Five-O

This episode reminds me of the surprising and well deserved letter Sir Anthony Hopkins wrote to Alan Cranston after binge viewing Breaking Bad. As a refresher I will quote how it began and highly suggest Goggling the remainder:

"Dear Mister Cranston.

I wanted to write you this email - so I am contacting you through Jeremy Barber - I take it we are both represented by UTA . Great agency.

I've just finished a marathon of watching "BREAKING BAD" - from episode one of the First Season - to the last eight episodes of the final Season. A total of two weeks (addictive) viewing.

I have never watched anything like it. Brilliant!

Your performance as Walter White was the best acting I have seen - ever.

I know there is so much smoke blowing and sickening bullshit in this business, and I've sort of lost belief in anything really.

But this work of yours is spectacular - absolutely stunning..." .

While later in the letter Anthony Hopkins tributes others including Jonathan Banks, it seems he could now easily be inspired to followup his praise with another about Jonathan's portrayal of Michael.

We have all loved Mikes impenetrable stoic character in BB and certainly delighted to see him back for further study in these earlier adventures of the ever entertaining Saul. But, I highly doubt anyone foresaw this further depth of Gilligan and Goulds character construction talents and impeccable story-line placement of them.

As it all came together in production, I would guess even they were blown away at these understandably rare final results.

When it comes to writing and actor portrayal on a level this transcendent it is no longer about intellectual definition, dissection, or description; but sheer personal delight that registers as indelible ink on ones private soul.

Only in an amazingly stupid alternate universes could one possibly not hear these words next winter; "..and the Emmy goes to.. Jonathan Banks."

Mike Ehemantraut returns (actually he goes back in time) to his earliest appearance. In "Breaking Bad," he was already the cool foundation of Gus's drug empire. Here we meet the Philadelphia cop whose son was gunned down by his own kind. Mike is damaged by this and has done something (but we don't know what it is). He visits the widowed daughter-in-law who makes him tell the story. Saul has suddenly been embedded in the criminal world we saw in "Breaking Bad." Mike's character is so sound and so taciturn that he is hard to like, but we can't take our eyes off him. I thought after the last episode this was that actor playing a different character. I apologize for my stupidity.

An absolute masterclass of an episode which magnificently explains the tragic story behind one of many exceptional characters of the BB universe Mike, and how delightfully well is it done. Jonathan Banks is such a terrific actor and his performance today was perfect. In this character-driven origins story he left me absolute stunned and changed the way I have always perceived Mike and although it is too early to say but he will win an Emmy this year, yes his acting was that good in this episode.

Although Mike hasn't been in the forefront of the show we all knew that sooner rather than later Mike would team up with Saul and become a larger part of the show. In the five episodes until now Gilligan and Gould have just given us brief glimpses of Mike which left us wanting for more. But i guess it was their way of saying to stay patient as something huge was in works. And after watching this episode I hold the writers in the highest regard for plotting such an intense, dialogue -driven hour which ends with Mike finally showing us that like all humans even he has a vulnerable side. The final moments of the episode are absolute magic especially that look of guilt and despair on Mike's face which will haunt me for at least a few days.

This gives us an insight on how well Gilligan and co. had developed these characters while creating them in BB and as layer after layer of their motivations gets dissected and we get to see the characters naked underneath their skin.

An inspiring delight that had all the hallmarks of a classic BB episode which ends on a poignant note leaving the viewers thoroughly satisfied as the credits roll.

P.S. -Let me repeat Jonathan Banks is such a terrific actor.

Greetings from Lithuania.

So, the 5 and the 6 episodes of "Better Call Saul" moves a story a bit further but not to much.

5 episode was good, but really nothing special. Acting, writing, pacing and directing were solid as usual.

However 6th episode was superb. Simply the best episode of the series so far, it lets the background story of Mike, how he ended up in Albuquerque and the story behind him is sad and tragic. I won't going to go into details, but it's a superbly paced, written and acted by Jonathan Banks. This episode truly captures the spirit of "Breaking Bad" and show life as it is.

Overall, 8/10 for 5th episode, and 10/10 for 6th.

I have covered in previous reviews the contribution Joss Whedon is considered to have made to the modern TV drama (the "long arc") but watching this incredible episode I could help but think that Gilligan and Gould need acknowledgement too.

We already know (Breaking Bad) that their key theme is human foibles. This episode, which seems at first glance to break almost every rule of episodic TV (the star is barely doing a cameo?) is a tour de force not only for Banks' acting but also for way the viewer is hooked off the top and just cannot walk away.

Incredible TV.

And notice how all the episodes for the season end in "O" -- showing off maybe, but they earned the right.

((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))