How to End an Episode

September 4, 2022

jmunney Better Call Saul, Evil, Television , , Leave a comment

In the past few weeks, Paramount+’s Evil concluded its third season, and Better Call Saul aired its series finale. So that makes this the perfect time for me to talk about how these are my favorite current shows when it comes to episode endings. They always leave you wanting more. Their cuts to the Executive Producer credit shots are generally silent, but they feel deafening.

With Evil, it feels like a thick book has pretty much plopped down on the table right in front of me. Whereas with Saul, it’s like someone has just walked out of the room and closed the door with absolute certainty. I want to know what happens next, but I also know I’ve just gotten exactly how much I was supposed to get.

This musing originally appeared in the Official Jeffrey Malone Newsletter. Subscribe here!

Vulture Festival 2016

May 30, 2016

jmunney Better Call Saul, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Difficult People, Happy Endings, Mr. Robot, Television , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

vulture-festival

Last weekend, I attended several panels at the Vulture Festival, an annual pop culture extravaganza thrown by the entertainment wing of New York Magazine. Here’s how it went down.

DAY 1: SATURDAY, 5/21/2016

Breaking Better Call Saul
Vulture TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz chatted with Rhea Seehorn, Michael McKean, and BCS co-creator Peter Gould. Bob Odenkirk joined in via phone (which was unfortunate because he is not the type of guy who will be all “Awkward setup be damned!” and just jump into the conversation). This was a rather engaging discussion, as these folks are eager and eloquent when discussing their process. One major point was the inevitability posed by Breaking Bad already establishing where Jimmy/Saul’s life is headed. To this end, Peter noted how fans often ask him if Kim and Chuck will die, which he at first thought was due to a lack of imagination but then realized it was more about a concern from people in the hope that their favorite fictional characters will remain alive and well.
I had a chance to talk with Rhea Seehorn after the panel. I asked her if she would be submitting as Lead or Supporting for the Emmys this year. She said that her publicists take care of that, but she was pretty sure they would be putting her down for Supporting. When I mentioned that I blog my Emmy prognostications every year, she asked for my info so that she could check out my stuff.

More