"Better Call Saul" Is Better Than Ever

The fact that Better Call Saul has creatively surged in every way at a time in its life when most shows inevitably begin to weaken isn39t really that surprising Breaking Bad the modern classic in which the Saul of this title was introduced also maintained its quality throughout and of most importance its talented team knew when to stop It39s the same with Saul As it has drawn to a close it has not disappointed or left viewers confused or dissatisfied as have so many topshelf series when they39ve called it quits I39ll toss The Sopranos Dexter and Game of Thrones out there as three notable examples Lord knows there are many more Instead as with Bad the final episodes of Saul have thrillingly reinforced everything that has come beforeWhat stands out to me about the final season of Saul especially its second half is how fresh it has felt in recent weeks No way is this an aging franchise finally coming to an end right I have through its run thought that Saul sometime meandered a bit taking too much time to complete simple sequences and telling multiple seemingly disconnected stories that took entirely too long to intersect But the vivid characters brought to life by an uncommonly distinctive cast always kept me at full attention No surprise there as many of the characters and cast members I39m referring to migrated over from the acting showcase that was Breaking Bad But let39s stop right here and acknowledge Saul39s sterling ensemble including Bob Odenkirk Rhea Seehorn Jonathan Banks Giancarlo Esposito Michael McKean Patrick Fabian Michael Mando Tony Dalton and the restThough it has done so to various degrees since the start in its final lap Saul officially designated as a prequel to Breaking Bad though it is in part a sequel as well is giving us something I can39t recall ever seeing on television It is telling stories from three different time periods that while singularly engrossing inform events in the other two and bring to a satisfying close a collective 15 years of storytelling across two series and one movie El Camino officially a sequel to Bad This is an incredibly complex achievement and as of this writing and without having seen Saul39s final episode I can39t find anything wrong with it In fact I think I appreciate it more right now than I have during much of its runSeason six of Saul has brought the personal stories of the characters it introduced throughout its run to interesting if mostly tragic conclusions That39s in its primary timeline which has centered on Jimmy McGill the man who would become the Saul Goodman we first met onamp160 Breaking Bad and his true love and partner in cons Kim Wexler who was never seen in Bad prompting fans to fear the worst Their story especially in this end run has been humorous heartbreaking and at times more harrowing than most horror movies Was it possible to not have been on the edge of one39s seat when Jimmy and Kim were menaced and manipulated by the murderous Lalo SalamancaAll of Saul happened six years before the Breaking Bad story as we know it began but Saul has also revisited the Bad timeline in ways that have enhanced hindsight appreciation for that show Guest appearances by Bryan Cranston as Walter White and Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman only added to the fun if that39s the right word They certainly evoked nostalgiaMost impressively Saul has advanced the story of Gene Tacovic the hapless Cinnabon employee Saul Goodman remade himself as in order to escape detection by the FBI and the many dangerous people he crossed paths with while working for Walter White and other sketchy characters We39ve seen bits and pieces of Gene39s story since the first episode of Saul in 2015 but never very much and always in black and whiteThese last few episodes which take place only a few weeks after Breaking Bad and El Camino have been all about Gene and they have been alltime narrative and visual gems in part because they have been fully black and white except for scenes in previous timelines but even more because they have been full of surprises amp8230 not the least of which has been the late addition of the legendary Carol Burnett to the cast Gene needing to scratch that Jimmy and Saul itch has been getting away with various brazen misdeeds acting like a man who thinks he will never be caught until vague spoiler alert Carol39s nononsense Marion came on the scene It will come as no surprise that Burnett pictured at top with Odenkirk like everyone else on Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad has been singularly sensational in the way she has inhabited this unexpected and surprisingly crucial roleTo say that Vince Gilligan and his talented team are going out on top is a trite understatement as they have been there since Breaking Bad began But I can39t help wondering if this franchise will stand the test of time It39s a given that critics and bloggers will continue to busily deconstruct every detail of both shows for weeks to come as they have in years gone by And they will do so all over again in December when they name their picks for the top shows of the yearBut will new generations of viewers find these two shows and watch them in the order that we did And in the ways that we did For me half the fun and all of the impact has had everything to do with having to wait week after week for new episodes of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul during their respective first runs and also having to wait months sometimes more than a year for new seasons of each Not to mention enjoying the entire story including El Camino in the way Gilligan chose to tell it artfully playing with time throughout And he has always left us hungry for more That will surely be the case even after Saul concludesAMC will telecast the final episode of Better Call Saul on August 15 at 9 pmClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not 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"Better Call Saul" Is Better Than Ever

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Ed Martin

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"Better Call Saul" Is Better Than Ever

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