TV Review: Better Call Saul Season 1

It's been two years since Walter White graced our television screens. I've missed watching Breaking Bad but the good news is there has been no shortage of incredible shows to watch. AMC however saw the loss of Breaking Bad as an opportunity to spin-off the series and focus on everyones favorite lawyer, Saul Goodman. The series is Better Call Saul and Jenn and I just finished watching the first season and I'm sad to say we didn't love it.

I think anytime you spin-off a show you have that built-in fear that it won't remain faithful to the original. That's not the case at all with Better Call Saul. It's still helmed by the Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and maintains much of the same brilliant visual asthetic of Breaking Bad. It also starts brilliantly. The first two episodes of Better Call Saul are fantastic. I was completely bought in. I think those episodes show that Bob Odenkirk (Saul) could easily lead a show. There is also a surprise visit from a familiar Breaking Bad character that blew my mind.

Sadly though after the first two episodes the first season slows down and we start to meander in this odd middle-ground where Saul is finding himself. In a lot of ways the first season is the Saul Goodman origin story and sadly its not that interesting. Its brilliantly shot and there are moments that I was completely bought in but I couldn't help but feel a bit bored. There just wasn't a lot going on. It didn't have any of the momentum that Breaking Bad started and continued with until the end of the series. 

With that being said I still believe Better Call Saul could be an incredible TV show. It has the pieces, the characters, the lead actor. It has everything it needs. It just needs to put all of that together. We didn't love the first season of Better Call Saul but I'm still going to hop on for Season 2 and give it one more shot.