Better Call Saul
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 Saul Goodman is… He’s the last line of defense for the little guy. Are you getting sold down the river? He’s a life raft. You getting stepped on, he’s a sharp stick. You got Goliath on your back, Saul’s the guy with the slingshot. He’s a righter of wrongs. He’s friend to the friendless. That’s Saul Goodman.
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Better Call Saul is an American crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. It is both a spin-off and a prequel to Gilligan's previous series, Breaking Bad.
Plot
Set in the early to mid-2000s in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series develops Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), an earnest lawyer and former con-man, into a greedy criminal defense attorney known as Saul Goodman. Also shown is the moral decline of retired police officer Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), who becomes closely affiliated with the Juarez drug cartel to support his family. Jimmy and Mike's interactions remain sporadic until their respective storylines fully converge.
Why You Should Call Saul Goodman after Watching It
- The show explains the origin of Saul Goodman, showing us how he went from a bad lawyer but kind-hearted person who cares about justice to a good but corrupt lawyer who helps his clients avoid jail even if they deserve it. It parallels Breaking Bad while also keeping itself original, making it a similar story yet fitting prequel.
- Despite the name, the show explains the origins of many fan-favorite characters such as Gus Fring, Hector Salamanca, and Mike Ehrmantraut.
- Despite being a prequel to Breaking Bad, it sometimes shows scenes set after the original series, exploring what happened to Saul Goodman.
- It shows great character development such as Saul Goodman going from an honest but bad lawyer to a corrupt but good lawyer.
- Though Saul Goodman wasn't a very serious character in Breaking Bad, the writers do an incredible job at making him sympathetic in his own show.
- The show was made for people who've never seen Breaking Bad but at the same time, people who saw Breaking Bad will enjoy it more.
- The cinematography, camera angles, and framing solidify the show’s connection.
- The editors play with lighting and colors to create specific moods and also to differentiate flashbacks and flash-forwards. The post-Breaking Bad scenes are black and white, while the pre-Better Call Saul scenes are less saturated. It visualizes how Jimmy himself feels about these different parts of his life.
- The cast is still phenomenal, especially their leads with Bob Odenkirk giving an arguably better performance than in Breaking Bad.
- Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito, Michael McKean, Michael Mando, and Patrick Fabian—have all given nuanced, memorable performances as strong as anything and it shows here.
- Important story-changing events that raise the stakes but keep the flow of the timeline, like the death of Chuck, Nacho, and Howard, the burial of Lalo and Howard's bodies, and Kim resigning as a lawyer.
- The series finale, Saul Gone, has Jimmy redeem himself and gives one of the most wonderful endings for a show.
- It's one of the rare examples of a prequel story done right (unlike these), as it explains important origin stories, expands upon the story of Breaking Bad and doesn't make continuity errors.
Bad Qualities
- The pacing can be slow at times, especially in the second season.
- Less action compared to Breaking Bad.
- Don't even get us started on the animated spinoff Slippin' Jimmy.
- "Nippy", while good, is considered to be the weakest episode of the series.
Trivia
- It spawned memes such as the Saul Goodman 3D, Chuck McGill's Courtroom Testimony, Jimmy Yelling at Howard, etc.
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