Spin off! Is there any word more thrilling to the human soul? Well, for me personally I am always dubious because a spin off usually means that the green light came on the basis of at least part of the audience already being in place due to the popularity of another show – whether it be Cheers, Friends, or in this case – Breaking Bad. When this was announced, I did wonder if this was a story that really needed telling, or an attempt to continue a very popular and very successful show. The truth is that there is enough about Better Call Saul to avoid being accused of simple money-grabbing, but there is not enough about it to justify it standing on its own two feet without needing that Breaking Bad audience to come along with it.
The first season focuses on Jimmy McGill (Saul), but brings in Mike Ehrmantraut more as it moves forward. There are a few connections to the drug-dealing world of Breaking Bad, but mostly this is focused on Jimmy, his frustrations, his caring for his brother, and his attempts to build his own legal career. Being honest, it is not the most riveting of narratives, and I can understand why many viewers turned off, not finding a driving force behind the story or a reason to keep watching it. What kept me with the show was that I was already invested in the characters, and was interested in what happen to Jimmy and Mike; it helps that the writing, while low on event, is good on character. In particular Jimmy is developed well, and has a very good performance from Odenkirk to help it along. I hope that the second season can continue this strength, but bring in a more actively engaging narrative – because the passive one of the first season can probably only go so far.
Technically it is very well made of course; a lot of money on the screen and the Breaking Bad connection very clear in terms of specific shots and framing. I did find that it needed me to already be there, and I am not sure how many viewers would come to this show and enjoy it, without first having that investment made in the previous show, but with it I did enjoy the season – even if I never loved it. To be fair, I was not blown away by the extended pilot that was season 1 of Breaking Bad, so hopefully as Jimmy heads that direction, so too will season 2 become more interesting and engaging.
The first season focuses on Jimmy McGill (Saul), but brings in Mike Ehrmantraut more as it moves forward. There are a few connections to the drug-dealing world of Breaking Bad, but mostly this is focused on Jimmy, his frustrations, his caring for his brother, and his attempts to build his own legal career. Being honest, it is not the most riveting of narratives, and I can understand why many viewers turned off, not finding a driving force behind the story or a reason to keep watching it. What kept me with the show was that I was already invested in the characters, and was interested in what happen to Jimmy and Mike; it helps that the writing, while low on event, is good on character. In particular Jimmy is developed well, and has a very good performance from Odenkirk to help it along. I hope that the second season can continue this strength, but bring in a more actively engaging narrative – because the passive one of the first season can probably only go so far.
Technically it is very well made of course; a lot of money on the screen and the Breaking Bad connection very clear in terms of specific shots and framing. I did find that it needed me to already be there, and I am not sure how many viewers would come to this show and enjoy it, without first having that investment made in the previous show, but with it I did enjoy the season – even if I never loved it. To be fair, I was not blown away by the extended pilot that was season 1 of Breaking Bad, so hopefully as Jimmy heads that direction, so too will season 2 become more interesting and engaging.