GregXB commented on the Golem post that Halcyon Renard is very similar to Charles “Chuck” McGill from Better Call Saul. Well, that kicked off a Twitter convo comparing Gargoyles characters to BCS characters.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
Just for fun, I bring you our ideas for Better Call Saul: Gargoyles Edition
Charles “Chuck” McGill ⇔ Halcyon Renard
It’s not just because they’re infuriating old men who think they are too good for this world.
Renard and Chuck are first, since the comparison idea flowed from this similarity.
Both men are self-righteous to the extreme. They’re also hypocritical. Chuck manipulates and maneuvers his brother into a trap, while at the same time Chuck condemns Jimmy for using conman tactics. Renard hires a thug to steal a cultural artifact, all the while condemning his son in law for being a “villain.”
They also both have mysterious, debilitating medical illnesses. Renard’s confines him to a chair, while Chuck’s confines him to a foil-lined house. Chuck can’t tolerate electricity, or he says he can’t. Renard can’t tolerate people with standards different from his. Oh, and he can’t move much below his waist, at least that we know of.
Both are estranged from their free-spirited wives. Both wives are disappointed with how rigid their ex husbands turned out to be.
Both have rough relationships with a close relation due to trying to control said relative’s life. Chuck has tried to repress Jimmy at every turn, which of course only guarantees that Jimmy will be even more unlike how Charles wants him to be. Thanks to Renard’s overbearing parenting style, his daughter – who is like his wife – rebelled in every way she could. Both Jimmy and Fox are good at the life paths they’ve chosen, but neither will find approval from their close relatives.
James “Jimmy” “Saul Goodman” McGill ⇔ Janine “Fox” Renard
Both started out innocent but have taken the crooked path thanks to family influence. Jimmy’s dad was a straight-arrow, gullible even, while his brother never understood him.
Fox’s dad, Halcyon Renard, can’t understand her. He has standards that she in turn does not understand.
Both Jimmy and Fox seek approval in their own ways – which will do nothing but make their relationships more strained.
Both have a certain amount of self-loathing. Jimmy less than Fox, but I think there’s guilt still. If nothing else, there’s the need to prove himself. Fox shares this need.
Both hooked up with people who understand them. Despite being quite moral, Kim Wexler is very close to Jimmy and shares his enjoyment of conning people. Kim does it as a harmless hobby, though. Fox married David Xanatos, one of the greatest schemers to ever live. Both SOs are supportive of their partners.
Both love a good fight. Jimmy likes a mental game, where Fox likes mental and physical confrontations.
Both have nicknames!
Kim Wexler ⇔ Owen Burnett
It’s not just because they’re both hot blonds, okay?
Kim worked for Chuck, just as Owen worked for Renard. Both left because the companies and employers no longer fit their personal standards. Owen/Puck wanted to work for Xanatos because Fox and David were just so darn entertaining. Kim wanted to strike out on her own because she could advance at her own speed as well as handle cases how she felt they should be managed. Both are on semi-strained terms with their former employers.
Kim enjoys Jimmy’s company, and I might even say she loves him to a certain extent. Fox fascinated Owen/Puck, and although he might not lover her in a human sense, he cares deeply for her and her new family. David is arguably Owen/Puck’s best friend, and vice versa, save for Fox.
Kim and Owen are very conscientious and efficient. They like things done properly.
But on the other hand, they like the Dark Side too. Kim has a blast when she helps Jimmy con people. Owen is in his element when he’s helping David with a complicated plot.
Gustavo “Gus” Fring ⇔ David Xanatos
It’s not just because they own companies. However, that is a similarity. Both own successful businesses that have a global aspect and are engaged in illegal or questionable endeavors.
Gus and David are incredibly intelligent. They are masters as strategy and tactics. They are also skilled at manipulating people.
Both are charismatic, handsome, charming individuals who you would consider to be the heroes rather than the antagonists. They cater to the authorities and keep a good public image.
Both are calm and calculating. It takes a lot to get them flustered.
Both are willing to go to the next level. David might not kill you, but he will find a way to make you pay if he deems it necessary. Gus will kill you and your whole family. However, neither man considers fear an effective motivator.
Although they are powerful in their own rights, they are under the authority of shadowy, ruthless masters. Gus is under Don Eladio’s thumb; David is under the Illuminati’s.
The men also care deeply about their families.
Howard “Hamlindigo” Hamlin ⇔ Preston Vogel
Howard is a trooper, a saint, in Better Call Saul. He’s loyal to the company, its employees, and its purpose. While he is technically lower on the totem pole than Chuck in HHM, since he’s the original Hamlin’s son, he’s still one of the three namesakes. He’s genuinely concerned about Chuck, despite the fact that Chuck is screwing over HHM. Sure, he’d love it if Chuck would either come back or stop being a thorn in his side, but he doesn’t push it. When Jimmy no longer brings Chuck his ice, apples, newspaper, etc, Howard sends one of the HHM interns to do it. Howard never berates Chuck for being weak with the “electricity allergy.” What makes him more likeable, though, is his treatment of Jimmy. He was fine with hiring Jimmy even when Chuck was against it.
Vogel is genuinely loyal to Renard. However, he will turn on him if the rewards are high enough. But if you really look at the betrayal, it might have turned out to be an all-right thing for Renard. Um, assuming the old man got over the loss. Fox would have taken over Cyberbiotics, which would put Halcyon into retirement. He might need that. (Or it might kill him. I dunno.) It wasn’t like Vogel was going to hurt him physically… When the plot against Renard failed, Vogel confessed. He now works as Renard’s right-hand man.
Both men are tolerant of their “superiors’” holier-than-thou attitudes, not to mention medical conditions.
Both come off as aloof at first, but after you get to know them you see they are just intensely focused on their goals.
(Greg also suggested this pair.)
Mike Ehrmantraut ⇔ Macbeth
It’s not just because they’re old men who you really don’t want to mess with, though that is part of it.
Both started out as naively moral, then gradually fell into semi-antagonist roles as life pressed in on them. They’ve lost loved ones, fought battles, and suffered existential crises. Both are almost impossible to kill.
Both are warriors with exceptional combat skills. But neither enjoys using them just to use them. Intellect is their main weapon, and it’s sharp as a scalpel.
Both have a bone to pick with a powerful antagonist who threatened or betrayed them. For Mike, it’s Hector Salamanca. For Macbeth, it’s Demona.
Hector “Tio” Salamanca ⇔ Demona aka Dominique Destine
GregXB, you suggested this!
There’s no similarity in gender, species, or age (other than they’re both old as dirt). I know.
But seriously, they are alike. Both run operations that are engaged in illegal, destructive practices.
They are ruthless, vicious, and vengeful. To make things worse, they’re wickedly intelligent and cagey.
Both value family above all else – unless that family fails them.
Vengeance is a serious matter.
Hector is under Don Eladio’s authority; Demona is at times under the Weird Sisters’.
Brief comparisons since I’m too lazy to write them up:
Nacho Varga ⇔ Anthony “Tony” Dracon
Ernesto ⇔ Vinnie
I realize this is pretty much all antagonists or semi-antagonists on the Gargoyles side. But remember, this is Better Call Saul we’re talking about. Also, this is just for fun and took like five minutes on Twitter.
What about you? Do you see any other similarities between characters? How about any character comparisons? Comment!