Confession: I’ve seen probably 5 episodes of Breaking Bad and I was just not a fan. It felt too dark and heavy, like a chore to me. When I saw them pull that kids body out of the dirt pile in the truck I was like OK I’M OFFICIALLY DONE TRYING, HERE. Better Call Saul, on the other hand, is an utter delight. Bob Odenkirk gets his hard earned time to shine thirty years in the making with an utterly inspired casting choice. This is one of those perfect trifectas of genius character, fine-tuned writing, and outstanding acting. Jimmy McGill (not yet taking on the Saul name) is one of the most entertaining characters on TV. A natural hustler, Jimmy makes things happen practicing law while tight-rope walking the ethical line. He fights with others and himself to justify the questionable things he does. If he does something morally dubious, it’s always for the benefit of someone else. Sure, he may tamper with evidence, but it’s because someone else’s life will be altered by it!
The show is a study on characters. The plots are interesting and the situations hold tension, but what really stands out are the paths the characters choose to take. A strength of Better Call Saul is its unpredictability. You can never guess what someone is going to do. Even when a character is clearly making a certain decision, it is not laid out point blank for you to see. You are led on a bit of a goose chase, left on the edge of your seat. The characters are two steps ahead of us and it makes for enticing TV.
A hugely underrated actor, Michael McKean, portrays Jimmy’s mentally disturbed lawyer brother. Their relationship is tumultuous with a constant power struggle. The brothers each have a huge ego, constantly trying to one up each other as they have done all their lives. Michael’s character Chuck has worked hard at his law degree and is a brilliant book-smart lawyer. Jimmy woke up one day wanting to be a lawyer, got a chintzy law degree, and passed the bar without much effort. Jimmy has charisma and grit which wins people over immediately. For those reasons Chuck feels competitive with him. Chuck has a ‘condition’ called electromagnetic sensitivity. Basically it results in him depending on ice in coolers, gas lamps, and astronaut blankets. Leading a life as such makes practicing law very difficult for him, and his partners (see: leaving all cell phones and key fobs out of meetings. Well, ok, that’s not so difficult on paper, but, you know. It really is.) Chuck’s condition serves as an interesting story element and is both a figurative and literal lack of power over Jimmy. As a result of this problem the lighting team was given an even bigger one. I have never seen such an impeccably lit…ANYTHING. (I mean,…other than Kendrick Lamar’s new album but STICK WITH ME HERE.) Chuck’s home has no electricity in it, proving a major challenge in the lighting department. Have you ever tried to properly light something that’s dark on film? On your iPhone? Do you realize how difficult it is? Cuz I do. So much so, that I get distracted by the minuscule points of light in the scenes in Chuck’s home. It is impossibly dark and yet perfectly lit.
On the one hand we have this story punctuated with dark visual moments, and on the other we have the opposite. Mike Ehrmantraut (portrayed by Jonathan Banks) gets the privilege of being mysterious in his straight-faced badass role of the judge, jury, and executioner. While Mike has a darker storyline, it is oft portrayed in giant vast landscapes of high desert mecca assisted by extreme angles and long horizon lines. Lots of blue sky and red rocks. Where Jimmy’s work is done up close and face to face, Mike’s is tucked away in secret meeting places at a long distance. Mike is an ex cop and some sort of ex marine or something. And I think he’s an ex something else, too. He finds himself working in a parking toll and a hit man for the local gangs. Mike has an infinite knowledge of all things vigilante. While he also struggles with his moral conscience, he is keenly able to predict the nuances of a murderous situation with the affect of…I dunno,…Mariah Carey?? Someone unbothered, learned, collected, confident, and secure. That sounds like Mimi, right?? WORK THROUGH THE CLUNKY COMPARISON, I BEG YOU.
On to the rough part. I dunno if it’s cuz I seem to dislike women in general, (except Mariah?) but, Kim Wexler (by Rhea Seehorn) is the most middle of the line person on all of television, ever. When my class of 500 students was ranked by GPA my senior year, I seriously landed at like 252. THAT IS KIM WEXLER. She is neither hateful nor lovable. She has no outstanding qualities whatsoever. A friend pointed out she is “a powerful lawyer.” Well, ok. And what?? She has the personality of drywall. I believe her purpose is to be the dead leaf in the wind, floating throughout the storylines to serve as the characterless character propping up the other stories around her. I do think the acting contributes to this. Rhea makes choices, but they feel so….blah. Too neutral? I’m not sure. I’m having a hard time articulating how I feel about Kim, if you can believe that.
The show is a prequel to Breaking Bad, (the presence of flip phones a common reminder,) and that in itself makes for unique viewing. Better Call Saul is a modern show while emulating faux history, it’s genre blending abilities combining drama with a wink and a nudge. Dark, yet hopeful. BB fans know where our Jimmy ends up, so the show is one of a kind as it’s like solving a puzzle backwards. What happens to Kim? Chuck? Why does Jimmy shift to Saul? Is it a legal issue? Just how did he get so entwined in the local gangs?…
Better Call Saul airs on AMC and can usually be found on Netflix.
