After 2 years and 3 episodes I was ready to throw in the towel with this, there’s a trait amongst some of the big US shows, ‘Lost’ started it – start a series / season with an explosive (sometimes literally) episode, then spend the next 10 episodes teasing before the equally explosive finale to keep viewers on the hook for the next series, The Walking Dead has gone that way, even Game of Thrones is showing hints of it.
Better Call Saul though took the biscuit, it managed to cram a backstory into series 1, something that most TV series would cover in episode 1 maybe with a few flash-backs later on for substance.
It ended with Jimmy on the cusp of becoming Saul, the fast-talking, slick, sometimes best thing about BB – one of those Film School Chubby shots of him turning his back on ‘the light’ or some such thing and I think most people expected series 2 to kick into gear, nope – another 10 episodes of teaser, with a humdinger of a cliff hanger ending… which of course, because it’s BCS, didn’t amount to much for 3 episodes.
Now finally, on the 3rd episode of series 3 – something has happened, they don’t have to rely on fancy camera work or great lighting, they employed a writer and stuck some plot on screen – thank bawls for that, and yes I know it’s all wonderfully artistic and this and that blah blah blah, but when I hear people gushing about how it’s so perfect it’s beyond comprehension, I just hear a naked emperor. Now at least, something is happening.
Truth is, unless you’ve seen Breaking Bad, it would be excruciating to watch and if you have – do you need 33 hours of beautifully lit footage to introduce characters you already know?
It’s good TV, and I think in years to come when people are able to binge watch it, like most did with breaking bad it will be better, but genre defining? Nah – it’s exactly the 2nd best TV show featuring a former cop and crooked lawyer based in Albuquerque ever made.
