Of all the spinoff series out there, I think it’s easy to say that “Better Call Saul” is probably one of, if not the, best. It’s incredibly rare that a spinoff series is good at all, let alone on par with its original show — and when that original show is one of the most celebrated shows in television history, that’s an incredible accomplishment. With a fantastic first two seasons, myself and others have been left wondering how long BCS can keep it up.
The answer is apparently “however long the show pleases,” as immediately episode one of season three stands out as one of the best yet. The beginning of the episode opens the season on an unprecedented and frankly surprising cliffhanger, leaving a tasty teaser for the audience to anticipate for the rest of the season. It’s also a very good cliffhanger in terms of writing, because it’s an incredibly interesting plot point to eventually be resolved and not one that will force you to spend every episode wondering how each action in the show will lead up to it.
In usual “Breaking Bad” and BCS fashion, a lot is said with particularly little dialogue. Actions drive the plot forward, building suspense with extreme artisanship and finesse. Though the episode picks up directly from where the end of season two left off and immediately defuses the cliffhangers from that season, it wastes no time building up to another series of confrontations with only a short series of incredibly well selected shots and sequences.
Of particular note is the spectacular performance of Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, who manages to express a wide range of emotions and character depth despite the character’s extremely steely and monotone exterior. Not only is his performance absolutely exceptional, but the writing for his character and the plot that Mike finds unwinding around him is downright fascinating. In a matter of minutes and without a single word, the cliffhanger involving Mike is addressed, assessed and managed. Only the necessary details are shown, and the tension is palpable as we watch an unnerved Ehrmantraut struggle to understand who could have discovered his plot to kill Salamanca.
Meanwhile, the ever more distant McGill brothers’ drama is both heart wrenching and compelling. Both characters are written with such dynamics and depth that every moment of their conversation will have you on the edge of your seat attempting think one step ahead of what will happen next, like a game of conversational depth. And if you thought Chuck’s plan was so simple and transparent that somehow Jimmy would be safe, think again; BCS’s writers have spared no expense attending to every detail of their characters and situations. True to both Chuck’s intellect and the viewer’s, the show quickly addresses the plot hole that Chuck has no real legal leverage with his tape recording; no matter though, as he’s got something much more sinister and mysterious in mind.
Every second of this intense, fascinating season premier is on par with some of the best episodes of “Breaking Bad” itself, and for the right person, perhaps even better. There were actually moments where I audibly gasped out loud in both excitement and shock at the implications of certain scenes. “Better Call Saul” does something that very few television shows do in this day and age, and that’s treat its viewers with respect. Respect to their intelligence, respect to their patience and respect to their meticulous attention to detail. Despite being a prequel, it’s the kind of show that constantly leaves you without a clue as to what will come next. It has all of the right elements of what made “Breaking Bad” so great, and it seems that so far, this show can do no wrong. I highly recommend that if you haven’t done so already, get up to speed on seasons 1 and 2; this promises to be a season that you won’t — no, can’t — wait a year for to show up on Netflix.
