Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Better Call Saul: Season 4

 

The 10-episode fourth season of Better Call Saul aired during the summer and fall of 2018. Most of the series regulars returned for the fourth season, except Michael McKean, whose character, Chuck, was killed at the end of season three. Although, McKean would make a couple of guest appearances during flashbacks. This season, the notable addition to the cast is Tony Dalton, who plays Lalo Salamanca (who, along with Nacho, was first referenced in Breaking Bad when Walt and Jesse kidnap Saul). Dalton is fantastic as Lalo, playing him as almost a combination of Hector and Gus, disguising his true intentions under a charming and almost chipper demeanor. This season has two main storylines that are kept separate. The first is Jimmy's continued transition to Saul as he deals with losing his brother and his suspension from the practice of law while his relationship with Kim becomes increasingly strained. The second is Gus' move to take over the drug business after Hector's stroke, including the start of construction on the Superlab that we see in Breaking Bad. Wrapped up in that storyline is Mike's transition to Gus' fixer, which is somewhat similar to Jimmy's transition to Saul. At the end of the season, Jimmy embraces being Saul Goodman (although he is not quite the character he is when we first see him in Breaking Bad), while Mike does not go all in on working for Gus. We also get another glimpse into just how ruthless Gus can be and how he is not afraid to get his hands dirty, when necessary.

The Blu-Ray set is a three-disc set with a nice collection of extras. Each episode has a commentary track led by Peter Gould and usually includes the writer and director of the particular episode and sometimes a cast member or two. Vince Gilligan does not participate in the episode commentary tracks this season, although he is interviewed in the behind-the-scenes material. The other extras, spread across the three discs, include a gag reel, several behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a series of training videos for Madrigal Electromotive "taught" by Jonathan Banks in character as Mike. They include animations with Breaking Bad easter eggs, similar to the training videos for Los Pollos Hermanos included in the season three set. To access the commentaries and deleted scenes, you must access the individual episode pages under the "episode selection" link on the main menu. The rest are accessed under the "special features" link. Most of the behind-the-scenes material is on disc 3, but are linked at the top of the special features menu (so it seems like all the special features are on disc three). However, the training videos and a short film are on disc 1 even though they are at the bottom of the special features menu. 

Ultimately, the series continues to be extremely well-written and acted. The writers continue to move the storylines closer to Breaking Bad while using flashbacks to flesh out the storylines. And in the first episode of the season, we see the aftermath of "Gene's" collapse at work (which occurred in the first episode of season three) and subsequent hospital visit. If you liked the first three seasons of the show, this season is absolutely worth watching.