If you loved Breaking Bad as much as I did, you probably felt like you lost a piece of yourself after it ended. Even with Better Call Saul on the air, you may still wonder if you will ever feel whole again. I completely understand if some fans have reservations about the prequel. It would be devastating if a nearly perfect show like Breaking Bad was undermined by continuity errors or predictability. However, now that I’ve seen the first few episodes of Better Call Saul, I feel as though I owe Vince Gilligan a huge apology for not having more faith in him. So far, Better Call Saul reaches the same level of brilliance and excitement as Breaking Bad. Spoilers ahead!
Out of all the characters in Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman was probably the most mysterious. You could tell he had an interesting past, but the details were never actually brought to light, so Better Call Saul answers a lot of lingering questions. We learn how Saul and Mike met, and that Saul’s post-Breaking Bad life turned out exactly the way he predicted it would (which is both amusing and sad). We even learn a few unexpected details about Saul, such as the fact that he has a mentally unstable brother, and that Saul’s real name is Jimmy McGill. Of course, there are still a lot of questions that have yet to be answered. Most importantly, when and how does amateur lawyer Jimmy McGill officially become ace criminal lawyer Saul Goodman?
Despite the fact that we know how things end for some characters, there is still a lot of room for suspense and character development. For instance, I can’t help but wonder if there are bigger plans in store for Tuco than just a one-time appearance. He achieved a level of calmness and kindness that he didn’t quite seem capable of in Breaking Bad. Perhaps a tragedy (like the death of his abuelita?) will commence his transformation into a ruthless, meth-abusing murderer who has to take care of his disabled uncle.
While it’s great seeing old Breaking Bad characters like Tuco and Mike, some of the new characters deserve recognition as well. The twins brothers, Lars and Cal Lindholm, are hilarious in the first two episodes! Even though they were mischievous, I felt terribly sorry for them when Tuco broke their legs. Nacho Varga also seems like an interesting character. His intelligence and ambition seem harmless for now, but I have a feeling he’s going to get Jimmy in a lot of trouble later on.
One critique that I have is that Better Call Saul is a little too guy-heavy right now. I’m hoping that as the season progresses, we’ll be introduced to at least one female character who is as tough as Skyler White. Perhaps Kim Wexler, who works for the successful law firm Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill, will be the one to take on that role, but so far I’m not impressed with her. She seems a little too willing to let Jimmy off the hook for lying.
Other than that, I look forward to seeing this series unfold. If you haven’t started watching it yet, keep in mind that you need to be very knowledgeable about Breaking Bad to fully appreciate and enjoy Better Call Saul. If you have the time, I recommend re-watching the original series on Netflix first.