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| Better Call Saul - can it live up to Breaking Bad? |
Better Call Saul
Breaking Bad spinoff starts off slow, but ramps up over the first three seasons
Breaking Bad was one of those once a decade kind of shows. A show so exceptional that it will be remembered for decades as one of the finest TV shows of all time. How do you follow an act like that?
Well, the short answer is you follow tradition and create a spin-off series based around the most popular supporting character of the show. Since the fate of all the main characters in Breaking Bad were pretty much sealed by that show's conclusion, creators had to dig deeper into the minor characters to find a suitable protagonist. The choice was obvious, though: Bob Odenkirk's fast-talking shyster, Jimmy McGill A.K.A. Saul Goodman.
Well, the short answer is you follow tradition and create a spin-off series based around the most popular supporting character of the show. Since the fate of all the main characters in Breaking Bad were pretty much sealed by that show's conclusion, creators had to dig deeper into the minor characters to find a suitable protagonist. The choice was obvious, though: Bob Odenkirk's fast-talking shyster, Jimmy McGill A.K.A. Saul Goodman.
This necessitates a pretty big change to Saul, though. The Saul we knew was something of a comic relief character set against Breaking Bad's unrelenting seriousness. Consequently, a little Saul went a long way. To sustain a long-form dramatic series, Saul had to be more nuanced, and so Odenkirk, the writers, and the directors took it down a few notches - something made readily apparent from the very first episode.
True to Breaking Bad formula, this spin-off show aims to chronicle the rise-and-fall of a regular guy who by small, almost imperceptible degrees, goes from loose morals to master criminal. Of course it still necessarily had to be a prequel - Saul Goodman was pretty far along by the time he first appears in Breaking Bad.
Therein lies the rub: in Breaking Bad, one could root for - or at least hope for - Walter White to come out on top. With Better Call Saul, we already know the ending, so can harbor no such illusions. This makes Better Call Saul much more challenging to watch. Especially as we get to know and love those characters closest to him, knowing that he's inevitably going to hurt them, or take them down with him, no matter how much he doesn't want that to happen. Chief among these is fellow attorney Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), who becomes the Sundance to his Butch. Kim is smart, sexy, believes in Jimmy, but rarely falls for his crap. She knows what he is, but is still loyal to a fault. We already know she's not in Breaking Bad, so whatever happens to her, it's going to be heartbreaking to watch.
The series spends a good deal of time on the story arcs of some of the other major characters - even more than Breaking Bad did. This includes Kim, Jimmy's brother Chuck, and some of the Breaking Bad characters like Nacho, and Mike Ehrmantraut.
So, is it as good as Breaking Bad? No. But that doesn't mean it's not pretty damn good anyway.
The Good:
True to Breaking Bad formula, this spin-off show aims to chronicle the rise-and-fall of a regular guy who by small, almost imperceptible degrees, goes from loose morals to master criminal. Of course it still necessarily had to be a prequel - Saul Goodman was pretty far along by the time he first appears in Breaking Bad.
Therein lies the rub: in Breaking Bad, one could root for - or at least hope for - Walter White to come out on top. With Better Call Saul, we already know the ending, so can harbor no such illusions. This makes Better Call Saul much more challenging to watch. Especially as we get to know and love those characters closest to him, knowing that he's inevitably going to hurt them, or take them down with him, no matter how much he doesn't want that to happen. Chief among these is fellow attorney Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), who becomes the Sundance to his Butch. Kim is smart, sexy, believes in Jimmy, but rarely falls for his crap. She knows what he is, but is still loyal to a fault. We already know she's not in Breaking Bad, so whatever happens to her, it's going to be heartbreaking to watch.
The series spends a good deal of time on the story arcs of some of the other major characters - even more than Breaking Bad did. This includes Kim, Jimmy's brother Chuck, and some of the Breaking Bad characters like Nacho, and Mike Ehrmantraut.
So, is it as good as Breaking Bad? No. But that doesn't mean it's not pretty damn good anyway.
The Good:
- full of surprises, it keeps you on your toes
- quality made in every way - too many good things to list.
- not as good as Breaking Bad
- relentlessly downbeat
- slow to develop plots aren't as immediately engaging as some might expect
- numerous appearances of people, places, and things from Breaking Bad
***1/2 out of *****
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