Black Cat Bone

Just watched all 10 episodes of S3 in two mammoth sittings.

While a lot of people criticise the slow ('glacial'!) pace, love the way that the show gives everything room to breathe - a bit like the New Mexico landscape in which it is set.

Also love the tiny, almost imperceptible little nods to BB (the bell on Don Hector's desk when he and Nacho are counting the money) and indeed BCS itself (the mix up over the electricity bills at the start of ep 8)/

Together with GOT, The Americans and possibly Fargo, the best thing on TV right now.

Amazing to think it was initially conceived as a 30-minute comedy and that S4 has still not been commissioned!

So...Chuck.

It certainly looks that.

Wonderful work from Michael McKean all through.

Chuck's whole electro sensitivity thing - especially in the last ep - made me think of Robert Fripp practically quitting music because he couldn't stand having his picture taken.

There was a diary entry of his where he talked about literally building a wall of gear around himself, so he could be safely hidden from view of any photographers, after which he got into an argument with Adrian Belew who was saying "Well, these days, you can't really get away from it, you just have to live with it." His response was, no I do NOT have to live with it! I kinda wonder if that's why Belew's not in the band anymore!

"I can't go on! Somewhere in this building, there is a lens pointed at me... I can FEEL it! It's burning my skin! Make it stop!" And meanwhile everybody else is telling him, hey, it's all in your mind, get over it.

Fortunately he seems to have recovered. He was in full view the other night in LA. Chuck will not be so lucky.

The scene that really made sense of the whole thing was the cold open flashback where Chuck is trying to win back Rebecca and hiding his condition from her, and it's going well enough until she blows him off to take a phone call in the middle of their nice dinner. Somehow that really illuminated what was going on... how the condition was a reaction to inability to control his surroundings. And of course it just made everything worse.

Such a wonderful series. Can't wait for season 4.

Good news: Season 4 now filming

Bad news: Michael McKean shamefully ignored at the Emmies

Interesting interview with Vince Gilligan here for those who've not seen it

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radi ... he-fans-do

Tonight!

What's it about then?

About 50 minutes.

The travails of a soon-to-be-dodgy Arizonian lawyer.

Not as good as The Terror though, try to catch that.

It was great, especially the tension in the first part with Gene

Yeah I reckon Kim rewrote Chuck's letter and she's leaving him. But the devil's in the detail. Wonder what was really in the letter

An excellent episode. I think I'm going with whoever's idea it was that Jimmy isn't reading out the true version of the letter.

I think the letter was real, Kim wouldn't have it in her to alter it. I think the reaction to finding out it was actually a bit nice, but Jimmy is too callous to say so, or be touched by it, was sincere. Because that is fucked up.

Those street kids that rolled him last week sure did get their comeuppance! How many times have I wished I had just such a squad on my side? Well, not much since high school ended. But still!

Gus's monologue..

You may be right but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Kim continues to be outstanding, too.

How did everyone enjoy the finale? A real chill at the end.

Pansy Puff wrote:Superb. The best series so far and I loved the last one completely.
Kim's face was a picture when Saul really emerged.

The more I watch, The more I think it's my favourite series of all time. Genius.

Pansy Puff wrote:Superb. The best series so far and I loved the last one completely.
Kim's face was a picture when Saul really emerged.

I finished the series last night. That final moment was magnificent.

People talk about Breaking Bad as this epic Shakespearean tragedy, but this show is to my mind much better, because we really see how it affects the people around Jimmy, not least Kim. That final scene with the dawning realisation that Jimmy had changed was as chilling as, say, the "where's Annie?" moment in the original Twin Peaks.

Kim is obviously the main one but I found Howard's arc fascinating in this series, even though he was mostly relegated to a few supporting appearances. I think his relationship with Jimmy has been pretty significant and telling throughout.

How many more series will there be? I guess series five could be the final one, where Jimmy/Saul loses Kim and completes the arc.