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Better Call Saul is one of the best TV series of all time. It has incredible character writing and plot. It features incredible performances. The show deserves all the praise it got. Wait, the Golden Globes thinks Ratched, an aggressively mediocre show, is better? Scrap the review, we are reviewing Ratched now! Just kidding. The awards show is meaningless anyway. The Wire and The Leftovers never won any major awards. Despite the lack of award recognition, Better Call Saul moves out the shadow of its established predecessor and forges a unique but remarkable path of its own.1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3z25BrMkJ
To talk about Better Call Saul, we must talk about it’s more successful and famous brother, Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad is the Pantheon of greatest TV shows ever, with the incredible performance by Bryan Cranston and exciting twists. Breaking Bad is the best thriller … I am sure you all know about Breaking Bad and how incredible it was. I don’t have to explain it for the fiftieth time. What I have to say though, is that Better Call Saul can surpass the legacy and quality of Breaking Bad if it sticks the landing and doesn't pull a Game of Thrones. Which is not very likely, given the track record of Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. 1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxSlYHOvEF
Better Call Saul follows Jimmy Mcgill (Bob Odenkirk), a small time lawyer and a former Conman, who through various trials and tribulations, evolves into the criminal lawyer we all know and love, Saul Goodman. It also follows the rise and fall of the mexican Cartel families and the rise of a particular Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). It is a prequel to Breaking Bad.1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe15vEYKzxm
Let’s talk about the character works first. The thing I am most impressed about Better Call Saul is that it can make viewers know more about old characters like Jimmy and Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), while simultaneously make viewers invest in new characters, like Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) and Nacho Varga (Michael Mando). 1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPkeK4g2cl
The work they did with Kim Wexler is the most interesting one. Kim was essentially a very minor character in Season 1. However, just like Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould were so impressed by Seehorn’s performance, they decided to expand her role in Season 2. This is not a mistake. Gilligan had been criticized for his failure to write compelling female characters. The reception to the female characters in Breaking Bad, have been … lukewarm. People did not like Skyler White. They hated her. They find her annoying and merely an obstacle for Walt’s ambition. This is obviously unfair. However, the writing staff did her no favour, when they featured her on the worst side plot of the series by far - her affair with Ted Beneke, which gave us the infamous scene, where Skyler sings Happy Birthday to Ted, which I can only describe with the word, cringe. Kim Wexler is the most fleshed out character in the series. She, along with Jimmy are the characters that change the most throughout the journey. Kim started out as the straight faced lawyer, who would not dare to break the rules. Compare to Jimmy, who would use any shortcut, no matter the morality, to go for success. He hired an actor to fall off a crane, so that he can be the hero on TV. This contrast is a major plot point throughout the first few seasons. Kim has a very clear motive throughout the series. To help those who are misrepresented and who are in need. It is clearly presented from the beginning. We know why she strives to be a great lawyer. Another characteristic of Kim is the independence of her. She doesn't want help from others, but often involuntarily receives help. In the finale of Season 2, Kim was planning to leave HHM, the lawyer firm Jimmy’s brother Chuck (Michael McKean) created, to be an independent lawyer who shares an office with Jimmy. However, Chuck and fellow partner Howard Hamiln (Patrick Fabian) did not allow her to carry any case with her, like the major case of Mesa Verde, a local bank looking to expand past the state border. Instead, Chuck and Howard will take over the case themselves. Jimmy, out of some misguided kindness, decided to tamper with the legal documents given to Chuck by the bank, changing the proposed Bank address, making Chuck humiliate himself during the hearing for the expansion. Mesa Verde would then believe Chuck, Howard and HHM as a whole are unprofessional, and will return to Kim. The plan works to perfection, Kim objects but had to accept it. This mindset is shown most apparent in Season Five, where she repeatedly ignores the advice and suggestions of others. Jimmy (or Saul at this point) tolds her to never involve in his dealing with the South American cartel. She went to question cartel leader Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) immediately, when Jimmy goes missing during a trip to carry Lalo’s bail money. Howard told her to stay away from Jimmy and his various unethical exploits, Kim told him she is insulted by the notion that she cannot decide for herself, and tells Howard he does not understand Jimmy. Kim’s inability to rely on others when she needs to is her weakness and her downfall. Consequence is a very important thing in the Breaking Bad universe. You can’t escape your sins. And your biggest weakness is your downfall. Walter White, Hank Schrader and Gus Fring’s biggest weakness are their egos. Walt was discovered to be Heisenberg, because he thinks he is a drug kingpin and got sloppy, leaving the key evidence of his crimes, a copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass with the praise of Walt by dead cook, Gale Boetticher, on his toilet for all the world to see. Of course it was discovered by his brother in law and DEA agent Hank. This started the downward spiral of Walt. I believe Kim’s downfall will be herself. The final thing I want to say about Kim is the performance by Rhea Seehorn. I believe her performance is on the level of Carrie Coon in The Leftovers or Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad. The best scene, I think is in Season 4, Episode 2, where she lashes out on Howard for unloading his guilt over Chuck onto Jimmy. The scene was delivered so well, especially in contrast with her performance in most other circumstances, she is reserved, not a lot of emotion shown on her face. However, she is feeling bad for Jimmy, even after all the stuff that he did, did not deserve to get crushed again by the theory that his brother killed himself. This shows the more emotional and vulnerable side of Kim. A definite highlight. It is criminal that almost all award shows ignore her.1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF00ehzuwbi
Another good example of character development is the “criminal” lawyer himself, Saul Goodman, or I should say Jimmy Mcgill. There are essentially three characters played by Bob Odenkirk in the series. Jimmy Mcgill, a scammer who wants to find his place and lift up to the expectation of his brother. Saul Goodman, a man with less and less moral after various personal tragedies happened to him, and Gene Takavic, a man on the run trying to escape his sins, but struggles to live outside They are all the same guy, but vastly different due to the things they have done and experienced. Odenkirk plays them with such finesse, that the difference and similarity are here but incredibly subtle. This shows a genuine character progression. A main focus of Jimmy is his relationship with his brother, Chuck. The dynamic between Jimmy and Chuck is the main driving force of Season 1 to 3, with their conflict climaxes at season 3. Jimmy wants to be like Chuck, who is infinitely more successful in life. Chuck is a successful lawyer, one of the best in the Southwest, with a violinist wife. The founder of the illustrious firm HHM. A winner. Jimmy wanders around the midwest, scamming and harassing people, defecating on people’s sunroof and relies on Chuck to bail him out. A loser. Jimmy wanted to be like Chuck. Despite having a late start, Jimmy worked hard through remote lessons, he was in contention to be a lawyer alongside Kim, whom he befriended during his time as an office worker in HHM. This is where we talk about Chuck’s insecurity. You see, even as successful Chuck is, he was not as loved as Jimmy. Jimmy is quick witted, charismatic and talented in his own way. When their mother died, she looked for Jimmy instead of Chuck. People like to be around Jimmy a lot more as he is significantly less uptight and light hearted. Chuck, in a weird way, is jealous of Jimmy. His law degree and profession is the only thing that he can claim superior over Jimmy. Therefore, he denied Jimmy’s entry to HHM. Being the insecure guy that he is, he pinned all blame to Howard. Neither Jimmy or Chuck are in the wrong or in the right here. Jimmy cared about Chuck, but never responded the same. That’s what most real failed relationships are, there is no one in the wrong, it’s just a wrong mesh. The death of Chuck is the one thing which pushed Jimmy over the top and became Saul Goodman. He thought morals in this world are useless. His image morphs closer and closer to the Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad. The most fascinating part of Odenkirk’s performance is the portrayal of Gene Takavic. Gene is the alias taken by Saul Goodman after the events of Breaking Bad, which forces him on the run. Gene misses his time as Saul badly, as shown in the Saul Goodman commercial he watches almost religiously. He wanted to be Saul Goodman again, but he couldn't. Now, he lived in paranoia and loneliness as everything he cherished left him. The portrayal of a miserable guy with longing ambition in the past, is vastly different than the happy go lucky lawyer Saul Goodman is. The depressing black and white atmosphere is done very well, to essentially show the world from Gene’s point of view.1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXPSZFXvHz
After the character work, we need to talk about the narrative. Some fiction have incredible character work, they are fleshed out, memorable, but the narrative is terrible. Better Call Saul is not one of them. The narrative is not only coherent, but it is thrilling and filled with twists and turns. The show started off slow. Season 1’s pace is very slow, with Jimmy’s main focus on a class action lawsuit for the elderlies. The cartel side of things ain’t too exciting either. However, the show really picked up at the end of Season Two and the beginning of Season 3. That’s when Kim and Gus started entering the fray and became a more integral piece to the puzzle. The first part of both cartel storyline and lawyer story both climaxes in the final episode of Season 3, and it is prime television. It represents the end of the truce. The beginning of the storm. With Chuck dead, Jimmy’s moral compass falls even harder. With cartel leader Hector Salamanca paralysed, the crime scene becomes even more dangerous. As the Salamanca family and Fring battle for the control for the American Southwest. This marks the turning of the tide for the show. It is more and more closely aligned with Breaking Bad, becoming more and more of a thriller. 1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMeuleljS4
It isn’t the best episode though. The top episodes in my opinion are the ones in Season 4 and 5. My absolute top pick is Bagman, episode 8 of Season 5. Saul Goodman was charged by Lalo Salamanca to retrieve the two million dollars needed for his bail, therefore, he can escape back to Mexico. He was then ambushed in the desert, on his way back by cartel members who want Lalo away in prison, but fortunately saved by Mike. Stranded with Mike in the desert with no way to contact the outer world. They have to carry the two million dollars out of the desert. Throughout their journey, Jimmy considers to give up or he thinks of shortcuts to bypass the situation. Mike shut all of them down, and began giving advice and motivation to Saul like he did to Jesse in Breaking Bad. Saul realizes the only reason he would keep going is because of Kim. Mike advises him to keep Kim in the dark, citing the dangers for her if she’s “in the game”. However, Saul informed Kim before he set afoot in the desert. Kim looked for Lalo for Saul’s whereabouts, in one of the most suspenseful scenes in the series yet. When Saul leaves the desert, a space blanket breezes past Saul. Saul casually dismissed it. Space Blanket is the representation of Chuck. This is a symbol of Saul finally letting Chuck go. This is the near equivalent of Four Days Out, Episode 9 of Season 2 of Breaking Bad, when Jesse and Walt are stuck in the desert. This is the most Breaking Bad-y Better Call Saul ever been. This is also the first time the two worlds of Saul Goodman meet. Saul tried to separate his two worlds, the lawyer world with Kim and Howard and the criminal lawyer world with Lalo and Mike. He can no longer do that. This fits into the greater theme of the Breaking Bad universe, consequences. No matter what road you took, there will always be consequences. The plight of Saul is a prime example of that. Bagman is clearly the best episode.1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrNEIKvCHb
What comes next? The shooting stopped due to the coronavirus last year. It restarted this year, but the earliest we can see the new season is this winter. Let’s talk about what we look forward to seeing. This is not a prediction. I trust Gilligan and Gould not to pull a Game of Thrones. This is what I want to happen in my stupid little mind. We will talk about the pre Breaking Bad timeline first. The most important thing is the fate of the Salamanca family and Kim Wexler. Kim is not going to die. She should not either. Saul clearly cares a lot about Kim. He loves her. If she died, Saul Goodman would be much more moodier in Breaking Bad, and his exploits won’t be as lighthearted as it is. Kim would most likely be disbarred or even in prison due to her attempt to ruin Howard’s career. I think she will show up again in Gene’s timeline, but we will talk about that later. The cartel side meanwhile, I think both Lalo and Nacho are goners. They both did not show up in Breaking Bad, and in Breaking Bad, after Gus slaughtered the entire cartel in the swimming pool with poison, he told Hector that “the Salamanca blood will end with you”. It does not make sense for Gus to say that while Lalo is still at large. While Nacho will very likely be the collateral damage to all of this. Now, for the Breaking Bad timeline. I hope they skim it through a montage. Don’t focus too much time on it, unless it can make us learn more about Saul. Walt and Jesse’s story was over. We are looking at Saul. The focus on those montages should be on Saul. Most viewers already saw Breaking Bad, therefore rehashing that show’s story is a little bit meaningless. Finally, the true ending. This will most likely be the closing chapter of the Breaking Bad universe, as Gilligan stated he doesn't envision any further entries to the universe. He’s done. With Gilligan out, I hope AMC does not carry out a project for another series. This is what Konami tried to do when they wanted to make more Metal Gear games with the brain behind it, Hideo Kojima. Metal Gear Survive is a tremendous failure both financially and critically. It effectively killed off every possibility of another Metal Gear project. Anyway, the ending, the finale of the saga ends in Nebraska. Saul will face his day of reckoning, same as Walt did in Granite State, realising the impact of action and the notoriety of it. Realising the true motivation of his action. Walter White was a good person at face, a bad person at heart. All of the actions are for the reason of “helping his family”, but in reality is to boost his fragile ego. Jimmy McGill is a bad person at face value, and a sort of good person at heart. No one in this world is 100% clean or a good person. But Jimmy is no Walt, he did the things he does for someone else. He has a legit case of being this way. This does not excuse his action and he can not escape the consequences. Jesse Pinkman was the most pure out of the main characters, so he gets a new start in Alaska. Walter White was the most sinister out of them, so he does not get redemption and dies as a villain. I think Saul Goodman will get put into jail for all of his misdeeds. He would meet Kim again before he gets his judgement to end the final chapter of it.1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtQhPQxsyN
Better Call Saul have forged a unique path. Gone are the stereotypes of crap prequels who cannot live up to the quality of their predecessors. Despite its numerous omission in award shows, Better Call Saul is in the pantheon of great shows. I love Better Call Saul, from the excellent character work, impeccable performances, tight and intense scripts, beautiful shots and most importantly, the effort thrown in it. Please watch Better Call Saul, it is definitely worth your time.
All credits to the shots and official poster goes to AMC.1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKJX4fglYO
The final poster's credit goes to here. 1878Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNGY0OBRRE
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