fall like that? No! He orchestrated it! Jimmy! He defecated through a sunroof! And I saved him! And I shouldn't have. I took him into my own firm! What was I thinking? He'll never change. He'll never change! Ever since he was 9, always the same! Couldn't keep his hands out of the cash drawer! But not our Jimmy! Couldn't be precious Jimmy! Stealing them blind! And he gets to be a lawyer!? What a sick joke! I should've stopped him when I had the chance! And you - you have to stop him!”

Better Call Saul is peak storytelling. The acting, character, writing, direction, themes, cinematography. More drama than thrilling action and that’s absolutely fine. The battery slip is a perfect scheme to the Saul we know.

Chicanery was one of my all time favorite episodes of anything ever until the midseason finale to season 6. Amazing stuff so consistently~

Man, thank you for making this, one of my favorite episodes of the series. There's really nothing quite like this show, i would even say I enjoy it more then Breaking Bad

A prequel needs to bring familiarity with the original show, but needs to be able to stand on its own two feet without relying on you having watched the original show it prequels. That being said, if you start off with Better Call Saul and you've never watched breaking bad, this show is still a great show to watch - that is exactly why it is so great.

Better Call Saul really should get all the love BB got - it's just so good! Seahorn better get an Emmy nomination this year, she is riveting!

Formula for a great Better Call Saul episode: - We watch Jimmy and/or Kim and/or Mike execute a scheme - We don't know exactly what the end game is, but bits and pieces are slowly revealed and each piece usualy makes things more baffling while simultaneously giving us enough info to piece it all together if we really think about it - The scheme looks like it's about to fail, the target has them figured out, or seems too suspicious, or something outside of their control seems to go wrong - Against all odds, the scheme works! Suddenly we know the full extent of the plan, and holy shit, this is even more ingenious than we thought. Jimmy and/or Kim and/or Mike win in gloriously entertaining fashion. - Later, be it a scene later, an episode later, or full seasons later, the consequences of the scheme rear their ugly heads. - These consequences go far beyond whatever the initial goal is and result in horrific tragedy - We feel bad for cheering the scheme on... but oh hey, here's another scheme. Maybe this one will go differently.

one of the hardest moments in the episode is watching Chuck have to rehearse the lines I love my brother. it's so hard to watch him having his love for his brother be completely tourn apart for petty revenge and jealousy. this is truly the episode where they fall apart, which is why it's hard to watch. You really want them to reconcile, but that's not how the show ends

God this series is amazing. As soon as I saw the title of this video, I knew what episode you would be talking about.

Truly one of the most tense television episodes of all-time. McKean was incredible. This was Jimmy's Order 66. "The boy you once saved, gone he is. Consumed by Saul Goodman."

Jimmy's plan here was genius. He allowed Chuck to feel in control through weaker attempts to break him like the cellphone and bringing Rebecca in. Chuck is at maximum confidence right when the bomb is dropped because he thinks he's beaten Jimmy at every turn, so once it's revealed, Chuck's can't emotionally take this drastic a change of circumstance (had Jimmy led with the battery, it's possible Chuck would be able to compose himself and argue it's irrelevant to the case (which it is)). They managed to do this while also using the smaller plots to subvert expectations. Take notes Game of Thrones, that's how you do subversion without destroying the themes and continuity of the show

Michael Mckean was literally a acting god in this episode. Surely my top 3 episode from the series till now !

The purpose of planting the battery on chuch was not to "out" Chuck's disorder. Everyone but his ex knew about it. The point was to show his disorder is psychosomatic, not an actual allergy. He learned it from the medical doctor's ruse with the hospital bed back in season 1. But you are right that its greater purpose was to get Chuck to self-report his ulterior motives to cast doubt on why he's going after Jimmy to begin with.

Pre Season Five, I would have agreed with you. However, the perfect mixture of drama, acting, camera work, writing, and everything that makes BCS great can be found in Bad Choice Road, IMO. Kim’s moment of standing up to Lalo is one of many highlights that backs up this presumption.

An editable ad on a better call saul analysis 💀

- Oh I love that Better Call Saul episode - Which one? - All of them

Absolutely insane that Michael McKean wasn't nominated for an Emmy in season 3. This episode blew me away and he did such an amazing job!

Honestly I don't comment a lot but I have to say that this is definitely ONE of the best BCS episodes, and would be the best if not for Plan and Execution (S6 Episode 7) because not only does it put the final nail in the coffin for Jimmy's transformation into Saul Goodman, but everything comes together unexpectedly at the end with some of the best cinematography in the whole series. I hope that you do a video on one of the best episodes of T.V.!

Hoping to see a breakdown of the finale in a few weeks

I like the episode where Gus is (rightfully) paranoid that Lalo is still alive. Gus is basically Breaking Bad's Darth Vader. Cold, calculating, ruthless. Nothing gets to him. For Lalo's potential presence to ruffle Gus' feathers so much says so much of the level of threat he is, which is backed up by seeing what Lalo goes through to track down what Gus is up to.

I finished the show a week ago, by far my favorite episode is Nippy. I’m still not sure why so many people think it was lacking compared to all the other episodes.

More people really need to watch this show. It's fine cinematic art.

It's such a tragedy that this show isn't more popular. I have so many friends that loved Breaking Bad yet aren't willing to take a chance on this

It’s a great point that we don’t see the main characters real plan until it plays out one piece at a time. While we know there is something that’s going to happen because like you point out we know what happens in breaking bad. So you add this master class of story telling with great shots visually and the great performances of everyone in the show and it’s just so good!

Better Call Saul is SO GOOD I have absolutely no regrets watching it before Breaking Bad. It adds so much more to Breaking Bad watching it this way. I literally watched both shows multiple times within 2 months to see how it would look like watching one before the other both ways and I still will always recommend people to watch BCS before BB if you've never watched either.

Better call saul and breaking bad have utterly ruined me because I can't stand watching any other show now

Never watched Breaking Bad. Stumbled unto Better call Saul. Instantly fell in love. Now I’m going back and watching BB.

I don't even consider BCS a prequel I consider it the same series as BrBa. They flow together brilliantly.

11:03 This episode despite showing what makes Breaking Bad and Better call Saul different, it actually shares hugely something in common with Breaking Bad which is "Build up". This entire episode builds up to one moment: Chuck's meltdown/ downfall similiar to how an episode from Breaking Bad builds up to one moment; like how "Half Measures" builds up to Walt killing siding with Jessie and saving him or how "Dead Freight" builds up to Todd shooting a kid, or how " crazy handful or nothing" builds up to Walt confronting Tuco. The genius of both shows is that most of the episodes are just building up to a moment and it's extremely satisfying. We see the character's contemplate their actions before they do it, even if they don't know what they're about to do. Another thing this episode shares in common with Breaking bad is foreshadowing, the red exit sign is similar to the spider from "Dead Freight" in which they both appear at the beginning and end to bring the episode full circle. What I have just listed are a small example, honestly could write a whole novel about how Breaking Bad and Better call Saul use Foreshadowing and Build up because there a way more examples than what I've listed. I haven't even scratched the surface.

The slow pan forward when Chuck has a mental break is a cinema chef kiss.

Hearing this guy talk about all the little details better call Saul then suddenly go to talking about edibles was too funny

Almost 10 years since I finished Breaking Bad. Honestly, I forgot most what happened then. With that, BCS really stand on its own as a legal/crime drama.

This is one of my favorite episodes was so happy to see you cover it. I'd love more Better Call Saul Content in the future!

Yes! This defenitely helps my better call saul withdrawals, makes me want to watch this episode again. Great video!

Better call saul is such a masterpiece of media and I can't seem to let go of it. Bagman and Saul gone are amongst my favorite episode of television.

The only moment that rivals Chuck's chicanery speech is Nacho's last meeting with the Salamancas

Ive been waiting for someone to talk about this episode and why its the best in the series. Thank you.

6:39-6:41 The editing makes it look like Huel's REALLY into Chuck. lmao

I will never forget Chuck’s breakdown rant. How Michael McKean did not get an Emmy for that scene is beyond me.

I didn’t expect an edibles ad in a video about BCS, but I’m here for it.

This is still the best episode of the series in my opinion. Even when we have episodes that feel more action oriented or dramatic in later Seasons, chicanery is the episode that I think encapsulates what makes Better Call Saul a show that's arguably better or even just as good as Breaking Bad. It's smaller scale, but the drama is more potent and filled with so much more shades of grey that you can't decide by the end of any episode how you feel about a situation or the characters that you're seeing on screen. I love breaking bad, but it's never really a show that made me think about the story it was telling, it was a lot more to me about just enjoying the masterfully crafted and extraordinary well-acted ride. Better Call Saul always felt a lot more thematically rich and textured

I have watched Chuck's breakdown and the court hearing scene probably a hundred times. It just goes to capture the emotions of two estranged brothers so well.

So glad to see you guys finally talking about this series.

You uploaded the video the same day i first watched tbis episode, great timing!

It's wild how season 1 Jimmy becomes season 6 Jimmy-- and all the transformations are completely organic and believable.

Good overview, I would however retort that Jimmy's transformation was still a gradual one, up until they directly show it with the ending of 'Fun and Games'. The fact is, even after this character assassination, Jimmy STILL tried to reconcile with Chuck in the S3 finale. It was only until the Series 4 premiere that Howard's breakdown allowed Jimmy to shift all his guilt onto him. The only person left to keep him moral was Kim, but in the end, she enabled him too, so after Fun & Games, Saul Goodman took over.

I just love the idea that Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, and that writers room couldn’t figure how to write a half-hour legal sitcom, so they just wrote another one of the greatest shows of all time instead.

I just had the privilege of watching this series for first time. Bravo. The writing... Wow.

Thank you!! Loved your analysis!

Love the analysis. The series has so many great episodes worth venturing. Selfishly, may I suggest S1 Ep 6, Five-O as a "best background story ever told in a single episode." 😀

One of my absolute favorite shows, and this is one of my absolute favorite videos

something small i love so much that they do in brba and bcs is when super tense moments like shootouts or emotional breakdowns are edited with so many jump cuts (i think thats what theyre called). for example in brba when jesses shooting at joaquin trying to save gus and mike, and i believe they did this during chucks breakdown after the battery reveal as well. such a small detail but it really conveys how the characters feeling in that moment, its a perfect representation of how disorienting and out of control moments like that can be

What a wonderful analysis. Thank you.

Never disappointed by your videos! Bravo!

100% one of the best, and one of my personal favorites. Those courtroom scenes crescendoing in Chuck's monologue are both satisfying and tragic. Oh, and Huelle is the best as always XD

I hate the moment where the battery in the pocket is revealed because chuck say he is sensitive to flowing current. A battery hold a charge and only current flows as you use it. In an unplugged state should flow any current and chuck couldn’t be sensitive to it.

Enjoyed this, Cheers man!

I have watched Chicanery so many times, i usually don't rewatch singular episodes but holy shit this has got to be my favorite piece of filmed media of all time

One of the best ways Chuck's character is developed is by showing him suffering greatly from EM sensitivity without anybody else around. It's very easy for an audience to dismiss this problem because it isn't a traditional reaction to stimuli and is a psychiatric/psychological disorder, but that doesn't change the fact that the sufferer really *is* sensitive to EM radiation and really *does* suffer from exposure to it (at least insofar that they're aware of its presence) and in Chuck's case specifically isn't just gunning for sympathy points or excuses for his actions. This gets the audience to take Chuck and his EM sensitivity seriously, without simply insisting that we should or falsifying the nature of the condition

Chicanery my favorite episode. The entire Chuck arc was phenomenal.

Good effort sir... Thanks for a Fantastic video.

What I love the most about this show is how it makes us say "this is the exact moment where Jimmy became Saul !" and then "oh no, this is the real moment !" over and over ! The transition is perfectly smooth and coherent !

Chuck’s chicanery speech is one of the speeches of all time

Bro selling edibles 💀 what a legend

I’m so happy that this is the episode you picked!

Everytime I see footage of this show I think how incredible the acting of this show is.

It's the other side of the coin to the latest BCS masterpiece "Plan and Execution." "Chicanery" is all about doing whatever's legal in a courtroom to win the case. "Plan and Execution" is all about doing anything at all to "win." How much Jimmy and Kim somehow stayed the same yet completely changed in the course of 3 seasons is incredible.

"Winner" is THE BEST one, for me.

"Chicanery" is the definition of peak Better Call Saul. Great Analysis.

10:39 Small correction Jimmy McGill was still alive When Kim and Howard left him , that's EXACTLY the moment Jimmy dies and all that remain was Saul Goodman

Oh man. I can't put into words how much I love Better Call Saul... This truly is beyond words...

This is the moment Jimmy McGill became Heisenberg

Amazing video 🙌

plan and execution,chicanery,bagman my favourites

Been binging this show and my God Vince Gilligan just doesn’t miss

"I've never heard of anything marketed as blue raspberry flavored not being made for kids"

My friends failed to give this series a chance because they kept comparing it to BB. As someone who grew up with Boston Legal, I was eager to watch this cause I liked Saul and I loved Jimmy. Man I can't wait to see the last season!

Reading the title was harder than expected 😂

cool summary bro

I might be shortsighted here, but I think the writing on BCS and BB is so good because they can stand on their own without analysis videos like this. I'm glad that Nerdstalgic and other channels explore them, but they feel kinda needless. A lot of the videos just end up being backstory and context viewers are already aware of. I never watched the Sopranos or The Wire fully, but I suspect those shows are in the same boat, too.

Howard: “You are the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy Jimmy, not join him! Bring balance to the law, not leave it in darkness.” Kim: “I HATE YOU!!!!” Howard: “You were my employee, Kim. I loved you.”

better call saul showrunners really know how to make the audience connect w saul like we did with heisenberg. both of them are equally my all time fav characters, above don draper, tommy shelby n everybody else

idk if u edit these urself but damn the editing is good

I knew it was gonna be this episode. That episode is so goated

Kid named chicanery: But for real tho, this episode bangs, followed by Bagman

The season 6 mid season finale is everything we love about better call Saul cranked up to the max.. if you are reading this and aren’t caught up bcoz it’s not on Netflix yet tf r u doing, maybe my favorite episode of tv ever

Just wanted to say that you said out loud what I have been thinking, why "Chicanery" is the most important episode in the entire series: it's a point of no return for Jimmy. I mean, really. After this, he gets suspended for a year. He stops practicing elder law, as a result. During this suspension, he associates with criminals, which becomes his new clientele after restarting as Saul Goodman. And then the whole Lalo thing, and then so on. Topnotch acting aside, the events here have a domino effect in the seasons that followed. Truly unforgettable, which is why it's my favorite.

Damn I was just watching this episode .

As soon as I saw this episode for the first time I knew this would be my favourite episode of the series

"The show has to rely on relationships and emotions to drive the tension of the story which results on a much richer and deeper story overall." That is the key, you nailed it in one sentec. I am already liking your content.

idk about episode but my favorite scene from bcs would be the ending of JMM loved how jimmy just went off it was like his way of breaking bad