Wow, wow, WOW! They did it, guys. They managed to make Better Call Saul every bit as good as Breaking Bad. Honestly I think Better Call Saul followed a very similar trajectory as Breaking Bad too, where the show definitely did start out a little slow, but then eventually got better and better as it went, until it’s just fantastic now by the end of it. Better Call Saul does still have one more season to go, but I felt like here in season 5 it just got really incredible. Every episode was gripping, and the last few especially were nothing short of perfection.
I don’t like to go too in-depth with storylines in my reviews of TV shows that have a continuous plot, since to me it would feel like the equivalent of reviewing one section of a movie. Especially in the fifth season of a show like this, I’d either be spoiling amazing things for those that haven’t watched it, or I’d be telling the plot to people that have already seen it. The basic gist here, though, is that Jimmy has finally donned the title of Saul Goodman, and his journey into becoming the corrupt lawyer that we all knew him as in Breaking Bad is starting to look more complete. The drug side of the show is also moving in a similar direction, where things move in some exciting directions that start to mimic where we’re at in the start of Breaking Bad. Season 5 essentially moves all of the chess pieces into the spots where we’re aware that we’re now in the endgame.
It’s really weird, though, because you would never think that a prequel could be so exciting and tense. There are things that we know have to happen in order for this story to be complete, and yet it’s so thrilling seeing the when, why, and how of it all. Right now the biggest question mark in the series is Kim, who plays a huge role in Saul’s life, and yet is completely absent from Breaking Bad. We all know something bad has to happen there, and the showrunners know this too, which is why they keep playing with us. Some things happen in this season where now we have to ask ourselves “okay…so if you’re doing this with the character…then how is this all going to work out in the end?” The idea of feeling so excited about seeing where a prequel is heading is so strange, yet it happens constantly in this show. I think it’s because, while we know what the destination looks like, we have no idea what the journey looks like, and so it’s been so exciting to watch it all unfold.
I have been saying for a long time now that Better Call Saul is one of the most criminally underrated shows on TV right now, and that has never rang more true than with this newest season. It’s strange to me because Breaking Bad was so popular and widely loved, and yet I never hear anyone talk about Better Call Saul. And I get that the first season started slow, so some people probably gave up, but the first season of Breaking Bad also started slow. The fact is, this show has built momentum in the exact same way that Breaking Bad did, and so I feel like now it’s hit its peak and has become every bit as good as Breaking Bad was. There was never a dull moment in this season, and I was so gripped by the entire thing. I think anyone that’s not watching this show is making a huge mistake. This is one of the best seasons of TV I’ve seen in a while.
5/5
