‘Better Call Saul’ Season 4 Review: This Isn’t a ‘Breaking Bad’ Prequel — It’s an Evolution Into ...

IndieWire ^ | July 23, 2018 | Liz Shannon Miller

[CedarDave]

How many more times can it be said that “Better Call Saul” is one of the best shows on television? As many more times as they’re willing to make new episodes.

It’s been 10 years since “Breaking Bad” premiered (an anniversary still being celebrated), but four since the Vince Gilligan- and Peter Gould-created prequel premiered.

And in that time, the (mostly) same creative team that changed television with the original series has only continued to up their game year after year. Watching the ways in which the “Better Call Saul” team challenges themselves to push beyond the expected, beyond the easy, beyond the mundane (especially when depicting the most mundane of events) has been one of the most fascinating experiences possible for a TV fan.

This review will be spoiler-free — except for the well-established news that the house fire at the end of Season 3 was, in fact, fatal for Chuck (Michael McKean), and as you might expect, this fact hovers over these early episodes. It’s just one facet of the story, though: Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) might be grieving, but he’s also a wounded animal in search of work following the loss of his law license in Season 3 and the impact of Kim’s (Rhea Seehorn) accident (leaving her nursing a broken arm and other damages).

Plus, dealing drugs in Albuquerque has become very complicated following Don Hector’s (Mark Margolis) stroke, especially given the fact that Nacho (Michael Mando) swapped Don Hector’s medications so that he could try to keep his father out of the business — and maybe even free himself. But Nacho might be screwed on that front, given how Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) is lurking in the shadows and Mike (Jonathan Banks) is still sorting out how he fits (or not) into the local criminal underworld.

[CedarDave]

Full story title:
‘Better Call Saul’ Season 4 Review: This Isn’t a ‘Breaking Bad’ Prequel — It’s an Evolution Into Something Greater

One spoiler:
Breaking Bad’s Walt and Jesse won’t appear in Better Call Saul season 4, but Hank might

[CedarDave]

NM list PING!

I may not PING for all New Mexico articles. To see New Mexico articles by topic click here: New Mexico Topics

To see NM articles by keyword, click here: New Mexico Keywords

To see the NM Message Page, click here: New Mexico Messages

(The NM list is available on my FR homepage for FR member use; its use in the News Forum should not be for trivial or inconsequential posts. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)
(For ABQ Journal articles requiring a subscription, scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the article for free after answering a question or watching a short video commercial.)

[Drew68]

Watched the first season and enjoyed it. Waiting to get a few more in the can so I can binge them all at once (as I did with Breaking Bad).

[Mears]

Thank you,thank you,thank you for posting this——August 6-——I can’t wait.

I will now re-watch Season 3 to refresh my old brain.

[ronniesgal]

i love this show

[BuffaloJack]

I suffered through 2 seasons of “Better Call Saul” and it went from Ok to mediocre to awful. I skipped the last 2 or 3 episodes of season 2.
What would ever possess me to waste my time on continuing with this poorly written tripe?
I loved “Breaking Bad”, but “Better Call Saul” sucked.

[Responsibility2nd]

Dittoes.

I watched Series one and two. But not three. I’m figuring on going back to Series One Episode One and starting all over again to get me up to speed again before going on to 3 and 4.

[be-baw]

Saul is a good show. I’ve seen every episode so far and look forward to Season 4.

However, it’s nowhere near as good as Breaking Bad, IMO.

[MplsSteve]

I think it’d be cool if Walt and Jesse could have a short role in the upcoming season - even if it’s a cameo.

I can picture both of them walking on the street and Saul heading towards them - both parties totally unaware that they’ll soon be meeting.

Or something like the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens when Rey walks up that hill and Luke Skywalker turns around and looks back at her.

[waterhill]

I am going to start watching that after I get done with American Horror. I am eagerly waiting for Ozark season 2 (really good!) in late August.

[CedarDave]

Over the next couple of weeks, AMC is re-running seasons 1 through 3, usually in the overnight hours. Use your DVR to record them for viewing during summer doldrums.

[Raycpa]

I often think that Cohen is Trump’s Saul.

[laplata]

Thanks, CedarDave.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The very best such cameo appearances were hilariously done on “Last Man Standing” with various “Tool Time” cast popping in. The dialog was hilarious.

Hard to believe Tool Time ended almost twenty years ago.

[slapshot]

Season 1 was decent. Once Odenkirk started the anti Trump electoral stuff, show nor Odenkirk did not exist.

Remember- if one supports this production by placing eyeballs on the screen, you are rewarding extreme liberal progressive behavior.

Also drop Netflix- Dollars talk

[867V309]

i love this show

The episode Chicanery where Chuck loses it on the stand ("I am NOT crazy!") is an all time favorite of mine.

It's an obvious ripoff of Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny but McKean is spectacular. And the camera work, s l o w l y  moving in for a close-up of Chuck as he melts-down, is genius.

[be-baw]

“Remember- if one supports this production by placing eyeballs on the screen, you are rewarding extreme liberal progressive behavior.”

I don’t care. I already payed for it. Good enough that I won’t pay to see movies with liberal lunatics.

[shelterguy]

I liked Seasons 1 and 2. Binged 3 this Spring. Yawn.

[be-baw]

Gonna watch season 4?

[shelterguy]

I expect so. Hopefully it will be good.