Review: Better Call Saul

Darling Hubby and I were late to make the acquaintance of Better Call Saul, an AMC original series.

It’s free on Netflix and can also be found for sale on Amazon Prime.

There are 5 seasons on Netflix, and Season 6 can currently be seen on AMC.

About Better Call Saul

The series is set in 2002 and is a  prequel to the groundbreaking series, Breaking Bad. 

It introduces Jimmy McGill, a lawyer trying to win his brother’s respect, admiration, and love. Jimmy, an oddball who can’t seem to make the right choices, endears himself to the viewer despite his propensity for making a bad situation worse.

What Jimmy doesn’t know is that his brother loathes him and camouflages that scorn with a  righteous stance that screams hypocrisy.

If Jimmy had a moral compass, he might well have surpassed his famous lawyer brother because he has wit and personality. Instead, all roads lead to his eventual downfall. By the time Jimmy embraces his criminal tendencies, the viewer—well, this viewer—begins to dislike him and his scamming ways.

Eventually, Jimmy remakes himself into attorney Saul Goodman who represents Walter White (Bryan Cranston), the notorious chemist-turned-meth dealer of Breaking Bad.

Why Watch Better Call Saul

It’s like watching a train wreck. You can’t look away. Bob Odenkirk who is Jimmy McGill makes you like him, sympathize with him, and despair of his calamities. For 4 seasons, your heart goes out to Jimmy.

By the time you dislike the man Jimmy has become, you’re already invested in the characters and their various storylines like retired cop Mike Ehrmantraut who has a specialized skill set. Ehrmantraut is brilliantly played by veteran actor Jonathan Banks. 

Then there’s the drug dealer Nacho Varga portrayed by Michael Mando who makes you sincerely believe he wishes he’d never got involved with the cartel. 

Takeaway Truth

Excellent scripts that give the actors believable characterizations, compelling stories, superb acting, twists and turns, intelligent plots—all of that and more are the reasons you should watch Better Call Saul.

Joan Reeves aka SlingWords: The Word Slinging Adventures of Joan Reeves