‘Better Call Saul’ inching closer to ‘Breaking Bad’ in 4th season

AMC

• “Better Call Saul” is inching closer the “Breaking Bad”
  timeline in season 4, and it just keeps getting
  better.
• Jimmy McGill’s slow transformation into Saul Goodman is
  becoming more clear, but the show is still one of the best on
  TV on its own terms.
• Rhea Seehorn steals the show as Kim Wexler.
• Even if you aren’t familiar with “Breaking Bad,”
  “Better Call Saul” is worth checking out. But fans of “Breaking
  Bad” are in for a treat.

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Warning: This post contains mild spoilers for the
season 4 premiere of “Better Call Saul.”

“Better Call Saul” is a product of a different time in
television.

It fits nicely into the current “peak TV” era as a prestige
drama, but even the shows that kick-started that small-screen
trend — “Breaking Bad,” “Mad Men,” etc. — would feel like relics
if they aired today. It wasn’t that long ago that those shows
ended, but a lot has changed since. TV has largely given up on
the male anti-hero protagonist that was so common throughout the
early years of peak TV, from Walter White to Don Draper to even
Frank Underwood.

As a prequel to “Breaking Bad,” the show has managed to carve out
a place for itself in the modern TV pantheon. That’s no easy
feat, considering not only how the landscape has changed since
“Breaking Bad,” but the bar that show set.

At a time when audiences are attracted to blockbuster shows with
big ideas like “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Game of Thrones,”
“Better Call Saul” doesn’t exactly match up with that kind of
scope. But that’s okay. “Saul” is still one of the best shows on
TV. It’s anchored by the promise of “Breaking Bad,” and season 4,
which premiered on Monday with an episode titled “Smoke,” will
please fans of that show as “Saul” inches closer to the “Bad”
timeline. But it’s also just a stellar drama in its own right.

In the three episodes I’ve seen, it’s clear that Jimmy McGill is
well on his way to transforming into the sleazy lawyer known as
Saul Goodman. His brother Chuck is dead and he’s out of a job.
It’s nerve-wracking to witness Jimmy’s slow spiral. For three
seasons, there was still a sliver of hope for Jimmy, even for
those familiar with the “Breaking Bad” character who knew that
his descent was inevitable. But in its fourth season, it’s clear
that this is the beginning of the end.

AMC

Bob Odenkirk, who plays Jimmy, captures that shift with ease.
Saul always had a certain charm to match his arrogance on
“Breaking Bad,” and Odenkirk’s performance has added another
layer to that in “Better Call Saul.” Jimmy is likable and
sympathetic, even when he’s doing things that range from
questionable to terrible. But Jimmy is now in a weird in-between
period where he’s still the likable Jimmy McGill but stepping
closer to Saul Goodman, and Odenkirk captures that. 

In the season premiere, Howard (Patrick Fabian) admits to Jimmy
that he feels responsible for Chuck’s death, and that he believes
Chuck committed suicide. Jimmy knows that he was a horrible
brother to Chuck, and his lies ruined Chuck’s career, but he
still tells Howard, “That’s your cross to bear.” It’s one prime
example of where we can see Jimmy’s transformation coming into
focus. 

“Better Call Saul” isn’t just great because of Jimmy McGill,
though, and that’s why it has managed to step out of “Breaking
Bad’s” shadow. Rhea Seehorn, who plays Kim Wexler, already
deserves an Emmy for season 4, even if the show isn’t eligible
again until next year (it didn’t premiere in time to be eligible
for this year’s Emmys). Kim has always been one of the best parts
of “Better Call Saul.” She’s often the voice of reason, and
Seehorn gives a powerhouse performance this season. Since Kim
isn’t in “Breaking Bad,” one of the biggest mysteries surrounding
“Saul” is what happens to her and her relationship with Jimmy. I
pray she gets a worthy send-off, whenever that may be.

But even if the show is good on its own terms, it’s still a
prequel, and the “Breaking Bad” elements are a big reason why
many watch the show. Jimmy’s relationship with Chuck was the
focal point of season 3, and was even more interesting than the
faster-paced “Breaking Bad”-esque drug storyline that centers on
Mike (Jonathan Banks), Gus (Giancarlo Esposito), and Nacho
(Michael Mando). With Chuck gone, and “Saul” getting closer to
“Breaking Bad’s” timeline, the “Breaking Bad”-inspired parts of
the show are becoming a greater focus. Fans of “Bad” are in for a
treat in that regard.

The show has a knack for making even the most mundane tasks seem
thrilling, and it almost always involves Mike. In the season 3
premiere, we saw Mike meticulously tear apart his car to look for
a tracking device. In the season 4 premiere, we follow along with
him as he inspects a company’s security. Banks is a joy to watch.

“Better Call Saul” may have already been renewed for a fifth
season, but it’s still barreling toward the end — and it just
keeps getting better. When it’s all over, “Better Call Saul” will
be one of the best television shows of the decade. Whether you’re
a “Breaking Bad” fan or not, it’s worth checking out.

“Better Call Saul” airs Mondays on AMC at 9 p.m.
ET.