And so it ends (with a pun in the title). I'm happy to declare above spoiler cut that it's a worthy finale.

( Saul Gone )

A friend of mine has just finished the first season of The Borgias, started the next, and it evokes much nostalgia in me to watch her do it, so to speak. Not least because lo and behold, she, like yours truly, is mostly drawn to Rodrigo, Giulia Farnese and Vannozza. One reason why I never was in touch with much of Borgias fandom, save for a few lj friends, was that 98% of it seemed only to care about Cesare/Lucrezia, and the rest about Cesare/Michelotto. (Where I like all characters involved! Just not in the "want to read fanfic and meta about that pairing" way.) Mind you, since the show itself seemed as interested in the "older" generation (not technically true for Giulia, but narratively she gets put there) as I was, this was strictly a fandom, not a source material problem for me.

This, in turn, made me reflect on my other experiences of being fannish about a book/movie/show when not being into the juggernaut pairing and/or fandom fave. Torchwood was certainly one (I was for the most part completely indifferent both to Ianto and Jack/Ianto, and I loved Children of Earth), Battlestar Galactica another (Kara/Lee became one of the few NOTPs I ever had, and while early on I was fine with Roslin/Adama, my growing dislike of Adama made me abhor the pairing as well), and I never got shippy about John/Aeryn in Farscape either. (I had nothing against the pairing! With the exception of s4, I disliked the way they were written there, but thankfully, The Peacekeeper Wars fixed this for me. It's just that I felt never compelled to read or write a single John/Aeryn fanfic in my life.) It does limit the chances for fannish conversation, but depending on the size of the fandom, you do find some others with similar interests sooner or later. Oh, and of course, Breaking Bad, where Skyler became my main character of interest, though there I was lucky in as much as I did find Walt and Jesse compelling - since most of the show is build around them, it would have been a long five years otherwise -, but, again, not in a way that would make me see out fanfiction, - the show had that covered - , whereas I wanted more of Skyler. (And Marie.)

(This is what makes Better Call Saul such a contrasting experience for me - the show and the fandom and yours truly all love Kim Wexler.)

Anyway, back to The Borgias - my friend has written missing scenes ficlets for Giulia Farnese already. These are a lovely distraction in an anxious week for me. Now, back to rl (and Yuletide).

Did Better Call Saul change my perception of Breaking Bad?


In a way. Starting, of course, with the titular character. In Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman had been an excellent comic relief character, with the occasional unexpected pathos moment (read: in s5). At times, he was a great blackly humorous Greek Chorus commenting on the main characters. But I had never been curious about his background, or what would happen to him post-show. I hadn't seen the need for the spin-off, in short. The reason why I tuned in was because after five seasons of Breaking Bad, I trusted Vince Gilligan & Co. enough to do so.

This turned out to be a good decision, because Better Call Saul rocks. For several reasons, one of which that yes, it did indeed change my perception of the main character. As has been observed by many people, you start out the show expecting and wanting to see Saul Goodman, and then script and Bob Odenkirk's performance make Jimmy McGill so endearing that you start to dread every sign he's getting closer to his Breaking Bad self. It also means I'm thinking of him now as Jimmy, not Saul, with Saul being a deliberately created persona that reflects some, but not all actual traits. (BTW, one thing both shows share is that while there are external circumstances co-sharing responsibility why the main character turns out the way he does - Walt's cancer, the lousy health care system, Jimmy's relationship with his brother and said brother - in both bases, the main responsibility lies with the main character, and there are several points in the story where he could have made different choices than the ones he makes.

This, btw, did not work in the same way for me when it comes to the second character from Breaking Bad that Better Call Saul delivers backstory for, to wit, Mike. I didn't feel the emotional need for more Mike starting the show. I still don't, and it's gotten to the point where I actively resent the Mike (and Gus) interludes because to me, it feels like they take screen time away from the original Better Call Saul characters like Kim, in past seasons Chuck and Howard. The one original character who gains from the existence of that plot line is Nando, so any scenes with him in it are okay by me, but otherwise: look, after four seasons, I don't feel the Mike storyline has told me anything about Mike I didn't already know when Breaking Bad was broadcast. It feels like it's there so the viewers who tuned into Breaking Bad solely for the action scenes get their bit, and also because Jonathan Banks is cool. (Which he is, I'm not disputing that.) And don't get me started on Kaylee the most unaging kid since the Vorenus offsprings in Rome.

Another thing about Breaking Bad which the existence of Better Call Saul changed for me is that I won't be able to rewatch Breaking Bad without mentally going "I wonder what Kim was doing at that point?" during the seasons. (Because Kim better be alive and well in BB, is what I'm saying.) She's my favourite character on this show, and I love that the narrative doesn't treat her just as there for Jimmy's delelopment but gives her a parallel story in her own right. Kim Wexler: heroine of my heart.

The Other Days

In which we finally get a lawyers-centric episode again, Mike-Gus have only two scenes, and yours truly is happy.

( Read more... )

Department fannish brattishness, aka, why doesn't the internet cater to me more, Better Call Saul subdepartment: most of the fanfiction can be divided into:

a) Post Breaking Bad stories which are really about Jesse, or at best Jesse and Jimmy/Saul. Of these, a third feels like the "Better Call Saul" tag isn't needed at all, because it doesn't use BCS canon, and Saul's characterisation is that of Breaking Bad. The stories which do warrant the BCS crossoverdom, use BCS characterisation and sometimes even BCS characters other than Jimmy/Saul himself, still are Jesse/Saul, and my problem here is that I don't buy it. Oh, I buy Jimmy as bisexual, no problem. I buy Jesse as repressedly bisexual. Saul appreciating the pretty in Jesse? Okay. Saul having some affection for the kid? Absolutely, he does try to help him out between the first and second half of season 5. But when the stories are trying to sell me on is Saul as actually in love with Jesse, and having been for some time. And that's where the mental "err, no, not sold" comes in. Because ( Spoilers for season 5 of Breaking Bad ensue. ) And that's before we get to the Jesse part of the equation. (On the one hand, somewhat easier, due to Jesse's tendency to attach himself to middle aged males, otoh, s5 Jesse after finding out Saul helped Walt to do the Spoilery Thing from the s4 finale doesn't react in a way that makes me think he'd have positive feelings towards Saul thereafter.)

b) Jimmy/Saul & Original Female Character: I don't begrudge anyone their Odenkirk crush. Enjoy. I'm not interested in the stories, though.

c) Jimmy/Hamlin: the show certainly offers both foe yay set up and post Pimento reveal reconciliation scenarios, so I totally see where this is coming from, but alas, Hamlin isn't doing anything for me. I mean, in this capacity - the character certainly is a good element of the show. So, no reading interest.

d) Jimmy/Nacho: um. They haven't interacted since mid s1? I don't see either of them being remotely interested? Moving on.

e) Jimmy/Kim: my BCS OTP, and I've read all the four or five stories in existence, alas.

What I'd like to see/want more of: screwed up McGill family dynamic, naturally; crossover case fic in which Kim and/or Jimmy represent someone from another fictional 'verse; Kim origin and early HHM years speculation; what Kim was up to during Breaking Bad speculation. In conclusion, more Kim. Oh, and the one crossover scenario where younger Jimmy (with or without Marco in tow) meets Mr. Wednesday and his partner Lie Smith and adopts a role model. Obviously.

Trying to distract myself from awful news, another meme prompt replied to. The question being about characters rather than heroines, I devote this entry to the shadier spectrum of female characters beloved by me. None from a still open canon, to make things easier on myself. In no particular order:

( Spoiler for Highlander, I Claudius, Angel, The Three Musketeers and Breaking Bad )

The other days

Dear Yuletide writer,

thank you SO MUCH for writing a story for me. I really appreciate it. Since we're matched in at least one fandom, we share at least some objects of enthusiasm. Let's see whether there are some more:

General likes and dislikes: I'm easy to please. As a writer, I'm a gen girl at heart, but as a reader, I'm game for anything - slash (meaning both m/m and f/f), het, gen, whathever suits your own preferences. Only one of my requests includes the wish for one particular pairing. While I admire people who can unite actual plot with character exploration, you don't have to; if it can be only one of the two, go for the character exploration. Regarding AUs: generally, I'd rather not with this years' requests. I'm fond of the characters in their particular setting and canon. Crossovers: depends on whether or not I know the canon. Feel free to browse through my journal in order to find out, if you want to take the additional trouble. I like a cool crossover as much as the next fan, but it would be wasted on me if I haven't the slightest idea who half of the cast is.

Speaking of the cast: while I love some characters more than others, I only requested fandoms where I like the entire ensemble. Which means that if your favourite isn't among the characters I mentioned in my requests, and you find away to weave him/her into the story, go for it. I love ensemble interaction!

Squicks: BDSM, parent-child incest, Alpha-Omega or whatever it's called, character bashing. Several of the fandoms I requested have canonical rape in them, and if you want to explore the effects it had on the characters in question, I'm okay with that. But please avoid coming up with new additional rape scenarios. As for uncanonical character death, if you must. It's not a squick for me, and you don't have to warn for it if the story demands it. However, DON'T do it as a form of character bashing, i.e. Character X annoys you, therefore X must die.


On to my particular requests:

( The Americans )

( Black Sails )

( Matthew Shardlake Series - C. J. Sansom )



( Better Call Saul )

In conclusion: I hope you've found a scenario that appeals to you, and look forward to reading the result.

Your grateful recipient

I KNEW IT.

( Know no shame )

Son of ETA: I so wish this show were viewed by more people in lj and dw-dom, because it occured to me that the reactions (as posted in comments to articles) to this latest episode are a sociological experiment in fandom, running. But it's impossible to discuss in an unspoilery way, so under an cut I go again.

( You know the complaints about the media never doing a certain thing? )

Just a first bunch, I still have so much more to read.


Breaking Bad:

These lifeless things: Skyler post show, looking back, trying to find a forward, with an emphasis on the Skyler and Marie relationship: as devastatingly intense as the show itself.

Dune: (Or rather, the tv version)

In the first days: Irulan and the twins. I've always had a soft spot for Irulan, one character I thought the tv version did do better by than the books, and here we see how the twins, and what happens with Leto in God Emperor of Dune, affect her.

Galaxy Quest:

Galaxy Gals : in which Gwen and Leilari give an interview, and it's not about their uniforms. As with all the Gwen centric GQ fanfiction posted in Yuletides past and present, this is great, and I love the look we get at how Leilari adapts to Earth. (And the art of lying acting.)

Historical Fiction:

Come the good peasant to cheer: AU. Edward the Black Prince--now Edward IV of England--has been king for four years. Now the peasants have rebelled, the Black Prince wants to declare war on them all, and his stubborn, determined queen, Joan of Kent, is desperately trying to prevent utter disaster. Great AU, and extremely entertaining historical fiction.

Hallowmas, or Shortest of Days: Richard II.'s second queen, Isabelle, was a child (something Shakespeare's play ignores); here she meets the ghost of her predecessor, Anne of Bohemia, and the result is amazingly endearing.


Penny Dreadful:

Aside from the stories I received, which I already recced:

Teranga: Sembene! This is the backstory of Sembene which the show hasn't given us (yet). Fantastic world building, and it's awe-inspiringly good.

A breath to notice: the unfolding Ethan and Vanessa friendship. Which I guess will become a romance in season 2, because I recognize set up when I see it, but in the meantime, I can enjoy them as platonic friends as in this story.


Twin Peaks:

Through the woods and far away: in which Audrey Horne rescues Agent Cooper from the Black Lodge. This is so my headcanon now.


West Side Story:

If it's sewing, she sews: Maria puts her life together, stitch by stitch. I love stories about grief and yet moving on, I tell you, and this is a fine one, taking full advantage of the fact that Maria, unlike her predecessor Juliet, doesn't die.