‘Better Call Saul’ spoilers: Vince Gilligan on delay, desire to get series right

Given that there are only a few select opportunities to really hear “Better Call Saul” news right now, the discussion with creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour was all the more impactful. The two sat down to touch on many different topics, but starting with the most obvious one: Why was the show delayed in the first place after it was supposed to premiere this fall?

As Gilligan noted, the shift back to early 2015 has more to do than anything with the pace in which he makes television work:

“We could have made the deadline, but I am slow as mud. I still feel I’m very slow for television … We had a pace on Breaking Bad that was deliciously stately for television.”

Gilligan also noted that when it came to the Saul Goodman character himself, he was mostly shocked by just how little he really knew about the man at all. Going into this show, he felt like there was already quite a bit mapped out, and that is not exactly the case at all anymore.

Meanwhile, Gould spoke about all of the rumors about cameos here and there; while these are important and can be fun, the goal of this show is not just to throw as many winks to “Breaking Bad” in as possible:

“These are all characters we love. Having said that, we’re trying to make something that stands on its own and has an entertainment value of not just seeing old favorites. It’s not a clip show. We try to balance these things out.”

You learned recently that this show is not a full-on prequel, either, and will contain some moments from Saul’s life after “Breaking Bad” is over. Trust us: We are just as excited to see some of those as you are.

Photo: AMC