Sa ul !
Better
Call
e n i z n
Fa
Season
1
An unorth odox LAWYER W
e’ve basically now arrived at the key turning point in Jimmy’s evolution into Albuquerque’s most exclusive strip mall attorney — or, as Chuck put it last week, a “chimp with a machine gun.” And ironically, it’s all Chuck’s fault for breaking Jimmy’s heart; Jimmy’s decision
The beggining A
flashback to Jimmy’s last day in Chicago, before his move to Albuquerque, brings back his old pal whose name we discover is Marco, and who very much doesn’t want his friend to go. 10 years later, Jimmy’s following through on his decision to turn the Sandpiper Crossing case over to Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill, getting his $20,000 fee and making sure that Chuck’s shopping list gets taken care of. He even apologizes to Hamlin for calling him a “pig-fucker.” But after a breakdown during one of his promotional Bingo games, during which he reveals the crime that got him thrown in jail: A “Chicago sunroof,” which it turns out is taking a dump through an open sunroof.
F
ollowing his breakdown, Jimmy heads back to Chicago to reunite with Marco, a move which turns into a week-long scamming
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IGILANT OR
UARDED ???
E
ver seen ‘The Hills Have Eyes’? It’s a documentary!” is just one of the many slams Jimmy unleashes against New Mexico right before abandoning his Bingo customers. Timeline-wise, this raises some questions (the original 1977 film isn’t explicitly set
M
aybe that’s not much, in comparison to its sister show. But it’s also proof that the first season of “Better Call Saul” achieved its primary goal, as stated from the beginning: to reward fans of the original show, but find its own voice.
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f you take the wide view of things, the first season of “Better Call Saul” functions, ultimately, as the first act of Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill’s story. We get the full scope of his origins, discover his motivations, and then witness the character catapult
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his episode (despite its name) has nothing to do with Marco Salamanca, one of “Breaking Bad’s” legendary murdering Cousins. Instead, the Marco in question — played by Mel Rodriguez, currently charming Betty Draper on “The Last Man on Earth” — is Saul’s crime scene buddy from Chicago, previously only known as “Alley Guy.” (Hey, if “Mad Men” can give Don a secretary named Dawn, two separate shows in the “Breaking Bad” universe can have Marcos.) This episode (despite its name) has nothing to do with Marco Salamanca, one of “Breaking Bad’s” legendary murdering Cousins. Instead, the Marco in question — played by Mel Rodriguez, currently
Good Bad HAIL!!
I submit to the dark side!!!
Speaker Planner N
o explosions, no jaw-dropping twists, no unexpected deaths (Marco’s untimely passing was pretty well telegraphed in advance)... “Better Call Saul’s” first season ended as quietly as it began. For those with expectations drawn from loving five seasons of “Breaking Bad,” this might have been a disappointment. Heck, the biggest surprise of “Better Call Saul,” for viewers, was probably just in figuring out what kind of show it was. And that journey was pretty exciting, from a media critic’s viewpoint. Was the season worth 10 hours of our time? I’d say yes, for the nuances that we got along the way: Jimmy’s search for identity, his delicate relationship with Kim (oh, and there’s clearly a lot more backstory there to mine),
I`m
WHAT?
Waiting for the Season
2