The first season of Better Call Saul was a mix of the character driven slow-burn corporate drama of Mad Men and the darkly comedic drug trading of Breaking Bad. It was a wonderful tonal balance, providing just enough of the latter to satisfy most fans of Breaking Bad while still remaining very much its own thing. This season, however, has taken a turn towards a more pure Mad Men type of thing. Gilligan and Gould have more than enough gusto to pull this off fantastically, and they do. But I can also understand why some Breaking Bad fans are disappointed by this season. I'm starting to feel the same way. It's not that the slow-burn approach has stopped working, but after eight episodes of brilliant but oh-so-slow pacing, I too long for a bit more of the drug smuggling thrills of Breaking Bad.
The opening tracking shot of this episode was neat, although it doesn't actually amount to much story-wise in the end. Mike spends most of the episode skulking around outside the Mexican place. However, the episode takes a focus on him in its, final minutes. We see him and Kaylee drilling holes in a hose together. An innocent and fun activity. But later we see Mike putting spikes in the holes, turning it into a deadly and brutal weapon. This is such a succinct and brilliant visual way of representing the two sides of Mike's life, his warring and yet intertwined lives.
Jimmy collaborates once again with the film students. While this scene was entertaining and funny, either I forgot or the writers haven't told us what it was for. It felt a little out of place, but was nonetheless welcome.
For me, the highlight of this season has been the McGill brother relationship. Michael McKean delivers such fascinating choices in his performance as Chuck, as do the writers. He has a fantastic scene in this episode where we see him doing what he does best, practising the law. It really gives you the sense that back in the day he was something to be reckoned with. He also gets more scenes with Jimmy, which is also a bonus. This even delivers a surprisingly touching moment. The emotions of this moment are warped into guilt, as we have just seen Jimmy do something very devious. It takes you a moment to recalibrate yourself, remind yourself of all the things the episode has shown you to justify Jimmy's actions. It's such a brilliant moment because it makes you question your own prejudices, makes you feel bad for naturally rooting for who you root for. That is the true triumph of this season; its ability to take your own judgement of who is good and who is bad and flip it on its head. It reminds you that the classic television idea of rooting for someone is not necessarily realistic. At every turn it shows you that you were wrong for judging a situation too quickly, and yet it manages to do so without totally impeding you from investing in the characters.
If you can appreciate this show for what it is, not what you want it to be as a Breaking Bad fan, it will be fantastic for you. If you wanted more Breaking Bad, it's become clear by this point in the season that you won't be getting it.
The opening tracking shot of this episode was neat, although it doesn't actually amount to much story-wise in the end. Mike spends most of the episode skulking around outside the Mexican place. However, the episode takes a focus on him in its, final minutes. We see him and Kaylee drilling holes in a hose together. An innocent and fun activity. But later we see Mike putting spikes in the holes, turning it into a deadly and brutal weapon. This is such a succinct and brilliant visual way of representing the two sides of Mike's life, his warring and yet intertwined lives.
Jimmy collaborates once again with the film students. While this scene was entertaining and funny, either I forgot or the writers haven't told us what it was for. It felt a little out of place, but was nonetheless welcome.
For me, the highlight of this season has been the McGill brother relationship. Michael McKean delivers such fascinating choices in his performance as Chuck, as do the writers. He has a fantastic scene in this episode where we see him doing what he does best, practising the law. It really gives you the sense that back in the day he was something to be reckoned with. He also gets more scenes with Jimmy, which is also a bonus. This even delivers a surprisingly touching moment. The emotions of this moment are warped into guilt, as we have just seen Jimmy do something very devious. It takes you a moment to recalibrate yourself, remind yourself of all the things the episode has shown you to justify Jimmy's actions. It's such a brilliant moment because it makes you question your own prejudices, makes you feel bad for naturally rooting for who you root for. That is the true triumph of this season; its ability to take your own judgement of who is good and who is bad and flip it on its head. It reminds you that the classic television idea of rooting for someone is not necessarily realistic. At every turn it shows you that you were wrong for judging a situation too quickly, and yet it manages to do so without totally impeding you from investing in the characters.
If you can appreciate this show for what it is, not what you want it to be as a Breaking Bad fan, it will be fantastic for you. If you wanted more Breaking Bad, it's become clear by this point in the season that you won't be getting it.
