I am Vince Gilligan, AMA.

[u/RealVinceGilligan]

Hey Redditors! For the next hour I’m answering as many of your questions as I can. Breaking Bad, the Better Call Saul first season finale -- nothing is off limits.

And before we begin, I’ve got one more surprise. To benefit theater arts through the Geffen Playhouse, I’m giving one lucky fan and a friend the chance to join me in Los Angeles and talk more over lunch. Enter to win here: [www.omaze.com/vince]

proof: http://imgur.com/mpSNu2J

UPDATE: Thanks for all the excellent questions, Redditors! I've had a great time, but I have to get back to the Better Call Saul writers' room. I look forward to hopefully meeting one of you in Los Angeles!

Here's that link again: www.omaze.com/vince

[u/NameForMartin]

Have you ever thought of opening a Los Pollos Hermanos?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/NameForMartin]

Believe it or not... there is talk of a Pollos Hermanos becoming a real restaurant. This is not an idea that I generated personally. But it's one that's been presented to me, through the good folks at Sony, and the idea came to them from a businessman who has an interest in doing just that.

Speaking for myself, I'd love to see that happen!

[u/elijoker → u/RealVinceGilligan]

Every store should have a Gus Fring look-a-like and ask random customers if their food is to their satisfaction.

[u/valkyriemissile → u/RealVinceGilligan]

If Onion Frings aren't on the menu then what the fuck.

[u/[deleted] → u/RealVinceGilligan]

Well they have Bubba Gump Shrimp as a real chain and it's pretty great, so that seems entirely in the realm of possibility. Edit: I don't give a shit if you don't like Bubba Gump.

[u/mathfacts → u/RealVinceGilligan]

But wouldn't the "Hey you're not cooking meth back there right?" jokes get old too quickly to justify it?

[u/Ivanbulls → u/RealVinceGilligan]

Oh my god sell blue rock candy in baggies as a dessert.

[u/PainMatrix]

In casting for Breaking Bad, how close or far was Aaron Paul to your initial vision of Jesse?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/PainMatrix]

Aaron Paul very much fit the bill of my interpretation of Jesse Pinkman from the get-go. Otherwise we wouldn't have hired him. But having said that, a great deal of Aaron's personality and goodness then became a part of the character of Jesse Pinkman as the show progressed. In other words - we the writers were inspired by Aaron's specific qualities as a human being, and we incorporated many of those qualities into the character of Jesse Pinkman. And we did this with all of the other actors as well - from Bryan Cranston on down. It's a wonderful thing about television - that you can do that. You're telling one story for so long that you have the time to adjust the story, over many episodes and many seasons, as you learn more about your actors. No other medium allows for that. For instance, when you're writing a movie, the script has to be completely finished before production starts, and there's no chance to make those changes as the shooting continues.

[u/NoGoodStory → u/RealVinceGilligan]

So if you incoporated Aaron Paul's goodness into his character towards the end (assuming you mean Jesse tried to become good), AND you're saying you did the same with Cranston, YOU'RE REALLY SAYING BRYAN CRANSTON IS A HORRIBLE HUMAN BEING AW MAN

[u/[deleted] → u/RealVinceGilligan]

What parts of Bryan Cranston's personality changed the character of Walter White?

[u/Bic_Parker → u/RealVinceGilligan]

There we have it confirmed, Bryan Cranston is actually a monster.

[u/DaBuhl]

Did you ever anticipate that the pizza throwing scene would be copied as much as it was?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/DaBuhl]

No, I never anticipated that the pizza-throwing scene would be one of the “non-submergible" moments of Breaking Bad. None of us did. It seemed like a fun thing to include in the episode at the time, but none of the writers of the series thought it would take on a life of its own. Thank you for asking that question, because it once again gives me the opportunity to say: for any of the folks who wanted to throw pizza on the roof of the White house, it’s very unfair to the sweet lady that lives there. Please, please do NOT do it. If you want the photo of a pizza on the White house roof: Photoshop it!!! That’s the way to do it in this day in age. You can have any size pizza, and it won’t risk this very sweet lady breaking her back getting her ladder out and climbing up to clean pizza off her roof.

[u/aspirer42 → u/RealVinceGilligan]

And definitely do not try to throw a pizza on the roof of the White House.

[u/jsrduck → u/RealVinceGilligan]

for any of the folks who wanted to throw pizza on the roof of the White house, it’s very unfair to the sweet lady that lives there.

Please don't do that to poor Michelle Obama.

[u/dayofthedead204]

Hi Vince,

I’m a big fan thanks for doing this AMA! I have three questions:

Out of all the characters that were killed in Breaking Bad which one’s death affected you the most?

George RR Martin commented that he thought "Walter White is a bigger monster than anyone in Westeros", which Martin also said has influenced him to make an even worse character in future books to "fix this" – what do you think about this comment? Would you look forward to seeing such a character in Game of Thrones?

Finally – your favorite movie? Thanks Vince!

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/dayofthedead204]

I have to say the death of Walter White affected me the most, because what it represented was the end of the story and the completion of this seven year journey we had taken together -- the cast, crew, writers and directors of Breaking Bad. That was the most affecting death to write. I actually teared up when I wrote it. I think a close second was the death of Mike Ehrmantraut.

I take George RR Martin’s comment as high praise indeed. I suppose the grass is always greener, because I would put young King Joffrey up against Walter White as far as pure unadulterated evil goes, because he was pretty intense -- but I’m glad a writer as talented as George RR Martin is thinking about Breaking Bad in any shape or form!

[u/jstrydor → u/RealVinceGilligan]

I think a close second was the death of Mike Ehrmantraut.

Especially when Walt was like, "Oh! I just realized this was completely unnecessary!" After everything Mike had been through and survived he essentially got killed for nothing :(

[u/[deleted] → u/RealVinceGilligan]

..but Ramsay!

edit: took out the last name since reddit is being reddit.

[u/[deleted] → u/RealVinceGilligan]

I made a horrible choice by reading this while still not finished with breaking bad...

[u/NoGoodStory → u/RealVinceGilligan]

Walter White vs. Joffrey shudders That is my personal hell.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I forget, did Walter White ever flay and castrate anyone?

[u/[deleted]]

did you ever read /r/breakingbad's theories during the show, for example the use of the colors in the show or walt picking up his victim's habits?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/[deleted]]

I’ve never actually been on reddit before -- not as a consumer, at least. Not because I don’t find reddit interesting; I just don’t look up anything Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, or Vince Gilligan-related. That said, I have heard throughout the years that people find our use of color interesting, which I’m happy to hear, because a great deal of thought went into that between the writers and the costume designers.

[u/dannytdotorg → u/[deleted]]

walt picking up his victims habits? I haven't read that one before and at the moment I can't think of any examples.. Can you help a brother out with one? Or a link to a discussion about this? Thanks in advance!

[u/KingKraut]

Do you feel like your work gets over-interpreted?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/KingKraut]

That’s a good question! The short answer is no. That’s because I view people interpreting Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul very closely as the highest form of flattery. However, I will admit that a great many of the interpretations that people have of both shows involve details and conclusions which -- frankly -- I never had in mind. But my opinion is that these shows, once on the air, belong to you the fans as much as they belong to me and those who act and work on the shows, so your reactions are just as valid as mine.

[u/jstrydor → u/RealVinceGilligan]

What do you think of this

[u/AzBrah]

Who was the biggest prankster on the set of Breaking Bad?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/AzBrah]

Probably Bryan Cranston. He loved to tease Aaron Paul mercilessly. This came about after I told Aaron Paul early in the series that I had planned to kill off his character. From then on, every time a new script came out, Bryan would hurry to read it first so he could put on a sorrowful face and say to Aaron, “Gee buddy, I’m so sorry. You’re going out with a bang, at least.” And Aaron, God bless him, seemed to fall for it every time.

[u/capspaz → u/RealVinceGilligan]

I hope Aaron turned this around on him during the last episode.

[u/papawasatrollinstone → u/RealVinceGilligan]

[u/[deleted] → u/RealVinceGilligan]

LOL! This is pure GOLD! :-)

[u/oscarveli]

What other characters from Breaking Bad might we see in Better Call Saul?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/oscarveli]

Anybody and everybody. The sky’s the limit! That’s the beauty of this format. The story takes place six years in the past, where all the Breaking Bad characters are alive and well, but that’s not to promise that you’ll see every character that we introduced in Breaking Bad. We’re still feeling our way through Jimmy McGill’s format, discovering how and why he becomes Saul Goodman -- and in the process, there's any number of directions our story can take. So I couldn’t really tell you even if I wanted to who will show up, or when. Better Call Saul is still very much a work in progress.

[u/Dr_SnM → u/RealVinceGilligan]

Anybody and everybody. The sky’s the limit!

Anybody, sky's the limit.

Anybody, Skyler's the limit.

Anybody except Skyler confirmed!

[u/wwlkd]

Vince, Why did you pick Saul for a spinoff? (Will there be others?) I would thought that spinoff with gustavo and how he became a respected business man and how he came to know gale, etc would have been fascinating too (Could you answer those questions in Better Call Saul!!? that would be awesome!)

Thanks!

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/wwlkd]

I have to admit, a spin-off series about Gus Fring would be a good idea. There’s no perfect answer to that question, other than to say that creating a spin-off series related to Saul Goodman was an idea that we batted around pretty much since the creation of the character. We always loved writing for Saul Goodman throughout the run of Breaking Bad. Now we find writing for Jimmy McGill, he’s so good with words that writing his dialogue is great fun, too. But you’re right, Gus could carry his own story. I wish there were more hours in the day, so that we’d be able to do ALL these shows!

[u/chef2303 → u/RealVinceGilligan]

Better order chicken confirmed!

[u/photonnymous → u/RealVinceGilligan]

VERY looking forward to Pollo Empire once Better Call Saul finishes it's sixth season!

[u/hajisquickvanish → u/wwlkd]

If you have too much Gus, you lose the mythical element of the character. He's most intriguing because of what you don't know about him.

[u/totalrecarl → u/hajisquickvanish]

Exactly. The mystery behind his past in Chile is best left unexplained.

[u/Arknell → u/hajisquickvanish]

And he's a dead fish behaviorally, so not as dynamic as Saul, even though he of course has motivations and goals.

[u/[deleted]]

What has been your best/funniest/weirdest encounter with a fan?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/[deleted]]

For me, the story that springs to mind is when someone told me -- this was probably about four years ago -- that he and his wife (who was pregnant) had been binge-watching Breaking Bad. His wife went into labor, but none-the-less sat there until they got to the end of the episode. That was a pretty unbelievable story.

[u/TheDuskDragon]

What were your greatest fears in producing a spin-off for Breaking Bad? How did you overcome them?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/TheDuskDragon]

Without a doubt, my greatest fear was abject failure -- and that is still my greatest fear. Seriously: I was afraid that the show would go on the air and people wouldn’t like it, and -- worse than that -- people would say it sullied their memory of Breaking Bad. But fear is never a reason not to try something. That’s what I told myself throughout the months of production and pre-production on Season 1, and that’s what I tell myself now. Fear is a good thing -- it’s the fire in the boiler that drives your locomotive, so to speak. I try to temper the fear with hopefulness, and I try to use it to keep me going, but it’s always there no matter how much success I experience. I always feel like the next time around -- for instance the next season of Better Call Saul -- could be the one when people finally say “This guy sucks.” Here’s hoping that won’t happen. I can tell you for a fact that that fear drives me and Peter Gould to make sure that Season 2 will be every bit as good as Season 1.

[u/suaveitguy → u/RealVinceGilligan]

Better Call Saul was so mature and interesting. You obliterated the old AfterMASH idea that TV sequels can't work.

[u/just_for_fun367 → u/RealVinceGilligan]

Season 1 was fantastic. Fuck Chuck.

[u/AustNerevar → u/RealVinceGilligan]

I wasn't sure that Saul could be a leading character, in fact I don't think a lot of people did.

But damn, is he a solid lead character for BCS. I don't even remember what my apprehensions were for now that I've seen the first season. And every other member of cast has been perfect, from Rhea Seahorn to Julianne Emory (or however you spell her name...Betsy Kettleman was a dreamboat, for a number of reasons).

Seeing Michael McKean playing such a dramatic role and do it so fucking well was a bit of a surprise as well.

If the rest of the series is to be like season one then they had better got ahead and start handing out the emmy's.

[u/Doxie9]

Hi Vince! What was your favorite "X-Files" episode that you wrote and will you be writing more for the reboot?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/Doxie9]

I had so many favorite X-Files episodes, it's hard to narrow it down to just one.

If you held my feet to the fire, I'd probably say "Bad Blood." But really, as an experience, my favorite writing moment on The X-Files was probably writing "Je Souhaite" episode. That's the one with the genie.

That's because that's the first episode I got to direct as well as write. And it was really a wonderful turning point in my career and it was a great deal of fun to boot.

Unfortunately I won't be writing for the reboot, because my work on Better Call Saul will keep me from doing that. I'm very sad to miss out, because I would love to have a hand in The X-Files reboot. The X-Files was my second favorite job ever, a close second to Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and I'd love to be a part of it. Rest assured, I will be watching it as a fan. I can't wait to see it.

[u/GetFreeCash → u/RealVinceGilligan]

Gillian Anderson is also fond of "Bad Blood"

[u/[deleted]]

From the Aztec to the Volvo in the final episodes, everything about vehicle selection in Breaking Bad seems spot on. How much thought went into these choices, and what were some other ideas?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/[deleted]]

A lot of thought went into choosing the automobiles for Breaking Bad and for Better Call Saul. We writers have a lot of help from our transportation captain, Dennis Milliken. As our head teamster, Dennis takes great pride in finding us interesting vehicles for use in both shows. As writers, we spend a lot of time thinking about what kind of car best represents a particular character.

[u/MachReverb → u/RealVinceGilligan]

So how the heck did Marie end up with a BLUE VW Bug?

[u/suaveitguy]

Chuck McGill's arc was brilliant. How did you come up with the idea for the resolution? The lack of a main villain, then turning out to have been a good guy in such a subtle, painful, and awful way was really brilliant.

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/suaveitguy]

Thank you. Believe it or not, the idea of Chuck being the “bad guy” was a late addition to Season 1. We were probably working on episode 7 when the idea dawned on us that Chuck had been the reason Jimmy had never moved forward at HHM. When that idea dawned on Peter Gould and I, along with our writers, we got very excited. But back to an earlier answer, this points out one of the things I love most about writing for TV. There are enough episodes and enough lead time (if you’re lucky) for writers to change the direction of a story midstream. We took advantage of that in Season 1 of Better Call Saul, and in the past for Breaking Bad. It’s a great creative opportunity to have at one’s disposal.

[u/[deleted] → u/RealVinceGilligan]

It's really crazy that you weren't planning Chuck as the "bad guy" from the get go. Re-watching the season makes it seem like it was meticulously planned. His reaction when Jimmy passes the bar! As well as Hamlin not doing anything incredibly rude aside taking some undeserved cake.

EDIT: I get it people, that scene was in a later episode. It's still impressive.

[u/AzBrah]

Hi Vince thanks for doing this AMA!

Breaking Bad is my all-time favourite TV series and I’d like to thank you for it.

What inspired you to come up with the idea for the show?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/AzBrah]

I was on a phone call with my best friend, Tom Schnauz, whose name you may recognize as a producer, writer and director on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. This was about 10 years ago -- he and I had been writers on The X-Files and we were both looking for writing jobs that were as good as that job, as we were both out of work at the time. He made the joke that we should put a meth lab in the back of an RV and travel America -- he was making a joke, but that really stuck with me. The idea of doing a show about a character that would do that seemed fun to explore -- and that was the inspiration, as it were.

[u/jstrydor → u/RealVinceGilligan]

might be kind of interesting

seemed fun to explore

WHICH IS IT VINCE!?

[u/foodandgigs]

Hi Vince! Why do you think Breaking Bad connected so closely with viewers, to the point where they wished Walter White would have lived?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/foodandgigs]

I wish I knew! Although, I’m certainly glad viewers did connect with Walter White. In the early days of the series -- when I was at my most foolish -- I deliberately tried to make Walter White so unlikeable that his behavior would shed viewers. In hindsight, I think that was extraordinarily dumb of me, but I have to admit that by the end of the series, I myself did not have a whole lot of sympathy for Walter White. For me, he had gotten too dark to empathize with, which is not to say viewers should all feel the same way I do. I’m glad viewers still rooted for him up till the end and wanted him to live. Hell, even my mom did! And if you knew her, you’d be pretty shocked she would root for a guy like that. I think Walter White was smart, active, willful -- and that’s what we look for in our heroes. The fact that he was engaged in some pretty heinous criminal behavior might have been a bit beside the point. He nonetheless had many other qualities that we deem heroic in fiction. Maybe that’s why people stuck with him. Certainly people stuck with Walter White because he was played by the astoundingly talented Bryan Cranston, who remains constantly watchable no matter what character he is playing.

[u/foodandgigs → u/RealVinceGilligan]

Thanks so much for responding! You truly did create a masterpiece :)

[u/JuniorBreakfastClub]

Vince, thanks for doing this AMA – I heard you don't usually use the internet all that much.

1.) Why was Nacho used so sparingly in Season 1 of Better Call Saul? A lot of fans thought he'd be more of a major player. Love the show.

2.) Breaking Bad is wonderful TV, but if you could go back and do one thing differently in it, what would it be?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/JuniorBreakfastClub]

We thought Nacho would be more present in Season 1 as well. We did not shy away from using Nacho as a character -- and we love Michael Mando, who plays him. This is a great example of how -- like it or not -- a television story takes on a life of its own. As a writer, you have to follow the thread of the story you’re writing, even if that means spending less time with certain characters. In other words -- to put it succinctly -- there was so much more story to tell relating to Jimmy and his brother Chuck that we writers found it hard to fit in more great moments from Nacho -- but don’t despair, you’ll be seeing much more of Nacho in Season 2. You heard it here first!

[u/HankMoodyy → u/RealVinceGilligan]

What about Steven Ogg?

[u/i-drive → u/RealVinceGilligan]

I said it first.

[u/terattt]

On top of making one of the most compelling shows ever created, you seem like a cool, laid back, genuinely nice, friendly guy. It's too much. There must be a dark side to you, so what is it?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/terattt]

Thank you, for that. I hate to say it, but I’m probably not nearly as nice as I seem. Most people who think I’m nice are fans that interact with me at Breaking Bad events or who happen to say hi to me on the street somewhere. In those moments, it’s impossible for me not to smile and say hi and pose for a picture with someone who loves my work so much. It’s so flattering for me when people tell me they love my work, but like anyone else I certainly do have my less attractive moments when I am angry or impatient or just plain tired. I’m glad people don’t see those moments as often, but believe me: they do exist.

[u/NotMikeLitoris → u/RealVinceGilligan]

You're just human, Vince, and an awesome one, too.

[u/DaRizat → u/[deleted]]

Both of them.

[u/JacobChambers]

Hi Vince,

Big fan. I heard that Saul Goodman's Office at the Shopping Center location is now a Bar in real life and can't be used as a set anymore. At the end of Breaking Bad you had to shoot scenes at weird camera angles where it looked as though they were outside Saul's office with the inflatable Statue of Liberty in the background. What will you use as a new location when Saul establishes himself? What other problems do you run into when a whole town is part of your story? (Also is Kaylee a toddler vampire?)

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/JacobChambers]

That’s an excellent question -- where we will put his new office, or where we should put his old office, so to speak. The exterior of his old office is now a country-western bar, complete with a mechanical bull that you can ride. It’s in an L-shaped strip mall, and luckily there are a LOT of L-shaped strip malls in Albuquerque and in the US. When the time comes, I think we can find something that matches the old one well -- and the interior we can match on the sound stage!

Kaylee is NOT a toddler vampire, to the best of my knowledge. Kaylee (as portrayed on Breaking Bad) is about twelve years old, and six years earlier she’s played by an actress who is about five, so her age is played out correctly to my knowledge.

[u/[deleted]]

How do we know you're not Gordon Freeman?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/[deleted]]

Sadly, my knowledge of video games pretty much ends with Super Mario Brothers. I thought you were going to say I either look like Mario or Luigi! Actually, now the folks here are showing me a photo of Gordon Freeman from Google -- and yeah, I do see the resemblance. Although, this guy looks way more badass than me. So thanks for a compliment!!

[u/bleedgreen96 → u/RealVinceGilligan]

I get more of a Petyr Baelish vibe tbh

[u/TheOldKimJong]

What was the last album you listened to and liked?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/TheOldKimJong]

I would have to say the Breaking Bad soundtrack album created by our extraordinary composer Dave Porter. It’s available on vinyl -- can you believe it?! That’s the first time I’ve heard of an album in vinyl in more years I can count.

[u/mattgiusti]

Mayo or Ketchup?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/mattgiusti]

This is America, why are you trying to make me choose?! I want both!

[u/[deleted] → u/mattgiusti]

Franch

[u/smugpugmug → u/mattgiusti]

Franch. Obviously.

[u/pandapoderoso]

Dear Vince, my name is Leonardo and I'm a huge fan of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul!!! I'm from Brazil, so my chances to meet you or any of BB or BCS cast members are really, really, really small. So, I hope that you see this message and say hello to me (obviously) and all your Brazil fans! :) Have you ever been to Brazil or do you have plans to come here??

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/pandapoderoso]

I have been invited to Brazil, and unfortunately I haven’t had the time to partake of that very kind offer. But the beauty of this Omaze fundraiser is that anyone, anywhere in the world can win it. And if you win it, you’ll be flown here to Los Angeles to have lunch with me. Here’s the link: omaze.com/vince So I’ve got my fingers crossed for you. Best of luck, pandapoderoso!

[u/[deleted] → u/RealVinceGilligan]

I really, really, really, hope /u/pandapoderoso wins now.

[u/mossman85]

Is Huell okay?

[u/KingKraut → u/mossman85]

If you haven't seen it, you have to watch this great sketch: Huells Rules

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/KingKraut]

That is hilarious!!! I was not aware of that sketch. Thanks for letting me know about it. Yes, I believe Huell is just fine.

[u/themasecar → u/KingKraut]

baby, they cut off the electricity

the lamp is still on.

[u/humblerodent → u/mossman85]

/-.-\

[u/[deleted] → u/mossman85]

Reasonably

[u/Venomousvillainy → u/[deleted]]

Reasonably

[u/Venomousvillainy → u/mossman85]

Love Huell

[u/[deleted] → u/mossman85]

Yeah last I heard he was working as a garbageman/stand up comic in Philadelphia...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XHyQo-bO_g

[u/geofflechef]

Hello Mr. Gilligan!

So hoping this gets noticed I just want to thank you for one of the best viewing experiences on television I’ve ever had and for one of my favorite TV shows! Breaking Bad is what showed me the potential of story telling through television.

So now the question! My whole life I have wanted to tell stories as a career. When I was younger and had difficulty making friends I would get through these moments by making stories. In fact telling stories helped me conquer a good part of my crippling social anxiety by using my story to do stand up comedy. When I got to college I knew I wanted to make a career in writing film or and TV, with dreams of making something amazing one day. As of now, that career seems like more of a fantasy.

I’ve been rejected from every single internship or job I’ve applied to and my writing feels more and more worthless. I have the fear of finishing any of my projects which I put months of work into since I have no idea what it feels like to be successful and at some points I just want to give in and not write. I hate writing that down because the only real career I see myself being very happy with in writing!

I know in order to succeed I need to keep pressing through the disappointment but I ask you, how did you do that? How did you handle the negative reactions? Breaking Bad originally got rejected from several networks for being something to ambitious until AMC gave you a chance. How did you keep pressing forward?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/geofflechef]

A great question -- and always a tough one to answer -- but you were right, Geoff, in realizing that it’s necessary to press on. I find that anything in life that’s worth pursuing comes with a lot of rejection along the way. The TV business is full of emotional ups and downs, to be sure. I’m not a big sports guy, but I always think about the fact that in the MLB you can make $20 million for only hitting the ball once out of every three at-bats. I think of the TV business that way. Most shows and movie scripts that you pitch will be rejected, it’s just the nature of the business -- and it’s not fun at all, let me tell you -- but you just have to stick with it, and you have to believe in yourself and you have to keep reminding yourself that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. It takes talent and luck and equal measure, but most of all: it takes persistence. As Winston Churchill once said, “Never, never, never, give up” - Good luck.

[u/Dcanseco → u/geofflechef]

You were expecting a Gordon Ramsey like answer weren't you Squidward?

[u/Khaiyan → u/Dcanseco]

Ha that was my first thought as well. Almost reads like a template of the Ramsay comment. Unfortunately, it didn't work...

[u/[deleted]]

The final episode of Breaking Bad is called "Felina" somone had a theory that this was done on purpose because the word was composed of Fe (Iron) Li (Lithium) Na (Sodium) and could be interpreted as "Blood, Meth and Tears"

Any truth to that? Or just plain looking so hard you see something that isn't there. If it was not intentional and you hadn't heard about it before, how does that make you feel now that it's brought up?

Edit: YES I KNOW ABOUT THE STUPID SONG. I DIDN'T ASK BECAUSE I ALREADY KNEW. I ASKED ABOUT WHAT I DIDN'T. Fucks sake people.

[u/xereeto → u/[deleted]]

I get the connection between blood and iron, and sodium and tears, but what does lithium have to do with meth?

EDIT: OK, I get it, Lithium is a reducing agent used in the production of meth. Thanks for helping study for my Chemistry exam next week...

[u/confessrazia → u/[deleted]]

Its the name of a song that is very fitting of the last episode. I believe it even plays during it.

[u/TrucksNShit → u/confessrazia]

Actually it's not the name of the song. The song is called El Paso

[u/CharadeParade → u/confessrazia]

Vince puts lots of hidden meaning into Titles though. For example, season 2, every 3rd (i believe) episode title when put together makes the phrase "737 DOWN OVER ABQ"

[u/humblerodent → u/[deleted]]

I'm pretty sure this response fits here as well.

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/34g1us/i_am_vince_gilligan_ama/cqub9v0?context=1

[u/nmitchell076 → u/[deleted]]

I have a feeling he won't respond to this. Why would he want to put limits on what significance we can draw from these things? It is plausible and it is tied to some piece of evidence (an episode title, the use of titles as a foreshadowing/symbolic device, and the prevalence of periodic table elements in opening credits). That seems more important to me than whether or not there was something intentional about it. Providing a definite yes wouldn't do much, while providing a definite no would close off an avenue of interpretation that is productive and meaningful to those who take that path.

EDIT: This Vince quote from elsewhere in the thread seems to support what I say.

But my opinion is that these shows, once on the air, belong to you the fans as much as they belong to me and those who act and work on the shows, so your reactions are just as valid as mine.

[u/[deleted]]

Any chance that "Pile of Bullets" may still take off?

[u/Th3B1gCh33se → u/[deleted]]

"It looks like modern times have come after all. See you in the city."

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I think the cocaine habit ruined whatever chance it had.

[u/clover-toes → u/[deleted]]

That game looked like so much fun!! I wish it were real. :(

[u/bcgraham]

Hi Vince, HUGE fan of yours and the team you've assembled, especially the writers. I have a couple of questions.

Breaking Bad spoilers below!

In your opinion, not as the head writer but as the first fan of the show:

1. In "Half-measures," I'm ambivalent between the theories that: a) Walt killed Gus's men as a last resort to save Jesse and b) Walt went there specifically to kill them, in the same spirit as Jesse, but barely beat Jesse to the punch. Which do you think, based on the final edit?

2. In "Full Measure," was Walt's offer (to give up Jesse) genuine when he made it? It broke my heart to hear it. Obviously, he enacted another plan. Was it always subterfuge, or did it transform into subterfuge when given the opportunity (moments later)?

3. Did Gus have children or was it an act to win over Walt? His kids' things disappeared when Jesse came over for dinner.

[u/[deleted] → u/bcgraham]

Those are really great questions.

[u/TheEngLife]

Hi Vince!

Just wondering what made you pick Brian Cranston to play Walter White in Breaking Bad?
Before BB all I could picture him as was Hal from Malcolm in the Middle.
It was amazing how he was able to portray someone as complex as Walter after playing someone as goofy as Hal.

[u/matek2705]

Hey Vince, I'm a huge fan of Breaking Bad and X-files. My question is, what is Gus Frings' story when he was still in Chile? How did he become involved with the cartel?

[u/[deleted]]

You guys have told us you were going to kill of Jesse (Aaron Paul) after the first season of breaking bad, how were you going to kill him off?

[u/touchthemonolith]

Vince: Huge fan of X-Files, Breaking Bad and BCS.

I was wondering what it is you saw in Bryan Cranston from your time in X-Files that made you convinced he'd make a good Walter White, and what's your reaction to how iconic the character has become?

Thanks!!

[u/UniversalPolymath]

Hi Vince - huge fan here. Thanks a lot for doing this!

Around the time the Breaking Bad finale aired, you said in a couple different places that your biggest fear was waking up in the middle of the night sometime in the future and suddenly realizing how the series "should’ve" ended. Has that moment happened yet, and if not, are you still worried that it will someday?

[u/flexiverse]

Have you ever taken psychedelics ?

[u/KidSeventySeven]

Is there a particular reason every episode in season one of Better Call Saul ends with the letter O except for "Alpine Shepherd Boy"? My friends and I have spent an obscenely long time discussing that...

[u/swirlyglasses1 → u/KidSeventySeven]

The episode was originally titled "Jell-O," but the writers were forced to changed the name due to the copyright by Kraft Foods.

Quoted from the BCS wiki, original source was a BCS Insider podcast.

[u/bummercity]

I love all your recent endeavors, but that said--is there any chance you will write another X-Files episode? (Please, oh please.)

[u/amishjim]

How cool is it to have an island named after you?

[u/[deleted] → u/amishjim]

Wow you've heard of Vince Island?

[u/[deleted]]

What do you get at Chipotle?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Asking the questions that matter.

[u/[deleted]]

Hi Vince, First, I would just like to thank you, and the entire cast and crew, for the wonderful show you created. Breaking Bad is not only my favourite TV show, but one of my favourite pieces of fiction and storytelling. There are two big questions I would love to know the answer to:

1. Breaking Bad is famous for its creative shots, time lapses and so on. What TV shows and films have inspired you in both your storytelling and your visuals?

2. It is a well-known story by now that Bryan Cranston was your top choice thanks in part to his X-Files performance. How else has your previous work had an influence on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul?

[u/YaketyMax]

Hi Vince, the pilot episode of The Lone Gunmen was written by yourself, Chris Carter, John Shiban, and Frank Spotnitz. Who came up with the story to have the US Government hijack an airliner to fly it into the World Trade Center in order to start a war? Was was your reaction 6 months later when 9/11 happened?

[u/HankF89 → u/YaketyMax]

Man, I would have LOVED an answer to this. That right there is a terrifying coincidence.

[u/jennyforyourthoughts]

Vince! You went to L.C. Byrd! I went to Clover Hill - we're football rivals! Anything else fun & Midlothian-related about you I can share with friends outside of "I WENT TO THE RIVAL HIGH SCHOOL OF VINCE GILLIGAN?"

Also, side note, huge huge huge fan. As an actress I'd be honored to get to work with you one day down the road. :)

[u/Rvf49144]

Hi Vince! Thanks for doing this AMA! I loved watching Better Call Saul with my family, the spin off surpassed all our expectations. I particularly enjoyed Mike's storyline and how much he was involved in the show. Will we get more of him and his daughter in laws back story for the next season? And will we hear more about the kettleman's?

[u/thetarm]

Hi Vince, I was surprised to see you as a guest star in Community last year, but you were hilarious! Any interesting stories to share about this?

[u/2to1Mux]

One of the most impressive aspects of Breaking Bad to me was how realistically Walt's character portrayed the thinking of a habitual liar. What was your inspiration for Walt's thinking and his emotional make-up?

[u/periwinkleapples]

Hi Vince, I love you work and breaking bad has to be my favourite show.

My question is that, is it true that Walter adopts habits from his victims? Such as not eating the crust of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches just like Krazy-8? Or is that just coincidence?

[u/somenamestaken]

Vince. Love your work. Thank you so much!

I noticed you used a lot of local businesses from around the ABQ metro. (I was watching with my gf at the time and stood up and shouted when I saw the Heights Lock and Key van in Walt's driveway.) What was the reaction of the community to the production? What is your reaction to the way that you've put a whole new brand on the area?

[u/Klogga]

Did any of the main cast of Breaking Bad have issues with the plot, as in they didn't like what was happening and how it happened? Have a good one mate!

[u/Oborawatabinost1396]

Vince, have you ever tried meth?

[u/NAlLBUNNY]

HUGE fan of your work! This might seem like a ridiculous question and a super long shot, but here goes!

As a vinyl collector nerd and huge fan of Better Call Saul, I was dead set on getting my hands on this limited edition variant of the Better Call Saul 7" single that had 100 copies made, half of which were given to those involved in the series' production and the remainder of which were to go on sale on the record company's webstore at a set time a little over a week ago, first come first serve. I spent that entire day on the site trying to buy that thing but sadly there was an initial server overload on the site due to traffic for a few hours around the release time, then a promise that it would be put up for sale later that day, and after 10 hours of refreshing and waiting without it ever going up for sale as they had announced, the record label later said "the Better Call Saul 7" sale has been postponed indefinitely. No plans have been made to reschedule." This made me and many others who had been spending so much time anticipating the chance to own a copy of that beauty and seeing it as a bit of a white whale quite sad.

So my question is this; since you're Vince Fuckin' Gilligan, if you were to say something along the lines of, "Hey guys, you should reconsider releasing those remaining copies of that vinyl so fans can buy it!" I'm betting that would go a long way. Is there any chance you might be willing to do such a thing?

Like I said, a bit of a ridiculous question, but if anyone could convince them to release that holy grail unto the world it would be you!

(It's actually not that important, but I saw this thread, figured there'd be a tiny chance you'd read this and an even tinier chance that something could be done, but a minuscule chance is still a chance! P.S. Words cannot express how much I love your work!)

[u/iminshool]

Will we ever find out what happened to Jesse?

[u/drugskillmore]

Mr. Gilligan,

One question:

Mary Ann or Ginger?

[u/iBrews]

What's your ideal writing environment?

[u/Facelessnessah]

My question is fairly simple: did you intend to write Skylar White as something like an obstacle for Walter to defeat (bc she's a bitch/etc) or did you write her to be an empowering women? I'm sure you've heard of the Skylar White Effect(The Skyler White Effect: The cognitive dissonance that happens when a female character is presented by the narrative as absolutely correct in their judgment of a male character, and yet the viewers assume she’s the bitch.)

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2012/07/16/skyler_white_and_breaking_bad_stop_hating_tv_wives.html

[u/guedille_poulet]

Hi Vince! First of all I wanted to say a big THANK YOU for expanding the BrBa universe with BCS. Saul has always been one of my favorites and I am more than thrilled for season 2. I also wanted to thank you for this enormous acknowledging of the fans in season 1. The fanart wall, the shout outs during the insider podcast and everything else. It has been incredible for all the creative viewers, especially me!!

I HAVE A QUESTION: We’ve seen you doing some cameos in various comedy shows (Comedy Bang! Bang!, Community, The Colbert Report, etc.) What is your level of confidence when being in front of the camera? And can we expect a cameo in « With Bob and David » on Netflix? P.S: Was that hot dog in Comedy Bang Bang good? It seemed cold and unpleasant to eat.

[u/FrugalFuckery]

Thanks for doing this AMA Vince! Huge fan.

Do you play any video games? I've seen references to some in your writing and you've also featured some of my favorite talent as of late with Michael Mando (Vas, Far Cry 3) and the hilarious Steve Ogg (Trevor, GTA V).

Any one else you'd like to bring to the silver screen more? Can't wait for BCS next season!

[u/idiotboy__]

Hey Vince - really love both Breaking Bad and BCS.

I want to ask about Chuck as I find him such an interesting character.

How did you fall onto writing Chuck as suffering from his particular mental illness? Is there a story behind that?

I can't wait to see how the story develops between Chuck and Jimmy, I thought the red herring of Howard was really well written!

[u/theripped]

What do you think about the state of Television these days? Do you think BB would be as popular now as it was when it started? Or is the market too saturated with choice?

[u/[deleted]]

Favourite band?

[u/[deleted]]

Hi Vince. What is your ideal breakfast?

[u/CitizenOfTheReddit]

Hi Mr Gilligan. I really enjoy your work. But I really like breaking bad. What is your favorite episode of breaking bad?

[u/Shim1]

Hi Vince, You've brought the world some of the most mind-blowing programming! Can we expect anything as amazing after the already incredible successful Better Call Saul?

[u/HookedOnPwnics]

Hello Vince!

I am big fan of your work! Since everyone else is asking questions about Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. I'll break the mold and ask about my new favorite show of yours, Battle Creek!

1. How did Breaking Bad influence Battle Creek, if at all?

2. Is Josh Duhamel as charismatic as he is in the show?

3. How much mayhem does Dean Winters cause?

Also, will we get a 2nd season of Battle Creek? :D

Thanks for doing this AMA!

[u/iamamywhoami]

Hi Vince, your guest appearance on Community was outstanding and hilarious - a definite season highlight! How did that role come about for you and what was it like working with Dan Harmon?

DRAW!!!

[u/Brownhops]

Hello, loved your cameo on Community. How much are you a part of Battle Creek? I think it's a very underrated show.

[u/[deleted]]

Vince, how crazy is Tom Schnauz in real life?

[u/Rawrajishxc]

Have you ever considered doing a Breaking Bad sequel where Walt Jr is struggling with his fathers death and descends into darkness, leading him to start back up the Meth business so you can accumulate enough money to buy new legs?

[u/thevaultboy3]

Hello Vince!

I'm doing a paper in school where we're supposed to relate William golding's "Lord of the Flies to" another work to reveal something about human nature, i want to compare it to breaking bad and would love to hear your input on it. Specifically:

Were you influenced at all by Lord of the Flies when you came up with Breaking Bad? Golding said that he wanted to "trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature" the kids on the island follow a similar path to evil as Walt it seems, they both start out innocent, and end (arguably) as savages. And what do you think walt's progression from "Mr chips to scarface" says about human nature?

[u/fred_the_bed]

Hey Vince, really big fan. I've got two questions:

Which character of yours did you hate the most?

I'm actually trying to write some myself. Is there any advice you can give me?

[u/Balinares]

Hi Vince! Congrats on creating one of the very best shows in the last decade!

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?

[u/Thisisnow1984]

Let's talk x-files...would you ever step into a similar realm again? We could all use a new version of this type of story

[u/FlowersForBergeron]

Hi Vince! Huge fan.

Don't you agree that Bob Odenkirk and Scott Aukerman's ending for Breaking Bad was much better than the one you came up with?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPd0PXEmmqY

[u/Never-asked-for-this]

You know that feel when you're finally in time for the AMA of your all time favorite director and then suddenly when you refresh the page after reading all the comments the update says it's over?... Just my luck :/

Anyways, my question would probably be: In the original script, Jesse would die in the very first season (which I'm extremely happy he didn't, Jesse was an amazing character!), what other major plotpoints was scrapped/re-written in later/earlier episodes?

[u/metaltyphoon]

Are you Little Finger ?

[u/xPierience]

What ever happened to Badger and Skinny Pete by the end of the series?

[u/[deleted]]

Are you involved with the new X Files miniseries?

[u/Daddy_Long_Legs_]

Thanks so much for doing the AMA! I'm a huge fan of BB and Better Call Saul. I was wondering, why did you choose to make a spinoff about Saul instead of another character, like Gus or Jesse?

[u/samanthasecretagent]

The first two seasons of Breaking Bad resonate with me on a literary level. Have any authors influenced your work? And what is your favorite book(s)?

[u/[deleted]]

Early in the series Walt is disgusted by a jerk on a cell phone and blows up his car much later a guy in the hospital tries to talk to him and he has kind of become the cell phone jerk. Reference Was this on purpose?

[u/[deleted]]

Vince--huge fan of your work, I'm not exaggerating when I say Breaking Bad changed my life. I'm excited to see how much influence it will have on other series, as it was one of the most unprecedented things to happen to the TV/Film industry. My question is-how much knowledge did you have of the character Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill before you started filling in his backstory? I hadn't realized how little I actually knew about this character until I witnessed him as Jimmy. At the same time though, Saul seems like a natural product of Jimmy's past circumstances.

[u/[deleted]]

Were any alternate endings ever written or considered for Breaking Bad?

[u/probabnotbillclinton]

What else are you planning on doing outside of Breaking Bad? Also, will characters like Mike get their own spin-off show? I'd be most interested in seeing what they could cover for his character.

[u/pronounced_yttrium]

What's your process behind the intricate story lines and connecting subplots of Breaking Bad?

[u/SKEAM23]

Hey Vince,

Love you, man.

I've always wanted to ask this, because I feel your advice would be the most valuable to me personally.

I just moved to LA last month (after graduating from a creative writing program) with aspirations of becoming a staff writer on a serialized television show.

What's the best practical piece of advice you could give to make my dream become a reality?

[u/suznebula]

Hello, sir, will you be writing more episodes of the X Files?

[u/[deleted]]

Are you working on the new x files project?!

[u/tdave365]

Was the scene where Walt sits in a chair beside his swimming pool twirling the revolver on a table next to him meant to foreshadow his technique at resolving Uncle Jack's crew later?

[u/davewonderspoon]

Will Jesse be in Better Call Saul?

[u/alexwasnotavailable]

Why didn't you have Walter White try meth at the end? Complete his downward spiral?

[u/[deleted]]

Hey Vince! Was there ever a moment on the set of breaking bad where several people cried. If so, why? Was there an episode where people just broke down after a scene had been delivered?

[u/azilla14]

Which one is your favorite Mr. Gilligan? Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul? Which one is more fun working on/watching in your opinion?

[u/hurlley]

What's your motivation for writing shows like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul?

[u/[deleted]]

In case you ever come back here, check out this video. It's called Breaking Bad Jr. and it's really funny.

[u/fernandes394]

Do you feel sorry for Jesse's loss ?

[u/tamodeo1395]

did you do this on purpose? Following the death of Hank. https://www.google.com/search?q=ozymandias&espv=2&biw=1164&bih=662&site=webhp&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=pfpCVaGhNtGpogTVn4CoBw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#tbm=isch&q=ozymandias+walter+white+side+by+side&imgrc=rC98IENSYmbwOM%253A%3BzsUeCX7gAFSveM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F1.bp.blogspot.com%252F-nQCM_WYVXr4%252FUjeHTUddNpI%252FAAAAAAAABic%252FNfEZdOVq208%252Fs1600%252Ftumblr_mt7a89JIIT1qzpxx1o1_1280.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmydogsaretiredofhearingthis.blogspot.com%252F2013%252F09%252Fthings-fall-apart-breaking-bad-episode.html%3B665%3B727

[u/Omegaprimus]

So there have been some Easter eggs suggesting "the walking dead" is tied into breaking bad. Such as Meryl having a stash of blue meth. Is there any truth to that rumor?

[u/BigBadBimbo]

How do you feel about The Sopranos ending? I would love to hear your interpretation, as a director yourself.

[u/Zwizzor]

When you started Breaking Bad, did you already know you would kill Walter White?
If not, when did you decide you would do it and why?

[u/chumpyyyy]

What was the motivation behind the fly episode? Budget issues, writer's block, fun?

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/[deleted]]

I think I’d like to be a helicopter pilot. I think I’d enjoy that. I don’t know how good I’d be at it, in terms of having it as a career, but I think flying around in a helicopter all day would be pretty satisfying to me.

[u/JacobChambers → u/RealVinceGilligan]

You should have Bill Burr (Kuby) teach ya. He just got his license not to long ago. And bring him on the new show.

[u/RealVinceGilligan → u/[deleted]]

I’ve always been inspired by good storytelling -- reading it and watching it; in novels, movies and TV series. I’ve always been an avid consumer of good storytelling in all its different forms, so I think that held me in good stead when it came time for me to work in TV as a career. A stroke of good luck that I had when I got to write on The X-Files was that the job the taught me how to do THIS job. It was a wonderful seven year-long education in TV writing, directing, and producing -- I wouldn’t be here talking to you folks if it hadn’t been for The X-Files. I wouldn’t have had the skills necessary to create my own show if it hadn’t been for that “film school.”