The season three premiere of AMC’s “Better Call Saul,” the spinoff-prequel to their critically acclaimed-smash hit “Breaking Bad,” aired Monday night, picking up exactly where season two left off.
The spinoff focuses on the struggles of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk, “Girlfriend’s Day”), who is goodhearted, but tends to cut corners, and his evolution into Saul Goodman, who was Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston, “Power Rangers”) sleazy lawyer and major accomplice on “Breaking Bad.” Season three of “Better Call Saul” is still set pre-“Breaking Bad” in its universe.
Saul’s life prior to the entrance of White is something quite different. Although his decisions are still ethically questionable, they are at a much lower level. We get to truly experience where this man comes from and it is exciting to see how the resentment from his older brother Chuck (Michael McKean, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”) is turning into a feud that will presumably have everlasting consequences for everyone.
This is also the period of his life where he meets Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks, “Mudbound”) a “Breaking Bad” fan favorite.
“Better Call Saul” also acts as the backdrop to tell more of Mike’s story before he works for Saul on a regular basis. Mike’s solo dynamic within the story is probably the best secondary storyline in all of television and Banks has plenty of outstanding moments as Mike, who is always a force on screen.
It has already been confirmed that season three will be the season when Jimmy becomes Saul. Odenkirk has stated, however, that he will be a much different character from the one he is in “Breaking Bad.” He is still trying to discover who he truly is, while attempting to make his brother and lover, Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn, “Franklin & Bash”), happy.
Everyone puts on an absolute acting clinic in their roles.
After season two was finished, fans discovered an anagram within each episode’s title that spelled out “FRING’S BACK,” teasing the return of the major “Breaking Bad” villain, Gus Fring, into the universe. Odenkirk has stated this is also a very different Fring, one that is still developing his drug empire.
This series comes as a bit of a surprise. At its conception, it was debated between co-creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould what the show would be. Originally, it was a half hour comedy in which Saul would interact with a variety of different characters, but they very quickly realized there was a whole world to develop around this character that was previously only seen in his office.
Gilligan, who created “Breaking Bad,” and Gould, who was the actual creator of Saul Goodman, wrote and directed a number of episodes for both series. With similar styles in terms of storytelling and visuals, this prequel is a perfect companion to a series that is so beloved.
“Better Call Saul” is going to take viewers before, during and after “Breaking Bad,” which for fans, is an absolute pleasure. “Breaking Bad” was absolute perfection from beginning to end and the fact that they have been able to expand this supporting role into something just as epic and awesome is incredibly impressive.
Although viewers know the end game, watching all of the little details in between unfold makes for a show that might end up as fantastic as its predecessor.
