Marco

When I first heard that Vince Gilligan was working on Breaking Bad spinoff "Better Call Saul", I dismissed it as an oddly-conceived cash grab for AMC. I mean, seriously...a show all about Saul Goodman? Nah, that'll never work...right? But then, something a bit strange happened: All the pre-show reviews/buzz gave it incredibly high marks. It got picked up for a second season before the pilot even aired! All of that being said, I settled in to watch that opening episode with very low expectations. 10 episodes later, I was amazed by the quality of the show and the continued genius of its creators. If only I could figure out what the heck kind of a show it is (or wants to be)!

The basic premise of "Better Call Saul" sees Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), essentially a con-man, trying to make it in public law defense while running schemes on the side. He's got a cramped office (in the back of a salon owned by a number of Asian women), crashes with brother Chuck (Michael McKean), a once-great lawyer who Jimmy reveres, but now has some sort of strange sensitivity to electronics (or is it all just in his head?), and seems to have very little future. He is connected to the law firm managed by Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian), primarily through a female friend Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), but doesn't seem to be too well-received around the place. Oh yes, and let's not forget...the "ticket-taker" parking lot attendant just happens to be a stone-faced figure named Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks).

It's very tough for me to describe a show like "Better Call Saul", because to be honest, I've never quite seen a show like it. Whereas some TV shows produce serial episodes (like Breaking Bad did) and others take a more "plot of the week approach" (think Person Of Interest in its most basic form), this show manages to do both at the exact same time. Each episode is about something almost completely different than the next...yet there is still tremendous amounts of character growth from beginning to end.

I won't throw in any absurd spoilers here (maybe some minor ones), but when the show begins, it looks to really be skirting off the coattails of Breaking Bad's success. Nacho Varga (Michael Mando) makes a very quick appearance, and just the whole look/feel/vibe of the show screams "BB nostalgia!". By the third episode, however, the show turns into Jimmy's quest to change from "Slippin' Jimmy" to a respectable lawyer. Just as soon as that has happened, the show takes an abrupt aside to focus on Mike for an entire episode before its back to Jimmy & Co. Towards the end, more time is given to Jimmy's strange relationship with brother Chuck, female friend Kim, and a potentially new career path that could offer him some legitimacy...if he chooses to fully embrace it.

Suffice it to say, this show shifts gears quicker than Slippin' Jimmy himself can concoct another rip-off scheme! I can honestly say I've never seen a show cover so much ground (and diverse ground at that) in the span of just 10 episodes. The plots/scenarios of the show play on a very interesting dynamic: even though the viewers know exactly who/what "Jimmy" will become, we tend to forget that while we are watching because the stories/characters are so engrossing. Just when we (as viewers) think we have everything "figured out", however, we are always reminded that we know exactly how this Jimmy character is going to turn out. So, the show really taps into two distinct emotional areas: The one where we WANT Jimmy to do something, and the one where we KNOW he is going to do something...the question just being "when?"

Yet, despite all the praise I have heaped on the show so far, I can't give it the full five stars for this opening campaign for one main reason: I really just don't know what I am watching yet. It's like each episode is a non sequitur. A very entertaining non sequitur, to be sure, but just all over the map in terms of plot from episode to episode. Like I said previously, I've never watched a show like this before...one in which I enjoy it each week but can't quite put my finger on how/why.

Putting things into perspective, though, I actually thought that "Better Call Saul" had a more intriguing initial season than its cousin "Breaking Bad" (which I felt took a whole season and a half to really find the base of the characters). This show does it in the opening scene of the opening episode...tight from the word "go". I enjoyed each and every episode, and will be waiting patiently until the next installment of Jimmy McGill's inevitable journey towards Saul Goodman.

Man do I love this show.

The first time I watched this season 2.5 years ago I thought it was cool but a bit boring. But now after viewing it again with my girlfriend: it's an amazing season.

Gilligan and Gould do it again!

Well, the first season of Better Call Saul has come to a conclusion. It feels like just yesterday was ten weeks ago when I was eagerly anticipating the two night series premiere that awaited me and millions of other Breaking Bad fans, as well as people who didn't watch BB. Two and a half months have passed in a split second.

This episode, directed by one of the main men Peter Gould, was almost definitely my favourite installment of this excellent series so far. And I think I've said this before in one of my other BCS episode reviews, but just because I don't give it a 10/10 stars rating, doesn't mean it isn't a damn near perfect episode. For example, Breaking Bad was one of the best shows I've ever watched but I only gave a 10/10 rating for one of them, and it was the finale.

Nearly everything was spot on in 'Marco.' The cinematography was stunning as usual, which you can only expect from the team that brought you BB. Screenplay - as usual - top notch. The music was first-rate as always, from the original score to 'Smoke on the Water' playing near the end, all the pieces were placed in the episode at the exact right time to perfection. One of the best thing about 'Marco' was the acting. Some of the best performances I've seen from the main cast were displayed today, as well as outstanding performances from not-so-regular cast members. Everyone represented their characters wonderfully and portrayed the personalities of them extremely well

So, thanks Gilligan, Gould and the crew for filling the Breaking Bad hole that has been left unoccupied for the last year-and-a-bit. You sent off the show for the first season stunningly with a great cliffhanger, and I - as well as millions of other fans - will be awaiting season 2 eagerly, and we will likely not be disappointed when it finally arrives.

9/10

It was always going to be interesting to see how Jimmy reacted to the bombshell in the previous episode and it was brilliantly displayed. Jimmy McGill is a very different character to Walter White (sorry but the Breaking Bad comparisons will continue - speaking of which, there is a great reference in the episode, that brought a smile!) and it was very refreshing to see his inner turmoils.

The storyline is quite clever too, to keep the story arc ticking but also show Jimmy at his best, doing what he absolutely enjoys. There were so many doubts as to how Bob Odenkirk can lead this show, but he truly shows what a great actor he is, especially in the scenes where he has to show/hide his emotions.

While the episode was slightly more mellow than the previous one, but it finished on a nice ending, and leaves fans with great excitement for what's to come in season 2. This show will definitely last a few more seasons and I cannot wait to see the transformation of Jimmy to Saul! Bring on season 2!!

What a season! I now think this has a place in the in the better half of Breaking Bad and Better Call Seasons after the rewatch. It's so well written.

This episode though was significantly less cinematic. I think it's fair to say there wasn't much going on in this episode. The conflicts that it deal with have more or less been brought to climax in the last episode and this is more of an Aftermath episode. Nevertheless it is nice to have episodes characters are just being introspective and dealing with their inner aftermath privately.

The montage of scams didn't work for me at all unlike all those other awesome montages in this series.