Why you should be excited about the return of Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul just premiered its fifth season on Feb. 23. The series is kicking off with a two-night premiere, with episode two premiering Feb. 24.
Better Call Saul is a prequel to the critically acclaimed TV show Breaking Bad. It follows many of the side characters from Breaking Bad, as well as a bundle of new characters. The series focuses on the dubious lawyer from Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman, though the series takes place before Saul became Saul. At the beginning of the series, he is Jimmy McGill, a lawyer in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Each season of Better Call Saul begins with a scene post Breaking Bad, after Saul had disappeared and changed his identity. He now goes by Gene Takovich and is a Cinnabon manager. We only get one scene of Gene per season, but they’re some of the most tense parts of the show.
The normal structure of an episode follows three separate storylines. The main storyline belongs to Jimmy. His story consists of defending clients, scheming, his relationship with Kim (his love interest), and his unloving brother, Chuck. The second story follows another Breaking Bad character, Mike. Mike works with Gus (yet another Breaking Bad character), and Gus’ drug cartel that hides by using the facade of a fast food restaurant chain. The third story follows Ignacio, also known as “Nacho,” a new character. His story involves a cartel that appeared in Breaking Bad, the Salamanca family. His intentions are often unclear, but even if he has good intentions, he lives a life of crime.
The show stars Bob Odenkirk in the titular role, which is interesting. It was interesting when he was cast as Saul back in Breaking Bad, because he was originally a comedic actor. However, his comedic charm and wit bring depth and charm to Jimmy/Saul’s character.
A new main character, who was originally just a guest star last season, is Lalo Salamanca, played by Tony Dalton. I won’t spoil anything, since he’s shown up so late in the series, but his character is a breakout star this season and is very intriguing to watch.
Better Call Saul is easily one of the best shows on television right now. If you haven’t seen it, catch up to the first four seasons on Netflix, and then you can follow the brand new fifth season.
