(This review
contains spoilers for Season 1 of Better
Call Saul)
When I heard a prequel
series to Breaking Bad was in
the works, I was sceptical. While the production and quality would no
doubt be as good as the original show, I feared illuminating more of
the fictional world might somehow diminish it. Some things are just
better left alone, especially when it involves a supporting
character. What if by giving more depth and complexity to the
character of Saul Goodman, the show ended up diluting what made him
so engaging in the first place? Scepticism aside, there was no doubt
that I would watch the show as soon as it came out. So what's the
verdict?
Brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant. Better Call Saul is
both a compliment to the character and the original show, but is also
strong enough to stand on its own. You don't need to have watched
Breaking Bad to enjoy
this, as it maintains a healthy distance from the original show while
carrying on with the themes and style that defined it. Here we see
“Saul” (Bob Odenkirk) back when he was using his birthname of
Jimmy McGill, trying to make a name for himself while competing with
the enormous lawfirm, Hamlin Hamlin & McGill.
He also has to look after his brother Chuck (Michael McKean), a
partner in HHM who's become housebound due to an imagined allergy to
electronics (I don't know a thing about mental conditions so I'll
just take Gilligan and Gould's word for it). As his ventures lead him
to continuous brushes with the law, Jimmy finds an unlikely ally in a
stony-faced tollbooth operator named Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan
Banks).
Odenkirk's
titular crusader is given more depth and backstory, and a
surprisingly noble and sensitive man emerges from behind the suits
and fast-talking. But he's also very much the man we remember, who
can talk like his life depends on it (which it often does) and has a
rather grey interpretation of the law. One of his definitive scenes
is from episode 2 (“Mijo”) where he's kidnapped by the murderous
druglord Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz in an amazing shock cameo).
Against the odds, Jimmy is able to talk him out of killing him and
his associates – this after they tried to con him and insulted his
grandmother. As well as showing Jimmy's resourcefulness and the sheer
force of his charisma, it also demonstrates how he goes from being a
small-time crook to the lawyer who's got the ear of every lethal
criminal in Albuquerque.
The
show's biggest connection with Breaking Bad is in its central
theme – the feeling of inadequacy in a callous society, and how
this can drive people to do terrible things. Like Walter White, Jimmy
has watched other people overtake him despite all his hard work. His
“office” consists of a tiny boxroom at the back of a beauty
salon. His efforts to earn a place at HHM are deliberately quashed by
his own brother. We learn how he was forced to move to Albuquerque
after rather creatively vandalizing the car of the man who slept with
his wife. All this frustration climaxes in a meltdown at a nursing
home bingo session. Odenkirk coming apart at the seams while keeping
a straight face throughout is one of the most shocking yet moving
scenes I've ever seen on television.
The
theme of inadequacy is also explored through the Kettlemans, a
wealthy couple who are being sued for embezzling $1.5 million. Craig
(Jeremy Shamos) is a caricaturishly pathetic man, browbeaten by his
wife Betsy (Julie Ann Emery) who forces him to believe that this
embezzlement is the right way to punish his employers – despite all
evidence to the contrary, as Jimmy sees they haven't a hope of
winning the case. This arc comes to an unexpected close when Craig
finally asserts himself and takes a deal that will force him to
confess his guilt. Throughout these two shows, we've seen the lengths
people to which people will go to cover up their wrongdoing and the
catastrophic consequences of it. By taking the deal, Craig
distinguishes himself from the likes of Jimmy, Mike, and in
particular, Heisenberg.
The
key point of the show is that playing by the rules always comes with
a price. Unsurprisingly, the protagonists are often forced to break
the law or their own ethical code to get a result. Jimmy and Mike
trick the Kettlemans into their confession by breaking into their
house. Chuck deceives his brother to protect the integrity of his
lawfirm. Most chillingly of all, Mike's son (who's also a police
officer) is murdered for hesitating to take a kickback. Like Breaking
Bad, a question mark hangs over the main character – how much
is Jimmy's final choice based on his own ambition, and how much was
forced on him by the world? Jimmy's desire to be a respected lawyer
in the firm feels sincere, but Chuck refuses to give him that chance.
Hurt by his betrayal, Jimmy goes back to Chicago for a week and
rediscovers his love of scamming people, which prompts him to abandon
the opportunity to join a respected lawfirm at the end of the season.
We've already seen that even as a lawyer, Jimmy will bend the rules
for his own gain, but were his attempts at reform sincere? This
question will no doubt be the driving force of the show in the
future.
The
other recurring character who's given more depth is of course Mike,
whose grim implacability is a nice contrast with Jimmy's ingrained
spin. Mike is exactly as we remember him, calmly yet firmly refusing
to buy the bullshit of a world he's seen too much of. That is, apart
from Episode 6 (“Five-O”) where he becomes the focus and we
finally see what brought him to Albuquerque in the first place. The
whole episode is given over to an origin story, meaning the current
thread with the Kettelmans comes to a halt, something which I'm sure
annoyed a number of people. But it's all made worth it by the ending
where Mike opens up to his daughter-in-law, and for the first time we
see Mike as a vulnerable human being, not a sullen bulldog.
It's
not just Jonathan Banks' masterful performance that makes this scene
so crucial to the character, It also provides the link between Mike
the Grunt, and Mike the loving grandfather, a jarring dichotomy never
really explored before. Mike is grieving for his son, who was killed
because of the corrupt culture that Mike himself has held up. This
explains why he's so unusually nurturing and affectionate towards
Kaylee – he's trying to be the father she doesn't have anymore.
As
for new characters, we meet Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) who also works
at HHM. Although her role is largely based on giving the firm a more
human presence and being a love interest for Jimmy, Seehorn doesn't
play her as too nice or friendly, so she doesn't come across
as trite. Her cool professionalism also highlights her more
compassionate moments, such as when she asks her boss, Howard Hamlin
(Patrick Fabian) to tell her why he still won't let Jimmy join the
firm. Hamlin is entertaining to watch play off against Jimmy. Like
Kim, his character never becomes a caricature despite his obvious
role as “the Man” - he comes off as obsequious and insincere,
without ever falling into outright slimy. The barely concealed
tension between himself and Jimmy makes for a fascinating dynamic,
and I hope to see it expanded on in later seasons.
We
are also introduced to Mike's daughter-in-law Stacie (Kerry Condon)
another character I hope to see more of as her scenes with Mike were
some of the best of the season. Given Mike's expanded role we may
even find out what happens to her and Kaylee after Mike's murder. The
lack of closure is something I felt the Breaking Bad finale
was sorely missing. As for villains, there is Tuco's lieutenant Nacho
(Michael Manda) whose silent composure is every bit as frightening as
Tuco's violent mood swings. Although it's obvious Nacho will end up
either dead or on the run (given he's working behind his boss's back)
it still makes for an intriguing set-up.
Better Call Saul
is a triumphant return for the Breaking Bad
team. Here's hoping Jimmy has as much fun on his upward climb as I
will watching him – before the inevitable collapse.
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