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MMTV Better Call Saul – Episode 1 —> HERE
Episode 2 Expectations
Episode 1 got off to a slow, but understandably so, start in terms of major events impacting the primary story line of the show. The show gets a pass, however, because it was a Pilot episode. In my opinion in order for this show to be successful, many of the fans that carried over from Breaking Bad really need to divorce their minds from the original show. While this show is in a way a prequel of sorts to Breaking Bad, it is also not. Bob Odenkirk is starring in a role which is totally apart from Breaking Bad at this point of the show. This will be a different show, even if it has stark similarities. Many of those similarities are only similarities, not real parallels. Vince Gilligan is creating his own style of cinematography in the same way Wes Andersen and Quentin Tarantino have done so for their characters.
Episode 2 did have a bang, and it came not only at the end, but literally… literally at the last second of the show when we met pre-Walter White, Tuco, who was at is Aunties house at the time. This was slightly comedic in its own way, and very surprising. I am expecting Episode 2 to be a perfect blend of action and wit.
If Episode 1 was an introduction to the original James McGill, then Episode 2 will be the beginning of the rise of the character the show is based on, Saul Goodman. Kind of like, well, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.Thankfully this show isn’t called Rise of Saul Goodman from the Law Offices of Hamlin, Hamlin, and McGill.
PLAY BY PLAY ANALYSIS
Mijo definitley kicks off the excitement of this show; as compared to Episode 1, which was really an introductory, tone setting episode. The episode rewinds several minutes from where we left off from the night before. The “Betsy Kettleman Operation” has gone to bust, as they followed the wrong person (in the same car as described).
The pair of broke skater bros have just entered the house and they are harassing Tuco’s grandmother. After Tuco gets his grandmother to move along upstairs, by convincing her that he will take care of the situation, Tuco knocks them out cold. An individual who might have came off as calm and nice just went out the door, revealing his insanity. It is not much longer until Saul comes knocking on the door. Only this time, we see his peeking through the window from the interior of the house. Tuco finds his gun and opens the door with the gun wielded. The beginning of a slightly comedic scene has taken hold. We know that nothing bad would happen with grandma in the house, right?
With Saul sitting on the couch and Tuco opposite of him, Saul catches the now-infamous salsa spill on the carpet. His grandma repeatedly leaves the upstairs room and asks Tuco to clean the blood salsa from the ground before it stains.
The next few moments are ensued by an exchange in which Saul is pleading his case that he is a lawyer who doesn’t even know who the skaters are. Tuco then brings Saul downstairs, where the skaters are tied up. It is not long until one of them quickly calls out Saul on his part of the ploy. Tuco, who called his gang friends to come over earlier, waits for them arrive. Minutes later we find ourselves in the middle of a desert. It is a classic “Breaking Bad” location which would be prime for shooting a Walter White scene.
Saul is tied up and Tuco begins a harsh interrogation by use of finger cutters. Saul goes full on attorney on Tuco and his friends and begins working his way out of a tough situation. It doesn’t work, however. Tuco is not buying that he is an attorney, and Saul recognizes that, so he gets out of losing his limbs by saying he is a special agent, thus “proving” Tuco was right all along.
One of Tuco’s friends takes over the interrogation, trying to find out what he is investigating. After fumbling for answers, the man asks Saul to be truthful, and he once again admits that he is Attorney James McGill. Tuco, a violent and potentially insane man, takes some convincing from his friend, who seems to be the voice of reason, and releases McGill, by saying that killing attorneys is bad business.
Saul’s involvement in the exchange is not yet over, however, as Tuco heads over to the skaters and opens up his knife. McGill pleads to let them go, but Tuco insists on skinning them alive. What follows is an epic scene which would be perfect in a courtroom, but instead it is in the middle of a field in an execution type setting. Saul essentially becomes their faux-lawyer and talks his way with Tuco into a “lesser” punishment, from a Columbian next tie, to a black eye, back to cutting their tongues, and then eventually finds its way to a few broken legs. It is a great scene that you need to see, since it really captures the essence of Saul Goodman, Attorney at Law.
This scene ends well for Saul, not much so for the skater kids however. After driving them to the hospital, a roughed up Saul goes to bar. It is not long until a drunk Saul ends up at the home of Chuck from Episode 1, whom he failed to convince to cash out from the law firm. Chuck finds the medical bill from the hospital, but Saul is able to convince him that he is not “falling apart.”
We then resume at the court house, where Saul is looking for his paycheck, to no avail. A series of scenes which include him working at the court, winning cases, and losing his battle with Mike follow. It is not until the end of the episode, where McGill is back at his makeshift office in the hairdresser’s salon, when the stage is set for episode 3. After reclining in his empty office assuming nobody will come, someone suddenly comes knocking. After quickly rearranging the room we see that Tuco’s friend, who helped bail out McGill at the field, has arrived. He apparently caught the gist of what McGill was saying about his ploy to get money from Betsy Kettleman.
He offers Saul 10% of his profit if he helps him find where this “Kettlemans” million dollars of stolen money is. Saul vehemently objects, because he is not a criminal. Saul promises that he is “not in the game,” but I am just going to call bluff on that.
Observations/Predictions
The episode ends on yet another great note. The director does a great job of utilizing the “boring” parts well, and building up to a dramatic cliff-hanging finish leaving the viewer waiting to see the next episode.
If Walter White going from innocent school teacher and rejecting to go in to any illegal activies is any indication of what is going to happen in Better Call Saul, then who knows what is. The ending of this episode is awfully similar; the only difference is that Mr. White fell into that life after falling into it and convincing Jesse. Here, James McGill is being pressured into it. Since we already know the ending of the story of Saul Goodman, there is no doubt that this is a similar case. It should be in no time before McGill is consumed by the offer from the “Tuco assailant.” Then, it will be time for McGill to go to the nuclear option and change his name to Saul Goodman.
Thoughts Magazine 