All great story has an end but it’s ‘Saul Goodman’
The final season of arguably the best TV spinoff of all time is now streaming! Vince Gilligan’s multi-awarded crime drama ‘Better Call Saul’ is about to tell us its conclusion and how it will connect to its predecessor ‘Breaking Bad’ in its 6th and final season.
The series follows the story of a lawyer, James Morgan “Jimmy” McGill that slowly transforms into a corrupt sleazy criminal lawyer ‘Saul Goodman.’ His earnest lawyer career doesn’t treat Jimmy well, so he uses dirty tactics to earn more money and get his clients acquitted even though most of them are guilty of the crime. This got him connected with the drug cartels.
What makes it a great story?
Chekhov’s gun storytelling
If you’ve watched ‘Breaking Bad’ you know that every element in the show is important in the story. Instead of just telling you, it will show you.
A dented trashcan, a coffee vending machine, a car’s cup holder, a pair of shoes hanging on an electric power line, and many more. I can tell hundreds of small details in this show and what role it plays in the story, and I guarantee that all of it makes sense.
It talks without a word
Along with seemingly random items, this show has many establishing shots and long takes without a single dialogue. It always takes its time to tell the whole story. The first look makes it slow and boring. You’ll see quite unimportant scenes, but if you watch a little longer, it will suck you in. 10 minutes later, payoff. A long-promised, perfectly served payoff.
Change is Goodman
The main theme of the show is ‘change’. As I mentioned, this is the story of a lawyer that breaks bad (you understood the reference, right?).
You’ll see how Jimmy’s decisions, the people around him, and bad circumstances, slowly push him towards a life of crime. And with its grounded masterclass storytelling, makes its audiences understand and empathize with his actions.
Besides Jimmy, there are plenty of interesting, fleshed-out characters in this show and some of them are in Breaking Bad. You’ll get a deeper story on the drug kingpin Gus Fring and retired cop Mike Ehrmantraut. A payoff on who’s Nacho and Lalo that Jimmy is afraid of from Breaking Bad. The love of Jimmy’s life, Kim Wexler, and his brother Chuck.
Should I watch Better Call Saul before Breaking Bad?
Although this show is a prequel, I would still suggest watching the Breaking Bad then El Camino: The Breaking Bad Movie. The reason is that every first episode of each season will give us scenes of Jimmy’s life after Breaking Bad and I don’t want you to get spoiled with that. Besides that, this show can stand on its own and you can watch it first if you want.
All these shows and the movie are available on Netflix, and the final season of Better Call Saul is still ongoing with seven episodes left while writing this article.
