How has the team behind Breaking Bad, one of the most beloved TV shows of our time, followed it up?
With a familiar-feeling new TV show that is thrilling, hugely amusing and full of promise of greatness to come.
There will be no spoilers in the following article. I'll talk about the first episode of Better Call Saul without giving away much of what happens in it and certainly without spoiling Breaking Bad.
TV spin-offs are always a challenge to get right and considering the fandom for Breaking Bad, this one is particularly dangerous. Showrunner Vince Gilligan demands more trust than most with his nigh-perfect track record, but I've sensed trepidation in several fellow Breaking Bad fans.
As a massive Breaking Bad fan myself, I'm happy to say that Gilligan and co have done a great job at balancing reverence for the former show with establishing the new one. As far as season launches go, they've nailed it.
Better Call Saul's first episode is certainly not a straight-up comedy as was previously suggested, but it is frequently hilarious. The labels "drama" and "dark comedy" don't quite fit this either; like his former show, Gilligan has created something truly unique here.
Bob Odenkirk's performance in the lead role is fantastic. His renowned comedic chops are put to efficient use, but his dramatic moments inspire a surprisingly immediate pathos too.
The first episode of Better Call Saul opens with a black and white intro of post-Breaking Bad Saul Goodman, before jumping back six years before his meeting Walter White.
Back then, his name was Jimmy McGill, not Saul Goodman.
And Jimmy McGill had problems.
He couldn't pay his bills, he couldn't afford a proper office, he couldn't land a decent case as a lawyer and he was having serious trouble looking after his sick and self-sacrificingly noble brother. Over the course of the episode, a wayward pair of teen skaters and a couple suspected of embezzlement will collectively impact on McGill's life with dramatic consequences...
Unpredictability was a key factor of Breaking Bad and I'm stoked to have been kept guessing the whole way through Better Call Saul season one, episode one. It has that same distinct form of storytelling and man, I've missed it.
And long-time fans should be excited to see not just Goodman/ McGill as a returning character in the first episode.
All Breaking Bad enthusiasts fondly recall the show's glory days and its hugely memorable masterstroke moments. But it took a while to find its feet.
By the time the epic tale of Walter White came to its conclusion, it had a cult following and huge ratings that allowed a big budget, beautiful cinematography and a lengthy writing period. Re-watching the first season shows just how well the show developed, both aesthetically and narratively, over its lifespan.
Better Call Saul kicks off at a level that is immediately reminiscent of latter-season era Breaking Bad. It's shot impeccably and some of the editing and storytelling techniques show a level of maturity that is extremely rare in a TV show's debut.
After just one episode it's impossible to say whether Better Call Saul is going to be as great as Breaking Bad, but it's definitely got the potential to be. Nervous Heisenberg fans should relax - the Breaking Bad universe is still a very enjoyable place to be, even in his absence.
We're off to a great start. Bring on episode two.
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source: newshub archive
