Better Call Saul (Season 2)

I fell into the Breaking Bad pool years ago and got hooked completely. Maybe it was because I’m a teacher and the main character is easy to identify with. Whatever the reason, I loved the show and watched it faithfully through all seasons. In contrast, I wasn’t very take in by Better Call Saul, the spinoff about a crooked lawyer. But that was season one, now I’m in s2 and it is really amazing.

Better Call Saul

“The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer, Jimmy McGill, in the time leading up to establishing his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.” -IMDB

Cast

Patrick Fabian Howard Hamlin (30 episodes, 2015-2017)
Michael McKean Chuck McGill (30 episodes, 2015-2017)
Rhea Seehorn Kim Wexler (30 episodes, 2015-2017)
Bob Odenkirk Jimmy McGill (30 episodes, 2015-2017)

Directed by

Written by

Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould

Other Info

Crime, Drama
TV-14
2015
46min
IMDB Rating: 8.7

Vince Gilligan is once again at the helm. He does a great job in s2 showing how Saul becomes the lawyer he is. He was like an ADHD kid who used crime as his Ritalin. His brother knows him well and shares a lot of back story that explains Saul. Like Breaking Bad, we are led hither and yon to decide if he is a good guy or not. I am still not sure myself but I like the character!

To summarize, Saul is a lawyer who just can’t fit in any law practice. He rents a space in the back of a laundromat and starts practicing law his way. He finds loopholes but they never seem to hurt anyone, except big fat rich people, the likes that pilfer funds from old folks’ homes. I guess he’s a Robin Hood figure that way. S1 was dull in my opinion but S2 is so good, I have that same feeling when I would watch Breaking Bad. Looks like Vince Gilligan has still got it.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This is a great, engaging show that is worth your time. It raises issues of the legal system similar to many legal drama shows. I recently wrote the same thing about Billy Bob Thornton’s series Goliath. You won’t find Saul in court much but when you hear him offer legal reasoning it’s refreshing and “everyman” in style. I highly recommend (require) fans of Breaking Bad to see this. For those who like morality play in legal dramas, this is also for you. Because it lagged a lot in S1 and I’m not yet done, this is a preliminary rating. I could see this show getting to a 8 or 9/10. For now however:

7/10

Author: Damien Riley

Damien Riley is a singer-songwriter from the High Desert of Southern California, known for his original music, books, a blog, and the podcast "Riley on Film". He is currently seeking West Coast venues for live concerts and stand-up routines. View all posts by Damien Riley