Better Call Saul

Bad Choice Road

There is no more effective way to destroy any feeling of security while watching a show than to have someone invade a “safe space.” The final scene of Better Call Saul Season 5 Episode 9 was excellent in all regards and a perfect example of this show’s slow-burn style. Jimmy and Kim’s apartment hasn’t been a completely drama-free place, but it has been a place that Jimmy and Kim are in control. The drama that has occurred there has come from within their relationshi... more

Bagman

Oh, how quickly the world can change. We’ve discussed before that part of the greatness of Better Call Saul is the slow-burn transformation of Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman. There hasn’t been any singular event that turned Jimmy into Saul. However, Jimmy’s journey to Saul doesn’t exactly coincide with his journey into becoming a “criminal” lawyer, and the journey to Saul took a huge leap forward on Better Call Saul Season 5 Episode 8, "Bagman," and it did so in a ... more

JMM

The opening scene of Better Call Saul Season 5 Episode 7, “JMM” was an excellent example of how to deliver exposition. The explanation of why Kim would suddenly decide to marry Jimmy is a difficult one to explain to the audience.  A realistic depiction of their discussion over the decision would likely be a long one filled with confusion and reiteration, and yet the reasoning to this proposal has to be conveyed to the audience. What “JMM” did is use i... more

'Better Call Saul' Star Giancarlo Esposito Reflects on Gus Recruiting Mike in Season 5

Giancarlo Esposito can arguably be called the king of peak TV, playing a key role in some of the most critically acclaimed TV of this era. Just this past year, he appeared in Disney Plus’ “The Mandalorian,” Netflix’s “Dear White People,” Cinemax’s “Jett,” Amazon Prime Video’s “The Boys,” Epix’s “Godfather of Harlem” and, of course, AMC’s “B... more

'Better Call Saul' Cast and Creator Break Down Season 5's Biggest Moments in the Variety Streaming Room

When “Better Call Saul” concluded its penultimate season this spring, the “Breaking Bad” prequel series had definitely entered the precipice of entering the grim criminal underworld of its predecessor. Lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) now deals with the drug cartel under his pseudonym Saul Goodman, and has brought his new wife Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) into its ... more

'Better Call Saul' Review: Masterful 'Bad Choice Road' Sets Up a Season-Capping Standoff

It’s common practice for a TV drama to let a season’s penultimate episode be the powerhouse. Whether it’s the 9th or 12th or 21st chapter, these often have the gut punches, the crescendoes, the left-field wallops that make the finales that follow feel more like a transition to a new reality. Ever ones for sneaky misdirects, the “Better Call Saul” braintrust almost had everyone fooled that last week’s exodus through the desert had served that function instead, effectively setting up a two-part finale that dutifully f... more