Better Call Saul episode 1 review: Breaking Bad's conniving lawyer is back on Netflix – but can his spin-off show work?

The new show cleverly jumps between Goodman's pre- and post-Walter White life

Gerard Gilbert
Monday 09 February 2015 08:00 GMT
Comments
From left: Bob Odenkirk, who plays Saul Goodman, with writers Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan on the set of ‘Better Call Saul’
From left: Bob Odenkirk, who plays Saul Goodman, with writers Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan on the set of ‘Better Call Saul’ (AMC)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

“It’s all over,” were Saul Goodman’s final words in Breaking Bad as he bid a hasty farewell to Walter White, the chemistry teacher-turned-crime lord who had become Goodman’s major client.

An important new character is Jimmy’s older, much more successful brother, Chuck (played by Michael McKean), a law-firm partner permanently off work because of a mysterious illness, and it is Jimmy’s determination to see that Chuck is cashed out fairly that is the driver of this opening episode.

Better Call Saul was always going to sink or swim in Odenkirk’s central performance, and he certainly proves up to the task of fleshing out the two-dimensional Saul of Breaking Bad.

If that show was the story of “Mr Chips turning into Scarface” (as Gilligan described Walter White’s transformation into the monstrous Heisenberg), then Better Call Saul is going to be about the transformation of a fairly honest shopping-mall ambulance chaser into Scarface’s lawyer.

It’s still far too early to say whether the process will prove as compelling but, if anyone can do it, Gilligan can. Better call Vince.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in