10 minute read
ENTERTAINMENT
“Better Call Saul” is a lesson in subtlety, but is it too subtle?
Season six of “Better Call Saul” has just arrived, releasing two or three episodes per week to keep people from binging but also Joseph avoiding too much of Nelson a wait for the whole season to come out. Regardless of strange streaming techniques used by modern TV companies, Netflix has finally made Season five of “Better Call Saul” available for users to watch in one or two sittings. I was skeptical of “Better Call Saul,” as I believed “Breaking Bad” (the show “Better Call Saul” is a prequel to) is near impossible to beat in terms of character and plot development, but the first three seasons really convinced me of the show’s worth in the “Breaking Bad” universe, and Season five really sets a great stage for the show’s finale.
“Breaking Bad,” at its core, is about a man who would otherwise be assumed to be an upstanding, lawabiding chemistry teacher but lives a double life as a ruthless drug pin. “Better Call Saul” is inverted, telling the tale of Saul Goodman (played by Bob Odenkirk) who is expected by everyone to turn into a crook, when in reality he wants to help others but knows how easy it is to cheat and manipulate to get his way. It just comes naturally to him, so watching these shows side by side displays an incredible thematic contrast I thought only achieved in literary classics. Granted, the first three seasons were so good because of the inclusion of Chuck McGill, Saul Goodman’s brother. With Michael McKean’s departure from the show, the writers have really had a hard time justifying its progression. As Jesse Pinkman represented the polar opposite personality of Walter White, McGill represented the polar opposite of Goodman. So, Season four of “Better Call Saul” was pretty forgetful without McKean. However, Season five makes plot lines I once found skippable turn into worthwhile stories. In past seasons, the plot lines including the crime bosses from “Breaking Bad” really bored me, and I felt like these stories demystified these characters and their appearances in Walter White’s storyline, as most prequels do. However, in Season five, I really enjoyed how they tied these story threads into Kim and Saul’s storyline, as they’ve generally remained separate from one another up until this point. Season five also fleshes out the emotional through lines of the show, such as Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) and Saul’s romantic relaBob Odenkirk plays main character Saul Goodman in “Better Call Saul,” 2020.
tionship being tested in a unique and dramatic fashion, not to mention all the schemes Goodman commits to in enacting revenge against Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabion), the show’s straight-laced technocrat who wants to make amends with Goodman but quickly realizes nothing can eclipse the chip on Goodman’s shoulder, put there by all Chuck McGill did to prevent him from being a lawyer.
With crime bosses, scheming lawyers, narrow escapes and criminal intrigue, one would think “Better Call Saul” is an action-packed, sensationalist show, in the same vein as a “House of Cards”. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Instead of opting for the sensational, cheap back steps, needless twists in character motivations, the writers of “Better Call Saul” prefer the little things over the large. The center visual piece for a main character getting kidnapped isn’t something obvious or tired or cliche, like a dropped photo or something. It’s an ice cream cone, dropped on the ground, which becomes infested by ants in the timespan the main character is detained by criminals. The word “nuance” is a pretty overused descriptor nowadays, but good stories, in my opinion, don’t opt for the obvious image or symbol. They show us something we haven’t seen before. As “Better Call Saul” spends an episode introduction on the slow decay of an ice cream cone, swarmed by insects, some may think that’s boring, but I really respect the pursuit to give audiences a point of view they haven’t seen before.
Sure, a character balancing a revolver on a train track isn’t as ex-
PHOTO COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES TELEVISION
citing as a character dramatically throwing his weapon into the sea, but at least it’s unique, which is a rarity in television and cinema today. “Better Call Saul” sometimes opts for the less exciting option in their storylines, but they always show deep character interactions, complex emotional states and well-written plot developments while avoiding the sensational. I think that’s the mark of a very good drama. Season five of “Better Call Saul” skillfully sets the stage for the series finale, and I think it’s a well-written addition into the “Breaking Bad” universe.
April 22, 2022 Campus Voices | Graduating | Wichitan Staff | Ukraine | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories | Donate Life Music of the Semester
We asked our staff members to pick their favorite song or album for the spring semester, here’s what they said:
What Are We Waiting For? for KING & COUNTRY
“Uplifting music, impactful lyrics.” Omar Combie
Back For Everything Kodak Black
“I like this album because it shows that Kodak can still make great music after all these years.” Javier Contreras it’s hard to see color Jaron
“I love listening to this album when I’m feeling happy, sad, or even neutral. The rhythms make for good study music, too.” Colin Stevenson
For Your Glory Tasha Cobbs Leonard
“This song has always seemed to center me and remind me why I do the things I do and who I do it for.” Keza Muvunyi Memory Lane: Haley Joelle
“This song is special to me because it’s helped me feel less alone during some heartbreak. When someone you love suddenly leaves, memories are the only thing left.” Natalie Cook
Optimist: FINNEAS
“The entire semester, everytime I have written a paper, I’ve listened to this album. I love this album, I love anything FINNEAS does. It helped me get through the semester.” Joey Arthur Found in the Smoke Joe Vann
“It captures a very distant, aching feeling that I think we can all have in love. Each song sounds ethereal and dreamy.” Abby Jones
Step By Step Braxe & Falcon ft. Panda Bear
“After years of chaos and loss of control, this is a perfect soothing dance track about regaining a sense of self.” Jonathon Quam The Million Masks Of God Manchester Orchestra
“It’s a very cinematically beautiful album, I could imagine it being a movie soundtrack.” Rebekah Gardner
I’m Born To Run American Authors
“I just love this song because it helps me look forward to when I’m out of school and can pursue my own adventures.” Cecil Witherspoon
Sometimes Remix T.I BLAZE, Olamide
“I love that it gives me something to relate to. It feels like someone understands the pressures of figuring out your own life.” Anne Akpabio Amame, Quiereme Selena y los Dinos
“I have always been a big fan of Selena, but only knew her popular songs. When the Netflix series came out, I became a bigger fan and can say she’s my favorite singer. At the moment this is my favorite song.” Stephanie Robledo Take Me Home Phil Collins
“Whenever the world becomes too much and it begins to feel like I’m drowning, I’ll put this song on repeat and let it carry me all the way home.” Lisa Thames Marea El Tachi, Mariianna, Lanalizer
“It’s about a guy telling a girl that ever since she entered his life, he’s found his purpose every day, and that he will be with her even more in the bad times than good.” Thalia Doe All I Think About Now Pixies
“I love it because it sounds like a combo between “Stuff We Did” and “Where Is My Mind” to create a cautionary tale about dwelling on the past.” Joseph Nelson
Jason Bourne, ¿la mejor estrella de acción?
La película de la que les voy a hablar es “The Bourne Identity,” una película de acción filmada hace casi 20 Brandon Cerda años de hoy. Se trata de un hombre que se despierta en un barco y está lastimado con heridas de bala y no recuerda ninguna cosa de su pasado. Cuando empieza a recordar varios eventos, se da cuenta que su foto está en anuncios que lo buscan en todo Europa y la policía junto con los asesinos quieren matarlo. Con sus habilidades de lucha y su cerebro inteligente, es su trabajo descubrir la razón por qué lo quieren matar. Igualmente como Spiderman, Jason Bourne tiene un ‘sentido’ cuando alguien peligroso está cerca. Eso lo ayuda a estar vivo en medio de todo el peligro y también ayudar a su mujer a buscar una ciudad sin mucha gente para escapar.
Le doy a la película cuatro estrellas. Me encantó el actor, Matt Damon, y cómo actuó la parte de Jason Bourne. Un hombre con mucho coraje y energía. Pienso que el director (Doug Liman) hizo un buen trabajo porque supo desarrollar muy bien un misterio por descubrir. “The Bourne Identity” es la primera de cuatro películas en la serie. Cuando termines la primera, mira “The Bourne Supremacy”, luego “The Bourne Ultimatum”, y finalmente “The Bourne Legacy”. En esta película, Jason Bourne conoce a una mujer, Marie St. Claire (Marie Kreutz), que es su compañera de equipo y terminan enamorándose. Los dos trabajan mucho para buscar información para descubrir la identidad de Jason Bourne porque su nombre es solamente un nombre falso para mantener su verdadera identidad oculta. Después de descubrir que es un asesino entrenado para una compañía secreta del gobierno, los dos descubren que el nombre de Jason es David Webb. La policía lo quiere en la cárcel porque mató a una pareja en la ciudad de París, Francia.
Si a ti te encantan las películas de acción y suspenso, “The Bourne Identity” es la película para ti. La película salió al cine en el 2002, ¡hace casi 20 años! Pero si puedo comparar películas como ésta con algo en este mundo, es el vino, porque el vino es más sabroso con más edad. También como las casas, a veces con el tiempo suben de precio y son más valiosas. La moral de la historia es que la vida es muy difícil y a veces tu pasado no es tu culpa. Jason Bourne trabajaba para el gobierno y no tenía el control de sus acciones, por lo tanto su pasado podría haber sido diferente si hubiera tenido otro trabajo. Unas películas con las que la puedo comparar son Live Free and Die Hard, Taken, etc. Porque en esas películas, mucha gente quiere matar a la misma persona.
FOTO CORTESÍA DE UNIVERSAL PICTURES Matt Damon es el personaje titular Jason Bourne en “The Bourne Identity,” 2002.
Siempre hay espacio para mejorar, por lo cual no le di una calificación perfecta. Si vas a ver esta película en el futuro, te recomiendo verla en un cuarto con buen sonido y una pantalla grande para que puedas maximizar tu experiencia.
Evaluación de Brandon: 4/5
