Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Better Call Saul: Season 2

 

The ten-episode second season of Better Call Saul aired from the fall of 2015 to the spring of 2016. All the main cast members, including Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian, Michael McKean, Jonathan Banks, and Michael Mando, return. Ed Begley Jr. has a multi-episode guest-starring arc this season, playing the head of the law firm Davis and Main, which was introduced in season 1. The series also continues to tie into the Breaking Bad universe by bringing back actors from the parent series, both small character actors you may not remember from Breaking Bad and those with larger roles. The main addition to the cast this season from Breaking Bad is Mark Margolis, who, of course, plays Hector Salamanca. The twins, Marco and Leonel, also appear, and Raymond Cruz reprises his role as Tuco. And, while Gus Fring does not appear in season two, there are easter eggs that hint at his arrival.

Interestingly, we see Hector when he can still walk and talk and get a glimpse at just how much of a villain he is. As was the case with the first season, the show uses a serial storytelling format in which the episodes build on each other. The season starts with another flash-forward showing Saul's mundane life in Nebraska as "Gene" but still pines for his life as Saul. Then, the series is primarily set in 2003 before the events of Breaking Bad as we continue to see Jimmy's transition into Saul as he pisses away every opportunity to be a legitimate lawyer because he cannot quite give up the life of the con man. We also see his relationship with Kim and his brother evolve, and we see Mike's transition from a guy who is not afraid to get his hands dirty but still has a code to what he would become in Breaking Bad. 

The Blu-Ray set is a three-disc. It has a decent amount of extras spread across the three discs. Every episode has a commentary track that includes at least one of the showrunners, sometimes one or two members of the cast, the writer and/or director of the episode, or other crew members. The extras also include a gag reel, behind-the-scenes material, and a conversation between Mark Margolis and Jonathan Banks, which is very similar to the one on the Season 1 set between Odenkirk and McKean in which they discuss their careers and their characters on the show.

The series continues to be wonderfully written and acted. Even though it is set in the Breaking Bad universe, it has a much different feel than Breaking Bad, as it sets up what would come later. Even though you know that some characters are safe because they have to appear in Breaking Bad, it is still very suspenseful. There is definitely a Cain and Abel feel in the storyline with Jimmy and Chuck, and we see that Chuck has a large role in the creation of Saul Goodman. There is a lot of swearing and violence in the show, and there is a lot of swearing in the commentary tracks (including the use of the f-word). So, the show is not suitable for young kids or the easily offended. Ultimately, however, it is a great season and is absolutely worth watching. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Better Call Saul: Season 1

 

Better Call Saul is the series spun off from the iconic crime-drama Breaking Bad. It is centered around the "criminal" lawyer Saul Goodman. It was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, the co-creators of Breaking Bad. It stars Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Michael Mando, Patrick Fabian, and Michael McKean. The first season's recurring cast includes Kerry Condon, Julie Ann Emery, and Jeremy Shamos. The ten-episode first season aired in the winter and spring of 2015. The first episode starts out after the events of Breaking Bad, where we see that Saul is indeed working as a manager at a Cinnabon (paying off on the line from Breaking Bad when Saul was about to skip town) in Omaha, Nebraska, under the name Gene. He lives a drab life as a fugitive, longing for his old life. Then, the series flashes back to Albuquerque in 2002, before the events of Breaking Bad (the time period most of the series is set in). We see Saul working under his real name, James/Jimmy McGill, as a struggling solo practitioner who is working on public defender cases for $700 a pop, living and working out of a storage room in a nail salon, trying to drum up clients, and being a caregiver for his brother, Chuck (played by McKean) who was a named partner in one of the largest firms in Albuquerque (HHM) but is not a shut-in because of a hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields. Chuck has disconnected all the electricity from his house using a lantern and gas stove, and relying on Jimmy to fill a cooler with food and ice. Jimmy's best and seemingly only friend is an associate at HHM named Kim, and Mike Ehrmantraut (played by Banks, reprising his role from Breaking Bad) is working as a toll booth operator at the courthouse. Like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul is mostly a serial that slowly tells the story of how Jimmy transforms into Saul Goodman. It also has some story-of-the-week procedural elements that are usually secondary to the serial arcs.

The Blu-Ray set is a three-disc set, with the episodes and the bonus content spread across the three discs. The set has a lot of bonus material, including deleted scenes, a gag reel, a conversation between Odenkirk and McKean about their respective careers and their characters on the show, and some behind-the-scenes material. Each episode has a commentary track featuring Gilligan and/or Gould, the writer of the episode, the director and/or a producer, and one or more cast members. The seventh episode has a second commentary track just featuring Julie Ann Emery and Jeremy Shamos in character as their characters, Betsy and Craig Kettleman hilariously reacting to the episode. The episodes can be watched in a "play all" mode or from their own episode pages (which is where the commentary tracks and deleted scenes are accessed). You can stop the disc and pick up where you left off when you resume playing, even when watching the bonus material.

The series is a wonderful spin-off of Breaking Bad. It is well-written and very well-acted. Throughout the season, we see Jimmy transform from a small-time con artist, turning his life around to secretly get a law degree, pass the bar exam, become a very good lawyer, and sowing the seeds of who he would become as Saul Goodman. Odenkirk is fantastic as the series lead, but all the actors are wonderful. While we know the fates of some of the characters (and there are more than just Banks and Odenkirk who reprise their roles from Breaking Bad), the show pulls off the balance of setting up what will come later with telling its own story and standing on its own. Like the parent series, it is very much an adult drama. There is a lot of swearing, violence, and a bit of sexual content. The bonus material contains spoilers, so if you did not watch the series when it aired, you want to watch the episodes before you listen to the commentaries or watch the behind-the-scenes material. Ultimately, the show is an excellent mix of legal, crime, and character-driven drama with some humor. You do not need to have seen Breaking Bad to get what is going on in Better Call Saul, but some things will make more sense if you have. If you have watched Breaking Bad, this is a must-watch. Even if you have never seen a single episode of Breaking Bad, however, this is absolutely worth your time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

 

El Camino is a 2019 movie that serves as an alternate series finale of Breaking Bad. The movie was written and directed by BB creator Vince Gilligan and stars Aaron Paul, Jesse Plemmons, Charles Baker, Matt Jones, and Scott MacArthur. It shows events from Jesse's point of view. It picks up with Jesse driving off after being freed from the Nazi compound (which was the last we saw of him in the series finale to BB). Then, the story is told partly through flashbacks, showing his imprisonment and (mostly) interactions with Todd (played by the returning Jesse Plemmons) and partly in the present, as Jesse tries to get out of New Mexico. Not only do we get cameos from Breaking Bad characters with Krystin Ritter, the aforementioned Jesse Plemmons, Jonathan Banks, Robert Forrester, and yes, even Bryan Cranston making a cameo, but we also get the return of Skinny Pete and Badger. We also get the definitive word on Walter White's ultimate fate.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set containing one Blu-Ray disc and a DVD in a steelbook case. There are about an hour's worth of extras, including a making-of feature, a gag reel, and deleted scenes. Plus, there is a commentary track on the film and storyboard sequences. A good amount for what is included, making the blu-ray a good pick-up over just streaming. And the A/V quality is excellent. Ultimately, it offers a satisfying alternate finale for the series, keeping true to what came before yet still telling an original story. It does take a bit of suspension of disbelief as all the people are older in real life but are playing the same characters at the same time the series aired. Aaron Paul looks similar to what he did, but Jesse Plemmons looks a lot older and has gained a lot of weight since BB went off the air. It is a great story, and the minor continuity issues are not a big deal. I definitely recommend it to any BB fan.

TV Series Recap: Breaking-Bad/Better Call Saul (Spoilers)

 

  

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are basically extensions of each other as a series. Breaking Bad, of course, aired and ended first, with the death of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse getting away from the Nazi compound and evading the police. We find out in the El Camino movie that Jesse managed to get out of Albuquerque with the help of the vacuum cleaner guy and start a new life in Alaska. Better Call Saul, which was spun off from Breaking Bad, is partly an origin story for the character of Saul Goodman, showing his life before the Breaking Bad timeline as a two-bit slip-and-fall crook turned lawyer named Jimmy McGill who let greed and revenge rule his life (which is where most of the series spent its time) and partly a sequel to Breaking Bad, showing that Saul ended up managing a Cinnabon in Omaha Nebraska under the name "Gene".  Gene could not leave Saul totally behind, and as shown in the second half of the final season, he got greedy and ended up getting caught. 

Between the two shows, none of the main characters had what you call a happily ever after. The closest (at least as we know so far) was Jesse, which to me is actually the best outcome since he was the least "bad" of the worst people in Breaking Bad, never turned into the monster that Walter did, and was ready to let go of that life but was constantly pulled back in by Walter's manipulation. Of course, Walter ended up dying, and as we find definitively out in BCS, Skylar made a deal to avoid prison, and Gus and Mike were dead by the end of Breaking Bad so even if the authorities found out about their roles, they were not around to be punished either. So, ultimately, that left Saul/Jimmy to face the consequences of what happened during Breaking Bad. 

Jimmy was kind of a sad-sack character, at least initially in BCS, who had genuinely tried to move on from his small-time crime life to become a lawyer and follow in his brother's footsteps. Ironically, had his brother not torpedoed him, Jimmy probably would not have made the transition to Saul. But, that betrayal wounded him so much he would always give in to greed and would always get revenge on his perceived enemies, which inadvertently led to the deaths of his brother Chuck and to Howard Hamlin. And, his greed led to him running scams in Omaha instead of getting out when he could have and then taking risks that ended up with him getting arrested in a dumpster. 

Ultimately, Saul was never as evil as Gus or Walter, but he was responsible for Walter becoming as successful as he did and thus had culpability for the things Walter did. For the first time in a long time Saul, having negotiated himself a seven-year prison sentence when he was offered 30 years and facing life plus 180 years if he went to trial, did something against his own interests when he admitted to everything to save Kim, the only person he cared about as much as he cared about himself. So, Jesse ending up in Alaska living free and Saul in prison for 86 years seems to be where the last surviving characters from Breaking Bad should have ended up. Personally, I do not think there is any reason to revisit the Breaking Bad universe and I hope Vice Gilligan and Peter Gould leave it alone. I am not sure that a Kim-centric show is needed, or would be as good as either BB or BCS. I am fine with it just being where it is with everyone living the rest of their lives. If they did want to revive the universe again, a movie in the vein of El Camino with Jesse being caught and extradited to New Mexico with Kim representing him would be a good way to do it. But, I do not think another series is needed and I doubt that they could catch lightning in a bottle a third time and make a series as good as either BB or BCS.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Breaking Bad: The Complete Series

 

Breaking Bad was the iconic crime drama that aired for five seasons from 2008 to 2013, spun off one series, and was revived for a TV movie in 2019. Vince Gilligan created it, also serving as the showrunner and directing several episodes. The main characters in every season (detailed below) were played by Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, and Dean Norris. In later seasons, Giancarlo Esposito, Jonathan Banks, and Bon Odenkirk would all have starring roles. The Supporting cast includes RJ Mitte, Betsy Brandt, Laura Frasier, and Jesse Plemmons. The show also had a great recurring and guest cast, including Steven Quezada, Matt Jones, Bill Burr, Danny Trejo, DJ Qualls, and Robert Forester.

For those who may not be familiar with the show, it is about a high-school chemistry teacher named Walter White (played wonderfully by Bryan Cranston) who finds out he has terminal cancer and decides to start manufacturing meth with a former student named Jesse Pinkman (played by Aaron Paul) so he can make enough money to set up his family for life. Throughout the course of the series, Walter transforms from a guy who is in over his head to a horrible character with almost no redeeming qualities who uses everyone around him.  Anna Gunn stars as Walter's wife, Skyler. Dean Norris stars as Walter's brother-in-law Hank, who is also a DEA agent who ends up looking for the mysterious new meth dealer. Betsy Brandt plays Walter's sister-in-law, Marie, and RJ Mitte plays Walter Jr. In seasons 3 and 4, Giancarlo Esposito plays Gustavo "Gus" Fring (one of the best bad guys in TV history), a local drug kingpin with a cover as a business owner. In seasons 2-5 Bob Odenkirk played the "criminal lawyer", Saul Goodman, and Jonathan Banks played Mike Ehrmantraut, an enforcer for Gus and private investigator for Saul. The last three also appear on the great spin-off series Better Call Saul.

There are many different Blu-Ray complete series Blu-Ray sets, and the set has been repackaged over the years, including one that includes the TV movie, El Camino. All of the sets include the same bonus features for the main series. The set that I have is the 16-disc complete series set that has shelf-friendly packaging (released in 2014). Where the set really shines is with the extras. There are hours of extras for each season, including behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentary tracks on select episodes, episodes of "Inside Breaking Bad" the post-show wrap-up that aired after many of the episodes, music videos, gag reels, photo albums, deleted and extended scenes, character profiles, a hilarious alternate ending to the series, and more. So, if you love the show and you love watching the bonus material, there is a ton here for you.

The series is widely regarded as one of the best shows of its era. It was wonderfully written and very well acted by everyone in the main cast and the guest cast. Cranston did a great job of transitioning Walter from a wimp to a monster over the course of the series. Aaron Paul did a wonderful job playing Jesse as a guy who got in too deep with Walter and portraying Jesse's love-hate feelings toward Walter, whom he saw as a father figure, yet knew he only cared about himself and money. The series really boils down to the power of greed and how it corrupts. Even though it has been off the air for nearly a decade, the show holds up very well and is definitely worth the investment. It had a lot fewer shows than many shows that aired for five seasons (just 62 total episodes), but it told a great story, and if you are a fan of crime dramas, it is a must-watch.