I have a confession to make.
I am a Breaking Bad fan.
I have seen every episode and consider it to be one of the finer series to grace TV.
One of the many delights of that series was the amoral defence lawyer,Saul,as played by Bob Odenkirk.
Breaking Bad has ended but Vince Gilligan has created a vehicle for Saul and I ,for one, am delighted .
Anyone who has seen Breaking Bad will understand why this has to be a prequel.
The series celebrates its parentage whilst being a series anyone,who has never watched Breaking Bad,can easily understand and enjoy.
The main protagonist of Breaking Bad was Walter White and the series followed his journey from mild mannered chemistry teacher to big time drug lord .
“Better Call Saul ” follows a similar trajectory.
Saul ne Jimmy McGill,is a newly qualified lawyer fighting to stay afloat.
His grapples with the criminal Justice system will ,sadly,ring true with every criminal defence solicitor and barrister,in modern day Britain.
Saul’s first criminal closing speech,on celluloid,is a heartfelt plea for the fate of three college students who are,quite literally,caught with their pants down.
The beauty of the scene is that it shows us both the effort he puts in to a case and well as its futility.Jimmy is no natural performer.
We see him preparing nervously for his closing speech in the men’s room.
Afterwards we see him arguing for his fees.
$700 for representing three defendants sounds par for the course in a post Grayling Britain.
Saul drives a battered yellow Suzuki.
His office is a closet behind the Thai nail bar which plays a part in “Breaking Bad.”
He vows not to take on another public defender case but is forced to eat his words in order not to starve.
We see him honing his professional skills.
Saul’s finest performance,to date,is outside ,of a courtroom,when he argues ,with a madman,for the lives of two young men.
He knows what a great job he has done but no one else will ever know.
Saul is no saint.There are implications that he has a criminal past.
Yet he is both human and empathetic.
This is a legal drama par excellence .
There is ample added pleasure for fans of Breaking Bad as minor characters from that series are resurrected and are given room to breathe .
The New Mexico settings continue to offer a dazzling backdrop .
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