You better call Saul

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Abril Chuvac in Features

Peter Galindo

Chronicle Reporter

Better Call Saul is the long-awaited spin off of Breaking Bad which is a show that ended Sept. 29, 2013. In Breaking Bad, the protagonist Walter White had a lawyer who helped with his criminal activities. The lawyer’s name is Saul Goodman or formerly known as James Morgan McGill. The show follows James’ downfall and acts as a prequel to Breaking Bad. The first episode aired on Feb. 8 and shattered cable records for the best television premier with a 6.9 million viewer count.

The first episode of Better Call Saul started off slow as it was trying to establish the character, and the type of person he is. He deals with the struggles that go with being an attorney. This was seen as a bit overworked for me because it kept trying to establish the idea that James is a loser and is at a difficult time in his life. By the 30 minute mark it was already beating a dead horse with this idea and could bore the viewer. This would not hold someone’s attention if they have a short attention span. Although, after it was done, the show finally got into the main plotline which are James’ first steps into being the character seen in Breaking Bad.

Episode two was much more entertaining than the first episode as it dropped the viewer into the cliffhanger that they had last episode. Seeing a familiar character is a welcome addition to the cast as it links the story of Breaking Bad with this show. The episode gives some of the moral struggles that people love about Breaking Bad and starts to make the viewer think what is right, and what is wrong.

    This show is starting off to be the Breaking Bad fix that many people crave after the shows finale in 2013. These first two episodes were strong enough to get attentive viewers engaged and wanting to come back for more. The way the show is going, it seems that the viewers will get to see the backstories to certain Breaking Bad characters that did not get the kind of attention they deserve. This show has already gotten picked up for a second season, so it is worth a shot. People who plan to watch this show should watch Breaking Bad as a precursor, as it makes references to the show. This will definitely be one of the shows to watch this year.