Better Call Saul

I’ll admit, I was skeptical about this Breaking Bad spin-off. Even with the overwhelming praise, it was hard to imagine how a series centered on Breaking Bad’s lawyer could be anything but a boring legal drama. This year, I finally decided to give the pilot a chance, and I’m incredibly grateful to have been proven wrong.

If anything that hooked me into binge-watching the whole series, it was the cinematography. Vince Gilligan and his team use unique angles, Inanimate object POVs, and pleasing compositions to deliver a meaningful subtext that dialogue alone doesn’t capture. Every frame indeed feels intentional.

And don’t get me started on the story. The way Jimmy’s relationship with Chuck defines his character is both beautiful and tragic. While Chuck’s demise is the catalyst that shatters Jimmy’s spirit, the true “final blow” is his breakup with Kim Wexler. That loss is what ultimately completes his transformation, giving way to the full-blown Saul Goodman persona.

Despite being a spin-off of the best TV series of all time, it doesn’t live in the shadow of the original. It didn’t just meet the expectations set by its predecessor; it redefined what a spin-off is capable of achieving.