Better Call Saul: Season One

I heard such great stuff about this. I liked it, it was worth my time but I would disagree with those who liked it better than Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad was soooo much better.

The Waffle House Has Found Its New Host.

Comparisons with the titanic “Breaking Bad: are inevitable, since this show shares not only creator Vince Gilligan but is a spin off of some key characters – here in an origin story taking palace before “Breaking Bad”. But this new show – great in it’s own way – really is quite a different animal. “Breaking Bad” felt big, powerful, operatic. A Beethoven symphony of a show. While it had humor, the blasts of dark drama and tension dominated. “Better Call Saul” feels like more of a chamber piece, a string quartet, or a great trio. Quieter, more intimate, leaning more towards the comic, its themes about America and success are mostly fed with a wink, and not a punch to the stomach. The pace is slower too. This is a character study, and it’s content to allow us to just watch some very interesting people working through their strange funny/sad lives without pushing the plot along all that much. It’s an outstanding show, but on its own terms, in its own way.The acting is terrific. Bob Odenkirk creates a truly likable semi-sad sack with truly questionable morals and decision making ability, but a big heart. Jonathan Banks continues as one of the best television characters ever, his aging ex-cop a brilliant, cold, coiled snake, who always lets out just enough humanity to know that while this guy could kill you in a heartbeat if he had to, deep down he’s a good guy, a loving grandfather, a moral man. Michael McKean does a great job as Odenkirk’s deeply disturbed brother. He will always be a smarter, better lawyer than Jimmy, he will always hold a grudge, and he is Odenkirk’s exact opposite. The guy who – on paper – we should feel bad for, but who is just icy and venal enough to keep us at an intrigued distance. If the character has a weak spot it’s that he can get a bit repetitive, but that’s more a function of how the man is limited by his paranoid psychosis, not a limitation of acting or writing.As with “Breaking Bad” the writing is specific, idiosyncratic, full of terrific dialogue that sounds naturalistic, but has just the right touch of poetry blended in. And as with it’s predecessor, the direction and cinematography is always at a high level, very cinematic, unafraid of staying in wide shots, or playing scenes in long takes instead of the rapid cutting that still dominates most TV – even very good TV. There are occasional lapses – I saw the twist ending of season 2 coming a mile off. But – if not as driven and instantly unforgettable as it’s parent show - this is intelligent, subtle and special television, not quite like anything else before or since.

If you seen Breaking Bad, and enjoyed that whole series, then you will surely be excited to finally get to watch this new Prequel to that original story line. Where all the characters from Breaking Bad that popped up for an episode or a few before ending up dead one way or another after having anything to do with the great Heisenberg, are back in this series. Plus you get to see many of those characters living in a world before meth was involved with any of the interactions between anybody. Most importantly in my opinion is the fact that this series is being produced by the same crew of all the great talented group of people that brought us Breaking Bad. The cinematography was truly so beautifully shot that it was undeniably very well and precisely as well as carefully put together the way it was to get the viewer's interest into buying into the storyline. I always believed that if it was anybody else playing either of those 2 characters played by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, the story just wouldn't have been as interesting, crazy and wildly addicting to watch. But more importantly, if Walter's attorney was any other character that just blended in along with the storyline and not the fast talking, joke cracking unique sense of reason that was Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk, I truly believe the show wouldn't have had the kind of magic that it had. It's now even more interesting to get to see where Saul's character came from and the hell of a ride of that he had as his path in life before meeting the great Heisenberg. Everything about the series is just absolutely brilliant if you enjoy the hard work that was put in by Vince Gilligan in Breaking Bad, he is a truly talented director as well as the actors that he works with. I'm confident that his work on this series will be just as epic & unforgettable, just enjoy watching with no expectations of or predictions or comparing anything to how anything was in Breaking Bad. I'm sure this series will be just as unpredictable and crazy, no need to be Polly Pissy pants if some parts resemble others parts previously seen , everything was shot a certain way to be seen a certain way by the viewer, but remember that this is how they lure you in to thinking of whats going to happen next, then throw the user a curveball out of left field when its least expected. So just roll with the flow and enjoy the great series that it is, it all could've ended with Breaking Bad but luckily this spinoff was written and made it to production for us to enjoy watching in less than a year of Breaking Bad ending.

Even if you have not watched Breaking Bad this is a great show

i think we can all agree this show is way better than rings of power. i cant belive amazon did auch a horrible job with that show. Reacher though they did great with. reacher is an amazon exclusive and its proof they can do a good job with the right cast and crew.

It’s good, delivered fast

As most people know, this is a prequel to Breaking Bad. Everyone behind this series has done a wonderful job. Rather than talk about the Blu-ray discs and the show (which has many reviews, so no need to be redundant) ... I briefly want to explain why I took off one star ...Better Call Saul season 1 Collector's Edition Blu-ray also includes a digital download with Ultraviolet. The purpose is to download the season to a device for playback later when you might not be able to access a Blu-ray player. You also get Sony points for this purchase via the code. The problem is the code for both expired 3 years ago. Expired 12/31/2018. So, for this I took off 1-star.

Set mainly six years before "Breaking Bad", this spin-off focuses on that show's flamboyant dodgy lawyer Saul. How came Saul to be? We follow here his earlier life as Jimmy McGill - main asset the gift of the gab, this exploited to the full when hustling. Then comes determination to make good - he secretly studying for a law degree whilst working in the mail room of a prestigious law company. Mixed fortunes follow, not to mention a shock (both for him and viewers) that changes everything.Result? A mixture of dark quirky humour, highs, lows and moments that prove genuinely moving.Bob Oldenkirk delivers a tour de force as Jimmy. How great to see Jonathan Banks again as Mike! Here is an actor who believes less is more - so much conveyed with barely a word or gesture - his Mike an ideal unsmiling counterpoint to Jimmy's exuberance. Much that surprises is to be learned about him, an episode in which he mainly features one of the season's best.Not everything works, but a lot does - enough to raise hopes for a fine second season.Ten episodes, all with commentaries. Modest other bonuses but they are worth a look.

Absolutely magnificent, but I suspect that the later seasons are going to be the real pleasure.Bob Odenkirk, the eponymous star of the series, said that the show was 85% drama and 15% comedy ----- I'm not sure that he has got the proportions right but certainly there are some dark and spellbinding moments that probably confused watchers as to how to treat this dish ---- sweet or savoury?Episode 6 particularly played out like a police thriller with corrupt cops, drugs, murders and revenge.On balance this is one of the best, most tightly written series I have ever seen with not a single word of dialogue wasted throughout its 10 episodes.I've yet to enjoy the complete 'Breaking Bad' collection which was spread over 5 years and will return to it joyfully after watching its offspring emulate the parent. A cross between a British series ( average 6 episodes) and the usual American formula (20+ episodes) ----- a healthy length in my honest opinion.When actors fit their written characters 'like a glove' you know something special is happening on screen and here Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks and Michael McKean have conjured up three oddball personas that are a pleasure to watch as they unravel in each episode. I know there's more to come from them plus others that reappear from 'the mother ship'.I just wish that I'd bought the 2 season box set instead of season 1 alone.Note on subtitles : Yes this dvd HAS English subtitles but the menu has confused some people as the word subtitles doesn't appear on the opening page of the menu.After selecting language a small icon appears > which you click and all the subtitles are displayed. Fooled me initially.

Wow, remember Breaking Bad (***** tv), and do you remember how empty you felt when it ended. Well, Walter and Jesse's journey was pretty much completed from beginning to end, but what of the other 1/3 of the partnership - slippery lawyer Saul Goodman? It's time to find out in this fantastic spin off which serves as both a sequel and prequel. It starts off pretty slow moving, and just like Breaking Bad, it takes a fair few episodes to get going. The routes of Jimmy McGill (Saul) are both intriguing and surprising. Michael McKean (of Short Circuit 2 & TVs Smallville) is excellent as his older sibling Chuck and is integrill to the story, whilst a few characters from BB reappear, with many more lined up over coming seasons.

I enjoyed this very much after something of a slow start.. This is not 'Breaking Bad' it's set at a different pace altogether, not exactly 'leisurely' but not frantic' either. Some of the stars in BB do make an occasional appearance (Mike is great!), could only wish there were more.Well worth the purchase.

Slower pace initially to Breaking Bad but as there is more character exploration I think this makes it necessary.As the series develops it starts to get better and better and you never know what strange twists and turns Saul's career and life's going to take. Fully absorbed and now enjoying more than BB... just wish the newer series weren't taking so long to be released.