NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell out citing "inappropriate relationship"

Even without this, I'm not sure how popular he is in the C-suite. Peacock has been a pretty massive money loser, and it's not clear when it will be profitable. I'm guessing it'll be huge during the Olympics next year, provided they actually cover all the things.

I know we're not supposed to care about GM and park president changes, so I think we need a ruling from the content police on parent company CEOs.

I jumped on a black Friday $0.99 per month Peacock promotion for no good reason at all. Other than a few EPL games and giving Yellowstone at try (it's hot garbage), I haven't used it. If they run another decent promotion or the price stays reasonable, I'll keep it for the Olympics.

I get that not everyone likes every series out there, but hot garbage? Dang.

I just don’t get the praise it gets. It’s a hamfisted, modern day rehash of Dallas. I live in Fort Worth, hometown of the series creator, and it is blasphemy to speak ill of the show around here.

I never watched Dallas. Regardless, it ended the year I graduated high school, so I guess another show similar to it 30 years later doesn't seem problematic.

How far into the series did you get?

First season. Probably not far enough for you to think it's okay for me to call it hot garbage.

Stuck with it through half of season 3 and gave up. Great acting, but bad writing in a lot of places, and the big season 2 finale set piece was totally botched. Better Call Saul is better than Yellowstone and Ozark, but it feels like a lot of people gave all the love they had for that universe to Breaking Bad.

bigboy:

First season. Probably not far enough for you to think it's okay for me to call it hot garbage.

Nah, one season is enough to get the show. If it was a handful of episodes I'd feel differently.

Like most shows, it's run its course. I started to lose interest at the beginning of the latest season.

Bakeman31092:

Better Call Saul is better than Yellowstone and Ozark, but it feels like a lot of people gave all the love they had for that universe to Breaking Bad.

Yeah, agreed. I think a lot of people were disappointed it wasn't another Breaking Bad. I actually thought Better Call Saul was better than Breaking Bad, although after I watched Breaking Bad a second time (I've watched both twice through now), I think I like them equally for different reasons. I mean, they're very different shows, but are still two of the best series ever produced...and Better Call Saul wouldn't exist had Breaking Bad not existed first.

There was one very minor issue I had with both series, and funny enough, the issue I had with each series was tied to the other, if that makes any sense. Nothing to do with the story lines, but more to do with continuity between them...even though overall the continuity between them was absolutely stellar, even down to miniscule details.

Also, yes, Ozark is better than Yellowstone. I wouldn't even put Yellowstone in the same category as any of the aforementioned shows. It's far from hot garbage, but just as far from anything I'd consider incredible.

Vater:

...I think I like them equally for different reasons.

I completely agree. BB is a near-flawless adrenaline ride, with some of the most vivid characters ever seen on TV, while BCS is a more...challenging show, if that makes sense?

Saul jumped the shark the second Carol Burnett showed up.
(heh heh)

I’m also a fan of continuity and love it whenever series, or seasons, or even episodes cross over each other. One I’ve been trying hard to trip up is Young Sheldon compared to what we already learned on Big Bang. So far I haven’t found much to complain about. The faces may be different but the stories line up. Using Laurie Metcalf’s daughter, Zoe Perry, as a “young” Mary Cooper was a stroke of genius.

I enjoyed Big Bang but couldn't get past the previews of Young Sheldon. Haven't seen a single episode.

I was a latecomer and was surprised at how good it is. They’ve done their best to give insight into why the BB characters were the way they were and the actors are the best. I mean, how can you go wrong with Annie Potts?

Vater:

Yeah, agreed. I think a lot of people were disappointed it wasn't another Breaking Bad. I actually thought Better Call Saul was better than Breaking Bad, although after I watched Breaking Bad a second time (I've watched both twice through now), I think I like them equally for different reasons.

I said up until the end that I thought Better Call Saul had a slight advantage and, by the end, I would have given the edge to Breaking Bad because I felt they stuck the landing just a little better. Another re-watch could easily swing it the other way. I thought Better Call Saul had the more compelling cast, especially with the characters that didn't cross over: Kim, Nacho, and Lalo were easily my 3 favorite characters between the two shows. Both were as close to perfect series as I've ever watched.

Yeah, I have to agree with everything you just said. Especially the characters...although I have to mention Mike as well, even though he's in both series. His character development in BCS was so much bigger. I predicted Jonathan Banks was going to win Best Supporting Actor as soon as I finished watching season 1 episode 6.

I left Chuck off my list by accident and didn't ignore Mike on purpose. I didn't give the character much thought on Breaking Bad, but his backstory made me appreciate him on a higher level.

Vater:

...the issue I had with each series was tied to the other, if that makes any sense. Nothing to do with the story lines, but more to do with continuity between them...

I'm curious what you mean by this?

I was, like most, a relative latecomer to BB, starting after the first season, but I was instantly hooked. That series was exceptional, with some of the best episodes of television ever. "Ozymandias" is the absolute pinnacle of TV storytelling as far as I'm concerned.

And yeah, BCS was quite different, a slower, more contemplative exploration of what made the BB characters who they were, so for me it didn't feel as good as BB at first. But by the end it was at least every bit as outstanding as BB. For my money TV doesn't get much better than "Plan and Execution".

Keep in mind that I said "very minor issue" in both series. Like, almost not even worth mentioning.

Better Call Saul: Walt and Jesse's appearance in the final season. The issue I had was primarily with Jesse, because it's really hard to make an Aaron Paul in his 40s look and sound like he's in his 20s. I can't fault the producers...it was as well done as it could have been, and I could overlook it because it worked with the story, but it was still glaringly obvious.

Breaking Bad: When we first meet Saul, he sexualizes Francesca, which shows the audience he's a stereotypical sleazebag lawyer, but as we later find out (in the past), that's really out of character for him. It's more humorous than anything, and probably the only real inconsistency in the entire franchise.

One thing that kind of blew me away when watching BB the second time through, in one of the scenes where Saul was dragged out to the desert, he was desperately trying to talk his way out of getting killed and mentioned Lalo, a character that never made an appearance at all until BCS. Made me wonder if the backstory was there first (at least roughed out), or if they just needed a name for that scene and the story was written around that character later.

Fair critiques, and I especially agree with the "killin' me with that booty" scene. It's wildly out of character. It was just the two of them, and she knew him from the "before" time, so it's not like he was "performing" for anyone, so it makes no sense.

Regarding the mention of Lalo in the desert, on the BCS Insider Podcast they mention that it was just a throwaway line with nothing behind it when it was written for BB, but while breaking the storyline for BCS they did peg it as something they could reference to tie everything together. And I loved that they showed that encounter more fully and from Saul's perspective in BCS' "Breaking Bad" episode.

If you ever re-watch either series, I highly encourage listening to the respective Insider Podcast following each episode if you're into behind the scenes-type stuff. They dive into so much of the creative process and detail. There are a number of great insights.