7. Better Call Saul Needs To Keep Moving Slowly
Better Call Saul probably doesn't need much of an introduction, so I'll keep it brief. The show is a Breaking Bad spin-off, and focuses on how small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill becomes a corrupt, criminal lawyer going by the name of Saul Goodman. When news of Better Call Saul first broke, fans were excited but this excitement soon became slightly wary. In Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman while increasingly important is very much a comic relief character. Many wondered whether or not such a person could truly sustain an entire TV show, and whether or not the premise would soon wear thin. It's somewhat surprising, then, just how good Better Call Saul is. One of the strengths of the show (while admittedly being one of the things that has turned some Breaking Bad fans off) is the slower pace, the emphasis on character and McGill's reluctant descent into moral turpentine. The show presents Jimmy as someone who is very much a victim of circumstance, and in doing so has created a much more tragic and fleshed out character than Breaking Bad's Saul might have suggested. With this in mind, then, the second season of Better Call Saul needs to continue in a similar fashion. The close of season one sees Jimmy rejecting HHM and his beaten down morals, seemingly embracing criminality. But it would be a total mistake to treat this as McGill's "transformation" and immediately begin throwing violent criminals at him for work. The second season needs to continue to pace itself for a start, it needs to take time to explain how Mike comes to work for Saul, as the two currently don't have a particularly healthy relationship. After all, there's still a long way between Jimmy at the end of season one and Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad.
Brian Wilson
Contributor
Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.
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