If I had a basement, or even an extra-bathroom, I’d pull a Stephen Colbert — kidnap Vince Gilligan and force him to write more Breaking Bad episodes. (Ha-ha, no I wouldn’t. I’d rent it out on AirB&B in order to pay for cat food.) Fortunately, such desperate measures aren’t going to be necessary because as the world now knows, a prequel will soon appear. And lo and behold, I will actually get paid (all the Friskies I can eat!) to write recaps for Happy Nice Time People!
This is going to be a major challenge. HNTP likes snarky recaps. It’s hard to snark when you are awestruck, and I happen to think Breaking Bad was the best television show ever on television. I am primed to be a total and complete fangirl.
From articles I’ve read written by my betters, who actually get an advance look, it sounds like winner. The show begins with Saul, after the death of Walter White, looking back on how he came to be managing that Cinnibon in Ohio. The idea of a prequel is intriguing. There are rules that will need to be followed and art doesn’t always follow rules. While Gilligan knew exactly where he wanted to go with Breaking Bad, there were changes made along the way. The character of Jesse, who became absolutely integral to the show’s success, was supposed to have been killed off by the end of the first season. And we never knew what might or might not happen to other characters. In the case of Better Call Saul, if there’s a familiar face from BB, we will know that character has to survive until BB begins. Mike is in the trailer, which is awesome. But what if Jonathan Banks bails after the first season? Will we get to see Gus again? Maybe finally learn more about his mysterious Chilean background? But are some mysterious better left unsolved? This isn’t simply knowing the journey of one character, but knowing the fate of several. So with outcomes never in doubt, the journey will be everything.
I can’t wait till Sunday.
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This is just a reminder for all you fans of snarky recaps, snappy reviews, and other smart writing about television: My television writing has moved from Happy Nice Time People to The Agony Booth. In fact, the entire contents of HNTP have moved to The Agony Booth, so that’s the place to go to catch up on all things television.